What does a BIDEN Presidency look like?

[jimmy olsen]

Meanwhile, from the opposition ...

[garbon]

That's probably the least fun example of that.

[Syt]

https://www.dw.com/en/us-russia-agree-to-extend-new-start-nuclear-arms-treaty/a-56354318

US, Russia agree to extend 'New START' nuclear arms treaty

The extension of the landmark arms control treaty will continue to limit the number of nuclear missiles and warheads each country can deploy.

The Russian lower house of Parliament, the Duma, on Wednesday ratified a new START nuclear treaty with the US.

The United States and Russia had "agreed in principle" to extend the arms treaty by five years following a phone call between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday.

A Kremlin description of the call between the two leaders said they had both "expressed satisfaction" that diplomatic notes had been exchanged earlier Tuesday confirming that the treaty would be extended,

The extension doesn't require approval from lawmakers in the US.

Deadline approaching

The White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the two leaders agreed to have their teams "work urgently" to iron out the details of the extension before the treaty's expiration date, February 5.

The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), was signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart at the time, Dmitry Medvedev.

The treaty limits each party to 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), 1,550 nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs and SLBMs, and 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers.

It also envisions a rigorous inspection regime to verify compliance.

The last nuclear arms control agreement

Biden had indicated during his presidential campaign that he favored extending the treaty, and Russia has long proposed its extension without any conditions or changes.

However, negotiations to extend the treaty were stalled by the administration of former US President Donald Trump, which insisted on tougher inspections for Russia and for China to be included, which Beijing refused.

During Trump's term, the US withdrew from a separate nuclear weapons control agreement with Russia, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, making New START the last  remaining nuclear weapons control treaty between Russia and the US.

[grumbler]

That's probably the least fun example of that.

The video in the tweet Sheilbh linked did the exact same thing (inspired the strip, I'm sure) but in a clever way.

[garbon]

That's probably the least fun example of that.

The video in the tweet Sheilbh linked did the exact same thing (inspired the strip, I'm sure) but in a clever way.

Exactly. That Death to 2020 clip was clever, as you say, whereas this later posted comic strip was not.

[The Minsky Moment]

Amazing to think that the B52 will still be in service into the 2040s, getting close to a century. 

[celedhring]

Just read that Biden signed an Executive Order requesting the DoJ to end federal contracts with private prisons. I don't know how effective will that be (IIRC there aren't that many federal prisons compared to state prisons) but seems at least a step in the right direction. The concept of a private prison seems abhorrent to me, and everything that I read about them has always confirmed that bias.

[Berkut]

I would get behind federal legislation making private prisons simply illegal, whether state run or otherwise.

[PDH]

But if the states run prisons then they'll have to pay that money directly to running them instead of giving it to companies who can skim off profits and run awful places that the states "don't have direct control of."

Commies.

[The Brain]

I would get behind federal legislation making private prisons simply illegal, whether state run or otherwise.

Would this be constitutional? Non-rhetorical.

[The Minsky Moment]

It should be but commerce clause jurisprudence is in flux and there is new personnel on the court.  State criminal law is a traditional core state competency and the feds tend to stay out but if a state contracts out its prison system that concern is vitiated.  I believe most if not all the significant prison companies are multi state enterprises so it should be a no brainer that it can be regulated under the commerce clause.

[Tonitrus]

I would consider attacking on tsgt tsgt, if not inherently cruel, one could consider private-run prisons as "unusual".

[DGuller]

I recall once listening to a report on some criminal justice reform in New York State.  It was casually mentioned that the reform was opposed by some because their districts have prisons.  I was beyond disgusted, it's like funeral industry lobbying against the Covid vaccine.

[Malthus]

I recall once listening to a report on some criminal justice reform in New York State.  It was casually mentioned that the reform was opposed by some because their districts have prisons.  I was beyond disgusted, it's like funeral industry lobbying against the Covid vaccine.

That is quite horrific.

The whole private prisons thing reminds me of the movie the Shawshank Redemption. It's line the evil warden's scheme to profit personally off of prisoner labour, but on a huge scale.

[The Brain]

It should be but commerce clause jurisprudence is in flux and there is new personnel on the court.  State criminal law is a traditional core state competency and the feds tend to stay out but if a state contracts out its prison system that concern is vitiated.  I believe most if not all the significant prison companies are multi state enterprises so it should be a no brainer that it can be regulated under the commerce clause.

Thanks.