#Using taxpayer money to house

[exeggcute]

am I wrong in thinking esperanza spalding is the greatest bassist alive today? certainly the greatest living upright/fretless bassist...

[oneofthosecrazycatladies]

This post is my attempt to track what’s going on with US politics. This post is constantly being updated so if you see this on your dash, check my blog (this post will be pinned) to see the latest version. If there’s anything I miss that you think should be included on this list, please let me know.

January-March 2025

April 2025

National Politics:

Pam Bondi is seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione [x][x]

Workers at at least five federal agencies are being offered ��deferred resignations” [x]

Trump administration admits that one person sent to El Salvador was a mistake [x]

Trump unveils 10% tariff on all imports, plus reciprocal tariffs on dozens of nations [x]

Trump fires three national security officials after meeting with far-right activist Laura Loomer [x]

Dr. Oz has been confirmed to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid [x]

Trump has once again extended the sell-by date for TikTok [x]

Federal judge orders return of man Trump administration accidentally sent to notorious El Salvador jail [x]

Supreme Court overruled federal judge about man deported to El Salvador [x]

Supreme Court is allowing Trump administration to deport under the Alien Enemies Act [x]

RFK Jr will tell CDC to stop recommending fluoride in water [x]

Supreme Court lets Trump move forward with firing thousands of federal workers [x]

Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives are debating a bill to stop Trump’s tariff policy [x]

IRS will share information about taxpayers with Homeland Security in order to go after undocumented people [x]

A federal judge has ruled that Mahmoud Khalil can be deported [x]

The Trump administration wants to give $10,000 to every person in Greenland to persuade them to join the US [x]

Trump orders an investigation of two of his former officials who defied him [x]

The Social Security Administration is moving all of its public communication to X [x]

Trump has exempted smartphones and computers from tariffs [x]

Department of Labor is paying DOGE employees $1.3 million in taxpayer money [x]

Social Security Administration declares thousands of migrants dead in order to get them to self-deport [x]

Marco Rubio says he has the power to deport people based on “past, current, or expected beliefs” [x]

Trump administration cuts off all federal funding for museums and libraries [x]

Trump signed an executive order overriding regulations on shower heads [x]

Trump administration has frozen $2 billion in federal funding from Harvard University [x]

Department of Health and Human Services will remove gender diamond from the list of protected disabilities [x]

Judge finds probable cause to hold Trump administration in contempt over deportation flights [x]

Trump will put 21% tariffs on Mexican tomatoes [x]

DHS threatens to revoke Harvard’s eligibility to host international students unless it turns over disciplinary records [x]

Trump administration proposes changes to the Endangered Species Act that would make it easier to harm endangered species [x]

Trump is replacing the acting IRS commissioner [x]

Trump will enact a new rule that will make it easier to fire even more federal workers [x]

A bill has been introduced into Congress called the Raise the Wage Act that would raise the minimum wage threshold to $17 an hour [x]

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth shared information ahead of Yemen strikes in a Signal chat with wife and brother [x]

U.S. could lose democracy status, says global watchdog [x]

Education Department will resume involuntary collection of defaulted student loans [x]

FDA says it will phase out petroleum-based food dyes [x]

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow transgender military ban [x]

FEMA losing roughly 20% of permanent staff, including longtime leaders, ahead of hurricane season [x]

Trump is going after an organization that fundraises for Democratic campaigns (but is not going after any Republican fundraising organizations) [x]

Trump wants to create a “Garden of American Heroes” [x]

3 US citizen children, including one with cancer, have been deported [x]

Roughly 70% of Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division expected to accept resignation offer [x]

Trump is giving people VIP access to the White House if they buy his cryptocurrency [x]

JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote to kill a bipartisan bill that would’ve restrained Trump’s tariff policies [x]

State Politics:

A judge ruled that Alabama can’t prosecute people who help with out-of-state abortions [x]

Resolution pending in Alaska Legislature urges more federal support for NOAA weather buoys [x]

Arizona joins lawsuit to stop Trump administration from rescinding $11.4B in health funding [x]

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) signs a slew of legislation on issues including health care, development, real estate, and crimes against children [x]

Results from the special elections in Wisconsin and Florida [x]

Arkansas state legislature advances a bill that would effectively eliminate CVS pharmacies in the state [x]

Connecticut lawmakers are trying to pass a bill to protect immigrants from deportation [x]

Florida senate passes a law to adopt “Gulf of America” on state maps [x]

There’s a new case of measles in Hawaii [x]

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) signs trade agreement with the UK [x]

There are 5 new cases of measles in Indiana [x]

North Carolina Supreme Court has allowed Republicans to effectively steal an election [x]

Tornado victims blocked from federal recovery aid after Trump denied request [x]

More than 800 people are rounded up in mass ICE arrest in Florida [x]

