America’s housing crisis needs real answers, not Biden’s scapegoating



The economic law of supply and demand dictates that if the supply of goods or services outpaces demand, prices fall. Most politicians understand this and commonly invoke that law in response to public discontent about high consumer costs.

When it comes to housing, however, leading Democrats are offering lip service to supply, while simultaneously engaging in counterproductive schemes to deflect responsibility for rising costs.

Instead of addressing the true sources of inflation and economic instability, the administration’s go-to response is to take cheap shots at the private sector.

Addressing the national housing shortage will require an estimated 1.7 million new homes each year, on average, until 2030. As its response to this crisis, the Biden-Harris administration has chosen a desperate, partisan approach by scapegoating private-sector technology through litigation.

The Department of Justice is suing rental industry software company RealPage Inc., alleging it played a role in raising rents for apartments and multifamily dwellings. Blaming a single data analytics company for the nationwide housing shortage and inflationary pressures may seem bizarre — and it is. We need real solutions.

What is RealPage? In addition to providing property management tools like IT support platforms and renter verification systems, RealPage offers assessments of rental asset metrics such as vacancy rates, leasing term trends, projected occupancy, and anticipated consumer demand.

Property managers need quick analysis to set prices appropriately within the market. Setting prices too low risks financial disaster by failing to capture fair market value in a market with razor-thin margins. Setting them too high, however, discourages consumers, leading to empty units and daily losses.

Without evidence from the Justice Department showing where rents have risen excessively, the claims of market power against RealPage appear dubious at best. Leasing companies with about 3 million units nationwide use RealPage’s market price assessment tools. If the government’s accusation held merit, it could point to plenty of examples to support the charge.

Unwarranted attacks on data analytics tools represent the latest effort by a Biden-Harris administration that frequently makes baseless claims of misconduct across industries struggling to survive under the challenging economic conditions this administration has created.

Last year, for example, the Justice Department sued to block JetBlue’s acquisition of Spirit Airlines. Biden-Harris central planners attempted to dictate travelers’ options while fostering an environment that stifles innovation and limits airlines’ ability to reduce fares.

In another troubling example, the Biden-Harris administration targeted the grocery sector. When Kroger sought to acquire Albertsons, the Federal Trade Commission quickly challenged the acquisition, citing unfounded competition concerns and potential price hikes. This stance ignores the steep price increases driven by administrative policies and unchecked government spending, which have cost taxpayers over $2 trillion.

Instead of addressing the true sources of inflation and economic instability, the administration’s go-to response is to take cheap shots at the private sector — companies that aim to innovate and create market efficiencies that benefit consumers.

Improving the housing market starts with lawmakers overhauling the nation’s notoriously burdensome construction codes and regulations. Rising material costs due to tariffs, lengthy permitting processes, construction workforce shortages, restrictive zoning laws, and environmental requirements all create cost pressures that discourage building the new housing America desperately needs.

Since returning to my native Arizona several years ago, I’ve seen firsthand the influx of people moving here, naturally driving up rents. Unfortunately, under our Democratic attorney general, state officials have joined the Biden-Harris administration in ignoring the real causes of rising market costs, previously filing their own lawsuit against RealPage. After 20 years of Republican leadership that made Arizona attractive to newcomers, Democratic leaders now regrettably pursue a misguided path that stifles innovation.

To address housing affordability, we must tackle supply shortages and inflationary pressures. Instead, the federal government under Biden and Harris has chosen to scapegoat a software company and mislead consumers about how the housing market works. Americans shouldn’t fall for such false narratives.

Grocery stores roll out surge pricing: Smart move or consumer exploitation?



Regardless of how the Biden-Harris administration downplays and denies it, grocery prices are rising, and Americans are struggling to put food on the table. Americans are spending the highest percentage of their income on food in three decades, with no sign of slowing down. By the end of last year, the average person was spending 25% more for the same grocery store products as they were four years earlier.

