Monthly Archives: December, 2020

(The Center Square) – New Year’s Eve celebrations for most people this year will be far different compared to the past due to coronavirus restrictions and concerns, but WalletHub has ranked the top 100 cities for celebrating the holiday based on a variety of factors.

California towns make up six of the top 10 – Fremont, Irvine, Chula Vista, Santa Ana, San Diego and Anaheim — with Virginia Beach, Va., taking the top spot. Honolulu came in second, followed by Plano, Texas.

With many states seeing a surge in coronavirus cases after Thanksgiving gatherings, there is a concern the same could happen because of Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations.

“The most important thing to remember is that you do not want this to be your last New Year’s,” David Corsun, a professor of hospitality management at the University of Denver, told WalletHub. “Sit it out and you can ring in 2022 in style and good health.”

To compile the data, WalletHub looked at 15 metrics across two main categories, safety and entertainment, on a 100-point scale, then weighted the results based on the population of each city. Overall, the safety ranking accounted for 70 percent of each city’s score, and entertainment made up 30 percent.

For safety, the metrics included things like average number of coronavirus cases and deaths per capita in the past week, walkability, car theft rate and drunk driving fatalities per capita in the month of December.

Entertainment was ranked on topics including legality of fireworks, liquor stores per capita, availability of highly rated food takeout or delivery, and average beer and wine prices.

Six cities, including four in California – San Francisco, Washington, Sacramento and Long Beach – tied for first along with Colorado Springs, Colo., and Raleigh, N.C., for the fewest drunk driving fatalities per capita.

Some cities that ranked poorly for safety were among the highest rated for entertainment.

Detroit, for example, ranked as the second-best city for entertainment but was dead last for safety and finished 98th overall. Indianapolis received the highest rating for entertainment but was 91st for safety and 77th overall.

Conversely, some cities that ranked high for safety did not fare so well in entertainment.

Honolulu got the highest score for safety but was 88th for entertainment. Irvine, Calif., finished second in safety but seven spots from the bottom in entertainment.

Coming in dead last was a city people associate with major partying, New Orleans. The Big Easy ranked 98th for safety and 78th for entertainment.

Robert Brymer, a professor of hospitality at Florida State University, said people can save money by not traveling over the holiday weekend but can still get a change of scenery by staying at a local hotel.

“This may be your best chance to get a reduced room rate in a luxury hotel,” he said.

Brymer also noted that such an evening could include a bottle of champagne and take out from a high-end restaurant.

(The Center Square) – The investigation into hundreds of spoiled coronavirus vaccine doses at a suburban Milwaukee clinic is now a federal matter.

Police in Grafton said both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Drug Administration are joining them in looking into why an employee at the Aurora Health Clinic intentionally spoiled more than 500 doses of the vaccine.

On Wednesday, Aurora said the employee did not mistakenly leave the vaccine out of a refrigerator needed to keep the doses at a certain temperature. The hospital said the employee admitted to intentionally spoiling the doses.

“The individual in question today acknowledged that they intentionally removed the vaccine from refrigeration,” Aurora said in a statement Wednesday. “We are more than disappointed that this individual’s actions will result in a delay of more than 500 people receiving their vaccine. This was a violation of our core values, and the individual is no longer employed by us."

Grafton Police issued a statement that said they were notified "regarding an employee tampering with vials of the COVID-19 vaccine." The police department went on to say “this matter is being actively investigated by the FBI and the Food and Drug Administration.”

The spoiled doses were discovered after someone left 500 vials of the Moderna vaccine out of a refrigerator overnight Friday. The Moderna vaccine must be kept refrigerated, unlike the Pfizer vaccine, which must be kept well below zero. The 500 vaccine doses were discarded on Saturday.

Initially, Aurora Health issued a statement that chalked the spoilage up to a mistake.

"We learned that about 50 vials of Moderna vaccine were inadvertently removed from a pharmacy refrigerator overnight. Our internal review determined that as a result of unintended human error,” Aurora said on Monday. “After successfully vaccinating about 17,000 team members over the last 12 days, we are clearly disappointed and regret this happened."

It is not clear why the employee spoiled the vaccines, or what charges may be brought in the case.

Aurora officials have said they may release more information in the case later on Thursday.

Wisconsin residents pay 8.9% of their income per capita toward property, income and sales taxes – or $4,588 per person – according to a new study examining tax burdens in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The share of income paid by Wisconsin residents for these three taxes represented the 18th highest state tax burden among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., the HireAHelper website reported. The state’s residents paid 3.25% of their income on property taxes, according to the website, which provides moving services.

The percentages of income going toward the state taxes vary significantly among the states, the study said, from nearly 13% in New York to just over 5% in Alaska, researchers said. The study uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis to measure state tax revenues collected as a share of states’ total personal income per year.

The analysis points out that some states, such as North Dakota and Alaska, rely heavily on severance taxes on oil, natural gas and other resources so that taxes on individuals remain relatively low.

States in the Northeast tend to impose the highest tax burdens on individuals, while states in the South have lower tax burdens, researchers said.

---

Tax Burdens Imposed by the 50 States

RankStateProperty, Income and Sales Taxes as a Percentage of IncomeAnnual Property, Income and Sales Taxes Per PersonProperty Taxes as a Percentage of IncomeIncome Taxes as a Percentage of IncomeSales Taxes as a Percentage of Income1New York12.80%$8,7814.41%4.96%3.43%2Hawaii12.23%$6,7552.46%3.10%6.68%3District of Columbia11.63%$9,4354.60%3.63%3.40%4Vermont10.92%$5,8275.12%2.45%3.35%5Connecticut10.67%$7,9854.15%3.64%2.88%6Maine10.52%$5,1364.61%2.46%3.45%7New Jersey10.06%$6,8094.98%2.49%2.59%8Minnesota10.02%$5,7462.87%3.69%3.46%9Rhode Island9.75%$5,3124.47%2.31%2.98%10California9.49%$6,0292.64%3.78%3.06%11Illinois9.48%$5,4103.98%2.10%3.39%12Maryland9.43%$5,9052.70%3.94%2.79%13Kansas9.40%$4,8183.13%2.29%3.98%14Iowa9.27%$4,6403.39%2.53%3.35%15Nebraska9.08%$4,7933.80%2.32%2.96%16Mississippi9.01%$3,4032.80%1.64%4.56%17Ohio8.96%$4,3652.78%2.54%3.64%18Wisconsin8.90%$4,5883.25%2.72%2.92%19Louisiana8.83%$4,0791.93%1.51%5.39%20Arkansas8.80%$3,8061.79%2.20%4.81%21Massachusetts8.78%$6,2883.57%3.29%1.92%22West Virginia8.78%$3,6142.31%2.62%3.85%23Kentucky8.61%$3,6392.00%3.18%3.43%24Pennsylvania8.49%$4,7552.83%2.53%3.14%25Michigan8.47%$4,0403.07%2.26%3.14%26Washington8.33%$5,1742.64%0.00%5.68%27Colorado8.25%$4,8552.74%2.24%3.26%28Utah8.19%$3,8422.28%2.69%3.22%29Oregon8.19%$4,2093.02%4.12%1.04%30New Mexico8.19%$3,4072.00%1.44%4.75%31Arizona8.16%$3,6302.52%1.42%4.21%32Indiana8.12%$3,8442.18%2.04%3.90%33Nevada8.11%$4,0482.09%0.00%6.03%34Texas8.08%$4,1233.86%0.00%4.22%35North Carolina8.06%$3,7252.15%2.63%3.28%36Virginia7.86%$4,5452.93%2.86%2.06%37Missouri7.85%$3,6952.28%2.40%3.17%38Georgia7.84%$3,6782.57%2.36%2.91%39Idaho7.78%$3,4612.29%2.35%3.14%40North Dakota7.78%$4,3272.95%0.87%3.95%41South Carolina7.42%$3,2592.76%1.99%2.68%42Alabama7.37%$3,1471.40%1.94%4.03%43Montana7.36%$3,5403.55%2.54%1.26%44South Dakota7.35%$3,8533.01%0.00%4.34%45Oklahoma7.19%$3,2951.68%1.93%3.58%46Florida6.86%$3,4892.70%0.00%4.16%47New Hampshire6.83%$4,1925.47%0.13%1.24%48Delaware6.17%$3,2601.76%3.23%1.18%49Wyoming6.11%$3,7093.32%0.00%2.80%50Tennessee5.70%$2,6941.69%0.08%3.93%51Alaska5.04%$3,0303.64%0.00%1.40%

Source: HireAHelper.com

Wisconsin finished 35th in a new study by the Tax Foundation that ranked which of the 50 states have the most business-friendly unemployment insurance tax structures.

