Patterico's Pontifications

1/24/2025

Weekend Open Thread

Filed under: General — Dana @ 7:53 am



[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

This little one’s sweet face has not left my mind since I first saw his photo after having been taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7. So many prayers and so much hope that he and his 5-year old brother are still alive and will be released:

The youngest hostage still in captivity in Gaza, Kfir was just shy of 9 months old when he was kidnapped during the Hamas-led terrorist attack Oct.7, 2023. On Saturday, he turned 2, having never known a birthday outside captivity.

Along with his 5-year-old brother, Ariel, and his parents, Yarden and Shiri Bibas, Kfir is among the 33 hostages expected to be freed during the first phase of the ceasefire deal, according to the Israeli government. But it is unclear if the toddler is still alive.

If they are no longer alive, with all my heart I hope that they passed quickly and painlessly.

With that, we await next release of hostages scheduled for Saturday.

Second news item

Hard pass:

Congressman Andy Ogles introduced a House Joint Resolution to amend the Constitution of the United States to allow a President to be elected for up to but no more than three terms. The language of the proposed amendment reads as follows:

‘‘No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.’’

“President Trump’s decisive leadership stands in stark contrast to the chaos, suffering, and economic decline Americans have endured over the past four years. He has proven himself to be the only figure in modern history capable of reversing our nation’s decay and restoring America to greatness, and he must be given the time necessary to accomplish that goal. To that end, I am proposing an amendment to the Constitution to revise the limitations imposed by the 22nd Amendment on presidential terms. This amendment would allow President Trump to serve three terms, ensuring that we can sustain the bold leadership our nation so desperately needs,” said Congressman Ogles.

Third news item

Trump still demonstrating his cluelessness about the war in Ukraine, or perhaps, demonstrating his allegiance to Putin:

Zelenskyy, I will say, he wants to settle now. He’s had enough. He shouldn’t have allowed this to happen either. He’s no angel. He shouldn’t have allowed this war to happen.

Good grief, this is so absurd. Obviously, Putin began this war by illegally invading a sovereign nation. Additionally, and most ridiculously of all, there was no way for Zelensky to stop the invasion from happening. The President sounds stupid.

Fourth news item

The best laid plans. . . :

A federal judge in Seattle on Thursday signed a temporary restraining order blocking President Donald Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship.

U.S. District Judge John Coughenour heard a request by four Democratic-led states to issue a temporary restraining order against the executive order signed by Trump that purports to limit birthright citizenship — long guaranteed by the 14th Amendment — to people who have at least one parent who is a United States citizen or permanent resident.

“I have been on the bench for over four decades,” said Judge Coughenour, who was nominated to the bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. “I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as it is here. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.”

Fifth news item

Um, wut?:

Mississippi state Sen. Bradford Blackmon, a Democrat, introduced a bill this week that would seemingly ban men from masturbating or engaging in other sexual acts when they have no “intent to fertilize an embryo.”

The bill, titled the “Contraception Begins at Erection Act,” would make it unlawful for “a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo.” It includes exceptions for sperm donation and using contraception to prevent fertilization.

. . .Blackmon referred to the high number of state legislative bills introduced in recent years that target women’s access to reproductive health care, specifically abortion and contraception.

“All across the country, especially here in Mississippi, the vast majority of bills relating to contraception and/or abortion focus on the woman’s role when men are fifty percent of the equation,” he wrote. “This bill highlights that fact and brings the man’s role into the conversation. People can get up in arms and call it absurd but I can’t say that bothers me.”

[Addition by JVW]
Sixth news item
The great Bill Melugin, probably the best media source on immigration and border issues and an enviably handsome son-of-a-gun to boot, went on a ride-along with the Boston office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His report can be found in this Tweet:

I’ve been noticing how relatively circumspect the mainstream media has been with respect to kvetching about these ICE round-ups. Clearly at some level they realize the folly of taking the side of rapists, thieves, and gangbangers just to placate the open borders crew. At most they are engaging in mild handwringing over the idea that actual citizens might temporarily be detained in the excitement. If I am the RNC I am creating an advertising campaign based upon the Haitian criminal singing the praises of Joe Biden and Barack Obama, presumably for supporting sanctuary cities and lax immigration policies, and I would be running it in every market which is home to a sanctuary city or state.

—Dana

303 Responses to “Weekend Open Thread”

  1. Hello.

    Dana (77d5eb)

  2. Second news item

    Hard pass:

    Absolutely, positively hard pass too, and Congressman Ogle should be ruthlessly mocked for that.

    If it were to pass… the next election would be Barak Obama and Trump.

    Just… no.

    whembly (a18973)

  3. Fourth News Item:

    executive order signed by Trump that purports to limit birthright citizenship — long guaranteed by the 14th Amendment — to people who have at least one parent who is a United States citizen or permanent resident.

    Hmm! How far back does that go?

    Let’s say Frederick and Elizabeth migrate to the United States undocumented because Fred is a stateless person having been stripped by Bavaria of his citizenship. They have a son Fred born in the Bronx.

    Fred marries Mary Anne a migrant from Scotland. Fred and Mary Anne have a son Donald born in Queens.

    If Mary Anne has a green card (permanent resident) Donald has birthright citizenship. If not, not.

    Pretty ingenious, Mr. Donald. Roy Cohn level. And the J6 defendants think it was them he really wanted to pardon, too.

    nk (0e42cd)

  4. Two word description of Trump’s second term:

    “Daddy’s home”

    but he may be a bit drunk.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  5. If it were to pass… the next election would be Barak Obama and Trump.

    That’s not how constitutional amendments work. Both would be long dead by the time the states actually put it on the ballot and voted on it.

    It’s pure performance art.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  6. Good grief, this is so absurd. Obviously, Putin began this war by illegally invading a sovereign nation. Additionally, and most ridiculously of all, there was no way for Zelensky to stop the invasion from happening. The President sounds(?) stupid.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  7. Let’s say Frederick and Elizabeth migrate to the United States undocumented

    Damn few immigrants in that era had passports. Frederick arrived at a port of entry, was registed as an immigrant and allowed entry. END OF DISCUSSION.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  8. @5, No, Obama would not be eligible under that narrow extension. Only Trump and Grover Cleveland would qualify. But good luck with that; you’d have to find 290 Representatives and 67 Senators, then 38 states that wanted to help Trump.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  9. If they are no longer alive, with all my heart I hope that they passed quickly and painlessly.

    And Israel should put his face on a postage stamp signifying the evil of Hamas.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  10. The President sounds stupid.

    Perhaps ignorant. Anyone who echos that line is both.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  11. Damn few immigrants in that era had passports. Frederick arrived at a port of entry, was registed as an immigrant and allowed entry. END OF DISCUSSION.

    Prove it!

    I have my grandfather’s Ellis Island records. Does Trump has his?

    nk (0e42cd)

  12. Thinking about the birthright citizenship thing, I suspect that this is just a troll of the opposition; something that they can spend all their energy lambasting while his real “reforms” slide through.

    Another way to look at this is in the difference between Trump’s first and second terms. In the first term, he surrounded himself with competent people well-versed in government, then found himself negotiating with them to get any proposal through, often ending in lukewarm precompromised ideas that thrilled no one.

    In his time-out, he has had plenty of time (and experience) to create a detailed plan. No more compromising with himself before proposing his plan of action. Let the other side do the compromising. And so, the birthright citizenship plan, which might lead to — at most — some small reform regarding children of tourists and the like. But mostly to consume the air in opposition rooms.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  13. I have my grandfather’s Ellis Island records. Does Trump has his?

    Wikipedia does.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  14. Wouldn’t it be a hoot if Mary Ann got her green card by virtue of her marriage to Fred then considered a birthright citizen but not under Trump’s definition of birthright citizenship?

    We would have the first non-citizen President. Twice.

    How is that for “exceptional”? Famous too.

    nk (0e42cd)

  15. I have my grandfather’s Ellis Island records. Does Trump has his?

    Wikipedia does.

    That’s from 1885. He then went to the Yukon, that’s in Canada, and then back to Bavaria where he married Elizabeth, and came back in 1905. Any residence he may have established in 1885 was voluntarily relinquished.

    nk (0e42cd)

  16. The key phrase to Andy Ogles’ big wet kiss to Trump’s arse is this…

    …nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms…

    …which means Trump would be qualified to run again but not Clinton, not GW Bush and not Obama. Blow up this blatant MAGA political bullsh-t.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  17. Any residence he may have established in 1885 was voluntarily relinquished.

    Really? He was allowed re-entry. Or do you argue that he and Elizabeth sneaked in?

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  18. Any residence he may have established in 1885 was voluntarily relinquished.

    Although that was the argument they tried with Wong Kim Ark.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  19. And BTW, Clinton and Bush and Obama are all younger than Trump.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  20. Really? He was allowed re-entry. Or do you argue that he and Elizabeth sneaked in?

    Das ist die Frage. That is the question.23

    Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

    2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:

    3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

    4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
    Matthew 23:1-4

    nk (0e42cd)

  21. Although that was the argument they tried with Wong Kim Ark.

    Sigh. Wong Kim Ark is what Trump thinks he can overrule.

    nk (0e42cd)

  22. And another thing for Ginni and Martha Ann to consider, what would be the effect on Trump’s judicial appointments were he to be ruled ineligible to have ever been President?

    nk (0e42cd)

  23. And BTW, Clinton and Bush and Obama are all younger than Trump.

    So what? Go read that proposed amendment. You only get 3 terms if you haven’t had two in a row already.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  24. A little bit of hope to share. I was chatting with one of my research students.

    Remember that I do NOT discuss politics on campus. Period. My JOB is to support all of the students, and they know it.

    Anyway, the student was despondent over Trump 2.0. I told her that we need to find a way to not call people with whom we disagree names; doing so only drives extremists and division. We need to convince people with whom we disagree that our ideas are worthwhile.

    She said, “I had just that thought. So I am trying to set up a discussion group on campus where people can discuss their differences.”

    I reminded her of the official reviewing my department who did not like the term “safe space.” She preferred “brave space.” A place where people felt that their opinions, when when disagreed with, were respected.

    I’m proud of her.

    Simon Jester (c8876d)

  25. You only get 3 terms if you haven’t had two in a row already.

    That is the point, Kevin. Under Ogles’ Trump-asskissing proposal, Trump gets a 3rd term while Clinton and Bush and Obama do not.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  26. Agreed: no 3rd term for anyone anymore.

    As for Ukraine: perhaps he means what you’re not considering: that if Zelensky had not provided “cover” for Biden/Burisma etc, and had outed Hunter’s involvement there, Trump would have been relected in 2020.

    And neither the disastrous withdrawl from Afghanistan, or the later invasion would have occurred–as it did not occur while T was president. He is saying, ‘you should have been honest and open and not shielded Biden, who blundered so badly the invasion occurred.’

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  27. When Zelenskyy first campaigned for office, among other things he advocated negotiations with Russia to settle their differences, peacefully.

    Jim Miller (3faf1e)

  28. So, Trump will throw the entire Ukraine nation to the wolves because they didn’t help him embarrass Biden? That’s remarkably petty and it’s a poor defense for Trump’s behavior.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  29. …that if Zelensky had not provided “cover” for Biden/Burisma etc, and had outed Hunter’s involvement there…

    There was no “cover” or “outed”. Hunter ended his 5-year term at Burisma around the same time Zelenskyy was elected, and there’s no evidence that Hunter’s easy-money deal with Zlochevsky was illegal.
    Was it sleazy, with Hunter trading in on his dad’s name for a buck? Yes.
    Was it illegal? No, unproven.

    Also, Trump’s “favor” included this nonsense about Crowdstrike, where there was never a there there.

    When Zelenskyy first campaigned for office, among other things he advocated negotiations with Russia to settle their differences, peacefully.

    This is true, but negotiations went nowhere, which is not surprising as Putin is the bad actor, violating Minsk, international law, Geneva Conventions, Budapest, 1997 treaty, etc.

    Ending the undeclared war with Russia was one of Zelenskyy’s promises, and he has tried adopting non-confrontational rhetoric towards Putin and making various concessions, such as holding elections in the occupied Donbas before reclaiming control of the Ukraine-Russian border – an extremely unpopular move in Ukraine.

    The Normandy Meeting in Paris in December 2019 bore few results but, by demonstrating his willingness for constructive negotiations, Zelenskyy did succeed in swaying the support of Paris and Berlin towards Kyiv’s interpretation of the Minsk Agreements whereby security comes first and Ukraine’s sovereignty must not be further compromised by Russia and its proxies.

    When Russia then rejected any amendments to the protocols, Zelenskyy moved to limit the influence of Kremlin-allied lawmaker Victor Medvedchuk by launching a treason investigation, sanctioning his businesses, and closing down his affiliated TV channels for spreading disinformation.

    Medvedchuk actually is a traitor, having a daughter whose godfather is none other than Vlad Putin.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  30. Paul,

    What does it matter what basis or lack thereof there is for Trump’s pique? This is a nation of 37 million* people that Trump is going to throw to the Devil because he didn’t get his way. The underpinnings of that crime aren’t worth discussing.

    ———
    * down from 45 million in 2018

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  31. The bill, titled the “Contraception Begins at Erection Act,” would make it unlawful for “a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo.” It includes exceptions for sperm donation and using contraception to prevent fertilization.

    So then every month or thereabouts a menstruating woman is in violation of this law too in less she is using contraception?

    JVW (7728d0)

  32. Both Andy Ogles and Bradford Blackmon are exactly what is wrong with today’s politics: preening and showboating legislators looking for social capital and “likes” from the entirely-too-online crowd and the dumbest parts of their base rather than public servants looking to solve pressing problems. Rep. Ogles, or at least someone in his office, must know there is not a snowball’s chance in hell that this Constitutional Amendment will pass through Congress, let alone be ratified by 38 states, but he gets hardcore MAGA to cheer for this silly idea.

    Same goes for State Senator Blackmon. I doubt that he desires this bill to pass — and frankly, the leadership of the Mississippi Senate ought to fasttrack this bill and bring it up for a vote just to see if Sen. Blackmon himself dares vote “aye” — but he knows that some left-wing feminist groups will cheer him on and probably present him with some sort of “allyship” award. I know nothing about Bradford Blackmon, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he has a problematic relationship with women in his own life, just because guys who try so hard to come off as male feminists so often do; witness Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Eliot Spitzer, and so many others as choice examples.

    JVW (7728d0)

  33. Trump:

    Zelenskyy, I will say, he wants to settle now. He’s had enough. He shouldn’t have allowed this to happen either. He’s no angel. He shouldn’t have allowed this war to happen.

    Dana:

    Good grief, this is so absurd

    This first part of this is aimed at Putin. Trump is claiming that Zelenskyy wants to settle. It has the merit of being true.

    The part about Zelensky that he should not have allowed this to happen, seems to be premised on the idea that if he had made some (acceptable of course) concession to Russia, Putin would not have invaded.

