The Biden Presidency - 2020

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by molson

The refund is ultimately going pay for my wedding this year. Otherwise, I was a bit over-extended on that (that wedding planning shit has a way of expanding past your initial expectations).

The extra income isn't a huge life-changer for me on a month-to-month basis, I was paid ahead on the loans, they were were locked in at a very low interest rate when I consolidated years ago, so I mostly just paid a little here and there to make sure the balance didn't increase, but it otherwise it made more sense to pay those slowly. So I may not be the right person to settle your argument. But most of the extra money will go towards my retirement accounts and paying down a HELOC balance (which may have the effect of me feeling a little more willing to spend on stuff like home improvements).

I started at $120k debt for college + law school in 2006 (way too much to take on, but, I was young and dumb and felt like I was at a dead end in life and my career, so I went for it.) Paid aggressively for a while, got about $20k in grants from my law school for doing public service along the way. I've had the last $45k for a few years now between paying only the interest, and the not paying at all during the COVID pause.

So I'm probably not the most sympathetic loan forgiveness recipient now in that they're not a huge life obstacle, but, I had a lot of lean years with this hovering over me, and my retirement investments were definitely delayed by years as I took that debt on.

Thanks.

My brother in law is a financial genius. He was two steps below Jamie Dimon before he retired at the age of 48 to race cars. We have often discussed the student loan situation and he is in agreement with me that it would be an amazing stimulus to the economy since most people would use the extra money to go out to eat more, purchase a new vehicle, etc...so your wedding example backs that up somewhat.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Thanks.

My brother in law is a financial genius. He was two steps below Jamie Dimon before he retired at the age of 48 to race cars. We have often discussed the student loan situation and he is in agreement with me that it would be an amazing stimulus to the economy since most people would use the extra money to go out to eat more, purchase a new vehicle, etc...so your wedding example backs that up somewhat.

I've never understood the push back to this. It makes sense that if you didn't have loans, you had a viable degree and job, that the income you'd earn some of it would be disposable and thus stimulate the economy.

My loans are paid, I don't have any. I'm blessed, I'm happy for anyone who is having them paid off. There is no bitterness or what about me...

The what about me stuff is just pathetic, there's always someone who feels shrifted (generally by their bad choices) and want to screw everyone else from betterment (hence MAGATs).

This is also why I shake my head about not having universal healthcare, wouldn't it then reduce weight on companies to not have to shell out for let's face it nine times out of ten pretty shitty insurance. Wouldn't universal health care allow them to then allow employees to maybe put that money into 401k or disposable income, sure you'll have higher taxes but you're covered. Companies could also then redirect money to other things. Insurance companies wouldn't go kaput, they'd have the largest customer in the US Gov'nt.

I just don't get. Too much fuck you I got mine, or if I can't have it no one can.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Thanks.

My brother in law is a financial genius. He was two steps below Jamie Dimon before he retired at the age of 48 to race cars. We have often discussed the student loan situation and he is in agreement with me that it would be an amazing stimulus to the economy since most people would use the extra money to go out to eat more, purchase a new vehicle, etc...so your wedding example backs that up somewhat.

So would he be cool with giving every American citizen 55k? Think the of spending everyone would do!

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

I've never understood the push back to this.

It's simply because someone has to pay for that stuff.

If Peter is robbed to pay Paul then Peter isn't like to congratulate Paul on his newfound wealth.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

It's simply because someone has to pay for that stuff.

If Peter is robbed to pay Paul then Peter isn't like to congratulate Paul on his newfound wealth.

Most student loans are predatory; most kids who get student loans have to do so because they're living hand to mouth or their parents are and they have no recourse but to get loans that exceed really the value of college.

So what are youre options? You take the loan if you want a real career. Some careers require masters degrees, guess what theres another loan. Now you have your degrees but you are competing in a job market, you have have transport, you have to have place to sleep, you have to have food and utilities.

People like you are the problem. I assume your thought is if you can't afford it don't do it, well with education you don't have that option. You can be a stupid unskilled laborer but you won't be able to live.

