President Biden and US politics catchall

[TB63]

Judge Kaplan: “Mr. Trump's current situation is a result of his own dilatory actions. He has had since January 26 to organize his finances with the knowledge that he might need to bond this judgment, yet he waited until 25 days after the jury verdict …to file his prior motion for an unsecured or partially secured stay pending resolution of post-trial motions. … Accordingly, the present application for administrative stay is denied.”

[TB63]

Donald Trump has been told to pay the six-figure legal costs of a company he sued over claims of "perverted" sex acts and bribes to Russian officials.

Mrs Justice Steyn threw out the case against Orbis Business Intelligence, a consultancy founded by former MI6 officer Christopher Steele, last month.

She found that Mr Trump's compensation claim was "bound to fail".

In a new ruling she also ordered Mr Trump to pay Orbis's costs "of the entire claim".

Mrs Justice Steyn said Orbis has estimated its costs to be more than £600,000.

She said £300,000 should be paid by Mr Trump before the total costs are decided by a specialist judge.

It just keeps getting better..

[Hugo]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68508331

Soldiers now involved in policing the underground in NYC. Surely the NYPD are adequately funded and trained to be able to carry out whatever tasks the soldiers are doing? Everytime I've been to NYC there have been police officers everywhere. This seems like over policing and it seems like a dangerous trajectory -
1. Police
2. Militarised police (police using old/surplus military equipment)
3. Using soldiers to police........

[Hugo]

In fact its a reactive/authoritarian strategy for reducing crime that does not address the underlying causes - poverty and such.

[yermum]

Trump has posted a bond on the Jean e carol case

[TB63]

Yeah, riiiiight you demented sack of shit..

[TheNatalShark]

Not sure what a good place for it, but somewhat interesting the realities of the AUKUS submarine stuff coming in, Oz won't get the build capacity and US overruns mean they won't be inclined to share of theirs. So Aus going to be left with nothing but a photo op for Johnson and "that guy" Morrison.

[Hugo]

Tiktok ban bill passes the house. Won't ban weapons used in mass shootings but will ban a social media app.

[fishfoodie]

Not sure what a good place for it, but somewhat interesting the realities of the AUKUS submarine stuff coming in, Oz won't get the build capacity and US overruns mean they won't be inclined to share of theirs. So Aus going to be left with nothing but a photo op for Johnson and "that guy" Morrison.

The ability to build their own subs was always a pipe dream, but you had Politicians insisting it always be put in the requirement, as a precondition, & any bidder wasn't going to tell you it was bullshit.

Just ask the UK how hard it is to maintain a workforce skilled enough to produce even a single class of diesel subs, & that's in a Country that has done so in the past, & has their own reactor designs. You can ask the French, or Americans, or whoever to help train your people, but you have to have a pool of skilled people to begin with, & then you need to maintain that pool for refits, & new designs, or you end up like the UK, pissing away billions on builds that the first 2/3 boats are lemons, until you work thru the designs, & develop a work force fit for the job.

If the Ozzies started today, they might have the engineers & apprentices in twenty years time, but best of luck getting any Politician to commit to that kind of time line.

[petej]

Not sure what a good place for it, but somewhat interesting the realities of the AUKUS submarine stuff coming in, Oz won't get the build capacity and US overruns mean they won't be inclined to share of theirs. So Aus going to be left with nothing but a photo op for Johnson and "that guy" Morrison.

The ability to build their own subs was always a pipe dream, but you had Politicians insisting it always be put in the requirement, as a precondition, & any bidder wasn't going to tell you it was bullshit.

Just ask the UK how hard it is to maintain a workforce skilled enough to produce even a single class of diesel subs, & that's in a Country that has done so in the past, & has their own reactor designs. You can ask the French, or Americans, or whoever to help train your people, but you have to have a pool of skilled people to begin with, & then you need to maintain that pool for refits, & new designs, or you end up like the UK, pissing away billions on builds that the first 2/3 boats are lemons, until you work thru the designs, & develop a work force fit for the job.