    There was no such offer from Putin on the table, but what Trump is doing here is either trying to justify some previous statement of his, (which is something Trump perennially does and he’s not stopping doing that) or to appeal to some of his MAGA base which believes that Ukraine is responsible for the war (by being willing to join NATO or something.)

    Those last three sentences can basically be ignored. The key point is Trump trying to persuade Putin that what he can get is something acceptable to himself, and won’t be hard.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  34. Actually what I understand the executive order signed by Trump does is prohibit the federal government from issuing either passports or Social Securiy cards (both issued by the federal government) to people whom he claims are not U.S> citizens. He cannot alter citizenship criteria – but what’s more he cannot defy an Act of Congress and Congress has specified when they are issued. I think there are court cases (as well as intent of Congress) that limit when citizenship is given up and there must e laws and probably rulings that prevent a president from refusing to give some citizens Social Security cards. And there are no records normally available that would tell if someone filed to meet the criteria he outlines.

    States do not record citizenship or permanent residency status of parents on birth certificates.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  35. [Addition by JVW]
    Sixth news item
    The great Bill Melugin, probably the best media source on immigration and border issues and an enviably handsome son-of-a-gun to boot, went on a ride-along with the Boston office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His report can be found in this Tweet:

    EXCLUSIVE: We were given exclusive access to ICE’s elite Boston team as they went into sanctuary jurisdictions and targeted the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens, including a combative Haitian man who said he won’t go back & screamed “F**k Trump, Biden forever!”. Other… pic.twitter.com/wQ43sv5MBf— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 23, 2025

    I’ve been noticing how relatively circumspect the mainstream media has been with respect to kvetching about these ICE round-ups. Clearly at some level they realize the folly of taking the side of rapists, thieves, and gangbangers just to placate the open borders crew. At most they are engaging in mild handwringing over the idea that actual citizens might temporarily be detained in the excitement. If I am the RNC I am creating an advertising campaign based upon the Haitian criminal singing the praises of Joe Biden and Barack Obama, presumably for supporting sanctuary cities and lax immigration policies, and I would be running it in every market which is home to a sanctuary city or state.

    JVW (ad022a)

  36. The fact that these roundups of illegal alien criminals began mere days after Donald Trump was inaugurated makes it clear that it was Joe Biden (or whoever was operating in his name) who was preventing this from occurring all along.

    JVW (cce405)

  37. What does it matter what basis or lack thereof there is for Trump’s pique?

    Are you kidding? It’s Trump’s whacked mentality that he’s still blaming Zelenskyy for a war that Putin is wholly responsible for. Crowdstrike was one part of Trump’s denial that Putin engaged in “sweeping and systematic” cyber-propaganda attack on America, and Crowdstrike was one of those ways to deflect responsibility from Russia to Ukraine, thereby absolving the bully and blaming the victim, and Trump is still playing that stupid game.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  38. Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/24/2025 @ 10:57 am`

    So, Trump will throw the entire Ukraine nation to the wolves because they didn’t help him embarrass Biden?

    That’s not what he’s trying to do. He’s trying to knock some sense into Putin. The person he’s threatening is Putin, not Zelensky.

    Of course, Trump just has to endorse previous lies or assumptions by his MAGA folks.

    Look at what Trump sent out the other day:

    I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin – and this despite the Radical Left’s Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX. We must never forget that Russia helped us win the Second World War, losing almost 60,000,000 lives in the process. All of that being said, I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a “deal,” and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries. Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way – and the easy way is always better. It’s time to “MAKE A DEAL.” NO MORE LIVES SHOULD BE LOST!!!

    He’s threatening Putin, not Zelenskyy.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  39. JVW (cce405) — 1/24/2025 @ 11:53 am

    it was Joe Biden (or whoever was operating in his name) who was preventing this from occurring all along.

    We don’t know that. They wanted budget increases (and it is promised budget increases and diplomatic action and backup that’s causing this now. )

    The media is mostly playing stenographer

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  40. 28: He is not saying he’ll throw anyone to the wolves. He is saying ‘you got into this mess” for a reason. People construing this as “he’s stupid” just miss what he is saying.

    Q: is it better to resolve this war now or wait to see if it ends by use of Russain superior numbers and total defeat in Ukraine? Or if Russia uses nuclear or germ warfare?

    And in the event of either of those horrifics, will those who hubristically encouraged the war to continue and not settle, will they urge US intervention with troops? Have you run that by the younger generation?

    Of course its possible the war will continue statically, w/o change. Historically, not a good bet (America won’t come in to WWI; no one will develop a superweapon in WW2).

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  41. 38 Sammy: yes, and he’s trying to let Putin save face, a concept some do not grasp. I hope it works. Continued war is not a good thing.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  42. Oh dear, National Review has come out against the confirmation of Little Aloha Sweetie as Director of National Intelligence:

    Throughout her career, Gabbard has been ideologically hostile to the job she’s been selected for. She long opposed Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows us to monitor the communications of non-Americans located outside the United States. This is a little like a secretary of defense nominee being opposed to building tanks. Under pressure from Republican senators, she’s now converted on the issue, but that it took being desperate for confirmation votes for her to make her change is not comforting.

    Also, as a member of Congress, Gabbard co-sponsored legislation “expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Government should drop all charges against Edward Snowden.” The resolution went nowhere because not everyone was as sympathetic to a figure who illegally absconded with classified information about the National Security Agency’s metadata tracking program, handed it over to Julian Assange’s Wikileaks (a group that deliberately imperiled U.S. service personnel abroad), and subsequently defected to Russia. Snowden is, quite simply, a traitor and fugitive from U.S. justice. A DNI pick taking his side is like an AG nominee thinking the mob gets a bad rap.

    As someone who grew up in a town with a long history of mafia involvement, well — let’s just say that gangsters are people too.

    But I’ve always thought that Little Aloha Sweetie would be better suited as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

    JVW (06c685)

  43. We don’t know that. They wanted budget increases (and it is promised budget increases and diplomatic action and backup that’s causing this now. )

    ICE was able to arrest the 30 hardened criminals in Boston without budget increases, and without any help from local law enforcement. The idea that federal agencies need more money to engage in the tasks they are chartered for is a tired Democrat canard. Imagine if every single large municipality were to arrest 30 hardened illegal alien criminals this weekend. If Boston is only the 25th largest municipality, then it is not inconceivable that we could arrest and deport over 1,000 criminals by the end of this month, without increasing the budget at all.

    JVW (d10a72)

  44. ICE try to raid chicago elementary school as child run terrified to hide behind their teachers who lock class room door to keep ICE out. Ann Frank is crying in heaven.

    asset (da1ca2)

  45. JVW (d10a72) — 1/24/2025 @ 12:19 pm

    ICE was able to arrest the 30 hardened criminals in Boston without budget increases,

    they wouldn’t have done it without anticipated budget increases, and without anticipating no criticism from the president or DOJ.

    The whole “shock and awe” is basically a bluff. They can’t hold more than a very limited number of people. No place to put them, except maybe military bases, which is also a kind of budget increase. They arrest too many and they’ll have to let some other people go free.

    It can become even more of a lottery.

    Sammy Finkelman (93572e)

  46. I’m waiting for someone to propose raiding a hospital, and someone else to oppose it, and then the person opposing it being reported by a colleague in the government,

    Sammy Finkelman (93572e)

  47. So, Trump will throw the entire Ukraine nation to the wolves because they didn’t help him embarrass Biden? That’s remarkably petty and it’s a poor defense for Trump’s behavior.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/24/2025 @ 10:57 am

    Why are you surprised? It fits in with his vows of retribution against his perceived persecutors.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  48. JVW (d10a72) — 1/24/2025 @ 12:19 pm

    I dare say once Trump’s deportation plans are fully implemented it will cost billions. More than doubling the number of detainee beds, opening new detention facilities, using military aircraft for deportation flights, increasing the number of Border Patrol agents, conducting raids on worksites, schools, churches, etc. on a national scale all takes money.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  49. Dana – I think this may be the link you intended in Item 1: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-youngest-hostage-kfir-bibas-rcna188705

    Thanks much for reminding us about this story.

    Jim Miller (66a035)

  50. Credi to Kevin, for suggesting earlier that the Loser’s birthright citizenship executive order may be a ploy used to distract attention from EOs that have more chance of not being blocked.

    (I have thought for some time that the Loser often puts up wild talk for much the same reason bombers began using “chaff” in WW II.)

    Jim Miller (66a035)

  51. 47. Really? You don’t see it as anymore than pique? And you’re prepared to let the war drag on (at the expense of lives adding up daily), until Russia prevails with numbers, uses some escalation or US troops have to become involved? On the hope that Ukraine will prevail? That Putin will tire? As one of our sage commentators says, hope is not a strategy.

    48: Billions: But what is it costing now to host, feed, house, educate, care for etc the millions of illegals filling NYC, Denver and Chicago – -to name only 3? Denver’s hospitals are asking for a federal bailout. NYC says it can’t take anymore.

    And how many more US lives must be lost to violent unvetted migrants? I can’t believe that you want to just keep up what we’ve been doing. Or do you want to seal the border and pretend millions of illegals aren’t here?

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (0c349e)

  52. Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/24/2025 @ 2:15 pm

    I would also include the cost of bounties to be paid to citizens who call a proposed tip line to inform on potential illegal immigrants.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  53. “I would also include the cost of bounties to be paid to citizens who call a proposed tip line to inform on potential illegal immigrants.”

    How about a tip line to report employers of illegal immigrants? Probably just an oversight.

    Davethulhu (14e9e4)

  54. Credi to Kevin, for suggesting earlier that the Loser’s birthright citizenship executive order may be a ploy used to distract attention from EOs that have more chance of not being blocked.

    I really doubt that is the case, otherwisede why would Trump appoint Stephen Miler as deputy chief of staff for policy? In addition, Trump has been advocating for a change to birthright citizenship since his first term.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  55. Are you kidding? It’s Trump’s whacked mentality that he’s still blaming Zelenskyy for a war that Putin is wholly responsible for.

    And you are arguing facts to his supporters? Why would you do that? It annoys them, it annoys me and it probably annoys the facts.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  56. For those who want to discuss recent US budget deficits factually, here’s a useful graph. As you can see, the largest deficit — by far — occurred while the Loser was in office.

    (For the record: I have long thought that directly crediting a president for reductions in deficits, or blaming him for increases, is often silly. Congress, after all, has the power of the purse. And events outside both often are more important than either. Moreover, both are bound by the decisions of past administrations and Congress, such as the increases that we social security recipients received this month.

    Some years ago I got a call from the Gallup organization. The caller asked whether I approved of the president’s management of the economy. Which reminded me that presidents do not manage the economy, and probably shouldn’t.)

    Jim Miller (66a035)

  57. The point is that Trump doesn’t care if the proposals are going to go forward. He spent his entire first term worrying about that, and in the 4 years on the beach he’s decided “Eff it.”

    No more negotiating with his advisors. Let Trump be Trump! and see what flies.

    And yes, the crazier stuff will consume all the opponents oxygen and they’ll eventually run out of energy.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  58. The point is that Trump doesn’t care if the proposals are going to go forward. He spent his entire first term worrying about that, and in the 4 years on the beach he’s decided “Eff it.”

    And yes, the crazier stuff will consume all the opponents oxygen and they’ll eventually run out of energy.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/24/2025 @ 3:15 pm

    If Trump is trolling his opponents he’s also trolling his supporters who agree with his views on birthright citizenship.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  59. As well as his “border czar.”

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  60. How about a tip line to report employers of illegal immigrants? Probably just an oversight.

    Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 1/24/2025 @ 2:54 pm

    Apparently there is already one, but it covers all sorts of illegal stuff.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  61. Worksite enforcement is included, so go for it. What could possibly go wrong?

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  62. “I would also include the cost of bounties to be paid to citizens who call a proposed tip line to inform on potential illegal immigrants.”

    1-800-GESTAPO?

    nk (b42367)

  63. Immigration is the one area where Trump has Democrats by the short hairs. Both Trump and Biden were complicit in inflation, but Biden owns the immigration mess.

    norcal (a72384)

  64. Imagine if every single large municipality were to arrest 30 hardened illegal alien criminals this weekend. If Boston is only the 25th largest municipality, then it is not inconceivable that we could arrest and deport over 1,000 criminals by the end of this month, without increasing the budget at all.

    JVW (d10a72) — 1/24/2025 @ 12:19 pm

    Out of 11M? Nobody would notice.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  65. Biden owns the immigration mess.

    norcal (a72384) — 1/24/2025 @ 4:01 pm

    At some point that will change.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  66. Biden owns the immigration mess.

    norcal (a72384) — 1/24/2025 @ 4:01 pm

    At some point that will change.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/24/2025 @ 4:19 pm

    It also a pointless argument, given that Biden is no longer President. It’s Trump’s problem now, and we should hope his deportation plans succeed.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  67. Speaking of whacked mentality, it’s not just about Trump’s wrongheaded perspective on Putin and Ukraine and Zelenskyy, it’s his pining for a bygone tariff era of economic paradise that never happened.

    “We were our wealthiest in the 1890s.”

    Um, no.

    McKinley was a Congressman not a Senator. More important, we weren’t our wealthiest in the 1890s, it was a tough decade for the US economy.

    There was a little something called the Panic of 1893 and the unemployment rate was in double digits from 1894-98!! Not a great decade!

    Here are three series of the unemployment rate for 1890-1910…steep and long lasting recession from 1893-97.

    Obviously, industrial production suffered too. Note that it was stagnant for several years after the passage of the McKinley tariff in 1890 . . . so much for creating a booming manufacturing economy.

    Of course, the tariff didn’t cause the Depression of 1893. Everyone was on the gold standard, and a UK financial crisis spread to the US. Similarly, the 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariff didn’t cause the Great Depression, but again, the gold standard was a major factor.

    Bottom line, Trump was making sh-t up about the economic success of an economy where our government’s primary revenue source was tariffs, because he’s wrongheadedly fixated on tariffs that will only add to inflation and hurt our GDP. The next four years will be the same as his first term, full of lies and bullsh-t and tall tales and gish-galloping.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  68. Technology always has a solution :

    ………..
    In recent years, the implementation of age verification laws for adult content websites has sparked a significant surge in VPN demand across various states in the United States. As one of the largest adult content platforms, Pornhub’s decision to apply age verification only in Louisiana while IP-blocking the rest of the states where this law has been implemented has led to a significant rise in both VPN usage and adult website traffic.

    The data paints a clear picture of the soaring demand for VPN services in states such as Florida (1,150%), Oklahoma (1,060%), Utah (967%), and Alabama (542%), among others. This surge in VPN usage suggests users are circumventing the IP-block and accessing Pornhub (and other restricted websites) through IPs where the block is not implemented.

