Today everyone worries about the Musk minions cutting off federal payments. When does the continuing resolution run out? That's the point where we can worry about the Musk minions keeping checks flowing for military, law enforcement, and select other federal organizations. And lord have mercy on anyone who doesn't accept those checks as valid.
It probably never occurred to the Congress critters that they should pass laws that made Congressional ID badges good for access to any executive branch building. And that there needed to be a large armed force that answered to Congress rather than to the executive to enforce such access. And that such a force should answer to a minority set of members of Congress.
This one is interesting in the sense that a hundred years on (roughly), it's more like the rest of the world worrying the US will be wiping out other countries...
A former pilot has pointed out that training as used by the military includes "maintain operational proficiency". Experienced pilots whose job includes flying that route at night practice by flying it at night on a regular basis.
I'd rephrase your question as why does so much military and commercial traffic all get routed through that twisty little corridor over the Potomac River? Ultimately the blame goes back to Congress, which hates making hard decisions. Do they give up their lovely little close-in airport used for the weekend commutes home? (See, eg, why there is a 60-seat direct flight between Wichita and National.) Do they relocate the military facilities? Do they insist that admirals and generals sit in DC ground traffic rather than taking a helicopter up and down the Potomac corridor?
Who wins in the case of tie? If another player also has four deuces on their first roll? If the other players have to roll four threes or better, that reduces the 20% somewhat.
So we now have Mama’s recipe for biscuits. Sadly, it calls for stuff like “bacon fat” which means that they’re no longer appropriate for modern audiences.
You can buy tubs of bacon grease at the store. Someone contemporary must still be using it :^)
Sometime in the last few years Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) was on one of the Sunday morning shows. He had a list of talking points about things that must be purged from state voting systems (vote by mail, online registration, others). I have wondered since if he got phone calls from the Republican majority leaders in the Utah legislature pointing out that they had only recently finished installing all of those things in Utah.
Medicaid funds have been interrupted before. Recall how Medicaid works. The client receives care. The provider bills the state. After some delay, the state pays the bill. The documented payments are aggregated and submitted to Washington. After some delay, the feds reimburse the state for a portion of their expenses. States have buffers and reserve funds built into their cash flows to handle an interruption.
Note that Trump attempted to stop disbursement of appropriated funds. He didn't change any of what we called "substantive legislation" when I worked for my state legislature. State Medicaid agencies are still on the hook to pay providers within certain performance guidelines. Failure to do so carries financial penalties of various sorts. I'm sure that all of the Governors have already called their Senators and screamed at them.
An administrative judge has stayed the EO until at least next Monday.
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pause-federal-grants-aid-f9948b9996c0ca971f0065fac85737ce
With tongue mostly in cheek, but not entirely, it isn't often that Occam's Razor (choose the simplest explanation that fits the known facts) and Trump's Razor (choose the stupidest explanation that fits the known facts) agree. He wants to establish a North American Empire. Make Greenland a territory; make Canada a state; put enough troops in Mexico to suppress the cartels (and keep them suppressed) and Mexico is only nominally independent; the Panama Canal is important because it's a convenient way for the rest of the world to bypass the Empire.
I should have saved this for Tuesday. Tuesday is the day that I entertain conspiracy theories.
Trump wanted to send shackled deportees on unannounced military flights. It's not clear that he got that. Will future deportees be shackled? Will Colombia be informed in advance about future flights?
I understand that over in the corner, where the diplomats are still talking, Colombia has pointed out that the US has a formal agreement about how deportees can be transported to Colombia, and that it requires commercial rather than military flights.
The lesson being, don't station 100,000 pairs of boots in a country with active shooting. Biden took all the political heat for Afghanistan when he pulled out the last 2,500 troops after 20 years.
And my at-this-moment impression is that Trump is insisting interest rates go down below where they price in the risk that Congressional Republicans will default.
Detroit went through bankruptcy and survived. May have done better than survived.
What's your world view? When I'm depressed, mine is that we're headed towards regional empires. In that case, Denmark (nor the EU) can protect Greenland and it's resources. Canada's not big enough to do that job. Greenland needs to be part of a US North American empire.
The last time Trump was president, didn't at least one of the rating companies drop Treasuries to less than AAA? To screw with the credit rating of a city is one thing. To screw with the credit rating of the richest country in the world, that can literally print dollars to pay off the bonds, is another thing entirely.
