USpolitics
- How much do illegal immigrants cost the U.S.?www.newsweek.com How much do illegal immigrants cost the U.S.?
The U.S. sees $150.7 billion yearly cost from illegal immigration, with policy shifts increasing taxpayer burden.
- Biden's economic adviser Jared Bernstein can't explain how money works
- Jared Bernstein, Joe Biden's Chief Economist, faced difficulties explaining money's workings in a documentary or 'Finding The Money,' despite his role.
- He stumbled through concepts, highlighting the confusion around government money printing and borrowing
- Bernstein, who is head of the US Council of Economic Advisers, is not formally trained in economics and appeared bewildered in the clip
- Tester on suggestion immigration bill support motivated by election-year politics: ‘Bulls—‘ [Tara Suter | 05/16/24 | The Hill]
>“That’s bulls—,” Tester told Punchbowl News. “You can’t on one hand talk about how the border’s not secure, and on the other hand say we’re not going to secure the border because we don’t want it to be secure.”
>Tester said last month that he would support the bill as a stand-alone after previously voting against it when it was offered as an amendment to a spending package to fund the departments of Defense and Homeland Security alongside other priorities.
- Biden repeats false claim that inflation was at 9% when he took office after being called out last week | Fox Newswww.foxnews.com Biden repeats false claim that inflation was at 9% when he took office after being called out last week
President Biden was called out for repeating the lie that inflation was at 9% when he first took office even after he was fact-checked by media outlets.
- What’s the Inflation Rate Under Biden vs 7 Previous Presidents? – MishTalkmishtalk.com What’s the Inflation Rate Under Biden vs 7 Previous Presidents?
Voters seem angry about inflation despite economists telling us how great things are. A few pictures explain.
- The Biden Administration's Hypocrisy On World Press Freedom Day [Kevin Gosztola | May 3, 2024 | thedissenter]thedissenter.org Biden's Hypocrisy On World Press Freedom Day
“Journalism should not be a crime anywhere on Earth," Biden said on World Press Freedom Day. But the US has helped make journalism more deadly.
>United States President Joe Biden marked World Press Freedom Day by calling for the “immediate and unconditional release of all journalists who have been put behind bars for simply doing their jobs.” He added, “Journalism should not be a crime anywhere on Earth.”
>WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been in detention in London’s Belmarsh maximum-security prison for more than five years because the Biden administration insists on bringing Assange to the U.S. for a trial on unprecedented Espionage Act charges that were issued under President Donald Trump.
>Despite what Blinken claims, the U.S. does not support “free and independent media around the world.” It supports media that help U.S. officials further the agenda of the U.S. government.
- More Americans trust Trump on economy, inflation than Biden: Poll [Lauren Sforza | 05/05/24 | The Hill]
>The ABC News/Ipsos poll found that economy and inflation were among the top issues for Americans in this upcoming presidential election, with more Americans saying they trust Trump on the issues than Biden. Eighty-eight percent of Americans in the survey said the economy was important when deciding whom to vote for, and 85 percent said the same for inflation.
>The ABC News/Ipsos poll was conducted online among 2,260 adults April 25-30 and has a margin of sampling error of 2 percentage points.
- Fetterman mocks students protesting on college campuses over Houthi offer [Lauren Irwin | 05/03/24 | The Hill]
>Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) mocked the students protesting on college campuses after a report was released stating a Houthi-run university in Yemen will offer slots to those suspended at U.S. universities.
>“The board of the university condemns what academics and students of the U.S. and European universities are being subjected to, suppression of freedom of expression,” the school’s board said in a statement.
>Since the start of the war, Fetterman has unequivocally backed Israel and its right to defend itself. He criticized the protests, admitting that it’s a “great American value to protest” but thinks the demonstrations are “pup tents” for Hamas.
>The protesters have rejected that characterization, saying they are merely exercising their freedom of speech to protest Israel’s war crimes against Palestinian civilians.
