US Retail Sales Jumped Most In 8 Months In February

VDH: Our New Ungracious Immigrants Authored by Victor Davis Hanson via American Greatness, The Traditional Immigrant Silicon Valley was energized by legal immigrants from all over the world who founded eBay, Google, Nvidia, SpaceX, Stripe, Sun Microsystems, Tesla, Yahoo, and a host of others. The Greek American Elia Kazan’s 1963 film America, America is a fictional account based on the Herculean struggle of the director’s uncle to immigrate to the United States from an impoverished and hostile Turkish Anatolia. The film summed up Americans’ traditional view of immigrants: They had risked everything for the chance to...

Diplomacy Has Not Stopped, Iran Says, While Vowing To Continue The Fight; Trump Mulls Plan To Deliver 'Final Blow' Summary Iran rejects US plan but says diplomacy continues (indirectly, apparently) - White House, Pentagon reviewing options for 'final blow' as Trump tells Iranians 'get serious' about talks. Trump said to want 'speedy end to war' (WSJ) while at the same time warning Tehran of 'no turning back' if it doesn't negotiate. Israel says it has killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy. Iran "laying Traps" & "building up defenses" on...

The Barbell Economy: Why The Middle Is Vanishing Authored by Tamuz Itai via The Epoch Times, There’s a pattern quietly reshaping daily life, work, and society itself. Economists now call it the “barbell economy.” Value, growth, and opportunity concentrate at the two extremes—ultra-cheap utility on one end, premium experience and status on the other—while the broad, reasonable middle thins out. Once you start noticing it, you can’t unsee it. And the data show it isn’t a fleeting trend. Start with something as ordinary as dinner. Fast-food drive-throughs, delivery apps, and value menus...