Federal agents and ICE raided and robbed the home of a US citizen family in Oklahoma City [x]

Other News:

Columbia Expels And Pulls Degrees For Some Students Who Occupied Building During Pro-Palestinian Protests [x]

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) broke the record for longest filibuster in Senate history [x]

Hundreds of thousands of Americans protest the Trump administration across the country [x]

A teacher in Florida has been fired for using a student’s preferred name [x]

Secretary of the Interior Doug Bergum demands his staff bake him chocolate chip cookies [x]

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon calls AI “A1” [x]

Trump takes Russia’s side on their latest air strike [x]

Shooting at Florida State University [x]

Activists pile 200 coffins outside State Department to protest cuts to global AIDS relief [x]

Many immigrants are deciding to self-deport out of fear [x]

Activist pastor who has criticized Trump arrested while praying inside Capitol [x]

May 2025

I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to say because, honestly, I’m exhausted. And I’m sure you’re exhausted too. We need to remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. So, don’t disengage or check out, but do make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Also, if you’re going to protest, please keep your protests peaceful. Resorting to violence makes you as bad as them.

And remember: we are stronger together. They want us to feel isolated, but we’re not. Diversity is strength. Community is strength. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

[reasonsforhope]

"The Biden Administration last week [early December, 2023] announced it would be seizing patents for drugs and drug manufacturing procedures developed using government money.

A draft of the new law, seen by Reuters, said that the government will consider various factors including whether a medical situation is leading to increased prices of the drug at any given time, or whether only a small section of Americans can afford it.

The new executive order is the first exercise in what is called “march-in-rights” which allows relevant government agencies to redistribute patents if they were generated under government funding. The NIH has long maintained march-in-rights, but previous directors have been unwilling to use them, fearing consequences.

“We’ll make it clear that when drug companies won’t sell taxpayer funded drugs at reasonable prices, we will be prepared to allow other companies to provide those drugs for less,” White House adviser Lael Brainard said on a press call.

But just how much taxpayer money is going toward funding drugs? A research paper from the Insitute for New Economic Thought showed that “NIH funding contributed to research associated with every new drug approved from 2010-2019, totaling $230 billion.”

The authors of the paper continue, writing “NIH funding also produced 22 thousand patents, which provided marketing exclusivity for 27 (8.6%) of the drugs approved [between] 2010-2019.”

How we do drug discovery and production in America has a number of fundamental flaws that have created problems in the health service industry.

It costs billions of dollars and sometimes as many as 5 to 10 years to bring a drug to market in the US, which means that only companies with massive financial muscle can do so with any regularity, and that smaller, more innovative companies can’t compete with these pharma giants.

This also means that if a company can’t recoup that loss, a single failed drug can result in massive disruptions to business. To protect themselves, pharmaceutical companies establish piles of patents on drugs and drug manufacturing procedures. Especially if the drug in question treats a rare or obscure disease, these patents essentially ensure the company has monoselective pricing regimes.

However, if a company can convince the NIH that a particular drug should be considered a public health priority, they can be almost entirely funded by the government, as the research paper showed.

Some market participants, in this case the famous billionaire investor Mark Cuban, have attempted to remedy the issue of drug costs in America by manufacturing generic versions of patented drugs sold for common diseases."

-via Good News Network, December 11, 2023

[thebibliosphere]

I both believe "poor people deserve art" and "artists deserve food", but it's hard to reconcile those beliefs. I blame capitalism. And I suppose it mostly matters who you're stealing from?

I don't mean to question you at all, I'm against people pirating your stories. I guess I was just wondering if you had more thoughts regarding the reconciliation the two beliefs I quoted above.

I think the reconciliation is working toward a future where things are better, and authors and artists don't have to beg people not to steal from them because they think every author is Stephen King, who wouldn't notice if you stole the pennies found under his couch when in reality most of us are hunting for spare change down the back of the couch because we are earning below minimum wage.

We need people to embrace the idea that art belongs to the working class, both in terms of consumption but also creation.

If you don't support the working-class creators, you'll only end up with rich fucks with no scope of the world beyond their own narrow view of privilege.

Indie creators are actually working very hard to change the way the industry works, and the publishing industry is shitting itself over it. They don't like the success some of us are having. It's why they keep upping prices while slashing corners on their own production (while never affecting the man at the top) to try and stay competitive within the rat race they've created.

They're not interested in the proliferation of art. They're not interested in making sure their authors can afford to live. They don't want more diversity. They don't want inclusion. They want profit at whatever the cost.

And while indie creators very much need to get paid because we live in a capitalistic society and everything is burning down around us, and a carton of eggs now costs more than what I earn per hour, our creativity is directly at odds with the type of profiteering big publishers want.

