#washington dc primary

[q-o-s]

Cool tones.

[noah-luck-easterly]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/07/01/initiative-83-dc-elections/

Interesting! I tend to prefer approval voting, but ranked-choice is definitely better than first-past-the-post. Semi-open primaries aren’t something I have an informed opinion about though.

I definitely think more local governments switching to a better voting scheme is the most effective path towards getting it implemented at the federal level, which I think would pay huge dividends.

[typewritingyip]

I have a suggestion for Arcee

So, her name is pronounced the same as RC and you know what RC also can stand for in the Mecha Pilot AU? (based on this post)

Rescue Class

I think Arcee was a Rescue Class mecha that was so good at killing quints they upgraded her mecha to be a Striker Class mecha but she's still smaller than most other mecha of that class because she wasn't always a striker, which is why her mecha looks like a femme still, despite all the Striker Class (and bigger) mecha we've seen being big and (at least comparatively) bulky mechs

I love this idea and was planning on doing something similar, I just hadn’t seen the linked post before.

Arcee was previously based in Washington DC, for reasons you’ll find out much later down the line, but she is much smaller than the others apart of Arcturus Three.

She originally was planned to go up with Arcturus Five, but Vortex went nuts and is currently getting “deep cleaned” (attempt at an overhaul) and First Aid is being treated at a secure facility temporarily. So Arcee got the spot since the pilot of Arcturus Four is patrolling a similar area.

Originally she was smaller in design because of the area in which she was based, effectively a Rescuse class since the primary objective of the pilots in the DC area is to protect and preserve capital hill plus its citizens.

Specifically designed to be able to fit into the monuments and large buildings with minor damage to the structure (able to reach into the windows of the Oval Office and extract the President). She was prepared to do a lot more protecting than fighting.

But, she’s just really good at what she’s not supposed to do.

So, yeah, to be canon with the AU, she was Rescue Class turned Striker Class. She’s also a pilot, which this mission was sorely lacking someone who could fly a plane or in this case a rocket.

Hope that helps.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Lively, colorful, 1911 Mediterranean Revival townhouse in Washington, DC has 4bds, 4ba, $5.4m.

As you may know by now, that door would have to go, as far as I'm concerned. Why do they even make doors like that? Just bust the glass, put your hand in, and open the lock. Why even have a lock?

The first room off the entrance hall is a sitting room with a cool yellow fireplace with black & white marble.

The dining room is a bright orange with a bronze ceiling, which is interesting.

They painted the cabinets a glossy bright blue and changed out hardware.

This family room is a part of the kitchen and has doors to the patio. The wallpaper on the feature wall is very interesting.

Pretty powder room. Look at how small the sink is.

The stairs to the upper levels are in the middle of the home.

They've got the primary bedroom done in a bright royal blue.

And, they also have a large closet.

This is beautiful- a terrace.

Nice shower room.

At the end of the hall is this nice large family room. Love the fireplace.

Cute bedroom is quite roomy.

The secondary bedrooms are surprisingly large.

Nice updated vintage bath.

Stairs to the lower floor.

Nice room.

The 4th bedroom is down here with a door to the outer entrance. It's lovely down here.

There's even a little kitchenette and a bath.

It has a beautiful backyard and parking.

And, out front there's a lovely garden.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2343-Ashmead-Pl-NW-Washington-DC-20009/461809_zpid/

[charlesoberonn]

A quick alternate history scenario I made for the r/AlternateHistory subreddit:

