All Things Biden: Is It Over Yet?

[Scot Dutchy]

Another problem for Joe:

‘I don’t have money for food’: millions of unemployed in US left without benefits

Delays, backlogs of claims and errors have left workers without any unemployment benefits while out of work due to Covid

Before the pandemic hit Stephanie Gaither worked as a driver for Uber and Lyft in Indianapolis, Indiana, making around $600 to $900 weekly. Now she is facing eviction and has her utilities shut off.

Like millions of other Americans who have seen their work dry up as the virus has spread, Gaither has fallen through the huge holes in the US’s unemployment benefits system. Her unemployment benefits expired in December 2020 and she has waited several weeks without any benefits while caring for her children who are currently learning remotely.

“I don’t get help from anyone so it’s really stressful. So many nights I can’t sleep. We’re running out of dog food and food for us. I do get food stamps and thankfully they just increased it, but I’m always running out. My credit is now shot. I’m depressed, I have no motivation, I feel hopeless,” said Gaither.

“I have absolutely nowhere to go if I’m evicted. That means we won’t be able to keep our dog we’ve had for eight years and my kids will lose most or all of their stuff. We’ll be living in my van in the middle of winter. If I’m evicted, I won’t be able to take much with me. I still haven’t taken down Christmas decorations. What’s the point? If I’m evicted I lose all that too. All of this could have been avoided if they sent out more stimulus checks and I received unemployment.”

Official data?

Officially the US unemployment rate is 6.3% but as the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, noted last month the real unemployment rate in the US is closer to 10% when misclassification errors are taken into account.

Trust data?

[Sean Hayden]

Indiana banned evictions in 2020 and extended that ban at least once, has that ban been lifted? They also banned shutting off utilities.

Indiana, lol, ahead of Texas.

[Brian Peacock]

...

The righties are going on about how Bill Gates is buying up all the farmland. Do you suppose he has our best interests at heart?

That's a good question, but the first question to ask is: 'Is Bill Gates buying up all the farmland?'

[Hermit]

The righties are going on about how Bill Gates is buying up all the farmland. Do you suppose he has our best interests at heart?

That's a good question, but the first question to ask is: 'Is Bill Gates buying up all the farmland?'

He has some way to go. Bill and Melinda Gates own 97,934 hectares of farmland. There are 174,450,000 hectares of farmland in the USA.

[Sean Hayden]

Treasury Sanctions the Saudi Rapid Intervention Force and Former
Deputy Head of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Presidency for
Roles in the Murder of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Ahmad Hassan Mohammed al Asiri, Saudi Arabia’s former Deputy Head of General Intelligence Presidency, and Saudi Arabia’s Rapid Intervention Force in connection with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. These persons are designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.

“Those involved in the abhorrent killing of Jamal Khashoggi must be held accountable. With this action, Treasury is sanctioning Saudi Arabia’s Rapid Intervention Force and a senior Saudi official who was directly involved in Jamal Khashoggi’s murder,” said Secretary Janet L. Yellen. “The United States stands united with journalists and political dissidents in opposing threats of violence and intimidation. We will continue to defend the freedom of expression, which is the bedrock of a free society.”

...

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the persons above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0038

I wonder what this actually accomplishes. They've had several years since the murder to make arrangements to avoid the worst of it.

[Sean Hayden]

Fed projections appear to show a recovery during Biden's first term --so 4 more years of men in the ladies room then?

https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetary ... -part3.htm

[Tero]

Absolutely. And no penis for Mr Poratohead.

[Tero]

Potatohead.

[JimC]

...

The righties are going on about how Bill Gates is buying up all the farmland. Do you suppose he has our best interests at heart?

That's a good question, but the first question to ask is: 'Is Bill Gates buying up all the farmland?'

And is he planting genetically engineered crops designed to produce injectable microchips?

[JimC]

Fed projections appear to show a recovery during Biden's first term --so 4 more years of men in the ladies room then?

https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetary ... -part3.htm

As long as they shave their legs...

[rainbow]

The righties are going on about how Bill Gates is buying up all the farmland. Do you suppose he has our best interests at heart?

That's a good question, but the first question to ask is: 'Is Bill Gates buying up all the farmland?'

He has some way to go. Bill and Melinda Gates own 97,934 hectares of farmland. There are 174,450,000 hectares of farmland in the USA.

Is by my calcumallations less than 2% of the area of the US of A.

...but then how is farmland defined?
Can it be some prairie where some buffalo roam, or does it need to be actual tilled cropland?

There could be some difference between these. What sort of land does Billy Goats actually own?

[Hermit]

The righties are going on about how Bill Gates is buying up all the farmland. Do you suppose he has our best interests at heart?

That's a good question, but the first question to ask is: 'Is Bill Gates buying up all the farmland?'

He has some way to go. Bill and Melinda Gates own 97,934 hectares of farmland. There are 174,450,000 hectares of farmland in the USA.

Is by my calcumallations less than 2% of the area of the US of A.

...but then how is farmland defined?
Can it be some prairie where some buffalo roam, or does it need to be actual tilled cropland?

There could be some difference between these. What sort of land does Billy Goats actually own?

I am hopeless with maths, but by my calculation 97,934 hectares of the farmland owned by Gates is 0.056% of the 174,450,000 hectares of farmland in the US. The article I read also mentions that the Gates are the largest private owners of US farmland. It makes me wonder if there are corporate owners of US farmland that own more than that, but could not find any information on that.

Also worth noting is that the total area of the USA is 983,352,000 hectares.

[Sean Hayden]

...but then how is farmland defined?
Can it be some prairie where some buffalo roam, or does it need to be actual tilled cropland?

I guess it depends on who's being asked. For one set of purposes it needs to be suitable for agricultural use, but for tax purposes it needs to be producing something. Also it seems to matter whether you're asking the feds or state/local authorities.

[Sean Hayden]

The NRA is upset.

Second Amendment Skeptic Merrick Garland Moves Closer to Confirmation as U.S. Attorney General

This week, hearings were held on the nomination of Merrick Garland for U.S. attorney general, with a final vote on confirmation expected to come next week. The prospect for gun owners is that the nation’s highest law enforcement office may soon be occupied by a man who in the past has shown doubts about whether the Second Amendment continues to have any relevance in the modern era.

Garland has been a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit since 1997. In 2007, a three-judge panel of that court ruled in Parker v. District of Columbia that the District’s ban on handguns and operable firearms in the home violated the Second Amendment. In doing so, the court squarely rejected D.C.’s argument that the Second Amendment protects only the right to keep and bear arms in connection with service in an organized militia and that such militias are now essentially extinct.

The District sought a rehearing before the full complement of judges on the D.C. Circuit, believing that was the best way to overturn the panel’s decision. Garland agreed with this plan, voting to give D.C. another chance to prove, as the author of the panel decision had put it, “that the Second Amendment is a dead letter.”

https://www.nraila.org/articles/2021030 ... ey-general

But from what I've seen lately the gun community is less impressed with the NRA than it used to be. I don't know why, lak would probably know. I'd guess they aren't extreme enough anymore, or don't drink the right coffee.

[Brian Peacock]

Maybe taking money from the Russians sullied the NRA's reputation with it's constituents?