PL1
Senior Member
Everything is a grift
- Thread starter Monarch Butterfly
- Start date
UtakataNoAnnex
Superstar
They are doing this because they knew the Rethugs where going to lose...
bsky.app
bsky.app
/bleah
Rick Hasen (@rickhasen.bsky.social)
Breaking: Supreme Court Over the Dissent of At Least Justice Jackson, Breaks Its Usual Procedural Rules to Allow Louisiana to Minimize Black Voting Rights in the Middle of an Ongoing Election electionlawblog.org?p=155898 https://electionlawblog.org/?p=155898
bsky.app
Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner.bsky.social)
BREAKING: SCOTUS grants the Callais plaintiffs' request to issue the judgment now, meaning the ruling goes into effect and back to the district court immediately. This was done over a strong dissent from Jackson — prompting Alito (w Thomas & Gorsuch) to author an opinion concurring with the grant.
bsky.app
/bleah
UtakataNoAnnex
Superstar
And unsurprisingly, Rubio likes to project...
bsky.app
Kevin M. Kruse (@kevinmkruse.bsky.social)
Oh, the people who blow up ships are the bad guys? Huh. [contains quote post or other embedded content]
bsky.app
thettctransitfanatic
Senior Member
Vance, 41, Struggles to Read From Own Notes
Like president, like vice president.
Vance, 41, Struggles to Read From Own Notes
Vice President JD Vance is starting to take after his geriatric boss.
Vance, 41, traveled to Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday in support of Trump-endorsed GOP Rep. Zach Nunn, where the veep let loose an embarrassing speech slip-up that echoed those of the 79-year-old president.
“When I see Iowa farmers who need to get that E-15 to market, what is, uhh. What is, uhh...” the vice president said during his speech at a manufacturing facility in Des Moines, stumbling before an awkwardly long pause. “Zach, you’re going to have to help me out with her name here. I lost my page here.”
“OK. Alright,” Vance said, fumbling over his notes. “OK, there we go. Sarah Trone Garriott. There it is. I-I’m, I’m on the wrong page here.”
The vice president’s office did not immediately return the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Vance’s speech stumble was reminiscent of a similar blunder by Donald Trump in late March, in which the near-octogenarian struggled to read from his own notes, which were written in bold black Sharpie.
While speaking about a federal judge’s decision to halt construction on his $400 million White House ballroom, Trump turned to his notes that he said he had written earlier in the day, but which he had some difficulty reading.
“He said we need congressional approval. He also said—but this is positive for us—I’m allowed that, meaning we are allowed, to continue building as necessary to, let’s see..." the president said from the Oval Office desk, appearing to be stumped by the next word for a few moments.
“What is that? To...” Trump said, before figuring out the word. “Cover the safety and security of the White House and its grounds.”
Moments later, the president flubbed another one-syllable word.
“We have a drone-proof roof—and it talks about the president and his staff—well, we’re gonna have a lot of bulletproof glass, the White House was built a long time ago," he rambled.
“This has the highest level of, in fact, they call this graph... this, uh, grass, this, uh, the glass, uh,” Trump said. “It’s bulletproof, and it’s ballistic-proof.”
thettctransitfanatic
Senior Member
Live updates: US and Iran moving toward memo aimed at ending war, source says | CNN
US and Iran closing in on memorandum aimed at ending war, source says
The United States and Iran are moving closer to an agreement on a short memorandum to end the Iran war, a regional source familiar with the negotiations said, although Trump administration officials cautioned that talks had previously fallen apart at the last minute.The White House received positive feedback from Pakistani mediators on Tuesday that the Iranians were progressing toward a compromise, two administration officials told CNN while offering some skepticism about Pakistan’s optimism.
But a renewed diplomatic push has emerged in recent days, the regional source said. US President Donald Trump appears to be simplifying issues in peace negotiations so moderates in the Iranian regime can come back to the negotiating table, the source added, with the aim being to tackle thornier issues later.