In 1796, George Washington reluctantly runs for a third term as president to prevent Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans from taking hold of government. His third and final term is more rocky than the first two, with the south being especially unhappy with some of his reforms, though they associate them with his vice-president John Adams and Secretary of State Alexander Hamilton. On December 14th, 1799, George Washington dies in office. The nation is in turmoil and mourning. The Democratic-Republicans call for a special election, but vice-president John Adams is declared president instead. On Christmas 1799 a protest march on DC turns violent when federal forces clash with protestors and revolutionary war veterans. Jefferson declares Adams an illegitimate usurper. Adams calls off next year's election. Several state legislatures , especially in the South, declare Jefferson as a provisional emergency leader for the purpose of ousting the Federalist regime. The American Civil War has begun. On January 15, with DC about to be overtaken, an internal vote within the Federalist war cabinet decide to oust Adams and appoint his vice president and war hero Alexander Hamilton as president instead. The tide of the war turns, with the Federalist forces able to protect the north and much of their territory, but it is short lived. The Federalist are forced to abandon DC on April and retreat to New York City as a provisional capital. Hamilton himself refuses to go. He is captured by the Democratic-Republicans along with Adams. Jefferson is appointed president on April 19th. In July, Senator Gouverneur Morris is appointed as temporary leader of the Federalist forces in New York. The war stalls for several months as the Democratic-Republican forces fail to make inroads into the north. Meanwhile Jefferson's administration is poorly received and he is compared poorly to the Reign of Terror in France, especially after the public executions of Adams and Hamilton, and after the French Revolutionary government acknowledges him as the legitimate president. The British back Morris and the Federalists and provide military assistance in return for territorial concessions out west. Despite the Democratic-Republicans trying to paint Morris as a traitor for his British support, the public hates Jefferson more, compounded by a series of military defeats. On December 14th, during a public memorial service for the 1 year anniversary of Washington's death, Jefferson presents himself as the true heir to the venerated general. This creates outrage and leads to a 6 days siege of the White House, at the end of which Jefferson is dragged out and beaten to death by the public and some of his own soldiers. The Democratic-Republican forces subsequently surrender and the capital is captured by Federalist and British forces. Morris is appointed president and his first act is to call in a new Constitutional Convention in order to draft a new constitution, one with the primary aim of preventing another civil war.

[saywhat-politics]

Two arrests have been made in the theft of the theft of a high-end Gucci bag belonging to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

The primary suspect was arrested in Washington, DC, and is in custody, according to the US Secret Service. USSS said in a Sunday evening news release it made a second arrest in Miami in connection with the theft. The agency said that person “is believed to be a co-conspirator” with the primary defendant.

The arrests came after the US Secret Service launched an investigation to find the perpetrator who stole her bag as she ate dinner with her family on Easter Sunday.

A spokesperson for the Secret Service initially declined to comment on the arrest, but in a statement to CNN Sunday, Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool said the primary “the defendant is a serial offender.”

“We have also determined that this incident had no protective nexus to Secretary Noem or her role as Secretary of Homeland Security. The investigation revealed alleged criminal activity, including potential device and credit card fraud,” McCool said.

Multiple additional arrests are expected in a theft ring recently which recently targetedWashington, DC’s, Penn Quarter area, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN.

Noem thanked the Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a post on X on Sunday and described the primary suspect as a “career criminal who has been in our country illegally for years.”

[theineffablesociety-dc]

The first @theineffablesociety Good Omens meetup was so great, we started planning the second one before the con drop even set in. What can we say: Evil never sleeps and Good is ever-vigilant! (Although Crowley has gotten in the napping habit and Aziraphale can be a bit distractable.)

The weekend of February 28-March 2, 2025, we're going to Washington DC!

This meetup is being organized by myself (@zeldahime), ShadowsRider (@shadowsrider-blog), and Key (@whoopsmypenslipped). We'll be making regular updates here (and being reblogged to the primary @theineffablesociety page) and on the Discord server. (The Discord server is an 18+ space. For an invitation, send an ask here or at the primary page.)

We are currently scouting locations. We expect to repeat the format of the Philadelphia meetup with a large room and at least two break-out rooms, with the expectation that approximately 45-75 people will attend. As in Philadelphia, we will do our best to be as inclusive as possible, with a masking policy in all event spaces.

We're so excited to be hosting the next event! We hope to see you all there!

