President Trump and US politics catchall

[Gumboot]

Fun fact: A blue whale’s anus can stretch to about 3.5 feet in diameter—making it the second-largest asshole on the planet.

[Guy Smiley]

[tabascoboy]

It's coming to something when even the usually US loving rightmost leaning here are turning away from them

[sockwithaticket]

Away from the headlines, RFK jr. thinks we should allow bird flu to run unchecked so as to identify birds that are immune.

[dpedin]

Away from the headlines, RFK jr. thinks we should allow bird flu to run unchecked so as to identify birds that are immune.

Probably thinks the same about measles!

I'm still waiting to hear the details of his new research proposal into the links between vaccines and autism and in particular how they decide who gets the placebo!

[Biffer]

Away from the headlines, RFK jr. thinks we should allow bird flu to run unchecked so as to identify birds that are immune.

Probably thinks the same about measles!

I'm still waiting to hear the details of his new research proposal into the links between vaccines and autism and in particular how they decide who gets the placebo!

I think he already said that about measles them backed down

[Guy Smiley]

Europe is galvanised and moving quickly to shore up the financial requirements needed for a rapid and long lasting defense framework. Canada is moving to strengthen ties in defense and trade with the EU and has signed up to use Australia's over the horizon radar tech ahead of anyone else, particularly the US. Some European leaders are pushing to have Ukraine into the EU by 2030 as a matter of urgency and the concept of NATO without the US is now a tangible reality...

has Donnie shot the US in the foot? Would Vlad be worried about the way things have swung so sharply on the European mainland?

Where does China sit?

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Europe hasn't actually done anything yet. So far it's just hot air

[Uncle fester]

Away from the headlines, RFK jr. thinks we should allow bird flu to run unchecked so as to identify birds that are immune.

Need to find that guardian article about Spanish flu and why the second wave killed more than the first.

TLDR
Making it easy for a virus to transmit reduces selection pressure and allows more dangerous variants to become dominant.

But if you make it harder for the virus to transmit, then there is selection pressure for it to get weaker so it can transmit undetected.

[Biffer]

Europe hasn't actually done anything yet. So far it's just hot air

The budgetary changes etc are actually massive.

[laurent]

Europe hasn't actually done anything yet. So far it's just hot air

The budgetary changes etc are actually massive.

Like doubling /tripling prod ?
it's pretty much done on Caesar production and french 155mm ammunition the next step is finding enough qualified workers and getting more machines delivered (I Believe MBDA bought expo model recently as the delay to get new one delivered).

The more complex stuff cannot scale anywhere near that, For exemple the Rafale has moved from 12 /year 4 or 5 years ago to 26 last year aiming to 36. (there are 400+ on order).

[geordie_6]

Europe hasn't actually done anything yet. So far it's just hot air

The budgetary changes etc are actually massive.

Particularly the German decisions recently.

[Flockwitt]

Actually things have been moving behind the scenes constantly for the last couple of years such that a big budgetary push now is well timed. There were outright bottlenecks in supply of raw materials for ammo for example that really didn’t matter how much money you threw at it the timeline couldn’t be improved. These issues have been addressed. Now Europe is in a position where people have been evaluating the constraints ever since the war started and know exactly what needs to be done and just as importantly which weapon systems to focus on.

[Biffer]

Europe hasn't actually done anything yet. So far it's just hot air

The budgetary changes etc are actually massive.

Particularly the German decisions recently.

Exactly. And the changes to debt rules for the EU. Biggest spending in relation to GDP are Poland and Greece. They are no longer compromised by that spending and can spend more. Finland and Sweden along the same lines but richer. Germany about to become a military power again - that's the fourth richest nation in the world, they haven't done it for eighty years, massive change.

But all of these guys have done it in a legal and constitutional way, rather than a magaawank show of power I'm a big man way. So it's more solid, and it'll actually work in the long term. The US has put itself in the position that itll stand alone against China. Europe won't give a toss. And Europe will by that time be the fourth military pole.

[Uncle fester]

The department of education stuff is just bonkers.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Europe hasn't actually done anything yet. So far it's just hot air

The budgetary changes etc are actually massive.

