Matt Collins
Member

Walmart customers will soon have the option to pay directly from their bank accounts with instant transfers for online purchases. The enhanced feature is a flash point in the escalating tensions between merchants and the card networks setting the fees for payment processing. The world's largest retailer has offered pay-by-bank through Walmart Pay since earlier this year. Until now, the transactions were akin to digital checks and took roughly three days to finalize when being processed through The Automated Clearing House, the same network often used for bill payments or paycheck deposits. Soon, customers opting for pay-by-bank transactions will see the purchase reflected in their bank account balance instantly -- and Walmart will receive the funds immediately. Walmart's upgraded pay-by-bank offering will be rolled out in 2025. The transactions will occur over bank technology provider Fiserv's NOW Network, which integrates with The Clearing House's Real Time Payments network and the Federal Reserve's FedNow. Until now, large retailers hesitated to launch real time payment options because many banks were not connected to an instant settlement system, meaning their customers would not be able to use the product. NOW Network aims to connect to as many banks as possible to reach 100% of deposit accounts by combining its own network with RTP and FedNow. The instant pay-by-bank product will be available for online checkout on Walmart.com. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer already has customers set up a profile when they shop online. If they opt to add pay-by-bank as a payment option on their profile, they will enter their bank login credentials to connect their account. Fiserv's AllData platform connects with their bank clients and vendors including Plaid, MX, Akoya and Finicity to link and authenticate consumer accounts. https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/09/19/2140241/walmart-plans-instant-bank-payments-cutting-out-card-networks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVDE5Q74EhM

Dr. Rand Paul and Rep. Kat Cammack Introduce REINS Act to Put Power Back in the People's Hands WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) introduced the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act to help put power back in the people's hands instead of the administrative state. “The whims of an unaccountable administrative state should never rule our lives. For too long, an ever-growing federal bureaucracy has piled regulations and red tape on the backs of the American people without any approval by Americans’ elected representatives. The recent Supreme Court decision to dismantle Chevron deference stripped away some of the power it wrongly gave to unelected bureaucrats years ago, but there’s still work to do. By making Congress more accountable for the most costly and intrusive federal rules, our REINS Act would give Kentuckians and all Americans a greater voice in determining whether these major rules are truly in America’s best interests,” said Dr. Paul. "Nameless, faceless, unelected bureaucrats in Washington have had too much power over the American people for far too long. The federal bureaucracy's rapid growth over the last several decades has resulted in serious damage to the livelihoods of millions of Americans with reckless rulemaking not approved by the body granted Article I authority," said Rep. Kat Cammack. "The REINS Act is a critical step toward 'reining' in this unchecked power and restoring the lawmaking authority to Congress instead of the executive branch. With SCOTUS' Loper Bright decision earlier this year, we've made solid progress in dismantling Chevron, and I'm encouraged for the future of REINS and what it will mean in stopping executive overreach. I thank Senator Paul for his partnership in the Senate and look forward to earning my colleagues' support for this legislation in the House."

HSGAC Passes Dr. Rand Paul’s Bipartisan REPUBLIC Act to Rein in Presidential Emergency Powers WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), which U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is Ranking Member of, passed the bipartisan Reforming Emergency Powers to Uphold the Balances and Limitations Inherent in the Constitution (REPUBLIC) Act. The legislation, which was introduced in May, would allow the President to take immediate action in crisis situations but also require congressional review of presidential invocation of emergency powers that threaten the constitutional principles of separation of powers and due process. “The REPUBLIC Act reins in the blank check of power presidents write themselves in the name of self-declared emergencies,” said Dr. Paul. “It does all this while preserving the president’s authority to act immediately to defend our nation in a real emergency.” Current law, under the National Emergencies Act of 1976, authorizes the President to unilaterally determine when and how to unlock and exercise extraordinary powers not permitted during normal operations. Once declared, emergencies are rarely terminated. To wit, the 1979 national emergency relating to the Iranian hostage crisis is still in effect.

Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Six Penny Plan to Balance the Federal Budget in Five Years WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced his “Six Penny Plan” federal budget that will balance within five years. “Seven years ago, we could balance our budget with a freeze in spending without cutting anything. Since then, our national debt has skyrocketed to over $35 trillion with $6.6 trillion just in the past four years. Americans across the nation are struggling to make ends meet while their government recklessly spends and fuels the inflation crisis,” said Dr. Paul. “The greatest threat to our national security is our national debt, and we are now in a situation that a simple penny, two, three, or even a five pennies per-dollar reduction is insufficient to balance our budget. It requires six. We cannot keep ignoring this problem at the expense of taxpayers, and my budget will put our nation on track to solve this crisis that Congress created.” Background:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5xSreFNteU

SOURCE: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-10-oldest-currencies-still-used-today/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPUB0fmnOi4

SOURCE: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-gun-manufacturers-by-u-s-state/

Rep. Massie Introduces National Constitutional Carry Act to Protect Right to Carry Firearms in All States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx_C1fOT4gQ

Peter Thiel explains US debt to Joe Rogan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuoH-uVDzzE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8iIYTIZEBA

https://youtu.be/gF3gZicntIw