If the Ozzies started today, they might have the engineers & apprentices in twenty years time, but best of luck getting any Politician to commit to that kind of time line.

UK has 3 in-service class of nuclear powered subs and another class in build.

[fishfoodie]

Not sure what a good place for it, but somewhat interesting the realities of the AUKUS submarine stuff coming in, Oz won't get the build capacity and US overruns mean they won't be inclined to share of theirs. So Aus going to be left with nothing but a photo op for Johnson and "that guy" Morrison.

The ability to build their own subs was always a pipe dream, but you had Politicians insisting it always be put in the requirement, as a precondition, & any bidder wasn't going to tell you it was bullshit.

Just ask the UK how hard it is to maintain a workforce skilled enough to produce even a single class of diesel subs, & that's in a Country that has done so in the past, & has their own reactor designs. You can ask the French, or Americans, or whoever to help train your people, but you have to have a pool of skilled people to begin with, & then you need to maintain that pool for refits, & new designs, or you end up like the UK, pissing away billions on builds that the first 2/3 boats are lemons, until you work thru the designs, & develop a work force fit for the job.

If the Ozzies started today, they might have the engineers & apprentices in twenty years time, but best of luck getting any Politician to commit to that kind of time line.

UK has 3 in-service class of nuclear powered subs and another class in build.

It does but the yards had a lot of hard work putting together a workforce with the skills to do so, & the first in each class were dogs.

It'd not a critism of the people who worked on them, or the designers, but more a reflection that these are incredibly complex machines, & to build them takes a massive effort, akin to a medium sized space program, but you don't get the aknowledgement of that from the Politicians of that requirement, instead they like to pretend that after being mothballed for a decade, you can just pull off the covers & roll out a new boat.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Trump has posted a bond on the Jean e carol case

That, or a Swiss based company with strong business interests in Russia has stumped up the cash, and presumably will do so for a few hundred million more very soon.

Luckily there's no national security risk in having a candidate for President owe hundreds of millions to Putin

[Guy Smiley]

Not sure what a good place for it, but somewhat interesting the realities of the AUKUS submarine stuff coming in, Oz won't get the build capacity and US overruns mean they won't be inclined to share of theirs. So Aus going to be left with nothing but a photo op for Johnson and "that guy" Morrison.

The ability to build their own subs was always a pipe dream, but you had Politicians insisting it always be put in the requirement, as a precondition, & any bidder wasn't going to tell you it was bullshit.

Just ask the UK how hard it is to maintain a workforce skilled enough to produce even a single class of diesel subs, & that's in a Country that has done so in the past, & has their own reactor designs. You can ask the French, or Americans, or whoever to help train your people, but you have to have a pool of skilled people to begin with, & then you need to maintain that pool for refits, & new designs, or you end up like the UK, pissing away billions on builds that the first 2/3 boats are lemons, until you work thru the designs, & develop a work force fit for the job.

If the Ozzies started today, they might have the engineers & apprentices in twenty years time, but best of luck getting any Politician to commit to that kind of time line.

Australia had an agreement in place with the French that they famously backed out of... causing immense damage to their relationship with France in the process. Scott Morrison and his merry bunch of vandals will easily go down as one of the worst governments Australia has had for any one of a large number of reasons.

[Biffer]

The ability to build their own subs was always a pipe dream, but you had Politicians insisting it always be put in the requirement, as a precondition, & any bidder wasn't going to tell you it was bullshit.

Just ask the UK how hard it is to maintain a workforce skilled enough to produce even a single class of diesel subs, & that's in a Country that has done so in the past, & has their own reactor designs. You can ask the French, or Americans, or whoever to help train your people, but you have to have a pool of skilled people to begin with, & then you need to maintain that pool for refits, & new designs, or you end up like the UK, pissing away billions on builds that the first 2/3 boats are lemons, until you work thru the designs, & develop a work force fit for the job.

If the Ozzies started today, they might have the engineers & apprentices in twenty years time, but best of luck getting any Politician to commit to that kind of time line.

UK has 3 in-service class of nuclear powered subs and another class in build.