- US House passes controversial bill that expands definition of anti-Semitism [1 May 2024 | Al Jazeera]www.aljazeera.com US House passes controversial bill that expands definition of anti-Semitism
Rights groups warn that the definition could further chill freedom of speech as protests continue on college campuses.
>The bill passed the House on Wednesday by a margin of 320 to 91, and it is largely seen as a reaction to the ongoing antiwar protests unfolding on US university campuses. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.
>But critics warn IHRA’s definition could be used to stifle campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of 34,568 Palestinians so far.
>In a letter sent to lawmakers on Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) urged House members to vote against the legislation, saying federal law already prohibits anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment.
>The Biden administration and other top Washington officials have pledged steadfast support for Israel, despite mounting humanitarian concerns over its military campaign.
- Jewish Democrat on voting against bill: Anti-Zionism not ‘inherently’ antisemitism [Filip Timotija | 05/01/24 | The Hill]
>Jewish Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) said she voted against the bill that would crack down on antisemitism on college campuses because, in her view, anti-Zionism is not “inherently” antisemitism, and the measure that passed through the House would “stifle” free speech rights.
>“But I do not believe that anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitism. I support Israel’s right to exist, but I also know many people who question whether Israel should exist as a Jewish state who are deeply connected to their Judaism,” Jacobs said.
>The bill passed with a 320-91 vote. The 70 Democrats were joined by 21 Republicans in opposing the measure that now heads to the Senate.
>“Today, I voted against H.R. 6090, because it fails to effectively address the very real rise of antisemitism, all while defunding colleges and universities across the country and punishing many, if not all, of the non-violent protestors speaking out against the Israeli military’s conduct,” she said.
- Greene leaves them guessing on threat to oust Speaker Johnson [Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis | 04/29/24 | TheHill]
>Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is happy to keep them guessing.
>And on Monday evening — after a weeklong recess during which she escalated her threats against the Speaker — Greene was a no-show at the only House votes of the day, raising only more questions about whether she intends to pull the trigger on her motion to vacate.
>And Greene herself kept the anticipation in high gear Sunday afternoon, writing on the social platform X that Johnson’s “days as Speaker are numbered” — though she did not provide a more specific timeline.
>“One, I don’t think it’s good timing. Two, I don’t think — if it was triggered — I don’t think it would pass,” Crane said. “I’ve publicly said multiple times I think that the Democrats would keep Speaker Johnson, I think they would save him, so I don’t think it would pass. And furthermore, even if it did pass, I don’t have much confidence with the conference that we have that we could get a more conservative Speaker for the American people.”
>“Right now, we’re six months out, ish, from the election, and we need to focus on that. But we’ll see. There’s still a lot of work left to be done on [fiscal 2025] levels, on other issues — Farm Bill — other stuff. Let’s see what our priorities are.”
- Gaetz gets last-minute primary challenger in Florida [Miranda Nazzaro | 04/29/24 | TheHill]
>A former naval aviator has launched a last-minute primary challenge against Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), filing last week to run for the House in Florida’s 1st Congressional District.
>Aaron Dimmock filed to run as a Republican in Gaetz’s district last Friday, the qualifying deadline for federal and judicial candidates in the Sunshine State.
- Trump leads in 3-way race with Biden, RFK Jr.: Poll [Julia Manchester | 04/29/24 | TheHill]
Edit:
- fixed title format ---
>Former President Trump is the front-runner in a three-way race with President Biden and Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll shared with The Hill on Monday.
>In a race between the three candidates, 44 percent of surveyed voters said they backed Trump, while 38 percent said they would vote for Biden. Another 12 percent said they supported Kennedy, and 5 percent said they did not know or were unsure of whom they were going to support.
- Palestinian Solidarity Encampment Protests Explode Around the Country (But will they be effective?)
YouTube Video
Click to view this content.