The money should go to the writers. Not the CEOs. The money should go to the workers in the print houses. Not the CEOs. No one needs the kind of wealth these people have. It's obscene. We need direct action against these conglomerates. We need unionization. We need a means to fight back so that we can make art and make it accessible.

So, how do we do that? I don't know. I'm just a very tired, disabled creator doing my best to keep my head above water. But I think getting people to realize that art and books are worth saving up for would be a good start.

That putting money in the pockets of creators is just as important as your own enjoyment of their art. Because if there aren't any artists, you've got nothing.

Getting them involved with their local libraries would also be a great start. Educating them on how the industry works is part of that. The number of people telling me they had no idea libraries paid authors is staggering. And that's intentional. It's a by-product of right-wing propaganda to make you think libraries are worthless and just sap taxpayers' money.

They're not.

If they were, the fash wouldn't be trying so hard to take them away.

Basically, we need working-class solidarity and for certain people on the left to rid themselves of the idea that just because something isn't borne of manual labor, it doesn't have worth. We need the artists and the dreamers as much as we need to bricklayers and the craftsmen. Otherwise, what's the fucking point of it all?

[theconcealedweapon]

If you're willing to spend taxpayer money to jail someone for stealing food but you're not willing to spend taxpayer money to give them food...

If you're willing to spend taxpayer money to jail someone for loitering or trespassing but you're not willing to spend taxpayer money to house them...

If you're willing to spend taxpayer money to jail someone for using drugs but you're not willing to spend taxpayer money to make their life enjoyable so they don't feel the need to use drugs to escape...

then you don't actually care about saving taxpayer money or keeping society safe. You just like hurting people.

[dertaglichedan]

GOP lawmakers demand release of $17M ‘congressional sexual slush fund list’

Reps. Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene called on Congress Thursday to release the names of current and former members on a secret list of lawmakers that have used taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment claims. 

“Congress has secretly paid out more than $17 million of your money to quietly settle charges of harassment (sexual and other forms) in Congressional offices,” Massie (R-Ky.) wrote on X.

“Don’t you think we should release the names of the Representatives? I do,” he added. 

“Taxpayers should have never had to pay for that. Along with all the other garbage they should not have to pay for,” she argued. 

Since 1997, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights has paid out more than $17 million in public money to settle nearly 300 cases of workplace disputes at the US Capitol – including claims related to sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and pay disputes. 

The obscure office does not release the identities of those have reached settlements and does not break down how much of the money disbursed over the last 27 years is specifically related to sexual harassment claims. 

The office told Politico in 2017 that “a large portion of cases” it resolves involve workers not employed in the House or Senate, such as Library of Congress, Capitol Police and Architect of the Capitol employees.

Members of Congress that have settled sexual harassment claims outside of the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, like the late former Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) did in 2015, would not be included in the secret list. 

[boreal-sea]

Who is Tim Walz?

Kamala Harris has apparently picked Tim Walz as her running mate. He seems good, based on his record. He's also responsible for the widely spreading "Republicans are weird" meme I've seen quite a lot of.

He has a good record. Just like I did for Kamala Harris in a post that has become quite popular, I will do a simple review of things I like from Tim Walz' political history. Again, as with Harris, this is just from his Wikipedia page. Let's go!

House of Representatives

Opposed increasing troop numbers in Iraq

Co-sponsored a bill to raise Minnesota's minimum wage

Voted for stem cell research

Voted to allow Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices

Voted against the act to Prohibit Federally Funded Abortion Services

Voted to advance the ACA

Has received a 100% rating from many progressive organizations like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU

Was a member of several caucuses, including the LGBT Equality Caucus

Governor of Minnesota

Signed into law police reforms after the murder of George Floyd

Had Minnesota join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, meaning that all of the state's electors will vote for whichever candidate wins the popular vote nation-wide.

Under his governance, Minnesota passed laws for requiring paid leave, banning non-compete agreements, cannabis legalization, abortion rights, universal free school meals,

Political stances

Pro cannabis

Against bailout bills that loan taxpayer money to large banks and auto manufacturers

Was a former teacher for many years, and is very pro-education and supporting public schools. He is against merit pay for teachers (this is a good thing), and supports lowering tuition costs

Used to be pro-gun, but after Parkland he changed his mind, and as Governor he signed a bill mandating universal background checks

Pro-LGBT - has voted for LGBT rights many times, including as Governor, where he signed bills banning conversion therapy and protecting gender-affirming care

Supports veterans rights and support

Supports abortion rights and women's rights

I am going to copy-paste the entire section for his views on the Israel-Hamas war, because I don't want people claiming I am taking anything out of context. Overall, he has views that echo my own in many ways:

Walz condemned Hamas's October 7 attacks in Israel and ordered flags to be lowered to half mast in the following days. After the 2024 Minnesota Democratic presidential primary, in which 19% of voters cast "uncommitted" ballots, Walz took a sympathetic view toward those doing so to protest President Biden's handling of the war in Gaza, calling them "civically engaged". Of the protests against U.S. funding of the war in Gaza, Walz said: "This issue is a humanitarian crisis. They have every right to be heard... These folks are asking for a change in course, they're asking for more pressure to be put on… You can hold competing things: that Israel has the right to defend itself, and the atrocities of October 7 are unacceptable, but Palestinian civilians being caught in this… has got to end." Walz also said he supports a ceasefire in Gaza.[100]

[odinsblog]

While his so-called Department of Government Efficiency is laying waste to the federal government, unelected White House advisor Elon Musk has massively benefited from government contracts propping up his business over more than 20 years.

As the Washington Post reports, Musk and his businesses have collected at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies, and tax credits.

The entrepreneur's EV maker Tesla and space company SpaceX, in particular, have relied greatly on cash infusions, especially when facing existential crises — a perfect example of how the government spending that Musk is now ripping apart can help innovative businesses thrive.

The investigation paints a dire picture of the current state of the US government. Despite Musk receiving huge amounts of government funds over the last two decades, his DOGE is slashing federal spending and firing thousands of government workers. It's also laying waste to federal grant programs and other initiatives that could help nascent businesses compete with Musk's established enterprises.

Put simply, it's a sign that Musk has no interest in furthering the interest of taxpayers — it's his own bottom line that matters, and little else, even if it comes directly at the cost of the American people and their social safety net. He got wealthy off the taxes others paid, and now he's slamming the door in everyone else's face.

The majority of the $38 billion we know about went from NASA and the Defense Department to SpaceX. Tesla accounts for less than a third, and includes federal and state programs designed to boost EV adoption.

And given the many classified defense and intelligence contracts, the total amount of funds Musk has extracted from the government is likely even higher. According to the WaPo, many grants and reimbursements didn't include specific amounts of money.

"Not every entrepreneur at this scale has been this dependent on federal money — certainly not Nvidia, not Microsoft, nor Amazon, nor Meta," Yale School of Management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld told the newspaper. "With DOGE, there does seem to be a paradox there. He has been a big beneficiary of national industrial policy, especially Democrat industrial policy, through government funding."

Musk has also been gutting key government agencies that have investigated his companies in the past, showing a clear willingness to abuse his power to benefit his business interests.

After greatly benefiting from government payouts, Musk has attempted to pull the ladder up behind him, effectively trying to shut out the competition.

(continue reading)

[reality-detective]

You won't see or hear this 👇 on your tv, in fact you probably won't see it anywhere...

The below is the first of a series on the Deep State Cabal’s Underground DUMB Tunnels used for US illegal bioweapon labs and Child Sex Trafficking, Organ and Adrenochrome Harvesting.

· On 20 Feb. 2017 Julian Assange unveiled a bombshell on Fox News Hannity, alleging that Wikileaks had hard proof that former President Barack Hussein Obama, along with his sidekick Joe Biden, operated and participated in a pedophile ring based in the White House.

· On New Year’s Day 2021 and a few weeks before the Biden fake Presidential Inauguration that was partially filmed on a Hollywood movie set, Delta Forces (under direction of President Trump) had raided Joe Biden’s 200 acre property in the Ukraine. The Military found a maze of underground chambers and tunnels that ran for miles in every direction. Bits of necrotic flesh hung from ankle and wrist shackles bolted to the walls. Seized laptops were said full of evidence of Biden’s massive international money laundering, gun/ drug running, child/human trafficking scheme – that appeared connected to other high powerful elites.

· Within this last month the recently arrested Satan worshipping Jeffrey Epstein of Hollywood, P Diddy, was exposed by his daughter Ally Carter. Ally was a survivor of pedophilia and human trafficking and she dropped a bombshell: there’s an entire network of tunnels that spans across the United States, connecting cities such as beneath the White House in Washington DC and Disney World Florida. These tunnels, Carter claims, are being used to traffic humans, mainly children.

· Since at least the end of World War II, an extensive Worldwide network of DUMB Underground Tunnels used for Child Sex Trafficking have been financed, built and run by members of the illuminati, Deep State, or Cabal using US taxpayer dollars funneled through a CIA Black budget.

· This was about child sex rings and blackmail at the highest levels of government. Evidently President George H.W. Bush orchestrated a child sex ring to blackmail Congress and top officials. It was named “Operation Brownstone” and “Operation Brownstar”.

· A secret US Military Operation trained for over a year on how to rescue what became millions of horrifically abused children from that extensive network of Underground DUMB Tunnels. It ran across the US, Canada, Mexico, South America and then throughout the World. Recent operations centered beneath major cities in New York, California, Florida, Washington DC and Disney World in Florida.

