More Inflationary Woes: In One Year, Car Insurance Rates Surge 26%

Editor 5
-
0
More Inflationary Woes: In One Year, Car Insurance Rates Surge 26%

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) Car insurance rates surged 26% nationwide in the past year and are expected to remain elevated until 2025.

That’s according to the “True Cost of Auto Insurance” report from Bankrate, an independent comparison service company.

The report used the most recent median income data from the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate 2024 percentage of income spent on auto insurance. Previously, it used average income data. Bankrate switched to using median income data in 2024 because it said it was more representative “of what people earn in a given geographic area.”

Bankrate’s insurance editorial team also analyzed the average total percentage of household income spent on car insurance to determine the its true cost and assigned a true cost ranking to each state and 25 metro areas in the country. The higher the ranking, the higher the true cost of car insurance, it notes.

The average annual premium cost for full coverage car insurance in 2024 nationwide is $2,543, the report found, up from $2,014 in 2023 and $1,771 in 2022. For an individual with a median household income of $74,580, car insurance accounts for 3.41% of the individual’s income.

The state with the greatest percentage increase in the average annual cost of full coverage car insurance is Missouri, with a 44% spike. Rates went from $1,943 in 2023 to $2,801 in 2024, the largest increase of all 50 states.

Floridians pay the highest average rate of full coverage car insurance at $3,945 per year, an increase of $762 from the previous year.

Louisiana drivers pay the greatest average percentage of their income on car insurance, at 6.53%, the report found. Florida ranked second highest at 5.69%. Arkansas ranked third at 3.95%.

By comparison, Massachusetts drivers pay the least percentage of their income on car insurance – 1.76%.

When evaluating car insurance rates in 25 major metro areas, the report found that “drivers in Detroit pay the highest net average cost of car insurance and highest true cost of car insurance, with a staggering 7.98 percent of income spent on auto coverage.”

The average annual premium true cost for Detroit drivers is $5,687 in 2024.

Three Florida cities ranked behind Detroit in the top five: Miami ranked second highest ($4,213), Tampa ranked third highest ($4,078), and Orlando ranked fifth highest ($3,631).

St. Louis ranked fourth-worst ($3,352), rounding out the top five most expensive metro areas.

In the two most populous states, in the 25 metros analyzed, Californians living in Los Angeles, Riverside-San Bernardino, San Diego and San Francisco pay the highest average annual premiums. Texans living in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas pay the most.

“Auto insurance rates have been rising at a breakneck pace,” Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate, said. “And though the pace of increases will eventually slow, that doesn’t mean premiums are coming down. The insurance market is very competitive – lots of commercials – so shop around and compare coverage to see if you can get a better deal elsewhere. If you have a healthy savings cushion, see if increasing your deductible can reduce your premiums.”

The report notes that multiple factors influence a rate beyond a policy holder’s control, including increased car accidents and driving habits overall in their zip code, medical bills related to car accidents, increased costs for parts and labor, state-mandated car insurance requirements, population density, among other factors.

“Inflation and extreme weather, which are both significant influencers for rates in 2024, are also beyond your control,” the report notes.

Driving history, vehicle type, and credit history are all variables drivers can use to help positively influence their premium, the report notes.

Trump Endorses Mark Robinson for North Carolina Governor

Editor 5
-
0
Trump Endorses Mark Robinson for North Carolina Governor

(Headline USA) President Donald Trump has endorsed North Carolina Lt. Gov Mark Robinson for governor, fulfilling a pledge the former president made several months ago.

Trump listed Robinson among several candidates that people should vote for in Tuesday’s North Carolina Republican primaries, saying “they have my complete and total endorsement.”

Trump is also on the primary ballot as he seeks to all but eliminate his last remaining rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, from mathematical contention for the GOP nomination.

Despite the lack of a formal endorsement, the ex-president’s support combined with strong fundraising and popularity among the GOP’s base have helped make Robinson the GOP’s front-runner for the gubernatorial nomination.

Trump called Robinson, who also spoke at Saturday’s rally, an “incredible gentleman” and “great, natural speaker.”