When a carrier strike group with a full air wing and nukes shows up offshore from Greenland's capital, and Trump declares Greenland is a US territory, the implied challenge to the other NATO members is, "What are you going to do about it, militarily?"
It was more fun when we were young and I was a warm to start then colder in the morning sleeper, and my wife-to-be felt frozen to start then turned into a toaster oven. I think you could have told time by where we were and how far apart.
Yesterday South Carolina's state-owned electric utility announced it is seeking to sell two partially built nuclear power reactors. The reactor project was abandoned several years ago because, with cost overruns and delays, it was cheaper to buy power from almost any other source rather than finishing the project. The utility is now seeking bids from consortiums of companies that include someone who can handle the construction, someone who can handle the operations, someone who can handle the finances, and tech companies with data centers to consume the generated power 24/7.
The utility has indicated that it has no interest in owning or operating the reactors.
I would have thought the preemption doctrine, eg, no state may impose restrictions tougher than the FDA's. Of course, this SCOTUS seems likely to toss that with respect to mifepristone.
One interesting question we'll get to watch is whether the Court decides that rules and statutes can be overridden by EO without any process.
Random thought... How soon until the executive order forbidding states from imposing tougher constraints on growing conditions for food than the FDA has? One of Trump's energy EOs attempts to revoke California's waiver to impose tighter vehicle emission standards.
When I bought a dozen eggs last week, they were a couple of bucks more than the previous time. Causes: on the first of the year a new state law came into force requiring cage-free production, and avian flu is still running through the flocks.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Open Mic for the week of 2/3/2025”
Today everyone worries about the Musk minions cutting off federal payments. When does the continuing resolution run out? That's the point where we can worry about the Musk minions keeping checks flowing for military, law enforcement, and select other federal organizations. And lord have mercy on anyone who doesn't accept those checks as valid.
"
It probably never occurred to the Congress critters that they should pass laws that made Congressional ID badges good for access to any executive branch building. And that there needed to be a large armed force that answered to Congress rather than to the executive to enforce such access. And that such a force should answer to a minority set of members of Congress.
On “Somebody is Always Taking the Joy Out of Life”
This one is interesting in the sense that a hundred years on (roughly), it's more like the rest of the world worrying the US will be wiping out other countries...
On “Terror On The Potomac: The DCA Collision”
A former pilot has pointed out that training as used by the military includes "maintain operational proficiency". Experienced pilots whose job includes flying that route at night practice by flying it at night on a regular basis.
I'd rephrase your question as why does so much military and commercial traffic all get routed through that twisty little corridor over the Potomac River? Ultimately the blame goes back to Congress, which hates making hard decisions. Do they give up their lovely little close-in airport used for the weekend commutes home? (See, eg, why there is a 60-seat direct flight between Wichita and National.) Do they relocate the military facilities? Do they insist that admirals and generals sit in DC ground traffic rather than taking a helicopter up and down the Potomac corridor?
On “Indian Dice — Four Deuces in One”
Who wins in the case of tie? If another player also has four deuces on their first roll? If the other players have to roll four threes or better, that reduces the 20% somewhat.
On “Fannie Farmer, Mickey Mouse, and the Virtues of Cheating”
So we now have Mama’s recipe for biscuits. Sadly, it calls for stuff like “bacon fat” which means that they’re no longer appropriate for modern audiences.
You can buy tubs of bacon grease at the store. Someone contemporary must still be using it :^)
On “Open Mic for the week of 1/27/2025”
Sometime in the last few years Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) was on one of the Sunday morning shows. He had a list of talking points about things that must be purged from state voting systems (vote by mail, online registration, others). I have wondered since if he got phone calls from the Republican majority leaders in the Utah legislature pointing out that they had only recently finished installing all of those things in Utah.
On “Memo: All Federal Grant, Loan, and Financial Assistance “Temporarily Paused””
Medicaid funds have been interrupted before. Recall how Medicaid works. The client receives care. The provider bills the state. After some delay, the state pays the bill. The documented payments are aggregated and submitted to Washington. After some delay, the feds reimburse the state for a portion of their expenses. States have buffers and reserve funds built into their cash flows to handle an interruption.