    The use of VPNs has become a popular workaround for individuals seeking unrestricted access to online content. Thus, despite the geo-blocking measures, Pornhub’s traffic reached an all-time high, surpassing 1.8 billion visits by late 2024……..
    …………
    The surge in Pornhub’s website traffic was likely an unintended consequence of the implementation of age verification laws — and it was only possible due to VPNs’ IP-changing features. So far in 2025, the United States has seen an increase in the demand for VPN services of around 30% compared to late 2024, and after minutes TikTok was banned for a few hours in the country last sunday it surged to 1566% before it started to diminish, highlighting a broader trend towards increased reliance on these privacy tools.

    However, this sudden increase of VPN users raises concerns about privacy and security. Users in geo-blocked locations using VPNs to access Pornhub may face potential risks — especially if they opt for free or nonsecure VPN providers.
    …………..

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  69. Out of 11M? Nobody would notice.
    Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/24/2025 @ 4:18 pm

    Karoline Leavitt
    @PressSec

    🚨TODAY: The Trump Administration arrested 538 illegal immigrant criminals including a suspected terrorist, four members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and several illegals convicted of sex crimes against minors.
    6:20 PM · Jan 23, 2025

    I’d guess the 538 noticed, and their gang, and their victims. But yeah, Rip, who cares. Because they’re not you.

    lloyd (7c838f)

  70. Hegseth approved by Senate with Vance as tiebreaker.

    Dana (2d6695)

  71. Congratulations to Hegseth.

    Blasey Ford hardest hit.

    lloyd (7c838f)

  72. I’d guess the 538 noticed, and their gang, and their victims. But yeah, Rip, who cares. Because they’re not you.

    lloyd (7c838f) — 1/24/2025 @ 7:10 pm

    As far as making a dent in the total number of illegal immigrants in the US (approximately 11M), deporting a thousand aliens a month for a year would be hardly noticeable.

    I never said “who cares,” I did say that we should hope that Trump’s deportation plans succeed.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  73. Meanwhile, Democrats continue being the reason we got Trump:U.S.

    Secret Service agents, not immigration agents, attempted to conduct an enforcement action at Hamline Elementary School in Back of the Yards, officials said late Friday.

    Chicago Public Schools officials initially said in a statement that the agents were part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    A statement from the Secret Service said they were investigating a threat against an official they are charged with protecting.

    “Agents identified themselves to the school principal and provided business cards with their contact information,” a Secret Service spokesman said in a statement. “The agents left without incident. The Secret Service investigates all threats made against those we protect, we do not investigate nor enforce immigration laws.”
    ….
    CPS officials said school officials “kept the ICE agents outside of the school and contacted CPS’ Law Department and CPS’ Office of Safety and Security for further guidance. The ICE agents were not allowed into the school and were not permitted to speak to any students or staff. Teaching and learning continued throughout the day at Hamline.”

    That was false, a spokesperson said late Friday.

    nk (af0f2b)

  74. Imagine if every single large municipality were to arrest 30 hardened illegal alien criminals this weekend. If Boston is only the 25th largest municipality, then it is not inconceivable that we could arrest and deport over 1,000 criminals by the end of this month, without increasing the budget at all.

    Out of 11M? Nobody would notice.

    Uh, that supposes that we’re talking about some random subset of illegal immigrants, instead of all the rapists, thieves, murders, and others that the pro-immigration side is trying to protect but who we know consists of some of the worst people imaginable.

    What if this was about — you know — the seriously worst offenders? That’s kind of the whole point of this. Are you against ICE removing the worst offenders, or to you is it never enough?

    JVW (2b125e)

  75. Are you against ICE removing the worst offenders, or to you is it never enough?

    Not at all, but it’s only a start.

    Rip Murdock (dda1b5)

  76. Mescalaro apache demanded proof of citizenship by ICE agent claiming under 14th amendment that native americans are not u.s. citizens. Where will they deport him too? The reservation? (DU)

    asset (e32ff9)

  77. @73 trump adm. sends in the SS to gage reaction to elementary school raid and can claim not ICE.

    asset (e32ff9)

  78. Trump fired all the IGs.

    The GOP is utterly corrupt.
    The DEMs were bad but just, wow.

    Time123 (61c8c5)

  79. Time123 with the usual leftist take.

    There are more than 70 IGs, and he fired 17 of them. Math is hard.

    (Reagan fired all of them when he took office, then ended up reinstating about half.)

    lloyd (270105)

  80. Wow, lloyd is ok with it. Everyone whose surprised by that speak up.

    Time123 (61c8c5)

  81. No, I’m not okay with you lying about what happened. Otherwise, I gave no opinion.

    lloyd (270105)

  82. @lloyd@79 According to the article Time linked, it appears to be illegal to fire any of them without informing both the house and the senate 30 days in advance of the reason for firing them.

    Nic (120c94)

  83. @82 That wasn’t what Time123 was falsely hyperventilating about.

    lloyd (270105)

  84. Hi Lloyd, you’re correct he only fired 17 of them at one time and without following proper procedure. My “all of them” was hyperbole on my part. There isn’t much of a difference in the distinction and I incorrectly assumed commenters here would understand that and follow my point. I’m sorry I confused you. I’ll be more literal in the future.

    Time123 (61c8c5)

  85. @lloyd@83 It’s what I found concerning in the article.

    Nic (120c94)

  86. Kristi Noem has been confirmed as DHS Secretary by a bipartisan Senate vote of 59-34. Dogs hardest hit.

    Rip Murdock (dda1b5)

  87. Rip, they will be if she has anything to say about it!

    Time123 (61c8c5)

  88. Klassless Patel.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  89. About those sacked IGs….

    Trump’s Friday night “massacre” of at least 14 inspectors general violates a 2022 law (passed in response to his abrupt termination of 5 IG’s in 2020) by failing to give both the House and the Senate 30 days notice of his intentions _and_ substantive and case specific reasons for each firing.

    That law also establishes a succession plan when an inspector general positions become vacant, requiring that any replacement must come from senior individuals already working in that office for at least 90 days, as designated in writing by the IG.

    So Trump cannot just appoint political loyalists.

    Trump already flouted the notice provision of the law, so I don’t rule out Trump picking loyalists outside the chain.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  90. FEMA is not good:’ Trump announces agency overhaul during visit to North Carolina
    ………..
    “I’ll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Friday morning. “I think, frankly, FEMA is not good.”
    ………….
    “We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” Trump said. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over. We’re going to do a good job (assisting North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene).”
    …………
    “So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree [with],” Trump said. “I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. And I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response.”
    …………

    Needless to say, President Trump cannot “get rid of FEMA” by executive order; it would require an act of Congress. In addition, I doubt states that have natural disasters (which is mostly all of them) wouldn’t want to take on the full cost of recovery. States like Texas, Florida, and Louisiana have faced multiple hurricanes in a single year that cost billions of dollars each.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  91. If Trump is trolling his opponents he’s also trolling his supporters who agree with his views on birthright citizenship.

    I think there it’s more of a case of “Maybe the horse will sing.”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  92. ICE try to raid chicago elementary school

    Again, no link, just fever-dreams from some chat room.

    What really happened?

    Fearing federal agents asking to search a Chicago elementary school Friday morning were from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, school officials denied them entry. But it turned out they were US Secret Service agents pursuing an investigation.

    Around 11:15 a.m., the agents attempted to enter Hamline Elementary School, Chicago Public Schools’ Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova said. School officials initially said the agents were from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which ICE denied. The district said it later learned the agents who visited the school were from the Secret Service.

    “This was not an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement encounter,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement to CNN Friday afternoon.

    Once more we see that the fear-mongers have succeeded in scaring little kids.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  93. Hegseth approved by Senate with Vance as tiebreaker.

    Mitch McConnell voting no. And here I was told he’d be a reliable rubber-stamp.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  94. Wow, lloyd is ok with it. Everyone whose surprised by that speak up.

    Anyone surprised by Time’s counting 17 as “all”, or thinking this is unusual, raise their hands.

    It is true that the lame duck Congress imposed new rules in December 2022, but not only is that unconstitutional, it was the act of the departing Democrat house majority. Trump is right to ignore it.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  95. Trump already flouted the notice provision of the law, so I don’t rule out Trump picking loyalists outside the chain.

    Whatever the constitutionality of imposing rules on the Executive firing of his appointees, they are eventually gone even if this is functionally a 30-day notice. All Presidents do this (next up will be USA’s, with the normal history-blind eruption of concern).

    As for him appointing flunkies to these jobs, the President’s appointees are all Senate-confirmed positions. Note that many IGs are agency-appointed and not subject to this discussion.

    The number may not be 17, either. The NYT is saying 12.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  96. While visiting Pacific Palisades, President Trump offered conflicting statements about federal aid for the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County:

    …………
    Asked about their differences of opinion impeding recovery efforts, Trump said, “The way to get it completed is to work together.” Newsom, standing next to Trump, said that he had “all the expectations that we’ll be able to work together.”
    …………
    …………(B)esides the brief meeting with Newsom, he met with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, other local leaders and several members of Congress. “The federal government is standing behind you one hundred percent,” Trump told the officials.
    …………
    Trump has told reporters that he would condition more federal aid to Los Angeles on the state implementing voter ID laws, which require voters to show certain government identification before they can vote, and on more water being “released.” Trump has brought up California’s water management in his criticism of local officials.

    Water supply isn’t an issue right now in Southern California. The state is coming off back-to-back years of abundant rainfall, and even in dry times keeps enough for firefighting and other essential purposes. Pumps help move water from wet Northern California down south, but the pumping is restricted at times to benefit the Delta smelt, a small endangered fish—policies that have drawn the criticism of Trump and farmers in the state’s Central Valley.
    …………

    As I have previously mentioned, Los Angeles does not receive any water from the federal Central Valley Project. It provides water to the farms in the Central and San Joaquin Valleys.

    Los Angeles steals receives its water (for the past 112 years) from the Owens Valley (via the Los Angeles Aqueduct) which on eastern side of the Sierra Nevada and the Colorado River (since the 1930s via the Colorado Aqueduct) through the regional Metropolitan Water District.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  97. Mitch McConnell voting no. And here I was told he’d be a reliable rubber-stamp.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/25/2025 @ 12:51 pm

    And as a backbencher, he influenced no one else.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  98. In addition, I doubt states that have natural disasters (which is mostly all of them) wouldn’t want to take on the full cost of recovery. States like Texas, Florida, and Louisiana have faced multiple hurricanes in a single year that cost billions of dollars each.

    Further, the cost and impact of these disasters reach across state borders.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  99. Further, the cost and impact of these disasters reach across state borders.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/25/2025 @ 1:11 pm

    I assume under Trump’s proposal those states would be required to deal with any spillover impacts.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  100. Water supply isn’t an issue right now in Southern California.

    It was in the Palisades fire, as a tear in the cover of Palisades reservoir caused it to be emptied 18 months ago due to CA environmental rules, and the bidding process on a new cover had not yet been completed.

    A 117 million gallon reservoir, built to defend the Palisades and nearby areas from wildfires, was bone dry. All other sources combined to provide less than 2% of that amount and firefighters had to leave when the hydrants ran dry.

    This had nothing to do with the delta smelt, of course. A different moronic state environmental rule was responsible.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  101. I assume under Trump’s proposal those states would be required to deal with any spillover impacts.

    His proposal, like a lot of what comes out of his word-hole, was just venting over some anti-Trump elements in FEMA refusing to help people with Trump signs before the election.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  102. Mitch McConnell voting no. And here I was told he’d be a reliable rubber-stamp.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/25/2025 @ 12:51 pm

    McConnell’s “no” vote was pretty safe, as I assume he knew that the outcome would be tied and Vance would cast the deciding vote. Not a profile in courage; I don’t recall any stem winding speech denouncing Hegseth.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  103. If San Francisco is so concerned about needing water to keep the delta’s salinity down, they can devert their own stolen water from Hetch Hetchy, rather than from the aqueduct.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  104. BuDuh (4214e4) — 1/25/2025 @ 1:16 pm

    Different project.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  105. BuDuh (4214e4) — 1/25/2025 @ 1:16 pm

    The California Aqueduct is not a source of water for the City of Los Angeles.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  106. You wrote “Los Angeles County” at the beginning of the same comment where you concluded “ Los Angeles steals receives its water (for the past 112 years) from the Owens Valley (via the Los Angeles Aqueduct).”

    Your did not make any distinction, so I doubt the article did either. It was your typical rushed expertise that usually ends up appearing as an exploding cigar.

    I do hope you go to great lengths to “prove” you were correct the whole time. That is always fun to read.

    Later..

    BuDuh (4214e4)

  107. The Los Angeles Aqueducts, local groundwater, and supplemental water purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) are the primary sources of water supply for the City of Los Angeles (City). The water from the MWD is delivered through the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project’s California Aqueduct.

    https://www.ladwp.com/who-we-are/water-system/sources-supply

    Ouch!

    BuDuh (4214e4)

  108. Ouch! is right……..
    🤣

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  109. 😂😂😆🤣😂😂🧐🤔😐

    BuDuh (4214e4)

  110. As for him appointing flunkies to these jobs, the President’s appointees are all Senate-confirmed positions.

    Our Senate confirmed an unqualified political hack to run the Defense Department. That’s not even small comfort, Kevin, it’s no comfort.
    IGs may Senate-confirmed, but the notice and appointment provisions are statutory law, passed by Congress and signed by the president, and with good reason, because IGs are supposed to have a degree of detachment and independence.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  111. Mississippi bill would create bounty hunter program to hunt undocumented migrants
    …………..
    House Bill 1484 would create the Mississippi Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program if the state passes it into law. State Rep. Justin Keen from DeSoto County authored the bill.
    …………
    ………..(T)he proposed legislation would “offer a $1,000 reward to registered bounty hunters for each successful deportation they help facilitate.” The funds would come from the general assembly for the state treasurer to administer, and it would go into effect July 1, 2025.

    The text also defines a crime of trespass by an illegal alien as a felony “for which the authorized term of imprisonment is life imprisonment without eligibility for probation, parole, conditional release, or release except by act of the Governor or the natural death of such person.” That can change if the federal government takes custody of the person and deports them within 24 hours.
    ………..
    “This program is a vital step in assisting our law enforcement agencies to better enforce immigration laws and ensure that those in this country unlawfully are sent back to their country of origin,” said Barton. “When President Trump took office this week, he immediately recognized the emergency at our borders, rolling out executive orders to combat illegal immigration and cartels. This legislation builds upon that foundation, empowering local leaders and communities to support federal efforts in protecting our citizens. Legal immigration is a cornerstone of America, and we must ensure that our borders are secure and that the safety of Mississippians comes first.”
    ########

    What could possibly go wrong?

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  112. 98- the proposal obviously contemplates state administration of disaster aid, and there is no reason federal money can’t be used to fund those efforts if needed. But there is no reason to have a bloated federal agency that flies in to reserve hotel rooms, give anti-harassment training to firefighters, etc., and makes delivery of aid more complicated than it needs to be.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (78ba62)

  113. December 2021:

    LADWP Shares Urgent Message of Water Conservation as the State Announces a “0% Initial Allocation” of Water from the State Water Project

    LOS ANGELES (December 1, 2021)– In response to the State’s announcement of an initial 0% allocation of water from the State Water Project (SWP), the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is alerting customers to the severity of the water shortage that the state and the region are facing and urging them to take immediate steps to reduce their water use.

