Ardon Wek

Farmer from SESD.

[Dirt Cheap Banks @dirtcheapbanks]

Community banks are the last place in America where a man in a short-sleeve dress shirt can approve a $400,000 loan based on the fact that he went to high school with your dad. There are 4,100 of them left. There were 14,000 in 1984. Every time one gets acquired, a teller named Brenda learns a new software system and a small town loses the only institution that would lend against a combine. The acquirer always says nothing will change. Brenda is gone in eighteen months. The lobby cookies go next. Then the branch closes. Then the building becomes a vape shop. This is not a financial trend. This is the slow administrative murder of the only version of capitalism that ever knew your name.

[Amy Siskind 🏳️‍🌈🇺🇸 @Amy_Siskind]

On Wednesday, Putin special envoy Kirill Dmitriev met with Witkoff and Kushner in Miami. On Thursday, Bessent rolled back sanctions on Russia oil. Now Witkoff is heading to Moscow. In the meantime, Russia is aiding Iran in targeting US forces and assets.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is helping us and our allies in the Middle East with defending against drone warfare.

Why isn't every Republican in Congress up in arms about this?! WTH is going on!!!!

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

@ChrisRGibbs One third of all food would care for a lot of hungry people.

[Boring_Business @BoringBiz_]

Baby Boomers won the genetic lottery in so many ways

Let’s take John as an example

John is born in 1945 after the most deadly war in history has already ended.

In the 1960s, in his late teenage years, he gets a minimum wage job paying $1.15 per hour ($11.55 in inflation-adjusted dollars today)

John, being as smart as he is, decides to contribute to social security. A few years later, he decides he wants to pursue a career as an engineer, absolutely!

Average tuition for public colleges at the time is only $243 per year (~$2,500 in today’s dollars).

He gets a job in high school at his local ice cream store. He then uses the money to slowly pay for college over time.

In the mid 1960s, Medicare is created - resulting in a massive cushion for John’s healthcare costs. John finishes college and works for a few years as an engineer, making pretty decent money.

Within 4 years of saving, he purchases a home for ~$25,000 (~$210K in inflation adjusted dollars).

Relatively to his annual income, this is only 2.0x his annual salary! Not a problem at all.

Throughout the rest of his working years, John remains financially savvy and invests away a portion of his paycheck.

The invention of the 401K and IRA in the 70s and 90s paves his path for massive tax-savings in his portfolio.

By 2008, John has built up a massive nest egg of cash and stock investments, alongside his personal residence.

As the Great Financial Crisis hits, John takes full advantage and purchases an additional home as an investment property.

Enter quantitative easing.

For the next decade, the Federal Reserve continues to lower interest rates and stimulate economic activity.

John’s stock and real estate investment portfolio skyrockets. On top of that, the home he bought back in the 1960s has nearly 15x since that time.

John comfortably retires as he watches the next generation live in an economy tarnished by inflation and wealth inequality.

New graduation unemployment at highest levels. Student debt is rampant. Housing remains out of reach for most

He thinks to himself: “it must be because these kids didn’t make their coffees at home”

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

"the groaning of the earth and the poor "

[Rich Raho @RichRaho]

Pope Leo at final Jubilee Audience of year: “Creation is crying. But many powerful people do not hear this cry: the wealth of the earth is in the hands of a few, very few, increasingly concentrated – unjustly – in the hands of those who often do not want to hear the groaning of the earth and the poor.” https://t.co/5OPhORPpqs

[RC deWinter @RCdeWinter]

Breaking news:
Teacher Arrested At Pearson Airport

A high school teacher was arrested today at Toronto's Pearson Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a compass, a slide-rule and a calculator.

At a press conference, Premier Mark Carney said he believes
the man is a member of the notorious extremist Al-Gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the OPP with carrying weapons of math instruction.

‘Al-Gebra is a problem for us', the Premier said. 'They derive solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values.'

‘They use secret code names like "X" and "Y" and refer to themselves as "unknowns” but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.”

When asked to comment on the arrest, Prime Minister Carney said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes."

Fellow Liberal colleagues told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by any Prime Minister.

O Canada! 😂

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

"feelings that will take generations to amend."

[Daractenus @Daractenus]

The people of Central and Eastern Europe were some of the most genuinely pro-American people you can find. The honest sympathy and admiration for the American people you could find here ran deep and spanned across generations.

One common point you will find across our region is that all our grandparents lived their entire lives hoping "the Americans would come" one day. During the darkest days of Russian-imposed communism, people went to lengths you wouldn't believe to get their hands on a pair of jeans, a cassette with American music, or anything that gave them that little piece of America and what it stood for.

We wanted to be like you, dress like you, speak like you, see your movies, listen to your music, build a country like yours, something plenty have paid with their freedom or their life for.

