Economic experts pan Hochul’s ‘inflationary’ ‘inflation refunds’: ‘Not difficult math’
Several economic experts panned New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “inflation refunds” she plans to distribute to qualifying New Yorkers as part of her 2025 State of the State initiative. Last week, Hochul proposed $3 billion in direct payments to about half of the Empire State’s 19 million residents: $300 for single taxpayers making up to $150,000 per year and $500 for joint filers making twice that. “Because of inflation, New York has generated unprecedented revenues through the sales tax — now, we’re returning that cash back to middle class families,” Hochul said in a statement announcing the proposal. However, some economists and economic experts, like Andy Puzder, said the move simply “redistributes [money] to people so the people will vote for them.” REPUBLICANS RIP HOCHUL’S INFLATION REFUNDS AS ‘BRIBE TO MAKE’ NY’ERS ‘LIKE HER’ “If you really wanted to help everybody, and if you have an excess of sales taxes, then you reduce the sales tax,” added Puzder, the former CEO of the parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., CKE Restaurants. “It’s not difficult math,” he added. Puzder is a lecturer on economics and a senior public policy fellow at Pepperdine University who was considered for Labor secretary in the first Trump administration. In his work at CKE Restaurants, Puzder increased the average franchise sales volume for the then-struggling Hardee’s from $715,000 in 2001 to more than $1 million a decade later. The U.S. economy has been in trouble because of the same types of policies forwarded by Hochul and other tax-and-spend Democrats, he said – adding that President Biden’s American Rescue Plan was what lit the fuse on nationwide inflation in the first place. “If you reduce taxes, fewer people will also be leaving the state,” he added, as New York shed another population-based House seat and electoral vote in the decennial census. Puzder noted a few top Democrats have warned their own leaders against such “refunds” from the government, citing former President Bill Clinton’s Treasury chief Lawrence Summers cautioning the Biden administration that similar handouts in 2021 would drive up inflation. HOCHUL SPARKS BIPARTISAN OUTRAGE OVER CONGESTION PRICING REBOOT AS DEMS WORRIED TRUMP WOULD BLOCK IT Former Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., an economist and currently vice provost of Liberty University in Lynchburg, cited Nobel laureate Milton Friedman’s assertion that inflation is a monetary phenomenon. Therefore, he said, in Hochul’s case, the better fix for inflation lies not in Albany, but in Manhattan. “Inflation has to do with how much money the Federal Reserve prints. If she wants to give people money back from the government, that’s fine – but she’s in a prominent position in New York in that the Fed has one of its chief desks there and if you want to solve inflation, you go to the Federal Reserve.” He added that $500 for a family is a “trivial, symbolic move against a massive, hidden tax,” noting that with an estimated 22% real-inflation rate over the past four years, $500 in 2020 purchasing power is only worth $390. Brat added that Democrats’ penchant for such “refunds” put Republicans at a consistent political disadvantage because the GOP essentially has to “compete against Santa Claus” handing out presents versus the right warning the public to “eat their spinach.” Economist EJ Antoni echoed some of the sentiment about the refunds being inflationary themselves, saying that what got the U.S. into inflation in the first place was too much government spending. “So this idea that we’re going to add on another government expenditure, you’re essentially just creating a feedback loop,” Antoni said. “Now, that’s not to say that New York State alone is going to cause inflation. Inflation comes from the federal government, because the federal government is the one that can’t create money, can print money out of nothing. But at the same time, you’re still talking about increasing the cost of living for New Yorkers, just in a different way,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Any additional government spending is going to have to be paid for one way or another.” Antoni added he could see such payments to the public “snowballing” into more and more payments down the line, which in turn would lead to higher taxes being needed to fund the handouts. Antoni also said Hochul’s proposal differs from then-President Donald Trump’s COVID-era checks, because the latter came during a time people needed “money to survive” amid stay-at-home orders and various shutdowns of job sectors. “If the issue is that we need to reduce people’s cost of living, the best way to do that would just be to reduce their taxes, not have another payment by the government,” he said. Fox News Digital also reached out to the left-leaning Brookings Institution for a further diverse viewpoint on Hochul’s move. Fox News Digital also reached out to Hochul’s office for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
Elon Musk moves to make Starbase, Texas, the official ‘gateway to Mars’
