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I’m a Boomer – a few months older than former President Barack Obama. But say that online today and it’s like admitting to a war crime.
The news is full of socialists calling for more taxes, wealth taxes, etc., that would let big government keep taking from successful people for being … successful. The New York Times just ran “The Case for California’s Billionaire Wealth Tax,” which officials are learning is also the case for millionaires to move to saner states. Going Galt apparently is a real thing.
For months, social media has witnessed a generation gap the size of the Grand Canyon. Many in Gen Z are venomously angry at the Boomer generation over financial issues. But nothing set them off more than “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary, who blamed young people for foolish spending. “I can’t stand it when I see kids that are making 70 grand a year spending $28 for lunch. I mean, that’s just stupid,” he said. It was the comment that launched a billion replies. And counting.
It landed after criticism of excess Starbucks and DoorDash spending among young people. This was the last straw. Gen Z responded that Boomers had it easy in post-WWII America: low housing costs, cheap college, infinite jobs. Boomers knew that was wrong. Because we lived it.
WHY GEN Z IS SUDDENLY SKIPPING THE $15 BURRITO BOWL
But the thing is, the young people aren’t entirely wrong about their own situation either. Because they are living it. Both sides need to listen to one another.
So let’s start with a history lesson, in slightly more orderly fashion than a Billy Joel song, for my fellow Boomers.
Boomers grew up after World War II, but we were the first to live under the constant threat of nuclear war. My generation dove under desks to practice hiding from nuclear attack. (Good luck with that. But we did it.) We lived through the constant riots and unrest of the 1960s – Vietnam War protests, assassinations of leaders from John F. Kennedy to Martin Luther King Jr.
DAVID MARCUS: GEN X KNOWS THE ONLY FORCE THAT CAN DEFEAT VIOLENT LEFTIST PROTEST CULTURE
We sat in gas lines during the Arab Oil Embargo or watched others do it, when you had to buy gas on alternate days. We lived through Watergate and endured the Jimmy Carter presidency of sweaters and malaise. We had 10% unemployment and 18% mortgage rates. Throw in the Cold War, the dot-com crash, 9/11, the Great Recession, COVID-19 and who knows what else.
We lived through Watergate and endured the Jimmy Carter presidency of sweaters and malaise.
Most of us don’t have pensions. We got 401(k)s in 1981. Pensions stopped working because workers either switched jobs and lost their retirements or the companies went under. 401(k)s were designed to be portable so you could have a retirement even after you left. Except the responsibility got dumped on us to fund them.
We didn’t have air conditioning; we had fans. We had a couple of TV channels, not hundreds. Hand-me-down clothes were a fact of life. There were few meals out, day trips, no long vacations, store brands, black-and-white TV and more. We didn’t grow up with cellphones, streaming services, the internet and home computers. All that hit during our careers, and we had to adapt.
AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HAD ACCESS TO MORE LUXURIES, BUT WHY DO WE FEEL SO POOR?
Doesn’t sound easy, does it?
But it was easier than our parents had it. Our parents were from the Great Depression. They knew true hardship. They lived through 25% unemployment, and a stock market crash so enormous it scarred people for generations. There was no safety net. They endured because they had no other choice. When things got better, they saved.
Boomer adults tried to do better for themselves and their kids. But now, Gen Z blames them for the ills of the world – especially the prices of housing, health care and inflation.
GEN Z IS STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE — AND REPUBLICANS CAN’T AFFORD TO LOOK AWAY
They are right that all of those things are insane right now. Let’s point a few fingers, though.
● Housing gets a lot worse when you let in 20 million illegal immigrants. They might not be buying those houses, but they are living somewhere, and that creates pressure on prices. Thank Team Biden for much of that.
● Health care is an epic problem, but Obamacare made it massively worse. Even if we liked our doctor, we didn’t get to keep him. And the price of a basic policy now costs the arm and the leg you want the doctor to treat.
● Education has snowballed in cost. Government loans made it easy for leftist-run schools to keep raising the cost of education because it seemed like young people would keep paying. And they did.