[mariacallous]

This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Seamus Fitzgerald hears a lot of opinions about solar power. As the associate director of real estate at OneEnergy Renewables, a solar energy developer, he approaches farmers and other landowners across the Midwest with proposals to lease their properties for solar projects. Some landowners are excited about being part of the shift to clean energy. Others are hostile to the idea of putting rows of gleaming panels on their land.

Fitzgerald manages to convince many farmers by explaining the simple economics of leasing their land for solar power. “At the end of the day, the financial payments from these types of projects are generally higher than what folks can pull off of their ground through other types of crops,” he said. To sell solar power to people who might have hesitations, he often talks about how the technology was invented in America. “When you install a solar project, you’re collecting an American resource here in America,” Fitzgerald said.

It echoes the way that President Donald Trump talks about energy, though he’s usually heaping praise on American oil and gas, not renewables. Still, the Solar Energy Industries Association, the industry’s primary lobbying group, has found plenty of ways to align its work with the administration’s talking points. Now splayed across its site, next to an image of an American flag hovering over solar panels, is a new slogan: “American Energy DOMINANCE.” Earlier this month, the association participated in a lobbying blitz in Washington, DC, urging lawmakers to keep tax credits for clean energy projects in place.

Solar provided almost 6 percent of total US electricity generation last year, but it’s been growing fast and is expected to supply “almost all growth” in electricity generation this year, according to the pre-Trump Energy Information Administration. Many are hoping that the technology—which is broadly popular among Americans, with 78 percent supporting developing more solar farms—can manage to stay out of Trump’s culture wars over climate change. More so than wind power with its towering turbines, solar energy has an ability to bridge ideological divides, appealing to environmentalists and “don’t-tread-on-me” libertarians alike.

“President Trump has specifically said that he loves solar—and as energy demand soars, we know that solar is the most efficient and affordable way to add a lot of energy to the grid, fast,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, the Solar Energy Industries Association’s president and CEO, in a statement to Grist.

In December her trade group released a policy road map that reflects Trump’s agenda, with priorities such as “eliminate dependence on China” and “cut red tape in the energy sector.” It’s a change from the vision the association laid out in 2020 after the election of former president Joe Biden, when Hopper promised to “meet the moment of the climate era with equity and justice at the forefront.”

The new language reflects a change in the federal government’s priorities, but also a recognition among solar advocates that they don’t need to talk about climate change to advance clean technologies. “Energy independence—I think they should scream that from the rooftops,” Fitzgerald said. “Every single politician in the world, in America, should be saying, ‘We’re trying to make these things here to collect energy here.’”

Last year, solar represented more than 80 percent of new electrical generating capacity added to the US grid. But some predict a slowdown. Solar industry stocks plummeted after Trump’s election in November as investors speculated that Republicans might repeal tax credits for solar in the Inflation Reduction Act, the climate law Biden signed in 2022. In January, a report from the data analytics company Wood Mackenzie projected that solar installations would stagnate in many countries because of “post-election uncertainty, waning incentives, power sector reforms, and a shift towards less ambitious climate agendas.”

“The bottom line is, all that adds up to market uncertainty for one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy, and nothing is more important to businesses and investors than market clarity,” said Bob Keefe, the executive director of E2, a nonpartisan organization promoting policies that are good for the economy and environment. “And right now, what Washington is doing in regard to the future of clean energy in America is about as clear as a snowstorm in DC at midnight.”

Trump has complained about wind power ever since an offshore wind farm threatened the pristine view from his golf course in Scotland soon after he bought it in 2006. On his first day in office this year, he halted new permits for wind projects on federal lands and waters. But his administration’s position on solar is unclear: He has ranted about how solar farms take over deserts while at the same time saying he’s a “big fan” of the technology. “I think they’re more favorable to solar,” Keefe said, “but who knows? And for who knows how long?”

The Trump administration’s assault on the federal bureaucracy has already jeopardized solar projects. The administration has withheld federal grants for climate programs, including Solar for All, a $7 billion program to bring residential solar to low-income neighborhoods, despite court orders to release funding. “We’re seeing real delays in getting that money out the door to the projects that need it,” said Sachu Constantine, executive director of Vote Solar, a nonprofit working to make solar power accessible.