The trend is continuing: Groceries had already jumped 1.1% in cost on average by June of this year, and there is no end in sight. There are many reasons for this, including rising transport costs, higher minimum wage, and rising input price pressures, but there’s another factor to consider that should scare everyone who likes to eat: dynamic pricing.

Kroger insists that its ESL system is lowering prices for shoppers.

A recent letter from Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) to the CEO of the Kroger grocery store chain raises concerns about potential price gouging via electronic shelving labels.

They claim that chains like Kroger use “Electronic Shelving Labels (ESLs), to surge grocery prices and exploit working families. Digital price tags allow corporations to engage in dynamic pricing — changing the prices of goods based on temporary factors including the time of day or the weather.”

Consumer Choice Center media director Stephen Kent disagrees, saying, “Senator Elizabeth Warren has actively misled the media about Kroger's electronic price tags featured in a number of its stores. In theory, they could be used to enact dynamic pricing at the push of a button, but there is no evidence they've done this. Surge pricing is a staple of hospitality, entertainment, and transportation, and in a free market, you'd also see that in the grocery sector.”

Paper labels take a long time to go through and change, but ESLs can be changed in seconds. America’s largest grocery chain, Kroger, has been utilizing this technology in some locations since 2018 and currently uses it in around 500 of its stores nationwide, and Walmart uses it at around 2,300 locations. Surge pricing is nothing new on rideshare apps and online travel booking, but bringing it to necessities and everyday activities like shopping represents a new assault on consumers whose wallets are already being drained of life.

Kent disagrees, saying, “Instantaneous adjustments based on supply and demand is not malicious. If a truck hauling watermelons to a Kroger store tips over and loses that supply, why wouldn't that store then put a premium on the watermelons they have in stock? The thing about consumers is that when items are priced beyond what they're willing to pay, they don't buy it.”

andresr/Getty

However, it seems this ability to change prices so rapidly could lead to even greater potential danger when technology like facial recognition is implemented to gauge customer demographics and buying habits. With this, restaurants and grocery stores are trying to squeeze every last penny possible from consumers and track their every step. This isn’t speculation or a “what if.” Kroger and Walgreens have already been sued for using facial recognition technology without consent, and it's part of a broader trend.

As Corey Mintz explains of food chains using AI:

McDonald’s has been testing out AI since 2019, using license plates to identify repeat customers (with consent) and customize ordering suggestions at the drive-thru. More recently, Point Jupiter, a company that conducted a trial of face-recognition software within McDonald’s ordering kiosks, was able to scan users’ faces, recognizing their "gender, estimated age, and sentiment" in order to make meal recommendations.

Part of the goal is to target working individuals at the time of day when they are hungriest and near a drive-thru and to track user buying habits on a more precise level when they are grocery shopping. Senator Casey’s proposed Price Gouging Prevention Act and Shrinkflation Prevention Act both propose giving the Federal Trade Commission and state AGs the power to enforce rules against this, including stopping restaurants and corporations from selling smaller amounts of food at the same price.

A 2023 UCLA analysis on ESLs found that “the increase in the retailers’ profits may not be able to offset the decrease in consumer welfare, and could reduce the social welfare below the status quo” and further posits that “time-based pricing creates value for the stores (through higher prices) [but] offers no benefit to consumers.”

But Kent says the concerns are overblown and politicized, claiming that “ESLs make it easier for stores to restock shelves and rearrange items, and they also make it possible to lower prices in a hurry when a sale is coming down from corporate to individual stores. There's a misplaced level of focus on higher prices when we all know that grocery stores slash prices regularly on popular items.”

Select states, such as Illinois, have implemented stricter privacy laws regarding the unauthorized use of facial recognition, but surge pricing, which could quickly creep into dynamic pricing, remains very much in play.

“In addition to price gouging, the EDGE Shelf helps Kroger gather and exploit sensitive consumer data,” claim Warren and Casey. “Through a partnership with Microsoft, Kroger plans to place cameras at its digital displays, which will use facial recognition tools to determine the gender and age of a customer captured on camera and present them with personalized offers and advertisements.”