Big government, socialist policies hurt in the long run, and the long run takes us to current events. Instead of fighting, we should all want to make things easier on Gen Z, just as our parents wanted things to be better for us.
First, everyone should stop wasteful spending. Not just Gen Z. We did. I packed a lunch most days for my entire career. Most people I know did. Being frugal is smart.
WHY YOUR PARENTS COULD AFFORD A HOUSE ON ONE SALARY – BUT YOU CAN’T ON TWO
But no amount of saving is going to fix this.
So, let’s start with the No. 1 problem young people have – student debt.
We should let every American with a college loan refinance it at 0.0% interest as long as they keep paying reliably. You agreed to the cost, so you have to pay it. (That should satisfy Boomers.) But we don’t want to cripple you. Pay for the refinancing by taxing college and university endowments over $100 million at 50%. Harvard University’s endowment was $56.9 billion at the end of 2025. It isn’t a university; it’s a stock portfolio with students. They’ll survive with $28.4 billion.
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While we are at it, we should get government out of student loans entirely. Make colleges responsible for future loans. And make them eligible for discharge in bankruptcy.
That’s a start, but it barely scratches the surface. That’s because young people are worried in ways that you might have seen before a huge war. They are operating under a dark cloud and fear not just for their jobs, but their survival. Will AI make every career choice a bad one? Will anyone hire them? Or will they get stuck begging Uncle Sam for a handout?
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They are right to be worried about an AI future. I lived through the collapse of journalism and watched several places I had worked go out of business and friends lose their jobs. That was just one sector of the economy. AI could reset every sector, and young people don’t know what that will mean. No one does.
That’s why we need to address all these things … together. Generational warfare doesn’t help anyone.
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Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling (MLP) was revived in 2024, putting on quality pay-per-view events as it drew eyes to another major promotion in North America.
In June, MLP will debut on TSN and add another wrestling show to a large menu for pro wrestling fans who can watch the sport almost every day of the week if they wished.
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Rohan Raja in the ring during a Maple Leaf Pro event. (Provided to Fox News Digital)
“Ravenous” Rohan Raja, who is the Pro Wrestling Alliance (PWA) Champion’s Grail holder, told Fox News Digital why fans should put MLP into their viewing list.
“I remember when we ran our first show a lot of fans, me, even if you go on Twitter and even news articles would report it, the quality is like an AEW or WWE product. It’s very top notch. We have Mauro Renallo as the voice of MLP,” he said. “He’s on fire and he still does a lot of stuff like Jake Paul, he did Anthony Joshua’s last boxing match, Tyson Fury’s last match. We have all these star-studded guys.
“How I kinda summarize it is it’s like a world’s collide but every week because we’ve had guys from AEW on there, we got guys from Japan, we got guys from Mexico, we got guys and girls from WWE who come on it. So, I feel like that’s the biggest thing where not only are they showcasing the Canadian talent but it’s showcasing everything. I feel like wrestling now, you do get glimpses of the worlds collide but I feel like we’re the promotion that’s had everyone – a taste of everything into one. With the TSN tapings and how that’s gonna go, it’s really just going to amp up what we’ve built and it’s something that you wouldn’t want to miss.”
Rohan Raja performs at Maple Leaf Pro Resurrection. (Provided to Fox News Digital)
Raja defeated Jake Something at MLP Forged in Excellence to win the PWA Champion’s Grail. The PWA was formed from a partnership among MLP, Oceania Pro Wrestling and Qatar Pro Wrestling.
It was one of the first big wins of Raja’s career and put him in the upper echelon of the up-and-coming promotion after working his way through smaller independent promotions into WWE NXT UK and then into MLP.
“When I moved back to Canada, I was in talks about potentially going back to TNA and that whole thing happened, I read reports that (Scott D’Amore) was reviving Maple Leaf Wrestling. And I was like, no way,” he recalled to Fox News Digital. “He hadn’t told me firsthand or anything. I was working with him, he has another independent promotion called Border City Wrestling and he let me know what was going on. I was like, man, if he revives Maple Leaf Wrestling – my granddad knew about Maple Leaf wrestling, that’s a big deal.