The state’s ranking reflected a gain of two positions from its 2020 ranking, according to the foundation’s analysis, which is part of a wider study titled “2021 State Business Tax Climate Index.”

All states and the District of Columbia have unemployment insurance tax systems, which are federal-state programs that fund benefits to newly unemployed workers. Levies on employers fund the systems.

In the foundation’s analysis, those state tax systems that have low minimum and maximum rates, stick closely to the federal taxable pay levels ($7,000 in base pay), and don’t impose more surtaxes or additional benefits were rated the highest.

The Tax Foundation study rated the District of Columbia, but its ranking and score are separate from the 50 states.

---

Which States Have the Highest Unemployment Insurance Taxes?

State2021 Rank(1 Is Highest)Change from 2020 to 20212020 Rank2019 Rank2018 RankAlabama144181211Alaska451463525Arizona8-261315Arkansas230233432California211221713Colorado412434035Connecticut22-1212319Delaware30333Florida20222Georgia390393838Hawaii253282627Idaho480484846Illinois43-3404242Indiana27-2251110Iowa37-2353334Kansas131141512Kentucky490494747Louisiana40444Maine33-1322444Maryland34-1332824Massachusetts500505049Michigan18-1174948Minnesota322342537Mississippi50555Missouri72987Montana200202120Nebraska1101199Nevada470474545New Hampshire441454443New Jersey31-1303236New Mexico9-181016New York380383130North Carolina1001076North Dakota121131414Ohio61768Oklahoma10111Oregon360363731Pennsylvania402424650Rhode Island301312923South Carolina242262729South Dakota422443939Tennessee26-2242222Texas16-4121826Utah17-2151621Vermont151162018Virginia46-5414341Washington190191917West Virginia281293028Wisconsin352374140Wyoming29-2273633District of Columbia37-2353330

Source: Tax Foundation

(The Center Square) – About 97 million Americans say they plan to make a New Year’s resolution for 2021 that involves their financial situation, compared to 66 million who said they’ve done so in the past, according to a new survey by WalletHub.

Of those who responded to the survey, more than a third say their top financial resolution will be to save more money. With that in mind, WalletHub came up with suggestions that can help you save more and spend less.

The top priority is to make a realistic budget and stick to it. Americans will end 2020 with a cumulative $900 billion in credit card debt, which the National Foundation for Credit Counseling says is because only five in 10 adults have a budget.

“A budget is not a way of punishing yourself,” Michael Kinsman, an accounting professor at Pepperdine University, said. “It is, instead, a plan, and the plan can be changed if there is a reason. Having that plan in hand, however, assures that you will think about the reasons for a budget change seriously.”

WalletHub suggests that the best way to make a budget is to gather your bills from the past several months and make a list of recurring expenses, then rank them in order of importance with necessities such as housing, food and health care at the top.

From there, you can cut spending starting at the bottom of the list until your take-home pay exceeds what you plan to spend.

Another suggestion is to look for a better job. WalletHub says too many people get caught up in spending less and saving more that they forget to think about earnings. With many jobs going remote due to the coronavirus, this can save money on commuting and provide more options on where to live.

Focusing on your physical health can also help improve your financial health.

“If you begin to make small healthy changes to your diet, increase exercise in small increments, and practice yoga and meditation, you will feel better,” said Deborah Bauer, a professor of finance at the University of Oregon. “Feeling better will lead to wiser financial decisions that focus on the long term.”

Using different credit cards for everyday purchases and debt can also help, such as using a rewards card for things like groceries and gasoline and a card with no interest on balance transfers for large purchases you plan to carry forward.

WalletHub also recommends paying off 20 percent of your credit card debt over the course of 2021. The average household has about $7,900 in credit card debt, which amounts to $1,570 or an extra payment of $131 per month.

The average household also only has about $8,800 in savings, and about half do not have a rainy-day fund. WalletHub says financial advisers generally recommend people should have a reserve set aside of 12 to 18 months of take-home pay and suggests aiming to increase any rainy-day fund you do have by one month’s pay during the coming year.

(The Center Square) – Several Republican congressmen from Texas said they will oppose certifying Electoral College votes on Jan. 6 and instead call for a congressional investigation into allegations of voter fraud.

Those who have said they will object include U.S. Reps. Lance Gooden, R-Terrell, Brian Babin, R-Woodville, Randy Weber, R-Pearland, and Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler. Gohmert recently sued Vice President Mike Pence in an effort to prevent some states’ votes from being certified.

Gooden sent a letter to Texas U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, both Republicans, urging them to object to the certifications.

“In light of the numerous reports of fraud and lingering questions hovering over the validity of the election results across the country, I cannot in good conscience vote to certify these results,” the letter states. “There must be a full audit of every ballot in states like Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania where there are widespread reports of fraud and data abnormalities. Until such time, I feel we would be doing a disservice to our nation to turn a blind eye and allow this to continue.”

Gooden said he will formally object to the certification and ask the senators to “stand with me.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, is the first senator to say he will formally object.

“I cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on Jan. 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws," Hawley said Wednesday via Twitter. "And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega-corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., dismissed Hawley’s challenge as a political stunt.

“I have no doubt that on next Wednesday, a week from today, that Joe Biden will be confirmed by the acceptance of the vote of the electoral college as the 46th president of the United States,” she said Wednesday.

Gohmert’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division, asks a federal judge to give Pence “exclusive authority” to decide which Electoral College votes should be counted. Eleven others joined the lawsuit, including Republican electors from Arizona.

Republican electors cast votes in several states for Trump in which lawsuits alleging election fraud are ongoing. Electoral College votes certified by state governors or other state officials finalized Dec. 14 gave former Vice President Biden 306 votes, and Trump, 232.

(The Center Square) – Missouri first-term Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley announced Wednesday that he will raise objections to President-elect Joe Biden's victory in Pennsylvania and, perhaps in several other states, when Congress convenes Jan. 6 to certify the results of the Nov. 3 election.

"I cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws,” Hawley said in a statement posted to Twitter. "And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden."

A group of President Donald Trump’s supporters among Republicans in the Democratic-controlled U.S. House have already said they will challenge the Jan. 6 Joint Session affirmation of Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College victory even though they acknowledge the effort is destined to be futile.

By raising objections, the joint session will be suspended and the House and Senate will go into separate sessions to consider it. For the objection to be sustained, both chambers must agree by a simple majority vote. If they disagree, the original electoral votes are counted.

Before Hawley pledged to raise objections to election results in Pennsylvania, only Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville of Alabama had said he’d challenge Electoral College results in the Senate, rebuffing Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Dec. 15 admonition that such challenges would force the Senate into a “terrible vote” that produces no winner except one – the out-going president.

