A dermatologist reveals 5 toxic shampoo chemicals to avoid — and how to pick a natural alternative that won't damage your scalp

Allana Akhtar
Fri, August 19, 2022 

Dr. Alexander Dane Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery

Social media users — including Cardi B — are crediting their healthy hair to natural alternatives to shampoo.

Dr. Alexander Dane, a board-certified dermatologist, said some natural alternatives like rice water can benefit the hair.

Other items, like baking soda and castor oil, might cause more damage to ther hair and skin.

Growing awareness of how pervasive toxic chemicals are in personal care products might be incentivizing people to buy shampoo made with fewer, all-natural ingredients.

Indigenous people have used natural ingredients like yucca roots and chickpea flour to wash their hair for centuries, but social media sparked renewed interest in these shampoo-alternatives.

Cardi B jumped on the trend, telling her Instagram followers this week that she washes her hair with boiled onion water.

"My last 2 washes I been boiling onions and using the water to wash my hair," she said in an Instagram post. "It's odorless and I notice that it's been giving a shine to my hair."

Shampoo-naysayers may have a point, said Dr. Alexander Dane, a New Jersey-based board-certified plastic surgeon. Chemicals in shampoo can strip away the hair's natural oil, and some are even known to cause cancer or disrupt your body's hormones.

"People are becoming more aware of what they're putting into and on their bodies, and we're starting to see people reach for natural alternatives as an alternative to using these store-bought, synthetic shampoos that can actually sometimes cause more damage than good," Dane told Insider.
Shampoos can contain chemicals that strips your hair of color, natural oils, and moisture

The "clean beauty" trend likely has to do with Americans becoming more cognizant of the dangerous health effects chemicals in their beauty products can have, according to Dane.

"If you went into your local drug store and you pick up any bottle of shampoo and you turn it around to see the ingredient, oftentimes you see there's 20 to 30 ingredients listed, most of them being synthetic with numerous chemicals that actually are banned in other countries," Dane said.

The dermatologist said some of these chemicals include:

Sulfate, a foaming agent in haircare products that strip the hair of natural oils and coloring, and may cause irritation.


Triclosan, a chemical added to prolong shelf-life in anti-bacterial products that can interfere with the body's hormones and might be linked to cancer and reproduction problems.


Parabens, a chemical that strips the color out of hair, and can lead to dryness and irritation. Researchers are studying the effects of parabens on breast cancer.


Benzene, a known human carcinogen that may have contaminated Procter & Gamble's shampoos products in 2021, leading to a recall.


Formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen that is still used in some shampoos.
Natural shampoos that damage your scalp

Baking soda, though touted on social media as a way to exfoliate your hair and scalp, contains a high pH balance, which can irritate the scalp and strip the hair, Dane said. He would avoid using baking soda as a standalone hair treatment.

Dane also warned against castor oil. Excess amount of castor oil in the hair can lead to "acute hair felting," or when the hair becomes matted, twisted, and so entangled it resembles a birds nest, according to a 2017 paper in the International Journal of Trichology.

The acidity in lemon juice can help restore dry or frizzy hair, but using too much can lead to excessive dryness and brittle hair. Plus, if lemon juice leaks out of your hair and onto other parts of your skin, interaction with the sun can cause a rash or discoloration.

Dane said while hair can benefit from natural alternatives to shampoo, overdoing it can cause negative effects on the skin and hair. "Just because something is natural, you don't wanna overdo it," Dane said.

Homemade washes you should try, from eggs to chickpea flour — but in moderation

Chickpea flour mixed with milk. Dane said research backs up the use of this centuries-old homemade shampoo in India. Chickpea flour, as well as rice flour, contains proteins that can help strengthen keratin — the protein that keeps your hair and nails strong.

Rice water. Many people in China, Japan, and parts of Southeast Asia use the starchy water from soaked rice as a hair cleanser. Dane said it is "filled with nutrients" like folate, vitamin B, vitamin E, amino acids, and antioxidants that increase the moisture in your hair and scalp, adding volume and definition. Limit use to once or twice a week, he said — too often can cause flakiness.