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“We did our first show in 2024 and I won the PWA Champions Grail. It traces its roots back to Rikidōzan in Japan and Kenny Omega. It’s like a lineage title. Ever since then, we’ve been doing pay-per-view quality shows and the goal was to get a TV deal. And they finally got one with TSN pretty quick remarkably. It’s a revived promotion of Maple Leaf Wrestling. It showcases Canadian talent but it showcases international talent as well, which I’m a representative of because I represent so many countries. It’s going to be a weekly show. I think it consists of an hour. On TSN, it follows I believe ‘Dynamite.’ I’m heavily involved there. I was the first champion. I’m one of the main players there. I’m really showcased. I got a lot of freedom with my pre-taped promos and my wrestling.”
Raja suggested that everything he’s been through, everything he’s learned on the road, has culminated into a massive opportunity with MLP.
Rohan Raja formerly competed at WWE NXT UK. (Provided to Fox News Digital)
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“I feel like I’ve taken everything I’ve learned and put it into MLP. I feel like it’s really showcasing that I can hold myself as a main event player,” he said. “I’ve had really good matches with big-time names all the way from Rich Swann to Moose to Bishop Dyer to Rhyno to Fred Rosser. I’ve wrestled so many guys, even around the world. I’ve wrestled Robbie Eagles in Qatar for the belt. But it really is a core product on showcasing Canadians and having that international flavor which I bring into the company.”
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A sweeping multi-agency crackdown in northeast Georgia forest lands ended with the arrest of 25 illegal immigrants, including felons and an alleged cartel member, after authorities launched a dayslong operation that uncovered drugs, fugitives and suspects hiding in remote wooded areas.
The operation, dubbed “Southern Forest Trident,” was carried out between May 1 and May 6 across parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina by the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations division alongside federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
In Stephens County, Georgia, authorities conducted checkpoints and aggressive patrols on remote roads surrounding forest service lands in an effort to intercept fugitives, drug traffickers and individuals living in the country illegally.
The operation brought together officers and investigators from the U.S. Forest Service, Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Department of Homeland Security and the FBI North Georgia Major Offenders Task Force.
FEDERAL AGENTS ARREST HUNDREDS AT HYUNDAI PLANT CONSTRUCTION SITE IN GEORGIA
Deputies and federal officers question individuals during Operation Southern Forest Trident in northeast Georgia. (Stephens County Sheriff’s Office – Georgia Facebook)
DHS arrested 25 illegal immigrants in Stephens County, including 14 with prior felony convictions, officials said. Authorities also identified one suspect as a confirmed cartel member.
One of the most dramatic moments of the operation unfolded Tuesday afternoon when two individuals bailed from a traffic stop on Highway 365 near Rock Road and fled into wooded terrain, the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office said.
Law enforcement launched a large-scale manhunt involving multiple agencies and K-9 units, including U.S. Forest Service K-9 teams, Habersham County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Bane and Stephens County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Taz.
ALLEGED FENTANYL-SMUGGLING IMMIGRANTS LEAD POLICE ON DANGEROUS CORNFIELD CHASE
Authorities conduct nighttime traffic enforcement during a multi-agency forest crime crackdown operation. (Stephens County Sheriff’s Office – Georgia Facebook)
Hours later, officers captured one of the suspects near Trestle Ridge Road.
Authorities identified the man as 31-year-old Minton Carreto, who officials said was wanted in the metro Atlanta area and illegally residing in the United States. The second suspect remains at large and is believed to have escaped the area entirely.
Investigators also made multiple drug arrests during traffic stops throughout the operation, including suspects accused of possessing methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and oxycodone.
FEDS ARREST FELON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AFTER SEIZING TENS OF MILLIONS IN METH STASHED IN BLACKBERRIES
Authorities said Victor Pena, 42, of Cornelia, and Kristen Sloan, 33, of Maysville, were arrested after deputies allegedly discovered methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop.
