USA News and Discussions

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wjfox
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caltrek
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^^^An excellent collection of examples of Trump's nastiness.

What I came here to post:

A while ago I made a point about the possibility that we were entering into an age of neo-mercantilism. Mercantilism focused on promoting trade, often with the active aid of government as opposed to government standing back and “letting the markets decide.” (It was often associated with colonialism, although I would argue that it can also be protectionist by defending against colonialism from the outside). Robert Reich has posted a recent article in which her refers to “industrial policy.” It very much has the flavor of the neo-mercantalism that I had in mind.

How Biden Did It
by Robert Reich
August 18, 2022

Introduction:
(Robert Reich via Substack) The Clean Air Act of 1970 authorized the government to regulate air pollution.

The Inflation Reduction Act, which Joe Biden just signed into law, allocates more than $300 billion to energy and climate reform, including $30 billion in subsidies for manufacturers of solar panels and components, wind turbines, inverters, and batteries for electric vehicles and the power grid.

Notice the difference?

The Inflation Reduction Act is a large and important step toward slowing or reversing climate change. It also illustrates the nation’s shift away from regulating businesses to subsidizing businesses.
As other examples, the article also briefly mentions the CHIPS and Science Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Trump’s “Operation Warp Speed” that “delivered $10 billion of subsidies to Covid vaccine manufacturers,” and Obama’s Affordable Care Act. How and why this trend has developed (or rather accelerated) is also discussed.

Read more here: https://robertreich.substack.com/p/how-biden-did-it
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Federal Budget Deficit Projected to Shrink by More than Half in 2022
by Kate Davidson
August 22, 2022

Introduction:
(Politico) The United States federal government's budget deficit is likely to fall by more than fifty percent in 2022 due to higher-than-expected tax revenues and drawn-down pandemic spending.

"The budget gap for fiscal 2022 will total an estimated $1 trillion — $1.7 trillion less than the deficit last year and about $400 billion less than officials projected in March, according to the White House’s mid-year budget update released Tuesday," Politico reported.

Politico noted that the figures "don’t include the additional savings expected from the recently passed health care, climate and tax bill, which is estimated to shave another $300 billion off deficits over the next decade," indicating that President Joe Biden's policies have resulted in a "record" reduction in federal borrowing.

Per Politico, one administration official told reporters on a call that "once again makes clear that we can and must make critical investments in the middle class, in expanding economic opportunity, and in tackling big challenges, and that we can do so in a way that is smart and fiscally and economically responsible."

Politico also pointed out that "looking ahead, White House officials see rising interest rates pushing up the government’s costs to service its $24 trillion debt load as the Fed continues to raise rates to ease price pressures. But an administration official said Tuesday that those costs, adjusted for inflation, are expected to remain below their historical average as a share of economic growth."
Read more here: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/ ... -00053340

caltrek’s comment: Biden and the Democrats are doing it the way it should be done: pay down the debt when the economy is booming so that it can become easier to borrow should the economy start to shrink. Paying off the debt is especially important in regard to controlling inflation.
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Biden announces long-awaited student debt forgiveness plan
Source: AP
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his long-awaited plan to deliver on his campaign promise to provide $10,000 in debt cancellation for millions of Americans -- and up to $10,000 more for those with the greatest financial need. Borrowers who earn less than $125,000 a year, or families earning less than $250,000, would be eligible for the $10,000 loan forgiveness, Biden announced in a tweet.

For recipients of Pell Grants, which are reserved for undergraduates with the most significant financial need, the federal government would cancel up to an additional $10,000 in federal loan debt. Biden is also extending a pause on federal student loan payments for what he called the "final time" through the end of 2022. He was set to deliver remarks Wednesday afternoon at the White House to unveil his proposal to the public.

If his plan survives legal challenges that are almost certain to come, it could offer a windfall to a swath of the nation in the run-up to this fall's midterm elections. More than 43 million people have federal student debt, with an average balance of $37,667, according to federal data. Nearly a third of borrowers owe less than $10,000, and about half owe less than $20,000. The White House estimates that Biden's announcement would erase the federal student debt of about 20 million people.