Eggs — whether applied topically or eaten as part of your diet — can help produce shiny and healthy hair, Dane says. That's because they contain biotin, iodine, and vitamins A, D, E, and B12. The sulfur in eggs work as an antimicrobial, and yolks contain vitamins that can make brittle hair more resistant to damage. Apply and wash out an egg-and-water mixture once or twice a week, Dane says.


Coconut oil spray is fast emerging as a promising natural haircare product. One study found it may treat head lice better than chemical treatment. Studies also indicate coconut oil protect hair from sun damage by filtering UV rays. And a paper published last year found it can treat dandruff. Dane said not to use too much coconut oil, as the buildup can clog pores in your scalp, but using it once in a while and fully rinsing it out can help maintain healthy hair and scalp.

GOP candidate and anti-abortion advocate running for Michigan governor said rape victims find 'healing' by being forced to have a baby


Yelena Dzhanova
Sat, August 20, 2022 


Tudor Dixon is running as the Republican gubernatorial candidate for Michigan.

Tudor Dixon, the GOP nominee for Michigan governor, said rape victims and a child born of rape could form a "bond."

She used this argument to explain why she wouldn't back a a 14-year-old rape victim getting an abortion.

"There was healing through that baby," she said in an interview with Fox 2 Detroit.

Michigan's Republican nominee for governor said in an interview that she believes there's a "bond" that can form between a rape victim and a child born from sexual assault if forced to go through with the pregnancy.

When asked by Fox 2 Detroit anchor Roop Raj whether she'd support a 14-year-old rape victim getting an abortion, nominee Tudor Dixon said had spent time talking with the children of rape victim and believes their birth provides a sense of "healing."

"The bond that those two people made and the fact that out of that tragedy there was healing through that baby, it's something that we don't think about," she said in the interview.

"Those voices — the babies of rape victims — that have come forward are very powerful when you hear their story and what the truth is behind that. It's very hard to not stand up for those people," she continued, per Newsweek.

Abortion rights groups have long warned that people who are forced to carry out a pregnancy that's a result of a rape or sexual assault can experience additional trauma or suffer other health problems.

Dixon earlier this month won Michigan's GOP gubernatorial primary, after receiving an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

Dixon is a mother of four and a staunch anti-abortion advocate, Insider's Isabella Zavarise reported.

At a campaign stop earlier this month, Dixon made an alarming argument in favor of putting an end to abortion, stating that abortions create "a safe haven for any type of predator out there," The Daily Beast reported.

"If you're a predator there's nothing you like more than abortion. And if you can get a girl an abortion without her parents knowing, you can keep hurting her," Dixon said.

Rooks: Alito’s arrogance may cost the Supreme Court dearly


Douglas Rooks
Fri, August 19, 2022


Samuel Alito seems to think he’s sitting on the top of the world.

Fresh from his “triumph” in obliterating a half century of protection for legal abortion, he gave a speech in Rome on July 28 aptly demonstrating his enormous self-regard, what’s sometimes called “the arrogance of power.”

His theme was religious liberty, but the questions focused on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, written by Alito – the bulk of it leaked to Politico in May – and the criticism that’s poured in from around the world.

Alito mocked foreign heads of state. Of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson – who’d called the decision upholding a Mississippi law “a big step backwards” – Alito said “he paid the price.”


The idea that the imminent departure of Johnson, the “clown prince” best known for implementing Brexit, had anything to do with his Dobbs criticism suggests Alito’s arrogance verges on hubris.

Johnson is in disgrace because of what the tabloids called “boozy parties” at 10 Downing St. during the coronavirus lockdowns; both his own Conservative and the opposition Labour Party are foursquare behind abortion rights.

After all, others had harsher words, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who termed abortion “a fundamental right” being “undermined by the Supreme Court” and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called the decision “horrific.” Curiously, Alito didn’t mention them; both are serving new terms.

Now that the shock of the decision is wearing off, it’s worth asking what it means – not for the political process, taking off at warp speed – but for the court itself. The answers are not encouraging.

The notorious leak was instantly blamed, by Fox News and others, on liberal law clerks seeking to embarrass the conservative justices about the radical ruling five had approved.

It may be years before the “leaker” is revealed, but we can safely conclude it came from a senior associate justice – Alito, serving since 2005, or Clarence Thomas, confirmed in 1991; they’ve been waiting a long time.