Despite the continued uncertainty, most Solar for All projects “are still attempting to move forward,” said Michelle Roos, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network, a group of alumni from the Environmental Protection Agency.

By some measures, the culture wars are starting to encroach on Americans’ opinions about solar. Republican support for new solar farms slumped from 84 to 64 percent between 2020 and 2024, according to polling last year from the Pew Research Center. Misinformation campaigns have increasingly targeted clean energy, pushing the idea that solar and wind are unreliable—a line taken up by Citizens for Responsible Solar, a group led by a conservative operative who works to stop solar projects on farmland and timberland.

There are some valid reasons why people have hesitations about the technology, according to Dustin Mulvaney, an environmental studies professor at San Jose State University who researches conflicts over solar developments. People might be concerned about projects that take over prime farmland, cut through animal habitat, or affect Indigenous cultural sites. Careful planning can help avoid these conflicts, Mulvaney said. Solar farms can coexist with sheep, for instance. They can be built in a way that leaves space between panels for migrating pronghorn antelope, and in general, avoids prized areas in favor of developing projects on “low-impact sites,” such as degraded lands.

Mulvaney pushes back against the narrative that these concerns are slowing down solar power, arguing that most projects don’t face any resistance at all. Utilities in the US are on track to meet their goals to shift to 100 percent renewable energy by 2060, he pointed out. “To me, the fastest way to get more solar is to require the utilities to buy more of it sooner.”

No matter what Trump does, clean energy advocates are hopeful that solar projects can continue to move forward at the state level. “We feel good about the future for clean energy in our states in the Southeast,” said Mark Fleming, president and CEO of Conservatives for Clean Energy, an organization that works in Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana. “You know, we don’t talk about it in terms of the environment—we talk about it in terms of choice and competition in the market and in terms of good economics, because the price of solar is rapidly declining.” Over the last decade, the cost of installing solar has fallen by nearly 40 percent, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Constantine says that talking about solar’s benefits—whether that’s through creating jobs, reducing blackouts, or pushing electricity prices down—is the key to overcoming hostility. “It is a way to reduce costs, and in this era of rising energy costs and real pinching in people’s pocketbooks, I think that’s a message that resonates,” Constantine said. “When you talk about affordability, resilience, reliability, people get that.”

[mythologypaintings]

Philemon and Baucis

Artist: Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)

Date: 1658

Medium: Oil on panel

Collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, United States

Description

After learning the fundamentals of drawing and painting in his native Leiden, Rembrandt van Rijn went to Amsterdam in 1624 to study for six months with Pieter Lastman (1583–1633), a famous history painter. Upon completion of his training Rembrandt returned to Leiden. Around 1632 he moved to Amsterdam, quickly establishing himself as the town’s leading artist. He received many commissions for portraits and attracted a number of students who came to learn his method of painting.

The Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses provided Dutch artists with a wide range of mythological subjects, most of which contain underlying moralizing messages on human behavior. Rembrandt here depicts the moment when Jupiter and Mercury quietly reveal themselves to the elderly couple Philemon and Baucis, as described in the eighth book of Ovid’s commentaries. Rembrandt, who was able to penetrate the essence of the myth as no artist ever had, silhouetted Mercury against the primary light source to enhance the inherent drama of the moment.

The moral of the story is that hospitality and openness to strangers are virtues that are always rewarded. As depicted by Rembrandt, the hosts Philemon and Baucis, who come to recognize that they are in the presence of gods when the food and wine keep replenishing themselves, try to catch their only goose so they can offer their divine guests better fare. Jupiter commands them not to kill the goose and blesses their sparse offering with a firm yet comforting gesture. Dressed in exotic and loosely draped robes, Jupiter dominates the scene and takes on a Christ-like appearance that strongly echoes the Christ from Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, which Rembrandt knew from a print. Leonardo’s composition had a profound impact on Rembrandt, and he used it in conceiving of a number of different subjects in prints, drawings, and paintings.