Trump recalled how Robinson rose to fame following a 2018 speech to the Greensboro City Council in support of gun rights and police that went viral.

That led Robinson to a National Rifle Association board position and being elected the state’s first Black lieutenant governor in 2020 in his first bid for public office.

Robinson, a Greensboro native, said in a news release that he was “humbled” to have Trump’s endorsement and looked forward to working with Trump to “lead our united Republican ticket to victory in November, and get our state and country back on track.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

America Air-Dropped Aid into Gaza

Editor 5
-
0
America Air-Dropped Aid into Gaza

(Headline USA) U.S. military C-130 cargo planes dropped food in pallets over Gaza on Saturday in the opening stage of an emergency humanitarian assistance.

Three planes from Air Forces Central dropped 66 bundles containing about 38,000 meals into Gaza at 8:30 a.m. EST (3:30 p.m. local). The bundles were dropped in southwest Gaza, on the beach along the territory’s Mediterranean coast.

U.S. Central Command said on X that “the combined operation included U.S. Air Force and Army Soldiers specialized in aerial delivery of supplies, built bundles and ensured the safe drop of food aid.”

The U.S. airdrop is the first of many planned drops.

Three American officials said the planes dropped the military Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) — shelf-stable meals that contain a day’s worth of calories in each sealed package — in locations that were thought would provide civilians with the greatest level of safety to access aid.

Afterward, the U.S. monitored the sites and was able to see civilians approach and distribute food among themselves, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details that had not been made public.

Hundreds of people had rushed about 30 trucks bringing a predawn delivery of aid to the north. Palestinians said nearby Israeli troops shot into the crowds. Israel said they fired warning shots toward the crowd and insisted many of the dead were trampled.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Friday that the airdrops were being planned to deliver emergency humanitarian assistance in a safe way to people on the ground. The United States believes the airdrops will help address the dire situation in Gaza, but they are no replacement for trucks, which can transport far more aid more effectively, though Thursday’s events also showed the risks with ground transport.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Haley Drowns in Defeat as Trump Sweeps Three Key Saturday Caucuses

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Haley Drowns in Defeat as Trump Sweeps Three Key Saturday Caucuses

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Former President Donald Trump won the Republican caucuses in Idaho, Michigan and Missouri, dealing another blow to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as voters rejected her longshot candidacy.

The latest Saturday caucuses add to Trump’s growing list of victories, which includes Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, the U.S. Virgin Islands and South Carolina.

Trump celebrated the triumph as a “great honor” and hinted at a “wild” general election during a Richmond, Virginia rally on Saturday evening.

“We have to let them know we’re coming for him,” Trump said, referring to President Joe Biden. “We’re coming on November 5 Joe, crooked, sleepy, Joe.”

Despite the slim chances of victory, Haley has refused to suspend her campaign, attributing her loss to election irregularities. 

“Reports out of the Missouri caucus today show how the Republican Party under Donald Trump has become a shrinking party that bullies and rejects anyone who doesn’t take the MAGA oath of allegiance,” her campaign claimed, according to the New York Times. 

Trump’s victories translated into 39 delegates from Michigan, along with an additional 51 and 32 delegates from Missouri and Idaho, respectively. These gains elevated Trump’s total delegate count to 244, a stark contrast to Haley’s scant 24 delegates. 

As reported by the New York Post, Michigan divided its 55 delegates between a caucus and a primary held on Tuesday, following an agreement between the Michigan Republican Party and the Republican National Committee. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer altered the primary schedule after amending the rules at the behest of President Joe Biden. 

The outlet reported that Trump secured over 90% of the vote in the 13 congressional districts that held caucuses.

Trump also emerged victorious in Missouri, winning all 924 caucus precincts with at least 50% support, according to the Post. Three out of the 54 delegates remain open and will be determined by party leadership, according to the newspaper. 

Not to be outdone by Republican voters in Missouri and Michigan, Idaho Republicans supported Trump with over 84.3% of the vote. 

