Democratic lawmakers deflected questions on why the stock market has had success under President Donald Trump in spite of their dark predictions on the administration’s tariffs while speaking with Fox News Digital on Capitol Hill. Some downplayed the market’s success, indicating that it has no bearing on the country’s true economic pulse. Asked by Fox News Digital why the stock market is still doing well if Trump’s tariffs are hurting the economy, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., shot back, "The stock market is not the economy." She insisted that because of the tariffs, Americans "are feeling price crunch when they go to the grocery store, prices are high." "The tariffs are a cause of that. The tariffs or taxes on Americans," she said. "And that's why those prices are higher. And that is why I fought against it." WHITE HOUSE RIPS 'IMBECILIC BUFFOON' TIM WALZ AFTER TRUMP TARIFF CRITICISM Progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., told Fox News Digital that she believes the stock market is only doing well "because the billionaires are continuing to do well." "Corporations got massive tax breaks, $7 billion in tax breaks in the big, bad betrayal bill," said Jayapal. "That's why the stock market's doing well, because the stock is really, you know, a lot of those large companies feel like they're doing just fine, they're continuing to get huge tax breaks." Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., said that "no matter what the stock market is saying, [Americans] are seeing the cost of groceries have not gone down. They are seeing that health care costs have become really exorbitant. They can't afford it. They can’t afford the cost of goods." "That is what they expect us to respond to, is how it is affecting them and their everyday lives. And that's what I am here and focused on doing," she went on. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital that "everybody in America knows that the price of goods subject to the tariffs are higher." "The stock market matters to a lot of folks, but prices matter the most to people. And right now, people are hurting because of Trump's economic policies, including the tariffs," he said. "This is not what Democrats are saying. It's just a fact that tariffs are costing consumers thousands of dollars." The Trump administration, meanwhile, has blamed the Biden administration for the persistent high prices at grocery stores rather than the tariffs. '60 MINUTES' SEGMENT COMPARES TRUMP ECONOMY TO 1929 STOCK CRASH, CLAIMS CEOS TOO 'NERVOUS' TO SPEAK OUT On Friday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X, urging Americans to "TRUST IN TRUMP," saying that the president’s "pro-growth policies are a proven formula to Make America Affordable Again. They worked in his first term, and they are slowly but surely working now." "President Trump and his entire Administration, from the NEC to Treasury to USDA, are working hard every day to address the affordability issues created by Joe Biden, who unleashed the worst inflation crisis in modern American history — something the liberal media barely blamed the Democrats for over the past 4 years." Leavitt wrote that "the price of eggs, butter, ice cream, fresh fruit, cereal, fish, seafood, rice, pasta, and ham are all falling," adding that "the best is yet to come." Back on Capitol Hill, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., echoed this sentiment, saying, "The point that [Democrats] are missing is that [Trump] is trying to get us better terms from all the countries that we export to, trying to get a level playing field, trying to grow our exports." "You have to separate the short term from what's going to happen over time," he explained. "They're trying to make the argument in the short term because of some of the challenges of getting other countries to play fair." "You have to work through this process," Hoeven went on. "The president did it in his first term, and we ended up with huge sales to China and other places, and that helped our ag markets and our other exports. And so, it's the same thing again; he is working to make sure we get better trade terms for all of our manufacturers, processors, farmers, and everyone else. But it doesn't happen in one day, it doesn't happen overnight." SENATE REPUBLICANS DEFECT, REJECT TRUMP'S TARIFFS ON CANADIAN GOODS Trump’s tariffs are not all universally reviled by Democrats. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., told Fox News Digital, "I agree with some of the tariffs, especially with like China." "But I didn't agree with going after Canada and our allies," he went on. "In some circumstances, like it's steel, it is appropriate. I don't necessarily agree on some of the other ones." Fetterman added that "now it seems like the Supreme Court might be voting against that now. So ultimately, their opinion counts a lot more than mine." Faced with the question of why the market continues to perform well despite the tariffs, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., answered, "One thing I’ve learned is not to try to predict or analyze the stock market." View the full article

