The latest U.S. inflation figures were released in early April, revealing that the consumer price index (CPI) had risen by 3.5% in March 2024, on an annual basis.
This is unfortunately higher than the 3.2% logged in February, showing once again how stubborn inflation has been post-pandemic.
To add context to these figures, Visual Capitalist's Marcu Lu visualized CPI categories that became significantly more expensive from March 2023 to March 2024.
The data we used to create this graphic is listed in the table below.
Prices of “video discs and other media” rose by a substantial 30.1% year-over-year as of March 2024, highlighting rising demand for physical media such as vinyl records.
According to an article from The Guardian, U.S. vinyl sales rose 21.7% in the first half of 2023, driven by artists like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, and Fleetwood Mac. Swift’s latest album, Midnights, sold nearly 500,000 vinyl copies throughout the entire year.
Another category that rose significantly was “juice and drinks”, at 27.5%. This rise in cost has been attributed to numerous factors including sugar shortages, increased transportation costs, and diseases affecting orange trees in Florida
The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from a Black Lives Matter activist who's being sued by a Louisiana police officer who was injured during a 2016 protest.
The Court declined to hear an appeal by DeRay Mckesson, leaving a lower court decision in place which revived a lawsuit brought by the Baton Rouge police officer, John Ford Reuters reports. Ford has accused Mckesson of negligence after being struck by a rock during a protest over the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling.
Last week, veteran NPR reporter Uri Berliner - a longtime 'Subaru driving' lefty who was raised by a 'lesbian peace activist mother' - wrote a scathing report accusing the network of overwhelming bias.
Introspection was the last thing on NPR's mind, however, as new CEO Katherine Maher chastised Berliner as "profoundly disrespectful, hateful, and demeaning" to his colleagues for calling out political bias.
In a memo Friday, Maher told the staff that Berliner attacked not only “the quality of our editorial process and the integrity of our journalists” but “our people on the basis of who we are.”
...
Maher’s response was hardly surprising. She was a controversial hire at NPR. Many had hoped that NPR would seek a CEO who could steer the company away from its partisan and activistic trend. The prospect could have brought moderates and conservatives back into NPR’s listening audience. Maher, however, was part of that trend.
This should come as no surprise given Maher's history as a complete lunatic who spews woke diatribes on X - calling herself "someone with cis white mobility privilege" and other nonsense.
In response to journalist Chris Rufo pointing this out, Elon Musk replied that she's a "crazy racist!"
Maher also says that "America is addicted to white supremacy," which is the "real issue."
She also excused looters, and even slammed Hillary Clinton for correctly gendering individuals.
What's the answer? Donald Trump suggests defunding them.
A major police sting operation led to the arrest of the alleged ringleader of a prolific dog-fighting operation, shedding light on the “brutal” and illegal bloodsport which subjects animals to horrific injuries, pain and suffering for profit.
Bruce Low Jr., 45, who law enforcement suspects is the “leader” of “one of the top five dog-fighting breeders in the US”, was last week arrested after investigators executed search warrants on three New Jersey properties, related to a dog-fighting network believed to be operating on an international scale.
He was later charged with second-degree racketeering, second-degree conspiracy, second-degree money laundering, cruelty to animals, dog fighting for gambling on the outcome, falsifying records and six other charges.
The arrest of an alleged ringleader of a prolific dog-fighting operation shed light on the “brutal” and illegal bloodsport which subjects animals to horrific injuries for profit.Meredith Lee
Seven of his alleged co-conspirators were also arrested and charged, following a state-led effort by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General and State Police, with assistance from federal agencies.
More than 120 dogs — including one with a missing leg and many with open wounds, heavy scarring and swelling — were found on one of the Cumberland County properties linked to Low, authorities announced Friday.
Most of them were suffering from untreated injuries, shivering and exhibiting signs of abuse and neglect, authorities said.
“What other hell these dogs endured, I honestly don’t even dare to imagine,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said, adding the dogs had been “tortured and abused.”
According to court documents obtained by The Post, investigators also located two dead dogs in a fighting pit and noted blood on walls.
“Generally with an operation of that size there’s no doubt in my mind these guys are selling nationally and even internationally,” Humane Society of the US Vice President Adam Parascandola told The Post.
Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states, but runs rampant in “cruel and callous” underground gambling operations propped up by breeders, trainers and spectators, and rooted in animal cruelty.
Bruce Low Jr. (not pictured) who law enforcement suspects is the “leader” of “one of the top five dog-fighting breeders in the US”, was last week arrested after investigators executed search warrants. Meredith Lee
It is particularly popular in the southwest and northeast, said Parascandola, who accompanied police to assist with the rescue of the surviving dogs at the New Jersey compound.
“There were pregnant [females], nursing dogs, some severely underweight, a lot of dogs with fairly extensive scarring, some had open wounds and swelling,” he said of the rescue operation.
“Some were limping with a number of injuries including fractures and broken bones that hadn’t been treated.”
According to Parascandola, the US is also one of the main worldwide distributors of “fighting dogs” to countries including Poland, Bulgaria, South Africa, Mexico and beyond.
Low was later charged with second-degree racketeering, second-degree conspiracy, second-degree money laundering, cruelty to animals, dog fighting for gambling on the outcome, falsifying records and six other charges. Meredith Lee
“Many kennels around the world are buying from the US,” he told The Post.
“Generally, the public doesn’t have an understanding of the amount of organization involved in these dog-fighting networks and the organized criminal nature of them.
“It’s not only within the country but between international dog fighters who are talking to each other in different ways.”