‘Hit Beach, Take Nap’: Border Patrol Union Mocks Biden’s Texas Visit

Luis Cornelio
-
0
‘Hit Beach, Take Nap’: Border Patrol Union Mocks Biden’s Texas Visit

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) One of the largest Border Patrol unions criticized President Joe Biden’s border visit in a sarcastic tweet posted on Saturday. 

The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) mockingly recreated Biden’s itinerary, highlighting moments of napping, relying on a teleprompter to speak, hitting the beach and indulging in another round of napping. 

“Board AF1, take nap,” NBPC wrote on Twitter. “Wake up in place called Brownsville. Read large teleprompter message, ‘It’s all Trump’s fault.’” 

The tweet continued: “Board AF1, ask who people in green uniforms were, told they ‘strap’ illegal aliens, express horror, take nap.”  

Topping the list, the NBPC posted a photo of Biden sitting on a beach chair under the sun: “Wake up, call a lid, hit beach, take nap.”

While the NBPC tweet features a mocking tone, the schedule is not entirely fabricated. As recounted by Fox News, Biden blamed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and even former President Donald Trump for the failed border deal during a Brownsville speech. 

“The majority of Democrats and Republicans in both houses support this legislation until someone came along and said don’t do that that’ll benefit the incumbent,” Biden claimed, referring to Trump’s opposition to an infamous border bill. “That’s a hell of a way to do business in America for such a serious problem.”

While Biden was being briefed by federal immigration officials, a camera recording the conversation turned around and exposed a large teleprompter, presumably used by Biden. 

The heavy reliance on teleprompters has ignited concern that Biden is unable to speak eloquently without them. Making matters even worse, Biden has repeatedly stumbled over his words even with the presence of a teleprompter.

Biden rushed to the southern border after Trump, currently seeking the Republican nomination for president, announced his border visit. 

Trump and Biden are likely to compete against each other in the 2024 general election. 

Pro-Palestinian Hecklers Disrupt NYPD Response to Grenade Left in Uber

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Pro-Palestinian Hecklers Disrupt NYPD Response to Grenade Left in Uber

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A group of pro-Palestinian hecklers obstructed an anti-bomb squad attempting to reach a grenade left behind in an Uber car by an unknown suspect, the New York Post reported on Saturday. 

The incident unfolded Saturday as individuals marched in support of the Millions March for Palestine in Times Square, leading to the arrest of several individuals for blocking the NYPD from securing the potentially dangerous grenade.

Kaz Daughtry, the NYPD deputy commissioner for operations, shared a disturbing video of the incident on Twitter, emphasizing that those responsible for hindering the responding vehicles should be jailed. 

“Happy Saturday to all! Except the people who thought it was a good idea to block an NYPD ESU vehicle on the way to a bomb threat call. They will be spending their Saturday where they belong – in jail!” he wrote on Twitter, amassing over 125,000 views.

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell echoed Daughtry’s sentiments on a separate tweet.  “This is dangerous! One day when the ‘call’ is real and people get hurt , then what?” he asked. “I will tell you what…..silence and cowardice from all the people who advocate for protesters to be allowed to disrupt the streets.”

According to the Post, an Uber driver discovered the explosive device in his back seat after dropping off an individual at 42nd Street and 7th Avenue, near Times Square. 

The NYPD has not disclosed further details about the device but issued a public advisory in the late afternoon hours of Friday. 

“Due to police activity, avoid the area surrounding West 42nd Street and 7th Avenue in Times Square. Use alternate routes. Expect a police presence in the area and residual traffic delays,” the NYPD wrote on Twitter.

Law enforcement officials eventually reached the explosive device, the Post reported.  

The discovery of the grenade coincided with the Millions March for Palestine, a protest against Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas currently holds several innocent civilians hostage following their October 7 invasion. 

Cuba and Venezuela, both countries governed by Marxists, joined the protest, organizing solidarity marches against Israel.

“#Cuba joins the global mobilization this March 2 in support of #Palestine,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez wrote in a Spanish tweet.