- The Tech Robber Baron that wants to take over San Francisco
Balaji, a 43-year-old Long Island native who goes by his first name, has a solid Valley pedigree: He earned multiple degrees from Stanford University, founded multiple startups, became a partner at Andreessen-Horowitz and then served as chief technology officer at Coinbase. He is also the leader of a cultish and increasingly strident neo-reactionary tech political movement that sees American democracy as an enemy. In 2013, a New York Times story headlined “Silicon Valley Roused by Secession Call” described a speech in which he “told a group of young entrepreneurs that the United States had become ‘the Microsoft of nations’: outdated and obsolescent.”
“The speech won roars from the audience at Y Combinator, a leading start-up incubator,” reported the Times. Balaji paints a bleak picture of a dystopian future in a U.S. in chaos and decline, but his prophecies sometimes fall short. Last year, he lost one million dollars in a public bet after wrongly predicting a massive surge in the price of Bitcoin.
Still, his appetite for autocracy is bottomless. Last October, Balaji hosted the first-ever Network State Conference. Garry Tan—the current Y Combinator CEO who’s attempting to spearhead a political takeover of San Francisco—participated in an interview with Balaji and cast the effort as part of the Network State movement. Tan, who made headlines in January after tweeting “die slow motherfuckers” at local progressive politicians, frames his campaign as an experiment in “moderate” politics. But in a podcast interview one month before the conference, Balaji laid out a more disturbing and extreme vision.
What I’m really calling for is something like tech Zionism,” he said, after comparing his movement to those started by the biblical Abraham, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith (founder of Mormonism), Theodor Herzl (“spiritual father” of the state of Israel), and Lee Kuan Yew (former authoritarian ruler of Singapore). Balaji then revealed his shocking ideas for a tech-governed city where citizens loyal to tech companies would form a new political tribe clad in gray t-shirts. “And if you see another Gray on the street…you do the nod,” he said, during a four-hour talk on the Moment of Zen podcast. “You’re a fellow Gray.”
The Grays’ shirts would feature “Bitcoin or Elon or other kinds of logos … Y Combinator is a good one for the city of San Francisco in particular.” Grays would also receive special ID cards providing access to exclusive, Gray-controlled sectors of the city. In addition, the Grays would make an alliance with the police department, funding weekly “policeman’s banquets” to win them over.
“Grays should embrace the police, okay? All-in on the police,” said Srinivasan. “What does that mean? That’s, as I said, banquets. That means every policeman’s son, daughter, wife, cousin, you know, sibling, whatever, should get a job at a tech company in security.”
In exchange for extra food and jobs, cops would pledge loyalty to the Grays. Srinivasan recommends asking officers a series of questions to ascertain their political leanings. For example: “Did you want to take the sign off of Elon’s building?”
This refers to the August 2023 incident in which Elon Musk illegally installed a large flashing X logo atop Twitter headquarters, in violation of building safety codes. City inspectors forced him to remove it. This was the second time Musk had run afoul of the city in his desire to refurbish his headquarters: In July, police briefly halted his attempt to pry the “Twitter” signage from the building’s exterior. But in Balaji’s dystopia, he implies that officers loyal to the Grays would let Musk do as he pleases (democratically-inclined officers, he suggests, can be paid to retire).
Simply put, there is a ton of fascist-chic cosplay involved. Once an officer joins the Grays, they get a special uniform designed by their tech overlords. The Grays will also donate heavily to police charities and “merge the Gray and police social networks.” Then, in a show of force, they’ll march through the city together.
- We needed an instant replay, but, yes Mike Johnson did point at Donald Trump when talking about "hardened criminals."
cross-posted from: https://lemmit.online/post/2667481
> ##### This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot. > The original was posted on /r/ukrainianconflict by /u/West-Journalist-5806 on 2024-04-15 13:12:48. >
- ‘Now you’re a terrorist’: Atlanta’s Cop City crackdownwww.aljazeera.com ‘Now you’re a terrorist’: Atlanta’s Cop City crackdown
Fault Lines examines the case against activists opposing Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ police training centre.
