Top of the Fold

• Crazy California to raise its already highest-in-the-nation gas tax: The Democrat state of California is set to raise its already sky-high gas prices even further. A 5.6% tax hike scheduled to go into effect July 1 will not be rescinded, as lawmakers have failed to act. In order for the gas tax hike to be avoided, California’s legislators would have to pass a bill doing so by Sunday, but no bill has even been introduced. Furthermore, a spokesman for Gavin Newsom admitted, “It is clear now that the Legislature will not act to provide that immediate, limited relief.” The Golden State’s current gas tax is 51 cents per gallon, which will rise to 53.9 cents per gallon on July 1 — and this in a state where the current average price at the pump is $5.68. The current national average gas price is $4.14 per gallon. Meanwhile, back in Washington, DC, House Democrats are clearly worried that surging prices at the pump will impact their reelection chances, and they’re planning to introduce legislation in an effort to lower gas prices. The legislation could include a gas tax holiday. Of course, all this could have been avoided if Joe Biden had not imposed an anti-fossil fuel agenda.

• Economists warn that raising minimum wage would increase inflation: Inflation is bad, and it will only get worse should the Democrats succeed in hiking the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. A recent survey of economists across the country found that 81% believe raising the federal minimum wage to $15 would have a “negative impact” on businesses, while 58% said it would further contribute to record-high inflation. Sixty-two percent oppose a hike. What these economists are warning about has sound data behind it — some 80% of economic studies conducted since 1992 have observed that increasing minimum wage levels effectively lowers employment levels. The Employment Policies Institute’s Michael Salesman noted, “This survey further solidifies the consensus that an extreme wage mandate is bad for both employers and employees.” Economist further warned that dramatically raising the minimum wage would in turn lead to an increase in the poverty rate. In other words, it would have the exact opposite effect than what those pushing for the increase claim. Of course, this would create greater dependency on government handouts.

• Courts shoot down the Democrats’ gerrymandering gambit: Democrats are licking their wounds after their blatant attempt to gerrymander away four Republican congressional districts was struck down by New York’s highest court. Back in 2014, voters in the Empire State approved amendments to the state’s constitution requiring that redistricting be handled by an independent commission and not a political party. Democrats who control the state legislature effectively ignored that constitutional provision and created one of the most egregious examples of gerrymandered redistricting in recent memory. As New York Chief Justice Janet DiFiore observed, Democrat lawmakers “responded by creating and enacting maps in a nontransparent manner controlled exclusively by the dominant political party.” The court ordered the redistricting lines to be redrawn by an independent, nonpartisan special master who will be overseen by the court. Democrats, who were earlier in the year crowing about big redistricting wins, are now eating crow.

Headlines

• U.S. GDP fell at a 1.4% pace to start the year as pandemic recovery takes a hit (CNBC)

• Alejandro Mayorkas testifies DHS is creating “Disinformation Governance Board” (Fox News)

• Biden’s “disinformation” chief is a Trump dossier fan and Hunter Biden laptop doubter (Washington Examiner)

• Amazon targets conservative children’s book about gender identity (Daily Signal)

• YouTube bans video featuring conservative expert on voter fraud (Daily Signal)

• Putin’s war on verge of expanding outside Ukraine as it cries “terrorism” in Moldova (Fox News)

• Policy: Biden’s National Security Strategy still unavailable (Washington Times)

• Satire: Government that’s $30 trillion in debt criticizes Elon Musk for how he spends his money (Babylon Bee)

For more of today’s editors’ choice headlines, visit Headline Report.

The Patriot Post is a certified ad-free news service, unlike third-party commercial news sites linked on this page, which may also require a paid subscription.