Oh and I think in Europe the majority of college education is free. It's publically funded because you know who wouldn't want their citizens to get good education so they can get good jobs so you know stimulate the economy and have a skilled workforce populace.

This whole bullshit persona of pull yourself up by your bootstraps is so you can be poor and stupid. The mindset that it is robbery if the public gets "free" education/public health (meaning taxes go towards it) is one of the nastiest tricks the rich have played on you.

Like I said, I don't really care. My loans are paid for my degrees(bachelor and masters). I got a nice house in a nice area (suburbs). Good public school for my kids. My company has an okay health insurance and I've got about 400k in my 401k (I took out a chunk to pay for said house but that's okay it's doubled in value). I don't make too many extravagent purchases; I live easy, I can buy the things I need when I want.

My daughter is just finishing up her masters. Her loans are paid. Her starting salary is just North of 93k. She'll be fine at 23. Not a lot of kids will be.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

We could just make people pay their taxes too.

Pfizer’s Massive Tax Dodge

That too.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

That too.

Another savings opportunity.

Israeli journalist Noam Amir: "The Americans spent nearly a billion dollars on interceptors tonight." https://t.co/RLwjDoRlQR

— Sina Toossi (@SinaToossi) April 14, 2024

[Atocep]

Nothing really to add to this wonderful, beautiful quote.

"Gettysburg, what an unbelievable battle that was," Trump said while addressing the crowd in the town and wearing a Make America Great Again hat. "It was so much, and so interesting, and so vicious and horrible, and so beautiful in so many different ways—it represented such a big portion of the success of this country," he continued.

"Gettysburg, wow—I go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to look and to watch," he said. "And the statement of Robert E. Lee, who's no longer in favor—did you ever notice it? He's no longer in favor. 'Never fight uphill, me boys, never fight uphill.' They were fighting uphill, he said, 'Wow, that was a big mistake,' he lost his big general. 'Never fight uphill, me boys,' but it was too late," Trump added.

[flere-imsaho]

But let's talk more about Biden's cognition.

[Lathum]

The audio of it is absolutely brutal.

One thing I did notice is no one was cheering. It gave me hope that even his most fervent supporters are starting to be like, WTF is he even saying?

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Lathum

The audio of it is absolutely brutal.

One thing I did notice is no one was cheering. It gave me hope that even his most fervent supporters are starting to be like, WTF is he even saying?

It's another rally of word salad and where, at one point, his brain locked up and he slurred some nonsensical shit.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Nothing really to add to this wonderful, beautiful quote.

Had to make the Ken Burns edit to stop the intrusive thoughts https://t.co/08UhGZbl9E pic.twitter.com/AgqukvhPgW

— Dad (@SchneeDad) April 15, 2024

[HerRealName]

REL disliked fighting uphill so much he did it on two consecutive days.

[RainMaker]

what a wonderful husband!

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/16/n...ery-trial.html

[Edward64]

The details of the Ukraine-Israel-Taiwan bills to be voted on this Saturday. No mention of border security, I have to believe there'll be something.

Here’s what aid the House would provide Israel, Ukraine | CNN Politics

Taken together, the House bills add up to about $95 billion in aid – the same amount the Senate bill included – with an adjustment that $10 billion in Ukraine economic assistance is in the form of a repayable loan, CNN has reported.

The House is expected to vote on the bills Saturday. President Joe Biden said in a statement Wednesday that he supports the aid package.

For Ukraine.

One of the bills would provide a total of nearly $61 billion to assist Ukraine and others in the region fight Russia – about the same that was included in the Senate bill.

... with an adjustment that $10 billion in Ukraine economic assistance is in the form of a repayable loan

For Israel.

The House package would provide $26.4 billion to aid Israel, specifying that the funds are to support “its effort to defend itself against Iran and its proxies, and to reimburse US military operations in response to recent attacks,” according to a summary of the legislation.