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is petitioning a county in the Texas Rio Grande Valley to incorporate its launch site into an official town called “Starbase, Texas,” to serve as the company’s headquarters and “gateway to Mars.” Months after announcing he was moving SpaceX’s headquarters out of California, Musk exclaimed in an X post last week that “SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas!” Located within Cameron County in far-south Texas, Starbase is currently an unincorporated community that serves as the hub for much of SpaceX’s rocket manufacturing, launches and operations, including the historic “rocket catch.” SPACEX LAUNCHES MISSION TO SPACE STATION THAT WILL BRING BACK STRANDED NASA ASTRONAUTS NEXT YEAR The rocket catch is part of SpaceX’s “Starship” program, which is housed in its Starbase facilities and is seeking to make the first fully reusable rocket designed to propel manned missions to establish a human presence on the moon and Mars. But to get to Mars, SpaceX says it needs Starbase, Texas, to become official. “To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community. That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley,” Starbase general manager Kathryn Lueders said in a letter to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino. ROCKET LAUNCH ATTENDEES SHARE HOPES ABOUT ELON MUSK’S PREDICTION FOR MARS TRAVEL BY 2026 To be incorporated into a city in Texas, a county judge must order a special election in the community. According to Lueders, incorporating Starbase will streamline the process to make Starbase a “world-class place to live” and enable the Starship program to “fundamentally alter humanity’s access to space.” Musk announced SpaceX was moving its former headquarters in Hawthorne, California, to Starbase in July. The reason for the move cited by Musk was California’s SAFETY Act, which prohibits schools from requiring teachers to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender. “This is the final straw,” Musk said on X. “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.” ELON MUSK GOES OFF ON GENDER SURGERY THAT CAN STERILIZE MINORS: ‘SHOULD GO TO PRISON FOR LIFE’ CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Now, Lueders said that SpaceX is investing billions in infrastructure in Cameron County and generating hundreds of millions in income and taxes for local businesses and government, “all with the goal of making South Texas the gateway to Mars.” In her letter to Trevino, Lueders called Starbase a one-of-a-kind location for SpaceX’s future. “Starbase is a one-of-a-kind location for manufacturing, testing, and launching the most advanced rocket and spaceships ever conceived – a fully and rapidly reusable system that paves the way for humanity’s return to the Moon and eventual travel to Mars,” she said. “We look forward to continuing its transformation into a world-class hub for the men and women working to make life multiplanetary.”
Paris Hilton urges House to pass ‘Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act’ after Senate’s unanimous approval
American media personality and businesswoman Paris Hilton is headed to Capitol Hill Monday to urge the GOP-led House to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act – a bill for which she has lobbied the last three years. The bill cleared the Senate unanimously last week. Hilton told Fox News Digital in an interview she was “in tears” when the bill passed the upper chamber on Wednesday, calling it “such a monumental moment” for herself and her allies. “It just makes me proud to know that every single senator recognized the urgency of this issue and supported something that I’ve worked so hard for,” Hilton said. PARIS HILTON PRAISES GOP LAWMAKERS FOR SPONSORING BIPARTISAN STOP INSTITUTIONAL CHILD ABUSE ACT The bipartisan bill, co-sponsored by 23 lawmakers including Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Ct., Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., aims to reform residential youth facilities for troubled kids. Hilton is now urging the House to take up the bill before the session ends this week. If the legislation fails to pass both houses before the new Congress sits in early January, the bill would have to be considered again by both legislative chambers. “I just feel like it’s so important to do this, because right now, there’s just no regulation, and people are getting away with so much because they’re not being watched,” Hilton said. “So this bill is really just about transparency and just collecting that data so we can know where are the bad ones and where are the good ones, and just collect that data, because right now they’re not able to do that.” PARIS HILTON SPOTTED AT WHITE HOUSE FOR MEETING ON CHILD ABUSE LAW “When the U.S. Senate came together in a rare show of unity to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act unanimously on Wednesday December 11th, it was one of the best moments of my life,” the letter continued. “It was proof that when we listen to survivors and put politics aside, we can create real, meaningful change. But this journey isn’t over. I can’t celebrate until this bill becomes law, and now it’s up to the U.S. House of Representatives to finish what the Senate started.” Hilton, an advocate of the bill since its inception, alleged in a New York Times video op-ed series last year that she was a victim of sexual abuse as a teenager in the 1990s, when she attended a boarding school in Utah. She said she was the victim of a “parent-approved kidnapping” when she was a misbehaving 16-year-old, with two men dragging her out of her home and into a congregate-care facility. Last year, Hilton testified before the House Ways and Means Committee about her teenage experiences in these centers, describing them as “very emotional and