It does but the yards had a lot of hard work putting together a workforce with the skills to do so, & the first in each class were dogs.

It'd not a critism of the people who worked on them, or the designers, but more a reflection that these are incredibly complex machines, & to build them takes a massive effort, akin to a medium sized space program, but you don't get the aknowledgement of that from the Politicians of that requirement, instead they like to pretend that after being mothballed for a decade, you can just pull off the covers & roll out a new boat.

It’s the problem with all our large projects, including infrastructure. We have trouble building new railway lines because we don’t build new railway lines, for example.

[Sandstorm]

Trump has posted a bond on the Jean e carol case

That, or a Swiss based company with strong business interests in Russia has stumped up the cash, and presumably will do so for a few hundred million more very soon.

Luckily there's no national security risk in having a candidate for President owe hundreds of millions to Putin

Perfect opportunity for Dem Pack to claim the Russians are paying Trumps fines. It doesn’t even have to be true in modern politics.

[Uncle fester]

Trump has posted a bond on the Jean e carol case

That, or a Swiss based company with strong business interests in Russia has stumped up the cash, and presumably will do so for a few hundred million more very soon.

Luckily there's no national security risk in having a candidate for President owe hundreds of millions to Putin

Perfect opportunity for Dem Pack to claim the Russians are paying Trumps fines. It doesn’t even have to be true in modern politics.

Very good point. It's small beer compared to the lies they spout.

[Hal Jordan]

I think the money may have been found as a result of the bloodbath at the RNC after Trump's daughter in law and a former advisor take over its leadership. 60+ sacked. No doubt the treasury will be looted as they've pledged to spend 'every penny' defending Trump.

[fishfoodie]

I think the money may have been found as a result of the bloodbath at the RNC after Trump's daughter in law and a former advisor take over its leadership. 60+ sacked. No doubt the treasury will be looted as they've pledged to spend 'every penny' defending Trump.

The CEO of Chubb wrote a letter to his employees acknowledging that the company providing the bond was divisive, but saying that the right to an appeal was important, etc, etc, & that the traitor didn't get special terms, & that the company had security on the bond.

Now as someone who served in committees during the last administration he might be sympathetic to the GOP, but if he does a deal that doesn't protect the company & it's shareholders, he is himself in legal shit, so I think they do have some form of security on the $83M.

The big bond though will be an entirely different issue, because it's for an eye watering amount, & I don't think he has any unencumbered assets worth that much to use as security

[Gumboot]

Mike Pence has refused to endorse Trump. I'm sure this will cause barely a nanosecond of reflection by those white evangelical voters who went for Trump in 2016 because of white evangelical Pence being on the ticket. No doubt they'll still be all-in on their Orange Jesus this time round as well.

[fishfoodie]

Mike Pence has refused to endorse Trump. I'm sure this will cause barely a nanosecond of reflection by those white evangelical voters who went for Trump in 2016 because of white evangelical Pence being on the ticket. No doubt they'll still be all-in on their Orange Jesus this time round as well.

You won't find a bigger bunch of hypocrites in the Universe than US evangelists !

It occurred to me the other day that the success of MAGA was based in an environment of grifter "preachers", with their Mega-Churches, & private Jets, & stupid poor people giving money they couldn't afford to, to this scum.

The traitor just slip streamed in behind & used their mailing lists & facebag to target a core of idiots, as well as the other grifters in politics, who'll run behind anyone who looks like they're a following.

[mat the expat]

Not sure what a good place for it, but somewhat interesting the realities of the AUKUS submarine stuff coming in, Oz won't get the build capacity and US overruns mean they won't be inclined to share of theirs. So Aus going to be left with nothing but a photo op for Johnson and "that guy" Morrison.

AUKUS was always at risk to America needing slots for their own boats and the UK not having the capacity to build more.

[Gumboot]

[Hugo]

Indeed.

I saw this laughable (its genuinely funny) video by Ashley Hinson who is one of the bills sponsors/advocates. At the start she talks about how important it is to ban tiktok for the safety of kids and she tries to relate to the audience by bringing up her kids. The policies of the GOP are far more harmful than a social media site.