Cops say Low, known as “Hollywood”, ran the dog-fighting operation under the business name Royal Bull Kennels and that he and some of his alleged co-conspirators posted about related sales and traded videos of fights on Facebook and in private messaging groups.
They used code names such as “game dogs” and “concerts” — terms in the industry to describe fighting dogs and organized dog fights in an attempt to go undetected by authorities, court papers claim.
Low did not return calls from The Post on Thursday.
On its website, RBK goes to great lengths to insist its operations is above board.
“We do not break any laws!” reads a disclaimer.
“All of our dogs are used in legal activities including but not limited to conformation, weight pull, obedience, treadmill racing, and other non-illegal activities.
“We do not own any dog that was knowingly used in any illegal activities before or after they were in our possession. We do not condone the use of any dogs in any illegal activities whatsoever.”
But charging documents suggest there are multiple holes in that claim. According to police, Low unwittingly gave himself up when he corresponded with a potential customer who turned out to be an undercover detective feigning interest in buying a dog.
Low told the agent he held 61 “concerts” – authorities claim – last year alone, describing one such event in detail.
The Humane Society of the United States cares for over 120 dogs and puppies after assisting in their rescue from an alleged dog fighting operation. Meredith Lee
Authorities also charged Low’s mother and business partner Terri A. Low , 67; his son, Bryce J. Low , 20; and his son-in-law, Roosevelt Hart IV, 29, on a range of offenses including dog fighting, racketeering and money laundering.
Col. Patrick Callahan, the head of the State Police said a tip-off and subsequent undercover investigation culminated in “the largest seizure and takedown of a dog fighting ring in the history of the state of New Jersey”.
“The pedigree of his fighting dogs is well-known and highly sought after in the dog fighting world,” Dominick Quartuccio, a State Police detective, wrote in a sworn statement, adding that “Low, Jr. generated a significant amount of income from the dog fighting.”
The blood sport can be highly lucrative for owners and for spectators who may wager large amounts of cash on a match and clean up from the “main purse”. According to Parascandola, the breeders also make a lot of money via “side bets” and the sale of dogs bred to fight.
Authorities also charged Low’s mother and business partner Terri A. Low , 67; his son, Bryce J. Low , 20; and his son-in-law, Roosevelt Hart IV, 29, on a range of offenses including dog fighting, racketeering and money laundering. Meredith Lee
“The bigger breeders and sellers who are well known and popular are definitely making in the hundreds of thousands of dollars every year,” Parascandola told The Post.
During the investigation, surveillance observed Coy Dickerson, a “world-renowned game dog trainer,” tethering dogs to a vehicle and running them on trails on the compound to condition them for fights on multiple occasions, a police affidavit claims.
“Coy had dogs chained in the yard, living in barrels and dogs in kennels around his trailer on the compound,” Platkin said at the news conference Friday.
According to Parascandola, the US is also one of the main worldwide distributors of “fighting dogs” to countries including Poland, Bulgaria, South Africa, Mexico and beyond. Meredith Lee
“We know that on multiple instances dogs were strapped to an ATV and forced to run at speeds as high as 14 miles an hour, often for long periods of time.
“In at least one instance, even exceeding an hour.”
According to Parascandola, dogs born at the compounds live their lives chained up from the age of eight weeks old, only being let out for conditioning or fighting.
“Even the winning dogs often come away with gaping wounds or broken bones, only to be put back on a heavy chain without treatment even if only for breeding purposes,” he told The Post.
“Most of these dogs are bred specifically like this, they start their life with the expectation of the owner that they’re going to be used in fights, so from time they’re eight-12 weeks old they’re put on a heavy chain and spend most of their life on that chain.”
It’s an “awful” life every way around for any dog unlucky enough to end up in it.
“Generally with an operation of that size there’s no doubt in my mind these guys are selling nationally and even internationally,” Humane Society of the US Vice President Adam Parascandola told The Post. Meredith Lee
The dogs are typically only let loose for breeding, conditioning, or fighting purposes, Parascandola explained.
“Even without the injuries from dog fighting, it’s non stop suffering with dogs often given just a barrel for shelter, and mostly ignored,” he said.
The fights are “intensive” and often end in the dogs sustaining “crippling injuries”. The average fights last 30-90 minutes but some go on much longer.
Despite the horrific treatment they have endured from their handlers, the majority of rescues are determined to be fit for placements, according to reports.Meredith Lee
“Dogs that do well but survive with horrific injuries are just put back on the chain even if just for breeding purposes,” he added.
Parascandola said he has personally seen videos of people involved in the US industry “cheering” as a dog with two broken front legs tries to move and continue a fight in the pit.
He said the dogs rescued from the New Jersey compound have since been treated and placed in shelters and rescue centers for adoption.
Despite the horrific treatment they have endured from their handlers, most of the animals bred for fighting are not “human aggressive”, and the majority of rescues are determined to be fit for placements.
“They all greeted us with wagging tails and really just want love and attention,” he said.
Keep these in mind as you contemplate the direction of the American government over the past 50 years and especially since the Obama election.
The Goals of Communism
(as read into the congressional record January 10, 1963, from "The Naked Communist" by Cleon Skousen)
1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.
2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.
3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.
4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.
5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.
6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.
7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.
8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.
9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.
10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.
11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)
12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.
13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.
14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.
15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.
16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.
17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.
18. Gain control of all student newspapers.
19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.
20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.
21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.
22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."
27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."
28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."
29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.
30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."
31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.
32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.
33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.
34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.
36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.
37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.
38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.
39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.
40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.
42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.
43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.
44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.
45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
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