Trump, despite repudiation in courts, continues to claim there was widespread fraud in the election, pointing to the Jan. 6 Electoral College affirmation as a last-ditch attempt to overturn the election by parlimentary machinations.

Hawley, 40, the youngest member of the Senate and a potential 2024 GOP presidential contender, said his challenge is warranted and “the same practice Democrat members of Congress have in years past” exercised.

Joint Session objections to the procedural affirmation have only been raised twice in the nation’s history, the last time in January 2005 when Democratic Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio and Sen. Barbara Boxer of California claimed there were irregularities in Ohio’s 2004 electoral votes.

Both chambers reviewed and rejected the claims. It was only the second time such a vote had occurred.

“At the very least,” Hawley said, “Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., dismissed Hawley’s challenge as a political stunt.

“I have no doubt that on next Wednesday, a week from today, that Joe Biden will be confirmed by the acceptance of the vote of the electoral college as the 46th president of the United States,” she said Wednesday.

Among responses to Hawley’s announcement was a Twitter statement from Walmart that mocked the challenge. "Go ahead. Get your 2 hour debate. #soreloser,” it said.

“Thanks ⁦@Walmart for your insulting condescension. Now that you’ve insulted 75 million Americans, will you at least apologize for using slave labor?” Hawley responded.

Walmart has since apologized for "mistakenly" calling Hawley a “#soreloser.”

"The tweet was mistakenly posted by a member of our social media team who intended to publish this comment to their personal account," Casey Staheli, Walmart's senior manager of national media relations, told Newsweek. "We have removed the post and have no intention of commenting on the subject of certifying the Electoral College.”

(The Center Square) – The top Republican in the Wisconsin Senate isn’t buying the idea that Gov. Tony Evers’ administration has ended the state’s months-long unemployment backlog.

Gov. Evers on Wednesday named Amy Pechacek as the new Secretary-designee for the Department of Workforce Development.

“The DWD has faced historic levels of claims, hindered by antiquated technology and burdensome bureaucracy created by those who always intended to make it harder for folks to access these vital benefits. Despite these obstacles, Amy has been exceptional, and I am grateful she will be able to continue her good work in the months and years ahead,” the governor said in a statement.

Pechacek then issued her own statement in which she claimed DWD has cleared Wisconsin’s month’s long backlog of unemployment claims. Some dated back to March, and left thousands of people waiting for unemployment checks.

“Today, I am proud to say we have reached our goal to clear the backlog of claims,” Pechacek said.

But the notion of "cleared" may mean different things to different people.

Pechacek said many people will continue to wait for their unemployment benefits. She said DWD has simply shifted the backlog.

“All remaining relevant eligibility issues over 21 days old have now been assigned for adjudication,” Pechacek said in her statement.

Sen. Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, on Wednesday said moving claims is different than clearing the backlog and making sure everyone who is entitled to benefits receives them.

"The reality is thousands of people’s claims were simply shifted into DWD’s broken adjudication process, and struggling families are still left waiting,” LeMahieu said.

As of September, the last time DWD updated its numbers, more than 100,000 people in Wisconsin were still waiting on an unemployment claim.

LeMahieu called Pechacek's claim that the backlog has been cleared “completely disingenuous."

He is not the only one.

Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, told The Center Square that just last week 30,000 people were waiting to be paid, and now the governor’s office claims all is well at DWD.

“The Governor was asleep for months causing real harm to tens of thousands waiting for their unemployment. An audit showed his agency was responsible for nearly all of the delay in processing claims. Now, we are supposed to just take them at their word, with no supporting data that they have cleared a backlog,” Born said. “ Call me skeptical but as of yesterday, I still had constituents reaching out for help.”

(The Center Square) – Colorado officials said Wednesday that the individual confirmed to have the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 and another individual that possibly has the variant are both personnel with the Colorado National Guard.

The Colorado State Laboratory confirmed the COVID variant in a male individual in his 20s on Tuesday, the first confirmed case in the U.S. The individual is in isolation and has no travel history, officials said.

State epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said during a news conference Wednesday that in addition to the one confirmed case, the state is also monitoring another possible case.

Both cases are Colorado National Guard personnel who were deployed Dec. 23 to aid a nursing home in Elbert County, Colorado.

“It’s being thoroughly investigated,” Gov. Jared Polis said.

The governor said he’s requested a temporary pause in nursing home visitations due to the COVID variant detection, and to allow the elderly to be vaccinated.

Herlihy said the individuals could have contracted the COVID variant during their deployment working at the nursing home or through activities prior to their deployment.

Herlihy added that preliminary tests collected from staff and residents at the nursing home show no evidence of the COVID variant, “but testing is ongoing.”

A contract tracing investigation of the cases is also ongoing, Herlihy said.

The COVID variant is “predicted to potentially be more rapidly transmissible than other circulating strains,” according to the CDC, but there’s no evidence it leads to more severe illness. Last week, the U.S. instituted travel restrictions requiring any passengers flying from the U.K., where the first variant case was detected, to receive a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of entering the country, following reports of the variant’s spread overseas.

(The Center Square) – President Trump’s campaign is trying one more time to overturn Wisconsin’s election results.

The president’s lawyers on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and deal with what they call “ illegal mail voting” in the state.

“The Wisconsin Supreme Court, in their 4-3 decision, refused to address the merits of our claim,” President Trump’s chief lawyer in Wisconsin Jim Troupis said in a statement. “This ‘Cert Petition’ asks them to address our claims, which, if allowed, would change the outcome of the election in Wisconsin.”

Troupis said there is a sound legal argument to be made state and local election managers skirted Wisconsin’s established election laws in the run-up to the November election.

“Three members of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice, agreed with many of the President’s claims,” Troupis added.

Specifically, the new legal challenge seeks to disqualify more than 28,000 votes from people who failed to provide identification by abusing the state’s "indefinitely confined" status; toss-out nearly 6,000 absentee ballots that were counted, which came in incomplete; altered ballot envelopes, which is expressly forbidden by Wisconsin state statute; and cancel the 17,000 absentee ballots that were collected by hand in Democrat-sponsored events in Madison in September and October.​​

The Wisconsin Supreme Court earlier this month dismissed a similar legal challenge, saying the president’s campaign essentially waited too long to challenge the technical violations of Wisconsin state law. The court’s conservative minority said dismissing the president’s lawsuit leaves future elections in Wisconsin in doubt because underlying questions about absentee and mail-in voting have not been answered.

The Trump campaign included a statement from a constitutional scholar at the Claremont Institute that makes a similar point.

“The petition challenging the decision of the Wisconsin Supreme Court to allow partisan state and local election officials to ignore key anti-fraud provisions of Wisconsin law is extremely persuasive,” Professor John Eastman said. “The federal constitutional issues raised by the case cannot be more clear. Article II of the Constitution, as interpreted in Bush v. Gore, assigns to the ‘legislature’ the plenary power to determine the manner of choosing presidential electors, not executive officials, un-elected bureaucrats, or even the state’s judiciary. That authority was eviscerated in Wisconsin, resulting in more than 50,000 illegal ballots being cast and counted.”

There is some urgency to the case. Congress is set to certify the Electoral College results on January 6.

The median household debt-to-income ratio in Wisconsin during the second quarter of 2020 stood at 1.24 to 1.33, which is below the national average of 1.51, the Federal Reserve System reported recently.

During the second quarter of 2019, the debt-to-income ratio for Wisconsin was the same as the second quarter of 2020.