The funding includes $4 billion for the Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems and $1.2 billion for the Iron Beam defense system, which counters short-range rockets and mortar threats.

For Taiwan & APAC

The House package includes $8.1 billion to counter China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific region. It includes $3.3 billion to develop submarine infrastructure, $2 billion in foreign military financing for Taiwan and other key allies, and $1.9 billion to replenish defense items and services provided to Taiwan and regional partners.

EDIT: Axios reported below on the border stuff. If true, I still don't get it. GOP leverage is now with getting something for the border. Proposing a separate bill that probably won't pass the Senate this year seems to be a losing proposition. And there is no guarantee Trump will win for a border bill in 2025.

Those four bills will be moved together procedurally, while another bill with "core components" of Republicans' Trump-era border policy bill will be introduced separately, he said.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Additional details by PolitiFact. Specific to TikTok, Bytedance owns TikTok. The question is whether Bytedance is controlled or will do what Chinese government wants. Take the conclusion for what you will.

The below Politico article is kinda weird. If Tiktok was not owned/controlled by the Chinese government, why would the Chinese diplomats come out and try stop this legislation?

Just a moment...

Chinese diplomats are quietly meeting with Hill staffers about TikTok
:
The embassy also sought to claim the company as Chinese, the staffers said, despite TikTok’s public efforts to distance itself from the origin of its founders. TikTok, unlike ByteDance, is based in Singapore and the United States. In one of the meetings, the embassy argued that the legislation amounted to a forced data transfer of a Chinese company, according to the House staffer.

Oblivious hypocrisy. Plenty of western companies are treated differently in China.

In the other, the embassy argued that the effort was not fair to a Chinese company because the U.S. would not treat a company with a different national origin the same way, according to the Senate staffer.

And this is puzzling, apparently Tiktok knows nothing about this.

TikTok said in a statement that the embassy meetings were “news to us, and it’s absurd to ask us to comment on anonymous sources we know nothing about.”

[Edward64]

The Ukraine-Israel-Taiwan bills total up to $95B in aid.

Sounds like Norway could fund that all by themselves just from one quarter.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/18/worl...q1-profit.html

Norway’s giant sovereign wealth fund on Thursday reported first-quarter profit of 1.21 trillion kroner ($109.9 billion), supported by robust returns on its investments in technology stocks.

The so-called Government Pension Fund Global, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, said it had a value of 17.7 trillion kroner at the end of March.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Edward64

And this is puzzling, apparently Tiktok knows nothing about this.

Not as puzzling when you think about it. I believe interaction between Bytedance and the Chinese government is separated from Tik Tok. Whether it is a Chinese government front or not, the best way to have Tik Tok be successful is to keep it as separate from the Chinese government as possible.

[RainMaker]

They're mostly owned by VC and private equity firms. Sequoia and Susquehanna own a large chunk of the company. The same people who own half of Silicon Valley. It's not a huge secret who's invested in ByteDance.

We can drop the facade over "fears of Chinese ownership". They're invested heavily in tons of American companies, including Twitter and Meta (who actively share data on users with the Chinese government). This is more about appeasing some Israeli lobbyists and giving a right-wing billionaire like Steve Mnuchin a growing company at a steep discount.

[Edward64]

Congrats Mike for getting this far. Congrats Jeffries (and Joe) for supporting and whatever nod-nod-wink-wink you had to do with Mike.

After the bills pass, I really want MTG to start the vacate process. I assume the Dems will support Mike and the vacate motion will fail. But it'll be fun watching the dysfunction for another week or two (and a reminder to the voters).

HouseÂ*passesÂ*key procedural vote on foreign aid bills, setting up final vote Saturday | CNN Politics

The House voted Friday in a bipartisan manner to advance a key foreign aid package, a significant step in sending aid to Ukraine and Israel and setting up a final vote as soon as Saturday.

In an extraordinary move, more Democrats (165) supported the measure than Republicans (151). The Democratic votes were necessary to overcome opposition from Speaker Mike Johnson’s right flank, who will likely only increase their calls to oust him.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

The below Politico article is kinda weird. If Tiktok was not owned/controlled by the Chinese government, why would the Chinese diplomats come out and try stop this legislation?

