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Saturday, July 5, 2025

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FACT CHECK: Biden Touts Falling Food Prices When They Are Actually Rising

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President Joe Biden touted falling food prices Thursday, but the latest federal data shows the price of food is actually on the rise and has been for more than a year.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new inflation data Thursday that showed the overall consumer price index dropped 0.1%, driven in part by a decrease in energy prices.

“For the sixth month in a row, yearly inflation is down,” Biden wrote on Twitter after BLS released the data. “It might be rising in economies around the world, but it’s coming down here. And gas prices, food, and more are following. That adds up to a break for families and proof that my plan is working.”

While prices overall dropped, food prices actually rose in December.

“The food index increased 0.3 percent over the month [of December] with the food at home index rising 0.2 percent,” BLS said.

After the tweet, Biden acknowledged in a speech Thursday that food prices did rise in December, but lauded the slower increase.

BLS data shows the “food at home” index rose 0.2% in December and 11.8% in the past year. Food away from home rose 0.4% in December and 8.3% in the last year.

“The index for cereals and bakery products rose 16.1 percent over the year. The remaining major grocery store food groups posted increases ranging from 7.7 percent (meats, poultry, fish, and eggs) to 15.3 percent (dairy and related products),” BLS said.

Some categories did see decreases, and the data fluctuates month to month, but overall the price of food rose in December.

From BLS’ data, here are some seasonally adjusted price changes for urban consumers for the major food categories in December as well as the annual numbers:

  • Cereals and bakery products prices saw no change in December but rose 16.1% in the last year.
  • Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1% in December and 7.7% in the last year.
  • Dairy and related products prices declined 0.3% in December but rose 15.3% in the last year.
  • Fruits and vegetable prices declined 0.6% in December but rose 8.4% in the last year.
  • Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials prices rose 0.1% in December and 12.4% in the last year.
  • BLS’ “other food at home” category saw a 0.4% increase in December and a 13.9% increase in the last year.

Overall, these figures are much higher than when Biden took office, since prices had largely already begun rising before this time last year on a range of goods and services, including food.

While food prices have increased, they are rising at a slower rate than months prior.

“CPI inflation slowed sharply at year-end as consumers got relief from lower gasoline prices, and prices of most foods rose more slowly,” said Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank. “Comerica forecasts a mild recession in 2023, fueled by surging interest rates, the housing correction, households tightening belts in the face of higher inflation, and businesses adding more carefully to inventories as demand slows. The unemployment rate will likely rise by about a percentage point by the end of this year.”

Biden has repeatedly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine for higher food prices.

As The Center Square previously reported, Ukraine is a major food producer as well as a major exporter of key ingredients in fertilizer. The invasion has hurt food production and tied up the supply chain, making food and the fertilizer that helps it grow significantly more expensive.

“The two challenges on the minds of most working families are prices at the pump and prices at the grocery store,” Biden said during remarks in June of last year, the same month gas prices set records with a national average price over $5 per gallon. “Both of these challenges have been directly exacerbated by Putin’s war in Ukraine.”

Experts agree the invasion “exacerbated” the problem, but prices, including food prices, were already rising quickly before Russia invaded Ukraine.

In the middle of February, about two weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, BLS released consumer price index data showing food prices had already risen significantly.

That data showed that “food at home” prices had risen 7.4% in the previous 12 months. Economists say about 2% inflation annually is a good increase for a healthy economy.

The meat, poultry, fish and eggs category rose 12.2% in that data. An avian flu outbreak also contributed to rising prices recently.

Republicans have continued to attack Biden for the higher prices.

“It’s time for Congress to buckle down and focus on paying down the debt, living within our means, and getting our fiscal house in order,” U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said.

Casey Harper
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(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

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DOJ Begins California Title IX Investigation Over ‘Trans’ Boys Dominating Girls’ Sports

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced it is investigating California for violating Title IX by allowing males to participate in female student sports.

“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights. “It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies.”

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning males from participating in female student sports, and he has threatened to block California's federal funding for continuing to defy his order. With California facing deficits in the tens of billions of dollars each year, it's unclear how the state would offset any losses or pauses in federal funding.

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“As a result of CIF’s policy, California’s top-ranked girls’ triple jumper, and second-ranked girls’ long-jumper, is a boy,” wrote the DOJ. “As recently as May 17, this male athlete was allowed to take winning titles that rightfully belong to female athletes in both events.”

“This male athlete will now be allowed to compete against those female athletes again for a state title in long, triple, and high jump,” continued the DOJ. “Other high school female athletes have alleged that they were likewise robbed of podium positions and spots on their teams after they were forced to compete against males.”

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