Proponents say cancellation will narrow the racial wealth gap -- Black students are more likely to borrow federal student loans and at higher amounts than others. Four years after earning bachelor's degrees, Black borrowers owe an average of nearly $25,000 more than their white peers, according to a Brookings Institution study. Still, the action is unlikely to thrill any of the factions that have been jostling for influence as Biden weighs how much to cancel and for whom.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/student-loan ... 34bf4eb728
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What are the Seven Virtues of a Healthy Democracy?
August 29, 2022

Introduction:
(EurekAlert) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — People can become involved in politics in a number of ways. They can vote, volunteer in campaigns, or even run for office themselves. But when it comes to improving the state of the U.S. democracy, what can the average citizen do?

Christopher Beem, managing director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State, attempted to answer that question in his upcoming book, "The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy."

The book describes the characteristics and practices — such as humility, courage, and charity — that Beem said can help people become better democratic citizens. According to Beem, the book was inspired by a question he was often asked when people learned about his area of study.

“Many people would ask me what the average citizen can do to defend our democracy, and it’s a good question that deserves a serious answer,” Beem said. “People might not be able to change the way the news is reported or overcome the power of lobbyists and campaign donations. But we can step up and analyze our own behavior and make small changes to the way we think and act to help stand up for our democracy.”

According to Beem, one of the greatest current threats to democracy in the U.S. is tribalism, the tendency for people to form groups, cooperate within them, and distrust and disparage those outside the group. He argued that tribalism is a basic neurological tendency for people to be drawn to others similar to themselves, and that it affects almost everyone.


Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/963125
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:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Mississippi water is so dirty residents shower with their mouths shut

8 hours ago

Nearly 200,000 people in Jackson have no safe drinking water after a flood damaged a treatment centre.

But locals say they have dealt with poor water access for years before this current crisis.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-62761355


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'Historic Win': Judge Removes New Mexico Official from Office for Taking Part in January 6 Insurrection
by Julia Conley
September 6, 2022

Introduction:
(Common Dreams) A state court for the first time on Tuesday ruled that the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol was an insurrection, ordering a county-level official in New Mexico to step down due to his participation in the attack and thus handing a victory to government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

The group, commonly known as CREW, represented several New Mexico residents, who under state law sued to have Griffin removed from office. They filed a lawsuit against Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin earlier this year after he was charged with breaching and occupying Capitol grounds, a crime for which he was later convicted.

The state's First Judicial District Court ruled that the January 6 attack and the "surrounding planning, mobilization, and incitement constituted an 'insurrection'" in accordance with the 14th Amendment and that under Section 3 of that amendment, Griffin is "constitutionally disqualified" from serving in public office.

"This is a historic win for accountability for the January 6 insurrection and the efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power in the United States," said Noah Bookbinder, president of CREW. "Protecting American democracy means ensuring those who violate their oaths to the Constitution are held responsible."

The court is the first since 1869 to invoke Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to remove a public official from their post. Section 3 states that no official can continue to hold office if they "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" or gave "aid or comfort" to insurrectionists after taking an "oath... to support the Constitution of the United States."
Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022 ... urrection
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Republican County Election Commissioner Is Arrested and Charged by the FBI
by Sky Palma
September 13, 2022

Introduction:
(Raw Story) A New York Republican board of elections commissioner was arrested this Tuesday by the FBI while on his way to work, the Times Union reports.

Rensselaer County Board of Elections commissioner Jason T. Schofield was under investigation for his use of an online portal to obtain absentee ballots -- an investigation that led to the guilty plea earlier this year of a Troy councilwoman. The charges against Schofield remain sealed pending his first court appearance.

Schofield's action became known during the federal criminal case involving former Troy Councilwoman Kimberly Ashe-McPherson, who pleaded guilty in June to a felony charge after admitting she fraudulently submitted absentee ballots in last year's primary and general elections.

As the Times Union points out, Ashe-McPherson's plea agreement identified Schofield as the unidentified board of elections official listed as "Individual-3" and states that Schofield had allegedly helped Ashe-McPherson obtain an absentee ballot through an online portal using the name and date of birth of a voter without "lawful authority."

"That absentee ballot, which was mailed to Ashe-McPherson's residence, was submitted in the Working Families Party primary election that she won a year ago prior to being re-elected to the City Council in the general election," reports the Times Union. "The grand jury subpoena recently served on the county sought copies of records related to more than a half-dozen absentee ballot applications, including several that had been obtained through the state's online portal by Schofield."
Read more here: https://www.rawstory.com/republican-co ... -the-fbi/

caltrek's comment: I guess the FBI hating conspiracy theorists are going to be working overtime spinning this story.
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