[dertaglichedan]

Kash Patel reportedly removed as acting ATF director

The Brief

FBI Director Kash Patel is no longer the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

He was quietly replaced by Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll.

It’s unclear why Patel was removed. 

FBI Director Kash Patel was removed as the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives just days after he was sworn in, according to The Associated Press. 

Patel was named acting ATF director in an unusual arrangement in February just days after he was sworn in to lead the FBI, putting him in charge of two separate and sprawling Justice Department agencies.

Who replaced Kash Patel as ATF director? 

What we know:

Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll replaced Patel to lead the Justice Department agency that's responsible for enforcing the nation's gun laws. One person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Patel was removed at the end of February, just days after he was sworn in as acting director. But that was never publicly announced.

Daniel Driscoll, now secretary of the U.S. Army, speaks during a Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Who is Daniel Driscoll? 

The backstory:

Driscoll, 38, of North Carolina, is secretary of the Army. He had served as an adviser to Vice President JD Vance, whom he met when both were attending Yale Law School. He served in the Army for less than four years and left at the rank of first lieutenant.

He ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for a North Carolina congressional seat in 2020, getting about 8% of the vote in a crowded field of candidates.

Driscoll will remain secretary of the Army, according to a defense official.

[mojave-pete]

Republican Security Council

We feel so sorry for poor Michelle Obama and we hope she is not struggling financially.

Her Twitter bio describes her as a "Girl from the South Side" of Chicago. In her speech last night to the Democratic Convention, Mrs. Obama spoke of her mother and said “She and my father didn’t aspire to be wealthy. They were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed." What would they think of their daughter now?

According to Forbes, Michelle Obama has a net worth in excess of $70 million. The family has three residences and each one has a value in excess of $10 million. Her 30 acre beach front summer home on Martha's Vineyard has an estimated value of $20 million,

The Obama family beachfront estate in Hawaii was built on the site of the mansion used as the primary location for the 1980s hour-long action TV show Magnum P.I. The land alone cost $9 million in 2015, and despite having its own beach, the property has two swimming pools. They also own a mansion in Washington, DC's exclusive Kalorama neighborhood near the French embassy.

According to her Speaker's Bureau, Mrs. Obama receives $750,000 for an appearance and she received a $65 million advance for her memoir "Becoming". The combined Obama family wealth prior to the presidency was $1.3 million.

[ms-m-astrologer]

2025 Aquarius Cross-Quarter Day

Monday, February 3, 14:10 UTC

Chart erected for Washington, DC

It’s a Crescent-phase Aquarius cross-quarter, which is appropriate for the Northern Hemisphere - time to gather and mobilize resources for the upcoming season. Both Aquarius (Sun) and Aries (Moon) are independent, individualistic signs. We can focus successfully on getting our acts together, on determining what we want to do and how we want to do it.

I am a little taken aback by the 29° angles at Washington, DC. Changes in approach.

Most of the thingies are concentrated between Pluto and the Moon. A pretty intense 80° of Zodiac, with Uranus/Taurus, Jupiter Rx/Gemini (but about to station direct!), and Mars Rx/Cancer giving some support or challenge to that concentration.

The Lady Asteroids Juno and Vesta in Scorpio, as well as Pallas/Capricorn, also give us some perspective away from such intense self-focus - in fact, they’re involved in the only oppositions in the chart - except the difficulty here could well be the thought, “Why isn’t anyone else as focused on me, as fascinated by me, as I am?” It’s difficult to understand other people when you can barely maintain a grasp on understanding yourself.

Uranus/Taurus is square both the Sun and Ceres in Aquarius. Pulling away from familial/tribal identities, the struggle to stay autonomous, letting that freak flag fly and damn the consequences. Can we stand up for ourselves without getting in people’s faces about it? Catching more flies with honey and all that.

