Obamanomics Isn't Working, ISIS Targets Europe

Friday, August 26, 2016

Obamanomics Isn't Working

There was bad news for the economy today. Second quarter economic growth was revised downward AGAIN to just 1.1%. Reuters adds, "The economy grew at a 0.8 percent pace in the first quarter. It grew 1.0 percent in the first half of 2016." Such anemic growth will not lead to growing paychecks.

In fact, noting that economic activity started slowing last year, Reuters warns that the economy is "in danger of stalling." Corporate profits also took a hit last quarter -- down 2.4%, which "could limit an anticipated rebound in business spending."

Better Off?

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest responded to questions yesterday about the state of blacks in America by saying, "I think you'd be very hard-pressed to make the case that somehow the African-American population in the United States is somehow not better off" after eight years of the first black president.

But let's look at the data. According to the Washington Times, the black unemployment rate in July was 8.4 percent. That's significantly better than the 12.6% black unemployment rate when Obama took office in 2009. However:
 

  • Black homeownership last month was 41.7 percent, down from 46.1 percent in 2009.
     
  • The percentage of black Americans living below the poverty line has risen from 25.8 percent in 2009 to 26.2 percent in 2014.
     
  • The number of black Americans receiving food-stamps increased 58 percent, from 7.3 million to 11.7 million.

    As the Times noted, liberal black activist Tavis Smiley said earlier this year, "Sadly . . . over the last decade, black folk, in the era of Obama, have lost ground in every major economic category."

    ISIS Targets Europe

    Europe is on high alert after new warnings from a top European security official. Europol Director Rob Wainwright warned that ISIS had made a "strategic decision" to send additional terrorists into Europe to stage mass casualty attacks similar to those in Paris and Brussels.

    Wainwright added that there were at least 50 major counter-terrorism investigations taking place across Europe, hoping to disrupt any plots.

    Some of the terrorists were using fake Syrian passports, which Wainwright said had been produced in "industrial amounts," while others were infiltrating the flow of refugees. As a result, his agency was deploying an additional 200 counter-terrorism agents to camps on various Greek islands that currently serve as a staging point for the influx of refugees.

    And speaking of radical Islam, a new report finds that many Canadian mosques and Islamic schools "are placing young people at risk by espousing -- or at least not condemning -- extremist teachings."

    Join Me In D.C.!

    Join me for the 2016 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., September 9th - 11th. The Values Voter Summit is sponsored by American Values, AFA Action, the Center for Christian Statesmanship, the Family Research Council, FRC Action, First Liberty and United in Purpose.

    Speakers at this year's Summit include:
     

  • 2016 Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump
  • Gov. Matt Bevin (R-KY)
  • Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR)
  • Dr. James Dobson
  • Lt. Gov. Dan Forest (R-NC)
  • Sen. James Lankford (R-OK)
  • Lt. Col. Oliver North
  • Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and many more.

    Breakout sessions will include a wide range of topics from engaging the Millennial generation and mobilizing the Christian vote to defending religious liberty and how the United States deals with Iran. Saturday evening will feature a gala dinner honoring my friend Dr. Bill Bennett for his decades of service on cultural, education and political issues.

    Click here to learn more or to register online.

    I look forward to seeing you there!