Particularly the German decisions recently.

There's the potential for those to be big, but they may yet end in little. What for instance happens if a coalition partner says to the German Chancellor this money needs to be invested into Germany to make Germany great again, and the military isn't something we can afford at this time? Or what happens if there are surprise results in Poland's elections, one wouldn't expect that but how many called the recent Romanian election in advance?

I hope the intimated extra spend on the military does come to something, but boots and equipment in place with a resolve to use them is a thing, words speaking to future actions not so much.

[geordie_6]

The budgetary changes etc are actually massive.

Particularly the German decisions recently.

There's the potential for those to be big, but they may yet end in little. What for instance happens if a coalition partner says to the German Chancellor this money needs to be invested into Germany to make Germany great again, and the military isn't something we can afford at this time? Or what happens if there are surprise results in Poland's elections, one wouldn't expect that but how many called the recent Romanian election in advance?

I hope the intimated extra spend on the military does come to something, but boots and equipment in place with a resolve to use them is a thing, words speaking to future actions not so much.

Understandable due to how much the EU have pissed about, and if this had happened in 2023 it's possible the whole situation would be better, but at present the entire bloc is making positive noises and taking actions that are moving in that same positive direction.

Slow as molasses? Yes, but they're finally moving.

[dpedin]

Court case over the illegal deportations is getting very interesting! Trump knows he is on shaky ground and is doing his usual and attacking the man rather than the ball. It is highly likely that this could end up in a contempt charge which will certainly bring things to a head re the judiciary role in upholding the law v a US Gov ignoring the law.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wp20zn97jo

Many legal commentators reckon the judge is going through everything with a fine tooth comb in order to ensure any appeal, which there certainly will be, will fail. He is walking the DoJ step by step through the whole legal process and letting them feck up at every step. The DoJ know they dont have a solid defence and are stalling hoping the calvary come over the hill but in essence they are just cannon fodder sent in to try and defend the indefensible. This is the test case!

[Slick]

The department of education stuff is just bonkers.

Like a lot of this stuff it's not quite as bonkers as the breathless headlines suggest though

[Raggs]

The department of education stuff is just bonkers.

Like a lot of this stuff it's not quite as bonkers as the breathless headlines suggest though

Is it not? The DoE is roughly there to try and ensure all kids have a fair shake. The ones living in rich areas, already get well funded through state taxes, DoE tries to balance things up. Whether that's through funding, focusing on areas where education is lacking, or discrimination approaches.

Trump lied about the USA spending the most on education and being low down on the educational league tables, they're roughly where their spend equivalent would put them.

Poor states/schools are going to get hammered by this.

Biggest thing though, is it's supposed to go through a 2/3rds congressional support to pass I believe. If Trump just drives it through, it's a massive step closer to dictatorship, if congress folds, it's also a big step.

[Slick]

The department of education stuff is just bonkers.

Like a lot of this stuff it's not quite as bonkers as the breathless headlines suggest though

Is it not? The DoE is roughly there to try and ensure all kids have a fair shake. The ones living in rich areas, already get well funded through state taxes, DoE tries to balance things up. Whether that's through funding, focusing on areas where education is lacking, or discrimination approaches.

Trump lied about the USA spending the most on education and being low down on the educational league tables, they're roughly where their spend equivalent would put them.

Poor states/schools are going to get hammered by this.

Biggest thing though, is it's supposed to go through a 2/3rds congressional support to pass I believe. If Trump just drives it through, it's a massive step closer to dictatorship, if congress folds, it's also a big step.

I think this is a decent article from the BBC

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling a campaign pledge and a long-cherished goal of some conservatives.

Accusing the agency of "breath-taking failures", the Republican president vowed to return the money it controls to individual states.

"We're going to shut it down as quickly as possible," Trump said, although the White House acknowledged that closing the agency outright would require an act of Congress.

The move is already facing legal challenges from those seeking to block the agency's closure as well as sweeping cuts to its staff announced last week.

Most US children attend public schools, which are free and run by local officials.

A common misconception is that the federal education department operates US schools and sets curriculum, but that is primarily done by states and local districts.