    LADWP receives a significant portion of its annual water supply from regional water wholesaler, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). Through MWD, LADWP receives an average of 40% of its water supply from the SWP via the California Aqueduct, and in dry years can receive approximately 60%.

    https://www.ladwpnews.com/ladwp-shares-urgent-message-of-water-conservation-as-the-state-announces-a-0-initial-allocation-of-water-from-the-state-water-project/

    Maybe unlocking water from the North is a real thing.

    BuDuh (4214e4)

  114. Paul Montagu (3bccc6) — 1/25/2025 @ 1:55 pm

    Ditto on his TikTok EO on Day One. Trump managed to violate both his oath and the Constitution at the same time.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  115. the proposal obviously contemplates state administration of disaster aid, and there is no reason federal money can’t be used to fund those efforts if needed. But there is no reason to have a bloated federal agency that flies in to reserve hotel rooms, give anti-harassment training to firefighters, etc., and makes delivery of aid more complicated than it needs to be.

    Or maybe Trump wants strengthen federalism by devolving responsibility to the states, something conservatives should favor.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  116. I take Trump at his word that he believes states should fund their own recovery from disasters; his comments are pretty clear and don’t need any interpretation. Until the inevitable walk back.

    DOGE’s two trillion dollars in savings has to come from somewhere.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  117. Thinking charitably, Trump could be referring to his memory of the shelved Delta Conveyance Project. Water from the “Twin Tunnels” would have found its way into the State Water Project system, which is connected to LA County via this system as mapped
    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/California_State_Water_Project.png/1024px-California_State_Water_Project.png

    Lake Castaic at one of the ends of the map is a LA DWP holding/distribution reservoir

    There is a nice water museum (LADWP) at Pyramid Lake up on the 1-5 Grapevine that gets about 10 visitors a day- most to use the cleanest restroom on the hill

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  118. Kevin, I’m interested in your thoughts about Trumps actions, if you have any beyond disdain at my hyperbolic description of it.

    I think firing that many IG’s without following the legally prescribed process is corrupt. Especially so if you look at the ones that he fired. I’m happy to elaborate on why I think that, but we’ve been talking long enough that I assume you have a pretty good idea of where I’m coming from. You seem to be supportive of it which I find surprising. So I’m curious what your thoughts are?

    Time123 (61c8c5)

  119. Trump’s proposal to have states take the responsibility for funding disaster recovery is straight from Project 2025:

    The bloated DHS bureaucracy and budget, along with the wrong priorities, provide real opportunities for a conservative Administration to cut billions in spending and limit government’s role in Americans’ lives. These opportunities include privatizing TSA screening and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program, reforming FEMA emergency spending to shift the majority of preparedness and response costs to states and localities instead of the federal government……

    My emphasis.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  120. The description is of a prescribed process, not a legally prescribed one. The legally prescribed process for a sitting President regarding the removal of employees/IG’s who serve at the pleasure of the Executive is for the President to issue an Executive Order directing removal or to simply do nothing and stay the course. The legally prescribed process for the Executive to remove employees of the legislative branch is to go through the leadership of the legislative body

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  121. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11546

    I suppose you could say the “legally prescribed process” for the Executive removal of IG’s always involves “in writing,” “notice” and I suppose the legislative branch could quibble over words like “substantive”

    The removal procedure for presidentially appointed IGs is
    found in Title 5, Section 403(b), of the U.S. Code. The
    section reads in part:

    An Inspector General may be removed from office
    by the President.
    If an Inspector General is removed
    from office or is transferred to another position or
    location within an establishment, the President shall
    communicate in writing the substantive rationale,

    including detailed and case-specific reasons for any
    such removal or transfer to both Houses of
    Congress (including the appropriate congressional
    committees), not later than 30 days before the
    removal or transfer. Nothing in this subsection shall
    prohibit a personnel action otherwise authorized by
    law, other than transfer or removal.

    President Reagan’s Removal of All Inspectors
    General
    During presidential transitions, turnover of most political
    appointees is the norm. New Presidents have the authority
    to remove IGs at the start of their Administrations and make
    their own nominations.
    However, following such action at
    the start of the Reagan Administration, practice has
    disfavored removal of IGs during presidential transition

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  122. 120: that is what P2025 says, and good point: it may be what he has in mind. Maybe a way to nudge CA and other sanctuary states to tend to their basic obligations and not divert billions to migrants, bullet trains to nowhere, state poets, and litigating with the Trump DOJ,

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (78ba62)

  123. Harcourt Fenton Mudd (78ba62) — 1/25/2025 @ 4:51 pm

    And Florida, and Texas, Louisiana, and……

    Rip Murdock (dda1b5)

  124. Harcourt Fenton Mudd (78ba62) — 1/25/2025 @ 4:51 pm

    And Florida, and Texas, Louisiana, and……

    Rip Murdock (dda1b5) — 1/25/2025 @ 5:10 pm

    As much as you may want him to, President Trump’s suggestion that states bear the cost of recovering from of their natural disasters wouldn’t be limited to states you don’t like. It would be a national policy.

    Rip Murdock (dda1b5)

  125. Our Senate confirmed an unqualified political hack to run the Defense Department. That’s not even small comfort, Kevin, it’s no comfort.

    It’s the Constitution. What you are saying is that you can’t or won’t accept the election outcome.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  126. Donald Trump won because he promised to tear down the Establishment structure. And he is setting about doing it. My problem is that I don’t think he’ll be able to establish a new structure in its stead. But maybe Vance can.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  127. Kevin, I’m interested in your thoughts about Trumps actions, if you have any beyond disdain at my hyperbolic description of it.

    See my last two posts. I really don’t find it very useful to critique his every move; I’m just spectating right now as he breaks stuff.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  128. As far as Project 2025, it was aiming at devolving and or privatizing federal power. In principle I support this. In practice, well, it depends. Many things the feds do, the states can do better; education comes to mind. Some things, like TSA, are constitutionally suspect for any level of government to do (“show us your papers and let us search your belongings”) and private companies can do it without the State being involved.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  129. 125: fine with me! Enough of diverting $ to vanity projects instead of basic needs.

    But disaster aid does not have to be 100% like it is now or nothing: the feds can share $ but eliminate FEMA–give states the $ and let them administer it. Why do we need a federal agency involved in auding NC? Or CA?

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (3901c6)

  130. Some things, like TSA, are constitutionally suspect for any level of government to do (“show us your papers and let us search your belongings”) and private companies can do it without the State being involved.

    Like they did on 9/11/2001?

    The profit motive is barely tolerable in a free market where the consumer can buy or not buy. Not in a captive market where there is no other choice, and absolutely never when it comes to keeping hijackers and bombs off of airplanes.

    nk (e53f7a)

  131. Thanks Jim Miller @49.

    Dana (3ba2ae)

  132. Like they did on 9/11/2001?

    You can put some rules on, like a $30/hr minimum wage. You could also let the airlines hold the liability bag, and show they are insured. It wasn’t the “profit motive” that caused 9/11, it was the lesson of PanAm/Lockerbie not being made much clearer.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  133. The profit motive is barely tolerable in a free market where the consumer can buy or not buy. Not in a captive market

    Well, right now it IS a captive market, in several ways. If TSA screws up, they’re immune to suits since they aren’t really responsible for keeping you safe, just like cops don’t have to actually try. But still, how far are you willing to go? TSA on trains and busses? Checkpoints on the interstate? Franklin had an attitude about this.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  134. #132 Dana, you’re welcome. I’m glad when I can help out, even in some small way.

    Jim Miller (a3980f)

  135. Kevin, thank you for the explanation. I get what you’re saying.

    Time123 (da21cc)

  136. I think firing that many IG’s without following the legally prescribed process is corrupt. … You seem to be supportive of it which I find surprising. So I’m curious what your thoughts are?

    Sorry for any disdain that came across, it wasn’t intentional.

    First, the December 2022 act by Congress was partisan in the extreme, as it was done by a Congress that had just lost the election and it only put a burden on the next GOP administration.

    Second, both IGs and USAs are traditionally turfed after every transfer of power, and imposing “you can’t fire them” rules is probably unconstitutional, as much as it has been tried over the years.

    Third, many IGs are even less protected, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of agency/commission heads and needing no Senate confirmation. The notice law does not apply there, either. I find this more worrisome and hardly unique to this administration.

    Fourth, the outrage seems tied to a general distrust of Trump and/or Republicans. Democrats do the same things and *crickets*. While I am not particularly trustful of Trump (and did not vote for him), the whole “peaceful transfer of power” suggests that you actually transfer power.

    Fifth, and probably most important, I am unconvinced that few if any IGs actually do anything meaningful, other than maybe cutting down on outright embezzlement. While keeping partisan opponents in those positions may increase oversight, it won’t be in support of the public.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  137. The link in Item 1 is broken

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  138. I’ve said before that Krugman is a third-rate pundit but a first-rate economist (with a Nobel to show for it), and his latest is no exception, but it is relevant to see his economics on energy, and so is the quote below…

    I’ve long been a fan of a very old quote from Sweden’s Count Oxenstierna: “Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?” Four centuries later, that remains as true as ever. But I might modify it to say, with how little wisdom and how much pettiness.
    […]
    In his inaugural address Trump declared a national energy emergency, even though we don’t have any such emergency. In fact, America’s energy position is the strongest it has been since Dwight Eisenhower was president. Seriously.

    But if you suffer from MAGA brain you more or less have to believe that we’re in an energy crisis, just as you have to believe that our cities are being ravaged by migrant crime. MAGA says it must be so, so what are you gonna believe, MAGA or your lying eyes?

    Here’s the relevant passage from the speech:

    The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices. That is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill.

    America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have: the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we are going to use it. We’re going to use it.

    We will bring prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again, right to the top, and export American energy all over the world.

    We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it.

    I do believe that we will a rich nation under Trump — because we already were, and he would have to mess up even worse than I expect to bring us down to other countries’ levels of per capita GDP.

    [The graph shows the increasing spread in GDP per capita between the US and Europe-China]

    But it takes some seriously delusional thinking to claim that we’re in a national energy crisis. U.S. energy production is thriving; in recent years we’ve become a net energy exporter, something that last happened in the 1950s:

    [We’re exporting more energy than importing it, and our energy production exceeds consumption, an excellent situation. I agree with Trump lifting restrictions on oil-gas exploration of federal lands, and canceling Biden’s dumb restrictions on LNG exports, which is a no-brainer. We have all the fossil fueled energy we need right here on this continent.]

    If this is a crisis, what would good times look like?

    Furthermore, to the extent that Trump has offered any specifics on energy policy, they involve a promise to destroy one of the major sources of American success. From the new White House issues page:

    President Trump’s energy policies will end leasing to massive wind farms that degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American energy consumers.

    Wind power has actually been a huge success story, a major source of rising U.S. energy production. It now generates 10 percent of our electricity, overall, and much more than that in some states — mostly, as it happens, red states. Trump is, in effect, promising to raise his own supporters’ electricity bills

    [It’s relevant that over half of the in-state electricity generation in Joni Ernst’s and Kristi Noem’s states come from wind.]

    But Trump hates windmills, because the government of Scotland once rejected his demands that it cancel an offshore wind farm that, he claimed, spoiled the view from a golf course he owned.

    And something about birds and driving whales crazy.

    It’s his administration, but I think the smarter policy is “all of the above”, not just “drill baby drill”, provided there are CO2 controls at coal plants. Trump barely mentions nuclear, despite the latest technology being safe and with near zero carbon footprint. If he wants to focus on clearing out regulations, nuclear would be a great starting point, especially with the proliferation of AI, which requires a much bigger grid than we have now.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  139. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/unleashing-american-energy/

    … Sec. 3. Immediate Review of All Agency Actions that Potentially Burden the Development of Domestic Energy Resources. (a) The heads of all agencies shall review all existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, settlements, consent orders, and any other agency actions (collectively, agency actions) to identify those agency actions that impose an undue burden on the identification, development, or use of domestic energy resources — with particular attention to oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower, biofuels, critical mineral, and >>>>>>>> nuclear energy <<<<<<<< resources — or that are otherwise inconsistent with the policy set forth in section 2 of this order, including restrictions on consumer choice of vehicles and appliances….

    BuDuh (4214e4)

  140. I read it last week, BuDuh, and that’s his single mention of nuclear, a one-off, practically an afterthought.
    On one side of his mouth, he’s on the pro side and then he goes the other way

    “They get too big, and too complex and too expensive. I think there’s a little danger in nuclear.”

    I’d like to see Trump put his money where his mouth is on Small Modular Reactors.

    But Trump’s vote for nuclear energy abundance seems to conflict with his distaste for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—despite the considerable IRA funding going to red states—which includes substantial nuclear power incentives, including a production tax credit for existing plants, investment tax credits for new nuclear projects, and support for advanced reactor development and nuclear-powered hydrogen production. That framework might change if Trump wins a second term, but it also seems likely that expanded nuclear power in the US “will require public-private collaboration, regardless of whether we decide to focus on building conventional reactors or next-gen designs,” as energy analyst Thomas Hochman told me back in July. For what it’s worth, some professional Washington observers think incentives for nuclear have enough GOP support to survive attacks on the IRA should Trump win.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  141. The assistant IG (that replaces the deposed IG) has to give a “state of the inspection” report to Congress within 15 days. So we will see what the last few years have been up to. If there are problems that have surfaced, its easy enough to appoint a new IG. A good IG with an exceptional investigation might even get re-instated.
    This is a good time for an incoming president to get to see the inside details of ongoing inspections and make appropriate decisions going forward.

    As someone pointed out upthread, next wailing and gnashing will be over the wholesale removal of US Attorneys (like Biden, Obama)

    steveg (c55fba)

  142. The question isn’t whether state governments would be better at administering federal disaster assistance, the question is why should the feds should provide any assistance at all. The implicit guarantee of federal assistance discourages states from enacting policies that would mitigate damage and loss of life. It is essentially a bailout for states and individuals who have made bad decisions.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  143. Paul Montagu (3bccc6) — 1/26/2025 @ 11:02 am

    One problem is the excessive regulation placed on the nuclear power industry.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  144. At best IGs are redundant; Congress, through the General Accountability Office and committee oversight, has the necessary authority to oversee agency actions.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  145. One problem is the excessive regulation placed on the nuclear power industry.

    Indeed. It’s why I said above, “If he wants to focus on clearing out regulations, nuclear would be a great starting point…”

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  146. Wind power has actually been a huge success story, a major source of rising U.S. energy production

    The investment cost of a wind station would be prohibitive were it not for the subsidies. Without the subsidies they would all operate at a loss. Most arguments for wind power talk about how profit is less important than protecting the environment.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  147. One problem is the excessive regulation placed on the nuclear power industry.

