#How to apply for tax extension

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #27

July 12-19 2024

President Biden announced the cancellation of $1.2 billion dollars worth of student loan debt. This will cancel the debt of 35,000 public service workers, such as teachers, nurses, and firefighters. This brings the total number of people who've had their student debt relived under the Biden Administration to 4.8 million or one out of every ten people with student loan debt, for a total of $168.5 billion in debt forgiven. This came after the Supreme Court threw out an earlier more wide ranging student debt relief plan forcing the administration to undertake a slower more piecemeal process for forgiving debt. President Biden announced a new plan in the spring that will hopefully be finalized by fall that will forgive an additional 30 million people's student loan debt.

President Biden announced actions to lower housing coasts, make more housing available and called on Congress to prevent rent hikes. President Biden's plan calls for landlords who raise the rent by more than 5% a year to face losing major important tax befits, the average rent has gone up by 21% since 2021. The President has also instructed the federal government, the largest land owner in the country, to examine how unused property can be used for housing. The Bureau of Land Management plans on building 15,000 affordable housing units on public land in southern Nevada, the USPS is examining 8,500 unused properties across America to be repurposed for housing, HHS is finalizing a new rule to make it easier to use federal property to house the homeless, and the Administration is calling on state, local, and tribal governments to use their own unused property for housing, which could create approximately 1.9 million units nationwide.

The Department of Transportation announced $5 billion to replace or restore major bridges across the country. The money will go to 13 significant bridges in 16 states. Some bridges are suffering from years of neglect others are nearly 100 years old and no longer fit for modern demands. Some of the projects include the I-5 bridge over the Columbia River which connects Portland Oregon to Vancouver Washington, replacing the Sagamore Bridge which connects Cape Cod to the mainland built in 1933, replacing the I- 83 South Bridge in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Cape Fear Memorial Bridge Replacement Project in Wilmington, North Carolina, among others.

President Biden signed an Executive Order aimed at boosting Latino college attendance. The order established the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are defined as colleges with 25% or above Hispanic/Latino enrollment, currently 55% of Hispanic college students are enrolled in an HSI. The initiative seeks to stream line the relationship between the federal government and HSIs to allow them to more easily take advantage of federal programs and expand their reach to better serve students and boost Hispanic enrollment nationwide.

HUD announced $325 million in grants for housing and community development in 7 cities. the cities in Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Nevada, New York and New Jersey, have collectively pledged to develop over 6,500 new mixed-income units, including the one-for-one replacement of 2,677 severely distressed public housing units. The 7 collectively will invest $2.65 billion in additional resources within the Choice Neighborhood area – so that every $1 in HUD funds will generate $8.65 in additional resources.

President Biden took extensive new actions on immigration. On June 18th The President announced a new policy that would allow the foreign born spouses and step children of American citizens who don't have legal status to apply for it without having to leave the country, this would effect about half a million spouses and 50,000 children. This week Biden announced that people can start applying on August 19, 2024. Also in June President Biden announced an easing of Visa rules that will allow Dreamers, Americans brought to the country as children without legal status, to finally get work visas to give them legal status and a path way to citizenship. This week the Biden Administration announced a new rule to expand the federal TRIO program to cover Dreamers. TRIO is a program that aims to support low income students and those who would be the first in their families to go to college transition from high school to college, the change would support 50,000 more students each year. The Administration also plans to double the number of free immigration lawyers available to those going through immigration court.

The EPA announced $160 million in grants to support Clean U.S. Manufacturing of Steel and Other Construction Materials. The EPA estimates that the manufacturing of construction materials, such as concrete, asphalt, steel, and glass, accounts for 15% of the  annual global greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA is supporting 38 projects aimed at measuring and combatting the environmental impact of construction materials.

The US announced $203 million in humanitarian assistance for the people of Sudan. Sudan's out of control civil war has caused the largest refugee crisis in the world with 11 million Sudanese having fled their homes in the face of violence. The war is also causing the gravest food crisis in the world, with a record setting 25 million people facing acute food insecurity, and fears that nearly a million will face famine in the next months. This aid brings the total aid the US has given Sudan since September 2023 to $1.6 billion, making America the single largest donor to Sudan.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau put forward a new rule that would better regulate popular paycheck advance products. 2/3rds of workers are payed every two weeks or once a month and since 2020 the number of short term loans that allow employees to receive their paycheck days before it’s scheduled to hit their account has grown by 90%. the CFPB says that many of these programs are decided with employers not employees and millions of Americans are paying fees they didn't know about before signing up. The new rule would require lenders to tell costumers up front about any and all fees and charges, as well as cracking down on deceptive "tipping" options.

[outcasts-redeemer]

The Three Rules

In the modern galactic political climate there exists three rules that all abide by. The Rules of Governance, Commerce and Conquest.

The Rule of Governance dictates that for a Stellar Nation to exist, its people, and by extension its colonies and stations, must be governed by a single governing body. There are exceptions to this rule in the form of secessionist movements, but these span entire planets and sectors of space and for the most part collapse into multi front wars needing intergalactic interventions to restore order. To date there have been only fifty one stellar nations that have successfully succeeded and went on to form their own operational governments. In a galaxy of a few thousand stellar nations with dozens more joining every decade this shows just how rare these events are.

The Rule of Commerce dictates that before any stellar nation attempts to enter the galactic market it first must be self sufficient. Again there are exceptions to this rule as many stellar nations often lack the actual resources to be fully self sufficient and thus are allowed allowances to perchance nessisary goods and resources needed for their operation. This has resulted in wars and conflicts to be reduced by 65.7% since the last galactic meeting nearly twenty cycles ago.

The Rule of Conquest states that stellar nations partaking in armed conflict with one anaother shall not engage in warfare with a defending stellar nations of a military strength less than half of the aggressor. Failure to adhere to this results in embargos, increased trade taxes and unless the conflict is ended, military intervention. If, however, the attacking stellar nation has half of the military strength of the defender, these protections and restrictions do not apply. This policy alone has stopped nearly 80.7% of wars of aggression since its implementation one-hundred and thirty-seven cycles ago.

The humans, to no one’s surprise, follow none of these rules as their “Governing Body”, the United Nations Representative Government is more fractured than that of a planet orbiting a black hole, their “Countries” colonies and stations rely on each other for goods and resources with some traveling several light-years before reaching their end destination and they often show no regard in who or what they fight with their very extensive military.

Best advice? The next galactic meeting establish new rules solely for the humans to adhere by.

[nvuy]

How do you write so well? I'm trying to get into writing because I YEARN to create, but it is very difficult. Do you have any tips? I try and create, but it feels like there is a brick wall in my brain 😫 I also struggle to come up with ideas 😭😭

oh worm thank you so much im so honoured… i don’t want to just say ‘practise,’ even though that is half of quite literally improving in anything.

i am going to long post now. you’re welcome. this is my little guide to writing. in no way am i saying my writing is perfect and world class five stars, but this is just some things i learned along the way that helped me get better!!!

now this is all assuming considering you read my works that you also want to write reader inserts, but even if that’s not the case, i think all this stuff applies to normal writing as well.

what i do like to think is that ‘good writing’ is very very subjective. for example, i prefer much more philosophical pieces, ambiguous endings, extensive world building, and things like that, and i like to put it in my writing.

however, what you may like about my writing could be what someone else absolutely hates. not everyone can be bothered to read 4 pages on a heavy description of a quiet deserted street in the rain, or a dusty old library , or the bustling atmosphere of a cafe. some writers like to do scenarios without fully developed plots. some do.

WRITING IN A NUT SHELL

what really helps is to find where you lie on this spectrum. do you prefer overtly poetic descriptive writing, or straight to the point, no beating around the bush? or does it depend?

i know it’s sounds taxing to write heavy descriptions and worldbuilding and this and that, but if you like to read it, chances are you may also like to write it yourself.

this is a tip i lowkey thought was common sense, but i’ve spoken to moots on discord and other platforms about it, and a lot of writers just… don’t know about it?

basically it’s that A First Draft is a First Draft. this has been said time and time again. j.r. tolkein didn’t write LOTR in a day, rowling did not write the entire harry potter series in one shot. nobody did that.

as well as this, my first drafts never start out as fully fledged stories. most of them look like this:

notice the obnoxiously large gap in between? yep! two entirely different scenes, but under the same concept. you don’t need cohesion in your drafts. that comes with time. get all your ideas down first.

my first drafts are awful. they’re absolute dogshit. most of the time, i abandon a lot of my works altogether. but i never delete anything, because sometimes i may come back and suddenly get inspiration again.

most of my first drafts look like this:

notice how it lacks with everything. there’s no flavour here. it’s incredibly dialogue heavy, and it’s clearly supposed to have some sort of surreal feeling to it.

come back to it later only when i feel like it and rewrite it only when you feel like it:

same concept, same exact scene, but now it has more emotion. because i’ve written it a second time, or maybe even a third, or fourth (anymore than that, and im sorry, but drop it. it’s doing you more harm than good). so many people hit this writers block because they want their first draft to be perfect and it won’t ever be.

don’t focus on the itty bitty details. get the idea down first. you can always come back later. it really really helps to get out of ruts and stuff.

another thing: You Don’t Need To Start With Writing Fanfics Right Away. and i wouldn’t recommend it. not doubting you, or any other young bright-eyed writers, but fanfics are gruelling work that require lots and lots of planning.

i would honestly recommend getting started and finding comfort with one shots and/or headcanons, or drabbles, or whatever else short fics are called, because they require a lot less dedication, and it’s a lot more fun, because you can spring from one idea to another. majority of my works are short fics for a reason. it’s a lot easier to write, and i personally find it more enjoyable :) try it out!

IDEAS: WORLDBUILDING

(this next segment is assuming your fic wants to take place in a different area than canon) (otherwise, check out descriptions/images/videos of the place your world is supposed to be set in!! same idea!!)

if you’re unsure about worldbuilding and what exactly this place you’re creating is supposed to look like or how it might function, browse pinterest! there’s so many real and/or fake & rendered places on that site. is your area really cold and constantly snowing? search up some art with those key words. it could help you gain a clearer image!

let’s use an example: say the world im building my fic is based in a very cold, always snowing, always icy town. we go on pinterest, have a bit of a look around, and then we go Ooh this looks interesting!!

this is a painting by alexander andriyanov.

who are these people? where are they? what’re they doing? is horseback and carriage their primary mode of transport? do these people have access to vehicles like cars? do cars exist in my world at all? what are the surrounding buildings? etc etc.

TLDR: what im trying to say is if it helps you, look at something, listen to music, watch a movie, and then ask the question How Do I Make This About Me?

this speedpaint by darek zabrocki helped me get an idea of what snezhnaya in my multi chapter fic on ao3 was supposed to look like. obviously snezhnaya isn’t released in genshin just yet, so it allows me a lot of creative freedom in that regard.

you can always always use other people’s works as inspiration. why do you think so many songs these days use samples from older tracks? it’s basically the same thing. obviously, don’t downright copy, that’s plagiarism, but seriously. if you’re struggling to create this world in your head, pinterest is your best friend.

IDEAS: PLOTS & THE CENTRAL CONFLICT

in terms of coming up with actually plot ideas, i said it before and i’ll say it again. movies, shows, games, other people’s stories, other fanfics/books, paintings and other forms of artwork, history, etc.

if you’re writing a fanfic, most writers like to take the canon route, and you’re welcome to do that.

if you’re worried about your own ideas being lacklustre or you can’t think of anything, but the canon storyline is good for your fic, canon divergence is always fun!

for example! i haven’t posted it here, but i always did have this idea of a neuvillette centric fic based on the love letter he received in one of the world quests. so you take something that happened in the game, and then you ask AGAIN: How Do I Make This About Me?

in terms of thinking up an entirely different idea or concept or prompt or whatever you want to call it, there’s honestly no right or wrong way of doing it. it’s really, really difficult though. i have so many ideas that are more suitable for one shots that fully fledged fanfictions.

again, read books you like. read other people’s works. read lore of the fandom you’re writing about, or better yet, sometimes i go off of a fleeting thought that a random NPC said at some point in the storyline that had little to no effect on the story.

what constitutes as a good plot and a bad plot is a matter of opinion. as long as there’s evident improvement (or the opposite, if that’s your fancy) of your characters in your story, whether that be their personality, relationship with others, or whatever, then you’ve successfully written a cohesive narrative.

how most of my works start is actually because i randomly come up with one scene in my head that haunts me. i call them Brain Rots™.

for example, in my scaramouche fic on ao3, the scene that started the entire thing was of some sort of solider that presented a ring to the doctor in a very cold and barren wasteland.

and then i asked, what is the significance of this ring? is the solider injured? should the doctor care? why are they there in the first place? where is this place? where do they go after this?

hopefully you get the picture.

TLDR: figure out what makes your Brain Rot™ about the particular scene that’s playing on repeat in your head, find your inspiration through any sort of media you enjoy consuming that you find directly links to your ideas (because most likely if you enjoy something, you’ll be inspired by it more than you would with something you actively don’t like) (and this ‘media’ ranges from pictures, real life anecdotes/stories, video games, other fics, music, art, etc.), ask questions (How Do I Make This About Me), and then answer them yourself!!!!

and also just practise and practise and practise!!! you will subconsciously develop new skills by consuming media and reading other people’s works that you really like. it all comes with time :) !!!!!

[importantmentalityphilosopher]

On March 22, 2018, Trump signed a memorandum under the Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, instructing the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to apply tariffs of $50 billion on Chinese goods.

This from Brookings; September of 2020. President Trump has advocated for greater trade protectionism and imposed a series of tariffs on China, Mexico, Canada, the European Union, and other trading partners. His administration justified these policies on three grounds: that they would benefit American workers, especially in manufacturing; that they would give the United States leverage to renegotiate trade agreements with other countries; and that they were necessary to protect American national security. Judged by these three metrics, how successful were Trump’s tariffs? And what’s at stake in this election for the future of American trade policy?American firms and consumers paid the vast majority of the cost of Trump’s tariffs.While tariffs benefited some workers in import-competing industries, they hurt workers in sectors that rely on imported inputs and those in exporting industries facing retaliation from trade partners.Trump’s tariffs did not help the U.S. negotiate better trade agreements or significantly improve national security.

Trump is proposing a 10% tariff. Economists say that amounts to a $1,700 tax on Americans.

Former President Donald Trump is pledging to supercharge one of his signature trade policies — tariffs — if he's re-elected this November, by imposing 10% across-the-board levies on all products imported into the U.S. from overseas. The idea, he has said, is to protect American jobs as well as raise more revenue to offset an extension of his 2017 tax cuts.

But that proposal would likely backfire, effectively acting as a tax on U.S. consumers, economists spanning the political spectrum say. If the tariffs are enacted — with Trump also proposing a levy of 60% or more on Chinese imports — a typical middle-class household in the U.S. would face an estimated $1,700 a year in additional costs, acording to the non-partisan Peterson Institute for International Economics. 

Meanwhile, the left-leaning Center on American Progress has also crunched the numbers and projects roughly $1,500 per year in extra costs for the typical household. The reason, according to experts: Companies in the U.S. that import goods from abroad typically pass the cost of tariffs onto American consumers; relatedly, domestic manufacturers then often raise their own prices. 

More cowardly liberal TDS BS (aka Anonymous). ESADYCB!!!

But here are just a few accomplishments for you to ponder:

Before the Chinese “whore” invaded our shores, we had the world’s most prosperous economy.

Summary

Pro God

Pro Life

Pro Guns

Pro Jobs

Pro Military

Pro Justice

My 401K was doing great under him

No endless wars

Bonus: love the mean tweets!!!

More Specific

America gained 7 million new jobs – more than three times government experts’ projections.

Middle-Class family income increased nearly $6,000 – more than five times the gains during the entire previous administration.

The unemployment rate reached 3.5 percent, the lowest in a half-century.

Achieved 40 months in a row with more job openings than job-hirings.

More Americans reported being employed than ever before – nearly 160 million.

Jobless claims hit a nearly 50-year low.

The number of people claiming unemployment insurance as a share of the population hit its lowest on record.

Incomes rose in every single metro area in the United States for the first time in nearly 3 decades.