The motive was keeping five votes in line, preventing anyone from joining Chief Justice John Roberts, who preferred a more moderate approach, and filed a weak concurrence.

Alito does have something to crow about; with Dobbs, he’s effectively leading the five-member conservative majority, sidelining the chief justice – something that’s rarely happened before.

Whether the court’s image and prestige will survive is another question.

To gauge how out of keeping Alito’s coup is to the court’s traditions – which, after all, depends on the other branches to enforce its decisions – we must go back further.

On Dec. 10, 2021, the court, shortly after oral arguments in Dobbs, decided to let stand a Texas law banning abortions after six weeks; by contrast, Mississippi set a 15-week limit.

Throughout the abortion controversies, courts have always stayed laws in conflict with precedent, but not this time – even though Texas included a bizarre enforcement protocol envisioning a form of “vigilante justice.”

Texas became a preview, as clinics shut down overnight. As Dobbs was handed down, the lives of hundreds more women were turned upside down; it was all part of the plan.

When the Supreme Court announces a revolutionary new doctrine it generally does so cautiously. The notable example is Brown v. Board of Education, the Warren Court’s unanimous 1954 decision barring racial segregation in public schools in 21 Southern and Western states; the case was from Kansas.

The implementing decision for Brown waited until the following year, and even then school desegregation went on for decades.

For Justice Alito, however, change is best accomplished overnight, as the court green-lighted any abortion restrictions, no matter how draconian – anything a state legislature might enact.

Alito’s faulty reasoning, his highly selective use of history, his unseemly hectoring of fellow justices, has all prompted comment, but it’s his blind faith in his own righteousness that’s truly disturbing.

Support for, and opposition to, abortion rights has hardly varied since Roe v. Wade, and its important successor case Casey v. Planned Parenthood.

There was no new evidence, just a new five-justice lineup willing to use its power – for the first time – to eliminate a widely accepted constitutional right.

It’s an open question whether the Supreme Court “follows the election returns,” but we do know defying the voters can have fateful consequences.

Abortion will remain contested legislative ground for years, but one must ask: Will the Dobbs decision go down in history on a par with Brown, or is it more likely to resemble the Dred Scott case – which helped bring on the Civil War?

Douglas Rooks, a Maine editor, commentator and reporter since 1984, is the author of three books, and is now researching the life and career of a U.S. Chief Justice. He welcomes comment at drooks@tds.net

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rooks: Alito’s arrogance may cost the Supreme Court dearly

Student loans: Biden administration 'terminates' status of troubled college accrediting agency

Ronda Lee

Fri, August 19, 2022 

The Education Department (ED) revoked the accreditation status of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) after years of scandals related to for-profit schools and the student loans provided to students across the country.

"ACICS is no longer a nationally recognized accrediting agency and can no longer serve as a 'gatekeeper' of institutional eligibility for federal student aid programs," the ED stated in an announcement titled: "U.S. Department of Education Terminates Federal Recognition of ACICS."

The non-profit education corporation accredited now defunct for-profit schools ITT Tech and Corinthian Colleges. Many students enrolled at these schools didn’t have transferable credits nor promised degrees. ACICS was also accused of double dipping in taxpayer funded pandemic PPP loans and coronavirus stimulus payments.

"ACICS accredited the worst of the worst scam schools, including Corinthian, ITT Tech and Art Institute and a school that didn't even exist,” Thomas Gokey, an organizer with the Debt Collective, said in a statement. “These schools never should have been allowed to access federal funds, and the harm they have done to millions of students can only be repaired by full cancellation and a commitment to fund high quality public college for all."

A 2018 NBER working paper found that students who attended for-profit colleges were more likely to obtain a federal loan than those who attend a public college and three times more likely to default on student loans — driven by the fact that these students were six times less likely to receive employment after enrollment compared to their public college peers.

Students at for-profit colleges tend to take out more student loans and experience worse outcomes than public college students. (NBER)

In 2016, the Obama-era ED stripped ACICS of its status as an accrediting agency. At the time, ACICS had already accredited 237 schools that enrolled 361,000 students receiving federal financial student aid. In 2018, the Trump-era ED reinstated ACICS. However, in 2020, after a damning USA Today report detailing how ACICS accredited a school that reportedly had zero students and no faulty or classrooms, the ED launched an investigation into ACICS.