    Yes and no. I would bar any further construction of a 1950s-era reactor. Their failure modes are terribly destructive. That being said, a type-approval of modular reactors, using closed fueling systems and fuel that cannot be used in bombs, would be a great step forward. Regulations on something you make a lot of are much less onerous than on custom-built designs that have to be proven out individually.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  148. Avatar
    Donald J. Trump
    @realDonaldTrump
    I was just informed that two repatriation flights from the United States, with a large number of Illegal Criminals, were not allowed to land in Colombia. This order was given by Colombia’s Socialist President Gustavo Petro, who is already very unpopular amongst his people. Petro’s denial of these flights has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety of the United States, so I have directed my Administration to immediately take the following urgent and decisive retaliatory measures:

    -Emergency 25% tariffs on all goods coming into the United States. In one week, the 25% tariffs will be raised to 50%.

    -A Travel Ban and immediate Visa Revocations on the Colombian Government Officials, and all Allies and Supporters.

    -Visa Sanctions on all Party Members, Family Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Government.

    -Enhanced Customs and Border Protection Inspections of all Colombian Nationals and Cargo on national security grounds.

    -IEEPA Treasury, Banking and Financial Sanctions to be fully imposed.

    These measures are just the beginning. We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!

    https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113896070273857964

    BuDuh (d7a1ee)

  149. To my mind, IGs are the bosses of what cops would call “internal affairs” and most of the time it’s making sure that no one is violating petty ethics rules (e.g. not getting lunch paid by a supplier, etc). A lot of forms and box-checking. Only rarely are they investigating high-level malfeasance.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  150. Enhanced Customs and Border Protection Inspections of all Colombian Nationals and Cargo on national security grounds.

    Columbian travelers have long been on the DEA’s watch list. It is rare that an unconnected Columbian will get a visa, and those who do are greeted with deep suspicion at the customs station.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  151. I guess there will have to be some refusnik camps in West Texas.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  152. A better path is to simply close our borders to Columbia. No goods, no people, no internet connections.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  153. Apparently his was the better path, Kevin…

    https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/trump-slaps-colombia-sweeping-sanctions-travel-ban-after-two-deportation-flights-are-not

    Colombia Offers Presidential Plane To Repatriate Illegal Aliens After Trump Slaps Country With Sweeping Sanctions

    Tyler Durden’s Photo
    BY TYLER DURDEN
    AUTHORED…
    Update: that may have been the fastest trade war capitulation in history:

    If true… of course.

    BuDuh (d7a1ee)

  154. Apparently. The point was that making exceptions, even with an ally, makes the whole deportation thing impossible. All of this is the fault of those who ignored US immigration law for so long, and particularly the fault of Joseph Biden and his open-border policy.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  155. They object to military flights, it seems. I wonder if the US is going to invoke the Civil Reserve Airfleet authority. I also wonder if ultra low-cost carriers might be interested in supporting these flights.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  156. Brazil slams US after dozens of deportees arrive handcuffed

    Brazil’s government expressed outrage on Saturday after dozens of immigrants deported from the United States arrived by plane in handcuffs, calling it a “flagrant disregard” for their rights.

    The foreign ministry said it would demand an explanation from Washington over the “degrading treatment of passengers on the flight”…

    “Things have already changed (with Trump), immigrants are treated as criminals,” he said.

    People who attempt to cross US borders without permission ARE criminals. Perhaps that hasn’t been clear in the past. While I don’t think that hand and foot restraints are required in most cases, they might be in some.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  157. One problem is the excessive regulation placed on the nuclear power industry.

    Indeed. It’s why I said above, “If he wants to focus on clearing out regulations, nuclear would be a great starting point…”

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6) — 1/26/2025 @ 12:11 pm

    Yeah, I saw that after my post. My bad.

    In exchange for speeding up the licensing process and reducing nuclear power plant regulations, the federal government should repeal the Price Anderson Act, which limits the liability of licensed nuclear power operators from damages caused by a nuclear accident. For example:

    (If a nuclear accident similar to the 2011 Fukushima disaster involving three reactors at a single site happened here it) would have a liability limit of $47.3 billion ($500 million for the. primary layer and $15.6 billion in the secondary layer, including the 5% surcharge, for each of the three reactors). Any compensation above that amount would be determined by Congress.

    How the primary and secondary limits are determined is available at the link. This would be a good time to reconsider Price-Anderson, as it expires on December 31, 2025.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  158. Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/25/2025 @ 10:28 pm

    It wasn’t the “profit motive” that caused 9/11, it was the lesson of PanAm/Lockerbie not being made much clearer.

    It was confusing deterrence (which worked extremely well for about 30 years) with security. It was deterrence that prevented airplane hijacking.

    Sammy Finkelman (6b0d4e)

  159. New York Times story:

    Alzheimer’s research is riddled with scientific dishonesty.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/24/opinion/alzheimers-fraud-cure.html

    I;d say the root causes are peer review
    (which does not look for fraud, but does look for anything that goes against the scientific consensus, plus the fact that liars are the most respected people, and also the lack of funding ssources with different ideas, funding research based on different premises,

    Sammy Finkelman (6b0d4e)

  160. Wishful thinking:

    President Donald Trump’s immigration policies would likely have devastating effects on Corporate America’s growth and earnings, but investors haven’t been perturbed yet — largely because they don’t believe he’ll follow through on the full extent of his plans.

    President Donald Trump’s immigration policies would likely have devastating effects on Corporate America’s growth and earnings, but investors haven’t been perturbed yet — largely because they don’t believe he’ll follow through on the full extent of his plans.
    …………..
    The bet distills to relying on Trump’s use of the stock market as his scorecard and that he’ll avoid policies that hamper economic growth and weigh on share prices. In short, traders and investors don’t think Trump will actually go all the way despite the policy having broad support from voters.
    ………….
    The risk to his following through is immense. Trump’s full proposals would trigger shockwaves throughout the economy, according to strategists, economists and Wall Street pros. Inflation would soar and labor-intensive industries such as agriculture and construction would struggle to find workers. Returning the country’s entire population of undocumented immigrants will reduce America’s gross domestic product by 8%, an analysis from Bloomberg Economics found.
    ………….
    Investors worried about the Trump deportation plans will be focusing on shaers of companies that own hotel properties and fast-food restaurants, along with producers of food and building products — all industries that rely on low-skill labor.
    ………….
    Jefferies LLC strategists found that the loss of about one million production workers would lead to five months of disruptions and a roughly 8% increase in wages in the meat-processing industry.
    ………….
    …………. In markets such as Texas, California and Florida, over 45% of construction workers are immigrants, according to data from Jefferies.

    Big Tech won’t be spared either, as the new administration also plans to restrict work visas for highly-skilled foreigners through the H-1B program.………..
    ………..

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  161. It’s not like the illegal immigrants can’t be replaced by US citizens. Companies that depend on them should raise wages and improve working conditions.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  162. Brazil’s position is a no go. 100+ criminals unrestrained on a plane?
    Not happening.

    steveg (c55fba)

  163. As Columbia’s top export to the US in 2023 was oil (coffee was number 4 and 1/3 the dollar value), it will be interesting to see what happens to its price tomorrow.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  164. Correction:

    As Columbia’s top export to the US in 2023 was oil (coffee was number 4 and 1/3 1/4 the dollar value)…….

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  165. Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/26/2025 @ 11:19 am

    Along with disaster relief, crop insurance and farm subsidies in general should be devolved to the states.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  166. US military deportation flights should sent to Colombia (or any country) and dare the recipient countries to stop them. Alternatively, the flights should be escorted by US fighters.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  167. Colombia President backed down and is now sending his own presidential plane to pick up the illegal aliens.

    whembly (90f71e)

  168. Colombia President backed down and is now sending his own presidential plane to pick up the illegal aliens.

    whembly (90f71e) — 1/26/2025 @ 2:24 pm

    Source?

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  169. Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/26/2025 @ 3:18 pm

    You can start at my 12:35pm

    BuDuh (d7a1ee)

  170. Colombia President backed down and is now sending his own presidential plane to pick up the illegal aliens.

    whembly (90f71e) — 1/26/2025 @ 2:24 pm

    Even if true, there are approximately 200,000 Colombians that need to be deported. By the time he’s finished, he will need to buy a new plane.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  171. Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/26/2025 @ 3:18 pm

    You can start at my 12:35pm

    BuDuh (d7a1ee) — 1/26/2025 @ 3:26 pm

    LOL! A tweet that you really didn’t believe by someone using a movie character’s name and without a link? That’s reliable.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  172. There are still people in the UK with a sense of humor.

    Jim Miller (6a4b17)

  173. Colombia President backed down and is now sending his own presidential plane to pick up the illegal aliens.

    whembly (90f71e) — 1/26/2025 @ 2:24 pm

    Again, even if true or if Colombia decides to accept civilian flights with deportees, the United States shouldn’t be humiliated this way. Trump should insist that recipient countries must allow our aircraft to land, no matter if they are military or civilian; otherwise they will suffer the consequences.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  174. The left-wing Colombian president shouldn’t have picked this fight and, in this case, Trump was right to slam the Colombian leader for turning away our flights. There’s no meaningful distinction whether they come here by military transport or civilian jetliner.

    The top country they export to is the US, and it’s not even close. Conversely, Colombia is our 28th largest trading partner.
    They are way more dependent on us economically than we are on them.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  175. We should start spraying their coffee crop with defoliants.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  176. “We should start spraying their coffee crop with defoliants.”

    What the f*ck is wrong with you?

    Davethulhu (3c35ce)

  177. Well, you know, Trump is 78 years old. Closer to 79. He does not have a lot of time to destroy our partnerships and alliances with The Americas and Europe, and leave us isolated with Russia and China oozing in to fill the vacuum.

    nk (c17f03)

  178. Rip is a real world solutions guy, Dave. He is just saying things that impartial fact guys say.

    BuDuh (d7a1ee)

  179. More support for a “debunked conspiracy theory” (according to Glenn Kessler and other liars in the media)

    C.I.A. Now Favors Lab Leak Theory to Explain Covid’s Origins

    Based on a report done during the Biden administration and not released until a Trump appointee took over. Biden knew Fauci lied, which is why he pardoned him.

    lloyd (300f95)

  180. Doctors agree with Luigi Mangione that drug companies are causing patient deaths by denying treatment putting profits over patient lives. (DU) Guardian. Put in sources to make Kevin M. happy.

    asset (8b3de0)

  181. “Based on a report done during the Biden administration and not released until a Trump appointee took over. Biden knew Fauci lied, which is why he pardoned him.”

    There is no new intelligence behind the agency’s shift, officials said. Rather it is based on the same evidence it has been chewing over for months

    Surely now is the time to start believing the CIA.

    Davethulhu (3c35ce)

  182. Davethulhu, you can set aside your worries since the conclusion predates Trump 47.

    But officials told US media that the new assessment was not based on new intelligence and predates the Trump administration. The review was reportedly ordered in the closing weeks of the Biden administration and completed before Trump took office on Monday.

    It’s just that it took a Trump appointee to decide to make it public.

    lloyd (300f95)

  183. If a nuclear accident similar to the 2011 Fukushima disaster involving three reactors at a single site happened here

    First a huge earthquake, then a tsunami, then you have your pumping engines out where the tsunami can drown them, then you have your bosses telling you not to take the reasonable precautions because it would make them look bad.

    That kind of accident can’t really happen here, except maybe the last part. And it really can’t happen in Germany, which has neither earthquakes nor tsunamis.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  184. It’s not like the illegal immigrants can’t be replaced by US citizens. Companies that depend on them should raise wages and improve working conditions

    Indeed. And pretty much exactly what MAGA has in mind.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  185. Colombia President backed down and is now sending his own presidential plane to pick up the illegal aliens.

    The objection is to the use of military planes with little to no care as to the conditions of the transportees. Handcuffs and leg-irons might make sense for hardened criminals, but not necessarily for maids and fruit pickers.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  186. He does not have a lot of time to destroy our partnerships and alliances with The Americas and Europe

    He has said that he views most of those as “Let’s see what we can get from Uncle Sugar.”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  187. (DU) Guardian. Put in sources to make Kevin M. happy.

    That’s not sources. That’s pointing at the sky.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  188. “We should start spraying their coffee crop with defoliants.”

    What the f*ck is wrong with you?

    Davethulhu (3c35ce) — 1/26/2025 @ 5:29 pm

    It’s called sarcasm.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  189. The objection is to the use of military planes with little to no care as to the conditions of the transportees. Handcuffs and leg-irons might make sense for hardened criminals, but not necessarily for maids and fruit pickers.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/26/2025 @ 7:35 pm

    One, who cares what the Colombian President thinks; and two, I thought we were deporting harden criminals first.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  190. It’s not like the illegal immigrants can’t be replaced by US citizens. Companies that depend on them should raise wages and improve working conditions.

    Indeed. And pretty much exactly what MAGA has in mind.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/26/2025 @ 7:33 pm

    Not sure why replacing illegal immigrants with American citizens should be a partisan issue. MAGA is correct in this instance.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  191. Davethulhu (3c35ce) — 1/26/2025 @ 7:11 pm

    Indeed; and the CIA has said they have “low confidence” in their conclusion.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  192. The objection is to the use of military planes with little to no care as to the conditions of the transportees. Handcuffs and leg-irons might make sense for hardened criminals, but not necessarily for maids and fruit pickers.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/26/2025 @ 7:35 pm

    Why should the President of Columbia (or any country) dictate how we deport their citizens? As I noted above, we should go ahead and deport their citizens on military flights and dare the countries to do something about it. To concede is a humiliation.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  193. @192 Apparently, they and the FBI have lower confidence in the wet market theory.

    Low confidence wasn’t the reason Fauci, fact checkers and the media expressed high confidence certainty about the wet market theory, nor was it the reason the lab leak theory was banned from public discussion.

    lloyd (f1ac6b)

  194. Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/26/2025 @ 7:35 pm

    As I also noted in my post 171, there are around 200K Colombians illegally here in the US; so it’s gonna take a lot of flights back and forth by the Colombian President’s plane to ship them all back.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  195. Colombia folds:

    The United States and Colombia averted a trade war, for now, after the White House said late Sunday that Colombia agreed to accept deportation flights from the United States. The two nations spent much of the day in a tense standoff after President Donald Trump on Sunday announced steep tariffs and visa restrictions on Colombia after the South American nation had turned away two deportation flights.
    ………..
    The tariffs would have probably devastated Colombia’s flower industry — a key export to the United States — just before the crucial Valentine’s Day season, while also escalating prices for American consumers. Coffee prices in the United States could have soared, too, given that Colombia is a major exporter of it and that businesses tend to pass along the cost of tariffs to consumers through higher prices.

    But late Sunday, the White House said that Colombia “has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms,” including allowing U.S. military aircraft to send Colombians back. The suspension of visas would remain in effect until the first planeload of deportees is accepted, and the order on tariffs and sanctions would be held “in reserve” in case Colombia does not honor the deal.
    ………….
    Under the agreement, the United States sends Colombia a manifest 48 hours in advance of the flights with the names of the deportees, and Colombia provides authorization before the planes take off. That happened in this case, according to a Colombian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity about the sensitive issue, and Bogotá agreed to accept the flight.