Most of the Central and Eastern Europeans you encounter today on Twitter grew up with those stories from their parent and grandparents. We were also old enough to remember the early 2000s when most of our countries finally joined NATO, after long and painful waiting queues, and finally became American allies.

I don't think I could do justice to the joy and sense of euphoria we all felt then. People got drunk out of joy and hugged each other, took to the streets with flags, danced, sang and smiled, happy and hopeful because the "Americans finally arrived".

Today, less than a year into Trump's presidency, not only did those decades worth of sympathy for a now unrecognizable US evaporated, but made room for feelings that will take generations to amend.

[Tim Dufault @6dollarwheatguy]

Trump starts a tariff war in 2018 and again in 2025. Soybean exports to China dry up.
Respond from soybean farmers, crickets.

Trump says US will import Argentinian beef.
US ranchers lose their shit.

Take a lesson soybean farmers.

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

This is kinda cool.

[Travis Akers 🇺🇸 @travisakers]

In my classroom is a doctor…
And in my classroom is someone battling addiction.
In my classroom is a teacher…
And in my classroom is someone who will go through divorce.
In my classroom is a soldier…
And in my classroom is someone who will lose their job.
In my classroom is a nurse…
And in my classroom is a cancer survivor.
In my classroom is a chef…
And in my classroom is someone facing poverty.
In my classroom is a musician…
And in my classroom is someone carrying grief.
In my classroom is an artist…
And in my classroom is someone who will battle depression.
In my classroom is a firefighter…
And in my classroom is a twice-divorced father.
In my classroom is a police officer…
And in my classroom is someone who will survive abuse.
In my classroom is a lawyer…
And in my classroom is a single mother.
In my classroom is a business owner…
And in my classroom is someone who will file bankruptcy.
In my classroom is a scientist…
And in my classroom is someone who will bury a child.
In my classroom is a farmer…
And in my classroom is someone who will be lonely.
In my classroom is an engineer…
And in my classroom is a veteran.
In my classroom is a poet…
And in my classroom is someone who will lose their health.
In my classroom is a counselor…
And in my classroom is someone who will go to prison.
In my classroom is a coach…
And in my classroom is someone working two jobs to get by.
In my classroom is a writer…
And in my classroom is a refugee who makes a new life.
In my classroom is a mentor…
And in my classroom is someone who will battle anxiety.
In my classroom is a sailor…
And in my classroom is someone who will overcome trauma.
In my classroom is a therapist…
And in my classroom is someone who will be a caregiver.
In my classroom is a leader…
And in my classroom is someone who will face loss.
In my classroom is a parent…
And in my classroom is someone who will find healing.
In my classroom is a citizen who shapes the world…
And in my classroom is someone who carries hope.

But today, they are just children who need to be loved.

“In my Classroom” by Travis Akers

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

@michaelpfreeman The only thing he will do is figure out a way to blame the Democrats.

[Farmers for Free Trade @FarmersForTrade]

American agriculture generates more than $1.7 trillion in export value and supports over 1 million jobs.

That’s why American farmers deserve a strong voice in trade.

See where the Motorcade for Trade is headed next: https://t.co/vreqOLHQ1o
#MotorcadeForTrade #TradeMatters

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

"The proof is right here "

[FactPost @factpostnews]

Ohio farmer explains how tariffs are making his John Deere parts more expensive:

"When Trump runs around and thinks he makes these trade deals or puts reciprocal tariffs on somebody, it's directly hurting me because that costs me more money."

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

I'm glad ASA finally figured this out.

[American Soybean Association @ASA_Soybeans]

ASA Responds to Argentina Soybean Actions: U.S. #farmers cannot wait and hope any longer. ASA is calling on President Trump and his negotiating team to prioritize securing an immediate deal on #soybeans with China. https://t.co/ugr9H7vE08 #AgPolicy #AgEcon #Tariffs

[NDSoybean @NDSoybean]

You don’t have to face it alone. If things feel overwhelming, call or text 988. For stress management resources specifically for farmers and ranchers, visit @NDSUExtension: https://t.co/H7DaAIb9De

[Bridgette Readel @bmreadel]

Are you ok?
If you aren’t comfortable talking to someone near you, call the AgriStress hotline
833-897-2474
#ItsOkayToNotBeOkay

[Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79]

An NYU professor AI-proofed his assignments.

The students complained they were too hard and that “he was interfering with their ‘learning styles.’”

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

@LeaderJohnThune How do tariffs affect agricultural trade?

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

@michaelpfreeman Why would we vote this way?

[Ardon Wek @wek_19]

@SoDakTruth Why would we do that?

[Peter Baker @peterbakernyt]

Total USAID annual spending to provide food, medicine, shelter and other services to impoverished countries around the world: $38 billion

Total increase in Elon Musk's personal net worth since the November election: $156 billion