Delivered a future of greater promise and opportunity for citizens of all backgrounds.

Unemployment rates for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and those without a high school diploma all reached record lows.

Unemployment for women hit its lowest rate in nearly 70 years.

Lifted nearly 7 million people off of food stamps.

Poverty rates for African Americans and Hispanic Americans reached record lows.

Income inequality fell for two straight years, and by the largest amount in over a decade.

The bottom 50 percent of American households saw a 40 percent increase in net worth.

Wages rose fastest for low-income and blue collar workers – a 16 percent pay increase.

African American homeownership increased from 41.7 percent to 46.4 percent.

Brought jobs, factories, and industries back to the USA.

Created more than 1.2 million manufacturing and construction jobs.

Put in place policies to bring back supply chains from overseas.

Small business optimism broke a 35-year old record in 2018.

Hit record stock market numbers and record 401ks.

The DOW closed above 20,000 for the first time in 2017 and topped 30,000 in 2020.

The S&P 500 and NASDAQ have repeatedly notched record highs.

Rebuilding and investing in rural America.

Signed an Executive Order on Modernizing the Regulatory Framework for Agricultural Biotechnology Products, which is bringing innovative new technologies to market in American farming and agriculture.

Strengthened America’s rural economy by investing over $1.3 billion through the Agriculture Department’s ReConnect Program to bring high-speed broadband infrastructure to rural America.

Achieved a record-setting economic comeback by rejecting blanket lockdowns.

An October 2020 Gallup survey found 56 percent of Americans said they were better off during a pandemic than four years prior.

During the third quarter of 2020, the economy grew at a rate of 33.1 percent – the most rapid GDP growth ever recorded.

Since coronavirus lockdowns ended, the economy has added back over 12 million jobs, more than half the jobs lost.

Jobs have been recovered 23 times faster than the previous administration’s recovery.

Unemployment fell to 6.7 percent in December, from a pandemic peak of 14.7 percent in April – beating expectations of well over 10 percent unemployment through the end of 2020.

Under the previous administration, it took 49 months for the unemployment rate to fall from 10 percent to under 7 percent compared to just 3 months for the Trump Administration.

Since April, the Hispanic unemployment rate has fallen by 9.6 percent, Asian-American unemployment by 8.6 percent, and Black American unemployment by 6.8 percent.

80 percent of small businesses are now open, up from just 53 percent in April.

Small business confidence hit a new high.

Homebuilder confidence reached an all-time high, and home sales hit their highest reading since December 2006.

Manufacturing optimism nearly doubled.

Household net worth rose $7.4 trillion in Q2 2020 to $112 trillion, an all-time high.

Home prices hit an all-time record high.

The United States rejected crippling lockdowns that crush the economy and inflict countless public health harms and instead safely reopened its economy.

Business confidence is higher in America than in any other G7 or European Union country.

Stabilized America’s financial markets with the establishment of a number of Treasury Department supported facilities at the Federal Reserve.

Tax Relief for the Middle Class

Passed $3.2 trillion in historic tax relief and reformed the tax code.

Signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – the largest tax reform package in history.

More than 6 million American workers received wage increases, bonuses, and increased benefits thanks to the tax cuts.

A typical family of four earning $75,000 received an income tax cut of more than $2,000 – slashing their tax bill in half.

Doubled the standard deduction – making the first $24,000 earned by a married couple completely tax-free.

Doubled the child tax credit.

Virtually eliminated the unfair Estate Tax, or Death Tax.

Cut the business tax rate from 35 percent – the highest in the developed world – all the way down to 21 percent.

Small businesses can now deduct 20 percent of their business income.

Businesses can now deduct 100 percent of the cost of their capital investments in the year the investment is made.

Since the passage of tax cuts, the share of total wealth held by the bottom half of households has increased, while the share held by the top 1 percent has decreased.

Over 400 companies have announced bonuses, wage increases, new hires, or new investments in the United States.

Over $1.5 trillion was repatriated into the United States from overseas.

Lower investment cost and higher capital returns led to faster growth in the middle class, real wages, and international competitiveness.

Jobs and investments are pouring into Opportunity Zones.

Created nearly 9,000 Opportunity Zones where capital gains on long-term investments are taxed at zero.

Opportunity Zone designations have increased property values within them by 1.1 percent, creating an estimated $11 billion in wealth for the nearly half of Opportunity Zone residents who own their own home.

Opportunity Zones have attracted $75 billion in funds and driven $52 billion of new investment in economically distressed communities, creating at least 500,000 new jobs.

Approximately 1 million Americans will be lifted from poverty as a result of these new investments.

Private equity investments into businesses in Opportunity Zones were nearly 30 percent higher than investments into businesses in similar areas that were not designated Opportunity Zones.

Massive Deregulation

Ended the regulatory assault on American Businesses and Workers.

Instead of 2-for-1, we eliminated 8 old regulations for every 1 new regulation adopted.

Provided the average American household an extra $3,100 every year.

Reduced the direct cost of regulatory compliance by $50 billion, and will reduce costs by an additional $50 billion in FY 2020 alone.

Removed nearly 25,000 pages from the Federal Register – more than any other president. The previous administration added over 16,000 pages.

Established the Governors’ Initiative on Regulatory Innovation to reduce outdated regulations at the state, local, and tribal levels.

Signed an executive order to make it easier for businesses to offer retirement plans.

Signed two executive orders to increase transparency in Federal agencies and protect Americans and their small businesses from administrative abuse.

Modernized the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the first time in over 40 years.

Reduced approval times for major infrastructure projects from 10 or more years down to 2 years or less.

Helped community banks by signing legislation that rolled back costly provisions of Dodd-Frank.

Established the White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing to bring down housing costs.

Removed regulations that threatened the development of a strong and stable internet.

Eased and simplified restrictions on rocket launches, helping to spur commercial investment in space projects.

Published a whole-of-government strategy focused on ensuring American leadership in automated vehicle technology.

Streamlined energy efficiency regulations for American families and businesses, including preserving affordable lightbulbs, enhancing the utility of showerheads, and enabling greater time savings with dishwashers.

Removed unnecessary regulations that restrict the seafood industry and impede job creation.

Modernized the Department of Agriculture’s biotechnology regulations to put America in the lead to develop new technologies.

Took action to suspend regulations that would have slowed our response to COVID-19, including lifting restrictions on manufacturers to more quickly produce ventilators.

Successfully rolled back burdensome regulatory overreach.

Rescinded the previous administration’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, which would have abolished zoning for single-family housing to build low-income, federally subsidized apartments.

Issued a final rule on the Fair Housing Act’s disparate impact standard.

Eliminated the Waters of the United States Rule and replaced it with the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, providing relief and certainty for farmers and property owners.

Repealed the previous administration’s costly fuel economy regulations by finalizing the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles rule, which will make cars more affordable, and lower the price of new vehicles by an estimated $2,200.

Americans now have more money in their pockets.

Deregulation had an especially beneficial impact on low-income Americans who pay a much higher share of their incomes for overregulation.

Cut red tape in the healthcare industry, providing Americans with more affordable healthcare and saving Americans nearly 10 percent on prescription drugs.

Deregulatory efforts yielded savings to the medical community an estimated $6.6 billion – with a reduction of 42 million hours of regulatory compliance work through 2021.

Removed government barriers to personal freedom and consumer choice in healthcare.

Once fully in effect, 20 major deregulatory actions undertaken by the Trump Administration are expected to save American consumers and businesses over $220 billion per year.

Signed 16 pieces of deregulatory legislation that will result in a $40 billion increase in annual real incomes.

Fair and Reciprocal Trade

Secured historic trade deals to defend American workers.

Immediately withdrew from the job-killing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Ended the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and replaced it with the brand new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The USMCA contains powerful new protections for American manufacturers, auto-makers, farmers, dairy producers, and workers.

The USMCA is expected to generate over $68 billion in economic activity and potentially create over 550,000 new jobs over ten years.

Signed an executive order making it government policy to Buy American and Hire American, and took action to stop the outsourcing of jobs overseas.

Negotiated with Japan to slash tariffs and open its market to $7 billion in American agricultural products and ended its ban on potatoes and lamb.

Over 90 percent of American agricultural exports to Japan now receive preferential treatment, and most are duty-free.

Negotiated another deal with Japan to boost $40 billion worth of digital trade.

Renegotiated the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement, doubling the cap on imports of American vehicles and extending the American light truck tariff.

Reached a written, fully-enforceable Phase One trade agreement with China on confronting pirated and counterfeit goods, and the protection of American ideas, trade secrets, patents, and trademarks.

China agreed to purchase an additional $200 billion worth of United States exports and opened market access for over 4,000 American facilities to exports while all tariffs remained in effect.

Achieved a mutual agreement with the European Union (EU) that addresses unfair trade practices and increases duty-free exports by 180 percent to $420 million.

Secured a pledge from the EU to eliminate tariffs on American lobster – the first United States-European Union negotiated tariff reduction in over 20 years.

Scored a historic victory by overhauling the Universal Postal Union, whose outdated policies were undermining American workers and interests.

Engaged extensively with trade partners like the EU and Japan to advance reforms to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Issued a first-ever comprehensive report on the WTO Appellate Body’s failures to comply with WTO rules and interpret WTO agreements as written.

Blocked nominees to the WTO’s Appellate Body until WTO Members recognize and address longstanding issues with Appellate Body activism.

Submitted 5 papers to the WTO Committee on Agriculture to improve Members’ understanding of how trade policies are implemented, highlight areas for improved transparency, and encourage members to maintain up-to-date notifications on market access and domestic support.

Took strong actions to confront unfair trade practices and put America First.

Imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions worth of Chinese goods to protect American jobs and stop China’s abuses under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

Directed an all-of-government effort to halt and punish efforts by the Communist Party of China to steal and profit from American innovations and intellectual property.

Imposed tariffs on foreign aluminum and foreign steel to protect our vital industries and support our national security.

Approved tariffs on $1.8 billion in imports of washing machines and $8.5 billion in imports of solar panels.

Blocked illegal timber imports from Peru.

Took action against France for its digital services tax that unfairly targets American technology companies.

Launched investigations into digital services taxes that have been proposed or adopted by 10 other countries.

Historic support for American farmers.

Successfully negotiated more than 50 agreements with countries around the world to increase foreign market access and boost exports of American agriculture products, supporting more than 1 million American jobs.

Authorized $28 billion in aid for farmers who have been subjected to unfair trade practices – fully funded by the tariffs paid by China.

China lifted its ban on poultry, opened its market to beef, and agreed to purchase at least $80 billion of American agricultural products in the next two years.

The European Union agreed to increase beef imports by 180 percent and opened up its market to more imports of soybeans.

South Korea lifted its ban on American poultry and eggs, and agreed to provide market access for record exports of American rice.

Argentina lifted its ban on American pork.

Brazil agreed to increase wheat imports by $180 million a year and raised its quotas for purchases of United States ethanol.

Guatemala and Tunisia opened up their markets to American eggs.

Won tariff exemptions in Ecuador for wheat and soybeans.

Suspended $817 million in trade preferences for Thailand under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program due to its failure to adequately provide reasonable market access for American pork products.

The amount of food stamps redeemed at farmers markets increased from $1.4 million in May 2020 to $1.75 million in September 2020 – a 50 percent increase over last year.

Rapidly deployed the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which provided $30 billion in support to farmers and ranchers facing decreased prices and market disruption when COVID-19 impacted the food supply chain.

Authorized more than $6 billion for the Farmers to Families Food Box program, which delivered over 128 million boxes of locally sourced, produce, meat, and dairy products to charity and faith-based organizations nationwide.

Delegated authorities via the Defense Production Act to protect breaks in the American food supply chain as a result of COVID-19.

American Energy Independence

Unleashed America’s oil and natural gas potential.

For the first time in nearly 70 years, the United States has become a net energy exporter.

The United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas in the world.

Natural gas production reached a record-high of 34.9 quads in 2019, following record high production in 2018 and in 2017.

The United States has been a net natural gas exporter for three consecutive years and has an export capacity of nearly 10 billion cubic feet per day.

Withdrew from the unfair, one-sided Paris Climate Agreement.

Canceled the previous administration’s Clean Power Plan, and replaced it with the new Affordable Clean Energy rule.

Approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.

Opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska to oil and gas leasing.

Repealed the last administration’s Federal Coal Leasing Moratorium, which prohibited coal leasing on Federal lands.

Reformed permitting rules to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy and speed approval for mines.

Fixed the New Source Review permitting program, which punished companies for upgrading or repairing coal power plants.

Fixed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) steam electric and coal ash rules.

The average American family saved $2,500 a year in lower electric bills and lower prices at the gas pump.

Signed legislation repealing the harmful Stream Protection Rule.

Reduced the time to approve drilling permits on public lands by half, increasing permit applications to drill on public lands by 300 percent.

Expedited approval of the NuStar’s New Burgos pipeline to export American gasoline to Mexico.

Streamlined Liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal permitting and allowed long-term LNG export authorizations to be extended through 2050.

The United States is now among the top three LNG exporters in the world.

Increased LNG exports five-fold since January 2017, reaching an all-time high in January 2020.

LNG exports are expected to reduce the American trade deficit by over $10 billion.

Granted more than 20 new long-term approvals for LNG exports to non-free trade agreement countries.

The development of natural gas and LNG infrastructure in the United States is providing tens of thousands of jobs, and has led to the investment of tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure.

There are now 6 LNG export facilities operating in the United States, with 2 additional export projects under construction.

The amount of nuclear energy production in 2019 was the highest on record, through a combination of increased capacity from power plant upgrades and shorter refueling and maintenance cycles.

Prevented Russian energy coercion across Europe through various lines of effort, including the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation, civil nuclear deals with Romania and Poland, and opposition to Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Issued the Presidential Permit for the A2A railroad between Canada and Alaska, providing energy resources to emerging markets.

Increased access to our country’s abundant natural resources in order to achieve energy independence.

Renewable energy production and consumption both reached record highs in 2019.

Enacted policies that helped double the amount of electricity generated by solar and helped increase the amount of wind generation by 32 percent from 2016 through 2019.

Accelerated construction of energy infrastructure to ensure American energy producers can deliver their products to the market.

Cut red tape holding back the construction of new energy infrastructure.

Authorized ethanol producers to sell E15 year-round and allowed higher-ethanol gasoline to be distributed from existing pumps at filling stations.

Ensured greater transparency and certainty in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program.

Negotiated leasing capacity in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to Australia, providing American taxpayers a return on this infrastructure investment.

Signed an executive order directing Federal agencies to work together to diminish the capability of foreign adversaries to target our critical electric infrastructure.

Reformed Section 401 of the Clean Water Act regulation to allow for the curation of interstate infrastructure.

Resolved the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) oil crisis during COVID-19 by getting OPEC, Russia, and others to cut nearly 10 million barrels of production a day, stabilizing world oil prices.

Directed the Department of Energy to use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to mitigate market volatility caused by COVID-19.

Investing in America’s Workers and Families

Affordable and high-quality Child Care for American workers and their families.

Doubled the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000 per child and expanded the eligibility for receiving the credit.

Nearly 40 million families benefitted from the child tax credit (CTC), receiving an average benefit of $2,200 – totaling credits of approximately $88 billion.

Signed the largest-ever increase in Child Care and Development Block Grants – expanding access to quality, affordable child care for more than 800,000 low-income families.

Secured an additional $3.5 billion in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help families and first responders with child care needs.

Created the first-ever paid family leave tax credit for employees earning $72,000 or less.

Signed into law 12-weeks of paid parental leave for Federal workers.

Signed into law a provision that enables new parents to withdraw up to $5,000 from their retirement accounts without penalty when they give birth to or adopt a child.

Advanced apprenticeship career pathways to good-paying jobs.

Expanded apprenticeships to more than 850,000 and established the new Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship programs in new and emerging fields.

Established the National Council for the American Worker and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.

Over 460 companies have signed the Pledge to America’s Workers, committing to provide more than 16 million job and training opportunities.

Signed an executive order that directs the Federal government to replace outdated degree-based hiring with skills-based hiring.