Note that Trump attempted to stop disbursement of appropriated funds. He didn't change any of what we called "substantive legislation" when I worked for my state legislature. State Medicaid agencies are still on the hook to pay providers within certain performance guidelines. Failure to do so carries financial penalties of various sorts. I'm sure that all of the Governors have already called their Senators and screamed at them.
"
An administrative judge has stayed the EO until at least next Monday.
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pause-federal-grants-aid-f9948b9996c0ca971f0065fac85737ce
On “Open Mic for the week of 1/27/2025”
Nitpick. Covid-19, like all corona viruses, is an RNA virus.
On “Trump Doesn’t Have a Monopoly on Lawlessness”
With tongue mostly in cheek, but not entirely, it isn't often that Occam's Razor (choose the simplest explanation that fits the known facts) and Trump's Razor (choose the stupidest explanation that fits the known facts) agree. He wants to establish a North American Empire. Make Greenland a territory; make Canada a state; put enough troops in Mexico to suppress the cartels (and keep them suppressed) and Mexico is only nominally independent; the Panama Canal is important because it's a convenient way for the rest of the world to bypass the Empire.
I should have saved this for Tuesday. Tuesday is the day that I entertain conspiracy theories.
On “Open Mic for the week of 1/20/2025”
Trump wanted to send shackled deportees on unannounced military flights. It's not clear that he got that. Will future deportees be shackled? Will Colombia be informed in advance about future flights?
"
I understand that over in the corner, where the diplomats are still talking, Colombia has pointed out that the US has a formal agreement about how deportees can be transported to Colombia, and that it requires commercial rather than military flights.
"
The lesson being, don't station 100,000 pairs of boots in a country with active shooting. Biden took all the political heat for Afghanistan when he pulled out the last 2,500 troops after 20 years.
"
If Trump tells him to park a carrier strike group off the capital of Greenland, Hegseth won't ask questions.
"
And my at-this-moment impression is that Trump is insisting interest rates go down below where they price in the risk that Congressional Republicans will default.
Detroit went through bankruptcy and survived. May have done better than survived.
"
Are we the baddies?
What's your world view? When I'm depressed, mine is that we're headed towards regional empires. In that case, Denmark (nor the EU) can protect Greenland and it's resources. Canada's not big enough to do that job. Greenland needs to be part of a US North American empire.
I dislike when I'm that depressed.
"
The last time Trump was president, didn't at least one of the rating companies drop Treasuries to less than AAA? To screw with the credit rating of a city is one thing. To screw with the credit rating of the richest country in the world, that can literally print dollars to pay off the bonds, is another thing entirely.
"
When a carrier strike group with a full air wing and nukes shows up offshore from Greenland's capital, and Trump declares Greenland is a US territory, the implied challenge to the other NATO members is, "What are you going to do about it, militarily?"
On “Weekend Plans Post: Was Last Year This Cold?”
It was more fun when we were young and I was a warm to start then colder in the morning sleeper, and my wife-to-be felt frozen to start then turned into a toaster oven. I think you could have told time by where we were and how far apart.
"
Isn't a plug-in outlet timer a whole lot easier?
On “Open Mic for the week of 1/20/2025”
Yesterday South Carolina's state-owned electric utility announced it is seeking to sell two partially built nuclear power reactors. The reactor project was abandoned several years ago because, with cost overruns and delays, it was cheaper to buy power from almost any other source rather than finishing the project. The utility is now seeking bids from consortiums of companies that include someone who can handle the construction, someone who can handle the operations, someone who can handle the finances, and tech companies with data centers to consume the generated power 24/7.
The utility has indicated that it has no interest in owning or operating the reactors.
On “Trump Term Two, Day One, Executive Orders”
I would have thought the preemption doctrine, eg, no state may impose restrictions tougher than the FDA's. Of course, this SCOTUS seems likely to toss that with respect to mifepristone.
One interesting question we'll get to watch is whether the Court decides that rules and statutes can be overridden by EO without any process.
"
Random thought... How soon until the executive order forbidding states from imposing tougher constraints on growing conditions for food than the FDA has? One of Trump's energy EOs attempts to revoke California's waiver to impose tighter vehicle emission standards.
"
When I bought a dozen eggs last week, they were a couple of bucks more than the previous time. Causes: on the first of the year a new state law came into force requiring cage-free production, and avian flu is still running through the flocks.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.