House GOP Probes Biden’s Potential Role in Google’s Racist AI

Luis Cornelio
-
0
House GOP Probes Biden’s Potential Role in Google’s Racist AI

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Is President Joe Biden responsible for Google’s infamous blunder involving racist artificial intelligence? The House GOP may soon unveil the answers.

The House Judiciary Committee has called on Google’s parent company, Alphabet, to provide documents related to the development of the AI bot Gemini (formerly Bard), expanding an ongoing investigation into the collusion between Big Tech platforms and the federal government to suppress free speech.

Republicans are now investigating whether Biden’s 2023 executive order on artificial intelligence development influenced Google’s engineers to make Gemini depict historic white figures as people of color.

In a Saturday letter to the legal counsel of Google’s parent company, Gemini, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, stated that the previously issued subpoena on censorship also applies to the AI creation. 

“In light of new reporting regarding how Alphabet intentionally biased its AI model, Gemini, by giving it instructions that distort the results shared with Americans who use the model as a source for information, we write to inform you that the Committee views the subpoena as covering material relating to this technology,” Jordan wrote to King & Spalding LLP in a four-page letter.

“Given that Alphabet has censored First Amendment-protected speech as a result of government agencies’ requests and demands in the past, the Committee is concerned about potential First Amendment violations that have occurred with respect to Alphabet’s Gemini model,” Jordan added.

The letter also demanded the transcribed interview of Jack Krawczyk, the lead of Gemini who came under fire for past left-wing posts about systemic racism and Jen Gennai, the director of Google’s Responsible Innovation team. Both individuals have until March 16 to schedule the interviews.

In October 2023, Biden signed an executive order mandating federal agencies to promote “equity” in AI development. Dubbed the “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence,” the order faced backlash for suggesting that the Biden administration aimed to make AI “woke.”

Some critics may have been vindicated as the House Judiciary Committee’s letter followed widespread criticism of Google when Gemini refused to generate images of white individuals, instead portraying historically white figures as other ethnic groups. 

Gemini depicted George Washington as black, the Pope as a woman, among others. The backlash led to Google losing $90 billion in market value. According to Bloomberg, Alphabet’s shares dropped 4.5% to $138.75—the lowest since Jan. 5.

Google temporarily shut down its image generator AI while allegedly working on a fix. Google Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan claimed that that the Big Tech giant’s attempt to show a diverse range of people did not consider the original race of the subject.

‘You Sick F**k’: Manchin Stands Up to Heckler in Viral Altercation

Luis Cornelio
-
0
‘You Sick F**k’: Manchin Stands Up to Heckler in Viral Altercation

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., ignited a Twitter frenzy Friday following the viral altercation with hecklers led by Climate Defiance, a left-wing environmentalist group.

Manchin’s clash with a heckler at a Harvard University event went viral on social media, leading to the man being pushed to the ground.

“You sold our futures and you got rich doing it, you sick f**k!” the unidentified man told Manchin, who can be seen sitting down. “How dare you?”

Manchin stood up in response, seemingly prepared to deal with the man. However, his communications director, Jonathan Kott, stepped in and pushed the protester to the ground. This incident garnered millions of views on Twitter videos.

Pro-environmentalist Climate Defiance took credit for disrupting the Manchin event, celebrating the heckling in a tweet that has amassed nearly 4.5 million views.

“BREAKING: we just called Joe Manchin a sick f**k,” the group boasted. “We humiliated him in front of a herd of Harvard elites. He squared up. We held firm. Barbaric murderer, hideous fiend, he torches humanity and laughs.” 

Following the disruption, the Harvard Kennedy School reported that the protest lasted a few minutes before an officer ordered the group to leave the premises. 

“Senator Manchin continued his discussion with IOP students after the disruption,” the school said in a statement posted on its website. “The Harvard University Police Department and the Kennedy School are reviewing the incident.” 

The video also captured other individuals scolding Manchin for allegedly making millions at the expense of the environment. The group provided no evidence for such claims.

Manchin is currently holding a “listening” tour as part of his Americans Together group, launched in response to extremism on both sides of political parties. 