A relatively small percentage of funding for primary and secondary schools - about 13% - comes from federal funds. Most of the money comes from state and local taxes.

Established in 1979, the department administers student loans and runs programmes to help low-income students.

But Trump has accused it of indoctrinating young people with racial, sexual, and political material.

Surrounded by children seated at school desks in the White House on Thursday, Trump said "the US spends more money on education by far than any other country", yet he added that students rank near the bottom of the list.

The Unesco Institute for Statistics said the US spends roughly 5.4% of its GDP on education, which is higher than many countries but not all.

The department's budget last year was $238bn (£188bn), which is less than 2% of federal spending.

The White House stated that his administration would move to cut parts of the department that remain within legal boundaries.

The executive order is likely to face legal challenges, like many of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the size of the federal government.

At the signing ceremony, Trump praised Linda McMahon, whom he appointed to lead the department, and expressed his hope she would be the last secretary of education.

He said he would find "something else" for her to do within the administration.

After Trump signed the order, Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy announced plans to bring legislation aimed at closing the department.

But Republicans hold a slim 53-47 majority in the Senate, and closing a federal department would require 60 votes, making such a goal a longshot.

But even if the department is not formally closed, the Trump administration could decimate its funding and staff as it has done with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which subsequently stopped many of its programmes and humanitarian work.

The text of the executive order does not include specifics on what actions the administration will take and which programmes might be axed.

It orders McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure" of the department and give authority of such matters to state and local governments.

It also directs her to ensure "the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely".


Soon after she was sworn in, McMahon sent the department's 4,400 employees a memo titled "Our Department's Final Mission", a possible reference to Trump's aim to close it.

"This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students," she wrote.

"I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete; we will be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future."

Earlier reports suggested Trump would look to end some of the department's programmes and send others to different departments, such as the Treasury, something that still may happen but wasn't made clear in his executive order.

America's largest teachers' union recently decried Trump's plans, saying he "doesn't care about opportunity for all kids".

In its statement, the American Federation of Teachers said: "No-one likes bureaucracy, and everyone's in favour of more efficiency, so let's find ways to accomplish that.

"But don't use a 'war on woke' to attack the children living in poverty and the children with disabilities."

For more than 40 years, conservatives have complained about the department and floated ideas to abolish it.

Just two years after it was established by Democratic President Jimmy Carter, his Republican replacement, Ronald Reagan, led calls to undo it.

It is the smallest agency in the president's cabinet and takes up less than 2% of the total federal budget.

Some of those staff have already been affected by the Trump administration's sweeping workforce cuts, led by the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

Nearly 2,100 people at the agency are set to be placed on leave from Friday.

Efforts by Doge to slash federal spending and radically restructure - or simply abolish - many government agencies have been overseen by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

[Raggs]

Like a lot of this stuff it's not quite as bonkers as the breathless headlines suggest though

Is it not? The DoE is roughly there to try and ensure all kids have a fair shake. The ones living in rich areas, already get well funded through state taxes, DoE tries to balance things up. Whether that's through funding, focusing on areas where education is lacking, or discrimination approaches.

Trump lied about the USA spending the most on education and being low down on the educational league tables, they're roughly where their spend equivalent would put them.

Poor states/schools are going to get hammered by this.

Biggest thing though, is it's supposed to go through a 2/3rds congressional support to pass I believe. If Trump just drives it through, it's a massive step closer to dictatorship, if congress folds, it's also a big step.

I think this is a decent article from the BBC

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling a campaign pledge and a long-cherished goal of some conservatives.

Accusing the agency of "breath-taking failures", the Republican president vowed to return the money it controls to individual states.

"We're going to shut it down as quickly as possible," Trump said, although the White House acknowledged that closing the agency outright would require an act of Congress.

The move is already facing legal challenges from those seeking to block the agency's closure as well as sweeping cuts to its staff announced last week.

Most US children attend public schools, which are free and run by local officials.

A common misconception is that the federal education department operates US schools and sets curriculum, but that is primarily done by states and local districts.

A relatively small percentage of funding for primary and secondary schools - about 13% - comes from federal funds. Most of the money comes from state and local taxes.

