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- Salty Ginger Talk Newsletter
Trump approval rating on economy, inflation slip in new poll
Our take: President Trump was elected largely based on American’s dissatisfaction with the economy. Inflation ran wild during the first half of the Biden administration. Although it cooled in his final year, many people found that just getting by was tough when the prices for staples like housing, groceries, and energy all took price increases and did not retreat.
The honeymoon period any new president enjoys looks to be coming to an end for President Trump. A new CBS poll of over 2,000 Americans (the poll did not say how these 2,000 people were selected, or where they were selected from, so take it for what is worth) shows that his approval rating on his handling of the economy has slipped about 4% from last month.
The CBS News survey of 2,410 Americans found 44% approved of Trump’s handling of the economy and 40% approved of his handling of inflation, both down 4% from March 30. The president's overall approval rating dropped to 47% this month, down from 50% in March and 53% in February.
Views on Trump’s tariff plans varied depending on respondents’ political affiliations. At 91%, nearly all Republicans said Trump has a clear plan on tariffs and trade. Only 43% of independents and 16% of Democrats said the same. In all, 58% of respondents said they oppose new U.S. tariffs on imported goods.
According to the poll, 51% of Americans like Trump’s goals when it comes to tariffs and trade, but only 37% approve of his approach.
This is a long term play. It will be difficult to tell if it is effective or not for some period of time. It is also high risk, threatening to alienate the US from the rest of the world while it goes after the primary target, which appears to be China. We do know that the approach we have taken for the last several decades of printing money, running big deficits that add interest to the budget, and cow-towing to nations around the world because we are more worried about them liking us than we are taking care of our own citizens has left us in a much worse position. We need to do something different, and we are willing to see how tariffs play out before we cast any judgements for or against them.
COURTESY: YAHOO
The federal government outlaws Medicaid from paying for hormone treatments and sex change operations on children
Our take: Our position on this has not changed and will not change. We should not be operating on or chemically treating minors that are physically healthy that feel like they were born into the wrong gender. Once someone is 18 and can legally make their own decisions, we fully support their right to choose what they do. And they should be free of discrimination and physical or emotional abuse regardless of the decisions they make. But until they reach that age, no one (including well meaning parents) should be allowed to make elective decisions that permanently alter someone physically. Throw cosmetic surgery into the same bucket for what its worth.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the newly confirmed administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the federal agency will stop paying for gender reassignment operations or hormone treatments for those under 18.
In a a statement, Oz said his "top priority is protecting children" and upholding the law.
The federal agency must ensure medical care is "lawful, necessary, and truly in the best interest of patients," Oz said. "CMS will not support services that violate this standard or place vulnerable children at risk."
There we go. Pretty straightforward. Protect kids and make adult decisions based on science and facts, not feelings. We are in full support of this approach.
COURTESY: USA TODAY
Couple fights Wells Fargo after bank allows $40k in fraudulent transactions
Our take: Imagine looking at your bank account and seeing a pending transaction that you do not recognize. Being a responsible person, you call the bank and alert them to the transaction. The bank refuses. The next day, the money is in fact gone from your account. You call the bank and tell them it is fraud. They then open an investigation, but don’t credit your money back.
Then the same thing happens again that day. Now you are out money 2 different times. A Houston couple had this exact experience with Wells Fargo.
Jose Vasquez says he went online to check his Wells Fargo business account on Jan. 27 when he noticed something suspicious — a pending direct pay transfer for $20,000. He contacted the bank.
"I said, 'Hey, please stop the transaction. It's still pending. I don't recognize it. I don't authorize this transaction," Jose told Fox 26 Houston in a story published Feb. 13.
He says Wells Fargo informed him they wouldn't stop the transaction and instead let it hit the other account before opening an investigation. The following morning, Jose says he noticed another $20,000 transaction he didn't authorize.
"The same thing happened last night, you guys [have] got to stop it, another $20,000 in less than 24 hours," he said.
The couple says authorities sent subpoenas to a bank in Alabama where the direct pay account was located and to Wells Fargo. They also sent affidavits to their bank detailing the fraud.
A few days later, the couple says they were notified by Wells Fargo the bank's investigation determined there was no fraud. The two were left bewildered, especially considering the bank allowed a second transaction after being warned about the first one.
"They're not hearing us out and they're not trying to understand," Amanda, exasperated, told Fox 26. "They're just protecting themselves."
Even with police involved, according to the local broadcaster, it was up to Wells Fargo to determine the fate of the money. But in a follow-up report published March 13, we learned the bank decided to return $40,000 to their business account.
The couple credits the media attention with facilitating the happy conclusion.
Yikes. It’s pretty wild the bank would not stop a transaction even when the account holder(s) alert them in advance it’s bogus. I think the moral of the story here is to be diligent about monitoring the transactions on your accounts, and promptly react to anything fishy. It might still be hard, but it’s your best shot at avoiding getting ripped off, even when you didn’t do anything to allow it.
COURTESY: MSN
Tip of the day
Practice facing some of your fears that stem from a lack of self-confidence. If you’re afraid you’ll embarrass yourself or think that you’re going to mess up, try anyway. A little self-doubt can even help improve performance. Tell yourself it’s just an experiment and see what happens.
Quote of the day
"Get busy living or get busy dying." - Stephen King