A one-page plan being floated internally contains a number of provisions that have been at the heart of negotiations to end the conflict, a person familiar with the plan told CNN. The document would declare an end to the war while triggering a 30-day negotiation period on resolving sticking points, including on nuclear issues, unfreezing Iranian assets and future security in the Strait of Hormuz, the person said.
Precise details of the plan couldn’t immediately be verified, but the source familiar said it would include discussion of a moratorium on uranium enrichment for a period of longer than 10 years. A previous US proposal had set it at 20 years.
The plan also requires Iran to ship its stockpile of highly enriched uranium out of the country, but details were still being negotiated.
News of positive movement from the Pakistanis helped spur Trump on Tuesday to announce a pause of “Project Freedom” – an operation to guide stranded ships out of the strait – citing progress in negotiations with Iran, the administration officials said. The pause came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Operation Epic Fury had ended and that the administration’s full focus was on Project Freedom.
The regional source told CNN that the harder the US pushed its agenda of Project Freedom and Operation Epic Fury, the more the hardliners in Iran stood up and had a bigger voice.
Trump’s top priority is finding a diplomatic offramp to the war and reopening the strait swiftly, the administration officials said.
thettctransitfanatic
Senior Member
Republicans propose $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to secure Trump ballroom
For months, President Donald Trump portrayed the big new ballroom that he’s building on White House grounds as a gift to the nation, courtesy of patriotic private donors. “And by the way, no government funds,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last November.
“These are all private individuals that put up a lot of money to build the ballroom,” he added. "Not one penny is being used from the federal government."
But the gleaming 90,000-square-foot space that he repeatedly said would cost the public nothing may ultimately leave taxpayers on the hook for $1 billion, due to new security enhancements that are tied to the project.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has released a long-term immigration and border patrol funding bill that includes $1 billion earmarked for security improvements accompanying the overall ballroom project.
The legislation states that the money is earmarked “for the purposes of security adjustments and upgrades, including within the perimeter fence of the White House Compound to support enhancements by the United States Secret Service relating to the East Wing Modernization Project, including above-ground and below-ground security features.”
The language is part of a Republican-only "reconciliation" bill the party plans to pass this year. The overall package is a major priority for GOP leadership, as well as the president. Still, some Republicans expressed skepticism about taxpayers contributing to the ballroom just last week.
In a prepared statement, a White House spokesperson praised the Republican-led spending proposal.
“Congress has rightly recognized the need for these funds," said spokesperson Davis Ingle. "Due in part to the recent assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the proposal would provide the United States Secret Service with the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex, in addition to the many other critical missions for the USSS."
Senate Democrats hope to derail the $1 billion proposal. They plan to force a vote to try to strip the provision out of the bill when it comes to the Senate floor later this month.
“Just flagging that now everyone gets an up or down vote on the ballroom!” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said in a post on X.
When he first laid out plans for the ballroom last year, Trump emphasized that it would fulfill a need for large-scale parties at the White House at no cost to the public. Foreign leaders shouldn’t be shuttled out to the White House South Lawn for state dinners held beneath makeshift tents, Trump argued.
“This is a GIFT (ZERO taxpayer funding!) to the United States of America, of 300 to 400 Million Dollars (depending on the scope and quality of interior finishes!), for a desperately needed space," Trump wrote on his social media site in January.
He demolished the White House’s East Wing to make room for the ballroom and raised millions of dollars in corporate contributions to pay for it. (Comcast Corp., the parent company of NBCUniversal, is one of the donors.)
As construction proceeded and legal challenges arose, the White House began to emphasize another rationale for the ballroom: safety.
In a court filing last month, the Trump administration wrote that the structure is "vital" for the president and White House's security and will be built with materials that can withstand drone attacks.
More than a ballroom, the project also includes underground medical facilities and a bomb shelter, the administration’s filings showed.