traumatizing.” SATANIC TEMPLE’S NATIVITY DISPLAY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE DESTROYED, DEM REP CALLS FOR NEW DISPLAY “As a teenager, I was sent to youth residential treatment facilities where I endured abuse that no child should ever experience,” Hilton wrote in an open letter to House lawmakers Monday. “I was physically restrained, sexually abused, isolated, overmedicated, and stripped of my dignity. I was told I didn’t matter, that I was the problem, and that no one would believe me if I spoke up—not even my family. For years, I lived with the weight of that trauma, the nightmares, the shame. It wasn’t until I found my voice that I began to heal.” In a statement after the bill cleared the Senate, Cornyn said that “A lack of oversight and transparency in residential youth programs has allowed for the abuse of children in facilities across the country for far too long.” “I’m proud that the Senate unanimously passed this legislation to ensure the vulnerable children in these facilities are protected, and I want to thank the countless advocates who have bravely shared their stories to help end institutional child abuse.”
Capitol Hill braces for high-stakes showdown over $36T US debt crisis
FIRST ON FOX: A potential showdown over the U.S. debt limit is projected to hit Capitol Hill by mid-June, a new calculation suggests. The Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) released a new model Monday that said it is “possible” the U.S. government would exhaust the ability to pay its debts by June 16, 2025. “The government is projected to run about a $2 trillion deficit next year. And so that means that the spending obligations that Congress and the government have incurred are a lot more than what we’re going to bring in tax revenues,” Matthew Dickerson, director of Budget Policy at EPIC, told Fox News Digital. “To be able to pay the things the government has promised to pay on time, you need to increase the debt limit.” An agreement struck by President Biden and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last year suspended the debt limit through January 2025. In that time, the national debt surpassed $36 trillion. REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY EPIC’s analysis projected that “extraordinary measures” that can be invoked by the Treasury Department to avoid national default can carry the U.S. for roughly six more months at most, until a day known as the “X-date.” Failure to raise the debt limit could lead to major spirals in the U.S. and global economies. Biden and McCarthy’s deal was struck in late May of last year, just days ahead of a projected federal default on June 5. By that point, credit agency Fitch had already downgraded the U.S.’ longstanding AAA credit rating to AA+, temporarily roiling domestic financial markets. When asked if he was bracing for another 11th-hour agreement, Dickerson pointed out that Congress already has a litany of urgent legislative priorities to start off next year even before debt limit talks. US NATIONAL DEBT HITS A NEW RECORD: $36 TRILLION “It’s going to be a struggle for Congress to be able to deal with this,” he said. However, those negotiations can also be an ideal opportunity for Republicans to negotiate major deficit reduction ideas into law, EPIC’s paper argued. “Reaching the debt limit should be a wake-up call and a signal to do something, sound the alarm,” Dickerson said. The report said debt limit talks “historically helped facilitate the political environment needed for deficit reduction agreements, presenting an opportunity in 2025 to pair necessary debt limit increases with reforms to control spending and promote economic growth.” It went on to blame the ballooning national debt on “excessive spending.” DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER “Since August 2019, the debt limit has been modified four times: two suspensions and two dollar-specific debt limit increases. Over these five years, the debt has grown by about $13.9 trillion,” the report said. “The current fiscal trajectory, where government spending would exceed historical norms and grow faster than the economy, is unsustainable and harmful to American families.” The debt ceiling is the total amount the federal government is able to borrow in order to pay its obligations, including Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, and veterans’ payments – among countless other payments. The talks that led to suspending the debt limit last year were part of a messy, protracted battle over government spending that fueled chaos in the 118th Congress. In addition to dealing with Democratic demands to raise or suspend the debt limit with no preconditions, McCarthy also faced pushback from GOP hardliners who opposed acting on the fiscal cliff without steep spending cuts – which were non-starters for most on the left. Additionally, while the players will be different next year – President-elect Donald Trump instead of Biden, McCarthy replaced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Republicans flipping the balance of power in the Senate – Dickerson pointed out that the GOP’s slim margins in Congress will mean Democrats will still need a seat at the negotiating table. “You’re going to need to be able to have something that brings along everybody so we can get a bipartisan agreement,” he said, while also adding, “President Trump is going to not want to sign something that is seen as massively increasing spending and being irresponsible on debt.”