Enjoy your Tiktok while you can. I predict it's going down.

Just a moment...

A direct effort by Chinese diplomats to lobby Hill staffers, reported by POLITICO, instead only hardened the sense of Washington China hawks that the app was a dangerous proxy for Beijing.

With the House of Representatives set to pass the TikTok bill as part of a major aid package over the weekend, the ball would be in the Senate’s court, where friction already seems much lower than it was in March, when the TikTok bill first moved through the House.

TikTok’s poorly calculated lobbying in D.C. appears to have only emboldened lawmakers who continue to rush through the legislation, and Cantwell’s recent sign onto the latest TikTok bill clears a key hurdle to Senate movement.

In the Senate, the updated House TikTok bill also got support from key Commerce and Intelligence Committee Republicans involved in the TikTok negotiations.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

EDIT: Axios reported below on the border stuff. If true, I still don't get it. GOP leverage is now with getting something for the border. Proposing a separate bill that probably won't pass the Senate this year seems to be a losing proposition. And there is no guarantee Trump will win for a border bill in 2025.

Watching Jeffries speech now. Let's get it done.

According to WaPo on the border bill. So, Joe gets what he wants, albeit delayed for 5 months, and doesn't have to concede any border stuff. Weird GOP 3D chess.

The House plans to vote separately Saturday on the four bills. The House is also set to consider a fifth bill of GOP priorities to secure the border, but it will mostly likely fail because it requires a two-thirds vote, unlike the other bills, which require a simple majority.

EDIT: done deal!

Joe & Jeffries, think your best shot for continued bi-partisanship is Mike. Gotta support him if there's a vacate motion.

[Edward64]

Some behind the scenes stuff that happened for Mike to let the vote happen

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/21/polit...wan/index.html

The day after Iran attacked Israel, House Speaker Mike Johnson was on the phone with a man who suddenly held the keys to his legislative agenda and potentially his own future: House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.

In a phone call that has not been previously reported, Johnson said he was ready to act on foreign aid, even though that would enrage Republicans who did not support additional assistance to Ukraine and could potentially cost him his job, a source familiar with the conversation told CNN.

On Tuesday, Johnson sat in his office as members streamed in to voice their complaints and level their demands. By nighttime, he was wrestling how to proceed. Feeling the weight of his future and knowing history was watching him, Johnson, a devout Christian, turned to prayer.

And more recently, Johnson received a key intelligence briefing from CIA Director Bill Burns, who painted a picture of the dire situation on the battlefield in Ukraine and the global consequences of inaction, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. The briefing left a lasting impression, and Johnson became increasingly convinced the fate of Western democracy was on his shoulders, sources close to him said.

And his personal rationale ...

“To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys. My son is going to begin in the Naval Academy this fall. This is a live-fire exercise for me as it is so many American families,” Johnson told reporters. “This is not a game, this is not a joke.”

I hope it portends some additional, non-MAGA, bipartisanship in the future.

[RainMaker]

This is a really positive research paper on the benefits of student loan cancellation. It found that people who received help were able to buy homes, cars, and other necessities in life. It allowed them much more financial freedom and mobility.

A First Look at Student Debt Cancellation - Jain Family Institute

If I was running for President, I'd probably be promoting the shit out of this to lure younger voters instead of chastising them.

[Thomkal]

Kari Lake has now officially (?) lost the 2022 Arizona Governor general election as the Supreme Court failed to hear her appeal. Congrats Governor Hobbs I guess?

[Edward64]

Still waiting MTG.

What's taking so long. Let's get it over with.

[GrantDawg]

The closure vote for the aid packages passed the Senate 80-19. A bunch of Republican converts from the last vote in February.

[JPhillips]

Biden WH banned almost all non-compete clauses.

[molson]

I'm starting to think it matters who the president is.