- Ohio Governor DeWine’s Executive Order Is A De Facto Ban on Transgender Carewww.acluohio.org Governor DeWine’s Executive Order Is A De Facto Ban on Transgender Care
Following his veto of Ohio House Bill 68, a bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender people under 18, Governor Mike DeWine issued an executive order and proposed restrictions on care for transgender people that, in practice. The ACLU and the ACLU of Ohio condemned the proposal.
- Donald Trump's reported smell becomes target of attack adwww.newsweek.com Donald Trump's reported smell becomes target of attack ad
The Lincoln Project dropped a new ad mocking the former president after claims about his bad odor gained traction on social media.
- Donald Trump in real trouble after leaked Michigan call, Karl Rove warnswww.newsweek.com Donald Trump in real trouble after leaked Michigan call, Karl Rove warns
A phone call supposedly including Donald Trump speaking with Michigan election canvassers in 2020 is drawing new scrutiny.
- Biden's Messaging
Hey, so, I was hoping someone could break down the strategy or rationale behind team Biden's current messaging? Cards on the table, I plan on voting for him in the general election and primary, but the Biden camp's messaging seems insane to me. I know a single person irl who's doing well financially right now, everyone else is feeling the pain. The messaging so far seems to be (and please correct me if I'm wrong): everything is fine actually, and we should all be praising him, and it doesn't matter if you disagree because the other guy is Hitler. It just comes across as super disconnected, I don't know any IRL left/Dem voters that resonate with it, and it honestly reminds me of the general vibe of the HRC campaign from 16. This election is too important to fuck up, so this messaging has got me concerned. Can someone explain how this is supposed to win Biden the election?
- Donald Trump Hates The US Military - Long List Of Links
A user on that other site put together a list of articles detailing a TON of examples of Trump harming the US military, ranging from actual policy implementations, to brown-nosing our enemies' leaders, to being disrespectful to current and prior servicemen and women.
That list has been deleted, which spurred me to preserve a few similar ones as a list here on Lemmy.
Why this is important: many people who lean right/conservative/republican do so because of that side of the aisle's ostensible support for our troops. As a veteran myself, this drives me absolutely insane, because their 'support' for us is only ever just using us as a prop for a photo shoot, after which we're immediately cast aside. Despite that, the military and veteran populations maintain a red stain through blind loyalty to a party that doesn't give a squat about our troops. This list is a resource to help slap some sense into those troops/vets, so please use/share/expand the content below.
As of now, this is just a blatant copy-paste of what I found on the other site, so if you notice something incorrect, let me know and I'll get it fixed. The posts these are from are about 3 years old, so if you know of a more current version or just more recent articles about Trump vs troops, please post those as well!
Anywho...
- Trump knew since March 2020 that Russia paid bounties to kill American troops, yet he has done nothing
- May 2020, the White House attempted to end National Guard deployments one day before they could claim benefits
- The Trump admin seized 5 million masks intended for VA hospitals. Kushner distributes these masks to private entities for a fee, who then sells the masks to the government
- Trump fired the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt after he warned superiors that COVID19 was spreading among his crew. The virus subsequently spread amongst the crew
- After Iran's retaliatory strike, 109 US troops suffered brain injuries. Trump dismissed these as "headaches" Second Source: Source Two
- 20/7/2017, in room 2E924 of the Pentagon, Trump told a room full of Generals, "You’re a bunch of dopes and babies" Second Source: Here
- Pardoned multiple war criminals, which stomped on long standing military values, discipline, and command. Trump has no military experience (May&Nov, 2019). This seems to be referring to multiple instances, but here are a couple articles I could find in relation:One,Two.
