Tuesday, September 14, 2021

@20:18, , 9/13/21

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NYT > U.S. > Politics10 minutes ago
How House Democrats Plan to Raise $2.9 Trillion for a Safety Net
Details of the legislation show higher taxes for companies and the wealthy, but key elements differ from the Senate and White House proposals. read more
 
Bonds
 
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NYT > U.S. > Politics59 minutes ago
Most People Don't Need a Covid Vaccine Booster, New Review Says
The benefits of a third shot for most people are small and are far outweighed by the benefits of using those doses for initial vaccinations, the scientists say. read more
 
Think happiness pills.
 
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Some Healthy Americans Seek Coronavirus Booster Shots Before Approval
Many who feel they need more coronavirus protection have managed to obtain an extra dose. “I did feel bad about it. But I didn’t feel bad enough,” one woman said. read more
 
Some need more happiness than others.
 
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A Plan to Hasten the Sale of Surplus Federal Property Gets Bogged Down
A little-known independent board created to expedite the disposal of unused land and buildings has been hampered by a lawsuit, staff shortages and pushback from other agencies. read more
 
Trump knows how to sell buildings he got at surplus.
 
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Iran Nears an Atomic Milestone
Edging close to a bomb’s worth of fuel is seen as a tactic to pressure the Biden administration into agreeing to a quick renewal of the 2015 nuclear deal. read more
 
Trump is mistaken about the politics of south Asia.
 
7
Biden Tours Wildfire Damage in California
Despite a visit meant to emphasize his actions on wildfires, experts say there is little the president can do for now to reduce the damage as climate change gets worse. read more
 
"(E)xperts say there is little the president can do for now to reduce the damage as climate change gets worse." 
When congress functions there will be a fossil carbon tax.

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House Democrats’ Plan to Tax the Rich Leaves Vast Fortunes Unscathed
The House Ways and Means Committee’s proposal to pay for trillions in social spending leaves wealth gains and inheritances largely alone. It focuses instead on a more traditional target: income. read more
 
Inflation of the dollar will tax the rich if the federal reserve can generate some inflation.

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Blinken Is Grilled on Afghanistan in Congress
At least two Republicans demanded the resignation of Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken as he defended the U.S. withdrawal and sought to shift some blame for the chaos to the Trump administration. read more
 
How can Republicans be so thick?
 
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Justice Dept. Imposes Limits on Oversight of Local Police
The changes address longstanding requests of police departments, who had said that monitors overseeing policing overhauls needed more accountability. read more
 
The immunities  of police will be ended.

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Under G.O.P. Pressure, Tech Giants Are Empowered by Election Agency
New rulings by the Federal Election Commission protect the flexibility of major social media companies to control political content shared on their platforms. read more
 
That can be tried.
 
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In Review, Top F.D.A. Scientists Question Imminent Need for Booster Shots
An article, written with other vaccine experts, put the regulators at odds with key federal health officials, including Dr. Anthony S. Fauci. read more
 
This opinion will get a hearing.
 
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Pentagon Defends Deadly Drone Strike in Kabul
A New York Times investigation, with video analysis and interviews at the site, has cast doubt on the U.S. military’s account. read more
 
"Mr. Kirby said at a news conference. “I am not aware of any option that would put investigators on the ground in Kabul to complete their assessment.”" 

The New York Times had people on the ground.

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Biden will name a privacy expert to Federal Trade Commission.
Alvaro Bedoya, President Biden’s nominee, has studied the way new technologies can violate privacy. read more
 
"Where there is a will there is a way."
Misquoted though the meaning is clear.
 
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Supreme Court Urged to Reject Mississippi’s Attack on Roe v. Wade
In a new brief in a major abortion case, a clinic and a doctor asked the court to strike down a state law largely banning the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. read more
This
 
This law should be struck down.
 
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Haines Warns Countries Besides Afghanistan Pose Greater Terror Threat
“What we look at is Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Iraq for ISIS. And that’s where we see the greatest threat,” said Avril D. Haines. read more
 
She is following her instructions.
 
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As Senate Democrats Return to Washington, Divisions Remain Over a Spending Bill
House Democrats have been working to coalesce around details of the proposal, including releasing their opening proposal on Monday. read more
 
Passage is not expected before 9/27/21.
Work is continuing.
 
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Courting Moderates, House Democrats Stop Short Most Aggressive Tax Proposals
The House Ways and Means Committee focused on traditional ways of raising revenue to pay for the party’s social policy bill — by raising tax rates on income. read more
 
Moderates do not exist.
 
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Eric Adams Vows to ‘Welcome Business,’ Calling New York ‘Dysfunctional’
Eric Adams, the Democratic mayoral nominee, said that New York will “no longer be anti-business,” drawing a contrast with the current mayor, Bill de Blasio. read more
 
Eric Adams can try.
New York city will need its tax revenues.
 