Established in 1979, the department administers student loans and runs programmes to help low-income students.

But Trump has accused it of indoctrinating young people with racial, sexual, and political material.

Surrounded by children seated at school desks in the White House on Thursday, Trump said "the US spends more money on education by far than any other country", yet he added that students rank near the bottom of the list.

The Unesco Institute for Statistics said the US spends roughly 5.4% of its GDP on education, which is higher than many countries but not all.

The department's budget last year was $238bn (£188bn), which is less than 2% of federal spending.

The White House stated that his administration would move to cut parts of the department that remain within legal boundaries.

The executive order is likely to face legal challenges, like many of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the size of the federal government.

At the signing ceremony, Trump praised Linda McMahon, whom he appointed to lead the department, and expressed his hope she would be the last secretary of education.

He said he would find "something else" for her to do within the administration.

After Trump signed the order, Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy announced plans to bring legislation aimed at closing the department.

But Republicans hold a slim 53-47 majority in the Senate, and closing a federal department would require 60 votes, making such a goal a longshot.

But even if the department is not formally closed, the Trump administration could decimate its funding and staff as it has done with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which subsequently stopped many of its programmes and humanitarian work.

The text of the executive order does not include specifics on what actions the administration will take and which programmes might be axed.

It orders McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure" of the department and give authority of such matters to state and local governments.

It also directs her to ensure "the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely".


Soon after she was sworn in, McMahon sent the department's 4,400 employees a memo titled "Our Department's Final Mission", a possible reference to Trump's aim to close it.

"This is our opportunity to perform one final, unforgettable public service to future generations of students," she wrote.

"I hope you will join me in ensuring that when our final mission is complete; we will be able to say that we left American education freer, stronger, and with more hope for the future."

Earlier reports suggested Trump would look to end some of the department's programmes and send others to different departments, such as the Treasury, something that still may happen but wasn't made clear in his executive order.

America's largest teachers' union recently decried Trump's plans, saying he "doesn't care about opportunity for all kids".

In its statement, the American Federation of Teachers said: "No-one likes bureaucracy, and everyone's in favour of more efficiency, so let's find ways to accomplish that.

"But don't use a 'war on woke' to attack the children living in poverty and the children with disabilities."

For more than 40 years, conservatives have complained about the department and floated ideas to abolish it.

Just two years after it was established by Democratic President Jimmy Carter, his Republican replacement, Ronald Reagan, led calls to undo it.

It is the smallest agency in the president's cabinet and takes up less than 2% of the total federal budget.

Some of those staff have already been affected by the Trump administration's sweeping workforce cuts, led by the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

Nearly 2,100 people at the agency are set to be placed on leave from Friday.

Efforts by Doge to slash federal spending and radically restructure - or simply abolish - many government agencies have been overseen by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Nothing there disagrees with what I've said. It unreasonably punishes the poor and disabled/disadvantaged. Most the federal spending is on programs attempting to level the playing field. And again, rich areas don't need much federal funding, but poorer districts can be majority covered by federal funds. Over the whole school system, yes it's a relatively small amount (though slashing 13% off school budgets is pretty massive on it's own), but schools and areas that need it the most, will be hit the hardest, and they won't have the state/district funding to cover the loss, not even close.

[Slick]

Nothing there disagrees with what I've said. It unreasonably punishes the poor and disabled/disadvantaged. Most the federal spending is on programs attempting to level the playing field. And again, rich areas don't need much federal funding, but poorer districts can be majority covered by federal funds. Over the whole school system, yes it's a relatively small amount (though slashing 13% off school budgets is pretty massive on it's own), but schools and areas that need it the most, will be hit the hardest, and they won't have the state/district funding to cover the loss, not even close.

I wasn't disagreeing with what you said either. I just think some of the reporting is way over the top.

As the article says, it's unlikely to get voted through and it's something successive governments have considered doing since Carter.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Nothing there disagrees with what I've said. It unreasonably punishes the poor and disabled/disadvantaged. Most the federal spending is on programs attempting to level the playing field. And again, rich areas don't need much federal funding, but poorer districts can be majority covered by federal funds. Over the whole school system, yes it's a relatively small amount (though slashing 13% off school budgets is pretty massive on it's own), but schools and areas that need it the most, will be hit the hardest, and they won't have the state/district funding to cover the loss, not even close.