The Fed sees such state household debt-to-income ratios as key to explaining the sluggish economic recovery in many regions in the wake of the Great Recession more than a decade ago. States or counties with high household debt relative to income endured drops in consumer spending and employment as the recession unfolded, the Fed reported.

In the Fed data, household debt numbers come from both Equifax and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Consumer Credit Panel. The estimates of household income come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A household's debt-to-income ratio is defined as monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income.

---

Q2 2020 Debt-to-Income Ratios by State

StateDebt-to-Income Ratio Low (Q2 2020)Debt-to-Income Ratio High (Q2 2020)Debt-to-Income Ratio Low (Q2 2019)Debt-to-Income Ratio High (Q2 2019)Alabama1.511.621.411.51Alaska1.621.751.621.75Arizona1.751.891.751.89Arkansas1.331.411.241.33California1.751.891.751.89Colorado1.892.131.751.89Connecticut1.511.621.411.51Delaware1.751.891.511.62District of Columbia0.391.090.391.09Florida1.892.131.751.89Georgia1.621.751.511.62Hawaii2.13--2.13--Idaho1.892.131.892.13Illinois1.331.411.241.33Indiana1.411.511.241.33Iowa1.241.331.091.24Kansas1.091.241.091.24Kentucky1.241.331.091.24Louisiana1.511.621.411.51Maine1.751.891.621.75Maryland1.892.131.892.13Massachusetts1.331.411.241.33Michigan1.411.511.241.33Minnesota1.411.511.331.41Mississippi1.511.621.411.51Missouri1.331.411.241.33Montana1.892.131.751.89Nebraska1.241.331.091.24Nevada2.13--1.751.89New Hampshire1.751.891.621.75New Jersey1.621.751.511.62New Mexico1.621.751.511.62New York1.091.240.391.09North Carolina1.621.751.511.62North Dakota1.091.240.391.09Ohio1.241.331.091.24Oklahoma1.241.331.241.33Oregon1.751.891.621.75Pennsylvania1.331.411.241.33Rhode Island1.751.891.511.62South Carolina1.892.131.751.89South Dakota1.331.411.241.33Tennessee1.511.621.331.41Texas1.331.411.091.24Utah1.751.891.751.89Vermont1.511.621.411.51Virginia1.892.131.892.13Washington1.621.751.621.75West Virginia1.411.511.241.33Wisconsin1.241.331.241.33Wyoming1.621.751.511.62

Source: Federal Reserve System

(The Center Square) – Colorado has detected a case of B.1.1.7, the COVID variant recently found in the United Kingdom, marking the variant’s first confirmed case in the U.S., state officials said Tuesday.

Gov. Jared Polis’ office said the Colorado State Laboratory confirmed the COVID variant in an Elbert County male in his 20s, and reported the case to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“There is a lot we don’t know about this new COVID-19 variant, but scientists in the United Kingdom are warning the world that it is significantly more contagious,” Polis said in a statement. “The health and safety of Coloradans is our top priority and we will closely monitor this case, as well as all COVID-19 indicators, very closely.”

The COVID variant is “predicted to potentially be more rapidly transmissible than other circulating strains,” according to the CDC, but there’s no evidence it leads to more severe illness. Last week, the U.S. instituted travel restrictions requiring any passengers flying from the U.K. to receive a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of entering the country, following reports of the variant’s spread overseas.

Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir said Monday that health officials suspected the COVID variant was “likely here” already, according to The Hill.

The infected Colorado individual is in isolation and has no travel history, the governor’s office said.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan said the state is “currently using all the tools available to protect public health and mitigate the spread of this variant.”

(The Center Square) – The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, harpooned by progressive Democrats as a handout to wealthy corporations, turned out to be more progressive in practice, new data from the federal government revealed.

The federal tax reform measure supported by President Donald Trump increased taxes on some wealthy property owners in high-tax jurisdictions such as Illinois and New Jersey and decreased tax burdens on the middle class.

Internal Revenue Service data released in December, analyzed by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation and Wirepoints, show the federal tax overhaul that took effect in 2018 didn’t necessarily become the tax break for the wealthy as it was criticized as.

The top 1% of earners, those with income over $540,009, paid 40% of all income taxes, according to the data. That’s despite the tax reductions they’d received under the new tax code change.

“NTUF has compiled historical IRS data tracking the distribution of the federal income tax burden back to 1980 and this is the highest share recorded over that period, topping 2007’s 39.8 percent income tax share for the top 1 percent,” the NTUF said in its report. “The amount of taxes paid in this percentile is nearly twice as much their adjusted gross income (AGI) share.”

This was coupled with a doubling of the standard income tax deduction, which removed more people from the income tax rolls when coupled with more refunds.

Where the federal government made some money back was from the cap on the state and local tax, or SALT, deduction.

“That just hammered folks who have high property taxes and high-income states like Illinois, Connecticut, and New Jersey,” said Mark Glennon, founder of Wirepoints. “There were a lot who had those deductions taken away but it didn’t affect the middle class because they don’t hit that $10,000 cap.”

In its assessment of the data, Wirepoints said taxpayers in high-tax states such as Illinois, New Jersey, and New York got hit with the majority of the new tax burden because the SALT deduction was capped at $10,000. This meant residents with expensive homes could not deduct state-based costs on federal returns.

This, as Moody’s Analytics noted in 2019, resulted in a $1 trillion reduction in home prices.

In 2017, then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, called the legislation the “worst bill in the history of the United States Congress” and an attempt to “plunder the middle class to put into the pockets of the wealthiest 1% more money.”

Glennon said it was that “blind partisanship” that kept many from taking an objective look at the legislation and seeing its progressivity.

“The bill got branded as ‘the worst form of greed by some rich oligarchy in America,’” he said.

(The Center Square) – In a year when almost everything has been done online, a half dozen Wisconsin lawmakers are taking their new oaths of office online as well.

State representatives Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, and state Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, all were sworn in virtually this week.

“It’s clear that, even during times like this, Wisconsinites from across my district and across the state want to know that Wisconsin is a safe place for everyone to reach for their dreams,” Agard said in a statement.

“Our state will face a number of challenges in the upcoming session, including a public health crisis, redistricting, and economic recovery. This legislative session is an opportunity to work together to address the challenges facing our state and improve opportunities for our constituents,” Hintz said in a statement of his own.

The traditional, in-person inauguration ceremonies for the State Assembly and State Senate are scheduled for 2021.

This week was not only for new and returning lawmakers. State Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, marked his final day in office on Monday. He spent 64 years in the state legislature.

Risser is Wisconsin’s longest serving lawmaker. He was first elected to the State Assembly in 1956. He moved to the State Senate in 1962, and remained there ever since.

Risser has worked with 13 different governors, seven of them Democrats and six of them Republicans. He said he is proud that he never missed a legislative roll call.

“I’ve always enjoyed representing people,” Risser told the Wisconsin State Journal when he announced his retirement in March. “I always knew from the time that I was born that I would be involved in some type of political service. I was honored that the people of this district allowed me to serve that long.”

Risser is the last World War II veteran to serve in the Wisconsin legislature.

Last year’s Wisconsin college graduates on average racked up $31,550 in student loan debt, the 14th highest average among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to a new report from the Institute for College Access & Success.

In Wisconsin, the share of graduates with debt during the 2018-19 academic year stood at 64%, the institute reported, while the total cost of attending college in the state averaged $28,296.

Nationwide, 62% of college seniors who graduated from both private and public universities last year had student loan debt, the analysis found. On average, graduates at the nation’s colleges owed an average of $28,950 last year, the data shows.

The 2019 numbers were below those reported the year before, when 65% of U.S. graduates had loan debt, according to the institute. The average student loan debt in 2018 was $29,200.

