NEWS AND OPINION:
Yes, there are some stunning prices out there as Christmas and other festive occasions approach. There are also some jittery consumers.
“This holiday season, Bidenomics has made everything from Christmas trees to gifts unaffordable for middle-class families. While Americans struggle to stay afloat, we’re reminding them who the real Grinch is this Christmas: President Joe Biden,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a written statement.
She does supply the numbers, and they are outlined in a 60-second video produced by the Republican Party itself.
“Biden is the real Grinch this Christmas. PNC Bank’s annual Christmas Price Index, which measures the cost of the dozen gifts outlined in the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas,’ just hit an all-time high – jumping another 2.7% after a 10.5% hike last year. The cost of a Christmas tree is 10% higher than a year ago,” Ms. McDaniel said.
Indeed, in 2020, the dozens of golden rings, calling birds and other mainstays of the familiar Christmas tune would have set you back $16,000. This year, it’s $46,000, according to the video. And the average price of a Christmas tree is $90.
“60% of Americans report living paycheck-to-paycheck heading into the holidays. More than 1 in 3 Americans will forgo giving gifts this year due to Bidenflation. And 42% of small business owners can’t afford to issue their usual Christmas bonuses this year,” she said.
POLITICS AND PARENTING
There is a political and ideological dynamic to parenting, according to a painstaking and wide-ranging study from Gallup, the Brookings Institution and the Institute for Family Studies, a Virginia-based research group. The findings are based on polls, plus social and parenting studies and trends.
A good relationship between parents is a positive factor, of course. Ideology is also involved.
“Parental political ideology is another strong predictor of parenting style. Liberal parents had the lowest scores, meaning they were the least likely to endorse items indicating warm, disciplined parenting. Just 40% of liberal parents scored above average on the index, whereas 71% of very conservative parents and 56% of conservative parents did. Very liberal parents score roughly the same as moderate parents (48% and 49%, respectively),” the study said.
“Disciplinary action shows the largest political divide. For example, 80% of very conservative parents disagreed with the statement ‘my child often gets their way when we have a conflict’ compared to 66% of conservative parents, 64% of moderate parents, 53% of liberal parents, and 55% of very liberal parents. Very conservative parents are also somewhat more likely to report giving their child hugs and kisses every day,” the study said.
Find the research institute at Ifstudies.org. Curious about the poll here?
“Gallup fielded a survey in June through its nationally representative probability-based panel. Data were collected from 6,643 parents and 1,580 adolescents living with a parent-respondent,” according to the study, which was released Nov. 30.
FOXIFIED
Fox News Digital — the online presence of the cable news network — is marking 33 consecutive months besting rival news brands in the time people spent at the site, and 14 months topping the number of views the site accumulated in that period.
Here are some sample numbers from Comscore, an industry source: In November, Fox News Digital accumulated 1.7 billion views at the site, compared with CNN with 1.3 billion and The New York Times with 1.4 billion. Visitors spent 2.9 billion minutes at the Fox News site that month; visitors spent 1.9 billion minutes at CNN.com and 1.6 billion minutes at the Times site.
Fox News was the “most engaged brand” on social media in November, with 18.4 million total social interactions, marking the 111th consecutive month Fox News has placed on top, according to Emplifi, an industry source. Fox News also sparked 4.5 million interactions on Facebook, 11.9 million Instagram interactions and 1.9 million X interactions.
On YouTube, Fox News secured 183 million video views, according to Shareablee, another industry source.
COATS OF NOTE
A round of applause, please, for Arctix, a premium outerwear brand that is making a commitment to help homeless people this winter.
The company has launched the Dakota Project — which will distribute more than 108,000 new outerwear garments valued at more than $5.2 million to nonprofit groups across the nation that serve homeless populations.
“Outerwear made from the best materials and engineered to keep people warm for extended periods of exposure to the elements shouldn’t just be for winter sports enthusiasts. America’s unhoused population deserves that kind of protection too,” said Arctix Chairman Matthew Bruderman in a written statement.
“The inventory is ready to be shipped to qualified non-profit organizations. Americans who are affiliated with non-profits who help the homeless or know of an organization that could benefit can help us ensure these coats, gloves, hats and pants reach people in need as soon as possible,” he said.
The idea for the program originated with Mr. Bruderman’s teenage daughter, Dakota.
“This unprecedented campaign will also include the design and launch in early 2024 of a new purpose-built coat specifically designed for the unhoused,” the company said in a statement.
Arctix designers are at work on “premium quality, purpose-built line of coats to help protect the homeless from the elements,” the company said.
Nonprofit organizations interested in this outreach program can find the details at Dakota-Project.org.
POLL DU JOUR
• 69% of U.S. adults disapprove of the way President Biden is handling immigration.
• 68% disapprove of the way he is handling inflation.
• 54% disapprove of the way he is handling climate change.
• 53% disapprove of the way he is handling jobs.
• 52% disapprove of the way he is handling the nation’s infrastructure issues.
• 31% say he is giving enough attention to issues that are most important to their families.
SOURCE: A Monmouth University poll of 803 U.S. adults conducted Nov. 30-Dec. 4.
• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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