Kroger insists that its ESL system is lowering prices for shoppers. In a statement to Blaze News,a spokesperson for Kroger responded, “Kroger’s business model is to lower prices over time so that more customers shop with us, which leads to more revenue that we then invest in lower prices, higher wages, and an even better shopping experience.”

Kroger emphasized that “everything we do is designed to support this strategy, and customers are shopping more with Kroger now than ever because we are fighting inflation and providing great value. Any test of electronic shelf tags is to lower prices more for customers where it matters most. To suggest otherwise is not true.”

80-year-old man says he fought back after random attacker clobbered him in head in grocery store



An 80-year-old man said he fought back after a random attacker clobbered him in the head inside a Georgia grocery store late last month.

Felix Dessel told WAGA-TV the attack occurred while he was shopping for groceries in the Kroger at the intersection of LaVista and North Druid Hills Roads in Toco Hills in DeKalb County around lunchtime Aug. 22.

'I'm picking bananas, and somebody attacks me, and I was a little woozy from the shock.'

Dessel told the station a male hit him in the head with a can of soda, which left a "very big bump."

With that, Dessel ran toward the suspect and fought back, WAGA reported, citing a DeKalb County Police report.

Investigators said the suspect then threw multiple items at Dessel, the station reported, adding that Dessel said the suspect also threw punches and kicks.

However, Dessel noted to WAGA that when a Kroger employee saw what was happening, both he and the attacker were told to leave the store — and the suspect took off.

"I said, 'I'm not getting out of the store, I was just attacked,'" Dessel recounted to the station. "I'm picking bananas, and somebody attacks me, and I was a little woozy from the shock."

While the attack was caught on video, DeKalb County Police and Kroger declined to release it, WAGA reported, and investigators have not made any arrests.

The station noted the following statement from Kroger in regard to the incident: "The safety and security of our customers and associates is our top priority. We work with local law enforcement upon request in all ongoing investigations."

Dessel didn't need to visit a hospital after the attack, WAGA reported, but he said he believes more needs to be done to protect customers.

"They need to have security; something tragic is going to happen there," Dessel noted to the station. "I was able to overcome that, and I'm very happy about that. [The attacker] needs to be locked up, and he needs medical, mental help."

In the meantime, Dessel told WAGA he's having a "hard time going to sleep because I'm reviewing [the attack]. The bruises will go away, but [pointing to his head] this is a different story."

You can view a video report here about the incident, which includes an interview with Dessel.

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Tom Cotton drops mic on woke Kroger CEO for running to Republicans to save merger from Democrats: 'Best of luck'



If Kroger and Albertsons thought Republicans would rescue their plan to merge, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) made it clear last Tuesday that support for the merger among Republicans is anything but certain.

What is the background?

Kroger announced in October plans to acquire Albertsons for $24.6 billion.

The plan was not exactly celebrated. Instead, it triggered immediate antitrust concerns, especially among Democrats who are suspicious of massive corporations. After all, Kroger is the nation's second-largest grocery store chain and Albertsons is the fourth-largest.

If the acquisition were approved, Kroger could potentially rival Walmart.

What happened with Cotton?

At a hearing before Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights last Tuesday, Cotton blasted Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen for running to Republicans for support while at the same time enacting woke corporate policies.

Specifically, Cotton grilled McMullen over a religious discrimination lawsuit the federal government brought against his company for forcing two Arkansas employees to wear a uniform adorned with a rainbow heart. The employees were eventually fired because they refused to wear a uniform with an LGBT symbol on it. In October, Kroger settled a religious discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of the fired employees.

Shockingly, McMullen told Cotton that he was not aware of the case.

Going even further, Cotton zeroed in on Kroger's "allyship" guide, in which employees are told not to use words like "sir" and "ma'am" because they are not "inclusive."