The slight decline in student loan debt was attributed to increases in state higher education spending as well as the effects of a strong economy prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the researchers said. But even so, student debt has not returned to the more normal levels that occurred prior to the Great Recession, according to the analysis.

---

Which States Have the Highest Student Loan Debt?

StateAverage Debt of Graduates (2018-19)Average Debt RankPercent of Graduates with Debt (2018-19)Percent with Debt RankTotal Cost of Attendance (on-campus)New Hampshire$39,410174%1$44,069Pennsylvania$39,027265%6$43,974Connecticut$38,546356%27$48,662Rhode Island$37,614459%18$50,508Delaware$37,447559%18$29,388Maine$33,591667%3$35,050New Jersey$33,566764%7$39,219Massachusetts$33,256855%30$53,853North Dakota$32,745964%7$20,975District of Columbia$32,0391046%46$64,354Minnesota$31,8561166%5$34,345South Dakota$31,6531274%1$25,335Mississippi$31,6511355%30$17,609Wisconsin$31,5501464%7$28,296South Carolina$31,5241560%12$31,534New York$31,1551658%22$43,375Michigan$30,6771759%18$29,456Virginia$30,5741856%27$33,971Vermont$30,5661960%12$45,172Maryland$30,3032053%34$35,601Iowa$30,2592163%10$28,549Ohio$29,8862260%12$34,678Alabama$29,7912350%36$25,805Illinois$29,6662461%11$42,705West Virginia$29,2722567%3$24,979Missouri$28,7402657%24$28,491Kentucky$28,4822758%22$30,068Indiana$28,1122859%18$31,855Georgia$28,0812956%27$28,641Oregon$27,5423054%33$33,343Tennessee$27,5253160%12$33,397Montana$27,2653257%24$23,188Texas$26,9513348%40$27,302Kansas$26,7883460%12$23,281Arkansas$26,6793553%34$24,648North Carolina$26,5833655%30$31,244Colorado$26,5623750%36$31,396Nebraska$26,0263857%24$26,436Idaho$25,9423960%12$18,778Alaska$25,9254048%40$24,536Oklahoma$25,7934147%44$25,067Louisiana$25,5124248%40$29,661Arizona$24,7124349%39$27,746Washington$24,6454450%36$31,186Florida$24,6294548%40$29,638Hawaii$23,5774643%50$29,290Wyoming$23,4444746%46$16,275California$21,4854847%44$36,347Nevada$21,2544946%46$24,475New Mexico$20,9915045%49$20,791Utah$17,9355140%51$20,769

Source: Institute for College Access & Success

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case brought by the Pacific Legal Foundation on behalf of Cedar Point Nursery and Fowler Packing Company asking it to invalidate a California regulation requiring union employees to enter private property for roughly 360 hours a year.

The plaintiffs are suing the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (CALRB), its chairman, two board members and executive secretary, arguing a state regulation allowing union organizers to access private property for the purposes of soliciting support violates the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. When doing so, the unions are authorizing “a seizure and taking of possessory interests in private property, including the right to exclude others,” the plaintiffs argue.

A CALRB access regulation initially implemented in the mid-1970s and subsequently amended requires an easement to allow union organizers to enter a business’s private property three hours a day, 120 days a year. In this case, the regulation imposes an easement across both properties of the plaintiffs.

Cedar Point and Fowler collectively employ roughly 3,000 Californians. They are asking the court to invalidate the regulation and affirm that the state cannot allow unions to disrupt commercial operations on private property without paying compensation because their actions are essentially “property taking.”

The issue began in 2015 when Cedar Point experienced disruptions caused by United Farm Workers (UFW) organizers protesting on their property. Fowler denied access to the union on its property and the union filed a charge against it with the Board.

Since then, Cedar Point and Fowler have filed charges against the Board and the union has filed charges against Cedar Point and Fowler. UFW claims the access regulation grants it access rights to their properties.

The plaintiffs “have reason to believe that the access regulation will be applied against them in the future,” according to the complaint. They also argue that there is a substantial likelihood that they will succeed on the merits of their claims “that the regulation unconstitutionally takes and seizes private property” and that being required to permit union trespassers to enter their property will cause irreparable injury absent a preliminary injunction.

“The unconstitutional and illegal taking of a property interest for the benefit of union organizers outweighs any harm the injunction might cause Defendants or the State of California,” the complaint states, which asks for equitable relief and declaratory judgment, including a preliminary injunction.

Several organizations have filed amicus briefs on the plaintiffs' behalf, including the California Farm Bureau Federation, American Farm Bureau, Institute for Justice, Mountain State Legal Foundation, Cato Institute, and Louisiana’s Pelican Institute for Public Policy.

The case will be PLF’s 15th case before the Supreme Court.

(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, sued Vice President Mike Pence in an attempt to challenge the results of some states’ Electoral College votes.

Another attempt is being made by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Alabama, who says he and “dozens” of House members plan to challenge some of the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6 when the Joint Session of Congress meets to certify the votes and ratify the president-elect.

Gohmert’s lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division, asks a federal judge to give Pence “exclusive authority” to decide which Electoral College votes should be counted. Eleven others joined the lawsuit, including Republican electors from Arizona.

The lawsuit argues that Section 15 of the 1887 Electoral Count Act, which established procedures for determining which of two or more competing slates of presidential electors for a given state are to be counted in the Electoral College, or how objections to a proffered slate are adjudicated, violates the Electors Clause and the Twelfth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Section 15 designates the vice president, acting as the president of the Senate and presiding officer of the Joint Session of Congress, to “count the electoral votes for a state that have been appointed in violation of the Electors Clause.”

It also “limits or eliminates his exclusive authority and sole discretion under the Twelfth Amendment to determine which slates of electors for a State, or neither, may be counted; and replaces the Twelfth Amendment’s dispute resolution procedure – under which the House of Representatives has sole authority to choose the President,” the complaint states.

“Section 15 of the Electoral Count Act unconstitutionally violates the Electors Clause by usurping the exclusive and plenary authority of State Legislatures to determine the manner of appointing Presidential Electors, and instead gives that authority to the State’s Executive. Similarly, 3 USC § 5 makes clear that the Presidential electors of a state and their appointment by the State Executive shall be conclusive,” the complaint states.

Gohmert is asking the judge to determine if Pence is subject solely to the requirements of the Twelfth Amendment, in his capacity as president of the Senate and presiding officer of the Joint Session of Congress, to on Jan. 6 “exercise the exclusive authority and sole discretion in determining which electoral votes to count for a given State, and must ignore and may not rely on any provisions of the Electoral Count Act that would limit his exclusive authority and his sole discretion to determine the count, which could include votes from the slates of Republican electors from the Contested States,” the complaint states.

Steven Vladeck, professor of law at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, debunked Gohmert’s lawsuit. One day later, he tweeted, “If the Twelfth Amendment somehow gave the Vice President the power to unilaterally throw out electoral votes for the other guy in favor of their own party (and even themselves), one might think that one of them would’ve noticed by now.”

Neither the White House nor the Vice President’s Office has issued a statement on the lawsuit.

GOP-selected electors cast votes in several states for Trump in which lawsuits alleging election fraud are ongoing. Electoral College votes certified by state governors or other state officials finalized Dec. 14 gave former Vice President Joe Biden 306 votes, and Trump, 232.

Gohmert says he’s joining Rep. Brooks’ challenge. Brooks told Fox News, “There are dozens in the House of Representatives who have reached that conclusion, as I have; we’re going to sponsor and co-sponsor objections to the Electoral College vote returns.”

The objection requires at least one member of the House and one member of the Senate to object in writing on Jan. 6. Next, a two-hour debate would occur, followed by each chamber voting.

Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, indicated he would be open to objecting, Forbes reported. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also left the door open, saying he would let the legal process play out. According to Politico, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, has also left the door open to challenge the votes.

Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-Kansas, says the challenge effort is doomed to fail regardless of who objects. In order to throw out any Electoral College votes, the U.S. Constitution requires a majority vote cast in both the House and the Senate for each of the states’ votes in question. Neither chamber has a majority of votes.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Illinois, said Brooks’ effort is “a scam.”

(The Center Square) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said he anticipates a federal emergency disaster designation he requested in response to the Christmas Day suicide bombing in downtown Nashville soon will be approved after he spoke with President Donald Trump.

Lee sent a letter to Trump on Friday requesting a federal emergency declaration related to the bombing. A federal emergency declaration would mobilize federal emergency resources to supplement state and local emergency services, including federal aid up to $5 million.

“I actually spoke with the president myself yesterday,” Lee said Monday during an interview on Fox News' America’s Newsroom. “It appears that that will be coming shortly, and we'll have some assistance to help begin this rebuilding process. So we're very grateful to President Trump for his response to that request.”

At least 41 businesses suffered damage from the explosion, including one building that completely collapsed. Business owners and residents have been unable to access their property for days because of the ongoing investigation.

“Livelihoods have been lost significantly in our city,” Lee said. “Small business owners have had a very difficult year to start with. When you see the damage down there, I see business owners with a new struggle.”

In addition to dealing with COVID-19-related shutdowns and mandates, some businesses on Second Avenue North suffered property damage during protests over the summer.

“We've worked really hard to keep businesses open, and keep them able to operate, and now there's a whole group of them who will not be able to operate for some time,” Lee said. “Starting today, we're beginning to determine ways that we're going to rebuild.”

U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Marsha Blackburn and Congressman Jim Cooper, who represents Davidson County, wrote a letter Saturday supporting the emergency disaster declaration request.

Law enforcement officials announced Sunday they believe 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner of Antioch was responsible for the bombing, after identifying DNA from human remains found at the blast site as Warner’s and determining the RV to be registered in Warner’s name.

Officials said they believe Warner acted alone and died in the explosion. Before this incident, Warner had not been a person of interest for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

In a media briefing Monday morning, TBI Director David Rausch said the TBI is working alongside the Nashville Police Department and federal partners to determine a motive for the bombing.

Trump has not made a direct public statement on the bombing.

(The Center Square) – The chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court is drawing a hard line between political criticism and thuggery.

Chief Justice Paige Roggensack issued a rare Christmas Day statement in which he decried the threats some of the state’s justices have recently received.

“I am concerned about recent comments aimed at members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. I acknowledge that all members of the public have the constitutional right to speak in criticism of public servants, which certainly includes all justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Roggensack wrote. “However, no justice should be threatened or intimidated based on his or her religious beliefs. Wisconsin has a long history of protecting the right to freely worship, as well as the right to freely speak.”

While she does not specifically mention them, the statement is clearly a reference to Justice Brian Hagedorn who wrote two recent opinions that refused to overturn Wisconsin’s November election results, as well as Justice Jill Karofsky. Both justices are Jewish.

Hagedorn was elected to the high court as a conservative, but has regularly sided with the court’s liberal justices.

Hagedorn told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this month he’s received dozens of angry calls, emails, and other messages. The paper reported last week Justices Jill Karofsky and Rebecca Dallet have seen anti-Semetic insults in recent weeks.

“Threats of actual or proposed violence have no place in public discourse in a democratic society,” Roggensack added.

She ended her statement with a hope for some civility for the new year.

“As we are about to begin a new year, let us all refocus on coming together where possible and treating those with whom we disagree with the respect that each of us would like to receive,” she wrote.

(The Center Square) – The number of people killed in drunk driving crashes in Wisconsin is down from the first few years of this century, but a new report says drunk driving in the state continues to be a problem.

The report from the Legislative Reference Bureau came out last month. It tracked deadly Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) crashes, OWI arrests, and OWI rates from 2004 to 2018. The report shows numbers for all are dropping.

“The OWI problem in Wisconsin has improved in recent years,” the study’s authors wrote. “But it remains a serious challenge to our state.”

The report says there were 40,014 OWI convictions in 2004. By 2018, that number fell to 22,294. The number of deadly OWI crashes was at nearly 300 in 2004, a tragic statistic that has fallen to 160 fatalities by 2018.

The report says there is no one single reason for the drop in arrests or deadly crashes, but does say that better recognition of the dangers of drunk driving and new penalties have helped.

Wisconsin’s problem with drunk driving is a statewide issue, but the reports notes there are areas where drunk driving is particularly problematic.

“Alcohol related crashes per capita are highest in northern and central Wisconsin,” the report notes.

The report also looks at the possible penalties for drunk driving in Wisconsin. A first time OWI conviction is a civil matter, which, in other words, is little more than a traffic ticket. Repeat drunk drivers don’t face mandatory jail or prison time until their fifth OWI conviction in Wisconsin.

The report’s authors suggest that may be part of why drunk driving remains a problem in Wisconsin.

“New legislation may also be needed,” the report states in its conclusion. “Recent changes in state law have provided new sanctions and established an intricate framework for preventing and addressing the consequences of the OWI problem. Despite these advancements, it is clear that it will ultimately take the concerted action of many institutions and individuals to achieve what all hold as a shared goal: a sustained reduction in instances of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.”

“If trouble must come, let it come in my time, so my children can live in peace.”

– Thomas Paine

It was Christmas December 1776 in America. The Colonial army had lost New York and retreated to Pennsylvania. Desertion was rife. The weather was ghastly. It looked like the last stand for the Colonial army. In desperation, George Washington turned to the patriot who scribed the pamphlet, “Common Sense,” to inspire the colonies to revolt. He asked him to re-spirit his discouraged army.

Thomas Paine promulgated: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph!”

Something magical happened that Christmas Eve that would change world history. Against all odds, the Continental military reversed course and marched on to victory! Historians still wonder what made this rag tag army carry on in the face of certain defeat. What instilled them to keep fighting?

Was it pride? Humiliation? Was it their families? Or was it returning home as defeated cowards?

As we look back at Christmas Eve 1776 and recall Paine’s words that motivated these distraught patriots to keep fighting, we know why they kept battling. “It was for God and for Country.” When Thomas Paine rose to the occasion, they rose with him: “Tyranny, like hell is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

After eight years on the battlefield, George Washington needed a decisive victory to convince the nations in Europe working to end the conflict to ordain American independence. When General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington at Yorktown on Oct. 19, 1781, it was much more than a victory. It was an event that would change the world. It led to the creation of the greatest nation on earth.

When our victorious soldiers in the Continental Army returned to their towns, villages and hamlets, they were optimistic America would always remain “the home of the brave and the land of the free.”

When it was time to create a more perfect union, many of these soldiers attended the Philadelphia Convention in 1787. Although Paine was not there, Ben Franklin brought stacks of Paine’s “Common Sense” to be used in forming a new government. Under Washington’s leadership, they spent the summer writing what became the longest surviving Constitution in the world.

“The result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves.”

– Thomas Jefferson

When the delegates returned home with the new Constitution, the colonies showed apprehension and mistrust for a document that created a powerful central government. They wanted one they could control, not one that controlled them. Many of these same soldiers who fought for our liberty refused to ratify any document until they had a right to dissolve a government if it became abusive.

They had learned valuable lessons living under British authoritarianism. They were determined to have the right to speak out freely against the government if they had grievances. They knew that any type of censorship would restrict their power over government and empower government over the people.

“The evil which results from censorship is impossible to measure.”