[Flasch186]

That should raise middle income wages a lot… A LOT


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[flere-imsaho]

Can't wait for the inevitable trip to SCOTUS where the right-wingers explain how non-compete clauses were common in the 1600s therefore their exclusion would never have been contemplated by the Founding Fathers.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Can't wait for the inevitable trip to SCOTUS where the right-wingers explain how non-compete clauses were common in the 1600s therefore their exclusion would never have been contemplated by the Founding Fathers.

Doesn't even need to make it to SCOTUS. Lawsuit just filed in the Northern District of Texas which is a rubber stamp for whatever businesses want.

Ryan Challenges New Non-Compete Rule Issued by Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

It's the district below where everyone is filing in. I'd say Joe should nominate some judges to fix that, but he's still abiding by the tradition of blue slips so that's not changing till at minimum of 2028.

reuters.com

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Still waiting MTG.

What's taking so long. Let's get it over with.

Long article.

TL : DR lots of vibes that Dems will support Mike if there is a vote.

MTG has to know with Trump's lukewarm support of Mike & the vibes from the Dems that her vacate motion will fail. She's the type of person that will push it regardless just to force people to pick sides on the record. Hope it happens, I want to see the outcome.

Just a moment...

Democrats are increasingly open to the idea of voting to protect Speaker Mike Johnson against an ouster attempt, putting him in a stronger than expected position even with a razor-thin majority.

More than two dozen Democrats told POLITICO they expect a swath of the party to step in and save the Republican speaker following his decision to buck conservative members of his party and support military aid to Ukraine.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Long article.

TL : DR lots of vibes that Dems will support Mike if there is a vote.

MTG has to know with Trump's lukewarm support of Mike & the vibes from the Dems that her vacate motion will fail. She's the type of person that will push it regardless just to force people to pick sides on the record. Hope it happens, I want to see the outcome.

Just a moment...

I think the Dems are willing to save Johnson at this point because there has been a lot of open infighting amongst R's all of a sudden. Getting on Sunday talk shows/openly talking about the reality of working with some of them are on a daily basis.



johnson finally allowing the Ukraine package to go through was maybe a signal that he too is tired of working with some of the Far right members of his party because they are going to be the ones that cause them to lose both the House and Senate in November. i think especially if they lose, they will finally be ready to jettison the more extreme members and work with the Dems to get rid of/remove from Committee Chairmanship roles. People like Gaetz, MTG, even Comer and Jordan considering their almost no results from their Committees, and have they even started their own Jan 6 investigation yet?

[Swaggs]

Dems want a functional government, even if they aren't the ones running it. A fair amount of GOPers love to do whatever it takes to make the federal government not work, so they can point out how the federal government doesn't work.

[cuervo72]

Well, a fair number of them don't want a working federal government period. Easier to get away with other antics if you don't have one.

(With all the hubub about the movie, I decided to finally read Killers of the Flower Moon earlier this year. One angle that was brought up about the emergence of the FBI was that before its existence, there really wasn't any way to investigate/prosecute much of anything if the local authorities weren't interested -- or were the ones who were behind the crimes. You have a crooked local/state authority, there's nothing that can be done about it. Which of course is how a lot of areas were run. Some would probably like to get back to that.)

[molson]

Another win for Biden.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees | US Department of Transportation

DOT issued a rule requiring airlines to provide automatic refunds (not travel credits) to passengers when flights are cancelled, significantly changed (by 3 hours domestic, 6 hours international, increase in number of connections, and a few other triggering events), or significantly delayed baggage.

[Swaggs]

Next, he needs to kill of Ticketmaster and StubHub....

If he can do that, he belongs on Mt. Rushmore.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

Next, he needs to kill of Ticketmaster and StubHub.....

So the government should be involved in telling venues how to sell their tickets?

Srsly?

Why not solve the problem and just have the government seize the venues and give all the tickets away free?

[RainMaker]

Monopolies are illegal. So they'd just be enforcing the existing law.