· The vast Worldwide child rescue missions was headed by President Trump, the Pentagon Pedophile Task Force, US Special Forces and Marines in cooperation with Interpol, and various nations’ special military forces. They included arrests of pedophile perpetrators and destruction of the underground tunnels and bases through bombs that caused minor earthquakes.

· The rescues began on Oct. 16 2019 when US Marines, Navy Seals and Special Forces rescued over 2,100 caged babies and children beneath the China Lake Navy facility in California. The children and teens were said to have been sexually abused, tortured and killed to collect their adrenaline.

Secret Underground Tunnels Beneath Florida! Sat. 12 Oct. 2024: EXPOSED: Secret Underground Tunnels Beneath Florida! The Hidden Network Under Ybor City You Were Never Meant to Discover.

And after hurricane Milton blew through, Ezra Cohen who has been a very accurate source posted 👇

I'm going to try to keep up with this series, and let's see what comes up about Taiwan 🤔

[mariacallous]

Earlier this month, JD Vance claimed on Fox News that 40 percent of people calling the Social Security hotline are “actually committing fraud.”

This is a completely discredited lie, and it’s impossible to believe that Vance doesn’t know better. In fact, he admitted not so long ago that he likes “to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention.” In other words, he thinks false propaganda is a good way to advance his reactionary agenda.

More, Vance’s Social Security balderdash is a lie with a long history. The right has for close to 150 years used charges of fraud and corruption to target social programs and disfavored groups.

These lies are effective because they leverage anti-government sentiment and prejudice. They also work because opposition politicians struggle to recognize and call out fascist bad faith.

If Democrats are going to defend Social Security, the social safety net, and even cancer research, though, we need to get accustomed to saying unequivocally that lies are lies, and comfortable recognizing them as a deliberate effort to confuse and demoralize people.

The MAGA war on “fraud”

Vance is hardly alone in his fraudulent attacks on “fraud” in the Social Security program.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, for example, made the outrageous claim recently that anyone who called Social Security to complain about a failure to receive a check should be suspected to be a “fraudster.” Trump’s billionaire Nazi-saluting co-president Elon Musk called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme”. Trump himself has said that millions of dead people are receiving Social Security. This is, again, a lie.

In order to combat this fake fraud, Trump and Musk propose increasing administrative burdens. For example, the Trump administration was planning to make massive cuts to Social Security phone service. Reporting on the scheme and subsequent protest led Trump to abandon these plans.

But as Pamela Herd and Don Moynihan explain, there are many other ways that the administration can and is planning to make Social Security less effective and less accessible. Staffing cuts have already caused chaos and website crashes.

“Other proposed policies, such as requiring work-authorized non-citizens to visit field offices will further overwhelm the system,” Herd and Moynihan write.

Nor is Social Security the only program or agency that the administration has singled out in this way. Musk, through his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), targeted the vital foreign aid program USAID for destruction by falsely claiming, with no evidence, that officials at the agency were stealing funds. The elimination of USAID is expected to lead to 2 to 3 million entirely preventable excess deaths every year.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt provided an unintentionally frank explanation of how Trump and his hench-thugs use lies for their own ends. When asked by a reporter to provide examples of fraud, Leavitt pointed to, among other things, a diversity, equity, and inclusion program at US Citizenship and Immigration Services and a program to fight climate change in Sri Lanka.

“I would argue that all of these things are fraudulent,” she said. “They are wasteful and they are an abuse of the American taxpayers dollar.”

Leavitt made no effort to argue that anyone had stolen money from the programs; she did not argue that any crime had been committed. She simply said that she (and the president) thought the programs, which Congress had funded, were unworthy.

In short, “waste, fraud, and abuse” for the Trump administration simply means, “money is going to programs and people we don’t like.”

Fascism and corruption

This misleading, mendacious definition of “fraud” as “money for things we don’t like” didn’t originate with MAGA.

In his 2018 book How Fascism Works, philosopher Jason Stanley noted that “publicizing false charges of corruption while engaging in corrupt practices is typical of fascist politics, and anticorruption campaigns are frequently at the heart of fascist political movements.”

Stanley continues:

Corruption, to the fascist politician, is really about the corruption of purity rather than of law. Officially, the fascist politician’s denunciations of corruption sound like a denunciation of political corruption. But such talk is intended to evoke corruption in the sense of the usurpation of traditional order.

In other words, when Trump and Musk say that USAID is “corrupt” what they mean is that it is a violation of racial hierarchy to spend money to save the lives of millions of non-white poor people. When they say that Social Security is “wasteful,” what they mean is that it is wrong to spend money to protect the elderly poor.

