Can Americans identify any of these soccer superstars?

Trump's claim that he 'loves' inflation is bad news for average Americans: economist

President Donald Trump's claim that he loves the inflation associated with his war in Iran is bad news for the average American's pocketbook, an economist said during a new CNN interview on Wednesday. Henrietta Treyz, an economist at Veda Partners, told CNN's Boris Sanchez that there's "nothing to like" about the 4.2% inflation reading that was captured in the latest economic data released on Wednesday. That's despite Trump saying in the Oval Office that he "loves the numbers" and that inflation will "drop like a rock" once the war in Iran ends. "The best I can say is that inflation everywhere else didn't also rise more than expected. That is not good news," Treyz said. "We're on day 104 of the war, if I'm not mistaken. We've spent $100 billion, and a lot of that is being borne by regular Americans." Trump's war in Iran has sent global energy prices skyrocketing because of the impacts to the Strait of Hormuz, a global waterway that accounts for 20% of all energy trade. The rising cost of energy has also driven up the prices of many goods, especially gasoline and groceries. Treyz noted that the average American household is paying about $460 more per year for gas now than it did when the war began. "It doesn't include the groceries that are more expensive. The surcharges on all your Amazon shipments, the additional 8% cost of just shipping mail around the country. This is a massive blow," she said. "And 4.2% inflation means that inflation is moving faster than our wages are keeping up. That's the problem for the president with this war."

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Most Americans think the future looks worse under Trump

In the face of rising gas prices caused by President Donald Trump’s decision to launch war with Iran, a sizeable majority of Americans expect that the problem will only continue to get worse. According to the Hill, a new poll shows that nearly two out of three U.S. voters think the cost of gas will continue to rise over the coming year. “The survey, released Monday by Reuters/Ipsos, found that 59 percent of 4,531 respondents said that gas prices will go up in the next 12 months,” explained the Hill. “Meanwhile, 17 percent of respondents said that they will improve, 13 percent said they will stay the same and 11 percent either skipped the question or were unsure. More than 8 in 10 Democrats and more than 6 in 10 independents believe gas prices will continue to increase over the next year. Just more than one-third of Republicans said the same while a plurality of that group, 39 percent, said the opposite.”This shows that not only do Americans in general see the situation getting worse moving forward, but that one in three Republicans share that pessimism. That surprisingly sizeable negative faction within the president’s own party suggests a strong level of discontent with his economy and doubt over his handling of the war. “Negotiations to end the conflict in the Middle East, which recently passed the 100-day mark, are ongoing and on rocky footing, after Iran and Israel traded fire over the weekend,” the Hill explained. “President Trump told reporters early Tuesday morning that negotiations with the Islamic Republic are ‘going well’ and he ‘could have at least an idea by one or two days from now’ on whether the two sides will come to an agreement. Throughout the conflict, the president has expressed optimism about the state of negotiations.” The gas poll, however, suggests that voters — even a third of his own — don’t share that optimism. While gas prices have eased slightly in recent days, “Gas prices remain well above their benchmark in the days before the war. AAA reported on Feb. 26, two days before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, that the national average for a gallon of regular gas was under $2.99.” As of Tuesday, the average price is $4.16 — an increase of nearly 40 percent.According to Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, the recent dip in fuel prices is due to lower oil costs and “improving refinery runs.” He went on to note, however, that with the Strait of Hormuz still “effectively closed,” any “further deterioration” in the region “could send prices sharply higher.” “For now, motorists may enjoy the savings at the pump,” he warned, “but the risk of a significant reversal has not gone away.”

Trump admin announces plans to denaturalize 17 American citizens for crimes including fraud

The Trump administration announced on Monday that it is seeking to denaturalize 17 American citizens who are accused of various offenses. The 17 individuals have been convicted […]

Teen allegedly pulled down skirt and underwear of transgender-identifying man at amusement park — in front of kids

An 18-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly pantsed a transgender-identifying person at an amusement park in Ohio.Marquez Williams was banned for life from all Six Flags parks over the incident on May 26 at the Cedar Point park in Sandusky. The victim told police that he believed Williams targeted him 'strictly' because he identified as transgender. Sandusky Police said Williams walked up behind the person and pulled down his skirt and underwear, exposing him to various bystanders, including some children. Some witnesses said Williams recorded the incident and laughed as he ran away.A friend of the victim chased after Williams, who ran into the parking lot.Police said Williams defied orders and was eventually arrested after being subdued with the use of a stun gun and other "reasonable force."The victim told police that he believed Williams targeted him "strictly" because he identified as transgender. The teen was treated at a hospital for injuries sustained during the arrest. Williams was initially charged with four misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest, public indecency, persistent disorderly conduct, and obstructing official business. Officials later dropped the indecency charge but added a theft charge.The teen posted 10% of his $8,000 bond and was released that evening, according to the Erie County Sheriff's Office.He later pleaded not guilty to the charges.The judge ordered Williams to stay away from the victim as well as all Six Flags properties. WKYC-TV reported that Williams graduated from high school only a week after being released from custody.RELATED: VIDEO: Trans-identifying teen and alleged accomplice make 'sociopathic' jokes after arrest for attempted murder Fremont City Schools Superintendent Denice Hirt confirmed that Williams had participated in graduation but offered no other comment.A spokesperson for Cedar Point park released a statement about the incident. "Cedar Point is a family-friendly environment, and we do not tolerate disruptive or inappropriate behavior," the park spokesperson said. "Guests who violate our Code of Conduct are not welcome in our parks, and this guest has been banned from all Six Flags parks for life."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump Flew to Knicks Game After Iran Shot Down American Pilots

President Trump went to the New York Knicks game while two U.S. soldiers were missing after Iran shot down their helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.According to the timeline released by the U.S. CENTCOM, Iran downed two pilots operating a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter around 5:33 p.m. E.T. Trump was on his own helicopter on the way to Manhattan to share a VIP box in Madison Square Garden with his billionaire friend James Dolan at 7:02 p.m. The pilots weren’t rescued till nearly 30 minutes later. One would think that the president would be made aware of a successful attack on a U.S. helicopter shortly after it happened, which would mean Trump found it more important to be at a Knicks game than to worry about the search for missing Americans.Trump did seem to know about the attack after the Knicks game ended, telling media that the pilots were “fine” and that a report would be out the next day.Even if he somehow wasn’t aware before he flew to the Knicks game, that poses bigger questions, like: Who is calling the shots if not the commander in chief?“I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted Tuesday afternoon, implying he was unaware of the attack for over 12 hours. “There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

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