Russia Running Out of Bullets & Gasoline? The Link Between Inflation & Higher Crime Rates, Mitt Romney 2024? (03/15/22)
Hey, welcome to The Five.
Let’s dive into the news…
[one]
Inflation rates are pointing to a historic swing of minority votes toward Republican candidates come November.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
Nonwhite voters are more likely than white voters to say the highest inflation in four decades is triggering major financial strain in their lives and that appears to be giving Republicans an opening with a growing segment of the electorate that traditionally favors Democrats, the latest Wall Street Journal poll shows.
Eight months before the midterm election, 35% of Black, Hispanic, Asian-American and other voters who said they were something other than white expressed that level of inflationary pain, compared with 28% for white voters. Black women and Hispanic men, both at 44%, reported the highest proportions of major strain among various demographic and gender combinations.
People with the lowest incomes also were most likely to report major financial challenges from inflation. Almost half with incomes of less than $60,000 reported major financial strain, while just 13% of those making $150,000 or more did so.Some poll participants said they blame President Biden for inflation because he has taken actions to limit oil-and-gas drilling and pipelines in the U.S.
The current inflation rate may be one factor, but the BBC found that minority voters actually increased their support of President Trump from 2016 to 2020.
[two]
Occasionally, something that’s dead beyond dead makes a comeback.
One example would be Batman movies, resurrected by Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan after the franchise had descended into silliness and self parody in the 1990’s.
Like Batman resurrecting…there are now calls for Mitt Romney to make another run at the Presidency, despite being easily beaten by Obama in 2012.
From Desert News:
The current junior senator from Utah, former governor of Massachusetts and 2012 GOP presidential candidate is less loved by some Republicans than he was a decade ago because the hardcore MAGA crowd considers him a traitor to Trump. But among non-Republicans, his star has never shone brighter. He has burnished his credibility as an independent-minded politician who is not afraid to challenge Trump: He is the only Republican senator who voted to convict the president in both impeachment trials.
This would be a massive liability in the Republican primaries, of course, but it’s a huge asset in a general election.
Romney’s foreign policy credentials would also play well in the current moment, especially since Russia’s aggression will undoubtedly remain an important campaign issue. It was Romney, after all, who named Russia the U.S.’s No. 1 geopolitical foe during a debate with President Barack Obama. That claim prompted derision from Obama, who said, “The 1980s are calling to ask for their foreign policy back … the Cold War has been over for 20 years.”
That jab has not aged well. But Romney has.
I’m not in the business of making POTUS predictions, but it’s noteworthy that Romney is even in the conversation at this point.
In political years, 2024 is still a lifetime away, so there’s certainly on guarantee (or even likelihood) that the “Mitt Momentum” can carry through for the next 30+ months.
[three]
Yet another report that the COVID lockdowns were absolutely devastating for the education of the most vulnerable students from low income households.
The pandemic created a debate over education. On one side, some parents, and Baltimore City Schools CEO Sonja Santelises, were saying students need to be learning in person.
“The gap is getting wider,” Amy Adams, a parent in Baltimore County, told Project Baltimore back in October 2020.
“We are not raising the bar. We are lowering the bar,” added Sara Russell, another parent in Baltimore County who spoke with Fox45 News in 2020.
During a news conference in January 2021, Santelises supported a return to the classroom, saying “To ignore that — we do have families that want an in-person option — would be irresponsible.”
But on the other side of the debate, were the teachers’ unions and those fighting to keep learning virtual.
“We don’t want anyone forced back into buildings until it’s safe,” Diamonte Brown, the president of the Baltimore Teachers Union, said back in July 2021.[four]
[four]
Three weeks into the Ukranian invasion, some outlets are reporting that Russia is running dry on supplies, and may not have the money, manpower and equipment to sustain combat in Ukraine.
The Defense Post reports:
Russia has lost more than $5 billion in military equipment since its launch of a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, global media firm Forbes reported on Saturday.
The estimated losses were calculated based on open sources, including reports from both the Ukrainian and Russian governments.
According to the General Staff of Ukraine, over 2,500 pieces of enemy equipment have been destroyed as Russian forces continue to carry out military offensives in Kyiv and neighboring cities.
Among the neutralized Russian military equipment are 58 aircraft, 83 helicopters, 363 tanks, and 1,205 armored combat vehicles.
Forbes explained that it based its calculations on the cost of each piece of equipment that Russia used to invade Ukraine. The Su-25 is worth $11 million, the Su-30 costs $33 million, and the Su-34 is valued at $36 million apiece.
Other news outlets have found Russian forces in Ukraine running out of food, gas and ammo.
The old adage is “never invade Russia in the winter,” but maybe the reverse is true as well.
If the news reports are accurate, Russian troops are hard up for the essential goods of war.
[five]
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports:
Senate Bill 215, which will go into effect in about three months, states people 21 or older can carry a concealed gun without a permit if they are legally allowed to own the gun. Restrictions on carrying guns in certain places like courthouses remain in place.
Ohio law previously required eight hours of training, including live-fire practice, to obtain a concealed carry permit. A background check was required.
The new law also eliminates the requirement that people inform a police officer if they are carrying a weapon. An officer can still ask, and lying to the officer about carrying a weapon is a misdemeanor.
Permitless or "constitutional" carry laws have been gaining traction around the country.
Kentucky passed a similar law in 2019. At the time, it was the 15th state to pass such a law. On Monday, Ohio became the 23rd, according to the Buckeye Firearms Association, a gun rights organization that supported the legislation.
Gun control has traditionally split along party lines, but according to the New York Times, “A Divided Nation Agrees on One Thing: Many People Want a Gun.”
Gun buyers say they are motivated by a new destabilizing sense that is pushing them to purchase weapons for the first time, or if they already have them, to buy more
If an unstable world pushes people to buy guns (a first gun, or additional guns), it’s safe to assume firearm sales will stay strong in 2022.
Tighter economies almost always correlate with higher crime rates, and (as the first story points out), Americans making $60K or less are feeling the pain of rampant inflation. We’re already seeing “gas theft” become a thing, so (even more) violent crime may be on the way.
Until the next one,
-sth