Advanced women’s economic empowerment.

Included women’s empowerment for the first time in the President’s 2017 National Security Strategy.

Signed into law key pieces of legislation, including the Women, Peace, and Security Act and the Women Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act.

Launched the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative – the first-ever whole-of-government approach to women’s economic empowerment that has reached 24 million women worldwide.

Established an innovative new W-GDP Fund at USAID.

Launched the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) with 13 other nations.

Announced a $50 million donation on behalf of the United States to We-Fi providing more capital to women-owned businesses around the world.

Released the first-ever Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security, which focused on increasing women’s participation to prevent and resolve conflicts.

Launched the W-GDP 2x Global Women’s Initiative with the Development Finance Corporation, which has mobilized more than $3 billion in private sector investments over three years.

Ensured American leadership in technology and innovation.

First administration to name artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and 5G communications as national research and development priorities.

Launched the American Broadband Initiative to promote the rapid deployment of broadband internet across rural America.

Made 100 megahertz of crucial mid-band spectrum available for commercial operations, a key factor to driving widespread 5G access across rural America.

Launched the American AI Initiative to ensure American leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), and established the National AI Initiative Office at the White House.

Established the first-ever principles for Federal agency adoption of AI to improve services for the American people.

Signed the National Quantum Initiative Act establishing the National Quantum Coordination Office at the White House to drive breakthroughs in quantum information science.

Signed the Secure 5G and Beyond Act to ensure America leads the world in 5G.

Launched a groundbreaking program to test safe and innovative commercial drone operations nationwide.

Issued new rulemaking to accelerate the return of American civil supersonic aviation.

Committed to doubling investments in AI and quantum information science (QIS) research and development.

Announced the establishment of $1 billion AI and quantum research institutes across America.

Established the largest dual-use 5G test sites in the world to advance 5G commercial and military innovation.

Signed landmark Prague Principles with America’s allies to advance the deployment of secure 5G telecommunications networks.

Signed first-ever bilateral AI cooperation agreement with the United Kingdom.

Built collation among allies to ban Chinese Telecom Company Huawei from their 5G infrastructure.

Preserved American jobs for American workers and rejected the importation of cheap foreign labor.

Pressured the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to reverse their decision to lay off over 200 American workers and replace them with cheaper foreign workers.

Removed the TVA Chairman of the Board and a TVA Board Member.

Life-Saving Response to the China Virus

Restricted travel to the United States from infected regions of the world.

Suspended all travel from China, saving thousands of lives.

Required all American citizens returning home from designated outbreak countries to return through designated airports with enhanced screening measures, and to undergo a self-quarantine.

Announced further travel restrictions on Iran, the Schengen Area of Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Brazil.

Issued travel advisory warnings recommending that American citizens avoid all international travel.

Reached bilateral agreements with Mexico and Canada to suspend non-essential travel and expeditiously return illegal aliens.

Repatriated over 100,000 American citizens stranded abroad on more than 1,140 flights from 136 countries and territories.

Safely transported, evacuated, treated, and returned home trapped passengers on cruise ships.

Took action to authorize visa sanctions on foreign governments who impede our efforts to protect American citizens by refusing or unreasonably delaying the return of their own citizens, subjects, or residents from the United States.

Acted early to combat the China Virus in the United States.

Established the White House Coronavirus Task Force, with leading experts on infectious diseases, to manage the Administration’s efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to keep workplaces safe.

Pledged in the State of the Union address to “take all necessary steps to safeguard our citizens from the Virus,” while the Democrats’ response made not a single mention of COVID-19 or even the threat of China.

Declared COVID-19 a National Emergency under the Stafford Act.

Established the 24/7 FEMA National Response Coordination Center.

Released guidance recommending containment measures critical to slowing the spread of the Virus, decompressing peak burden on hospitals and infrastructure, and diminishing health impacts.

Implemented strong community mitigation strategies to sharply reduce the number of lives lost in the United States down from experts’ projection of up to 2.2 million deaths in the United States without mitigation.

Halted American funding to the World Health Organization to counter its egregious bias towards China that jeopardized the safety of Americans.

Announced plans for withdrawal from the World Health Organization and redirected contribution funds to help meet global public health needs.

Called on the United Nations to hold China accountable for their handling of the virus, including refusing to be transparent and failing to contain the virus before it spread.

Re-purposed domestic manufacturing facilities to ensure frontline workers had critical supplies.

Distributed billions of pieces of Personal Protective Equipment, including gloves, masks, gowns, and face shields.

Invoked the Defense Production Act over 100 times to accelerate the development and manufacturing of essential material in the USA.

Made historic investments of more than $3 billion into the industrial base.

Contracted with companies such as Ford, General Motors, Philips, and General Electric to produce ventilators.

Contracted with Honeywell, 3M, O&M Halyard, Moldex, and Lydall to increase our Nation’s production of N-95 masks.

The Army Corps of Engineers built 11,000 beds, distributed 10,000 ventilators, and surged personnel to hospitals.

Converted the Javits Center in New York into a 3,000-bed hospital, and opened medical facilities in Seattle and New Orleans.

Dispatched the USNS Comfort to New York City, and the USNS Mercy to Los Angeles.

Deployed thousands of FEMA employees, National Guard members, and military forces to help in the response.

Provided support to states facing new emergences of the virus, including surging testing sites, deploying medical personnel, and advising on mitigation strategies.

Announced Federal support to governors for use of the National Guard with 100 percent cost-share.

Established the Supply Chain Task Force as a “control tower” to strategically allocate high-demand medical supplies and PPE to areas of greatest need.

Requested critical data elements from states about the status of hospital capacity, ventilators, and PPE.

Executed nearly 250 flights through Project Air Bridge to transport hundreds of millions of surgical masks, N95 respirators, gloves, and gowns from around the world to hospitals and facilities throughout the United States.

Signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to ensure that Americans have a reliable supply of products like beef, pork, and poultry.

Stabilized the food supply chain restoring the Nation’s protein processing capacity through a collaborative approach with Federal, state, and local officials and industry partners.

The continued movement of food and other critical items of daily life distributed to stores and to American homes went unaffected.

Replenished the depleted Strategic National Stockpile.

Increased the number of ventilators nearly ten-fold to more than 153,000.

Despite the grim projections from the media and governors, no American who has needed a ventilator has been denied a ventilator.

Increased the number of N95 masks fourteen-fold to more than 176 million.

Issued an executive order ensuring critical medical supplies are produced in the United States.

Created the largest, most advanced, and most innovative testing system in the world.

Built the world’s leading testing system from scratch, conducting over 200 million tests – more than all of the European Union combined.

Engaged more than 400 test developers to increase testing capacity from less than 100 tests per day to more than 2 million tests per day.

Slashed red tape and approved Emergency Use Authorizations for more than 300 different tests, including 235 molecular tests, 63 antibody tests, and 11 antigen tests.

Delivered state-of-the-art testing devices and millions of tests to every certified nursing home in the country.

Announced more flexibility to Medicare Advantage and Part D plans to waive cost-sharing for tests.

Over 2,000 retail pharmacy stores, including CVS, Walmart, and Walgreens, are providing testing using new regulatory and reimbursement options.

Deployed tens of millions of tests to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribes, disaster relief operations, Home Health/Hospice organizations, and the Veterans Health Administration.

Began shipping 150 million BinaxNOW rapid tests to states, long-term care facilities, the IHS, HBCUs, and other key partners.

Pioneered groundbreaking treatments and therapies that reduced the mortality rate by 85 percent, saving over 2 million lives.

The United States has among the lowest case fatality rates in the entire world.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program to expedite the regulatory review process for therapeutics in clinical trials, accelerate the development and publication of industry guidance on developing treatments, and utilize regulatory flexibility to help facilitate the scaling-up of manufacturing capacity.

More than 370 therapies are in clinical trials and another 560 are in the planning stages.

Announced $450 million in available funds to support the manufacturing of Regeneron’s antibody cocktail.

Shipped tens of thousands of doses of the Regeneron drug.

Authorized an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for convalescent plasma.

Treated around 100,000 patients with convalescent plasma, which may reduce mortality by 50 percent.

Provided $48 million to fund the Mayo Clinic study that tested the efficacy of convalescent plasma for patients with COVID-19.

Made an agreement to support the large-scale manufacturing of AstraZeneca’s cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies.

Approved Remdesivir as the first COVID-19 treatment, which could reduce hospitalization time by nearly a third.

Secured more than 90 percent of the world’s supply of Remdesivir, enough to treat over 850,000 high-risk patients.

Granted an EUA to Eli Lilly for its anti-body treatments.

Finalized an agreement with Eli Lilly to purchase the first doses of the company’s investigational antibody therapeutic.

Provided up to $270 million to the American Red Cross and America’s Blood Centers to support the collection of up to 360,000 units of plasma.

Launched a nationwide campaign to ask patients who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma.

Announced Phase 3 clinical trials for varying types of blood thinners to treat adults diagnosed with COVID-19.

Issued an EUA for the monoclonal antibody therapy bamlanivimab.

FDA issued an EUA for casirivimab and imdevimab to be administered together.

Launched the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium with private sector and academic leaders unleashing America’s supercomputers to accelerate coronavirus research.

Brought the full power of American medicine and government to produce a safe and effective vaccine in record time.

Launched Operation Warp Speed to initiate an unprecedented drive to develop and make available an effective vaccine by January 2021.

Pfizer and Moderna developed two vaccines in just nine months, five times faster than the fastest prior vaccine development in American history.

Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines are approximately 95 effective – far exceeding all expectations.

AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson also both have promising candidates in the final stage of clinical trials.

The vaccines will be administered within 24 hours of FDA-approval.

Made millions of vaccine doses available before the end of 2020, with hundreds of millions more to quickly follow.

FedEx and UPS will ship doses from warehouses directly to local pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare providers.

Finalized a partnership with CVS and Walgreens to deliver vaccines directly to residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities as soon as a state requests it, at no cost to America’s seniors.

Signed an executive order to ensure that the United States government prioritizes getting the vaccine to American citizens before sending it to other nations.

Provided approximately $13 billion to accelerate vaccine development and to manufacture all of the top candidates in advance.

Provided critical investments of $4.1 billion to Moderna to support the development, manufacturing, and distribution of their vaccines.

Moderna announced its vaccine is 95 percent effective and is pending FDA approval.

Provided Pfizer up to $1.95 billion to support the mass-manufacturing and nationwide distribution of their vaccine candidate.

Pfizer announced its vaccine is 95 percent effective and is pending FDA approval.

Provided approximately $1 billion to support the manufacturing and distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine candidate.

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine candidate reached the final stage of clinical trials.

Made up to $1.2 billion available to support AstraZeneca’s vaccine candidate.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine candidate reached the final stage of clinical trials.

Made an agreement to support the large-scale manufacturing of Novavax’s vaccine candidate with 100 million doses expected.

Partnered with Sanofi and GSK to support large-scale manufacturing of a COVID-19 investigational vaccine.

Awarded $200 million in funding to support vaccine preparedness and plans for the immediate distribution and administration of vaccines.

Provided $31 million to Cytvia for vaccine-related consumable products.

Under the PREP Act, issued guidance authorizing qualified pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines.

Announced that McKesson Corporation will produce store, and distribute vaccine ancillary supply kits on behalf of the Strategic National Stockpile to help healthcare workers who will administer vaccines.

Announced partnership with large-chain, independent, and regional pharmacies to deliver vaccines.

Prioritized resources for the most vulnerable Americans, including nursing home residents.

Quickly established guidelines for nursing homes and expanded telehealth opportunities to protect vulnerable seniors.

Increased surveillance, oversight, and transparency of all 15,417 Medicare and Medicaid nursing homes by requiring them to report cases of COVID-19 to all residents, their families, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Required that all nursing homes test staff regularly.

Launched an unprecedented national nursing home training curriculum to equip nursing home staff with the knowledge they need to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Delivered $81 million for increased inspections and funded 35,000 members of the Nation Guard to deliver critical supplies to every Medicare-certified nursing homes.

Deployed Federal Task Force Strike Teams to provide onsite technical assistance and education to nursing homes experiencing outbreaks.

Distributed tens of billions of dollars in Provider Relief Funds to protect nursing homes, long-term care facilities, safety-net hospitals, rural hospitals, and communities hardest hit by the virus.

Released 1.5 million N95 respirators from the Strategic National Stockpile for distribution to over 3,000 nursing home facilities.

Directed the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council to refocus on underserved communities impacted by the coronavirus.

Required that testing results reported include data on race, gender, ethnicity, and ZIP code, to ensure that resources were directed to communities disproportionately harmed by the virus.

Ensured testing was offered at 95 percent of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), which serve over 29 million patients in 12,000 communities across the Nation.

Invested an unprecedented $8 billion in tribal communities.

Maintained safe access for Veterans to VA healthcare throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic and supported non-VA hospital systems and private and state-run nursing homes with VA clinical teams.

Signed legislation ensuring no reduction of VA education benefits under the GI Bill for online distance learning.

Supported Americans as they safely return to school and work.

Issued the Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, a detailed blueprint to help governors as they began reopening the country. Focused on protecting the most vulnerable and mitigating the risk of any resurgence, while restarting the economy and allowing Americans to safely return to their jobs.

Helped Americans return to work by providing extensive guidance on workplace-safety measures to protect against COVID-19, and investigating over 10,000 coronavirus-related complaints and referrals.

Provided over $31 billion to support elementary and secondary schools.

Distributed 125 million face masks to school districts.

Provided comprehensive guidelines to schools on how to protect and identify high-risk individuals, prevent the spread of COVID-19, and conduct safe in-person teaching.

Brought back the safe return of college athletics, including Big Ten and Pac-12 football.

Rescued the American economy with nearly $3.4 trillion in relief, the largest financial aid package in history.

Secured an initial $8.3 billion Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Act, supporting the development of treatments and vaccines, and to procure critical medical supplies and equipment.

Signed the $100 billion Families First Coronavirus Relief Act, guaranteeing free coronavirus testing, emergency paid sick leave and family leave, Medicaid funding, and food assistance.

Signed the $2.3 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, providing unprecedented and immediate relief to American families, workers, and businesses.

Signed additional legislation providing nearly $900 billion in support for coronavirus emergency response and relief, including critically needed funds to continue the Paycheck Protection Program.

Signed the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act, adding an additional $310 billion to replenish the program.

Delivered approximately 160 million relief payments to hardworking Americans.

Through the Paycheck Protection Program, approved over $525 billion in forgivable loans to more than 5.2 million small businesses, supporting more than 51 million American jobs.

The Treasury Department approved the establishment of the Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility to provide liquidity to the financial system.

The Treasury Department, working with the Federal Reserve, was able to leverage approximately $4 trillion in emergency lending facilities.

Signed an executive order extending expanded unemployment benefits.

Signed an executive order to temporarily suspend student loan payments, evictions, and collection of payroll taxes.

Small Business Administration expanded access to emergency economic assistance for small businesses, faith-based, and religious entities.

Protected jobs for American workers impacted by COVID-19 by temporarily suspending several job-related nonimmigrant visas, including H-1B’s, H-2B’s without a nexus to the food-supply chain, certain H-4’s, as well as L’s and certain J’s.

Great Healthcare for Americans

Empowered American patients by greatly expanding healthcare choice, transparency, and affordability.

Eliminated the Obamacare individual mandate – a financial relief to low and middle-income households that made up nearly 80 percent of the families who paid the penalty for not wanting to purchase health insurance.

Increased choice for consumers by promoting competition in the individual health insurance market leading to lower premiums for three years in a row.

Under the Trump Administration, more than 90 percent of the counties have multiple options on the individual insurance market to choose from.

Offered Association Health Plans, which allow employers to pool together and offer more affordable, quality health coverage to their employees at up to 30 percent lower cost.

Increased availability of short-term, limited-duration health plans, which can cost up to 60 percent less than traditional plans, giving Americans more flexibility to choose plans that suit their needs.

Expanded Health Reimbursement Arrangements, allowing millions of Americans to be able to shop for a plan of their choice on the individual market, and then have their employer cover the cost.

