Andy Blake

Creative thinker, data strategist, aspiring triathlete and father of 3. Always seeking new challenges and opportunities to learn. Follow along for the ride.

[Spencer Hakimian @SpencerHakimian]

Let me introduce you to something called *lying*.

[Joe Scarborough @ScarboroughNow]

Social Security starts running out of money in 6 years, as Republicans keep spending America into record debt. By the end of this term, Trump will be responsible for 35% of all US debt accumulated across 250 years of US history.
https://t.co/1vIvfT5zOI

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

Hey @Chase so now the priority pass lounge in CLT charges $9 for the privilege of booking a spot ? The insane yearly fee isn’t enough so now additional charges?? Help me understand…

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

Is this what we all voted for - removing impartial election officials??

[Jessica Tarlov @JessicaTarlov]

Seems bad if we are going to have free and fair elections

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

@ChevyCadillac and @HendrickCars I've tried three times to connect regarding a car I'm interested in and literally I get no response. Seems like you aren't interested in a qualified buyer???

[Joe Bruno @JoeBrunoWSOC9]

Governor Josh Stein signed the budget https://t.co/Qs6e0GFL7i

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

@UPS you are truly awful at delivering packages. I've had a package lost in your system since June 22nd and it keeps getting rerouted. Unfortunately there is literally not a single phone number on your site to speak with a human. I genuinely wonder why any business uses you.

[Ryan Glasspiegel @sportsrapport]

Waiting for Bill Simmons content on a Friday reminds me of what was one of my favorite rituals in college -- finishing classes, firing up a bowl or two, and refreshing ESPN Page 2 every few minutes until his weekly NFL picks came out.

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

Is this democracy in NC now?

[Carolina Forward @ForwardCarolina]

This is absolutely bonkers: newly uncovered text messages reveal that Republican operatives INSIDE the North Carolina State Board of Elections are secretly collaborating with the NC Republican Party to force local elections officials to obey partisan directives - or be fired.

This is a smoking gun: @DallasWoodhouse, the disgraced former leader of the NCGOP who Republicans nevertheless hired to help run the State Board of Elections, is working hand-in-hand with NCGOP legal counsel to pressure officials and even arrange votes.

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

Depends on number of teens we’re talking about - movie theatres, parks, even coffee houses are places where my teens have hung out. Also time of day matters - during the day there are places like whitewater center , airport overlook and the rail trail. Charlotte does lack nighttime non-alcoholic music venues that other cities have …

[Carolina Forward @ForwardCarolina]

[NEW] Who Pays the Bills?

How does the State of North Carolina pay for everything it does?

81% of all revenue collected by North Carolina's state government comes from personal income and sales taxes. Yet the source of that revenue is overwhelmingly the state's metro areas - in particular, Wake and Mecklenburg.

Not only do Mecklenburg and Wake generate a highly disproportionate share of all tax revenue in North Carolina, but they also heavily subsidize most other counties in the state.

Over the last 15 years, the rural economy in North Carolina has stagnated and declined. Most rural counties have seen their local economy shrink in that time, while that of metro counties has grown rapidly.

What that means is that the State of North Carolina is more heavily dependent on tax revenue from those metro counties today than ever before. As long as the economy is good, that's fine. But it puts the state in a precarious spot for the next recession on the horizon.

[Carolina Forward @ForwardCarolina]

Your regular reminder that these people just hate Charlotte.

They're mad that it's a deep blue city now that is unwilling to submit to total domination by the party in power in our state legislature. They're also mad that no one wants to invite them to the good parties.

[Tesho Akindele @Tesho13]

Charlotte is the most underrated city in the country and it’s not even close

• Affordable
• Nice people
• Great weather
• High paying jobs
• Cool neighborhoods
• Short drive to the beach or mountains

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

@Codie_Sanchez Smb

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

Does anyone have a good experience with @AutoOwnersIns ? It’s been nothing but a hassle: long contentious claims processing, 2x rate increases, no adjustments for good students or cars that aren’t driven often. Combined with the incredibly poor digital experience I don’t see the value …

[Mike Levin @MikeLevin]

This New York Times piece is worth your time. Here’s what is happening, as simply as I can put it.

Back in January, Trump sued the IRS, an agency he controls, demanding $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns a number of years ago.

IRS lawyers did their jobs. They wrote a memo laying out the defenses that could beat the suit, including the fact that Trump filed too late. His own lawyer was in court when the leaker pleaded guilty in October 2023, more than two years before Trump sued.

The Justice Department never showed up to court. Never argued back. Never used the defenses sitting on their desk.

The judge got suspicious and ordered both sides to explain whether they were actually opposing each other or just colluding. The day before that brief was due, Trump dropped the suit.

Same day, his Justice Department announced a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded “anti-weaponization fund.” 

Trump gets a formal apology. The IRS agrees to drop any audits of him and his family, even though a 2024 Times report found a loss in an ongoing audit could cost him over $100 million.

The acting Attorney General, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, picks the five commissioners who decide who gets paid. Trump can fire any of them. Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are not ruled out.

This is the most corrupt thing I’ve ever seen from an American president.

Where in the hell are my Republican colleagues?

https://t.co/La0nlLuz1r

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

@HarrisTeeter has the worst self-checkout system I’ve encountered. Not intuitive, prone to not sensing bagged items and frequently requires manual overrides. Remind me again where’s the efficiency?
#customerservice #dobetter

[Ed Krassenstein @EdKrassen]

So Mike Johnson and many republicans are against banning Members of Congress from trading stocks because inflation makes their salary less valuable.

Here’s an idea: if $174k a year isn’t enough for you, then resign and let someone who is willing to work the job do it.

There are plenty of young people who would be willing to give up stock trading for that salary. And they would actually get stuff done.

And if $174k isn’t enough for people to take care of their family, then how the hell is minimum wage?

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

@MetLife you are incredibly hard to work with. My father worked 50 years to afford a life insurance policy, it's been 3 months since his death and you still haven't processed the claim. Your disjointed process and repeated paperwork asks make no sense. Be better.
#CustomerExperience

[Andy Blake @brunoblake]

Is this the golden age we were promised?

[Charlie Bilello @charliebilello]

13.1% of credit card balances in the US are now 90+ days delinquent, the highest since 2011.

10.3% of student loan balances are now 90+ days delinquent, the highest since 2020.

5.6% of auto loan balances are now 90+ days delinquent, the highest level on record.