NSEL-like Scam! Bharat Co-operative Bank classifies cash credit of Mumbai APMC traders as NPA; check details
A whistleblower said that ‘cash credit’ from the bank circulated among family members.
Schumer requests 360-degree radar system for NY, NJ to detect drones
As unknown airborne craft traverse the night skies in parts of the United States, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called upon the Department of Homeland Security to deploy 360-degree radar systems capable of detecting drones to the New York and New Jersey region. “Our local people who have questions about these drones should not have to shake an eight ball to get an answer,” Schumer said, holding up a magic eight ball toy in one hand and an image of a drone in another. “They want real answers, and the Robin can supply those answers, and that’s why we want them here,” Schumer said, likely referencing the Dutch company Robin Radar Systems, which produces such systems. NJ DRONE SIGHTINGS COULD BE A ‘CLASSIFIED EXERCISE’: FORMER CIA OFFICER The website of Robin Radar Systems notes, “Bird, bat, or drone, our 360° radar systems log thousands of observations, scanning every second to track and classify with precision.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Sunday, “In response to my calls for additional resources, our federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York State.” Fox News Digital reached out to DHS, Hochul’s office, and Schumer’s office for comment. DRONE MYSTERY CONTINUES IN NEW JERSEY AS EXPERTS OFFER NEW THEORIES ABOUT SIGHTINGS “DHS responds to Congressional inquiries directly via official channels, and the Department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight,” a DHS spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” that some of the sightings have been drones while “some are manned-aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones.” He said “we know of no foreign involvement” related to “the sightings in the north-east.” 2 MASSACHUSETTS MEN ARRESTED FOR FLYING DRONE ‘DANGEROUSLY CLOSE’ TO BOSTON AIRPORT “Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so!” President-elect Donald Trump declared last week in a post on Truth Social. “Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!”
Hezbollah chief says group lost critical arms supply route from Iran with Syrian ouster of Assad
Hezbollah lost its most important supply route from Iran through Syria with the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad, the group’s chief admitted Sunday. It was the first public acknowledgment of how upheaval in Syria had hurt the Iranian proxy, which had propped up Assad and is now fighting a war in Lebanon with Israel. Weapons to counter the Israeli campaign flowed from Iran through Syria and into Lebanon for Hezbollah. “Yes, Hezbollah lost in this phase its military supply line through Syria, but this loss is merely a detail in the overall of the resistance,” said Naim Qassem in a televised address. “The supply line might come back normally with the new regime, and we can always look for other ways, the resistance is flexible and can adapt,” he added. Assad’s ousting jeopardized Syria’s close ties to Iran. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led the overthrow of Assad, had lamented that Syria had become a “playground for Iran.” Hezbollah had fought off the rebel groups on Assad’s behalf. TURKEY SEEKS TO PURGE PRO-US KURDISH FORCE THAT HELPED DEFEAT ISLAMIC STATE IN SYRIA As it became clear Assad’s grip on power was coming undone, Hezbollah and Iran’s military forces made their exit from Syria. Qassem took over as Hezbollah’s secretary general in October after its leader for three decades, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in Israeli airstrikes south of Beirut. Hezbollah and Iran had long intervened on behalf of Assad in Syria’s 13-year civil war, but depleted by war with Israel, refused to come to his defense during the swift takeover of Damascus. Israel has also used the chaos of Assad’s fall to destroy the Syrian army’s strategic and chemical weapons in more than 350 airstrikes across the country. And it has moved into the buffer zone that separates it from Syria – the first time the Golan buffer zone has seen Israeli forces since 1973. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is not interested in meddling in Syria’s domestic politics but is looking to protect Israel’s borders. “We have no interest in a conflict with Syria. We will determine Israeli policy regarding Syria according to the reality on the ground,” he said Sunday, adding Israel would continue to strike “as necessary, in every arena and at all times” to prevent the rebuilding of Hezbollah. SYRIAN DICTATOR BASHAR ASSAD FLEES INTO EXILE AS ISLAMIST REBELS CONQUER COUNTRY HTS, a former al Qaeda affiliate, has sought to portray itself as a moderating force in Syria, and the U.S. has been in direct contact with the leading rebel group. But Israel is leery of the group’s long-term intentions. “The immediate risks to the country have not disappeared, and the latest developments in Syria are increasing the intensity of the threat – despite the moderate appearance rebel leaders are pretending to portray,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday. Hezbollah kicked up its cross-border attacks on Israel after Oct. 7, 2023, in support of Hamas, another Iranian proxy. Since late November, the cease-fire has mostly held, despite some Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah operatives. Qassem defended his decision to stick to the cease-fire, saying it did not mean the end of Hezbollah’s “resistance,” but was necessary to “stop the aggression” of Israel in Lebanon.
Trump allies push for more White House control over Congress’ purse strings
House GOP allies of President-elect Donald Trump are pushing for him to have greater control over Congress’ annual government spending process next year. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., is introducing a bill on Monday that would repeal a measure that forces the president to direct the federal government to spend the full amount of money allocated by Congress every year. Clyde told Fox News Digital on Thursday that he also plans to introduce the bill in the next Congress, when Republicans control the House, Senate and White House – and that the issue is already being discussed in Trump’s circle. “That was certainly a topic that was brought up” with Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk when they were on Capitol Hill earlier this month to discuss the Department of Government Efficiency, Clyde said. REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY “They’re in favor of it, because how can you be efficient and not have the ability to reduce spending? You simply can’t.” He also told a small group of reporters earlier this month that incoming Trump Office Of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought “is very much in favor of this.” The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 was passed during the Nixon administration and aimed at stopping the president from having unilateral say over government spending. Currently, a president must get congressional approval to rescind any funding that has been allocated for a certain year. The funds in question can be held for up to 45 days while the request gets processed. “I think the authority is very, very important for the president to exercise,” Clyde said. “Ever since Congress introduced that act, you’ve seen spending literally spiraling upwards. And that’s just not good for our country.” DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER Clyde’s bill would roll back the Impoundment Control Act. A corresponding bill is being introduced in the Senate by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Clyde said over a dozen House Republicans are backing his bill as well. Musk and Ramaswamy advocated for Trump to have greater authority to rescind funding in an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal last month, after the president-elect tapped them to lead an advisory panel on cutting government waste. The Georgia Republican acknowledged that the bill has long odds in the current Democrat-controlled Senate and with just one week left in the congressional term, but said he would “definitely” introduce it in the next Congress. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT He described Monday’s introduction as “putting a flag in the ground, saying ‘Hey, this is an authority that the president should be able to use in an unhindered fashion, and we are going to help.’” However, the issue is likely to fall along partisan lines. Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, responded to Musk and Ramaswamy’s op-ed by calling their ideas “as idiotic as they are dangerous.” “Unilaterally slashing funds that have been lawfully appropriated by the people’s elected representatives in Congress would be a devastating power grab that undermines our economy and puts families and communities at risk,” Boyle said in a statement.
