#the government is here to help

[rachel-sylvan-author]

"And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic" by Randy Shilts

Thank you @dr.bookmom for the intense, enlightening read ❤️

[signipotens]

For anyone wondering what this has to do with the 14th Amendment, most famously known for its Equal Protection and Due Process clauses, the relevant part of section 4 of the amendment reads:

The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, […] shall not be questioned.

It’s never been tried in court before because the debt ceiling has always been raised before it’s become a litigable issue* (even during the big controversies after the GFC), but it is widely regarded by legal experts that the plain text and original intent of the amendment would render the debt ceiling (at least in part) unconstitutional.

* In the United States, the Supreme Court isn’t allowed to issue rulings sua sponte (on its own initiative) and strike down whatever laws it wants whenever it wants, it has to wait for someone who has been injured by a law to file a lawsuit against the government.

There are some extraordinary measures that the Treasury Department can take on its own to get more money to tide things over, but at the scale that the US Federal Government works, the money from those runs out pretty quickly. Many of these measures have already been taken, and it’s that money that will run out here in the next couple weeks.

What may happen if this continues is that Biden will issue an executive order to the Treasury Department telling them to ignore the debt ceiling, using the various powers granted to the president by the Constitution to ensure that the government runs smoothly and meets its debts and obligations. Then someone will try to sue, and then the Courts will review the constitutionality of the debt ceiling.

If you or anyone you care about is relying on:

Food stamps/SNAP/EBT

SSI/SSDI/social security

a tax refund not yet received as of May 2023

a government employee salary

Medicaid

Medicare

Pell grants that have not yet been disbursed

Or anything else paid out by the US federal government—

You need to be aware of what's happening with the debt ceiling!

Because any or all of the items listed above might not be funded right away in June 2023.

The US government is increasingly looking like it will run out of money on or around June 1st, and no one has yet made the rules about which bills WILL get paid when that happens.

The usual way the gov stops this from happening is being blocked by Republicans who insist they won't let the problem be fixed until programs keeping people alive are cut. (They won't cut corporate subsidies though.)

You and people you care about could be impacted by this.

Please save back any money you can, fill your prescriptions now, and look up news about the debt ceiling.

[sforzesco]

hey! hi! the cartoonist cooperative has an e-sim drive for gaza, offering art for e-sim donations (instructions etc in the link)

[barksbog]

the leos are now in temporary bin prison until their new setups can be put up. it's not the ideal housing but they got all their needs met and i'll be extra careful dusting their feeders.

hopefully i can get enough money to order the new vivs soon. it's been hard to focus on work with everything going on but i'm doing my best to get through it.

[amphibianaday]

day 1246

[thatsthewrongwallcraig]

Hey! So you're getting reported for pedophilia and I'm sending an anonymous report to the CIA as well as other investigation bureaus to look into you and your account!

What you do and post is not only illegal, but also harmful and idealizes pedophilia and other forms of assault.

[aressida]

[hauntingblue]

The king and queen are visiting Paiporta and they receive them with mud xd two men have spoken to the king and told him to do something, but we all know that he is going to go to his palace and cross his arms because It's literally the only thing he can do. Is this what had to happen for people to realize that asking the king for help is nonsense? He has no power, he is only there to parade around. They have kicked out volunteers from the site to let the king and his escorts (police and military) pass, which is the first time they have touched that ground and they are going to do NOTHING. The president is doing the same. The president of Valencia is doing the same.

[cr0mble]

Saw this coaster in a shop and my mind went straight to government worker Grian.

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

what's happening in valència is terrorific. I hope you are all safe

[the-offical-raishas-circus]

I found this on Pinterest. What the hell.

[smelly-fozzy]

as if the military doesn’t release adds that look like fucking video games. As if the military doesn’t depend and prey on people’s need for a higher education just to secure a somewhat better paying job, by handing out scholarships to anyone who joins. As if the military doesn’t come into our schools, and quite literally try to indoctrinate minors- Y’know the people who you claim you’re trying to protect.

[goldkirk]

.

[stimmingandstruggling]

every other video on my for you page is a creator begging people to donate to palestinian families. creators from all sorts of communities are volunteering to sponsor families, using their platforms to spread the word and focus attention. tiktok has problems but it has BY FAR been the loudest about palestine, despite the algorithms best efforts. THIS IS WHY THEY WANT TO BAN IT. because like it or not, tiktok gets information out quickly.

[amerasdreams]

I'm sorry but you're either for Ukraine or for russia. There is no middle ground. I don't care what your normal politics are. This isn't about politics. This is about people's lives. About them not being taken over by a country that is not only bombing them but raping and torturing them.

If you don't think we should do all we can possibly do to stop such evil, you are on the wrong side of history.

[vrieseasees]

"I can't believe we have an ex-terrorist in the IT dept of all places."

Hatori in the IT dept with clearance granting abilities to gov't systems is me making shit up haha oops sorry Joseph!