Ready for some happy, straightforward news for a change? A new litter of Labrador retriever puppies — destined to be trained as highly specialized service dogs by the nonprofit Warrior Canine Connection — will soon have a special designation of their own. The six new arrivals are to be named after American heroes who served on D-Day in “Operation Overlord.”

Those namesakes include Guy Whidden, a paratrooper in HQ Company, member of the 101st Airborne Division, and recipient of the Purple Heart; Wilbur Williams, who served on the USS Jeffers and assisted in the invasions of Normandy, Sicily, southern France, and Okinawa; and Don McKee, 29th Infantry Division, 175th Regiment, D-Day medic, and recipient of two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.

So there will soon be puppies named Guy, Wilbur and Don.

The vets were guests of honor at a recent Capitol Hill event, where the news of the pup-vet connection was revealed to a very pleased audience that included CBS News correspondent Major Garrett, Reps. Peter King, Dan Crenshaw and Brian Babin; plus Irish tenor Anthony Kearns — who serenaded the crowd with “God Bless America.”

As was said in another era, a good time was had by all, including service dog Barb, a golden retriever and the canine representative for the event.

“These dogs will be a living memorial to the sacrifices that brave American heroes who fought on D-Day made for our country,” says Rick Yount, founder and executive director of the Warrior Canine Connection — where the “warrior trainers” themselves are vets who have disabilities.

These well-named pups will grow up to be service dogs for vets who have PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, war-related wounds and post-deployment challenges. Find the organization at WarriorCanineConnection.org.

LIFE WITHOUT TAX CUTS

Threatening to repeal the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a favorite sport among many Democratic presidential hopefuls. But what would happen if those cuts are jettisoned? Americans for Tax Reform has done the research, and has the numbers.

“Their promise to repeal the tax cuts is a promise to raise taxes. If the tax cuts were repealed: A family of four earning the median income of $73,000 would see a $2,000 tax increase,” the nonprofit said in a new analysis based on data from government agencies, industry groups and other sources.

“A single parent (with one child) making $41,000 would see a $1,300 tax increase. Millions of low and middle-income households would be stuck paying the Obamacare individual mandate tax. Utility bills would go up in all 50 states as a direct result of the corporate income tax increase. Small employers will face a tax increase due to the repeal of the 20% deduction for small business income,” the analysis said.

“The USA would have the highest corporate income tax rate in the developed world. Taxes would rise in every state and every congressional district. The Death Tax would ensnare more families and businesses,” it continued.

“The alternative minimum tax would snap back to hit millions of households. Millions of households would see their child tax credit cut in half. Millions of households would see their standard deduction cut in half, adding to their tax complexity as they are forced to itemize their deductions and deal with the shoebox full of receipts on top of the refrigerator.”

And that’s what would happen.

ASSESSING THE PELOSI WARS

There has not been much recent harmony in the Democratic Party, ramped up this week by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s issues with certain newcomers to Capitol Hill who have not immediately backed her proposals for a border spending bill, among other matters.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — AKA AOC — plus Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib have not been shy about expressing their views, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez accusing Mrs. Pelosi of “singling out newly elected women of color.”

“It’s ugly and getting uglier,” House Republican Whip Steve Scalise tells Fox News.

“You are seeing this fight between the far left socialists and liberals. It used to be in the Democrat Party, a fight between liberals and moderates. There are no moderates left. It’s literally liberals versus socialists and the socialists are winning. But for Nancy Pelosi to think that she can silence AOC and these other far-left socialists just shows that she’s out of touch with what’s happening in her own conference. I think that is shocking a lot of people because she used to control with an iron fist. I think she is completely misreading just how much of a grip these far-left socialists have on her conference,” Mr. Scalise noted.

THE GRASS GROWS GREENER

“Will increased marijuana legalization in the U.S. boost snack sales?” asks Nielsen, the media ratings giant that also monitors the consumer world.

The answer is “yes.”

“The increased legalization of cannabis in the U.S. presents big opportunities for the American food and beverage market — particularly for the snack and confectionery category,” Nielsen says, noting that sales of sweet and salty snacks topped $36.5 billion in the last year.

“Sales data from within the U.S. Census divisions where cannabis has been legalized for recreational use supports the munchies’ effect. Nielsen data shows that growth rates for both candy and snacks are rising faster in these areas than in geographies where cannabis has yet to be legalized for recreational use.”

The industry group refers to this trend as “monetizing the munchies,” and says sale have grown by 7.2% in 11 states where marijuana is legal, along with the nation’s capital — where the stuff is legal under local law but illegal federally.

POLL DU JOUR

• 65% of full-time U.S. employees say “political expression” in the workplace does not create discomfort.

• 54% have not felt uncomfortable due to political comments at the office.

• 41% say their company does not have a formal policy about expressing political views in the office.

• 8% say they have been singled out for their political views in the past year.

• 3% say they have considered complaining to management about political discussions at work.

Source: A Clutch 2019 Employment Law survey of 500 full-time U.S. employees conducted May 1-31.

• Helpful information to [email protected]

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.