– Jeremy Bentham

The colonies witnessed repression by British soldiers in the colonies who restricted the possession of guns and ammo in many cities and towns following the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770. British soldiers killed several people who were speaking out against British abuse. In the weeks following the incident, a battle waged between the Patriots and Loyalists over gun control in major cities.

The colonies knew if they approved a government that restricted gun ownership, they’d not be able to stop tyranny or abuse of their God-given rights. They refused to ratify any Constitution without a guarantee they could always posses weapons to defend themselves against federal tyranny and abuse.

“Every man with a gun is a citizen. Every man without a gun is only a subject.”

– Allen West

On June 21, 1788, the Constitution was ratified by the colonies, but only after it had been amended to contain a bill of rights that addressed the two most important concerns of the colonies: The First Amendment was the right to free speech and the Second Amendment was the right to bare arms.

Historians credit Paine for the success of the American Revolution. He turned a gruesome defeat into an ultimate victory. He inspired colonial patriots to fight for independence. When “the going got tough for our soldiers he encouraged them to get tough and keep going” when defeat was inevitable. He convinced them that the cause was far greater than they were.

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”

– Thomas Paine

According to The Heartland Institute, progressives and socialists won more seats in state and federal legislatures than any time in history last election. Socialists, progressives and leftist members of the Democratic National Committee have invaded every branch of federal and state government. They won 266 races in 29 states and Washington, DC. They lost just 24 races. Socialists, progressives and leftist pseudo Democrats who hide behind the veneer of the DNC won 90% of their total races.

In January, we will be entering unchartered waters; more turbulent than any in history. We’ll face challenges we’ve never met on American soil. Our right to free speech is being abridged. Healthy debate in the press and on internet forums has been cut from under us by the swords of liberal hit squad fact-checkers. Socialists are demanding gun control as a priority when President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Their socialist agenda will transform America into a clone of the failed Soviet USSR in four years.

The greatness of Thomas Paine saved America then and that greatness can save it today; only if we wish. Our nation plunged into a crisis led by new age socialists who have openly infiltrated our governments at the will of the people. Millennials welcomed their anti-American zealotry, believing they offered something better than free market capitalism. The future of the republic is in jeopardy. This makes Paine’s spirited words even more insightful 244 years later than they were in 1776.

As Paine told us, “We have the power to make the world over again,” and that is what we must do to save the greatest nation in the world from unmitigated destruction at the hands of socialists! The chapters of Marxism are a bible for socialists to turn liberty into government dependence so they can control us instead of us controlling government. This is totally foreign to the teachings of Paine, who inspired the creation of a nation to be governed by the governed. Thomas Paine is not around to bail us out. Will we do it ourselves?

“Tyranny, like hel, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

– Thomas Paine

(The Center Square) – Law enforcement officials said Sunday that Anthony Warner, 63, of Antioch, Tenn., was likely responsible for the Christmas Day bomb that exploded Christmas morning in downtown Nashville.

Special Agent in Charge Doug Korneski of the FBI Memphis Field Office said DNA examinations of tissue samples recovered from the blast site were consistent with those of Warner.

"Law enforcement is now announcing that Anthony Warner, 63, of Bakertown Rd, is the man believed responsible for Friday's explosion," the Metro Nashville Police Department tweeted. "He perished in the blast. No one else is presently believed to have been involved. Thank you to our federal & state partners."

An RV parked in downtown Nashville exploded about 6:30 a.m. Friday. When Metro Nashville Police Department officers responded to a call of shots fired at 166 Second Avenue North at 5:30 a.m. Christmas morning, they found a parked RV blaring an audio warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes.

Law enforcement officials said Sunday the Tennessee Highway Patrol locating and recovering the VIN number from the suspect’s RV was a key break in the investigation. That information, along with tips from the public, led to Warner's home in Antioch.

The motive for the bombing still is unclear, law enforcement officials said.

(The Center Square) – More than 80 states and local municipalities are slated to see minimum wage hikes in 2021, even as business owners continue to struggle during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Employment Policies Institute, a non-profit based in Washington, D.C., that studies how public policy impacts employment growth, released a comprehensive list of the minimum wage increases that will go into effect next year and in subsequent years.

“Minimum wage increases are demonstrated to cause job losses even in times of economic health,” said Michael Saltsman, EPI’s managing director. “These states and local areas are increasing the cost of labor as businesses are dealing with forced closures or a drastic drop in revenue. Employers and employees will pay the price for these misguided good intentions.”

Starting Jan. 1, 2021, eight states will have a minimum wage of $12 an hour or higher, topped by California at $14. The others include Washington, Massachusetts, Colorado, Arizona, Maine, New Jersey and Oregon.

The five cities with the highest hourly minimum wages next year will be Emeryville, Calif., ($17); Seattle, Wash., ($16.69); SeaTac, Wash., ($16.57); Sunnyvale, Calif., ($16.30) and San Francisco ($16.22).

In addition, seven states (Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington) and 43 cities and counties will no longer allow employers to factor in a credit for tips when paying employees. Several states have also passed laws to gradually increase the minimum wage over a number of years to eventually reach $15 an hour.

In 2019, the Congressional Budget Office predicted that a national $15 minimum wage, something that unions have been demanding for years, would result in a loss of 1.3 million to 3.7 million jobs.

Economists at the University of Miami did an updated analysis in October that found a $15 minimum wage would mean a loss of 2 million jobs, with more than half coming from bars and restaurants.

Such job losses would be due to a number of factors, including employers reducing staff sizes and moving toward more automation, and fewer people eating out as menu prices rise to pay for the increased wages.

“Even before the pandemic, some of these markets that were experimenting with higher minimum wages were seeing a decrease in restaurant jobs,” Saltsman said. “With all of the shutdowns, a lot of places that were on the brink have been pushed over the edge.”

EPI notes that grocery store prices have remained relatively stable over the last five years, growing 3.8 percent. The cost of eating out during the same period grew 14.2 percent. Increasing menu prices to meet the $15 minimum wage mandate could then incentivize people to eat at home more often, thereby decreasing the ability of bars and restaurants to make up for rising labor costs.

(The Center Square) – In fiscal 2021, general revenue spending by U.S. is expected to decline for the first time since the Great Recession based on the most current estimates by the National Association of State Budget Offices.

After nine consecutive years of spending growth in the states, weaker revenue projections from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions on economic activity is causing states’ general revenue spending to decline by 1.1% from projected 2020 spending and by 5.5% when compared to governors’ pre-pandemic budget proposals, according to currently enacted budgets.

“States this year have faced tremendous uncertainty in their revenue forecasts and budget outlooks,” NASBO President Kate Ness said in a statement. “Revenue estimates continue to be below pre-pandemic projections, while an uneven recovery is contributing to rising spending pressures at the same time.”

NASBO published its findings in its Fall 2020 report on the Fiscal Survey of States.

General revenue is projected to decline by 4.4% in fiscal 2021 when compared to projected fiscal 2020 numbers and by 10.8% when compared to pre-pandemic budget proposals. Fiscal 2020 had already seen a 2.9% general revenue fund decline and 35 states reported that revenue from all sources declined when compared to original budget projections.

Rainy Day funds and total balances were at record highs before the pandemic, according to the report, but have declined as many states used that money to offset temporary budget shortfalls. These balances are expected to decline $33.3 billion nationally in 2021 when compared to 2019 levels. Fifteen states used rainy day funds to offset shortfalls in 2020 and 10 states have already allocated such money for 2021 shortfalls.

“The pandemic is hitting all states, but in differing ways and in differing magnitudes, depending on their economies, tax structures, virus transmission levels, and other factors,” Shelby Kerns, the executive director of NASBO, said in a statement.