Added 2,100 new Medicare Advantage plan options since 2017, a 76 percent increase.

Lowered Medicare Advantage premiums by 34 percent nationwide to the lowest level in 14 years. Medicare health plan premium savings for beneficiaries have totaled $nearly 1.5 billion since 2017.

Improved access to tax-free health savings accounts for individuals with chronic conditions.

Eliminated costly Obamacare taxes, including the health insurance tax, the medical device tax, and the “Cadillac tax.”

Worked with states to create more flexibility and relief from oppressive Obamacare regulations, including reinsurance waivers to help lower premiums.

Released legislative principles to end surprise medical billing.

Finalized requirements for unprecedented price transparency from hospitals and insurance companies so patients know what the cost is before they receive care.

Took action to require that hospitals make the prices they negotiate with insurers publicly available and easily accessible online.

Improved patients access to their health data by penalizing hospitals and causing clinicians to lose their incentive payments if they do not comply.

Expanded access to telehealth, especially in rural and underserved communities.

Increased Medicare payments to rural hospitals to stem a decade of rising closures and deliver enhanced access to care in rural areas.

Issued unprecedented reforms that dramatically lowered the price of prescription drugs.

Lowered drug prices for the first time in 51 years.

Launched an initiative to stop global freeloading in the drug market.

Finalized a rule to allow the importation of prescription drugs from Canada.

Finalized the Most Favored Nation Rule to ensure that pharmaceutical companies offer the same discounts to the United States as they do to other nations, resulting in an estimated $85 billion in savings over seven years and $30 billion in out-of-pocket costs alone.

Proposed a rule requiring federally funded health centers to pass drug company discounts on insulin and Epi-Pens directly to patients.

Ended the gag clauses that prevented pharmacists from informing patients about the best prices for the medications they need.

Ended the costly kickbacks to middlemen and ensured that patients directly benefit from available discounts at the pharmacy counter, saving Americans up to 30 percent on brand name pharmaceuticals.

Enhanced Part D plans to provide many seniors with Medicare access to a broad set of insulins at a maximum $35 copay for a month’s supply of each type of insulin.

Reduced Medicare Part D prescription drug premiums, saving beneficiaries nearly $2 billion in premium costs since 2017.

Ended the Unapproved Drugs Initiative, which provided market exclusivity to generic drugs.

Promoted research and innovation in healthcare to ensure that American patients have access to the best treatment in the world.

Signed first-ever executive order to affirm that it is the official policy of the United States Government to protect patients with pre-existing conditions.

Passed Right To Try to give terminally ill patients access to lifesaving cures.

Signed an executive order to fight kidney disease with more transplants and better treatment.

Signed into law a $1 billion increase in funding for critical Alzheimer’s research.

Accelerated medical breakthroughs in genetic treatments for Sickle Cell disease.

Finalized the interoperability rules that will give American patients access to their electronic health records on their phones.

Initiated an effort to provide $500 million over the next decade to improve pediatric cancer research.

Launched a campaign to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America in the next decade.

Started a program to provide the HIV prevention drug PrEP to uninsured patients for free.

Signed an executive order and awarded new development contracts to modernize the influenza vaccine.

Protected our Nation’s seniors by safeguarding and strengthening Medicare.

Updated the way Medicare pays for innovative medical products to ensure beneficiaries have access to the latest innovation and treatment.

Reduced improper payments for Medicare an estimated $15 billion since 2016 protecting taxpayer dollars and leading to less fraud, waste, and abuse.

Took rapid action to combat antimicrobial resistance and secure access to life-saving new antibiotic drugs for American seniors, by removing several financial disincentives and setting policies to reduce inappropriate use.

Launched new online tools, including eMedicare, Blue Button 2.0, and Care Compare, to help seniors see what is covered, compare costs, streamline data, and compare tools available on Medicare.gov.

Provided new Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits, including modifications to help keep seniors safe in their homes, respite care for caregivers, non-opioid pain management alternatives like therapeutic massages, transportation, and more in-home support services and assistance.

Protected Medicare beneficiaries by removing Social Security numbers from all Medicare cards, a project completed ahead of schedule.

Unleashed unprecedented transparency in Medicare and Medicaid data to spur research and innovation.

Remaking the Federal Judiciary

Appointed a historic number of Federal judges who will interpret the Constitution as written.

Nominated and confirmed over 230 Federal judges.

Confirmed 54 judges to the United States Courts of Appeals, making up nearly a third of the entire appellate bench.

Filled all Court of Appeals vacancies for the first time in four decades.

Flipped the Second, Third, and Eleventh Circuits from Democrat-appointed majorities to Republican-appointed majorities. And dramatically reshaped the long-liberal Ninth Circuit.

Appointed three Supreme Court justices, expanding its conservative-appointed majority to 6-3.

Appointed Justice Neil Gorsuch to replace Justice Antonin Scalia.

Appointed Justice Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Achieving a Secure Border

Secured the Southern Border of the United States.

Built over 400 miles of the world’s most robust and advanced border wall.

Illegal crossings have plummeted over 87 percent where the wall has been constructed.

Deployed nearly 5,000 troops to the Southern border. In addition, Mexico deployed tens of thousands of their own soldiers and national guardsmen to secure their side of the US-Mexico border.

Ended the dangerous practice of Catch-and-Release, which means that instead of aliens getting released into the United States pending future hearings never to be seen again, they are detained pending removal, and then ultimately returned to their home countries.

Entered into three historic asylum cooperation agreements with Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala to stop asylum fraud and resettle illegal migrants in third-party nations pending their asylum applications.

Entered into a historic partnership with Mexico, referred to as the “Migrant Protection Protocols,” to safely return asylum-seekers to Mexico while awaiting hearings in the United States.

Fully enforced the immigration laws of the United States.

Signed an executive order to strip discretionary Federal grant funding from deadly sanctuary cities.

Fully enforced and implemented statutorily authorized “expedited removal” of illegal aliens.

The Department of Justice prosecuted a record-breaking number of immigration-related crimes.

Used Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to reduce the number of aliens coming from countries whose governments refuse to accept their nationals who were ordered removed from the United States.

Ended asylum fraud, shut down human smuggling traffickers, and solved the humanitarian crisis across the Western Hemisphere.

Suspended, via regulation, asylum for aliens who had skipped previous countries where they were eligible for asylum but opted to “forum shop” and continue to the United States.

Safeguarded migrant families, and protected migrant safety, by promulgating new regulations under the Flores Settlement Agreement.

Proposed regulations to end the practice of giving free work permits to illegal aliens lodging meritless asylum claims.

Issued “internal relocation” guidance.

Cross-trained United States Border Patrol agents to conduct credible fear screenings alongside USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) adjudication personnel to reduce massive backlogs.

Streamlined and expedited the asylum hearing process through both the Prompt Asylum Claim Review (PACR) and the Humanitarian Asylum Review Process (HARP).

Launched the Family Fraud Initiative to identify hundreds of individuals who were fraudulently presenting themselves as family units at the border, oftentimes with trafficking children, in order to ensure child welfare.

Improved screening in countries with high overstay rates and reduced visa overstay rates in many of these countries.

Removed bureaucratic constraints on United States consular officers that reduced their ability to appropriately vet visa applicants.

Worked with Mexico and other regional partners to dismantle the human smuggling networks in our hemisphere that profit from human misery and fuel the border crisis by exploiting vulnerable populations.

Secured our Nation’s immigration system against criminals and terrorists.

Instituted national security travel bans to keep out terrorists, jihadists, and violent extremists, and implemented a uniform security and information-sharing baseline all nations must meet in order for their nationals to be able to travel to, and emigrate to, the United States.

Suspended refugee resettlement from the world’s most dangerous and terror-afflicted regions.

Rebalanced refugee assistance to focus on overseas resettlement and burden-sharing.

85 percent reduction in refugee resettlement.

Overhauled badly-broken refugee security screening process.

Required the Department of State to consult with states and localities as part of the Federal government’s refugee resettlement process.

Issued strict sanctions on countries that have failed to take back their own nationals.

Established the National Vetting Center, which is the most advanced and comprehensive visa screening system anywhere in the world.

Protected American workers and taxpayers.

Issued a comprehensive “public charge” regulation to ensure newcomers to the United States are financially self-sufficient and not reliant on welfare.

Created an enforcement mechanism for sponsor repayment and deeming, to ensure that people who are presenting themselves as sponsors are actually responsible for sponsor obligations.

Issued regulations to combat the horrendous practice of “birth tourism.”

Issued a rule with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make illegal aliens ineligible for public housing.

Issued directives requiring Federal agencies to hire United States workers first and prioritizing the hiring of United States workers wherever possible.

Suspended the entry of low-wage workers that threaten American jobs.

Finalized new H-1B regulations to permanently end the displacement of United States workers and modify the administrative tools that are required for H-1B visa issuance.

Defended United States sovereignty by withdrawing from the United Nations’ Global Compact on Migration.

Suspended Employment Authorization Documents for aliens who arrive illegally between ports of entry and are ordered removed from the United States.

Restored integrity to the use of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by strictly adhering to the statutory conditions required for TPS.

Restoring American Leadership Abroad

Restored America’s leadership in the world and successfully negotiated to ensure our allies pay their fair share for our military protection.

Secured a $400 billion increase in defense spending from NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allies by 2024, and the number of members meeting their minimum obligations more than doubled.

Credited by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for strengthening NATO.

Worked to reform and streamline the United Nations (UN) and reduced spending by $1.3 billion.

Allies, including Japan and the Republic of Korea, committed to increase burden-sharing.

Protected our Second Amendment rights by announcing the United States will never ratify the UN Arms Trade Treaty.

Returned 56 hostages and detainees from more than 24 countries.

Worked to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region, promoting new investments and expanding American partnerships.

Advanced peace through strength.

Withdrew from the horrible, one-sided Iran Nuclear Deal and imposed crippling sanctions on the Iranian Regime.

Conducted vigorous enforcement on all sanctions to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero and deny the regime its principal source of revenue.

First president to meet with a leader of North Korea and the first sitting president to cross the demilitarized zone into North Korea.

Maintained a maximum pressure campaign and enforced tough sanctions on North Korea while negotiating de-nuclearization, the release of American hostages, and the return of the remains of American heroes.

Brokered economic normalization between Serbia and Kosovo, bolstering peace in the Balkans.

Signed the Honk Kong Autonomy Act and ended the United States’ preferential treatment with Hong Kong to hold China accountable for its infringement on the autonomy of Hong Kong.

Led allied efforts to defeat the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to control the international telecommunications system.

Renewed our cherished friendship and alliance with Israel and took historic action to promote peace in the Middle East.

Recognized Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel and quickly moved the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Acknowledged Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and declared that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not inconsistent with international law.

Removed the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council due to the group’s blatant anti-Israel bias.

Brokered historic peace agreements between Israel and Arab-Muslim countries, including the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Sudan.

In addition, the United States negotiated a normalization agreement between Israel and Morocco, and recognized Moroccan Sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara, a position with long standing bipartisan support.

Brokered a deal for Kosovo to normalize ties and establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

Announced that Serbia would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

First American president to address an assembly of leaders from more than 50 Muslim nations, and reach an agreement to fight terrorism in all its forms.

Established the Etidal Center to combat terrorism in the Middle East in conjunction with the Saudi Arabian Government.

Announced the Vision for Peace Political Plan – a two-state solution that resolves the risks of Palestinian statehood to Israel’s security, and the first time Israel has agreed to a map and a Palestinian state.

Released an economic plan to empower the Palestinian people and enhance Palestinian governance through historic private investment.

Stood up against Communism and Socialism in the Western Hemisphere.

Reversed the previous Administration’s disastrous Cuba policy, canceling the sellout deal with the Communist Castro dictatorship.

Pledged not to lift sanctions until all political prisoners are freed; freedoms of assembly and expression are respected; all political parties are legalized; and free elections are scheduled.

Enacted a new policy aimed at preventing American dollars from funding the Cuban regime, including stricter travel restrictions and restrictions on the importation of Cuban alcohol and tobacco.

Implemented a cap on remittances to Cuba.

Enabled Americans to file lawsuits against persons and entities that traffic in property confiscated by the Cuban regime.

First world leader to recognize Juan Guaido as the Interim President of Venezuela and led a diplomatic coalition against the Socialist Dictator of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro.

Blocked all property of the Venezuelan Government in the jurisdiction of the United States.

Cut off the financial resources of the Maduro regime and sanctioned key sectors of the Venezuelan economy exploited by the regime.

Brought criminal charges against Nicolas Maduro for his narco-terrorism.

Imposed stiff sanctions on the Ortega regime in Nicaragua.

Joined together with Mexico and Canada in a successful bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with 60 matches to be held in the United States.

Won bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.

Colossal Rebuilding of the Military

Rebuilt the military and created the Sixth Branch, the United States Space Force.

Completely rebuilt the United States military with over $2.2 trillion in defense spending, including $738 billion for 2020.

Secured three pay raises for our service members and their families, including the largest raise in a decade.

Established the Space Force, the first new branch of the United States Armed Forces since 1947.

Modernized and recapitalized our nuclear forces and missile defenses to ensure they continue to serve as a strong deterrent.

Upgraded our cyber defenses by elevating the Cyber Command into a major warfighting command and by reducing burdensome procedural restrictions on cyber operations.

Vetoed the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act, which failed to protect our national security, disrespected the history of our veterans and military, and contradicted our efforts to put America first.

Defeated terrorists, held leaders accountable for malign actions, and bolstered peace around the world.

Defeated 100 percent of ISIS’ territorial caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

Freed nearly 8 million civilians from ISIS’ bloodthirsty control, and liberated Mosul, Raqqa, and the final ISIS foothold of Baghuz.

Killed the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and eliminated the world’s top terrorist, Qasem Soleimani.

Created the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) in partnership between the United States and its Gulf partners to combat extremist ideology and threats, and target terrorist financial networks, including over 60 terrorist individuals and entities spanning the globe.

Twice took decisive military action against the Assad regime in Syria for the barbaric use of chemical weapons against innocent civilians, including a successful 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles strike.

Authorized sanctions against bad actors tied to Syria’s chemical weapons program.

Negotiated an extended ceasefire with Turkey in northeast Syria.

Addressed gaps in American’s defense-industrial base, providing much-needed updates to improve the safety of our country.

Protected America’s defense-industrial base, directing the first whole-of-government assessment of our manufacturing and defense supply chains since the 1950s.

Took decisive steps to secure our information and communications technology and services supply chain, including unsafe mobile applications.

Completed several multi-year nuclear material removal campaigns, securing over 1,000 kilograms of highly enriched uranium and significantly reducing global nuclear threats.

Signed an executive order directing Federal agencies to work together to diminish the capability of foreign adversaries to target our critical electric infrastructure.

Established a whole-of-government strategy addressing the threat posed by China’s malign efforts targeting the United States taxpayer-funded research and development ecosystem.

Advanced missile defense capabilities and regional alliances.

Bolstered the ability of our allies and partners to defend themselves through the sale of aid and military equipment.

Signed the largest arms deal ever, worth nearly $110 billion, with Saudi Arabia.

Serving and Protecting Our Veterans

Reformed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve care, choice, and employee accountability.

Signed and implemented the VA Mission Act, which made permanent Veterans CHOICE, revolutionized the VA community care system, and delivered quality care closer to home for Veterans.

The number of Veterans who say they trust VA services has increased 19 percent to a record 91 percent, an all-time high.

Offered same-day emergency mental health care at every VA medical facility, and secured $9.5 billion for mental health services in 2020.

Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017, which ensured that veterans could continue to see the doctor of their choice and wouldn’t have to wait for care.

During the Trump Administration, millions of veterans have been able to choose a private doctor in their communities.

Expanded Veterans’ ability to access telehealth services, including through the “Anywhere to Anywhere” VA healthcare initiative leading to a 1000 percent increase in usage during COVID-19.

Signed the Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act and removed thousands of VA workers who failed to give our Vets the care they have so richly deserve.

Signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 and improved the efficiency of the VA, setting record numbers of appeals decisions.

Modernized medical records to begin a seamless transition from the Department of Defense to the VA.