- Trump mocked Lt. Col. Vindman for his rank and uniform. He threatened said purple heart officer, resulting in the Army providing him protection Second Source: Here
- Trump’s Chief of Staff worked—in secret—to deny comprehensive health coverage to Vietnam Vets who suffered from Agent Orange
- There is a facility in Tijuana for US veterans that Trump deported. Wounded war vet, Sen Duckworth (D) marked Veterans Day 2019 by visiting this facility Second Source w/ Duckworth: Here
- Russia took control of the main U.S. military facility in Syria abandoned on Trump’s orders. Russia now owns the airstrip we built
- 10/7/2019, Trump abruptly withdrew support from America's allies in Syria after a phone call with Turkey's president (Erdogan). Turkey subsequently bombed US Special Forces Second Source: Here
- Trump sent thousands of American troops to defend the oil assets of the country that perpetrated 9/11
- Sept 2019, he made an Air Force cargo crew, flying from the U.S. to Kuwait stop in Scotland (where there's no U.S. base) to refuel at a commercial airport (where it costs more), so they could stay overnight at a Trump property (which isn't close to the airport). Trump’s golf courses are losing money, so he's forcing the military to pay for 5-star nights there
- Sept 2019, Pentagon pulled funds for military schools, military housing funds, and daycare to pay for Trump's border wall
- Aug 2019, emails revealed that three of Trump's Mar-a-Lago pals, who are now running Veterans Affairs, are rampant with meddling. "They had no experience in veterans affairs (none of them even served in the military) nor underwent any kind of approval process to serve as de facto managers. Yet, with Trump’s approval, they directed actions and criticized operations without any oversight. They wasted valuable staff time in hundreds of pages of communications and meetings, emails show. Emails reveal disdainful attitudes within the department to the trio’s meddling."
- Veterans graves will be "dug up" for the border wall, after Trump instructed aides to seize private property. Trump told officials he would pardon them if they break the law by illegally seizing property. Not sure here.Maybe this?
- Children of deployed US troops are no longer guaranteed citizenship. This includes US troops posted abroad for years at a time (August 28, 2019)
- 2/8/2019, Trump requisitioned military retirement funds towards border wall
- 31/7/2019, Trump ordered the Navy rescind medals to prosecutors who were prosecuted war criminals
- Trump denied a U.S. Marine of 6 years entry into the United States for his citizenship interview (Reported 17/7/2019)
- Trump made the U.S. Navy Blue Angels violate ethics rules by having them fly at his July 4th political campaign event (4/7/2019)
- Trump demanded US military chiefs stand next to him at 4th of July parade (reported 2/7/2019)
- June 2019, Trump sent troops to the border to paint the fence for a better "aesthetic appearance"
- Trump used his D-Day interview at a cemetery commemorating fallen US soldiers to attack a Vietnam veteran (6/6/2019)
- Trump started his D-Day commemoration speech by attacking a private citizen (Bette Midler, of all people) (reported 4/6/2019)
- Trump made his 2nd wife, Marla Maples, sign a prenup that would have cut off all child support if Tiffany joined the military (reported 4/6/2019)
- 27/5/2019, Trump turned away US military from his Memorial Day speech because they were from the destroyer USS John S. McCain
- Trump ordered the USS John McCain out of sight during his visit to Japan (15/5/2019). The ship's name was subsequently covered. (27/5/2019)
- Trump purged 200,000 vets' healthcare applications (due to known administrative errors within VA’s enrollment system) (reported on 13/5/2019)
- Trump deported a spouse of fallen Army soldier killed in Afghanistan, leaving their daughter parentless (16/4/2019)
- 20/3/2019, Trump complained that a deceased war hero didn't thank him for his funeral
- Between 12/22/2018, and 1/25/2019, Trump refused to sign his party's funding bill, which shut down the government, forcing the Coast Guard to go without pay, which made service members rely on food pantries. However, his appointees got a $10,000 pay raise
- He banned service members from serving based on gender identity (1/22/2019)
- He denied female troops access to birth control to limit sexual activity (on-going. Published 18/1/2019) Update Source: Court Blocks
- He tried to deport a marine vet who is a U.S.-born citizen (16/1/2019). Maybe?