“What can get lost in the aggregate numbers is how truly devastating the situation is in some states,” Kerns said. “Challenging budget choices lie ahead for states as they prepare to make adjustments to balance fiscal 2021 budgets and set their spending plans for fiscal 2022. A slowdown in jobs recovery, lack of direct flexible federal assistance to states, and surging coronavirus caseloads are expected to strain many states’ economies and budgets further.”

The states with the largest decline in general revenue spending in 2021 were Texas (11.4%), Colorado (11%), Oklahoma (9.3%), California (8.9%) and Wyoming (8.5%). The states with the largest increase in general revenue spending were Utah (15.4%) and Michigan (14.3%), but both of these states had a decline in 2020.

Despite an average decline, the median general revenue spending increased slightly by 2%.

“Sometimes celebrating a special day together can bring peace to a world at war.”

– Harry Stutz

It was the night before Christmas in the small Luxembourg town of Wiltz, as World War II paused one day. Throughout the town, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. But no stockings were hung by the chimney with care. Because of the war, the children had no hopes St. Nicholas would be there that Christmas.

As the children lay restlessly huddled in their beds, there were no sugarplum fairies dancing in their heads. The only thing within their heads was the continual sounds of the non-stop Nazi war machine instead. As they drifted off to sleep, they prayed for one gift on the next morrow’s Christmas Day: That Saint Nicholas would deliver peace and make all wars – forever – go far away.

Millions of battlefront children were victimized during World War II. They endured starvation, rationing, gas mask shortages, abuse and molestation while living with strangers and enemies they did not trust.

Children accounted for 10 percent of the deaths during WWII. The physical and emotional impact on battlefield children robbed them of their childhood. They only remember huddling in safe places to escape the bombing, the stench of the dead in the streets and the fear of being left all alone as they ran from one shelter to another. They never knew if they’d have food the next day, and who in their family would be the next to die. Each day was a living hell and they wondered why:

“What is absurd and monstrous about war is that men who have no personal quarrel should be trained to murder one another in cold blood.”

– Aldous Huxley

The small town of Wiltz, Luxembourg, had been occupied by Germans for four years and was the object of brutal reprisals. Resisters were executed or sent to concentration camps. This hell on earth took a sabbatical in September 1944 before the town's liberation. The impoverished people had nothing to celebrate during the German occupation, especially Christmas.

But for a short while, that would change when the 112th Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard was sent there to heal their battle-ridden bodies and bury their dead. They welcomed this opportunity after suffering heavy casualties during the battle of Huertgen Forest in Germany.

“None of us ever thought we’d ever like being stuck in pitch tents in the middle of Luxembourg in December.”

– Richard Brookins

For GIs stationed at Wiltz, the interim peace offered them a time to reflect on the yuletide holidays without the lethal sounds of war bereaving the serenity of Christmas. As Corporal Richard Brookins peered into the dim lights of the village, he saw dead plants on balconies in the ruins of demolished homes. There were remnants of store signs and street markers dotted with temporary food carts in the town square. But there was nary a sign of Christmas anywhere. Yet this town had celebrated every year with a St. Nicholas Day parade. Corporal Harry Stutz, a friend of Brookins’, turned to him and remarked: "Hey Dick! I think we should give this town a Christmas party, on St. Nicholas Day.”

Brookins agreed. “Yes, let’s make it happen. The children look so sad and it's Christmas time!”

For centuries, they celebrated on Dec. 5 on the eve of St. Nicholas Day, when a man dressed as St. Nick pranced through town giving the children treats. But they had not done this for five years and many kids had never seen St. Nick. With a little divine intervention, they persuaded Father Wolffe to lend them his cassock, cape, and miter hat. They fashioned a beard out of rope. Soldiers donated candy and the cooks baked cakes. But they had a big problem? Who was tall enough to wear the cassock? By default, Corporal Richard Brookins got the honor.

“I had never played Santa and didn’t want to wear those fancy robes and hat. But nobody else was the right size."

– Richard Brookins

Knowing the parade must be over by the time Sunday Mass started so Father Wolffe could retrieve his vestments, they arrived at Wiltz convent school in midmorning. The nuns helped Brookins dress in Father Wolffe's vestments. They made a train from an old cape that trailed behind him. Two girls dressed as angels were St. Nick’s helpers. This special holy trinity climbed into an army jeep ready to depart for the town square for the celebration. As Corporal Stutz put the jeep into gear, Father Wolffe blessed them.

"May God and the spirit of Saint Nicolas be with you always."

– Father Wolffe

Women and children along with men from the 28th Division lined the streets. One played songs on a guitar as children sang and danced. As the jeep arrived, the children’s faces glowed as bright as the star of Bethlehem! The American St. Nicholas greeted each child in broken German and dished out the tasty rations the soldiers provided. This newly ordained St. Nick made the sign of the cross and blessed each child as they told him what they wished St. Nick would bring them. After an hour, the trinity climbed back into the jeep and scurried back to the convent.

“When they said, Dick, you gotta do it for the kids, I didn’t know how much it would mean to all of us also.”

– Richard Brookins

When they returned to the convent, Mother Superior thanked Saint Nicholas: "The children are very happy. They will remember this as long as we all shall live." Saint Nicholas blessed his angles and Father Wolffe retrieved his robes in time for evening Mass. Brookins, remaining in character, turned to the church and made the sign of the cross. He climbed in the jeep and waved as it left for camp. For most of these children, this was the first and last time they’d see St. Nick in their shortened, war-filled lives. Two weeks later, Wiltz was decimated. Over half of its inhabitants were killed. Wiltz was in the center of the Battle of the Bulge that totally annihilated almost every town within its warpath.

Everyone in Luxembourg celebrates St. Nicholas Day, but Wiltz’s St. Nicolas is an American. Each year, someone is chosen to be “American Saint Nicholas.” And he goes through the town greeting children and giving treats. The celebration ends before mass at the convent. Brookins returned in 1977 and 2009 to be their GI St. Nick again. At 92 in 2014, he was St. Nick on the 70th anniversary of the GIs sharing their love with the terror-stricken, war-torn children of Wiltz. As an ailing Richard Brookins left the convent for the last time, he turned back to face the tearing crowd. Sill in character, the forever loved American St. Nick raised his hand toward heaven. While making the sign of the cross he said,

“God Bless you on St. Nicholas Day from every GI in America.”

– Richard Brookins

It was more than a party for the children in 1944. It was an act of love and kindness to help temper the pains of occupation and the brutality of the executions deeply ingrained in the people of Wiltz. Seven decades later, the impression it made on Wiltz is forever lasting. It was a benevolent act at a time most needed. It was a bestowal of brotherly love from American GIs, who had ventured so far from the security of their country to dethrone an atrocious, heinous dictator and deliver freedom to the doorsteps of Wiltz. These GIs gave them a gift that keeps on giving: America sharing its liberty with the world.

“There's something about an American soldier you can't explain.”

– Marlene Dietrich

Saint Pope John Paul told the world one Christmas: “War is a terrible thing and the children suffer most.” These GIs felt the pain of the battle-worn children of Wiltz and brought love and joy into their war-shortened lives. They gave them the best Christmas they ever had. These altruistic GIs proved “it is not difficult to bring people together on one special day a year.”

Brookins died Oct. 11, 2018, at the age of 96

To this day, the people of Wiltz place flowers on the graves of the GIs who gave their lives during the Battle of the Bulge. A Merry Christmas to every GI who has gifted the world with liberty from every free world country! And on this special day let us all remember:

“Above all, the soldier prays for peace.”

– General Douglas MacArthur