Majority of small businesses anticipate revenue spikes under Trump’s 1st year in office: data
Small businesses are optimistic about revenue boosts in 2025, when President-elect Donald Trump will kick off his second administration, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report obtained by Fox News Digital shows. The latest Small Business Index report by MetLife and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released Monday morning found that seven in 10 small businesses, at 72%, reported they anticipate their revenues to increase next year. Last year, only 65% of businesses reported they anticipated revenue to increase, the data show. “The growing optimism among small business owners since the beginning of the year is a positive sign as we move into 2025 and potentially points to increasing opportunities in the new year,” Bradd Chignoli, executive vice president and head of Regional Business & Workforce Engagement at MetLife, said in a press release provided to Fox Digital. “As more and more employers look to increase investment and staff size, it is important to take advantage of the resources available to them, such as voluntary benefits, which can help strengthen their company’s culture and help attract and retain new talent.” The Small Business Index is a collaboration between MetLife and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that measures small business owners’ and leaders’ expectations. The survey released Monday was conducted between Oct. 7 – 21, before the election’s results, and included responses from 750 small business owners and operators. TRUMP VOWS TO CUT BUSINESS TAX RATE TO 15%, CREATE GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY COMMISSION LED BY ELON MUSK The majority of business owners, at 70%, reported that holiday shopping is vital to their overall profit, which is slightly down from 2022’s Q4 report that found 79% of business owners reported the same. The report found that inflation woes are small business owners’ top concern – as it has been for the last two years, according to the report. This year, however, an increase of business owners reported that both the U.S. economy and their local economies are healthier than they were this time last year. TRUMP PICKS BILLY LONG TO HEAD IRS, KELLY LOEFFLER TO LEAD SBA AND FRANK BISIGNANO TO LEAD SSA Thirty-two percent of business owners reported the U.S. economy is in better shape than 2023, up from 25% last year, and 38% reported their local economies are healthier than last year, when 30% reported the same. The survey also found that the majority of small business owners, at 51%, reported that red tape – including licensing, certification, and permit requirements – makes it harder for them to grow their operations. While 47% of respondents reported that they spend too much time and energy on complying with regulatory requirements. ”Too many regulations cause big headaches for small businesses, even if they feel confident in their ability to comply or have the means to outsource compliance tasks,” said Tom Sullivan, Vice President of Small Business Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “This quarter’s survey shows these requirements are complex, time-consuming, and often prevent small business owners from focusing on running and growing their businesses.” SMALL BUSINESSES GET TEMPORARY REPRIEVE FROM ‘BIG BROTHER,’ BUT NEED MORE CERTAINTY About 39% of respondents reported that in the last six months alone, they have increased their time and resources on complying with regulations alone, which is up from 33% reporting the same in the last quarter. Compliance with taxes, bookkeeping, payroll and licensing ate up a “great deal or fair amount” of time for business owners, according to the report. The overall index score for this quarter sits at 69.1, a slight dip from last quarter’s score of 71.2, which was attributed to business owners’ reporting an increase in time and resources on regulation compliance. TRUMP WILL USE TARIFFS ‘CORRECTLY,’ SMALL BUSINESS OWNER SAYS Small businesses have been on edge in recent years as inflation spiraled and choked spenders’ pocketbooks. Amid the highly-anticipated election cycle this year, Trump campaigned, in part, on lowering costs for Americans at check-out lines. Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris at the ballot box last month, securing 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226. “I am promising low taxes, low regulations, low energy costs, low interest rates, secure borders, low, low crime and surging incomes for citizens of every race, religion, color and creed,” Trump said from the campaign trail in September. “My plan will rapidly defeat inflation, quickly bring down prices and reignite explosive economic growth.” “I took care of our economy like I would take care of my own company in every decision. I asked, will I create jobs here, or will I be sending jobs overseas? Will it make America richer and stronger, or will it make our country weaker and poorer?” Trump asked. “I always put America first every single time. And when our country was hit by the China virus, we saved the economy. We rescued tens of millions of jobs.”
From TV Heartthrob to Digital Guru, Sandeep Bhansali’s Starry Reinvention!
Sandeep’s journey to stardom wasn’t served on a silver platter. Born in Pune to a saree-business family, he dreamt of acting while balancing academic brilliance (90% in boards!) and financial challenges.