A federal appeals court has ruled that Texas can enforce a 2023 law that prohibits drag shows in public or when children are present, although the ruling indicates that the judges do not believe all drag shows would be restricted under the measure. Senate Bill 12 bans drag performers from dancing suggestively or wearing certain prosthetics on public property or in front of children. Business owners could face a $10,000 fine for hosting these performances, and performers who violate the law could be slapped with a Class A misdemeanor. A three-judge panel in the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday reversed an earlier decision by a district court, returning the case to the district court, according to The Texas Tribune. In Thursday's decision, the judges ruled that most of the plaintiffs, which included a drag performer, a drag production company and pride groups, were not found to have planned a "sexually oriented performance," meaning they could not be harmed by the law that seeks to restrict sexually explicit dances, the outlet reported. COURT STRIKES DOWN OHIO SCHOOL’S PRONOUN POLICY IN WIN FOR PARENTAL RIGHTS GROUP The ruling also suggests that the court does not believe all drag shows are sexually explicit and, therefore, are not impacted by the ban. In September 2023, U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled that the law was unconstitutional, writing that it "impermissibly infringes on the First Amendment" and that it is "not unreasonable" to believe it could affect activities such as live theatre or dancing. Critics of the ban have previously argued that GOP lawmakers were attempting to label all drag shows as sexually explicit, as Republicans continue to target the performances in Texas and several other states. The court found that performances described by a drag production company are arguably sexually explicit, although the ruling does not specifically state which actions were included. APPEALS COURT ALLOWS ARKANSAS' FIRST-IN-THE-NATION BAN ON GENDER TRANSITION CARE FOR MINORS TO BE ENFORCED "When asked whether the performers 'simulate contact with the buttocks of another person,' the owner testified that the performers sit on customers' laps while wearing thongs and one performer invited a 'handsome' male customer 'to spank her on the butt,'" the ruling said. "When asked whether the performers ‘ever perform gesticulations while wearing prosthetics,’ the owner testified that in 360 Queen’s most recent show, a drag queen ‘wore a breastplate that was very revealing, pulsed her chest in front of people, (and) put her chest in front of people’s faces.'" Judge Kurt Engelhardt also wrote in a footnote that there is "genuine doubt" that these actions are "actually constitutionally protected —especially in the presence of minors." He was joined by Judge Leslie Southwick, while Judge James Dennis disagreed. "That gratuitous dictum runs headlong into settled First Amendment jurisprudence and threatens to mislead on remand," Dennis wrote in his partial dissent. The court also removed most of the defendants from the case before sending it back to the district court to reconsider a part of the measure that centers on the Texas attorney general’s job in enforcing the law. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton praised the ruling, saying in a news release that he "will always work to shield our children from exposure to erotic and inappropriate sexually oriented performances." "It is an honor to have defended this law, ensuring that our state remains safe for families and children, and I look forward to continuing to vigorously defend it on remand before the district court," he said. The plaintiffs and the ACLU of Texas, which represents the plaintiffs, described the ruling as "heartbreaking," adding that they plan to continue fighting the law. "We are devastated by this setback, but we are not defeated," they said in a joint statement. "Together, we will keep advocating for a Texas where everyone — including drag artists and LGBTQIA+ people — can live freely, authentically, and without fear. The First Amendment protects all artistic expression, including drag. We will not stop until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good." View the full article

New submitter semper_statisticum shares a report from the Independent: Lego is releasing its first-ever Star Trek-inspired model -- with an incredible recreation of the signature ship from the '80s TV series. Made from 3,600 pieces, the [first-ever] Star Trek inspired Lego set is of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D, the spaceship that serves as the main setting of Star Trek: The Next Generation series, which ran for seven seasons, as well as the 1994 film, Star Trek Generations. "[It] allows builders to craft a detailed replica of the iconic starship, complete with a detachable command saucer, secondary hull, and warp nacelles with distinctive red and blue detailing," according to a press release from Lego. "The model also features an opening shuttlebay and two mini shuttlepods, perfect for recreating classic scenes." The set comes with nine mini-figures of Star Trek: The Next Generation characters, including Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Riker, Lieutenant Worf, Lieutenant Commander Data, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge, Counsellor Deanna Troi, bartender Guinan, and Wesley Crusher. The set will be sold on Lego's website and in stores for $399.99, with orders shipping on November 28th. Read more of this story at Slashdot. View the full article

The president's son-in-law wants to build a hotel on the ruins of the former Yugoslav Army headquarters.View the full article

The opt-out comes despite the US increasing pressure on allies to sever economic ties with Russia.View the full article