‘A very discretionary place to visit’

Inflation logged in at an annual rate of 3.4% in August, about the same as it did in July, led by rising energy prices, and gosh it sure is hard to imagine what might be causing that. 

Unfortunately, much of the recent resurgence in oil/petroleum prices wasn’t factored in to the August report, so it’s also hard to imagine inflation going down when the September report is released next month. But hope springs.

Meanwhile, Marty O’Donnell, who is some guy who’s running for Congress in Nevada, was in Dallas last night at the Midterm Trump-A-Palooza and Medicine Show. O’Donnell  blamed Joe Biden for high prices, even though the inflation rate when Biden left office was lower than it is now.

O’Donnell also said when it comes to bringing down prices, “President Trump cares.”

In a far more convincing moment (low bar), O’Donnell also sang the refrain from the Flintstones Kids ad jingle, which he wrote.

IN THE NEVADA CURRENT

The top 10% of wealthiest households are seeing disproportionate increases in their wealth while the bottom 50% are seeing very little. Credit card liabilities among the bottom 50% are also rising. “That is starting to become a problem,” said Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill. “Delinquency rates are starting to rise in all areas of credit, and that is affecting folks’ ability to choose what is a very discretionary place to visit in Las Vegas.” April Corbin Girnus reports: K-shaped economy taking toll on Las Vegas, top tourism official warns

Boulder City’s Question 1 will appear on the town’s  2026 general election ballot, asking voters “Should data center facilities be an approved land use within the Eldorado Valley Transfer Area outside of the Multi-species Habitat Conservation Easement?” Jeniffer Solis reports: Ballot measure gives Boulder City voters a chance to weigh in on data centers

From never forget to always surveilled. “Joint terrorism task forces and fusion centers brought federal, state and local agencies into closer intelligence-sharing networks. New laws expanded the government’s ability to obtain information. And police departments acquired technologies that once belonged largely to the realm of national security… Civil liberties groups warned that the new powers could erode Americans’ privacy and constitutional protections, while many Americans accepted expanded government surveillance as a necessary tradeoff for safety in the aftermath of the attacks.” Toss in smart phones and Big Tech hoovering up all your data and other “innovations,” and goodness it’s icky. Sharply done piece here by Amanda Watford with Stateline: How 9/11 changed the way America surveils its citizens

Markwayne out over his skis. The suit argues that HSS Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s recent comments that ICE agents would be at polling locations for immigration enforcement violates federal law that allows for federal “armed men” at polling places only if “such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.” The D.C. bureau’s Ariana Figueroa reports: Suit challenges Trump administration move to allow ICE presence at polling places

Good luck