- When a man was caught swindling veterans pensions for high-interest “cash advances," Trump's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined him $1 (Jan 26, 2019) Second Source: Here
- He called a retired general a 'dog' with a 'big, dumb mouth' (Jan 1, 2019)
- He increased privatization of the VA, leading to longer waits and higher taxpayer cost (2018)
- He finally visited troops 2 years after taking office, but only after 154 vacation days at his properties (Dec 26, 2018) Second Source:Full List of President Trips
- He revealed a covert Seal Team 5 deployment, including names and faces, on Twitter during his visit to Iraq (Dec 26, 2018)
- Trump lied to deployed troops that he gave them a 10% raise (12/26/2018). He tried giving the military a raise that was lower than the standard living adjustment. Congress told him that idea wasn't going to work. Then after giving them the raise that Congress made him, he lied about it pretending that it was larger than Obama's. It wasn't
- He fired service members living with HIV just before the 2018 holidays
- He tried to slash disability and unemployment benefits for Veterans to $0, and eliminate the unemployability extrascheduler rating (Dec 17, 2018)
- He called troops on Thanksgiving and told them he's most thankful for himself (Thanksgiving, 2018)
- He urged Florida to not count deployed military votes (Nov 12, 2018)
- He canceled an Arlington Cemetery visit on Veterans Day due to light rain (Nov 12, 2018)
- While in Europe commemorating the end of WWI, he didn't attend the ceremony at a US cemetery due to the rain -- other world leaders went anyway (Nov 10, 2018)
- He used troops as a political prop by sending them on a phantom mission to the border and made them miss Thanksgiving with their families (Oct-Dec, 2018)
- He stopped using troops as a political prop immediately after the election. However, the troops remained in muddy camps on the border (Nov 7, 2018)
- Trump changed the GI Bill through his Forever GI Act, causing the VA to miss veteran benefits, including housing allowances. This caused many vets to run out of food and rent. (reported October 7, 2018)
- Trump doubled the rejection rate for veterans requesting family deportation protections (July 5, 2018)
- Trump deported active-duty spouses (11,800 military families face this problem as of April 2018)
- He forgot a fallen soldier's name (below) during a call to his pregnant widow, then attacked her the next day (Oct 23-24, 2017)
- He sent commandos into an ambush due to a lack of intel, and sends contractors to pick them up, resulting in a commando being left behind, tortured, and executed. (Trump approved the mission because Bannon told him Obama didn't have the guts to do it) (Oct 4, 2017)
- He blocked a veteran group on Twitter (June 2017)
- He ordered the discharge of active-duty immigrant troops with good records (2017-present)
- He deported veterans (2017-present). Some of the links above should suffice.
- He said he knows more about ISIS than American generals (Oct 2016)
- Oct 3, 2016, Trump said vets get PTSD because they aren't strong (note: yes, he said it's 'because they aren't strong.' He didn't say it's 'because they're weak.' This distinction is important because of Snopes)
- Trump accepted a Purple Heart from a fan at one of his rallies and said: “I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier.” (Aug 2, 2016)
- Trump attacks Gold Star families: Myeshia Johnson (gold star widow), Khan family (gold star parents) etc. (2016-present)
- Trump sent funds raised from a Jan 2016 veterans benefit to the Donald J Trump Foundation instead of veterans charities (the foundation has since been ordered shut because of fraud) (Jan, 2016)
- Trump said he has "more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go into the military" because he went to a military-style academy (2015 biography)
- Trump said he doesn't consider POWs heroes because they were caught. He said he prefers people who were not caught (July 18, 2015)
- Trump said having unprotected sex was his own personal Vietnam (1998)
- For a decade, Trump sought to kick veterans off of Fifth Avenue because he found them unsightly nuisances outside of Trump Tower. 1991
- Trump dodged the draft 5 times by having a doctor diagnose him with bone spurs
- No Trump in America has ever served in the military; this spans 5 generations, and every branch of the family tree. In fact, the reason his grandfather immigrated to America was to avoid military service. Couldn't find a source for this one, but also couldn't find a source saying any of his family every served.