Stanley notes that false charges of corruption were at the core of Southern ideological attacks on Reconstruction. Former Confederates and white supremacists lied that the interracial Reconstruction state governments established after the Civil War were riddled with graft and theft, proving that Black people were unfit to hold office.

Historian and civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois explained in his pioneering work Black Reconstruction that “the center of the corruption charge … was in fact that poor men were ruling and taxing rich men.” He added:

The south, finally, with almost complete unity, named the negro as the main cause of southern corruption. They said, and reiterated this charge, until it became history: that the cause of dishonesty during reconstruction was the fact that 4,000,000 disfranchised black laborers, after 250 years of exploitation, had been given a legal right to have some voice in their own government, in the kinds of goods they would make and the sort of work they would do, and in the distribution of the wealth which they created.

The myths of Reconstruction corruption were thoroughly debunked, but they never really died. They reappeared again in the ‘70s and ‘80s, when President Ronald Reagan (and then-Sen. Joe Biden) claimed that “welfare queens” — that is, Black single mothers — were defrauding the system by deliberately having children to increase welfare payments.

These claims were lies — there was no widespread welfare fraud. But they were an effective propaganda tool, and eventually resulted in Bill Clinton’s welfare “reform” that significantly damaged the safety net.

Racist corruption charges surfaced again in the Obama era. They fueled the birther lie that Obama had not been born in the US and was therefore an illegitimate president. Trump of course embraced this racist conspiracy theory enthusiastically and spent years suggesting Obama did not have a valid US birth certificate.

Calling out the lies

Looking at this history, and at the rank corruption of Trump in office, it’s very clear how much projection there is in the MAGA charges of waste, fraud, and abuse.

Yet Democrats have struggled to reject the administration’s lies forcefully and consistently. For example, when DOGE was first proposed before Trump’s inauguration, Bernie Sanders claimed “Elon Musk is right” about waste and corruption, then suggested Musk should target the Pentagon for budget cuts. (Musk was never going to target the Pentagon for budget cuts.) Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz and other House Democrats also initially expressed interest in working with DOGE to cut spending and fraud.

But as the full extent of the DOGE assault on the social safety net, the Constitution, and on Congress’s spending authority became clear, Democrats backed off their Musk-curious approach. Sanders has attacked Musk ferociously. Moskowitz has been engaged in a good bit of backpedaling.

It’s good that Democrats eventually recognized DOGE for what it is. But swallowing the bait was unwise. It gave Musk unnecessary legitimacy and credibility.

Democrats don’t need to pretend that Trumpworld’s purported concern with corruption is in good faith; they don’t need to waffle and mutter about how of course they are opposed to government waste. The record of the right, in the US and abroad, is clear. Fascists are corrupt liars, and they lie about corruption in order to crush their enemies and subjugate marginalized people.

Musk is not at war with corruption; he’s at war with equality and liberty. And he sees equality and liberty as corrupt because they undermine the pure, untrammeled, rule of billionaires, fascists, and kings.

[darkeagleruins]

Whistleblower Exposes How Illegal Migrants Are Qualifying To Purchase Homes In Utah

A qualification system in place allows for 6 names to be used and up to 10 illegals incomes are taken. They qualify for the home, move all their illegals in and then then American tax payer picks up the tab

“You can apply by groups, the system can only take 6 names, but they can apply 10 people. So so they go and buy a house. Let's say you and your wife arrive at the same time that me and my husband and we go and buy a house together. I live on the basement. You live upstairs, and it's cheaper than renting a place”

“So now I get a house. 4 of us are qualifying for that, and I have people move in, and now I'm living in Midvale. And I've moved in with next to no money down. And who paid for it? The taxpayers.”

The full hope also alleges cities are offering free money for home purchases using taxpayer funds and NGO contributions

[saywhat-politics]

Rachel Maddow looks at Donald Trump's preference to use military transport planes for deportations instead of commercial passenger planes at a cost many magnitudes greater. Rep. Joe Neguse, a member of the House Judiciary Committee joins to discuss.

Jan. 27, 2025

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jennifer Scholtes at Politico:

One week in, the Trump administration is broadening its assault on the functions of government and shifting control of the federal purse strings further away from members of Congress. President Donald Trump’s budget office on Monday ordered a total freeze on “all federal financial assistance” that could be targeted under his previous executive orders that pausing funding for a wide range of priorities – from domestic infrastructure and energy projects to diversity-related programs and foreign aid. In a two-page memo obtained by POLITICO, the Office of Management and Budget announced all federal agencies would be forced to temporarily suspend payments, while making clear that Social Security and Medicare would not be affected. “The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve,” according to the memo, which three people authenticated.

