What stupid shit has Biden done today?

[Dystopiary]

The fucking low life cunt

Yeah, it's "inconsistent with my Administration’s policies and values" but "the constitution!"

 

[NoXion]

So are Puerto Ricans US citizens or not? You'd think if they were citizens, that they'd be entitled to social security...

 

[Dystopiary]

So are Puerto Ricans US citizens or not? You'd think if they were citizens, that they'd be entitled to social security...

I guess only when it suits the US government.

 

[teqniq]

So are Puerto Ricans US citizens or not? You'd think if they were citizens, that they'd be entitled to social security...

There are too many vested interests involved that wish for things with Puerto Rico to stay the way they are. Absolute scumbags, all of them.

 

[Raheem]

I put menthol filters in my spliffs.

At least that's still legal.

 

[Sasaferrato]

At least that's still legal.

Well, the filters are.

 

[Yossarian]

So are Puerto Ricans US citizens or not? You'd think if they were citizens, that they'd be entitled to social security...

They're citizens but they can't vote in presidential elections or send voting representatives to Congress, so when Biden and other politicians pick their battles, they don't tend to pick ones that would benefit Puerto Ricans.

 

[NoXion]

They're citizens but they can't vote in presidential elections or send voting representatives to Congress, so when Biden and other politicians pick their battles, they don't tend to pick ones that would benefit Puerto Ricans.

I bet they still pay taxes though.

 

[Sasaferrato]

I bet they still pay taxes though.

Surely not? After all, isn't 'No taxation without representation' the founding ethos of the USA?

 

[NoXion]

Surely not? After all, isn't 'No taxation without representation' the founding ethos of the USA?

Remember that this is the same country with so-called "Right to Work" legislation, which is actually about allowing employers to fire their workers for no reason at all.

 

[Raheem]

I'd be surprised if Puerto Ricans generally pay US federal taxes (although I don't know that they don't).

 

[stavros]

Upon arrival in Cornwall:

"America will be the Arsenal of vaccines."

Good not to be too optimistic, eh, Joe?

 

[maomao]

I'd be surprised if Puerto Ricans generally pay US federal taxes (although I don't know that they don't).

They do:

Taxation in Puerto Rico - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[NoXion]

"No taxation without representation" lol

 

[Raheem]

They do:

Taxation in Puerto Rico - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That article actually says they generally don't, FWIW.

 

[Supine]

 

[maomao]

That article actually says they generally don't, FWIW.

Mainly cause they don't earn enough though. They're still liable to be taxed federally.

 

[Raheem]

Mainly cause they don't earn enough though. They're still liable to be taxed federally.

No, it seems that only military personnel stationed there, employees of the federal government, contractors etc of the FG and people with foreign assets are liable. Idk the rationale for the last three, but it means the vast majority of Puerto Ricans are not liable.

They do have to pay customs and excise, but that's technically duties rather than taxes, and also payroll tax, which I'm guessing is allowed because it's paid by the employer.

Also seems that Puerto Ricans do have an elected representative the US Congress called the Resident Commissioner. Who is, er, not allowed to vote. Every day's a Google day.

 

[Raheem]

(dp)

 

[Artaxerxes]

 

[hitmouse]

Biden Tells States To Use COVID-19 Relief Funds To Hire Cops

Plus: Supreme Court rules for ranty cheerleader and against intrusive unions, RIP John McAfee, and more...

reason.com

(not my favourite source but you can find plenty more with the same basic info, like: Biden, warning of crime wave, diverts COVID funds to police in snub to progressives )

 

[hitmouse]

To be fair, you can see why they need extra funding to address this very serious problem:

 

[NoXion]

Took me a moment to realise that the graph is backwards. What the fuck?

Pretty fat margin of error too. Uneven time intervals. The percentage is between 35% and 55%, why not start at 0%? The whole thing stinks.

 

[spring-peeper]

Biden orders airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups | CNN Politics

President Joe Biden directed military forces to conduct defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region on Sunday evening, according to a news release from the Department of Defense.

www.cnn.com

"The targets were selected because these facilities are utilized by Iran-backed militias that are engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq. Specifically, the U.S. strikes targeted operational and weapons storage facilities at two locations in Syria and one location in Iraq, both of which lie close to the border between those countries," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in the release.

"As demonstrated by this evening's strikes, President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel. Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting U.S. interests in Iraq, the President directed further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks," Kirby said.

The airstrikes were not the first ordered by this administration.

The US military's first known action under Biden came in February when it struck a site in Syria used by two Iranian-backed militia groups in response to rocket attacks on American forces in the region.

Those strikes generated concern among lawmakers, who said Biden had not asked for the necessary congressional authorization.

The White House had said the strikes were backed by Article II of the Constitution as well as the United Nations charter.