Mars and Chiron are exactly square. We have concerns about wounds and boundaries. Where we’ve been hurt before, we dread hurting again.

=+*+=+*+=+*+=

Aquarius is considered a barren sign, horticulturally speaking. And there’s nothing growing in these parts, at this time. Sometimes it does get very warm, and trees start to bud and crocuses to bloom - and then we get two feet of snow. Whoops.

There is the wacky Aquarian tradition of “Groundhog Day” - just the most preposterous thing. (Although the beast itself is a cutie! Photo via Wikipedia:)

The tradition is, the critter sticks its head out of its burrow, and if it sees its shadow it gets scared and retreats back inside and we have six more weeks of winter - but if it doesn’t see its shadow, it emerges, and spring officially hath sprung. (Does that seem backwards to anybody else?)

Locally we have a stuffed marmot, “Flatirons Freddy,” which gets exhumed and displayed every February 2. Ick. (Photo, City of Boulder:)

There isn’t even any particular food I associate with this time of year - although the upcoming holidays remind me of the sugar cookies my mom used to bake for Valentine’s Day - and we always ate pancakes for dinner every Shrove Tuesday.

The primary thing I notice, year after year, is the beginning of the gradual return of sunlight. Always sneaks up on me, too. I suddenly realize, “Whoa - it’s after 5 pm and it’s still light outside!”

[eretzyisrael]

BY ALLISON TOMBROS KORMAN

As the war ramped up, it was clear that this issue was not going away. Not only was I struggling to process Oct. 7 with friends, family, and my community, I was also navigating the conflict every day at work. As the only Jewish voice in the organization, I was repeatedly put in the position to speak for all Jewish people—an impossible task—or to defend my perspective and why it did not align with that of Jewish Voices for Peace, a group that purports to represent Jews but rejects the basic premise of a Jewish homeland, or similar entities. At the same time, if I advocated for DCAF staying out of this discussion, I was told I was silencing the organization and its staff. I shared my heartbreak about the violence against both Israelis and Palestinians and how, though complex, these feelings could coexist. In return, it was explained to me, often by people with no direct connection to the land or its people, that I needed to understand “context.”

At the same time, other abortion funds and reproductive health organizations began issuing statements about what was happening in Gaza. These statements contained much of the same offensive nomenclature as DCAF’s draft and some, like ARC-Southeast’s letter, went further, calling Zionism—the belief that Israel simply has a right to exist—“a contradiction to Reproductive Justice.” Every member of the DCAF staff except me signed on to a letter to the board advising them that they would be participating in a walkout in support of Palestine. The letter noted, “We are using our collective power as DCAF workers to show up for Gazans and call for an immediate ceasefire, as well as liberation for Palestinians ... we cannot ignore the mass violations to human rights and sexual and reproductive health outcomes that we’re seeing out of Gaza.” Remarkably, the letter neglected any mention of health outcomes for the Israeli survivors of rape or assault, or for the hostages.

In an effort to work collaboratively and keep focused on our primary objectives, we agreed that establishing social media procedures was a critical next step. On Nov. 14, I and the communications team sat down to decide what, if anything, DCAF would be posting about the war and to ensure there were not more situations like that which occurred around the “Gaza Carousel.” I recognized that my colleagues felt strongly that DCAF should weigh in on this discussion, and in an effort to compromise, I agreed to a process that would allow DCAF to uplift existing content from trusted partners in the field, but not create original content, as this would be beyond our expertise. We agreed to abstain from using nomenclature that could be distracting or divisive to our community, such as the “Free Palestine” hashtag or calling Israel’s actions “genocide.” We developed a system to review and discuss potentially controversial content related to the war before posting, starting with a small group of reviewers, including me, and escalating to a vote by a mix of board and staff.