After a gunman last month stormed into the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where Trump was seated at the dais in a bustling Washington, D.C., hotel, the White House renewed its argument that the ballroom is needed to ensure the president’s safety.
Opponents say that the new funding proposal suggests that Americans were misled when Trump told them the ballroom would cost them nothing.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told NBC News: “This has been a bait and switch: promising it would be privately funded and now, apparently, taxpayers will be on the hook for it.”
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in an interview: “This is tragically another example of President Trump promising one thing and doing another — of saying he was going to do something great for the American people and instead demolishing the historic East Wing without any serious consultation or public input. And now we discover the total cost is going to be well more than $1 billion.”
“And I’ve had no briefing that gives me any insight into what could possibly cost $1 billion extra dollars," Coons added.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., defended the project, referencing assassination attempts against Trump. “I guess as long as liberals insist on shooting presidents, it will take a lot of resources to protect presidents," he said. "I’m fine with it.”
The ballroom project faces legal challenges that threaten its continuation. One argument that plaintiffs have made is that Trump acted without congressional approval.
Next month, a federal appeals court will hear oral arguments on a challenge to U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s order blocking the Trump administration from moving forward with construction without congressional authorization. Until a decision comes down from the appeals court — which won’t happen until mid-June at the earliest — construction both above and below ground will continue.
Republicans propose $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to secure Trump ballroom
The president said repeatedly that the White House ballroom would be privately funded but has raised security concerns, particularly in light of the correspondents' dinner shooting.For months, President Donald Trump portrayed the big new ballroom that he’s building on White House grounds as a gift to the nation, courtesy of patriotic private donors. “And by the way, no government funds,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last November.
“These are all private individuals that put up a lot of money to build the ballroom,” he added. "Not one penny is being used from the federal government."
But the gleaming 90,000-square-foot space that he repeatedly said would cost the public nothing may ultimately leave taxpayers on the hook for $1 billion, due to new security enhancements that are tied to the project.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has released a long-term immigration and border patrol funding bill that includes $1 billion earmarked for security improvements accompanying the overall ballroom project.
The legislation states that the money is earmarked “for the purposes of security adjustments and upgrades, including within the perimeter fence of the White House Compound to support enhancements by the United States Secret Service relating to the East Wing Modernization Project, including above-ground and below-ground security features.”
The language is part of a Republican-only "reconciliation" bill the party plans to pass this year. The overall package is a major priority for GOP leadership, as well as the president. Still, some Republicans expressed skepticism about taxpayers contributing to the ballroom just last week.
In a prepared statement, a White House spokesperson praised the Republican-led spending proposal.
“Congress has rightly recognized the need for these funds," said spokesperson Davis Ingle. "Due in part to the recent assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the proposal would provide the United States Secret Service with the resources they need to fully and completely harden the White House complex, in addition to the many other critical missions for the USSS."
Senate Democrats hope to derail the $1 billion proposal. They plan to force a vote to try to strip the provision out of the bill when it comes to the Senate floor later this month.
“Just flagging that now everyone gets an up or down vote on the ballroom!” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said in a post on X.
When he first laid out plans for the ballroom last year, Trump emphasized that it would fulfill a need for large-scale parties at the White House at no cost to the public. Foreign leaders shouldn’t be shuttled out to the White House South Lawn for state dinners held beneath makeshift tents, Trump argued.
“This is a GIFT (ZERO taxpayer funding!) to the United States of America, of 300 to 400 Million Dollars (depending on the scope and quality of interior finishes!), for a desperately needed space," Trump wrote on his social media site in January.
He demolished the White House’s East Wing to make room for the ballroom and raised millions of dollars in corporate contributions to pay for it. (Comcast Corp., the parent company of NBCUniversal, is one of the donors.)
As construction proceeded and legal challenges arose, the White House began to emphasize another rationale for the ballroom: safety.
In a court filing last month, the Trump administration wrote that the structure is "vital" for the president and White House's security and will be built with materials that can withstand drone attacks.