“We are talking about an entity that accredited a school that didn’t even exist and continues to rubber stamp some of the worst for-profit colleges,” Eric Rothschild, director of litigation at the National Student Legal Defense Network, said in a statement. “Students count on accreditors to validate that the schools where they spend their time and money will meet a baseline level of quality.”

When Biden took office in January 2021, career officials at the ED recommended that ACICS, which was founded in 1912, be disempowered once again. The officials stated that ACICS “fails to demonstrate compliance” with regulations and that “provides a stand-alone basis for termination.”

US President Joe Biden listens to the national anthem at the graduation ceremony for his alma mater, the University of Delaware, at Delaware Stadium, in Newark, Delaware, on May 28, 2022. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

"Accrediting agencies are often the only barrier between predatory for-profit colleges and access to millions of dollars in federal aid," Cody Hounanian, executive director of the Student Debt Crisis Center, said in a statement. “Without proper accountability, these schools make huge profits and leave American families crushed by student debt and without a valuable degree. Today’s action is a small step towards cleaning up the exploitative elements of America’s higher education system. However, there is more work to be done to hold all bad-actors accountable and to provide financial relief to individuals who have been harmed.”

Predatory lending at for-profit schools exacerbated the student debt crisis, which has ballooned to more than $1.7 trillion.

“The Department of Education’s latest announcement regarding the ACICS is good news for both students concerned about attending a school that will provide them with adequate education, as well as for taxpayers who are worried that their money will go to waste at fraudulent institutions,” Jacob Channel, senior economist at Student Loan Hero, said in a statement.

President Biden currently faces a decision whether to cancel some student loan debt ahead of the August 31st deadline for pandemic forbearance of federal student loans.

Aarthi Swaminathan contributed to this article.

Ronda is a personal finance senior reporter for Yahoo Money and attorney with experience in law, insurance, education, and government. Follow her on Twitter @writesronda 

German dependence on China growing 'at tremendous pace', research shows


 A container of China Shipping is loaded at a loading terminal in the port of Hamburg

Fri, August 19, 2022 
By Klaus Lauer

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German economy became more dependent on China in the first half of 2022, with direct investment and its trade deficit reaching new heights, despite political pressure on Berlin to pivot away from Beijing, according to research seen by Reuters.

At the same time, growth in German exports to China weakened significantly, the German Economic Institute (IW) said in its study, citing economists pointing to a trend towards more local production in the Chinese market.

"The German economy is much more dependent on China than the other way round," said Juergen Matthes, who authored the study.

He warned that this dependence posed a political problem as Beijing's stance on the Ukraine war and its military posture towards Taiwan placed German business with the world's second-largest economy under scrutiny.

"Yet despite these dangers and problems, economic interdependencies with China have been moving in the wrong direction at a tremendous pace in the first half of 2022," the economist said.

The study found that German investment in China amounted to around 10 billion euros ($10 billion) between January and June, far exceeding the previous peak half-year value recorded since the turn of the millennium of 6.2 billion euros.

"The Chinese sales market and the profits beckoning there in the short term simply seem too attractive," Matthes said.

China's share of German imports rose to 12.4% in the first half of 2022, compared with 3.4% in 2000, while German imports of Chinese goods surged in value terms by 45.7% year on year during that six-month period, the IW found.

Germany's trade deficit with the country had leapt to almost 41 billion euros by mid-2022, the institute said, adding that the gap was set to widen further.

The IW called for a policy turnaround, urging a reduction in incentives for doing business with China and a shift towards more trade with other emerging markets, particularly in Asia.

Matthes also called on German businesses to curb their dependency on China, warning that any Western sanctions against Beijing, for example if it invaded Taiwan, would threaten particularly exposed companies with bankruptcy.

"We otherwise risk running into a 'too big too fail' situation like we saw with the banks," he said.

