February 2, 2023 - Daily Digest

U.S. retaliatory airstrikes begin in the Middle East

Today is February 2, 2024, and here are the critical stories that you may have missed from today. If you enjoy this content and want access to more, exclusive content or to support my work, then consider becoming a monthly subscriber below:

1) United States Begins Retaliatory Strikes In Middle East

The United States military has officially begun retaliatory strikes in the Middle East after an attack by Iranian-backed militias left three American service members dead and dozens others injured. The first wave of attacks are part of what is expected to be a lengthy military campaign in the Middle East designed to send a message to the Iranian-backed militias. At least 85 targets were hit by U.S. precision missiles today and many more are expected to be targeted in the coming days. One important note is that President Biden stressed the importance of not dragging the United States into a longer and wider war with Iran in the Middle East so these strikes are not expected to target Iran’s territory. Read the full statement from the U.S. military below:

“At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups. U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States. The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions. The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.”

2) Judge Chutkan Postpones Trump's Trial Date

Judge Tanya Chutkan has officially vacated the pending trial date in Donald Trump's January 6 trial as the appellate courts consider Trump's presidential immunity arguments. This move was expected as the case is currently stayed pending resolution of the immunity arguments which are currently pending in front of the D.C. Circuit. Once the D.C. Circuit rules, Trump is expected to appeal the decision to the United States Supreme Court, which will likely not rule on the issue until June at the earliest. As a result, because Judge Chutkan does not have jurisdiction over the case until after the immunity issue is resolved, postponing the trial had to occur. 

Read her short order below:

3) U.S. Economy Blows Through Expectations (Again)!

The United States economy stunned experts this morning as a new report demonstrated that the economy added over 353,000 new jobs in the month of January, blowing past all expectations. Economists had predicted that the economy would add just about 180,000 jobs. Today's numbers show blew past the prediction, almost doubling it. In addition, the country's unemployment rate remained at 3.7% which marks the 24th straight month that the United States has had an unemployment rate below 4%. As a result of the jobs numbers released this morning, the stock market rose in several key categories, once again putting more money in the pockets of everyday Americans. 

These numbers are a direct result of the Biden Administration's Bidenomics plan. Thanks to the President's economic agenda, we are regularly blowing past predictions made by economists. While former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are secretary hoping for a recession to harm President Biden's reelection efforts, there appears to be no such recession in sight.

4) Black Unemployment Rate Lower Under Biden Than Any Prior President

This morning, the United States economy blew threw expectations made by economists, adding over 350,000 new jobs, almost double the amount predicted by experts. As a result, consumer confidence expectations are at their best since 2021. One key nugget coming out of today's news is that the unemployment rate under President Biden has been below 4% for two years in a row. In addition, Black unemployment rate remains lower than during any prior Administration. 

Currently, the Black unemployment rate under President Biden is 5.3%. Under Biden, the Black unemployment hit a previous best at 4.7% last year. When comparing this to Black unemployment under Donald Trump, the rate hit its 2nd worst number in history, reaching over 16% in 2020. Under Biden, however, 2023 was the first year in history where Black unemployment did not rise above 6%. 

Once again, Bidenomics is working. 

5) Medicare Negotiates Prescription Drug Prices For The First Time In History

For the first time in American history, Medicare has made offers to companies responsible for making 10 of the most widely used prescription drugs in the marketplace, making it the first time Medicare has negotiated the cost of prescription drug prices. This was made possible thanks to a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act which gave Medicare the power to negotiate these costs. Other provisions of this historic legislation included capping insulin prices at $35 per month and capping out of pocket prescription costs for seniors at $2,000 per year.