I'd also wager most of those venues are publicly financed. So maybe there should be some free tickets included for subsidizing their business model.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

So the government should be involved in telling venues how to sell their tickets?

Srsly?

Why not solve the problem and just have the government seize the venues and give all the tickets away free?

That's the spirit! Eat the rich!

[JonInMiddleGA]

It's not as though there's some other rational solution ... I mean, they're obviously selling oxygen.

It's not as though consumers could {gasp} simply choose not to partake.

Want to put an end to Ticketmaster? Stop buying tickets sold through them.
No government overreach required.

And if an insufficient number of people are willing to do that then is there really that much of issue?

[RainMaker]

They have a monopoly which is the issue. There is often nowhere else to buy tickets.

I don't think it's government overreach to enforce existing laws that those companies are breaking. If you disagree with those laws, I get it, but they're on the books.

[RainMaker]

This would be bad.

This Bill Would Give the Treasury Nearly Unlimited Power To Destroy Nonprofits

[thesloppy]

Just make ticket flees a constant, flat fee, not a stupid percentage of the face value, and people wouldn't revolt. Ticketmaster's fees are so ridiculous and they have such a monopoly that even the 'indie' alternatives are only motivated to be fractionally less shitty, trying to get their sips from the money river, rather than trying to disrupt the model.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Want to put an end to Ticketmaster? Stop buying tickets sold through them.
No government overreach required.

And if an insufficient number of people are willing to do that then is there really that much of issue?

Yes. Because Saudi money is propping them up.


https://variety.com/2020/music/news/live-nation-saudi-arabia-investment-fund-1234590638/

You joke about some regulation being akin to the American government taking them over, but the Saudi government is literally their third largest shareholder.

[Edward64]

Personally, I'm not adversely impacted by the Tik Tok ban. But please don't mess with DJI, I want to get a Mini 4 sometime.

If there was some hidden Chinese malware or backdoor stuff, I'm sure someone is smart enough to find it. I'd be more worried about Teslas or TVs made in China.

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-in...ly%20be%20over.

U.S. authorities have their sights set on China-based drone maker DJI, a company that has popularised drones for consumer and commercial markets globally. The U.S. Congress intends to ban it, as they have begun to see DJI as a national security threat. Once the bipartisan legislation passes and the firm is added to the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) communications infrastructure blocklist, DJI's business in the U.S. will effectively be over.

Representative Elise Stefanik, the New York senator said, "DJI presents an unacceptable national security risk, and it is past time that drones made by Communist China are removed from America." DJI however refutes these claims. Regina Lin the spokesperson for DJI denied its drones were used for human rights violations as they are not made for surveillance.

While the company does not sell drones for military purposes, DJI drones are known to have been used in Russia's war against Ukraine. Its products were also used to spy on Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, though no ban was issued as a direct response at the time. If one imposes the same treatment on other companies, many entities would fall under it. Divesting or discouraging companies that actively engage in human rights violations is important, irrespective of which side they are from.

[RainMaker]

I wouldn't worry about malware or backdoor stuff. People have gone through their product for years and found nothing. The ban is at the behest of Skydio which just can't compete with DJI or Autel. Not sure what stage of capitalism this brings us to.

It'll be a huge blow to a lot of small/medium businesses that have invested in the drones. LiDar mapping, surveyors, etc.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by molson

Another win for Biden.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees | US Department of Transportation

DOT issued a rule requiring airlines to provide automatic refunds (not travel credits) to passengers when flights are cancelled, significantly changed (by 3 hours domestic, 6 hours international, increase in number of connections, and a few other triggering events), or significantly delayed baggage.

They are already pushing to change this. The new FAA bill has language in it that repeals the DOT rule. It has bipartisan support.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Still waiting MTG.

What's taking so long. Let's get it over with.

Yes, finally. Some excitement next week!

Marjorie Taylor Greene to try to oust Speaker Johnson next week : NPR

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will move next week to try to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson from the job over his reliance on votes from Democrats to pass key legislation, including aid for Ukraine.