Launched a new tool that provides Veterans with online access to average wait times and quality-of-care data.

The promised White House VA Hotline has fielded hundreds of thousands of calls.

Formed the PREVENTS Task Force to fight the tragedy of Veteran suicide.

Decreased veteran homelessness, improved education benefits, and achieved record-low veteran unemployment.

Signed and implemented the Forever GI Bill, allowing Veterans to use their benefits to get an education at any point in their lives.

Eliminated every penny of Federal student loan debt owed by American veterans who are completely and permanently disabled.

Compared to 2009, 49 percent fewer veterans experienced homelessness nationwide during 2019.

Signed and implemented the HAVEN Act to ensure that Veterans who’ve declared bankruptcy don’t lose their disability payments.

Helped hundreds of thousands of military service members make the transition from the military to the civilian workforce, and developed programs to support the employment of military spouses.

Placed nearly 40,000 homeless veterans into employment through the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program.

Placed over 600,000 veterans into employment through American Job Center services.

Enrolled over 500,000 transitioning service members in over 20,000 Department of Labor employment workshops.

Signed an executive order to help Veterans transition seamlessly into the United States Merchant Marine.

Making Communities Safer

Signed into law landmark criminal justice reform.

Signed the bipartisan First Step Act into law, the first landmark criminal justice reform legislation ever passed to reduce recidivism and help former inmates successfully rejoin society.

Promoted second chance hiring to give former inmates the opportunity to live crime-free lives and find meaningful employment.

Launched a new “Ready to Work” initiative to help connect employers directly with former prisoners.

Awarded $2.2 million to states to expand the use of fidelity bonds, which underwrite companies that hire former prisoners.

Reversed decades-old ban on Second Chance Pell programs to provide postsecondary education to individuals who are incarcerated expand their skills and better succeed in the workforce upon re-entry.

Awarded over $333 million in Department of Labor grants to nonprofits and local and state governments for reentry projects focused on career development services for justice-involved youth and adults who were formerly incarcerated.

Unprecedented support for law-enforcement.

In 2019, violent crime fell for the third consecutive year.

Since 2016, the violent crime rate has declined over 5 percent and the murder rate has decreased by over 7 percent.

Launched Operation Legend to combat a surge of violent crime in cities, resulting in more than 5,500 arrests.

Deployed the National Guard and Federal law enforcement to Kenosha to stop violence and restore public safety.

Provided $1 million to Kenosha law enforcement, nearly $4 million to support small businesses in Kenosha, and provided over $41 million to support law enforcement to the state of Wisconsin.

Deployed Federal agents to save the courthouse in Portland from rioters.

Signed an executive order outlining ten-year prison sentences for destroying Federal property and monuments.

Directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and prosecute Federal offenses related to ongoing violence.

DOJ provided nearly $400 million for new law enforcement hiring.

Endorsed by the 355,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Revitalized Project Safe Neighborhoods, which brings together Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials to develop solutions to violent crime.

Improved first-responder communications by deploying the FirstNet National Public Safety Broadband Network, which serves more than 12,000 public safety agencies across the Nation.

Established a new commission to evaluate best practices for recruiting, training, and supporting law enforcement officers.

Signed the Safe Policing for Safe Communities executive order to incentive local police department reforms in line with law and order.

Made hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of surplus military equipment available to local law enforcement.

Signed an executive order to help prevent violence against law enforcement officers.

Secured permanent funding for the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund for first responders.

Implemented strong measures to stem hate crimes, gun violence, and human trafficking.

Signed an executive order making clear that Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to discrimination rooted in anti-Semitism.

Launched a centralized website to educate the public about hate crimes and encourage reporting.

Signed the Fix NICS Act to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.

Signed the STOP School Violence Act and created a Commission on School Safety to examine ways to make our schools safer.

Launched the Foster Youth to Independence initiative to prevent and end homelessness among young adults under the age of 25 who are in, or have recently left, the foster care system.

Signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which tightened criteria for whether countries are meeting standards for eliminating trafficking.

Established a task force to help combat the tragedy of missing or murdered Native American women and girls.

Prioritized fighting for the voiceless and ending the scourge of human trafficking across the Nation, through a whole of government back by legislation, executive action, and engagement with key industries.

Created the first-ever White House position focused solely on combating human trafficking.

Cherishing Life and Religious Liberty

Steadfastly supported the sanctity of every human life and worked tirelessly to prevent government funding of abortion.

Reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, ensuring that taxpayer money is not used to fund abortion globally.

Issued a rule preventing Title X taxpayer funding from subsiding the abortion industry.

Supported legislation to end late-term abortions.

Cut all funding to the United Nations population fund due to the fund’s support for coercive abortion and forced sterilization.

Signed legislation overturning the previous administration’s regulation that prohibited states from defunding abortion facilities as part of their family planning programs.

Fully enforced the requirement that taxpayer dollars do not support abortion coverage in Obamacare exchange plans.

Stopped the Federal funding of fetal tissue research.

Worked to protect healthcare entities and individuals’ conscience rights – ensuring that no medical professional is forced to participate in an abortion in violation of their beliefs.

Issued an executive order reinforcing requirement that all hospitals in the United States provide medical treatment or an emergency transfer for infants who are in need of emergency medical care—regardless of prematurity or disability.

Led a coalition of countries to sign the Geneva Consensus Declaration, declaring that there is no international right to abortion and committing to protecting women’s health.

First president in history to attend the March for Life.

Stood up for religious liberty in the United States and around the world.

Protected the conscience rights of doctors, nurses, teachers, and groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor.

First president to convene a meeting at the United Nations to end religious persecution.

Established the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative.

Stopped the Johnson Amendment from interfering with pastors’ right to speak their minds.

Reversed the previous administration’s policy that prevented the government from providing disaster relief to religious organizations.

Protected faith-based adoption and foster care providers, ensuring they can continue to serve their communities while following the teachings of their faith.

Reduced burdensome barriers to ensure Native Americans are free to keep spiritually and culturally significant eagle feathers found on their tribal lands.

Took action to ensure Federal employees can take paid time off work to observe religious holy days.

Signed legislation to assist religious and ethnic groups targeted by ISIS for mass murder and genocide in Syria and Iraq.

Directed American assistance toward persecuted communities, including through faith-based programs.

Launched the International Religious Freedom Alliance – the first-ever alliance devoted to confronting religious persecution around the world.

Appointed a Special Envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism.

Imposed restrictions on certain Chinese officials, internal security units, and companies for their complicity in the persecution of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.

Issued an executive order to protect and promote religious freedom around the world.

Safeguarding the Environment

Took strong action to protect the environment and ensure clean air and clean water.

Took action to protect vulnerable Americans from being exposed to lead and copper in drinking water and finalized a rule protecting children from lead-based paint hazards.

Invested over $38 billion in clean water infrastructure.

In 2019, America achieved the largest decline in carbon emissions of any country on earth. Since withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord, the United States has reduced carbon emissions more than any nation.

American levels of particulate matter – one of the main measures of air pollution – are approximately five times lower than the global average.

Between 2017 and 2019, the air became 7 percent cleaner – indicated by a steep drop in the combined emissions of criteria pollutants.

Led the world in greenhouse gas emissions reductions, having cut energy-related CO2 emissions by 12 percent from 2005 to 2018 while the rest of the world increased emissions by 24 percent.

In FY 2019 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cleaned up more major pollution sites than any year in nearly two decades.

The EPA delivered $300 million in Brownfields grants directly to communities most in need including investment in 118 Opportunity Zones.

Placed a moratorium on offshore drilling off the coasts of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

Restored public access to Federal land at Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Recovered more endangered or threatened species than any other administration in its first term.

Secured agreements and signed legislation to protect the environment and preserve our Nation’s abundant national resources.

The USMCA guarantees the strongest environmental protections of any trade agreement in history.

Signed the Save Our Seas Act to protect our environment from foreign nations that litter our oceans with debris and developed the first-ever Federal strategic plan to address marine litter.

Signed the Great American Outdoors Act, securing the single largest investment in America’s National Parks and public lands in history.

Signed the largest public lands legislation in a decade, designating 1.3 million new acres of wilderness.

Signed a historic executive order promoting much more active forest management to prevent catastrophic wildfires.

Opened and expanded access to over 4 million acres of public lands for hunting and fishing.

Joined the One Trillion Trees Initiative to plant, conserve, and restore trees in America and around the world.

Delivered infrastructure upgrades and investments for numerous projects, including over half a billion dollars to fix the Herbert Hoover Dike and expanding funding for Everglades restoration by 55 percent.

Expanding Educational Opportunity

Fought tirelessly to give every American access to the best possible education.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expanded School Choice, allowing parents to use up to $10,000 from a 529 education savings account to cover K-12 tuition costs at the public, private, or religious school of their choice.

Launched a new pro-American lesson plan for students called the 1776 Commission to promote patriotic education.

Prohibited the teaching of Critical Race Theory in the Federal government.

Established the National Garden of American Heroes, a vast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest Americans to ever live.

Called on Congress to pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act to expand education options for 1 million students of all economic backgrounds.

Signed legislation reauthorizing the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program.

Issued updated guidance making clear that the First Amendment right to Free Exercise of Religion does not end at the door to a public school.

Took action to promote technical education.

Signed into law the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which provides over 13 million students with high-quality vocational education and extends more than $1.3 billion each year to states for critical workforce development programs.

Signed the INSPIRE Act which encouraged NASA to have more women and girls participate in STEM and seek careers in aerospace.

Allocated no less than $200 million each year in grants to prioritize women and minorities in STEM and computer science education.

Drastically reformed and modernized our educational system to restore local control and promote fairness.

Restored state and local control of education by faithfully implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Signed an executive order that ensures public universities protect First Amendment rights or they will risk losing funding, addresses student debt by requiring colleges to share a portion of the financial risk, and increases transparency by requiring universities to disclose information about the value of potential educational programs.

Issued a rule strengthening Title IX protections for survivors of sexual misconduct in schools, and that – for the first time in history – codifies that sexual harassment is prohibited under Title IX.

Negotiated historic bipartisan agreement on new higher education rules to increase innovation and lower costs by reforming accreditation, state authorization, distance education, competency-based education, credit hour, religious liberty, and TEACH Grants.

Prioritized support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Moved the Federal Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Initiative back to the White House.

Signed into law the FUTURE Act, making permanent $255 million in annual funding for HBCUs and increasing funding for the Federal Pell Grant program.

Signed legislation that included more than $100 million for scholarships, research, and centers of excellence at HBCU land-grant institutions.

Fully forgave $322 million in disaster loans to four HBCUs in 2018, so they could fully focus on educating their students.

Enabled faith-based HBCUs to enjoy equal access to Federal support.

Combatting the Opioid Crisis

Brought unprecedented attention and support to combat the opioid crisis.

Declared the opioid crisis a nationwide public health emergency.

Secured a record $6 billion in new funding to combat the opioid epidemic.

Signed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the largest-ever legislative effort to address a drug crisis in our Nation’s history.

Launched the Initiative to Stop Opioid Abuse and Reduce Drug Supply and Demand in order to confront the many causes fueling the drug crisis.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a record $9 billion in grants to expand access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services to States and local communities.

Passed the CRIB Act, allowing Medicaid to help mothers and their babies who are born physically dependent on opioids by covering their care in residential pediatric recovery facilities.

Distributed $1 billion in grants for addiction prevention and treatment.

Announced a Safer Prescriber Plan that seeks to decrease the amount of opioids prescriptions filled in America by one third within three years.

Reduced the total amount of opioids prescriptions filled in America.

Expanded access to medication-assisted treatment and life-saving Naloxone.

Launched FindTreatment.gov, a tool to find help for substance abuse.

Drug overdose deaths fell nationwide in 2018 for the first time in nearly three decades.

Launched the Drug-Impaired Driving Initiative to work with local law enforcement and the driving public at large to increase awareness.

Launched a nationwide public ad campaign on youth opioid abuse that reached 58 percent of young adults in America.

Since 2016, there has been a nearly 40 percent increase in the number of Americans receiving medication-assisted treatment.

Approved 29 state Medicaid demonstrations to improve access to opioid use disorder treatment, including new flexibility to cover inpatient and residential treatment.

Approved nearly $200 million in grants to address the opioid crisis in severely affected communities and to reintegrate workers in recovery back into the workforce.

Took action to seize illegal drugs and punish those preying on innocent Americans.

In FY 2019, ICE HSI seized 12,466 pounds of opioids including 3,688 pounds of fentanyl, an increase of 35 percent from FY 2018.

Seized tens of thousands of kilograms of heroin and thousands of kilograms of fentanyl since 2017.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecuted more fentanyl traffickers than ever before, dismantled 3,000 drug trafficking organizations, and seized enough fentanyl to kill 105,000 Americans.

DOJ charged more than 65 defendants collectively responsible for distributing over 45 million opioid pills.

Brought kingpin designations against traffickers operating in China, India, Mexico, and more who have played a role in the epidemic in America.

Indicted major Chinese drug traffickers for distributing fentanyl in the U.S for the first time ever, and convinced China to enact strict regulations to control the production and sale of fentanyl.

[bukkez]

Please boost! My name is Casey and while I usually do not make posts like these I desperately need your help. While this is not on par with my usual content on this page, I am unsure what else to do and this is my last resort.

I have struggled with an eating disorder for a very long time and while today I am actively trying to recover, the biggest impact it has left on me has been towards my dental health. I have insurance, but it does not cover the cost of the procedures needed whatsoever and I will be paying completely out of pocket for everything. At this current moment I need 4 root canals, several fillings, and caps-- all of which total up to $10k.

I am a college student, I currently take classes and the stress of maintaining my grades and these impending costs is extremely taxing. I have to deal w frequent and constant toothaches that just will not go away and I would do anything for it to stop.

I have been looking at charity clinics, but the waiting times are extremely long, and I have tried applying for payment plans/dental credit but I am not currently eligible.

Any donation you can give will be greatly appreciated and extremely helpful. While I am busy with school, I will absolutely be willing to draw something (or possibly crochet something and mail) for your contribution. Example of my work is on this blog, but I will include pieces below:

I cannot stress how thankful I am for any help given and please do not hesitate to dm me if you are interested in commissions. If you cannot donate via Gofundme, I also accept donations via venmo or cashapp and will include the links to those as well.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

[ksoftwebdevelopment]

Elevate Your Business with Expert E-commerce Website Development Services

E-commerce is no longer the future—it’s the present. With online shopping becoming second nature for millions worldwide, businesses must adapt to stay competitive. But creating a thriving e-commerce business takes more than uploading product images and adding a payment option. It demands a carefully crafted platform tailored to customer needs, brand identity, and technological advancements.

This is where an experienced e-commerce website development company like KSoft Technologies can help. We don’t just build websites; we craft experiences that turn casual browsers into loyal customers. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of e-commerce websites, the role of a development company, and how partnering with KSoft Technologies can help your business thrive.

Why Every Business Needs an E-commerce Website

Let’s start with the basics. Why does your business need an e-commerce platform in the first place?

1. Reach a Global Audience

Your physical store may have geographical limitations, but an online store? The world is your marketplace. With a robust e-commerce website, you can reach customers across continents, breaking barriers like time zones and borders.

2. Operate 24/7

Unlike a traditional brick-and-mortar store, an e-commerce website doesn’t have operating hours. It’s open 24/7, allowing customers to shop anytime, from anywhere.

3. Cost-Effective Expansion

Expanding a physical store involves hefty expenses—rent, staff, utilities. An online store is a fraction of the cost and allows you to scale up without logistical hurdles.

4. Gain Valuable Insights

E-commerce websites are a treasure trove of data. From customer demographics to purchasing trends, analytics tools provide actionable insights to refine your marketing and sales strategies.

What Makes a Great E-commerce Website?

Creating a website is easy; creating an exceptional e-commerce website is not. Here are the must-have features that separate a mediocre website from a great one:

1. Intuitive Navigation

Shoppers shouldn’t need a map to find what they’re looking for. Clear menus, logical product categories, and search filters are non-negotiable.