($1 = 0.9916 euros)

(Reporting by Klaus Lauer; Writing by Rachel More; Editing by Paul Carrel and David Holmes)

Overworked elephant rips Thai owner in half



Bryan Ke
Fri, August 19, 2022 

An annoyed elephant has reportedly ripped his owner in half using his tusks in the Thai province of Phang Nga after being forced to work under hot weather.

Officers from Takua Thung Police Station responded to a call about the elephant owner’s death at around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday in the Tha Yu subdistrict.

Upon their arrival, authorities were informed that Pom Pam, a 20-year-old male elephant, had ripped apart his owner, 32-year-old Supachai Wongfaed.

Rescue workers, officers and the village chief went to the scene of the incident and saw Wongfaed’s body in the middle of a rubber plantation. They reportedly found his corpse split in half in a pool of blood with Pom Pam standing over it.

Phang Nga Provincial Livestock officers were eventually called over to sedate the animal so that the rescue workers could retrieve the body of Wongfaed, the son of Thawon Wongfaed, Khok Charoen subdistrict's former mayor.

During their preliminary investigation, Takua Thung Police Station officers discovered that Pom Pam was forced to carry wood in the rubber plantation prior to the attack. The officers suggested that the hot weather that day made the elephant “go crazy” and attack his owner.

According to the weather forecast of Phang Nga province for August, daytime temperatures can go as high as 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit on average.

Rescuers reportedly used a dart gun to tranquilize Pom Pam and retrieve Wongfaed's body, which was later handed over to his relatives for his funeral.

Although the practice of using elephants to carry wood through forested areas was banned by Thailand's government in 1989, the practice still occurs in some areas around the country.

"[It] is yet another stark reminder that Asian elephants are and always remain wild animals that can attack and kill when they are abused or overly stressed by humans,” Duncan McNair, the CEO of the charity Save The Asian Elephants, told Newsweek. “They suffer deeply, psychologically as well as physically, when broken and forced into constant severe toil in logging and related activities.”

"Save The Asian Elephants has abundant evidence of approaching 2,000 human deaths and catastrophic injuries caused by captive elephants brutalized in unnatural forced activities including tourism,” McNair added.

While Thailand has almost 30 laws placed to protect elephants, they still reportedly suffer abuse at the hands of humans, such as getting pierced by bullhooks – a stick with a metal hook at the end – to control their movement.

Elephants are typically seen as good-natured animals, but they can potentially hurt humans if they feel unsafe or distressed. One elephant made headlines in June for killing a 70-year-old woman and then crashing her funeral to trample on her corpse.'

Republicans Demand To Know What Happened To Vanishing GOP Millions

Mary Papenfuss
Sat, August 20, 2022 

National Republican Senatorial Committee funds declined to just $28.4 million by the end of June.

 (Photo: Manuel Augusto Moreno via Getty Images)

A number of Republican strategists and consultants are growing increasingly dismayed about millions of dollars vanishing at the National Republican Senatorial Committee — just when the funds are needed most, The Washington Post reported Friday.

Cash at the national campaign fund is dwindling as candidates head into the final stretch of Senate races across the U.S.

“If they were a corporation, the CEO would be fired,” a national Republican consultant working on Senate races told the newspaper, referring to the committee.

“There needs to be an audit or investigation because we’re not gonna take the Senate now and this money has been squandered,” added the consultant, who spoke to the outlet on condition of anonymity. “It’s a rip-off.”

Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who chairs the NRSC, has been attacked by Republicans for featuring himself in ads and releasing a policy agenda that caused trouble for the GOP, leading to quips that “NRSC” stands for “National Rick Scott Committee.”

NRSC funds had reportedly reached $173 million this election cycle but were already down to $28.4 million by the end of June.

The committee spent more than $12 million on American Express credit cardpayments with an unclear purpose, along with $13 million for consultants and $9 million on debt payments, the Post said.

Now, a number of Republican candidates are struggling to raise money ahead of the general elections in November.

“It’s surprising and says a lot about the Republican brand that their candidates have struggled to raise money,” J.B. Poersch, the president of the Democratic-allied Senate Majority PAC, told the Post.

“With extreme candidates and extreme positions, maybe Republican donors are finding these candidates are out of step with where they are,” he said. “Maybe voters are feeling the same way.”