    It was unclear whether or when Petro was made aware that, for the first time, the planes being used were U.S. military C-17s, although video of shackled deportees being marched onto military aircraft was widely televised and posted on social media.
    ………….
    Regarding claims that deportees have been mistreated, former U.S. officials speaking on the condition of anonymity said that shackles have been traditionally used around the world to prevent deportees from kicking, biting or attacking accompanying security officials.
    ………….

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  196. I think the message should be that we tolerated the influx for too long, and Biden’s treason open gaming of US law was the last straw.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  197. Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/26/2025 @ 7:32 pm

    The two-unit Diablo Canyon nuclear power station is built between two earthquake faults (one of which lies 2.5 miles offshore) and is located right on the coast as it uses seawater for cooling. So they face a theoretical tsunami threat.

    Of the existing US nuclear power plants, only a few are single units, most are in pairs, while there is at least one three-unit plant and a brand new 4-unit plant. So using a Fukushima type disaster (3-unit plant that lost its power supply) is still a relevant model as a worst case scenario for the US.

    As you said, a tsunami in the United States is the least likely threat to a nuclear power plant (except for Diablo Canyon.) But nuclear power plants have other catastrophic failure points: operator error, maintenance failures; hidden construction faults; external power failures; sabotage; etc. with the damage caused any one of them to be backstopped by the taxpayers. The nuclear industry has around long enough that they shouldn’t socialize their insurance costs onto the American taxpayers.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  198. @RIP@174 Not that I’m against return people to their country of record, but why should an independent country allow one of our airplanes into their airspace if they don’t want it there? Sending an airplane into someone else’s airspace is an act of military aggression unless we have permission. Spraying poisonous chemicals on their crops is an act of war.

    Nic (120c94)

  199. Not that I’m against return people to their country of record, but why should an independent country allow one of our airplanes into their airspace if they don’t want it there? Sending an airplane into someone else’s airspace is an act of military aggression unless we have permission. Spraying poisonous chemicals on their crops is an act of war.

    Nic (120c94) — 1/26/2025 @ 11:50 pm

    As noted above, the comment about spraying Colombia’s coffee plantations was sarcasm. However, the US needs to establish political dominance over the home countries that have used the US as a safety valve to relieve the social tensions within their societies. If the recipient countries want to start a war with the US, that’s their choice.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  200. They just need to remember if they shoot down on of incoming transport planes, they will be killing their own citizens.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  201. Not that I’m against return people to their country of record, but why should an independent country allow one of our airplanes into their airspace if they don’t want it there?

    1) Allowing their people into our country was the start of this, and our airplanes arriving there is the eventual consequence.

    2) Making exceptions, or separate accommodations with every country, is the road to dysfunctional failure.

    3) These are people who have been charged with and/or convicted of multiple crimes. Some of them are very dangerous. Flying them home business class wasn’t in the cards.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  202. @202

    LANKFORD RELEASES BORDER SECURITY PACKAGE WITH HUGE WINS FOR SECURING THE BORDER

    BuDuh (aa5c67) — 1/27/2025 @ 3:00 am

    Need to look at the details.

    Did he learn from his mistakes the last time he tried this?

    whembly (c87394)

  203. That is actually his BS from 2024. I posted it as a dunk.

    BuDuh (aa5c67)

  204. When the earlier Mussolini invaded the tiny kingdom of Greece, the end result was that the Greeks got the Dodecanese Islands back from Italy which had occupied the islands since 1912.

    It would be to-die-laughing-funny if Il Duce della Quinta Strada started a war with Colombia, and the Colombians after “Afghanistaning” Hegseth’s Fox News military got Panama back.

    nk (10f26d)

  205. Handcuffs and leg-irons might make sense for hardened criminals, but not necessarily for maids and fruit pickers.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/26/2025 @ 7:35 pm

    Apparently it’s standard operating procedure:

    Regarding claims that deportees have been mistreated, former U.S. officials speaking on the condition of anonymity said that shackles have been traditionally used around the world to prevent deportees from kicking, biting or attacking accompanying security officials.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  206. This should of interest to anyone concerned with health:

    He [cardiologist David Sabgir] would treat patients with heart disease and counsel them to exercise. But at six-month follow-up appointments, he would find they hadn’t made any changes. A major barrier was that they had trouble getting started. Those who got going often stopped when motivation waned.

    One day in 2005, he decided he didn’t want to wait six months to find out that his recommendations weren’t being heeded. He tried an experiment: He invited a patient to join him and his family for a walk.

    Which led, eventually, to an organization.

    Jim Miller (283714)

  207. What a typical ICE deportation looks like

    ………
    (After arrest), immigrants are transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility, which could be local or a few hours away. Currently, ICE has a little over 100 facilities nationwide that can hold up to 41,500 people total, but the Trump administration is promising to build more detention facilities and work with the military to build soft-sided temporary structures for detention.
    ………
    Typically, the person would then be flown from a local airport via a commercial airline — or, more commonly, by one of ICE’s 10 planes — to one of four staging locations along the southwest border, which are in Mesa, Arizona; Alexandria, Louisiana; and San Antonio and Harlingen, Texas.
    ………
    People awaiting deportation then remain at the staging facility, which is similar to the ICE detention facilities, for a few days. They are then driven back to the airport to be loaded on an airplane chartered by ICE Air Operations to be flown to their home country.
    ………
    For ICE flights, the people being deported are not allowed to bring carry-ons, but they can bring one bag weighing up to 40 pounds. Many passengers are restrained with handcuffs, leg irons and a belly chain. Children and parents accompanying children are not restrained. Between 13 and 20 guards accompany the flight, as well as medical staff, and food is provided during the flight, according to ICE officials and public documents.

    The ICE Air planes are chartered by ICE and are standard large planes that look no different from any commercial jet holding around 150 people. To expand deportations to the levels President Donald Trump has promised for his second term, ICE would have to increase its fleet significantly.

    ICE officials emphasize that each flight requires careful diplomatic negotiations with the countries that are accepting the passengers and a series of logistical steps……….
    ……….

    I’ll bet those “diplomatic negotiations” will get a lot easier now after the US forced Colombia to capitulate.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  208. Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/26/2025 @ 7:48 pm

    One, who cares what the Colombian President thinks; and two, I thought we were deporting harden criminals first.

    did you also think that they were deporting to Colombia people they just arrested? Because I don’t, but that’s what Homan wants people to think.And incidentally, it was the suspension of the issuance of visas to people from Colombia that did it – a very powerful tool hat is also harmful to the USA ) This is a tactic that should be employed for more important things – and isn’t. He doesn’t want to give other countries ideas.

    Mexico refused to let U.S. military planes land also, but Trump did nothing, because he (or Miller) judged that Mexico wouldn’t cave (he’s threatening 25% tariffs anyway – and he didn’t want to suspend visas to Mexicans, which for one thing could be done by Mexico as well and disrupt commerce)

    Sammy Finkelman (c9bb32)

  209. It’s not like the illegal immigrants can’t be replaced by US citizens. Companies that depend on them should raise wages and improve working conditions

    That is a throwaway line.

    Give me a number and describe the conditions

    7 sick days? + 3 Personal days? + 10 days vacation (3 days after year one, 1 day per year after that maxing out at 10)?
    Starting wage $20 hr $40,000 year? Paid holidays NY Day, Christmas eve and Christmas, Thanksgiving day and Friday after, Memorial day, 4th, Labor day
    Must be able to lift 50lbs. Not seeing citizens applying.

    What is the plan?
    $30hr and no lifting?

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  210. steveg,

    That sounds like most of Amazon’s warehouse workers.

    They get a LOT of citizens applying.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  211. I heard an interview of the man who wrote this book.

    How Could This Happen: Explaining the Holocaust Hardcover – April 8, 2014
    by Dan McMillan (Author) It sounds good.

    https://www.amazon.com/How-Could-This-Happen-Explaining/dp/0465080243

    The most important fact people get wrong is that they think people who participated in were motivated by hate. (This is not true for Germans) It was cold indifference to murder,

    The interview can be heard here in Hour 3 (not at the start of Hour 3) on January 27, 2025

    https://wabcradio.com/podcast/the-other-side-of-midnight-with-frank-morano/

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  212. Construction in So Cal?

    In my own narrow world. I do not see citizens applying, even though the starting wages are $20-22

    We’ve got fast food living wage law at $20- mom and pops are closing.
    Home builders have been getting $1000 a square foot because people here demand high end finishes, and labor overhead remains higher than most.

    Some estimate that around 70% of the burned-out homeowners in the Palisades will have to sell their lot, take the insurance payout, and move.
    There will be plenty of job offers in an environment of immigration crackdown. I’m guessing the construction trades do not go through a demographic shift and the fake documents just get better

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  213. The interview starts 17 and a half minutes into the audio podcast

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  214. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3lynk8493o

    “The list from Hamas matches Israel’s intelligence, so I can share with you that… eight have been killed by Hamas,” he said, without naming them. “The families have been informed of the situation of their relatives.

    The last 4 women released were lookouts (some just trained and not on duty)

    15 of these women were killed on October 7, 2023. Seven were kidnapped and taken to Gaza some wounded. One was rescued 3 weeks later. One was wounded in a bombing raid and taken to Shifa hospital, where she was killed. Hamas claimed she was killed in a bombing raid, which Israel does not believe. In the last released a civilian was supposed to be released first. She was apparently held by Islamic Jihad. Israel said this violated the terms of the agreement so they said people would not be able to o to the north of Gaza until that happened (but they released 50 people from prison as specified – it was 50 for women soldiers and 30 for civilians)

    Incidentally, 70 of the 200 released Saturday were from the West Bank or Jerusalem but were exiled somewhere. This must have been specially negotiated. Previously, after Israel exiled some people to Lebanon they were forced to take them back and it had become a point of Arab negotiation not to exile anyone. This accounts for some of the opposition to President Trump’s proposal to get 1 million too 1 1/2 million people from Gaza )half or three quarters) to go to Egypt or Jordan, at least temporarily. (this would of course make resumption of the war easier)

    https://www.newser.com/story/363247/hamas-says-8-hostages-of-first-33-to-be-freed-are-dead.html

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  215. The State of CA is saying 1/3 of construction workers are immigrants. Not sure what that means, but here, that number probably is 3/4 immigrants.

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  216. Biden Admin Quietly Spent $15 Mil To Distribute ‘Contraceptives and Condoms’ in Afghanistan—and Said Doing So Would Take ‘Some Coordination’ With Taliban

    And there is concern regarding where this administration will find the money for deportation operations.

    BuDuh (aa5c67)

  217. It’s not like the illegal immigrants can’t be replaced by US citizens.

    Doesn’t matter. Removal of everyone illegal would reduce GDP (the total size of the U.S. economy) by 8% according to Bloomberg.

    https://censor.net/en/news/3532496/the-return-of-illegal-migrants-could-reduce-us-gdp-by-8

    That would also reduce federal tax receipts by approximately 8% because no matter who is taxed, the percentage of the economy that is collected in taxes remains about the same.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  218. The Republican Party is not noted for supporting an increase in the minimum wage, or raising construction costs by requiring that “prevailing wages” (union wages) be paid – yet their excuse for getting rid of illegal (and reducing the number of legal) immigrants is that it would reduce wages.

    The Democratic Party is also kind of taking a different position than usual here.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  219. Because of extensive reading, I know a little bit more than Dan McMillan – still I learned a little from the interview.

    I think Hitler wanted to kill all the Jews (this is what he write privately) because he believed that the Jews were the source of the concept of a conscience among people.

    (This was important to him to eliminate because he wanted a 1,000 year Reich – he wanted buildings he built to stand) and people would despise him and worse if they still thought that murder was wrong. And he needed to kill lots of people if he was to rule the world.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  220. did you also think that they were deporting to Colombia people they just arrested? Because I don’t, but that’s what Homan wants people to think.

    I don’t know and I don’t care.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  221. did you also think that they were deporting to Colombia people they just arrested? Because I don’t, but that’s what Homan wants people to think.

    I don’t know and I don’t care.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/27/2025 @ 12:23 pm

    Why is it important?

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  222. Also, the decision to start murdering all the Jews and the decision to invade the Soviet Union were one and the same thing and that decision was made in the spring of 1941, An attempt to murder all the Jews without conquering the Soviet Union would have been futile his eyes.

    Also, Auschwitz was in Germany, not Poland, at the time. because Hitler had annexed it – and Lodz also. hat is why they were not covered by his order to murder every last remaining Jew in Poland in November, 1943 – although they didn’t kill every last remaining Jew in the Majdanek concentration camp during the Majdenek massacre.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  223. Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/27/2025 @ 12:25 pm

    Why is it important?

    The whole point of the publicity campaign is a lie.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  224. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/business/medals-paris-olympics-lvmh.html

    The mint discovered that the varnish used to prevent oxidation was defective. Its varnish recipe is a trade secret, but the coating was weakened after the mint changed it to conform to recent European Union regulations banning the use of chromium trioxide, a toxic chemical used to prevent metal from corroding, according to La Lettre, a French industry newspaper.

    A spokeswoman declined to confirm the report, but said in a statement that the mint “has modified the varnish and optimized its manufacturing process to make it more resistant to certain uses observed of the medals by athletes.”

    When they change something, they forget to pay attention to (or test) the basics.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  225. There is no market for medical costs. Everything is either priced too high or too low. Cross subsidies are created by legislation – that leaves some people out or has perverse effects when anything is changed.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/health/insulin-prices-federal-clinics-340b.html

    Insulin Prices Dropped. But Some Poor Patients Are Paying More.

    A law that coaxed companies to lower the price of drugs came with a little-known consequence: smaller discounts for low-income health clinics.

    ….Maricruz Salgado was bringing her diabetes under control. Thanks to a federal program that allowed health clinics that serve poor people to buy drugs at steeply discounted prices, she was able to pay less than $75 for all five of her diabetes medications every three months.

    But in July, the cost of three of those drugs soared. Ms. Salgado, who does not have health insurance, suddenly faced costs of hundreds of dollars per month. She could not afford it.

    Her doctor switched her to cheaper medicines. Within days of taking one of them, she experienced dizzy spells so severe that she said could barely keep up with her hectic daily schedule as a phlebotomist and an in-home caregiver. By the time she returned to the doctor in September, her blood sugar levels had ticked up.

    “We were in a good place,” said Dr. Wesley Gibbert, who treats Ms. Salgado at Erie Family Health Centers, a network of clinics in Chicago that serves patients regardless of their ability to pay. “And then all the medicines had to change.”

    The price hikes at the clinic happened for a reason that is symptomatic of the tangled web of federal policies that regulate drug pricing. In 2024, drug makers lowered the sticker price of dozens of common medications, which allowed them to avoid massive penalties imposed by the American Rescue Plan, the Covid relief package passed three years earlier. But that change backfired for low-income people like Ms. Salgado.