2. High Performance and Speed

Studies show that a one-second delay in page load time can lead to a 7% drop in conversions. Speed matters, and we optimize every element of your site for peak performance.

3. Responsive E-commerce Website Design

More than half of online shopping happens on mobile devices. Our responsive e-commerce website design ensures your site looks and works beautifully across all devices.

4. Secure Payment Gateway Integration

From credit cards to digital wallets, customers expect secure and versatile payment options. We provide secure payment gateway integration for peace of mind.

5. Customizable Shopping Carts

The shopping cart is where conversions happen. Our customizable carts simplify adding items, applying coupons, and calculating taxes and shipping.

6. SEO-Friendly E-commerce Websites

Your website’s visibility on search engines directly impacts traffic and sales. We build SEO-friendly e-commerce websites with optimized code, meta tags, and fast loading speeds.

Why Work with KSoft Technologies?

Partnering with KSoft Technologies means working with a team that’s as passionate about your success as you are. Here’s what sets us apart:

1. Expertise Across Platforms

Whether you’re looking for Shopify development experts, WooCommerce website development, or Magento e-commerce solutions, we’ve got you covered. Our team has extensive experience with leading platforms.

2. Focus on Customization

Every business has unique needs, and we believe your website should reflect that. Our custom e-commerce solutions are tailored to your specific goals and industry requirements.

3. Scalability and Growth

Your e-commerce website should grow with your business. We build scalable platforms that adapt to increased traffic, product lines, and customer demands.

4. AI-Powered Personalization

We leverage AI to provide personalized shopping experiences, from tailored product recommendations to predictive search functionality.

5. Post-Launch Support

Our relationship doesn’t end at launch. We offer ongoing support and updates to keep your website running smoothly and securely.

Benefits of E-commerce Website Development

If you’re still wondering whether investing in an e-commerce website is worth it, let’s break down the benefits:

1. Increase Sales

A well-designed e-commerce platform makes it easier for customers to browse, buy, and return for more. From intuitive navigation to smooth checkout processes, every feature is geared toward boosting sales.

2. Lower Costs

Compared to traditional retail, an online store saves you money on overhead costs like rent, utilities, and staffing.

3. Build Brand Loyalty

By offering a seamless shopping experience, loyalty programs, and personalized recommendations, your website becomes a trusted destination for customers.

4. Expand Market Reach

With digital tools like social media integration and multi-vendor e-commerce platforms, you can reach more customers and explore new markets.

5. Gain Customer Insights

Analytics tools integrated into your website help you track customer behavior, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.

Trends Shaping the Future of E-commerce

The e-commerce landscape is constantly evolving, and staying ahead means adopting emerging trends. Here’s what’s shaping the future:

1. Voice Commerce

With devices like Alexa and Google Home becoming household staples, voice search is transforming the way people shop. Optimizing your website for voice commerce ensures you stay relevant.

2. Augmented Reality (AR)

AR is revolutionizing online shopping by letting customers “try” products before they buy. From virtual fitting rooms to 3D product views, AR enhances the online shopping experience.

3. Blockchain Technology

Secure, transparent, and efficient—blockchain is changing the way payments and supply chains are managed in e-commerce.

4. Headless Commerce

This approach decouples the front-end and back-end of your website, giving you greater flexibility and faster load times.

5. Subscription-Based Models

From beauty boxes to meal kits, subscription models are gaining popularity. Adding a subscription option can create consistent revenue streams for your business.

Real-Life Success Stories: How KSoft Technologies Made a Difference

Case Study 1: A Fashion Retailer’s Makeover

A struggling fashion brand approached us with an outdated e-commerce platform that was driving customers away. We revamped their website with a responsive e-commerce design, faster loading times, and secure payment integration. The result? A 200% increase in sales within three months.

Case Study 2: Multi-Vendor Marketplace for Handmade Goods

An artisan collective needed a multi-vendor e-commerce platform to support their growing community of sellers. Our solution included customizable vendor dashboards, real-time inventory management, and integrated analytics. The platform became a go-to destination for handmade goods.

Case Study 3: Expanding a Local Grocery Store Online

A family-owned grocery store wanted to expand online but didn’t know where to start. We built an SEO-friendly website with advanced search filters, subscription options, and mobile optimization. Their monthly sales doubled within the first quarter.

[out-with-the-boys]

The Dance- Chapter 07

Homelander x Supe OC

Notes: 18+ This chapter contains themes of and references to deep, personal losses, which may be distressing to some readers. Please take care while reading.

Each chapter will have individual content warnings as they apply to avoid spoilers. Find this work on AO3. Tumblr master post here.

Previous chapter.

To say that Morgan was a difficult and stubborn patient was an understatement. With the extent of the injuries she sustained when a Harlem apartment building collapsed on her, she was ordered to be on strict bed rest for a few weeks at least. Keeping her down was easier said than done, however.

Bed rest literally means bed rest, Ms. Daly. Lounging in your chair in the conference room doesn’t count.

Dr. Foster had personally ordered her back to bed herself too many times already. If it wasn’t for her Hippocratic oath, Morgan was certain the woman would have strangled her by now. As punishment, she was stuck in bed for one more week before she could get back to work on less taxing duties.

At the very least, she had her script for Dawn of the Seven , to rehearse.

“And you’re sure they won’t throw a fit over you breaking your NDA?” her sister asked, her wide grin practically audible over the phone. 

“Sammy, you’re my big sister.” Morgan said with a soft snort. “We’re basically extensions of each other. Besides, I know how you are about spoilers. You’d sooner invoke the curse of MacBeth than give away the story.”

“Shh! Don’t say that name!” Sammy hissed. “You’ll jinx the movie!”

“Relax, the curse only works for stage productions.” Morgan laughed softly, wincing slightly as a sharp pain shot through her ribs.

“Hey, all the world's a stage.”

“Smartass.”

Morgan wished she could have seen the wry grin her sister was likely wearing. One day she would have to convince her to upgrade her phone to something that actually had video call capabilities. The flip phone Sammy insisted on using was sure to break eventually.

Still, even without seeing her, Morgan could sense the shift in tone before Sammy could say what she was thinking.

”Sorry to change gears here, but have you found out anything else about the Compound V situation?” Sammy asked, her voice low.

Drawing in as deep a breath as she could manage, Morgan pressed her lips into a thin line.

”I don’t have any solid leads yet.” She murmured back.

Ever since the origins of supes came to light, Morgan’s family had been scratching their heads. Neither of her parents had struck any sort of deal with Vought to juice her with their super drug. If they had, Morgan would have known about it a long, long time ago.

Another worrisome piece to the puzzle was Dr. Foster’s silent panic with a recent panel of bloodwork she had done. Morgan’s already fragile trust with Vought and its other employees had been dwindling. After what happened with Stormfront in Harlem, Morgan felt less and less inclined to keep from reading minds without permission.

This can’t be right.

Foster’s voice still echoed in her mind even weeks after the fact. She had gleaned a few things from a quick mental scan, but it was still only a fraction of the bigger picture.

Edgar had ordered a test to be run on Morgan, all without her knowledge or consent. Dr. Foster was to see if she had any markers in her system that would indicate she had ever been touched with Compound V. Much to her surprise, and consequently Morgan’s, the tests came back with negative results.

Not minimal, not inconclusive– negative .

“What do you think that means?” 

Sammy’s question echoed in her ear just as a soft knock interrupted the moment. Morgan’s gaze flicked toward the door. Her telepathy warned her before she even saw him, and her chest tightened.

“Hey, I’ll call you back,” Morgan quickly said, her voice quieter now. 

“Everything okay?” Sammy asked.

“Yeah, just... something came up,” Morgan replied, eyes still on the door as she disconnected the call and set her phone aside.

The door opened with the unmistakable quiet confidence that only one person possessed. Homelander stepped into the room, the air seeming to shift with him. His presence was magnetic, almost suffocating in the small space. He was dressed in his usual immaculate suit, the red and white cape trailing behind him with an air of regality.

“Psyren,” he greeted, his tone somewhere between a question and an observation.

“Homelander.” She didn’t bother to hide the weariness in her voice. She shifted slightly under the covers, painfully aware of how feeble she must look to someone like him—someone who never seemed to show physical weakness.

He stood at the foot of her bed, his steely blue eyes scanning her as if taking inventory of whatever scratches, cuts and bruises still remained. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence stretching out uncomfortably.

“Am I interrupting something?” he finally asked, his tone deceptively casual, but there was always that edge to it—like he was testing her.

“Just a call with my sister,” Morgan said. “Nothing important.”

They both knew the other knew better than that though. She was already in his head, and he had been listening in with his acute hearing. The most worrisome part about that though, was he seemed to already know what Sammy was referring to. Morgan couldn’t fathom why Edgar would have disclosed the results of her secret Compound V panel to Homelander, but he had. 

Homelander nodded, though his gaze lingered on her phone for a beat longer before returning to her. “How are you feeling?” The question sounded almost... polite. Uncharacteristically so.

“Like I got buried under a building,” she said dryly, unable to help herself. “But I’m fine. You really don’t need to worry about me.”

Homelander’s lips twitched in a semblance of a smile. “Oh, but I do. I'm the leader of The Seven, and you’re a valued member of the team. I’m fully invested in your recovery.”

“I’m just saying you don’t need to keep checking up on me like this,” Morgan replied, her voice steady despite the tightness in her chest. “I’ll be back on my feet soon.”

“I’m sure you will,” he said, that small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his mouth a little more. He took another step toward her bed, close enough now that she could feel the subtle shift in the air between them. Something about the way he was staring at her, trying to discern what he could about her from a simple look, made her feel like a bug under a microscope.

Conversely, she hadn’t ever taken her eyes off of his, and now his thoughts were a storm of unanswered questions. He had no way of knowing when she was in his head, and that unnerved him. Even more than that, the origins of her abilities had come into question, and he wasn’t even remotely sure of how to deal with that. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” she asked, a spark of mischief in her eyes. “I can hear those gears in your head turning.”

There was a brief flash of surprise that passed over his face before his expression quickly darkened. He was already worried she was in his head, but now he knew she was teasing him about it.

“Oh, I don’t know.” he huffed, his lips pulling into a tight smile. “Why don’t you tell me? Go ahead, tell me what you find.”

Morgan raised an eyebrow, her eyes never leaving his. “You sure you want me to do that?”

It was a challenge, and they both knew it. His smile faltered, just for a second, before it returned, this time sharper—dangerous.

“Go ahead,” he said, leaning in just enough to make the air between them feel heavy. “Take a peek. Maybe you’ll learn something useful.”

She could hear the anger creeping into his voice, the way it thinned, despite the control he was desperately clinging to. It was always like this with him. A balancing act. One wrong move and the mask would slip. One wrong word and she’d see just how close to the edge he was.

But Morgan wasn’t afraid of him. 

“I don’t need to read your mind to know you’re feeling threatened,” she said, her voice dropping slightly, her tone turning more serious. 

His jaw tightened, the facade of calm crumbling just a little. “Threatened? By you?” He laughed, forcing a smile. “You’re cute, you know that? Do you really think that? Or is that the pain-killers talking? I’m sure Doc Foster has you all hooked up with the best stuff.”

“Oh, I’ve been off the pain-killers for a while now.” Morgan said, cracking a wry grin. “Gotta keep this mind sharp. I’ve already let you see me impaired a few too many times.”

Homelander’s smile faltered, but only for a second. He adjusted his posture, arms crossing over his chest, the tension still simmering behind his eyes. “Then I guess you’re just naturally delusional.”

"Maybe I am delusional," she said with a shrug, but her voice lacked its usual bite. "Or maybe—"

Her phone buzzed in her lap, interrupting her mid-sentence. Morgan glanced down, seeing Sammy's name flash across the screen. She sighed, sending the call to voicemail and focusing back on Homelander, though something in her expression had shifted.

“Or maybe you're just not used to anyone calling you out on–" she was cut off once more as her phone began to buzz again. 

Homelander raised an eyebrow, noticing the change in her demeanor. "You gonna get that?" 

"It’s just my sister." Morgan waved it off, her voice tight as she ignored the call with a tap of her thumb. "I’ll call her back."

But no sooner had the words left her mouth than the phone buzzed again, Sammy’s name flashing across the screen. This time, Morgan hesitated, her fingers tightening around the phone. Sammy never called more than twice in a row unless it was urgent. Something twisted in her gut—a sinking feeling she couldn't quite shake.

Homelander watched her carefully, his expression unreadable. "Maybe you should answer."

Morgan didn’t respond right away. Slowly, she picked up the phone, a strange, cold dread settling in the pit of her stomach. She slid her finger across the screen and held the phone to her ear.

"Sammy?" Her voice was a little too calm, as if she was bracing herself for bad news but still hoping it wasn’t what she feared.

There was a pause on the other end. She could hear her sister breathing, and that alone was enough to send her pulse racing.

"Morgan..." Sammy’s voice broke, shaky and thin. "It's Dad. He's... he's gone."

The words hit like a physical blow, knocking the air out of her lungs. For a moment, everything around her faded—her lavish bedroom, Homelander’s presence, the soft hum of the city beyond the tower. It was just her and Sammy’s voice, raw and filled with grief, and the heavy, final truth that her father was gone.

Morgan blinked, her mind racing to catch up with the weight of the words. She swallowed hard, her throat tight, but she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move. All she could do was sit there, frozen, as the reality sank in.

“I—” Morgan started, her voice cracking before she could even form a coherent thought. Her chest tightened, an overwhelming ache swelling beneath her ribs. “I... okay. I’ll—I’ll make my way home. Do I need to call Lucas?”

For a solid minute or two, Morgan shifted into autopilot. On one level, she was aware of the things Sammy was telling her, and she was responding appropriately. On another level, all she seemed to be conscious of was her heart thundering painfully hard in her ribcage. 

Her father had been battling with stage four pancreatic cancer for some time already, and she knew that this was an eventuality. Even so, she thought she would have had more time. He had sounded well enough on their last phone call, but now she was wrestling with the fact that he was gone.

At some point she had said her goodbyes, and she was vaguely aware of her name being called.

“...Psyren? Psyren?” Homelander’s voice pierced through the haze in her mind, tinged with irritation but laced with something else, something uncharacteristically soft. “Morgan, are you in there?”

“Yeah…” she responded automatically, her brow furrowing as she sat up straighter in her bed. The room felt too small, too cold. “Yeah, I just need to... I have to go.”

Her pulse rushed in her ears, drowning out everything but the thundering ache in her chest. Her hands trembled slightly as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She moved on autopilot, ignoring the sharp pain still lingering from her injury as her body adjusted. A wave of numbness washed over her, a protective shield against the weight of her father’s absence.

“Go?” Homelander echoed, the concern etched into his brow deepening. “You’re on bed rest, doctor’s orders. You can’t go.”

Robotically, she brushed past him, her eyes distant as she made her way to the dresser. Her fingers fumbled with the drawers, yanking out clothes without much thought.

“Dr. Foster can kiss my ass,” Morgan murmured, her voice hollow. The grief that threatened to engulf her pressed against her ribcage, tighter with each breath. “My dad just died. I’m going home.”

She didn’t care about the dull throb in her side, or the way her vision blurred as tears welled up. She couldn’t afford to break down. Not yet. Not in front of him. Not again. Her family needed her. Everything else could wait.

Homelander stood frozen, his usual air of control slipping as he watched her. He opened his mouth to say something, but for once, the words didn’t come. Instead, he just watched her pack with that same intense, unreadable gaze, the silence between them thick with unspoken things.

Finally, he spoke, quieter than before. “Do you need anything? I can... help.”

Morgan stopped, hovering in the entry of her walk-in closet. For the briefest moment, she let herself meet his eyes, surprised by the offer. But she shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. “No. I just need to get home.”

Leaning her head against the open archway into her closet, she drew in a painfully deep breath. 

“I’ll reach out to Ashley then.” He said decisively. “She can help arrange everything you need. It’s not like you’ll be out in the field in the next few days anyway. You might as well spend the rest of your recovery with your family.” 

If Morgan had been paying closer attention, she might have registered the undercurrent of bitterness in his voice, tinted with the slightest degree of curiosity. That was a detail she would have to file away for a later time. For the moment, she was desperately trying to keep herself grounded and focus on the things she needs.