[Hugo]

Here it is. Its like a SNL parody.
"China is hurting our kids through tiktok!!!"

[Hugo]

Meanwhile her husband had over $100,000 of COVID loans forgiven.

I just can't fathom how people like her can even get elected tbh. All it takes is 10 mins scrolling her twitter feed to see she is not a serious person.

[Kiwias]

Here it is. Its like a SNL parody.
"China is hurting our kids through tiktok!!!"

She needs lessons from Katie Britt in the proper use of dramatic sighs and whispers.

[TB63]

[TB63]

Oh. Dear...

[inactionman]

Oh. Dear...

I've no idea what the implications of that are.

I recall the state has an appointed administrator (or words to that effect) within Trump's businesses, can they start selling things off?

[TB63]

It means the Billionaire can't afford to pay his bond to appeal, no-one is coming forward either..

Probably properties will have for sale signs on them soon....

[TB63]

[Sandstorm]

Shame.

[fishfoodie]

Oh. Dear...

I've no idea what the implications of that are.

I recall the state has an appointed administrator (or words to that effect) within Trump's businesses, can they start selling things off?

Just like the UK, the Sheriffs move in & take goods to the value of the fine. In this case the DA already mentioned 40 Wall Street, because she sees it every day.

The big question is where is there ~$500 million in unencumbered assets ? This is why he's shitting himself.

If they can't pay the fine after a fire sale of 40 Wall Street, then what else does they sell, & at what point do the Banks decide to call in their loans too, because there's no longer enough income from what remains

[Slick]

Here it is. Its like a SNL parody.
"China is hurting our kids through tiktok!!!"

Am I missing something. I'm not really sure what is so totally mad about this.

[petej]

Here it is. Its like a SNL parody.
"China is hurting our kids through tiktok!!!"

Am I missing something. I'm not really sure what is so totally mad about this.

The only issue I have is tiktok being singled out from Facebook, X, YouTube etc...

[Rhubarb & Custard]

It means the Billionaire can't afford to pay his bond to appeal, no-one is coming forward either..

Probably properties will have for sale signs on them soon....

If he actually owns them, he may have nothing to sell

Don't see the courts looking to help him now he's wound the clock down

[inactionman]

Here it is. Its like a SNL parody.
"China is hurting our kids through tiktok!!!"

Am I missing something. I'm not really sure what is so totally mad about this.

It feels as much about protectionism of US social media firms as it does about national security.

I'm not sure I'd be too exercised by Chinese secret services monitoring American teenagers doing silly dances in shopping malls.

[fishfoodie]

Here it is. Its like a SNL parody.
"China is hurting our kids through tiktok!!!"

Am I missing something. I'm not really sure what is so totally mad about this.

It feels as much about protectionism of US social media firms as it does about national security.

I'm not sure I'd be too exercised by Chinese secret services monitoring American teenagers doing silly dances in shopping malls.

The problem is that once you install the app on your phone, you might be giving them access to all the other data on it, or any other devices.

This is also why everyone wants to exclude Huawei from their critical infrastructure; the combination of hardware & software control would allow a hostile state to build in backdoors everywhere.

[TB63]

It means the Billionaire can't afford to pay his bond to appeal, no-one is coming forward either..

Probably properties will have for sale signs on them soon....

If he actually owns them, he may have nothing to sell

Don't see the courts looking to help him now he's wound the clock down

They're all mortgaged to the hilt, no company would post a bond on a mortgaged building..

He's fucked...

[Hugo]

Here it is. Its like a SNL parody.
"China is hurting our kids through tiktok!!!"

Am I missing something. I'm not really sure what is so totally mad about this.

Its the whole concerned mother act, the way she's trying to frame that the issue US govt. have with tiktok is based on caring about the welfare of American kids.

They (her party) don't give a shit when American kids get killed in school shootings so in my eyes its a very disingenuous stance. Further, why single out tiktok, if child welfare is your concern then surely Instagram is problematic.