 

[hitmouse]

'Heartbreaking' conditions in US migrant child camp

An investigation by the BBC has uncovered alarming conditions at a child migrant camp in Texas.

www.bbc.co.uk

(content warning, that article is seriously fucking grim)
I remember seeing this going around at the time of the election, feels depressingly accurate:

 

[krtek a houby]

'Heartbreaking' conditions in US migrant child camp

An investigation by the BBC has uncovered alarming conditions at a child migrant camp in Texas.

www.bbc.co.uk

(content warning, that article is seriously fucking grim)
I remember seeing this going around at the time of the election, feels depressingly accurate:
View attachment 276474

Fucking horrible. Worse than imagined.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which employs private contractors to help run the camp, says it is committed to transparency, but the BBC was denied access to the camp.

Not surprised they were denied access with the horrors taking place.

 

[hitmouse]

The Biden White House Has an Exxon Problem

The White House has remained conspicuously silent on a blockbuster report from Unearthed that suggested the oil company helped excise climate policy from the infrastructure package.

newrepublic.com

In a blockbuster report from Greenpeace journalistic arm Unearthed this week, top Exxon lobbyist Keith McCoy all but claimed credit for helping excise climate policies from the Biden administration’s much-hyped infrastructure package. Exxon, McCoy explained to an undercover reporter with the outlet in May, has targeted 11 senators—including several authors of the bipartisan package—in a “fishing” operation. McCoy “reel[ed] in” lawmakers by talking about carbon taxes, electric vehicles, chemicals, taxes, and infrastructure. He said their strategy has been to get Congress to stick to “roads and bridges” and reduce the size of a package down from $2 trillion to $800 billion. As of this week, the negotiated proposal includes just $579 billion of new spending.
These revelations cast serious doubt on a package that has become the Biden administration’s signature legislative push of 2021. Climate activists were already frustrated by the paltry proposed climate spending, even before Unearthed showed an Exxon lobbyist claiming credit for this result. Progressive political action committee Justice Democrats and the climate advocacy group Sunrise Movement are now calling the infrastructure package the #ExxonPlan.
“If you’re an oil corporation trying to make billions of dollars profiting off the climate crisis, you can get a standing weekly meeting with a U.S. senator; if you’re a waitress or a teacher, that’s unimaginable,” Representative Jamaal Bowman said over email, regarding the Unearthed report. “It’s no wonder that despite broad majorities of Americans supporting a bold infrastructure package to create the clean energy jobs of the future, members of Congress are trying to push the Exxon infrastructure plan instead.”
Exxon, meanwhile, has disavowed the lobbyist’s account. “A current and former member of our government affairs team were secretly recorded making disturbing and inaccurate comments about our positions on a variety of issues, including climate change policy, and our interaction with elected officials,” stated Exxon CEO Darren Woods in a news release.
The White House has been conspicuously quiet on the report. Much of the uproar around the story has been directed toward the senators McCoy named while talking with the undercover journalist. Yet, looking back at the past month, it’s clear that several administration officials have also been eager to give oil and gas companies a seat at the policymaking table Exxon’s lobbyist has now admitted to trying to dismantle.

National Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy has had at least two meetings this year with oil and gas industry representatives, including a June meeting about the infrastructure package with the American Petroleum Institute—a formidable trade lobby that McCoy described to Unearthed as “whipping boys” Exxon uses to help avoid scrutiny.
In the full transcript of the call with McCoy, provided to TNR by Unearthed, the lobbyist says that part of his job was to introduce Exxon CEO Darren Woods to a “new cast of characters.” That’s involved reaching out to McCarthy, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, and White House Office of Public Engagement head Cedric Richmond. “Prior to coming to Washington DC I did environmental and energy work in Massachusetts which is where Gina McCarthy is from so she and I worked together, I’ve known Gina for over 20 years,” McCoy said in the transcript.
Other Biden appointees have ties to Exxon, as well. The administration has nominated Neil MacBride—who sued the Treasury Department on behalf of ExxonMobil—to serve as its general counsel. As the Revolving Door Project has pointed out, Biden’s pick to become the assistant secretary for terrorist financing, Elizabeth Rosenberg, was a consultant for Exxon and has previously argued in support of key fossil fuel industry priorities. While working at the Exxon-sponsored Center for a New American Security, she went to bat for repealing the crude oil export ban and accelerating U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas.

 

[extra dry]

I don't really agree or uphold some of ideas expressed but the biden clip///

 

[TomUS]

Biden Tells States To Use COVID-19 Relief Funds To Hire Cops

Plus: Supreme Court rules for ranty cheerleader and against intrusive unions, RIP John McAfee, and more...

reason.com

(not my favourite source but you can find plenty more with the same basic info, like: Biden, warning of crime wave, diverts COVID funds to police in snub to progressives )

Biden is right. He's trying to undo the damage to the Democrats inflicted by the insane "de fund the police" nonsense. This hurt them in 2020 and could well hurt them in 2022.

 

[hitmouse]

What do we want? More Derek Chauvins! When do we want them? Now!