”Thank you.” She murmured with a gentle nod, before retreating into the closet to find her luggage.

Morgan stayed in the closet longer than necessary, her fingers tracing the edges of her suitcase. She could hear Homelander’s low voice outside the room, speaking to Ashley, but the words blurred into static. 

Just breathe. Just get through this.

It was a simple mantra that she played through her mind on repeat until the moment she was on a private jet bound for the Pawhuska Municipal Airport. The hum of the engines filled the quiet space as Morgan sat beside the window, staring out at the clouds but barely registering the view. She was exhausted, emotionally drained, but sleep wouldn’t come. Her thoughts drifted back to her father. 

She should have been there. God , she should have been there for him. For all the highs and lows he had been there for her, she should have been home and holding his hand in his final moments. Instead, she had been halfway across the country, playing at being a hero and acting as a glorified babysitter for a company that didn’t give a damn about her as a person.

Her father had always been her rock, the one who believed in her ability to change the world. She could hear his voice in her head, telling her that true strength wasn’t in power, but in the courage to stand for what was right. Before her abilities even manifested, he had taught her to be a force for good.

It was because of him that she decided to accept Edgar’s invitation into The Seven in the first place. Despite his distaste for the posturing and pageantry that surrounded Vought and its superheroes, he believed she could make a difference. But now? Now, she felt like a fraud. 

Try as she might to fight against it, she still found herself neck deep in endorsement deals, social media campaigns and all the other superfluous bullshit Vought threw at her. True, she had saved some lives along the way, but she could be doing more. She needed to be better.

The thing that probably hurt the most, was knowing that no matter what, he would have still been proud of her. She just wouldn’t ever get to hear him say it again when she needed it most.

Song: Losing My Religion by BELLSAINT Author’s notes: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter! It’s a bit shorter than the others, but for me it was emotionally heavy. In the next chapter, we’ll see Morgan return home and confront some long-buried emotions as she navigates her family’s grief, all while the pressure from Vought—and Homelander—continues to mount. As always, your feedback means the world to me, and I appreciate all the support you’ve given this story so far!

Next Chapter.

[rametarin]

"Culture" as race science

Yall ain't slick. Not at all.

Privilege theory and similar "theories" that rely on the idea of the collective as a thing, a class, try and say they can know and determine the character of a group as understanding their modus operandi and thoughts and motivations based on bullshit bad faith that isn't even statistic representative of the average of a thing.

They also put stigmas in that they fabricate wholesale based on assumptions about how classes work. Which, again, arbitrary determinations based on how they believe different ones interact. So, they declare one group to be The Oppressor and determine that the Oppressed is the one inherently unfairly being targeted, just, straight up, no nuance, treating it as inherently so with no flexibility and no care for individual situations.

They determined that white people are the oppressors, and as the oppressor, that white people are inherently supremacist and have a dominant role. Therefore, every person that fits into the white class is racist (white supremacist, and detrimental to groups that are not white), and should be treated as though they were Nazis not based on an individual white person's beliefs, decisions, behavior, statements or character, but by their inherent existence. Immoral existence based on the assumed culture they belong to.

But then they double down on arguing that while different groups of people should be classified as indivisible communities and cultures, and cultures and those demographic groups should be given identity based representative powers as groups, they argue that no white group should exist or have representation as a legitimate group. They argue, "whites do not exist; They have no culture, they have no community, they have no identity." Because of the way they define the legitimacy of a culture or community going arm in arm with oppression and what brings groups together.

By all rights if they were going to bring this stupid and disgusting, ill conceived philosophy to its full conclusion of representing demographics legally, politically, socially and economically, to protect, "their communities," then by extension that would also coincidentally include European and derived people. But they do not want to validate that, because in the case of white people, it would more or less fit too cozily in with the sort of racist, ethnoseparatist bullshit that white supremacists say.

Gee. Why is that? Why are the theories of socialists in defense of the "globally oppressed minority" so averse to applying the same logic of identity and group representation in society for everybody from black people in America (capital B Buhlack America, as a big falutin' Culture) to white people?

A few reasons. For one, they don't like people and don't want them to continue to exist, as white people. For two, because they want the group to matter more than the individual, and whom gets to write the rules of participation and representation and what that means for social safety nets and government benefits and legitimization of identity, matters. If you argue you need a sports team to be able to play but this one particular kind of person is banned from forming legitimate teams or getting acknowledged, then they can't even participate. They do not want whites to exist, or participate, so they fudge these rules and play with definitions of what makes a culture and capital P People, so the hocus pocus they whip up as absolutes when they apply it to any given minority group they want to legally empower in the sphere of public influence, do not apply to whites and deny whites the franchise

And yet, it HAS to apply to whites NEGATIVELY, because they want to argue that white people and this entire society caters to a demographic that, "isn't real." They need that group to exist, but deny them the dignity of legitimate grouping and thus, also representation and interaction. Whites are just supposed to be tax paying non-participants to their society where identity is literally your benefits meal ticket, but culpability for the heinous injustices they've determined must be solved by the state redistributing funds and giving extra benefits to non-whites has to be paid by somebody.

So they argue that whites are not a culture or a community or group of people, only white supremacist organizations, conspirators and traitors, and their status as "oppressor" means they never can be anything but the antithesis of culture. The anti-people. The non-people. So, we can be taxed and have wealth redistirbuted and recognized on the basis of identity, but we aren't allowed to demand representation or recognition for our culture or group's contributions or benefits, as White People(tm). They determined thems the rules.

And it's tailored specifically to get xenophobic minorities to embrace and adopt this language about absolute oppression by the whites to everybody else, with something in it for them. It's made specifically to appeal to those that see the potential and the investment they have by changing the rules of the game to favor smaller demographics at the expense of what they perceive to be an oppressing power structure, simply because theres' more white people and therefore they must adopt siege mentality for "their kind" to prevent miscegenation away and protect their own minority.

These people have simply taken the concept of race science and mentally gymnasticed themselves out of saying race, because race is bioessentialist and taboo. Race is genetic. Race is phrenology. Race is 1800s anthropologist white supremacists and ideas about cultural superiority based on better biology. They argue the truth of identity and validity is in the subjectives and class struggle theory; that minorities are oppressed and majorities are abusers and destructive, just because they're majorities. And they especially loathe Europeans, based off these metrics.

So the only difference between a National Socialist and an International Socialist is whether they view white people as supreme good or supreme evil. One as a flattering exercise and hubris, and the other seeing an easy way to try and get the rest of the world operating under the stupid vision of a shit talker and sharing a fantasy that defeating the evil and then instituting socialism will bring on justice and world peace.

This rant was brought to you by me remembering that time in sophmore year of highschool, I had a Korean-American teacher tell me due to my white privilege, I was a racist and therefore any response I gave was inescapably tinged with racism, no matter what I said or did. And I was the kid sitting in the back right corner of the classroom by the book case, hands folded, listening.

I do not appreciate being told that even at rest, as far away from someone as possible in a room, saying nothing, giving attention, that I'm somehow wielding dangerous amounts of power over someone else from a position of "privilege," and that even positive statements are oppressive and racist. Just due to my having European heritage. And my Native American family not mattering in the calculus in the slightest on whether I'm an oppressor or not.

If you can look at someone's face and skin and determine, "you are of the privileged class," you don't have "class" based determinants. You have race science. You're just too much of a pussy to come clean and have to maintain this gross veneer of legitimacy.

[astarab1aze]

➥ Modern Verse Trivia

The Night family is split down the middle politically, more as a means to maximize wins and maintain their social status; Half Red Hand (and/or Sanguinarian) sympathetizers, half ordinary traditionalist nightfolk, with a handful outliers.

The widely accepted age for retirement in the nightfolk world is an even 100-years-old, or dependent on location, at which point the standard varies and will include physicals, age verification, etc. in order to recieve benefits or an AARP membership.

Nightfolk do not pay property, city, or state taxes, only federal, sales, inheritance, and county. There are certain additional taxes regarding funerary rites, which they call a death tax, but it's largely used for the maintenance of burial grounds, sanctified grounds, and the charms and barriers surrounding nightfolk population centers.

Since the Nighthouse is on the very edge of Belle Valley, sitting at a sort of crossroads, it's not terribly unlikely that a human or person otherwise unfamiliar with the nightfolk world could find it.

Of the two, Salem's Crossing is much livelier and more dangerous than Belle's Hollow, serving as a home to several high profile criminals such as Loux Garo, Deadeye, the Red Hand terrorist cell Vanguard, and more; Belle's Hollow, however, is absolutely not without its problems.

Incantations are used to assist in casting, but are not themselves what make the cast, itself a catalyst no different than a wand, grimoire, or palmseal. Magic is innate, an extension of the universe through those that possess it - some are just more efficient in making use of it than others.

Black cats are seen as good luck, to contrast directly with the human Catholic belief they're the reverse, so they're a common sight in nightfolk towns - what luck that this is true!

Blackwyrms are by and large seen as dangerous pests in the same way gators and wild boar are - by everyone. Extermination companies and the sorcier class both have special units specific to managing the blackwyrm infestation crisis.

Why is there a blackwyrm infestation crisis? Illegal breeding, egg smuggling, poaching, illegal purchase and sale, some folks releasing them into the Mirewood or sewers, etc.

Fey are the rarest of all nightfolk, followed very closely by hapries and shapeshifters, having been subject to a number of vampire-driven genocides. Survivors were enslaved, forced into experimentation and breeding programs in an effort to create vampires capable of walking in the sun.

There are effectively 0 full-blooded Fey and most shifters are only half.

There is a special kind of sunscreen for vampires that gives temporary resistance to UV light - it lasts for only half an hour depending on how much is applied.

Literally All-Purpose SaltTM was invented by the Augur of South Ocala (yes, that's what he called himself) specifically for the consumption of scarbuncle cheese, but it later became a common household seasoning sold at exactly $1.99 since 1899.

Ramona Shank is still alive, but no one knows this for certain.

One very important rule of the Mirewood: Do NOT follow the lights. There are witchlights dotting the bayou and, should you follow them, you may be swallowed up by rogue brachio, eaten by gas adders or frogmen, killed by poachers, robbed by other criminals, or entirely cursed. It's a 1 in 1b chance you'll run into a red wolf or haint dog, so don't go looking for one.

There are sunflower seed brands that offer nightfolk-oriented flavors such as offal, leech, scarbuncle cheese, pickled eye stalk, barbamayo, salted gator paw, snap-trap, Literally All-Purpose, red kelp, and more.

Gretl's is the nightfolk equivalent to Willy Wonka and is considered The candy & snack food brand, having numerous partnerships with human companies across the globe.

Population addendum: There is closer to 250 million nightfolk, versus the prior population estimates at 100-125 million.

Vampires, witches, wizards, sorcerers, and weres are the most common nightfolk.

The last of the great gryphons, Crovita's father Ágrìfa, was killed by poachers in a vicious massacre in the 1800s.

Hearing voices and seeing things are about as stigmatized in the nightfolk realm as they are in the human, this being because all manners of vile and terrible things could be revealing themselves to you...like a Red Hand vampire or a petty goddess who wishes to lead you to your death. Still, most will refer you to a bloodweaver and leave it at that.

Tommy-knockers run the banks in tandem with the Gilde family, at least in the United States, and the partnership here is ridiculously iron-clad. Not even the government could tear the two apart, and it has tried several times to get rid of them and establish a central bank (and failed spectacularly every time).

Nightfolk drink alcohol for taste 96% of the time and have a much, much higher legal limit at 0.460.

Most of the nightfolk locations with distinctly Sunjatti names are 'tastes of home' to those who remember the Old World, and the cultures in each loosely resemble the Old World cultures.

Nightfolk ended up on earth through a magical rift caused by the first mage to ever get his hands on a Sanguine Star some 6,000 years ago, who then went on to rebuild their communities on each of the continents, steadily becoming more and more integrative isolationists into the modern era.

[tanadrin]

To focus on something I couldn’t give the space it deserved in the previous post: I think it is possible to have a political system which is in theory very liberal in the classical sense but which in practice is not very liberal at all, and this goes to what some critics have pointed out as the tendency of liberalism to have CB of contradictions in its practical application.

A society without any kind of worker protection, old age pension, or anti discrimination laws, and with very low taxes, might legally be very liberal in the classics sense; but for individual workers and consumers it might be a society without much meaningful choice: one of company towns and stores, where most cannot afford an education or healthcare, and where bosses have intrusive control over employees’ private lives, to say nothing of whatever ambient social prejudices (like those of gender and race) might go unaddressed in workplaces. Moreover, because inequality in wealth will pretty much always tend to produce inequality in political power, even if on paper the society is very democratic, it will likely not function in a very democratic way.

Most western countries basically recognize this and have converged on what are a pretty extensive body of rules which are in principle illiberal—in that they strongly constrain individual rights and how firms behave—in the interest of broader social aims which are nevertheless pretty liberal in spirit: anti discrimination law, environmental law, welfare programs, disability law, anti monopoly statues, consumer protection law, and so forth. Outside the really hardcore libertarians (who are a small constituency), these rules seem broadly popular, with most political fights on the subject being focused on their details, not their existence.

The thing that I think a lot of socialists broadly construed have noticed is that this is still fundamentally a contradiction, just a contradiction of a different kind. And many critics of liberalism hold, essentially, that it simply doesn’t go far enough—and some flavor of socialism (pick your favorite) can deliver on the fundamental premise we’re aiming for (I.e., general welfare and individual freedom) better than a messy kludge applied over the top of capitalism.

I think the uncomfortable truth is that the line between Real Socialism and liberal capitalism with a social-democratic patch on it isn’t actually totally hard and fast—once you get below a certain GINI coefficient and above a certain HDI I think you’re splitting metaphysical hairs. But this is an indictment of the inherent virtue of capitalism as much as it is the One True Socialism that has Never Been Tried—if you have to do heavily adulterate capitalism that it barely qualifies as such anymore, it must be contributing very little virtue indeed to the final outcome.

[koshika23]

How to Open a Company in the US for Non-Citizens in 2024

Starting a business in the United States as a non-citizen might seem like a daunting task, but it's more accessible than you might think. Whether you're an entrepreneur with a groundbreaking idea or a small business owner looking to expand into new markets, the US offers a wealth of opportunities. This guide will walk you through the process of company registration in the US, breaking it down into simple steps that anyone can follow. By the end of this article, you'll feel confident in your ability to navigate the US business landscape and take your first step toward success.

Why Start a Business in the US?

It is true that the US market is among the largest and most active worldwide, which makes it a desirable location for entrepreneurs. Why should non-citizens think about establishing a business with a company in the US? In the first place it is because the US provides a steady economic climate, solid legal protections for companies as well as access to an extensive population of consumers. Furthermore the majority of investors prefer dealing with US-registered businesses, and incorporating within the US can boost your business's standing on the international scene.

Understanding the Legal Structure

Before you begin how to register, it's important to be aware of the different kinds of legal structures that are available to companies within the US. These structures will define the legal obligations of your business as well as tax and personal responsibility. Most commonly used options include:

Sole Proprietorship

Partnership

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

Corporation (C-Corp or S-Corp)

Each structure comes with pros and cons, based on your specific business requirements and requirements. It's important to select the one that is most suitable for your needs.

Choosing the Right Business Structure

The right structure for your business is akin to laying the groundwork for a structure. It must be strong and well-suited for the future plans you have. For the majority of non-citizens, creating an LLC is a common option because of its flexibility, a lower liability and management ease. However C-Corps are more suitable C-Corp could be more appropriate for those who plan to raise funds through investors.

LLC offers the flexibility, ease of use and security from personal responsibility.

C-Corp is a great option for companies that want to grow dramatically and draw investors.

Think about your goals for the business as well as the degree of control you would like to maintain, and also the tax implications in making the decision.

Registering Your Business Name

After you've decided on your business's structure The next step is to register your business name. Your company name is more than an identifier for your brand. It's your identity. Make sure that it's unique and memorable. For registration of your business name:

Do a search for names: Make sure your business's name isn't already used.