The new order could affect billions of dollars in grants to state and local governments, while also creating disruptions to programs that benefit U.S. households. But in the immediate aftermath there was also widespread confusion over how the memo would be implemented and whether it may face legal challenges. While the memo says the funding pause does not include assistance “provided directly to individuals,” for instance, it does not clarify whether that includes money sent first to states or organizations and then provided to households. The brief memo also does not detail all payments that will be halted. However, it broadly orders federal agencies to “temporarily” stop sending all federal financial assistance that could be affected by Trump’s executive actions.

That includes the president’s orders to freeze all funding from Democrats’ signature climate and spending law called the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure package enacted in 2021, along with a 90-day freeze of all foreign aid. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement decried the announcement as an example of “more lawlessness and chaos in America as Donald Trump’s Administration blatantly disobeys the law by holding up virtually all vital funds that support programs in every community across the country.”

The OMB under Tyrant 47’s misadministration puts out a “temporary” freeze to most federal aid and grants, including food assistance, Medicaid, farm aid, Head Start, and rent assistance. Social Security and Medicare are exempted.

This is dangerous and dictatorial, and must be resisted.

See Also:

HuffPost: Donald Trump Orders Freeze On All Federal Grants And Loans In Huge Power Grab

The Hill: Trump administration directs widespread pause of federal loans and grants

Reuters: White House pauses federal grant, loan, and other assistance programs

NOTUS: Trump Administration Orders Sudden Freeze on Federal Aid

[darkmaga-returns]

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Biden administration spent the federal budget recklessly during its tenure.

She made the comment at a press briefing on Tuesday defending President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily freeze foreign aid.

Leavitt explained that Trump’s executive order, which suspends nearly all foreign aid for 90 days, is part of a broader effort to ensure fiscal responsibility and align spending with the administration’s “America First” agenda.

“The past four years, we’ve seen the Biden administration spend money like drunken sailors. It’s a big reason we’ve had an inflation crisis in this country,” she said.

RT reports: Leavitt highlighted examples of what the Trump administration considers excessive spending under Biden. These include $37 million earmarked for the World Health Organization (WHO) and $50 million for condom distribution programs in Gaza.

“That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money,” she added. The freeze, she noted, reflects the administration’s commitment to responsible use of public funds.

President Trump signed the executive order shortly after being sworn in for his second term last Monday. The measure halts foreign development aid and other spending for 90 days, pending reviews by the newly established Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Management and Budget. Exemptions include military aid to Israel and Egypt, as well as emergency food aid programs.

Outlining the rationale for the freeze, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to prioritize programs that directly benefit the United States while cutting unnecessary expenditure.

[reality-detective]

More Stuff We Already Know... Have patience because EVERYTHING has to be done by the rule of law. It's going by the Book. Justice is Coming...

Bombshell Report: The House COVID Committee Exposes a Pandemic of Lies and Incompetence

Buckle up, America. The House COVID Committee has released its final report after two years of investigation, and it’s a devastating indictment of the pandemic response. From taxpayer-funded lab experiments to unconstitutional lockdowns, catastrophic mismanagement, and outright fraud, this report exposes the truth they didn’t want you to see.

Your Tax Dollars Funded Wuhan’s Gain-of-Function Research

The NIH, under Dr. Anthony Fauci, funded dangerous gain-of-function experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This wasn’t a conspiracy theory—it’s fact. U.S. taxpayer money helped supercharge viruses through shady grants funneled to Wuhan by EcoHealth Alliance, led by Dr. Peter Daszak.

The report makes it clear: this negligence cannot go unpunished. The Committee calls for permanent bans on EcoHealth Alliance and Daszak from receiving taxpayer funds. Heads must roll.

Constitution Shredded: Lockdowns and Mandates Crossed the Line

During the pandemic, governors and bureaucrats used fear to impose unconstitutional lockdowns and mandates. Americans were stripped of their freedoms, churches were closed, and livelihoods destroyed—all in the name of “safety.”

The report is blunt: this was an authoritarian power grab. The Constitution doesn’t vanish in a crisis. These actions were a betrayal of American values, and we must ensure it never happens again.

COVID’s Origin: Lab Leak No Longer a Theory

After years of lies and suppression, the report confirms what many suspected: COVID-19 likely leaked from the Wuhan lab. The media, Big Tech, and public health officials worked together to smear anyone who questioned the narrative. The truth is out, and it demands justice.

Lockdowns: A Catastrophic Failure

The report eviscerates the decision to impose lockdowns, calling them a disaster. Small businesses were destroyed, mental health crises exploded, and children’s education suffered irreparable damage. The cure was worse than the disease. Never again should such draconian measures be used.

Fraud and Abuse: COVID Relief Stolen

Billions intended for struggling Americans were siphoned off by criminals. The report exposes widespread fraud in relief programs, from unemployment scams to fraudulent business loans. Where’s the accountability? The American people demand justice.