AMERICAN PROTESTANTS
A Missouri pastor has apologized after berating his congregation for being 'poor, broke, busted' and not getting him a luxury watch


Cheryl Teh
Fri, August 19, 202


A Missouri pastor has apologized for calling his congregation too "broke" to buy him a watch.

"I'm not worth your Red Lobster money?" Carlton Funderburke was heard saying in a sermon.

Funderburke also demanded a Movado watch, saying he'd been waiting to receive it for months.

In an August 7 sermon, pastor Carlton Funderburke was heard ranting about his congregation not "honoring" him. Funderburke is a senior pastor at the Church at the Well in Kansas City.

"This is how I know you're still poor, broke, busted, and disgusted, because of how you've been honoring me. I'm not worth your McDonald's money? I'm not worth your Red Lobster money?" Funderburke said.

"I ain't worth y'all Louis Vuitton? I ain't worth your Prada? I'm not worth your Gucci?" he was heard saying in the video. The identity of the person who recorded the video is unclear, but it was uploaded to TikTok by the Kansas City Defender, a local media company.

@kansascitydefender
Kansas City Pastor GOES OFF on congregation calling them "poor, broke busted and disgusted" because they didn't give him enough money to buy a new watch he's been wanting. It's pastors like these that give the church a bad name smh an also why a lot of our generation left the church. What y'all think? 🤔♬ original sound - kcdefender

In the video, some members of the congregation can be seen rising to their feet and appearing to approach him angrily. Funderburke can be seen brushing them off.

He went on to say that he had been waiting for months to receive a Movado watch. Movado watches can retail for anywhere between a couple of hundred dollars to upwards of a thousand dollars.

"And y'all know I asked for one last year. Here it is all the way in August and I still ain't got it," Funderburke added. "Y'all ain't said nothing. Let me kick down the door and talk to my cheap sons and daughters."

This week, the pastor released an apology video.

"Though there is context behind the content of the clip, no context will suffice to explain the hurt and anguish caused by my words. I've spoken to those I am accountable to and have received their correction and instruction," he said.

"I have also privately apologized to our church, who has extended their love and support to me," Funderburke added in his apology video.

While it's not common for preachers to ask for personal gifts from their congregations, the idea of the "prosperity gospel" has gained steam in America. Disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker, one of the most prominent names associated with the movement, was convicted in 1989 of 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy for defrauding his followers out of $158 million

. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $500,000, but was paroled in 1994 after serving just over five years. Lamor Whitehead, a New York-based bishop known for flashy designer clothes and luxury cars, was accused last year of cheating a congregant out of $90,000 — her life savings. Whitehead denied wrongdoing in an interview with the New York Daily News.

Representatives at the Church at the Well did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Americans with incomes over $100,000 are flocking to Walmart to save money, revealing how soaring prices are squeezing the upper middle class

insider@insider.com (Áine Cain) -

© Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesA Walmart store. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Walmart is attracting more upper middle-class shoppers due to inflation.

 
CFO John Rainey touted an influx of customers with household incomes above $100,000.

Inflation has prompted many Americans to adjust their spending habits.

Inflation is squeezing American consumers, even the upper middle class. But according to the latest round of retail earnings calls, the ongoing efforts of upper middle-class shoppers to pinch pennies are proving to be a boon to Walmart.

The big-box chain has strived to keep costs down in response to inflation. Walmart has also struggled with overstocked inventory, much like its rival Target.

But the latest sales data indicates that inflation is driving some upper middle-class consumers to Walmart, which recently saw its sales grow 8%. The company's chief financial officer, John Rainey, told CNBC that nearly 75% of Walmart's recent market-share gains came from "customers with annual household incomes of $100,000 or more" who are turning to the big-box stores' grocery aisles. During the company's Tuesday earnings call, Walmart announced that it had beat Wall Street estimates.

What exactly constitutes the upper middle class can vary throughout the United States, depending on the local cost of living, according to Pew Research. In a 2022 article noting that upper middle-class families are facing unique struggles during the pandemic, the Wall Street Journal, citing Fed data, defined "upper middle class" as earning "between $75,301 and $127,300 a year."

'Walmart's advantage'

"The middle-class consumer is currently looking for value to save money," Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research at financial market data firm Refinitiv, told Insider. "They are cutting off their Netflix subscriptions and instead getting a membership at Sam's Club, Costco or BJ's to save money at the pump. This is Walmart's advantage."