- Some thoughts on the messed up memory culture of late 20th century America into which I was socializedsethcotlar.substack.com Some thoughts on the messed up memory culture of late 20th century America into which I was socialized
Or, why did so many late 20th C. Americans feel like we had to give a pass to historical figures who committed their lives to undermining the foundational values we claimed the US stood for?
- Tuberville is holding up appointments to key military positions for Trump in order to prepare for (another) eventual coup, not because of concerns about “wokeness”
Basically the title, I think Sen. Tuberville’s stated reason for holding up many key military appointments is to ensure Trump loyalists are appointed to those positions when the next coup occurs.
Wokeness or abortion concerns are just the justification, but if he wanted to punish the military, he could just as easily do it by holding up appropriations bills.
This is just the continuation of Republican policy on the Supreme Court, delay using any reason at all, then appoint your own people even if it goes against your previous logic.
So unless you want dictatorship in 2028, vote democrat in 2024.
- McCarthy ousted as speakerwww.cnbc.com House ousts Kevin McCarthy as speaker, a first in U.S. history
It was not clear who would replace McCarthy, who was elected speaker in January after Republicans won control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections.
- Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers while building real estate empireapnews.com Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers while building real estate empire
A judge has ruled that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House.
- The arguments for Russia are BS
YouTube Video
Click to view this content.
A video describing how all pro-Russian arguments are nonsense.
- Delaware House approves bill allowing business entities to vote in town’s municipal electionsapnews.com Delaware House approves bill allowing business entities to vote in town's municipal elections
State House lawmakers have approved legislation authorizing a small town in southern Delaware to allow business entities, including corporations and limited liability companies, to vote in municipal elections.
DOVER, Del. (AP) — Lawmakers in the Delaware House of Representatives have approved legislation authorizing a small town in the southern part of the state to allow business entities, including corporations and limited liability companies, to vote in municipal elections.
Lawmakers voted 35-6 on Friday for the measure, which was sent to the Senate on the final day of this year’s legislative session. The Senate declined to take up the measure, although it could be revisited when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.
The bill authorizes a charter change for the city of Seaford, one of more than a dozen municipalities in Delaware that already allow nonresident property owners to vote. At least four allow corporate entities and trusts to vote in municipal elections, while others restrict such entities to voting in special elections such as annexations, referenda or bond issues.
Charter changes requested by local governments in Delaware are typically approved in the General Assembly in perfunctory fashion without debate or controversy. Seaford’s charter change, which sets no precedent, nevertheless drew national attention because of media campaigns by opposition groups including Common Cause and the American Civil Liberties Union. The criticism resonated with progressive House Democrats, who refused to vote for the measure. “This is not a new thing,” Republican Rep. Danny Short, a former mayor of Seaford and chief sponsor of the bill, said Thursday before a failed vote on the bill. “I don’t know why people would criticize a simple charter bill.”
The bill was resurrected Friday following closed-door deal-making by GOP lawmakers and majority Democrats, who control both chambers of the Legislature. Passage of the measure cleared the way for a final vote Friday on a $1.4 billion capital budget for the fiscal year starting Saturday.
The charter change would allow nonresident voting by both a natural person or an artificial entity, the latter including corporations, partnerships, trusts and limited liability companies established in Delaware. Any such entity would have only one vote, no matter how many properties it might own.
A business entity or trust would cast its vote by power of attorney, corporate resolution or affidavit authorizing a designated legal representative to vote on its behalf. A person voting on behalf of a business entity or trust would have to be a resident of Delaware.
In order to vote, an artificial entity would be required to certify the identities of all beneficial owners. Those names would be cross-referenced with voter registration lists to guard against multiple votes on behalf of related entities with common ownership.