Register Your Name If you're not yet ready to sign up You can reserve your name for a certain time.

Create Your Own Business Name Name: Register your name with appropriate authorities of the state. The process is slightly different from state to state.

This ensures that your business name is legally recognized.

Obtaining a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)

An EIN is a type of identification number used by your business. It's vital to use for tax purposes, when hiring employees or opening a company bank account. Non-citizens are able to easily get an EIN through the IRS without the need for an Social Security Number (SSN). Here's how:

Apply online Apply Online: Visit the IRS website and fill out the EIN application form.

Apply via Mail Alternately, you could send Form SS-4 through either fax or mail.

After you've obtained your EIN You'll be officially acknowledged by the IRS and then you're able to proceed to the next steps.

Opening a US Business Bank Account

A US corporate bank account can be essential to control finances, accepting payments, and establishing credibility with clients and partners. Non-residents are able to create an US commercial bank account relatively easily and with the aid of fintech solutions such as Mercury, Wise, Relay Financial and Payoneer. What you'll need to do:

EIN The reason for this is that, as we mentioned earlier it is necessary to create the bank account.

Documentation of Business Registration Documentation proving that your company is registered legally within the US.

Personal Identification Passport or any other type of ID issued by the government.

Selecting the best bank for you will be based on your specific business needs So, look into your options thoroughly.

Navigating Taxes and Compliance

US Tax laws are a bit shady However, staying on top of tax laws is not a matter of choice. If you're a non-citizen owner of a business it is essential to know the federal and state tax regulations. Generally speaking, you'll need to comply with:

Annual Reports in HTML0 Based on your business's structure and your location.

pay federal taxes This includes tax on income, taxes for employment and perhaps excise taxes.

State taxes The tax rates vary state-by-state and some states don't have a tax on income.

A tax professional that specializes in taxation for non-residents can be an investment that will ensure that you're fulfilling all your obligations.

Hiring Employees in the US

If you're planning to employ employees from the US There are many legal procedures you'll need comply with. They include:

Registration to State Employment Agencies: For unemployment insurance as well as workers' compensation.

Conforming to Labor Laws: Including minimum wage, overtime and laws on non-discrimination.

Payment Taxes Payroll Taxes: You'll have to withhold these taxes and pay them on behalf of employees.

Knowing these rules is essential to avoid legal problems and penalty.

Managing Your Business Remotely

Being able to run a business from outside of the US is now possible thanks to the advancement of technology. Tools for project management, communication as well as financial administration make it much easier than ever before to run your company remotely. Consider using:

Cloud-based Accounting Software to keep on top of tax and financial obligations.

Tool for Project Management to coordinate with your team in the US or your partners.

Virtual Offices If you require an office in the US for business or legal reasons.

These tools will help you keep control of your business, regardless of where you are located in the world.

Maintaining good standing with US Authorities

When your business is established in operation, it's important to remain in good relations with the state or federal agencies. This includes:

Annual Reports and Filing as legally required in the jurisdiction in which your company is registered.

Renewal of Licenses and Permits Based on your sector, this could be a requirement that is ongoing.

Documenting exact Records for both tax and legal compliance.

Being on top of your obligations will allow you to avoid penalties and fines.

Establishing a business operating in the US as a non-citizen might be a daunting task, but by following the steps laid out in this article to help you make it through the process confidently. From choosing the appropriate company structure and understanding your tax obligations, and running your enterprise remotely every stage is vital to your success. The US provides a wide array of opportunities. If you have the right planning your business will be able to thrive in this competitive market.

FAQs

1. Can a non-US citizen own an enterprise inside the US? non-US citizens can also run a business within the US. There are no limitations on foreign ownership and you can select between various business structures such as LLC and C-Corp.

2. Do I require an US address for registering a business? You'll require an US address to register your business. It could be an actual address or a virtual office address, based on the requirements of your business.

3. What's the price to establish a company within the US? The cost is determined by the state and the business structure. In general, the cost is between $100 and $800 for registration costs.

4. Can I create an account with a US commercial bank account with out going to the US? Yes, a lot of fintech companies such as Mercury, Wise, and Payoneer permit non-US citizens to open US business bank accounts online.

5. What tax do I have in order to be a business owner? You'll be liable for state and federal taxes such as the tax on income, employment as well as excise tax in accordance with your business design and its location.

6. Do I require an authorization to begin an enterprise within the US? You do not require a visa in order to establish or run a business in the US. If you intend to work and live in the US then you'll need to get a visa.

7. What is the ideal business structure for non-citizens? A lot of non-citizens choose to form an LLC because of its flexibility and management ease. If you are planning to raise a significant amount of capital it is suggested that a C-Corp might be better suited.

8. Can I employ employees from the US as an owner of a business that is not a citizen? Yes, you are able to employ workers within the US. It is necessary to follow all state and federal employment laws, such as paying payroll taxes and offering workers with 'comp insurance.

9. What is the time frame to register a business to the US? The length of time varies according to state and business structure. It could take between a few days up to several weeks to finish your registration.

10. Can I run my US business remotely from a different country? Yes, you are able to manage your US company remotely by using online tools for project management, communication as well as financial administration. Many business owners who are not citizens successfully manage their US-based enterprises via their home countries. 

[tewwor-moving]

* & NEW MUSE LIST .

soothsayer 'saraj cai' .

Part of The Marked ( lore here ). Mother of this local sect, does dote on pretty much all of The Marked but in her own semi-strict way, has prosthetic eyes, it’s ok to accidentally make a pun or two around her — she does it too ( no, the irony of of her saying ‘i see’ or being titled as an overseer isn’t lost on her ), prefers to use a cane, has her way on keeping tabs on everyone

ricochet 'ryaan iyer' .

All he knows is to fight, break, defeat. Never give up. Never back down. Sink his teeth in and never let go. Return the pain and rage threefold even if it tears him apart in the process. Part of The Marked ( lore here ) and certified trainer and hard ass. Doesn't allow himself time to chill out until he remembers his past fully. Reliable to get any job done ( or he'll die trying ), but keeps everyone at an arm's length.

hal murray .

The half that lies in a buddy detective duo. Aka the recently divorced single parent but not a good (conventional) role model and channels that angst / anger into his job detective. Certified hot mess that tries so desperately to come across as put together ( he rarely does ). Kid's name is Jenathan.

yoo serim .

The half that tells the truth in a buddy detective duo. Aka the comedic relief that's found a way to work smarter and no harder. Constantly eating something different in every interaction. Hal's kid thinks he's cooler / asks for advice from him instead. Has a habit to gently neg people when he's super bored.

min hyeonwoo .

self made angel ( unknowingly a parasitic divine being ) — religious trauma meets desperation solely to survive. they broke the wings clean, tore the halo free knowing there’s no turning back. ever. the transformation consumed them. melted just about everything before it all snapped back. but wrong. they came back wrong, but holy. sort of.

a ring of sacred light collars the throat, brandishing forever reddened skin. what juts from the back is just as mangled as whom they robbed. nothing but twisted bone, sinew, and ruined feathers. it hurts to be alive, but that’s okay. there’s power at their fingertips now, burning and raw. just enough for them to press on borrowed time before the inevitable happens and they’re found by the celestials akin to whom they consumed.

except it’s beginning to dawn on them that perhaps they’ve got it all wrong. that maybe the being previously absorbed wasn’t of the same divine ilk, because there sits a hunger foreign to them. only felt towards those pure and holy. do they feast to obtain their power or to become them?

burning both sides of a cigarette. are they the devil or angel on your shoulder?

liáng wěi .

investigator / informant for hire. can and will handle himself in tight situations by being extremely resourceful, but isn’t for killing. the aftermath’s too much of a hassle and he’s not made of money. cleaners are expensive as shit. passionate about cooking / ceramics but isn’t…… that great at them. makes the ugliest and most wrangled looking cups ever, but still fires them and uses them in his dinky office.

jaime bashar-suarez .

bodyguard for hire / close (one-sided) friends with jie. usually gets tips on anyone in need of continuous protection from jie's vigilante stunts. takes after the phrased ‘borrowed time’. as in, he has time manipulation but can only apply stolen time to the present to prolong the near future. can’t go back in time to alter things. can’t go back in time or in the future period. just stays in the present and select a timeframe he wants to extend for whatever reason. extremely taxing on the body so he can’t even enjoy the extension without wanting to keel over. and the people he ‘borrows’ time from? yeah, they get kind of minorly fucked over because of it. gaps in their memory, changes in their body and mind — all depending on how much time is taken.

kubo jiro .

in the wrong place at the wrong time and was accused for killing a peer in his teenage years. case fell through thanks to his father’s influence, but he also got disowned immediately. enlisted in the military after graduation, bffs with a dude in the same unit, got medically discharged after being shot in the gut a few times. tried to get back into society but can't, got himself roped into some crime syndicate because there’s order that he’s familiar with. genuinely cares for people and tries to help even if he needs to do the same 4 himself. plagued with ptsd still 🙁

seo yujin .

growing up at home had always been suffocating for yujin and her sister, so they split once they were able. both were strong, fiery spirits in different ways (fire vs. ice) and things were good for a while. unfortunately, her sister passed away in her late twenties. while everyone within the family was struck with grief, her father coped with it differently. the thing about her father is that he's a scientist hired to take on the concept of androids becoming reality. definitely the mad scientist sort. so her sister was remade as a replicant to fit his image of her. less rebellious, more sweet, lacking that spark that truly made her sister so unique. while horrified by her father's actions, it's undeniable that some of that grief ached less. it's like she's still here, but not.. exactly. So while yujin tried to sort out how she truly felt about it, she threw herself into knowing everything about repairing androids as a whole. except it's starting to wear on her in more recent days. 

[celticcrossanon]

So if Meghan has a record of being dodgy on her tax returns like what she allegedly did with The Bench, does that mean she comes under closer scrutiny in the future by the IRS, or do they just extract the fine/fix the tax return and move on?

It depends on the situation. It’s hard to find out because it’s so circumstantial.

If you’re late on taxes, you’re fined 5% of your unpaid taxes per month. It’s not deducted and it’s not automatic. You have to pay it yourself and it keeps accumulating until you do pay it. If you don’t pay your taxes and you don’t pay the fines, you can get jail time by that’s pretty rare.

It’s really easy to get a six month extension to pay your taxes. Everyone’s eligible for the extension and most people get it no problem. So if you can’t make the April deadline, you ask for an extension. The issue here is that the extension isn’t automatic; you have to request it. There are people who think it’s automatic and are surprised when they get the fine letters. If you get an extension, then you don’t get fined till you miss the extension deadline.

What it depends on is how much money is missing from your taxes or how much is unpaid. A couple dollars here and there, the IRS isn’t going to care and you’re probably ok. But if it’s something like millions or a few hundred thousand, they’re going to pay attention and probably audit you to make sure you’re not hiding things. Sometimes they audit you right away (which basically means you have to show all of your receipts and paperwork so they can make sure you aren’t hiding any money). Sometimes they put you under watch and will just monitor your records for a couple years.

But we really don’t know what Meghan’s prior tax issues mean. We assume her tax returns are being watched but we just don’t know. The IRS (and a lot of our regulatory law enforcement agencies) is that they never announce what they’re investigating till there’s an arrest, a court filing, or a formal report.

And also, before anyone goes FOIA-ing the IRS for Meghan’s tax returns, they changed the law a couple years ago; third parties cannot request someone else’s tax returns or tax data. You can only request and receive your own tax info.

But here’s another thing: Meghan will never run for President of the United States or federal office here because not only will she have to give up her beloved title, she also has to make her tax returns public. If there’s one thing we all agree on about Meghan, it’s that she loves money and loves pretending she has millions more than she actually does. Running for office means releasing her tax returns, which means she can’t lie about those millions she has.

Hi Nonny,

Thank you for such a detailed response. It is very different to the tax laws where I live. So, like you said, it appears that the answer is 'it depends', and we don't have enough information to say any more than that.

I have seen other people say the same thing about Meghan - that she won't run for political office because it would mean giving up her title and making her tax returns public. She may be arrogant enough to try it, thinking that the rules do not apply to her, but I can't see that ending well.

[mr-entj]

Hi Mr. ENTJ! Long time follower here :) I’m an INFJ woman who currently works in tech. I wanted to ask for your advice on how to handle burnout and your advice on my situation.

I’ve realized that the tech layoffs and also being a contractor in this environment have all led me to become extremely burnt out. Im still relatively new to my career, but I feel like I’ve pushed myself so hard these past few years because I hoped it would lead me to becoming an FTE. When I first got hired, I was told I would most likely get converted and that it was almost a guarantee. However, things have changed due to the macroeconomic environment, and I feel bamboozled and betrayed. Ive lost enjoyment in my day to day life, and I feel that I’m pushing myself so hard and repressing my feelings because of my fear of the alternative: feeling helpless and being jobless

I have enough savings for a year, and a part of me wants to just quit my job to travel, rest, and rejuvenate. The logical part of my brain says I should stay in my job for the financial and career stability. However, the emotional part of my brain is realizing that this is not sustainable for me. Thank you, and I hope you, INTJ, and Kobe are doing well.

Hey there, thanks for supporting the blog.

To start, you have a right to be pissed off because contractor to FTE conversions are often dangled in front of contractors to keep them motivated even when the company knows it's an unlikely outcome. It doesn't financially make sense most of the time to convert contractors to FTEs because it increases costs (benefits, taxes, severance, PTO, etc.), it decreases staffing flexibility (ease of layoffs, ease of swapping out resources, etc.), and it increases effort (performance management).

With that said, not getting converted isn't the end of the world, it's just a minor setback due to economic circumstances. Tech isn't crashing (i.e. it's not failing-- it's still making an obscene amount of money), it's just correcting for overhiring in 2021 and once the situation stabilizes you'll be in a much better position with the experience you've accumulated than someone who has no tech experience. You also still have a job, a paycheck, and financial security which is more than many people in this world can say.

Consider also a third option: use the skills, experience, and network you currently have to apply to many new jobs. Start with less desirable companies first as practice interviewing, then work your way up to more desirable companies once you've had enough practice. Target only full-time roles. This resource post I wrote a few years ago and the following tags have more: #job hunting and #career. Once you secure an offer, push the start date out and a vacation in between.

I don't know your exact financial situation so I can't advise if quitting your job without anything new lined up is a wise choice, but it's something that I'd never do. Keep in mind that hiring bias exists and that unemployed people have a tougher time finding a job than employed people whether it's due to voluntarily quitting, being laid off, raising a baby, or another reasons. It may be difficult to return to the workforce after your sabbatical especially if you don't have many years of experience and an extensive network to help you.

In the short term, I'd try the third outcome first and see what offers come your way. Ease up at work (without dropping any balls) and focus on your wellbeing. The worst they can do is fire you and you're already applying externally with a year's worth of savings as a cushion.

In the long term, hold companies to their promises and advocate harder for yourself. If they promise a conversion or a promotion or whatever, then demand a timeline and get it in writing. If not, leave situations when they no longer benefit you before they become so intolerable that you burn out. Burnout is like an empty gas tank in a car. There are many warning signs long before that happens-- heed them and course correct.

[imagine-tayjoe]

Letting loose the Power of Browse Engine Optimization: Increase Your Online Existence and also Drive Web Traffic to Your Site

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Applying efficient SEO techniques requires a deep understanding of search engine formulas, customer actions, and also market patterns. It entails both on-page and off-page optimization techniques, including keyword research study, site auditing, competitor analysis, content optimization, web link structure, and performance tracking.

While SEO may appear complex as well as taxing, the long-lasting advantages it offers make it a beneficial financial investment. By rating higher in internet search engine results, you can bring in highly targeted web traffic that is actively browsing for the product and services you offer. Additionally, search engine optimization gives important insights right into your target market's preferences, allowing you to customize your website as well as advertising and marketing initiatives appropriately.

In this blog site article, we will look into the world of search engine optimization, discovering its value, vital approaches, and also finest practices. Whether you are a small business proprietor looking to raise your online exposure or a marketing professional looking for to improve your digital marketing arsenal, this extensive overview will furnish you with the understanding as well as tools required to harness the power of SEO as well as drive your internet site's success.

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