The following morning, I circulated the notes from that meeting to DCAF leadership and members of the Board. At 3 p.m. that day, I was alerted by a Jewish DCAF volunteer that the DCAF Instagram feed featured graphics from The Washington Post about deaths in Gaza with commentary overlaid, specifically that “collective punishment is the tool of fascists” and that what was happening in Gaza was “a prime and top-of-mind example of said collective punishment.” I immediately flagged this for the communications team and asked if perhaps the content was posted inadvertently since it violated the norms we had established in the meeting the previous day. Surely, equating the actions of the entire State of Israel with fascism was a perspective that needed to be discussed as potentially controversial. They assured me the post was intentional (they later stealthily removed it).

Immediately, DCAF received angry messages from Jewish members of their community. The messages criticized DCAF for being so one-sided on the issue. They were furious that DCAF, who claimed to deeply value reproductive justice, had remained silent on the rapes of Israeli women. They stated that as Jews, they felt abandoned by and isolated from the organization.

[wherepond]

Trump unhinged

Complete chaos

Medicaid, Meals on Wheels & more on chopping block as Trump freezes trillions of dollars.

A federal judge in Washington, DC, has temporarily halted President Trump's attempt to freeze trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans, including university and nonprofit funding, food assistance, Medicaid, veterans' benefits and more.

The Trump administration said the shocking move was a part of its assessment of whether various government programs align with its agenda.

Since assuming office, Trump and his allies have launched a highly publicized purge of initiatives aimed at tackling historical and structural inequality within the federal government. "It's just been complete chaos" and "completely illegal," says our guest Sam Bagenstos, who explains that the policy is an attempt to raise a challenge to Congress's power of the purse and nullify "all the limitations that have been placed on the president's power."

Bagenstos previously served as general counsel to the Office of Management and Budget, the agency that announced the freeze Monday night.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This home looks like a rocket getting ready to take off, but the 1919 home is Art Deco and is located in Washington, DC. 3bds, 5ba, $1.995M.

The theme is white, black, & red. Look at this entrance hall. Some glass block, curves, and those shiny black floors.

This sitting room has lovely arches.

There are stairs going off to the right, lots of stairs and 3 levels.

There are also large red X's, as well. The living room is nice and airy- look at the glass walls. Unfortunately, the neighbor's fence at first looked like it was part of the decor.

The living room really looks like you're sitting on a porch.

The dining room is large and has a scalloped ceiling illuminated by wall sconce uplighting.

The kitchen has shiny black cabinetry, gray counters, and red accents.

It has a great bump-out Art Deco banquette.

Look at the amazing swirling stairs. We're looking down from the 3rd level balcony with a glass barrier.

The primary bedroom is large.

There's a walk-in closet.

And, it has this amazing en-suite.

Bedroom #2.

Cool red bath.

Bedroom #3 and its en-suite. This home has some cool baths.

There's a little desk area in the hall with a big X on the wall.

It looks like they started to build walls in the basement.

Small brick patio and yard.

https://www.trulia.com/home/1452-foxhall-rd-nw-washington-dc-20007-434905?mid=0#lil-mediaTab

[wretchedcnes]

⌜drew ray tanner. 31. cis man. he/him.⌟ ╱ was that MADDOX BUCHANAN i just saw wandering around lake stillwater ? you know the PLAYBOY ? odd … i never imagined they’d be back in town, especially after everything that happened last time. but i guess it makes sense, considering they've always been known for being ALLURING and AUDACIOUS. still, they you'd think they'd be more cautious—especially since they’re also quite FICKLE and CONCEITED, but then again that explains, how he charmed his landlord into letting him have a hamster despite signing a lease with a no pets allowed clause. last i heard they were working as a CROUPIER in WASHINGTON DC… i wonder if that's where they picked up that LUCKY POKER CHIP they're always carrying around. nonetheless, with whatever happened on that lake all those years ago, they'd better hope the cabin keeps them safe this time around.