I wasn't disagreeing with what you said either. I just think some of the reporting is way over the top.

As the article says, it's unlikely to get voted through and it's something successive governments have considered doing since Carter.

Fo those who wanted to do it how many wanted to put something else in place Vs how many wanted to scorch the earth and say job done?

[Yeeb]

Don’t know what it’s like in the US, but in UK it seems that teachers are pretty bad at spending money effectively. Trumps quote that they spend loads but rank near the bottom , for once doesn’t sound unreasonable.

See also local government workers , planners , health trust execs in charge of procurement , councils road maintenance depts…

[Slick]

Nothing there disagrees with what I've said. It unreasonably punishes the poor and disabled/disadvantaged. Most the federal spending is on programs attempting to level the playing field. And again, rich areas don't need much federal funding, but poorer districts can be majority covered by federal funds. Over the whole school system, yes it's a relatively small amount (though slashing 13% off school budgets is pretty massive on it's own), but schools and areas that need it the most, will be hit the hardest, and they won't have the state/district funding to cover the loss, not even close.

I wasn't disagreeing with what you said either. I just think some of the reporting is way over the top.

As the article says, it's unlikely to get voted through and it's something successive governments have considered doing since Carter.

Fo those who wanted to do it how many wanted to put something else in place Vs how many wanted to scorch the earth and say job done?

27

[Uncle fester]

Don’t know what it’s like in the US, but in UK it seems that teachers are pretty bad at spending money effectively. Trumps quote that they spend loads but rank near the bottom , for once doesn’t sound unreasonable.

See also local government workers , planners , health trust execs in charge of procurement , councils road maintenance depts…

Tory strategy of ruining a service into the ground and then saying "see it doesn't work so we must privatise".

[Niegs]

Just a perfectly normal country...

[sockwithaticket]

Don’t know what it’s like in the US, but in UK it seems that teachers are pretty bad at spending money effectively. Trumps quote that they spend loads but rank near the bottom , for once doesn’t sound unreasonable.

See also local government workers , planners , health trust execs in charge of procurement , councils road maintenance depts…

Tory strategy of ruining a service into the ground and then saying "see it doesn't work so we must privatise".

That, plus Yeeb's premise is the sort of flippant, over-exaggeration founded in nonsense that we've all come to expect from him. Teachers have been asked to do more with less for about the last 20 years. If anything, that we still have a somewhat functional education system is testament to being able to use resources effectively. See also the other groups he maligned.

[Yeeb]

Don’t know what it’s like in the US, but in UK it seems that teachers are pretty bad at spending money effectively. Trumps quote that they spend loads but rank near the bottom , for once doesn’t sound unreasonable.

See also local government workers , planners , health trust execs in charge of procurement , councils road maintenance depts…

Tory strategy of ruining a service into the ground and then saying "see it doesn't work so we must privatise".

That, plus Yeeb's premise is the sort of flippant, over-exaggeration founded in nonsense that we've all come to expect from him. Teachers have been asked to do more with less for about the last 20 years. If anything, that we still have a somewhat functional education system is testament to being able to use resources effectively. See also the other groups he maligned.

Actually you are being full of shit here, have been a governor at a school as well as a largish nhs trust and whilst such excessive wastes have been trimmed from the newspaper articles about £30 lightbulbs and loo rolls, there is still an ingrained ‘other peoples money’ attitude within public sector that has my sales guys rubbing their hands with glee when they secure a health or education tender as it’s +10% margin at least.
I only malign groups that deserve to be mocked.

As for his Tory quote , the gravy trains have been running under governments of all colours. The Tory want to sell the nhs schtick is in fact the flippant founded in nonsense topic, which carries an agenda that conveniently overlooks who introduced competition , pfi, trusts, whose idea nhs actually was …

Oh, and if those groups I’ve maligned were better at spending their cash effectively , maybe there wouldn’t be quite so many of them effectively bankrupt and needing propping up.
Or teachers debt & bankruptcy 20% above national average .