    The decision to make these medications more affordable for large swaths of patients has quietly created another problem: a severe financial hit to the clinics that are tasked by the federal government with caring for the country’s poorest people. These nonprofit clinics operate in every state and serve nearly 32.5 million people, or about 10 percent of the country’s population…

    …More than 1,000 community health clinics around the country rely on a decades-old federal program that requires drug companies to offer them deep discounts.
    Under the 340B program, as it is called, companies typically sell their brand-name drugs to clinics at a discount, at 23 percent or more off the list price. The same discount scheme applies to state Medicaid plans. But if a company raises a drug’s list price above the rate of inflation, a penalty kicks in, forcing it to offer even deeper discounts to the clinics.

    For years, that meant that every time a company raised a drug’s list price above inflation, community clinics paid less for it. Many drugs, including insulin, essentially became free.

    This was a loophole that apparently legislators paying attention let stand

    But the American Rescue Plan made a major change that hit drug companies with even larger penalties for raising prices. In January 2024, companies that continued to raise a drug’s price would have to pay state Medicaid plans every time those drugs were used, potentially costing the industry billions of dollars.

    “That was a bridge too far” for the companies, said Antonio Ciaccia, a drug-pricing researcher who advises state governments and employers.

    Manufacturers lowered the price of at least 77 drugs in 2023 and 2024, according to an analysis by a nonprofit that Mr. Ciaccia leads. The list includes widely used asthma drugs like Advair and Symbicort, as well as diabetes treatments like Victoza, which Ms. Salgado used before the change.

    Once the pharmaceutical companies lowered their list prices, the inflation penalties evaporated. That meant community clinics had to start paying the usual discounts of 23 percent or more off the list price — far more than the pennies they used to pay….

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  226. Because of a six-month lag in the way that 340B discounts work, clinics were hit by the change last July. Some clinics began calling patients before their prescriptions expired, offering to switch them to less expensive medicines even though they sometimes had more serious side effects. Others decided to cover the higher out-of-pocket costs, which required dipping into already scarce reserves.

    Ms. Salgado said a nurse from Erie called over the summer to tell her about the pricing changes. Until then, she had paid about $15 for a three-month supply of Victoza, which is injected daily to keep blood sugar down. After July, the cost rose to more than $300

    After a few weeks, Ms. Salgado adjusted to the replacement, Byetta, and her dizziness subsided. But the drug must be injected twice a day instead of once. And Ms. Salgado must now use a special pharmacy 20 minutes from her house to qualify for the federal discount on the two insulin drugs she was switched to, the result of increasingly strict rules that companies are imposing on health clinics.

    Ms. Salgado, who is 39, said she is determined to avoid the fate of her mother, who died of diabetes complications at 54. But keeping up with frequent pharmacy visits and medication changes is tough. “Sometimes it does get to a point where it’s like, I just don’t want to do this anymore,” she said…

    Under the 340B program, clinics buy the discounted drugs on behalf of their patients. When those patients have insurance, the clinics can then bill insurers for the regular, higher price, pocketing the difference. But now that spread — the difference between how much they pay for the drug and what insurance will cover — has dwindled. That has left clinics with less money to spend on services that are not otherwise covered by government grants or insurance, such as helping patients find housing…

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  227. Rip Murdock (c222c5) — 1/27/2025 @ 12:25 pm

    Why is it important?

    The whole point of the publicity campaign is a lie.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 1/27/2025 @ 12:30 pm

    Again, I don’t care whether the Colombian deportees were non-criminal immigrants or not, only that they were deported.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  228. It’s not like the illegal immigrants can’t be replaced by US citizens.

    Doesn’t matter. Removal of everyone illegal would reduce GDP (the total size of the U.S. economy) by 8% according to Bloomberg.

    It’s important to his voters that Trump is seen as fulfilling a campaign promise. It’s also important that his voters have faith that the democratic process is working for them.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  229. It’s not like the illegal immigrants can’t be replaced by US citizens. Companies that depend on them should raise wages and improve working conditions

    That is a throwaway line.

    Give me a number and describe the conditions

    That’s to be negotiated between the employer and the marketplace of workers. In an employer finds they are unable to hire workers at X dollars and Y conditions, then they should probably change X and Y.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  230. Sammy

    So, where did the deported Colombians and Brazilians come from?
    Probably from State prisons and county jails in states that were predisposed to cooperate with Trump’s program.
    Most likely? Florida DeSantis pre-announced his 100% support.
    They could have started collecting 150+ prisoners and detainees before the inauguration.
    Makes sense and saves money because even though FLA charges/fines inmates $50 a day, I doubt the Colombians were current on their incarceration reimbursement bill

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  231. Massachusetts won’t cooperate but they should- they spend $307,000 per inmate annually (prevailing wage I’m sure)

    https://usafacts.org/articles/how-much-do-states-spend-on-prisons/

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  232. Native Americans on reservations are being detained by ICE who demand they show proof of citizenship. (CNN) Where will they deport Native Americans too?

    asset (5b3c4a)

  233. Everyone in CA that holds a home inurance policy is about to get an assessment

    CA Fair plan

    Insured costs are projected to be $40 Billion

    In March of 2024, FAIR Plan had a surplus of only $200 million and it likely hasn’t risen to sufficient levels over the subsequent year. (Some news reports indicate that the surplus has risen to $377 million).

    “You can never go below your surplus level. If you do, you need an assessment or you’re bankrupt,” according to Glombicki.

    How does the assessment work? Glombicki explained that the insurance companies would get assessed a certain figure. If the assessment is $1 billion or less, insurance companies can only pass on 50% to their clients, he said. “However, 100% of the first dollar (and up) after $1 billion can be passed along.”

    Glombicki pointed to a problem with the assessments, which all California homeowners insurers must pay. “You won’t be necessarily in a fire zone, but you can be paying for that risk of being in the fire zone,” he said.

    Another problem for the FAIR Plan is that there could be a reinsurance protection gap.

    “FAIR Plan’s $2.5 billion reinsurance has a deductible of $900 million, higher than the $700 million cash on hand

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  234. Construction in So Cal?

    In my own narrow world. I do not see citizens applying, even though the starting wages are $20-22

    Construction in SoCal requires being able to speak Spanish. Half the workers cannot speak English and Anglos have to learn Spanish to be contractors or foremen or, well, anything. Payscales are depressed by, um, recent arrivals having lower wage expectations.

    Things started changing in the 80s, and most non-union construction workers found payscales dropping and a noticeable preference by contractors to hire illegals under the table. Fast forward 40 years and even the established, US-born workers are Hispanic. The Spanish-only workers are generally illegals.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  235. I’m guessing the construction trades do not go through a demographic shift and the fake documents just get better

    The illegals will disappear. It’s not fake documents that get people hired, it’s low cost. But even the second-generation Hispanics would like higher wages, and if that means turfing the illegals, then so be it.

    The problem with Anglos getting hired is that few have the experience any more. Most who were in the biz moved, changed jobs, or started drinking heavily. And got older.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  236. Another problem for the FAIR Plan is that there could be a reinsurance protection gap.

    The Legislature will make it work.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  237. Doesn’t matter. Removal of everyone illegal would reduce GDP (the total size of the U.S. economy) by 8% according to Bloomberg.

    You gotta love politically-driven static analysis. Only measure the wages of the departing workers, never consider the increased wages of existing workers or the new wages of entry-level workers who now have opportunity. Also ignore the costs of unemployment insurance, food stamps and Medicaid for the no-longer-marginal employees.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  238. Shorter: always distrust Bloomberg.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  239. Massachusetts won’t cooperate but they should- they spend $307,000 per inmate annually (prevailing wage I’m sure)

    And all those federal subsidies that make that possible will disappear.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  240. @234: Everything he says that doesn’t have a link is either a lie or hopelessly distorted.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  241. Remember: Trump won Hispanic districts that had high influx of “refugees.” Why? Because the Hispanic citizens voted to be rid of the newcomers.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  242. Meanwhile, the acting AG has fired an unknown number of lawyers who worked on Jack Smith’s staff, saying that he “does not trust these officials to assist in faithfully implementing the President’s agenda.”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  243. @Kevin@203 Generally speaking, countries don’t stop their citizens from leaving to go elsewhere.

    Nic (120c94)

  244. The new USA in DC, Ed Martin (a “Stop the Steal” partisan) is now investigating how prosecutors came to use the Oxley-Sarbanes obstruction charge against J6 participants, not that the Supreme Court said it was misapplied. I guess the idea is whether civil rights were violated.

    Meanwhile, Mr Martin has intervened in Judge Mehta’s courtroom to get the judge to rescind an order against Stewart Rhodes entry into the District, correctly arguing that unconditonal means unconditional.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  245. Generally speaking, countries don’t stop their citizens from leaving to go elsewhere.

    But apparently they stop them from being brought back home for cause.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  246. Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/27/2025 @ 6:09 am3)

    These are people who have been charged with and/or convicted of multiple crimes.

    Only slightly more than half of those arrested the other day in New Jersey had been charged with any sort of crime.

    Sammy Finkelman (c9bb32)

  247. They picked up 49 Venezuelans at a Tren de Aragua invitation only party in Adams County, CO
    Even with the invite, I’ll bet there were some attendees without criminal convictions.
    Don’t hang out with criminal illegal aliens- its a dumb choice

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  248. @kevin@248 countries can stop other countries from entering their sovereign territory without permission. And yes, this does make it less convenient for us to return them. However, diplomacy exists.

    Nic (120c94)

  249. However, diplomacy exists.

    Nic (120c94) — 1/27/2025 @ 5:30 pm

    I’m sure that diplomacy will get easier after Trump threatened tariffs and visa sanctions on Colombia.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  250. No interest in finding out Biden pardoned a child murderer.

    I’m surprised.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  251. Only slightly more than half of those arrested the other day in New Jersey had been charged with any sort of crime.

    Sammy Finkelman (c9bb32) — 1/27/2025 @ 4:51 pm

    Had they received their final notice of removal? If so,, then that was their ticket out of the country.

    Rip Murdock (c222c5)

  252. countries can stop other countries from entering their sovereign territory without permission. And yes, this does make it less convenient for us to return them. However, diplomacy exists.
    Nic (120c94) — 1/27/2025 @ 5:30 pm

    Diplomacy exists, even when countries like Columbia pretend that it doesn’t.

    Documents reviewed by CNN show Colombia had previously approved the flights, though Colombian President Gustavo Petro disputed he had authorized them – and US officials claim the authorization was revoked once the planes were en route.

    lloyd (48f243)

  253. @255 Second paragraph is from the link and should be in quotes.

    lloyd (3e3bf1)

  254. However, diplomacy exists.

    Diplomacy is the art of threatening people politely.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  255. However, diplomacy exists.

    It doesn’t really matter, as Trump will be conquering them all in his third term.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  256. There were over 6 million illegal border crossings during the first 3 years of Biden’s term. Returning all these folks to their home country will require some fortitude on our part, and it should come as no surprise that Trump intends for it to happen one way or the other.

    It will be interesting to see how Venezuela responds.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  257. Dumb, doing this to a fellow democracy and free-market economy, and it’s a move that’s pro-ChiCom.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  258. @kevin@257 Sometimes, sure.

    Nic (120c94)

  259. @262 Democrats who are concerned because their corporate establishment deep state donor class masters fear they(establishment corporate democrats that are called communists here) and their running dogs in the corporate media are being discredited and will lose their control of the democrat party to the left. The wall street bankers and multi national corporations know how vulnerable they are to left take over of the democrat party.

    asset (c871f1)

  260. It will be interesting to see how Venezuela responds.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/27/2025 @ 7:52 pm

    Art of the deal: Venezuela will take their citizens back in exchange for sanctions relief.

    Rip Murdock (dda1b5)

  261. Farmers are going to be real happy today. All their workers are being deported or are self-deporting. And now all their farm subsidies are being paused through OMB memo.

    Appalled (2a990a)

  262. Heritage sellout, which has moved from supporting conservative policies to “whatever Trump says it is” policies.

    Heritage is already doing plenty to boost the new administration, from its $1 million ad campaign to promote Trump’s Cabinet nominees to its over-the-top praise of the president’s executive actions. Among the ads released is a 30-second spot touting Health and Human Services secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s record of “taking on big corporations and big government.” (And even taking on the Heritage Foundation, which Kennedy once described as one of many “snake pits of sociopaths” supported by the tobacco industry.) Another ad praises Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman who is Trump’s nominee for director of National Intelligence. The ad does not mention Gabbard’s lifetime rating of 10 percent on Heritage Action’s congressional scorecard. It also does not mention her meeting with the now-former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in 2017, whose regime Heritage described at the time as a “brutal dictatorship.”

    Prominent conservatives, such as radio host Erick Erickson, have criticized Heritage for backing someone like Kennedy, whom Erickson described as “pro-abortion and pro-government-funded national healthcare.”

    Heritage is also cheerleading practically all of Trump’s initial executive actions, including his blanket pardon for all those convicted or charged with crimes related to the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

    “President Trump’s decision to pardon nearly all January 6 defendants is a necessary corrective to the brazen weaponization of our justice system by the Left,” said Roberts in a statement this week. “The Democrats turned January 6 into a political cudgel, using it to distract from their disastrous policies and to smear their opponents.” It’s a far cry from how Roberts’ predecessor, Kay Coles James, described the mob as a “band of criminals” who “should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” in an op-ed published one day after the riot.

    What Trump proposed for FEMA reads almost verbatim from Project 2025, despite distancing himself from it during the campaign, saying he didn’t know anything about it.

    These opportunities include privatizing TSA screening and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program, reforming FEMA emergency spending to shift the majority of preparedness and response costs to states and localities instead of the federal government, eliminating most of DHS’s grant programs, and removing all unions in the department for national security purposes.

    More from the Dispatch, where Kevin Roberts moved the organization from traditionally conservative to right-wing, infused with Pat Buchanan.

    Not long after Roberts’ succession to the presidency of Heritage, he began to abandon the institution’s unspoken but longstanding “big tent” approach to conservatism in favor of an ideology that more closely aligned with Carlson’s and, yes, Trump’s.

    Take American support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, a favorite bugaboo of Carlson’s. As the journalist David Montgomery noted, Roberts went from flying the Ukrainian flag above Heritage’s headquarters at the launch of Russia’s war in February 2022 to declaring 18 months later that Heritage was opposed to additional aid to Ukraine. In between, in April 2023, Carlson had been terminated from Fox News. His final speech before his firing from the cable-news behemoth was at—where else?—the Heritage Foundation, in celebration of the institution’s 50th anniversary.

    By October 2023, Roberts was calling himself a “recovering neocon” and speaking at the annual gala for The American Conservative, the magazine founded by Trump’s ideological forerunner, Pat Buchanan. “The globalist, ideological hubris that overtook the Washington Republican establishment at the end of the Cold War—and still dominates elite institutions today—was wrong from the beginning,” Roberts said. “It was never strategically sound. It was never recognizably conservative. It never won a mandate from the American people. And it never overcame its inexcusable blind spot for—and indifference to—the struggles besetting working American families.”