stats

full name: maddox jeremiah buchanan

nickname(s): mads and mj but he refuses to say what the j stands for. he lets people believe his middle name is james

date of birth: december 4th 1993

zodiac sign: sagittarius

hometown: washington, dc

current residence: washington dc

occupation: croupier

gender: cis man

pronouns: he/him

sexuality: bisexual

mbti: esfp

alignment: chaotic neutral

enneagram type: 8

reference characters: patrick zweig (challengers), hawkeye pierce (mash), han solo (star wars) and sally bowels (cabaret)

bio.

maddox was born the only child of an attorney and pharmacologist. his parents were absent for most of his childhood. they didn't intend to make him feel ignored. that was just an unintended but damaging consequence of the two of them prioritising their jobs over every other commitment. maddox’s mundane childhood memories involve a rotating roster of nannies

growing up maddox learned that there were two ways to get the attention he craved. his primary method of getting attention was to be the loudest and most charming person in the room. he aimed to make as many friendships as possible. as a child he spent more time eating dinner with his friends’ parents than with his own. his other method of getting attention was acting out. people couldn't ignore him when he answered back to teachers or got into fights with classmates who thought he was too obnoxious and blunt

during high school maddox's priority wasn't academics, much to the dissapointment of his parents. he couldn't focus on subjects that didn't interest him and he refused to put in more effort than he had to. when he had homework he didn't want to do he bribed or charmed one of his classmates into doing it for him. the aspect of high school that came easy to maddox was being at the top of the social ladder. his good looks and superficial charm meant he thrived socially

maddox's choice of college caused a huge disagreement with his parents. by that point he already had a wide variety of arguments with his parents so he wasn't phased of them disaproving of another one of his actions. his parents wanted him to apply to ivy league colleges or a prestigious research school. however he refused. maddox wanted to go to a college where he would meet a wider variety of people. he didn't just want to be surrounded by ambitious people from wealthy backgrounds

when he first met jamie maddox was jelaous of him. jamie was handsome and likable. he wanted jamie's leadership position. but eventually he came to accept that wasn't going to happen. jamie was too charismatic and unlike maddox he was kind and dependable

harper and maddox didn't initially get along. harper thought he was smug and maddox thought she was a stick in the mud. due to the kind of forced proximity that only comes from being in the same college social circles they did eventually grow to like each other. harper realized that maddox could be endearing when he wasn't being an annoyance. maddox learned that harper had her playful moments and wasn't entirely a stern authority figure

after jamie's death maddox cut contact with almost everyone who was at the lake when jamie died. he had no idea how to process what happened. in his brain death wasn't something that happened to young lively people like jamie. death was meant to only come for old people who had already lived out their full lives

maddox had already graduated when jamie died so it was easy to pretend his friends from college didn't exist. he was meant to start his adult life. his dad arranged for him to be an intern at his friend's law firm. maddox didn't last the full year. he found the enviroment stifling and was still failing to process his grief. after his internship fell through he managed to find a series of customer service jobs to support himself. he needed the money because his parents had cut him off. he only really stopped feeling like he was sleep walking through life when he found a job as a croupier. maddox's slight smarm is perfect for the job and he loves feeling like he outsmarted the clientele who come to the hotel casino where he works

maddox's only contact with harper before her death was through yearly birthday messages or comments on her instagram posts. he found out about her death through social media. he was surprised to be apart of the group she wanted to return to stillwater lake. he was reluctant to come but he didn't want to let her down one last time. he didn't go to jamie's funeral so he almost feels like by helping to give harper the send off she deserves he's apologizing to jamie.

wanted connections.

a friend who managed to stay in contact with him after college

a former enemy he reconciled with

grudge-a person who is still angry at him because he didn't go to jamie's funeral and they never had the opportunity to work through their frustration towards him

unresolved romantic feelings-maddox has always tried to avoid serious monogomous relationships. he hates commitment and thinks romantic relationships are destined to end badly. when he started to have romantic feelings towards this person in college he either avoided them or did everything he could to sabotage their friendship

ex-this person got maddox to break his unoffical no dating rule. they could be amicable exes or their relationship could have ended badly

former friends with benefits

former roommate