The Patriot Post® · Thursday Executive News Summary

By Thomas Gallatin & Jordan Candler ·
https://patriotpost.us/articles/88461-thursday-executive-news-summary-2022-05-19

Top of the Fold

  • Biden helps Saudis’ oil production while U.S. Strategic Reserve hits 35-year low: As gas prices continue to set daily national average highs, Joe Biden’s response of opening the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) has done nothing to lower costs at the pump. Furthermore, the release of one million barrels a day from the SPR has whittled down the stockpile to 538 million barrels, a low not seen since 1987. To make matters worse, the Biden administration is actively working to cut U.S. oil and gas production by canceling oil and gas leases and banning large offshore drilling, all while blaming high gas prices on the “greedy” oil and gas industry. Meanwhile, Biden has been begging Saudi Arabia to turn “on the spigot.” This from the guy who promised on the campaign trail that he would make the Saudis “pay the price” for murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Well, thanks to Biden’s anti-fossil fuel agenda, the Saudis have been raking in the dough. Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco reports an 82% increase in net income over the first quarter of 2022, as the company hit a record $39.5 billion. Aramco is now worth more than Apple.

  • Biden invokes Defense Production Act: The U.S. economy is sliding further toward a recession, thanks in large part to Joe Biden’s abysmal leadership and his implementation of a hard-left agenda. The result of record-high gas prices, sky-high inflation, and a baby formula shortage has the administration scrambling for answers. Well, on Wednesday, Biden invoked the Defense Production Act in an effort to speed up addressing the baby formula shortage. The nation’s supply of baby formula has dropped by 40% since April, sending many parents into a panic. The sudden shortage is due in part to a recent recall from formula producer Abbott Laboratories. In his announcement, Biden stated that he “directed his team to do everything possible to ensure that there is enough safe infant formula in the country and available for families that need it.” The White House also noted that the administration is urging states to “cut red tape.” Boy, there’s a novel concept.

  • 135 teachers busted for child sex crimes this year: Fox News reports that “at least 135 teachers and teachers’ aides have been arrest in 41 states between January 1 and May 13,” equating to approximately an arrest a day. The vast majority (105) of those arrested have been men, and the crimes range form child pornography to rape. Manhattan Institute senior fellow Chris Rufo lamented the lack of research into “a serious child sex abuse problem” in public schools. He noted: “The last significant federal study on this topic, which was conducted by the Department of Education in 2004, suggested that millions of American schoolchildren are victims of teacher sexual misconduct in each generation of K-12 students — and there hasn’t been any significant research since then. This is a travesty.” Rufo called on Congress to immediately fund research into the problem. This data certainly underscores the need for legislation like Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law that prevents teachers from sexually indoctrinating students in grades K-3.

  • U.S. Soccer agrees to “pay equity” deal: An old joke states that soccer is the communist sport. Well, that joke may have become a statement of fact after the newly agreed upon collective bargaining deal between U.S. Soccer and its men’s and women’s national teams. For the last couple years, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has been at loggerheads with the U.S. Soccer Federation, complaining about “unequal” pay. Never mind the fact that over the last two years, the women’s team was actually paid more than the men’s. The dubious complaint from the women’s team was that despite their greater competitive success — four World Cup titles and six Olympic Gold medals, whereas the men have never even come close — they have not received the equivalent prize money from their tournaments. Of course, the obvious reason for this disparity has everything to do with market value. The men’s tournaments simply generate hundreds of millions of dollars more revenue than do the women’s. But the women’s team sees that as not fair, ergo their dubious “unequal pay” gripe. After lawsuits and negative press from a biased mainstream media, U.S. Soccer finally caved and agreed to pay the men’s and women’s players the same, and to combine prize money earnings from the teams’ respective tournaments and then share it equally. The irony is that it is hardly a fair or equitable deal when it comes to individual merit, making it akin to communism. Finally, a parting question: How will they be able to determine the difference between the men’s and women’s teams since these leftists seem unable to define what a “woman” is?

Headlines

  • Disgraced former Ministry of Truth boss claims disinformation board tanked because of “disinformation” (PM)

  • Republicans have a massive turnout advantage in 2022 primaries so far (Daily Wire)

  • DHS preparing for wave of violence ahead of potential Roe reversal (National Review)

  • Gas prices will surpass $6 nationwide by August, JPMorgan says (Fox Business)

  • Missing the memo: Disney groomers launch “pride collection” clothing line for kids (Daily Wire)

  • How a network of retired lawmakers boosts CCP influence in Washington (Free Beacon)

  • Worker says 911 dispatcher hung up on her during weekend shooting (Buffalo News)

  • Former police officer pleads guilty to manslaughter in George Floyd killing (Daily Wire)

  • Policy: How policymakers can address baby formula shortage (Daily Signal)

  • Humor: Disinformation Board narrowly outlasts CNN+ (Babylon Bee)

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