Tom Cotton Grills CEO Over Firings Of Employees Who Refused To Wear 'Gay Pride' Symbol www.youtube.com

At every point, McMullen defended Kroger. That decision — to force woke policies onto employees — will not earn Kroger any sympathy from Republicans, Cotton said.

"This situation reminds me a little bit of the situation Big Tech companies have found themselves in. ... They come to Washington because they fear regulation from our Democratic friends or action by the Biden administration, and they expect Republicans, who are traditionally more supportive of free enterprise, to come to their defense," Cotton said.

"I've cautioned them for years that if they silence conservatives and center-right voters ... if they discriminated against them in their company, they probably shouldn't come and ask Republican senators to carry the water for them whenever our Democratic friends want to regulate them or block their mergers," he continued.

After explaining that he knows Democrats will highly scrutinize Kroger's acquisition, Cotton then dropped the mic.

"I'll say this: I'm sorry that's happening to you. Best of luck," he said.

'We're doomed.' Watch Crowder react to TikTok dance videos



A group of Army soldiers decided to showcase their dance skills in a TikTok video.

On Tuesday's show, Steven Crowder expressed concern after watching a group of female Army soldiers dance in a less than coordinated fashion on TikTok. "We're doomed," he began, adding that the women in the video "are not even good at dancing, which is concerning."

According to Crowder, dancing can indicate the group's overall coordination and teamwork.

"If they [the women in the video] get into a conflict with a potential threat like China and a dance-off settles it, we are still screwed," Crowder said.

Watch the clip to hear more from the conversation. Can't watch? Download the podcast here.


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Top 5 things you didn't know about MLK



Is it really a happy Martin Luther King Day? Today, Steven Crowder presents five facts about the man you may not know. Also, Dana White defends Joe Rogan against 270 "doctors." And a shocking new poll shows just how far Democrats would go if we let them. That and more on Monday's episode of "Louder with Crowder."




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Kroger strips paid emergency leave, jacks up health insurance premiums for unvaccinated employees



Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery chain, announced significant policy changes this week aimed at compelling employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

What are the details?

Starting next year, the Cincinnati-based company will no longer provide two weeks of paid emergency leave to unvaccinated employees who become infected with COVID-19, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday after viewing a company memo.

The paper noted that Kroger also plans to add a $50 monthly surcharge to company health plans for salaried nonunion employees who are unvaccinated. Both policies are set to take effect on Jan. 1, the Journal said.

According to the Associated Press, in an email to employees, Kroger leadership said the company would still offer "various leave options for employees who contract the virus, including earned paid time off and the ability to apply for unpaid leave," but that paid "special" leave would now only be available to fully vaccinated employees.

What else?

Kroger, which employs nearly 500,000 people who interact with up to 9 million customers every day, will reportedly continue offering a $100 reward to employees who get the shot.

The company's policy changes fall short of a vaccine mandate. Rather, they aim to pressure employees to get vaccinated by making life more difficult for those who choose not to do so. Or in this case — more expensive.

"Kroger is not the first company to steer clear of an outright mandate, instead trying to coerce employees through company-sponsored health plans," the AP reported.

The changes also come as the fate of President Biden's sweeping vaccine mandate for medium to large U.S.companies remains uncertain. The directive, which would affect more than 100 million Americans, has faced both legal and political challenges since its announcement and is currently held in suspension by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration pending court orders.

Anything else?

A Kroger spokesperson reportedly told the Journal that the changes were enacted in order to encourage safe behaviors as the country heads into the next phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

But critics of the policy say that stripping paid leave for unvaccinated employees is risky at a time when the country is already dealing with a labor shortage. Furthermore, the policy may unintentionally encourage hourly workers who desperately need the income to come to work even if they're sick with the virus.

Top supermarket chain warns high inflation will continue to drive up prices for consumers



One of the nation's biggest supermarket chains warned last week that prices at grocery stores are going to continue rising for the near future because of high inflation.