In the latest earnings call, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon announced that the company has "continued to gain share in grocery."

"Price leadership is especially important right now and one-stop shopping becomes more than just convenience when people are paying over $4 a gallon for fuel," he said in a call with investors.

Martis also cited Walmart's foray into fuel — through the gas pumps available at Sam's Club locations — as a major advantage. In its latest earnings call, Walmart announced that its revenue at Sam's Club had jumped 17.5%, trouncing investors' expectations.

"At a time when economists are predicting that discretionary spending by consumers is likely to decline, analysts polled by Refinitiv remain more bullish on discounters that sell gasoline versus those that don't," Martis said.

The average Walmart shopper is a white suburban woman who earns around $80,000 a year, according to data from analytics firm Numerator, though Walmart's focus on steep discounts has also attracted lower-income shoppers looking to save money.

One expert cited Walmart's recent investments in its digital capabilities, in addition to its discounting, as possible lures for more upper middle-class shoppers.

"Walmart's CEO mentioned this during the company's latest earnings call, pointing to convenience and digital capabilities as reasons the company is successfully connecting with both middle and high-income shoppers," Pieter de Villiers, CEO at mobile messaging firm Clickatell, said in a statement to Insider.

Inflation has prompted middle-class shoppers to rethink their consumption strategies. Over the summer, the inflation rate hit 9.1%, a 40-year-high. Since June, prices have begun to cool down somewhat. In July, prices only rose 8.5% year-over-year. Still, ongoing inflation has made many Americans feel substantially poorer whenever they shop for groceries or hit the gas pump.

But these high prices aren't borne equally by everyone. Rising prices have traditionally harmed low-income consumers, while wealthier shoppers have an easier time bearing the costs. That's no different for the current trend of inflation, which came in the wake of a pandemic that saw thousands of citizens fall below the poverty line. And even financially-secure shoppers may be looking to scale back spending.

YER ALL SHEPPLE

Rudy Giuliani Says U.S. 'Could Possibly Be Too Dumb to Be a Democracy'

TALK ABOUT ELITIST

Rudy Giuliani has suggested that if the American public couldn't see that the raid on the Florida property of his ally Donald Trump was the latest chapter of a left-wing "conspiracy" then perhaps the U.S. is "too dumb to be a democracy."


© Spencer Platt/Getty 

Rudy Giuliani at an election night watch party in Manhattan on June 28, 2022 in New York City.

In an interview with conservative channel Newsmax, the former New York city mayor gave a wide-ranging critique of the branches of government, starting with the FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago property and the removal of classified information reportedly found there.

"Now they want to make him responsible for having taken classified documents and preserve them," he said on Thursday. "If you look at the Espionage Act, it's not really about taking the documents, it's about destroying them or hiding them or giving them to the enemy."

"It's not about taking them and putting them in a place that's roughly as safe as they were in, in the first one," he told anchor Rob Schmitt.

He said that the raid was "obviously part of a continuous, I hate to call it conspiracy but that's what it is, that started back in 2016," involving the Democrats.

When asked about media criticism of him and the prospect that the Trump team would "throw you under the bus," Giuliani referred to the investigation into claims of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"Who ended up telling the truth about Russian collusion? Them or Trump and me," Giuliani told Newsmax, before explaining why the public should think that he and the former president have credibility.

"If the American people don't know what's going on by now, then our country could possibly be too dumb to be a democracy, Giuliani said. "I mean, it is quite obvious that they will frame him with every single thing they've got."

"And even if you don't realize they stole the election, there's something wrong here," he said, referring to his conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election won by President Joe Biden that have been repeatedly dismissed. Newsweek has contacted the Trump team for comment.

Giuliani was a key figure in the former president's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. He was involved in a dispute with the Fulton County District Attorney's office over whether to testify before a special grand jury in its probe of the Trump campaign's efforts to overturn Biden's win in Georgia.

He was subpoenaed to testify following the June testimony of Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson to the January 6 committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riots. After his appearance on Wednesday, Giuliani said he had "satisfied his obligation" under the subpoena.