More than a ballroom, the project also includes underground medical facilities and a bomb shelter, the administration’s filings showed.
After a gunman last month stormed into the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where Trump was seated at the dais in a bustling Washington, D.C., hotel, the White House renewed its argument that the ballroom is needed to ensure the president’s safety.
Opponents say that the new funding proposal suggests that Americans were misled when Trump told them the ballroom would cost them nothing.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told NBC News: “This has been a bait and switch: promising it would be privately funded and now, apparently, taxpayers will be on the hook for it.”
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in an interview: “This is tragically another example of President Trump promising one thing and doing another — of saying he was going to do something great for the American people and instead demolishing the historic East Wing without any serious consultation or public input. And now we discover the total cost is going to be well more than $1 billion.”
“And I’ve had no briefing that gives me any insight into what could possibly cost $1 billion extra dollars," Coons added.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., defended the project, referencing assassination attempts against Trump. “I guess as long as liberals insist on shooting presidents, it will take a lot of resources to protect presidents," he said. "I’m fine with it.”
The ballroom project faces legal challenges that threaten its continuation. One argument that plaintiffs have made is that Trump acted without congressional approval.
Next month, a federal appeals court will hear oral arguments on a challenge to U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s order blocking the Trump administration from moving forward with construction without congressional authorization. Until a decision comes down from the appeals court — which won’t happen until mid-June at the earliest — construction both above and below ground will continue.
Is The Source American or Iranian?
thettctransitfanatic
Senior Member
Monarch Butterfly
Superstar
UtakataNoAnnex
Superstar
Not sure suicide notes work like this...
bsky.app
Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” (@ryanjreilly.com)
BREAKING: The alleged Jeffrey Epstein suicide note has posted. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.466715/gov.uscourts.nysd.466715.614.0.pdf
bsky.app
UtakataNoAnnex
Superstar
And putting all the crocodile tears aside, it's funny how "unpopular decisions" grossly benefits one party. You can't really claim it's all that unpopular can you now...
bsky.app
Lawrence Hurley (@lawrencehurley.bsky.social)
NEW: Chief Justice John Roberts bemoans that Americans don't understand how the Supreme Court operates and see justices as "political actors". The court at times simply has to make "unpopular" decisions, he adds...
bsky.app
Monarch Butterfly
Superstar
Kash Patel’s Personalized Bourbon Stash
The FBI director has been leaving an unusual calling card.From https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/05/kash-patel-fbi-bourbon/687066/?gift=AwR_TGzSRSLueG5W7xh0RXIjAapVq49hcucHUrDavrs
A personalized bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon engraved with the words “Kash Patel FBI Director,” as well as a rendering of an FBI shield, obtained by The Atlantic (The Atlantic)
UtakataNoAnnex
Superstar
Bourbon is the "B" in FBI...
Last edited:
Monarch Butterfly
Superstar
From the "land of the free"...
thettctransitfanatic
Senior Member
U.S. trade court rules against Trump’s 10% global tariffs
The U.S. trade court on Thursday ruled against U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest 10 per cent global tariffs, finding across-the-board tariffs were not justified under a 1970s trade law.
www.ctvnews.ca
U.S. trade court rules against Trump’s 10% global tariffs
The U.S. trade court on Thursday ruled against U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest 10 per cent global tariffs, finding across-the-board tariffs were not justified under a 1970s trade law. The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled in favour of small businesses that challenged the tariffs, which took effect on February 24. The ruling was 2-1, with one judge saying it was premature to grant victory to the small business plaintiffs. The small businesses had argued the new tariffs were an attempt to sidestep a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down the Republican president’s 2025 tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In his February order, Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows for duties for up to 150 days to correct serious “balance of payments deficits” or head off an imminent depreciation of the dollar. Thursday’s court ruling found the law was not an appropriate step for the kinds of trade deficits that Trump cited in his February order.