What are the details?

Kroger Company, the largest supermarket chain by revenue in the United States, says inflation is "running hotter" than executives originally believed, according to Fox Business, which translates to higher prices for consumers.

Kroger CFO Gary Millerchip, in fact, said Kroger will be "passing along higher cost to the customer where it makes sense to do so." Prices are expected to rise another 2-3% through the end of the year.

More from Fox Business:

Within the consumer price index, the component for food at home has risen six months in a row and is up 2.6% this year.

Half of the basket's price increase is due to soaring prices for beef, pork and poultry. Beef prices have risen 14% this year while pork prices have jumped 12.1%, and poultry prices are higher by 6.6%. Prices were up in five of the six major grocery store food groups in July, falling only for fruits and vegetables. The category saw prices dip 0.9% after rising 0.7% in June.

Albertsons Companies Inc., which also has a national footprint, has also warned that increasing inflation may lead to additional price increases.

How bad is the inflation?

As TheBlaze reported, economists say the inflation rates being experienced in the U.S. under President Joe Biden's watch are at their highest in decades.

In fact, wage gains, when adjusted for inflation, have been completely wiped out.

CNN reported last month:

Companies big and small are raising wages to attract workers and hold onto employees as the economy revs back into gear. But those fatter paychecks aren't going as far, thanks to rising inflation.

In fact, compensation is now lower than it was in December 2019, when adjusted for inflation, according to an analysis by Jason Furman, an economics professor at Harvard University.

The Employment Cost Index — which measures wages and salaries, along with health, retirement and other benefits — fell in the last quarter and is 2% below its pre-pandemic trend, when taking inflation into account. (Wages and salaries are growing at a faster pace than benefits.)

The Biden administration, however, is deflecting responsibility for rising consumer prices.

In a release last week, the administration partially attributed rising prices to a "lack of competition at a key bottleneck point in the meat supply chain," and said the Biden administration will "push back on pandemic profiteering."

Liberals boycott list of stores after former Trump official joins board of Kroger



Outraged liberals took to social media to declare a boycott after it was announced that Elaine Chao, a former Trump administration official, was named to the board of directors at Kroger.

Chao is also the wife of Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), but she worked as the secretary of transportation until she resigned in January.

"Who else is staying far away from Kroger, Fred Meyer, and any of their other stores since they've added corrupt Elaine Chao to the board?" tweeted the account for a Democratic Super PAC.

Who else is staying far away from Kroger, Fred Meyer, and any of their other stores since they've added corrupt Ela… https://t.co/AEWkuMwVp5

— ReallyAmerican.com 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) 1628111586.0

Kroger is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, and is the parent company of many other stores including Food 4 Less, Dillons, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Pay-Less Super Markets, City Market, and Foods Co.

On Wednesday social media users circulated a list of companies to boycott in protest.

"Hey @kroger, I've shopped at your stores for 20+ years — but no more! Get #ElaineChao TF off your board. Now!" claimed body language expert Jack Brown.

"Kroger's choices in executives should reflect its company values. Its leaders need to decide if blatant corruption is one of those values," said another social media user.

"Loyal Michigan Kroger shopper here. NO WAY will I EVER shop Kroger with Elaine Chao on your board!!! I am so sad, I have LOVED Kroger. So disappointing!!!" said another.

"F*** Kroger for adding Elaine Chao to Board of Directors. Y'all remember Elaine Chao. Mitch McConnell's wife aka Mrs. Turtle whose only accomplishment as Trump Transportation Secretary was transporting our taxpayer dollars to her bank account," read another tweet.

Chao was the first Asian American woman to be nominated to a U.S. president's cabinet when she was nominated to be Secretary of Labor by former president George W. Bush in 2001. She resigned her office in the waning days of the Trump administration after the rioting at the U.S. Capitol.

Here's a profile of Elaine Chao:

Elaine Chao: From immigrant roots to a president's c...www.youtube.com