[Hal Jordan]

So what you're saying is that we've been overcharged for years by private sector contractors? I, for one, welcome the Public Inquiry into decades of profiteering at the expense of the public purse.

[Niegs]

Also one for the fall in love thread (AOC, not Bernie ... though he's a real righteous dude)

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Actually you are being full of shit here, have been a governor at a school as well as a largish nhs trust and whilst such excessive wastes have been trimmed from the newspaper articles about £30 lightbulbs and loo rolls, there is still an ingrained ‘other peoples money’ attitude within public sector that has my sales guys rubbing their hands with glee when they secure a health or education tender as it’s +10% margin at least.
I only malign groups that deserve to be mocked.

I have someone in my family who for years was a pretty big part of the civil service doing procurement for the NHS. No chance he'd recognise your characterisation, and fwiw he'd be vehemently right wing, pro Brexit (albeit then oddly anti-Trump).

And yes it's other people's money, but when isn't it if it's not your startup that employs perhaps a few dozen at most? Elon Musk wants to take $56 billion out of Tesla, and even if ignoring such a stark example the private sector is littered with people chasing their six figure bonus even if it's not exactly useful to the business as a whole

[Firewater]

The department of education stuff is just bonkers.

Like a lot of this stuff it's not quite as bonkers as the breathless headlines suggest though

Is it not? The DoE is roughly there to try and ensure all kids have a fair shake. The ones living in rich areas, already get well funded through state taxes, DoE tries to balance things up. Whether that's through funding, focusing on areas where education is lacking, or discrimination approaches.

Trump lied about the USA spending the most on education and being low down on the educational league tables, they're roughly where their spend equivalent would put them.

Poor states/schools are going to get hammered by this.

Biggest thing though, is it's supposed to go through a 2/3rds congressional support to pass I believe. If Trump just drives it through, it's a massive step closer to dictatorship, if congress folds, it's also a big step.

It will move back to the states. Where it should have stayed. It should lead to a more diverse decentralised outcome. Surely thats are good thing.

[bok_viking]

Europe hasn't actually done anything yet. So far it's just hot air

Yeah I am not sure how much Europe will actually do outside of talking a lot. Europe has been kissing the feet of the USA and acted as their vassal for so long (even when most of it ended up being harmful to the European economy) that I just cannot see them doing their own thing for long before crawling back to the USA. The EU and G7 have been empowering the USA for decades now even if it is against their best interests or values. Europe has lost its backbone long ago.

[bok_viking]

Trump now claiming he did not sign the order to give him war time powers, even though the document with his signature is on public record and his press secretary said a few times this week on tv that he signed it
If he does not know what he is signing, maybe someone should slip in his resignation letter while he is signing documents he apparently does not read

[geordie_6]

The irony on this...

[tabascoboy]

The secret behind the apparent drive to decrease education levels?

[Hugo]

Europe hasn't actually done anything yet. So far it's just hot air

Yeah I am not sure how much Europe will actually do outside of talking a lot. Europe has been kissing the feet of the USA and acted as their vassal for so long (even when most of it ended up being harmful to the European economy) that I just cannot see them doing their own thing for long before crawling back to the USA. The EU and G7 have been empowering the USA for decades now even if it is against their best interests or values. Europe has lost its backbone long ago.

Europe is no different from much of the world in that it responds to American initiatives in a reactive way. American cultural and soft power is so pervasive that it's very hard to operate independent of it. Case in point - the Cook cup was renamed in 2021. There's not a single chance that a rugby union trophy contested by England and Australia would have been renamed at that time if not for the BLM movement/George Floyd. Cook was a genius navigator, one of the great explorers of all time and provides the common foundational thread between the two countries but because a racial justice movement in the US gained traction worldwide he was essentially cancelled.

How you get on the front foot to mitigate that is hard when everyone from screen addicted teenagers to bureaucrats take their cues from what trends in Hollywood/silicon valley/DC. It's like a 51st state type of mentality and it's probably the biggest triumph of the American Empire.

[Biffer]

The secret behind the apparent drive to decrease education levels?

Gilead incoming.