Authorities searched dense forest terrain after suspects fled from a traffic stop in Stephens County, Georgia. (Stephens County Sheriff’s Office – Georgia Facebook)
Mark Justice, 48, of Eastanollee, and Rebecca Wood, 30, of Toccoa, were also arrested after officers allegedly uncovered methamphetamine, marijuana and a glass smoking pipe inside a vehicle. Justice was additionally wanted on an outstanding Stephens County warrant, authorities said.
Investigators also arrested Dakoda Ponder, 29, of Toccoa, after deputies allegedly found cocaine and a suspected oxycodone pill during a traffic stop before he was additionally charged with DUI.
U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers participate in a multi-state criminal interdiction operation in Georgia forest lands. (Stephens County Sheriff’s Office – Georgia Facebook)
Another arrest during the operation involved Christian Villagomez, 29, of Clarkesville, who authorities said was taken into custody on outstanding fishing violation warrants.
By the end of the operation, the U.S. Forest Service had issued 33 federal citations ranging from traffic offenses to drug violations, and Georgia State Patrol issued 58 warnings and 36 traffic citations, while Georgia DNR officers handed out multiple hunting and fishing citations, according to the sheriff’s office.
Police vehicles and federal officers stage along a highway during a major forest crime crackdown in northeast Georgia. (Stephens County Sheriff’s Office – Georgia Facebook)
Stephens County Sheriff Rusty Fulbright praised the coordinated operation and warned that isolated forest regions can become hot spots for criminal activity if left unchecked.
“Many of these areas aren’t frequently patrolled in most counties, and crime can go unnoticed,” Fulbright said in a statement. “This behavior affects our families, as well as our social and physical environments.”
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Fulbright said authorities remain committed to aggressive criminal interdiction efforts in rural northeast Georgia.
“We are proud to work with our federal and state partners to curb the flow of illegal drugs and other crime in Stephens County,” he said. “We are working to create a safer, stronger Stephens.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Forest Service and DHS for comment.
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Former CNN journalist Jim Acosta demanded the firing of his former colleague Scott Jennings, condemning his expletive-laced on-air brawl with a fellow panelist as a breach of professional standards.
“It’s appalling and it’s a fireable offense. I think he should be fired. I’ve been saying for some time. He should be fired,” he said on Friday’s episode of “The Jim Acosta Show.”
Jennings’ fiery exchange unfolded Thursday on “CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip,” where he clashed with MeidasTouch influencer Adam Mockler over the U.S.’ posture in the Iran War.
“We all know that Scott Jennings is more than happy to defend a war with a country that starts with letters I-r-a that we are currently failing, that is going to put us trillions and trillions of dollars more in debt,” Mockler said.
CNN PANEL DESCENDS INTO CHAOS AFTER DISCUSSION ON IMMIGRATION GETS HEATED
Scott Jennings argues with Adam Mockler on CNN on April 30, 2026. (CNN)
Jennings fired back, arguing that the roughly eight-week conflict is not an “endless war,” as Mockler suggested.
“You have the attention span of a gnat,” Jennings said.
As the conversation got increasingly aggressive, Mockler – who argued that the Iran War is “failing” – asked Jennings to cite evidence of success.
“Get your f—ing hand out of my face,” Jennings responded while making a hand gesture at Mockler.
Mockler reacted to the incident in a post to X after the segment aired.
“Scott Jennings claimed I got in his face; Watch what actually happened in the full CNN segment. He throws a personal jab… then folds the second he gets pressed. Scott loves to dish it but can’t take it,” the MeidasTouch influencer said.
Jim Acosta previously served as CNN’s White House correspondent during President Trump’s first administration. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)
Acosta, a former CNN correspondent, and Jennings, a CNN commentator, worked at the network together for eight years before Acosta left the network in 2025.
Acosta insisted Jennings’ conduct warrants immediate termination while also praising CNN anchor Abby Phillip for de-escalating the confrontation.
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“He’s been getting away with this crap for so long,” he said.
“I mean they should just hand him his boxes today and tell him to get the hell out,” Acosta added.
Fox News Digital reached out to CNN for comment.