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  263. Art of the deal: Venezuela will take their citizens back in exchange for sanctions relief.

    Or maybe Trump just does a Panama.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  264. Farmers are going to be real happy today. All their workers are being deported or are self-deporting. And now all their farm subsidies are being paused through OMB memo.

    OTOH, Mexican crop imports have a tariff. And farm subsidies ought to be scrapped, as they were in the Clinton era. You can’t make significant cuts in spending and keep farm subsidies.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  265. Heritage has been pretty awful for some time now.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  266. Regarding #1:

    Israel Says 8 of the 26 Hostages Listed for Imminent Release Are Dead

    Eight of the 26 hostages that Hamas is expected to release in the coming few weeks are no longer alive, according to Israeli officials.

    Late on Sunday, Hamas provided Israel with long-awaited information about the status of the hostages listed for release during the first phase of the cease-fire agreement in the Gaza war. The move followed intense negotiations over the weekend to resolve a dispute that had threatened to derail the deal.

    Under the cease-fire deal, 33 hostages were to be released in the first phase in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Seven have already returned home, after more than 15 months in captivity in Gaza. Three civilian women were freed on Jan. 19, the day the provisional cease-fire came into effect, and four female soldiers were released on Jan. 25.

    An Israeli government spokesman, David Mencer, said on Monday that Hamas had provided a list indicating that 25 of the 33 hostages were alive and that eight had been killed.

    “The list from Hamas matches Israel’s intelligence,” Mr. Mencer added.

    The list did not specify who was alive and who was dead by name, but it provided numbers that accorded with more detailed information already in Israel’s hands, according to two Israeli officials.

    The Israeli military has expressed grave concern for the lives of Ms. Bibas and her children, though their deaths have not been confirmed.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  267. That last post should have been blockquoted

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  268. Regarding Trump’s freeze on aid and spending, laws schmlaws.

    Even as the Trump administration has embarked upon a flurry of controversial initiatives over the past week, I’ve been reluctant to swing at every pitch. But this action belongs in a category unto itself. In essence, the Trump administration is claiming the unilateral power to at least temporarily “impound” tens of billions of dollars of appropriated funds—in direct conflict with Congress’s constitutional power of the purse, and in even more flagrant violation of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA).

    When, not if, recipients of the frozen funds sue to challenge agencies’ compliance with the Vaeth memo, it’s a virtual certainty that the Trump administration will argue that the ICA is unconstitutional and that the President has inherent constitutional authority to impound. That argument is a loser, but it’s a good bet that it’s going to be up to the Supreme Court to say so—and probably a heck of a lot sooner than we might have predicted as recently as yesterday.

    Article II, Section 3 says the president “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed”. A lot of Trump’s stuff is going to move up to the Supreme Court, thanks to his Roy Cohn approach to litigation.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  269. “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed”

    Does that include making sure that no one is abusing existing laws?

    BuDuh (7a5fe0)

  270. Caroline Kennedy warns senators of ‘predator’ RFK Jr. in searing letter

    In a copy of a letter obtained by The Washington Post and sent to lawmakers ahead of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings, the former ambassador to Australia alleges that her cousin, “addicted to attention and power,” has given hypocritical advice by discouraging parents from vaccinating their children, while vaccinating his own children. She alleged that his “crusade against vaccination” has also served to enrich him.

    She goes on to claim that through “the strength of his personality,” other family members followed Kennedy Jr. “down the path of drug addiction.”

    “His basement, his garage, his dorm room were the centers of the action where drugs were available, and he enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in the blender to feed his hawks. It was often a perverse scene of despair and violence.”

    She commended Kennedy Jr. for “pulling himself out of illness and disease” but lamented the “siblings and cousins who Bobby encouraged down the path of substance abuse suffered addiction, illness, and death while Bobby has gone on to misrepresent, lie, and cheat his way through life.”

    I don’t want to hear another word about dogs on roofs or getting shot.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  271. Article II, Section 3 says the president “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed”. A lot of Trump’s stuff is going to move up to the Supreme Court, thanks to his Roy Cohn approach to litigation.

    Yeah, Trump is unique here. Biden strictly enforced the immigration and college loan laws.

    the President has inherent constitutional authority to impound. That argument is a loser

    So they say. You could argue that Congress has the sole authority to pass laws, but regulatory agencies do it all the time and when Congress tried to withhold a right to selectively veto these delegated powers, the courts said they could not.

    Bet you the Supremes are divided.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  272. I expect Trump to do some serious vetoing. I also expect the idea of the line-item veto to recur.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  273. I think that Trump will argue that the “Power of the Purse” involves authorizing spending (or withholding it), not compelling spending.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  274. Does that include making sure that no one is abusing existing laws?

    It sounds like you already have an answer, so spill it. He does have a DOJ, no?

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  275. He does have a DoJ. And an OMB.

    I am sorry you think I am trying to trick you.

    BuDuh (7a5fe0)

  276. Kevim

    people who go to work at Amazon often don’t like to get dirty. The Amazon workers also lift 50lbs onto a dolly, not their shoulder

    steveg (cdf9e5)

  277. She alleged that his “crusade against vaccination” has also served to enrich him.

    By means of having a financial stake in anti-vaccine lawsuits,

    https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rfk-jr-hes-anti-vaccine-profit-off-vaccine/story?id=118137375

    Sammy Finkelman (ccd9dc)

  278. Oklahoma will demand proof of citizenship for all children entering grade school. (AP) Ga. rethug congresscriter says children should work in mcdonalds instead of school lunches. (NBC)

    asset (f92915)

  279. Nothing to see here, just move along:

    The mysterious drones that caused alarm among many New Jersey residents last year were in large part authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration, the White House said Tuesday.
    …….
    “After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,” Leavitt said at a briefing Tuesday.

    Leavitt said that the issue grew worse “due to curiosity,” as some of the drones also belonged to hobbyists and private citizens.

    “This was not the enemy,” she told reporters.
    ………

    She just lost her credibility with the American public.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  280. I am sorry you think I am trying to trick you.

    What is your answer?

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  281. Q:

    He does have a DOJ, no?

    A:

    He does have a DoJ.

    BuDuh (7a5fe0)

  282. Oh, and BuDuh, I didn’t saying anything about “trying to trick”, you sounded like you already had an answer to your own question, and you did.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  283. Ok. Well, thanks anyways.

    BuDuh (7a5fe0)

  284. TikTok has their ChiCom-controlled algorithms that can monitor the activities of 170 million Americans, and DeepSeek has its answers about the ChiCom cultural genocide of the Uighers and Xi’s stance on Taiwan. It’s all of a piece.

    Paul Montagu (3bccc6)

  285. DeepSeek is open source, and doesn’t require an internet connection.

    Davethulhu (a8f269)

  286. Prediction: RFK Jr will not come close to being confirmed. The vorpal blades are out and they are going snicker-snack. Trump promised him the nomination, but losing it will be his own damn fault.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  287. What mainstream site is most virulently anti-Trump? NYT? WaPo? CNN?

    For my money it’s this one, cherry-picking the worst of Trump: https://drudgereport.com/

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  288. Oooof:

    Jamie Dupree @jamiedupree
    NEW YORK (AP) — Former Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison for taking bribes of cash and gold, acting as agent of Egypt.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  289. DeepSeek is open source, and doesn’t require an internet connection.

    Open source, yes, but I don’t see how it doesn’t require an internet connection, considering that all the data goes back to ChiCom servers.

    The DeepSeek AI Assistant jumped to the top of the Apple App Store charts this week, surpassing OpenAI as the top AI chat app. Per its own terms of use and privacy policy, the company tracks everything, including your inputs, your device metadata, your behavioral data, and beyond. This comes with serious security and privacy risks. All data goes back to servers in China. Tread lightly. David Sacks, the Trump administration’s new AI and crypto czar, has correctly laid out the risks and does not recommend downloading the app.

    Link. Normally, I wouldn’t give a pro-Russian hack like David Sacks the time of day, but he has some expertise.

    Paul Montagu (3fa619)

  290. Prediction: RFK Jr will not come close to being confirmed. The vorpal blades are out and they are going snicker-snack. Trump promised him the nomination, but losing it will be his own damn fault.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/28/2025 @ 11:31 pm

    What Republicans have announced they will vote no?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  291. Trump is blaming DEI and Biden for the DC crash. Me, I blame the Army for sending a helicopter smack dab through the normal landing glide slope at Reagan National.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  292. …….You could argue that Congress has the sole authority to pass laws, but regulatory agencies do it all the time and when Congress tried to withhold a right to selectively veto these delegated powers, the courts said they could not.

    Bet you the Supremes are divided.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/28/2025 @ 10:01 am

    Congress granted regulatory agencies discretion; and they can pass laws rescinding agency discretion. The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to overturn agency actions within a certain timeframe.

    I also expect the idea of the line-item veto to recur.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/28/2025 @ 10:03 am

    It will be tough to get the required two-thirds of Congress (and 3/4 of the states) to pass a constitutional amendment.

    I think that Trump will argue that the “Power of the Purse” involves authorizing spending (or withholding it), not compelling spending.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/28/2025 @ 10:05 am

    If the President on his own can authorize or withhold spending, (in direct contravention of Article I of the Constitution), what’s the point of Congressional appropriation power? Trump may argue it, but I think even Alito and Thomas would blanch at that claim of power.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  293. What Republicans have announced they will vote no?

    Bill Cassidy appears to be opposed.
    The usual 2 ladies will oppose.

    Rand Paul is anti-vax and proud of it. He thinks vaccines cause schizophrenia.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  294. I had to re-watch Gabbard’s opening statment.

    @JVW, you’d like this one…

    Then she laid out what she thought was the real objection that Democrats had with her. She said she was accused of being a “puppet” of multiple different people by Democrats.

    Then at the end, the coup de grâce “What truly unsettles them is I refuse to be THEIR puppet.”

    Bruh…

    whembly (b7cc46)

  295. I expect McConnell to vote no on all of the loonie nominees. If he voted no on Hegseth, I cant seem him doing otherwise on Kennedy or Gabbard. Possibly Patel. Four votes will sink any of them.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  296. I expect McConnell to vote no on all of the loonie nominees. If he voted no on Hegseth, I cant seem him doing otherwise on Kennedy or Gabbard. Possibly Patel. Four votes will sink any of them.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:12 am

    I expect all three to be confirmed 51-50.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  297. Open source, yes, but I don’t see how it doesn’t require an internet connection, considering that all the data goes back to ChiCom servers.

    It doesn’t.

    You can download the model and data set and run it on your hardware. Our product is similar to this, you have your data set and their data set and LLM execution logic.

    You can enable it to update the logic and their data set phoning home to “update”, by default it doesn’t appear to upload anything. I’d not bet on that, but the source code is public so if you want to review it, go for it. I’ve assigned 2 engineers to do that in Feb as their primary duty, their initial view is that it’s less of an AI product than an RPA/ML product, but that’s true across the board. We are branding lots of stuff as AI, but there are currently zero AI models that exist that do the things that the general public thinks AI is.

    I’m sold that for general intelligence we’ll need a quantum (see what I did there?) leap in compute. We’d need a Level 1 Kardashev society based on existing compute models, maybe even Level 2.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  298. I expect McConnell to vote no on all of the loonie nominees. If he voted no on Hegseth, I cant seem him doing otherwise on Kennedy or Gabbard. Possibly Patel. Four votes will sink any of them.

    Kevin M (a9545f) — 1/30/2025 @ 10:12 am

    As with Hegseth, McConnell’s vote will be irrelevant.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  299. At the Bulwark, regarding Putin’s War Against Ukraine, Brian Stewart critiques a Blame America First book that takes the “realist”–actually, appeasement–approach to the war. One excerpt:

    This is not to deny that NATO enlargement antagonized Russia, or that the policy had detractors in the U.S. foreign policy establishment, though Haslam surely exaggerates when he claims that the risk-averse Pentagon was “marginalized, if not shut out entirely from the crucial decisions.” One of the most prominent naysayers was George Kennan, the architect of containment, who warned about the dire consequences. In 1997, the Sovietologist predicted that “expanding NATO would be the most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-cold-war era.” Kennan argued that NATO’s drive to the east would simultaneously inflame “nationalistic tendencies” in Russian opinion, corrode the “development of Russian democracy,” and restore “the atmosphere of the cold war to East-West relations.”

    It’s worth remembering, however, that Kennan had also been opposed to the founding of NATO in the first place. He withheld his support for this linchpin of collective security because he was opposed to America’s commitment to postwar Europe and thought a formal military alliance would provoke the Soviets. To the ridicule of military experts at the time, he believed that a small cadre of special forces would be sufficient to deter 300 divisions of the Red Army from plowing through West Germany. After penning the renowned Long Telegram, Kennan’s chronic dissent from American policy was animated by a marked timidity, which led Dean Acheson to describe him as “a horse who would come up to a fence and not take it.”

    This plays into the “realists” false concession that Putin’s claims are legitimate, which they’re not because, wrt Russia, NATO has always been a defensive alliance, and that neither NATO or Ukraine ever threatened Russian borders. All the threatening has come from Putin.

    Also unmentioned is that, at one time, Putin was not disagreeable about NATO’s eastward expansion, Ukraine included, saying the following in May 2002.

    Putin even maintained the same attitude when it was a question of Ukraine someday entering the Atlantic Alliance. In May 2002, when asked for his views on the future of Ukraine’s relations with NATO, Putin dispassionately replied,

    I am absolutely convinced that Ukraine will not shy away from the processes of expanding interaction with NATO and the Western allies as a whole. Ukraine has its own relations with NATO; there is the Ukraine-NATO Council. At the end of the day, the decision is to be taken by NATO and Ukraine. It is a matter for those two partners.8

    A decade later, under President Medvedev, Russia and NATO were cooperating once again. At the 2010 NATO summit in Lisbon, Medvedev declared,

    The period of distance in our relations and claims against each other is over now. We view the future with optimism and will work on developing relations between Russia and NATO in all areas . . . [as they progress toward] a full-fledged partnership.9

    At that summit, he even floated the possibility of Russia-NATO cooperation on missile defense. Complaints about NATO expansion never arose.

    After Putin’s 2014 invasion, the little Russian terrorist lied that the US made promises about not supporting NATO’s eastward expansion, but that was debunked by Gorbachev himself, who was in the room with James Baker.

    “The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years. … Another issue we brought up was discussed: making sure that NATO’s military structures would not advance and that additional armed forces would not be deployed on the territory of the then-GDR after German reunification. Baker’s statement was made in that context… Everything that could have been and needed to be done to solidify that political obligation was done. And fulfilled.”

    This is still relevant because a Putin apologist is trying to get a job running the DNI.

    Paul Montagu (1888f5)

Leave a Reply


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.1775 secs.