While the West Virginia senator was long rumored to be a presidential challenger to President Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection, Manchin clarified that he is not running for president.

He has since refused to endorse Biden’s reelection, citing the incumbent’s left-wing extremism.

Trump Scolds Fani Willis’s ‘SEXCAPADES’ in Blistering Truth Social Post

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Trump Scolds Fani Willis’s ‘SEXCAPADES’ in Blistering Truth Social Post

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump took to Truth Social to rebuke embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis following the closing arguments in a hearing over whether she will be disqualified from the Georgia case.

On Saturday morning, Trump questioned the source of the cash allegedly kept at Willis’s home, which she purportedly used to reimburse her lover, Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade, for vacation trips seemingly funded through his Fulton County contract. 

“Where did Fani get all that cash?” Trump asked. “No way she paid her lover, ‘prosecutor’ Nathan Wade, back. She made up the cash story when she realized that her ‘sexcapades’ were paid for by the people of Georgia.”

Trump’s remarks referred to Willis’s defense that she did not benefit from Wade’s contract, which she herself approved. Willis claimed to have reimbursed Wade for the extravagant vacation trips they took while having an affair and planning the prosecution of Trump.

When pressed for receipts, Willis claimed she repaid in cash and did not have bank withdrawal records because she stored large amounts of cash at her home. 

“Again, where’s the cash, and where did it come from?” Trump reiterated on Truth Social. “The fact is, there was no cash paid, that was just an excuse she made up after she got caught.” 

The former president, eyeing the Republican nomination, implied that the case must come to halt until the intricacies of Willis’s story are determined. 

Willis is currently facing a motion seeking to disqualify her from the case against Trump’s alleged illegal efforts to question the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. Trump’s co-defendant, Michael Roman, initially unleashed the allegations, stemming from the perception that Willis hired Wade due to their romantic affair. 

Trump echoed these concerns on his post, saying: “In any event, they were lovers and friends long before this Witch Hunt was started. They wanted money and fame! Worked with Biden’s DOJ (spent days with them in D.C.) in going after Crooked Joe’s opponent, ME. Terrible stuff! This case must be dropped — a great embarrassment to Georgia!”

Willis claimed that her involvement with Wade began after she hired him, aiming to dispel the perception that Wade was solely hired because of their romantic relationship. 

Judge Scott McAfee will determine whether to oust Willis from the case within two weeks.

Major Fla. Univ. Fires All DEI Employees, Eliminates Dept.

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
-
0
Major Fla. Univ. Fires All DEI Employees, Eliminates Dept.

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) The major higher education institution in Florida, the University of Florida, has fired all of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office employees and eliminated the entire department.

In its March 1, 2024, administrative memo, the UF announced that its DEI office, positions and administrative appointments would be closed and eliminated.

”To comply with the Florida Board of Governor’s regulation 9.016 on prohibited expenditures, the University of Florida has closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments,” the memo said while adding that all DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors were also paused.

It was also reported by the Alligator that 13 full-time DEI employees were fired and 15 administrative appointments were ended.

The news source added that $5 million in funds that were originally allocated for DEI expenses will be redirected to a faculty recruitment fund.

”Finally, the University of Florida is – and will always be – unwavering in our commitment to universal human dignity. As we educate students by thoughtfully engaging a wide range of ideas and views, we will continue to foster a community of trust and respect for every member of the Gator Nation. The University of Florida is an elite institution because of our incredible faculty who are committed to teaching, discovering and serving,” the university administrators wrote in the memo.

The newspaper wrote that the fired employees will receive 12 weeks of pay and are being encouraged to apply to different positions within the university.

“The conservative counter-revolution has begun,” Christopher F. Rufo, one of the key figures in the anti-DEI movement, wrote.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., also responded to the news on Twitter.

“DEI is toxic and has no place in our public universities. I’m glad that Florida was the first state to eliminate DEI and I hope more states follow suit,” he said.

1...1,4341,4351,436...3,867Page 1,435 of 3,867