Final Judgment: Never Again

The report sends a clear message: this was a pandemic of lies, incompetence, and corruption. The American people suffered while bureaucrats and grifters thrived. The fight for accountability starts now.

Will you join the battle to ensure this never happens again? 🤔

[eugenedebs1920]

Let us not forget what this is truly about. Tax cuts for the rich. A tax structure specifically designed to award over 80% of the tax breaks to the top tax bracket, while slightly raising taxes for those making between $60-$80k. Yet hallelujah those with more money than they could ever spend will increase their disproportionate wealth by tens of millions of dollars a year by not contributing to the wellbeing of the American system. As Republicans have so clearly demonstrated, the only people who deserve wealth, are those who already possess it.

There’s some fun math in this article. Math I guess Republicans either believe we’re too stupid, lazy, or distracted to catch. To pass this “budget” they will raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. The tax cuts for the rich that trump and his billionaire cabinet so desperately want to renew will cost $4.5 trillion, once again leaving a MASSIVE deficit to pay.

In trumps first term he added nearly $8 TRILLION to the deficit, exponentially more than any other president in American history, and 25% of the OVERALL, meaning all time total, debt accrued.

“Don’t worry Eugene, doge is on it!”

Well, I wouldn’t get too far ahead of ourselves on that.

As of Friday, February 21st, musk and his dougebags found $7.8 billion in waste/fraud. That may sound like a lot, yet in the full scheme of the budget, it isn’t.

There are roughly 365 million American citizens. Trump is touting this notion that with all the “savings” from musk and the dougebags he will give 20% of the findings back to the American taxpayer.

Let’s do some long division. 7.8 billion divided by 365 million comes out to be 21.73. Now take 20% of that and it’s just over $4 per person. Personally I’d take a functional government over $5. Maybe that’s just me though.

The juice ain’t worth the squeeze with this South African billionaire dismantling and infiltrating all corners of our institutions.

Doge is so incompetent that they boasted finding $8 billion dollars in suspected fraud, only to have that redacted due to a calculation error of THREE DECIMAL POINTS!!!

There’s also claims from the foreigner trying to destroy our democracy of hundreds of thousands of social security beneficiaries receiving checks despite being 150 plus years old. As it turns out, if you did a simple google search this is false. The code for the Social Security Administration is tremendously old but efficient. To ensure non duplicate SS numbers plus the cost and chaos it would create to rewrite the code, the current system was decided to be satisfactory seeing its accuracy and functionality.

Let’s recap. To cut taxes for the rich, there will be the largest cut to Medicare and Medicaid since its inception, estimates are at least $800 billion, hopefully nobody’s grandparents need medical care, funding for the most impoverished people on the planet is eliminated, despite it being less than 1% of the budget, the department of education will be defunded or all together dissolved, nutritional assistance to the struggling American will be DRASTICALLY cut, for some reason the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be annihilated, grants that fund cancer research and other medical breakthroughs will cease, infrastructure projects will come to a halt leaving our roads and bridges in tatters, and millions of career civil servants tasked with everything from ensuring aviation safety, to securing our nuclear arsenal will find themselves without work.

All this so musk, Trump, Thiel, and the 12 other billionaires in trumps cabinet can avoid contributing their fair share to the country they made their fortunes off of.

Trump recently spouted some dumb sh*t, as he often does, while referencing tariffs saying “we were the richest between 1887 to 1920” which, number one, is false, and two, THATS THE PERIOD KNOWN AS THE GUILDED AGE, AN ERA OF IMMENSE WEALTH DISPARITY THAT LED TO THE GOD DAMN GREAT DEPRESSION!!!!!

So what are Republican principles exactly? It’s certainly not law and order, taking into account their almighty leader’s antics and his administrations disdain for the Constitution and the law generally. It’s definitely not family values when you take into consideration all the sexual predators, the infidelity and sexual misconduct. It’s clearly not democracy and freedom with this administration’s stance on Russia removing us from the allies we have been aligned with since WWII, and siding us with Putin and dictatorships around the globe. And as this upcoming “budget” shows us fiscal responsibility is out of the question.

The values the modern Republican Party holds is that of enriching the wealthy by screwing the middle class. They stand for tyranny and oppression. Corruption is a cornerstone to the Republican ideology. Let’s not forget voter suppression. There’s always their tried and “true” platform of blatant lying, their spreading of misinformation and disinformation, so much so that they openly oppose fact checking. Their aversion to the Constitution. Last but not least, their embrace of discrimination.

It sucks that everyone will have to suffer to hopefully enlighten Republican voters on the fact that they care nothing for the working class, that they have zero shame in their hypocrisy and self enrichment. That they only desire power and will engage in any disgraceful tactics to hold on to it. That they hold no reverence to their constituents or to the oath they swear to the Constitution.

May our nation endure this devastating and corrupt period of its existence.