According to a survey by the Delaware League of Local Governments, at least 15 municipalities allow nonresident property owners to vote in elections, and at least 12 allow voting by entities such as corporations, trusts and limited liability companies. That list includes Rehoboth Beach, where President Joe Biden has a summer home. Rehoboth is known as “The Nation’s Summer Capital” because of its popularity among denizens of Washington, D.C., some of whom own vacation homes in Delaware.
According to the National Conference on State Legislatures, 11 states allow nonresidents to vote in local, municipal, or special elections. Connecticut, Tennessee and Delaware allow nonresident voting in certain municipal or town elections.
Short said the charter change is aimed at helping economic recovery efforts in Seaford, a town of about 8,000 situated on the banks of the Nanticoke River. Seaford was once home to a thriving DuPont manufacturing facility and known as the “Nylon Capital of the World.” DuPont sold the plant in 2004, and the town lost thousands of jobs.
Seaford town officials, who approved the charter change in April, say business owners who have invested in the town through entities like LLCs and partnerships should have a say in local affairs.
Claire Snyder-Hall, executive director of Common Cause Delaware, criticized the House vote, saying corporations have no place in elections.
“In a state with more registered businesses than residents, this bill gives wealthy outsiders the power to override the actual people of Seaford,” she said in a news release.
According to the minutes of the April town council meeting, only two members of the public commented on the proposed charter change, one for and one against. In an election three days later, the resident who spoke in favor of the charter change defeated an incumbent councilman who voted against it.
In an interview earlier this week, Short said critics of the charter change are putting out erroneous information and don’t understand what’s going on in Seaford.
“This is outside people trying to control an entity that actually has home rule,” he said. “In fact, it’s almost hypocritical what they’re doing.”
- Mitch McConnell’s ‘sandbag’ moment stokes anxiety over US gerontocracyarchive.is Subscribe to read | Financial Times
News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication
Edit: Thanks @Jearom for providing the paywall free link!
- Schools lost track of homeless kids during the pandemic. Many face a steep path to recoveryapnews.com Schools lost track of homeless kids during the pandemic. Many face a steep path to recovery
Homeless kids often fell through the cracks during the tumult of the pandemic, when many schools struggled to keep track of families with unstable housing.
- Bonus | Profile in Focus | Dr. Cornel West Part 1 (1990 - 2010)rdeets.substack.com Bonus | Profile in Focus | Dr. Cornel West Part 1 (1990 - 2010)
Russia Is A Terrorist State: Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
- Democrats scramble to reach voters after Florida cancels mail-in ballot requestswww.nbcnews.com Democrats scramble to reach voters after Florida cancels mail-in ballot requests
More than a million mail-in ballot requests were canceled in three counties in January. Democrats say they're working to stem the effects of the change.
- Alabama Republicans, despite Supreme Court ruling, reject call for second majority Black House districtwww.politico.com Alabama Republicans, despite Supreme Court ruling, reject call for second majority Black House district
Lawmakers must adopt a new map after the high court in June affirmed a three-judge panel's ruling that Alabama’s existing congressional map likely violated the Voting Rights Act.
Alabama Republican leaders seem nice.
- 'They literally lack all substance': Boebert and MTG buried by Dem over committee anticswww.alternet.org 'They literally lack all substance': Boebert and MTG buried by Dem over committee antics
During an appearance on MSNBC on Saturday afternoon, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (R-TX) was asked what it is like to work with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) behind the scenes in committee and she indicated that it is a waste of everyone's time.Earlier the week, Crockett was...
- Hunter Biden will plead guilty in a deal that likely averts time behind bars in a tax and gun casenews.yahoo.com Hunter Biden will plead guilty in a deal that likely averts time behind bars in a tax and gun case
President Joe Biden’s son Hunter will plead guilty to federal tax offenses but avoid full prosecution on a separate gun charge in a deal with the Justice Department that likely spares him time behind bars. Hunter Biden, 53, will plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses as part of an agreement m...