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F.E.C. Dismisses Claims That Twitter Illegally Blocked Hunter Biden Article
The commission’s ruling provides further flexibility to social media giants to control what is shared on their platforms regarding federal elections. read more
 
The FEC probably does not have the power to rule on a New York Post article.
NYT > U.S. > Politics12 minutes ago
How Outrage Over Vaccine Mandates Became a Mainstream G.O.P. Stance
Resistance to vaccine mandates, once a fringe position, has entered the Republican mainstream. But the governors fighting President Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine requirements impose mandates of their own. read more
Mountain of Money Fuels Newsom’s Surge to Recall Election Finish Line
The California governor has taken full advantage of the state’s loose financing rules for recall elections, overpowering Republican challengers for whom the cavalry never arrived. read more
20 Years After 9/11, Top National Security Posts Sit Empty
Two decades after the Sept. 11 attacks, there are again dozens of unfilled Senate-confirmed national security positions. read more
Ian Welsh3 hours ago
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – September 12, 2021
[image: Story 477670814] Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – September 12, 2021 by Tony Wikrent *Injustice* Natalie Edwards Was Imprisoned this Month by the U.S. for Blowing the Whistle on Wall Street Banks’ Laundering of Dirty Money Pam Martens and Russ Martens, September 8, 2021 [Wall Street On Parade] Edwards is the heroic former Treasury official who tried in vain to get her superiors in the federal government to act on her concerns. Left with no other options to get action, she turned over documents to a BuzzFeed News reporter that became the core of the FinCEN Files, a colla... read more
In Social Policy Bill, Businesses See a Lot to Like. They Oppose It.
Resistance to tax increases outweighs the appeal of a $3.5 trillion measure containing child care credits and other items that corporations embrace. read more
False Election Claims in California Reveal a New Normal for G.O.P.
In an echo of 2020, Republicans are pushing baseless allegations of cheating in the state’s recall race even before Election Day. read more
The Texas Abortion Law: Here's How it Works
There is little precedent for the provision that deputizes ordinary citizens to enforce an effective ban on abortions — and offers them a financial incentive to do so. read more
The Conservative Lawyer Behind the Texas Abortion Law
Jonathan Mitchell has never had a high profile in the anti-abortion movement, but he developed and promoted the legal approach that has flummoxed the courts and enraged abortion rights supporters. read more
F.B.I. Releases Newly Declassified Document Related to Sept. 11 Attacks
Families of the Sept. 11 victims have long pushed for a deeper investigation into any possible role the Saudi government had in the attacks, but the document offered no conclusive evidence. read more
Capitol Police Inquiry Into Jan. 6 Riot Recommends Disciplining Six Officers
None of the officers, or details about the recommended penalties, were identified. Criminal charges will not be filed against any of the officers. read more
Biden and Bush Urge Unity as Nation Remembers Sept. 11
Both President Biden and former President George W. Bush acknowledged that what has happened in the years since has only challenged the notion that Americans found strength in coming together. read more
Man With Assault Rifle Pleads Guilty to Threatening Pelosi
Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. wrote the day after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol that he would put “a bullet in her noggin on Live TV.” read more
As Democrats Push a $3.5 Trillion Bill, a Top Lawmaker Stays Mum on Tax Increases
The silence from Representative Richard Neal of Massachussetts has some liberal Democrats worried that he could thwart the scope of their economic ambitions. read more
Teen Participant in ‘Slender Man’ Stabbing to Be Released From Mental Hospital
Anissa Weier, 19, requested her release in a letter this March. “If I am to become a productive member of society, I need to be a part of society,” she wrote. read more
George W. Bush Warns Against Domestic Extremism in 9/11 Anniversary Speech Near Shanksville
Former President George W. Bush commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on Saturday by speaking at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pa. read more
Ian Welsh1 day ago
Open Thread
[image: Story 477255282] Use this thread to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts. Please keep vax/anti-vax discussion out of this thread as well. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn read more
Measles Cases Bring Temporary Halt to Afghanistan Refugee Arrivals in US
The C.D.C. asked that the evacuation flights from overseas bases be suspended after four Afghans were found to be infected. read more
Biden’s Covid-19 Vaccine Push Aligns Him With a Fed-Up, Vaccinated Majority
As the president took forceful new steps to pressure Americans to get inoculated, he argued that they were urgently needed health measures. In his allies’ view, they were also good politics. read more
Ian Welsh2 days ago
How Monopolies and Oligopolies Cause Shortages
[image: Story 477003810] I don’t usually write “just go read this” posts, but I’m going to make an exception for this piece by Matt Stoller on how a monopolized economy causes shortages. This is the best article I’ve ever read on how monopolies and oligopolies (Stoller tends to just say monopoly) work and how their incentives systematically induce them to reduce the welfare of almost everyone in society. Matt starts by nothing that Uber and Lyft, in DC, now that they’ve destroyed the cab companies, now are 10 to 20 minute waits and more expensive. It was obvious that this was the... read more
Ian Welsh2 days ago
The Simplest Explanation For Western Decline
[image: Story 476692225] Is just… this: Similar numbers can be found in most fields. This is related to the computer productivity paradox: computers and the telecom revolution have not noticeably increased productivity. The reason is simple enough: they weren’t used to create productivity, they were used to create control, to allow managers to micro-manage employees without actually being in the presence of the employee all the time. No society can stay healthy with this sort of admin bloat: admin are support, meant to help the people who actually do the job. If your tooth-to-tai... read more
 
 
 
 
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