What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

The next question is why Google, a company that operates worldwide, would automatically adhere to the U.S. Geographic Names System as opposed to internationally accepted usage.

You can see what they're doing though.

They don't want to get on the bad side of Trump (or MAGA), and clearly refusing to call it "Gulf of America" would clearly do so.  So instead they're using both terms.

I just checked - if yo go to the Middle East, the big gulf inbetween Saudi Arabia and Iran is labeled "Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)".  In Northern Ireland you find Londonderry, with Derry written beneath it (no brackets).

Gulf of Mexico remains unchanged, at least for today.

Yeah, Google has long had a policy of localizing map names and showing alternate names for the same location or feature.  If Google is going to do this, then the names for a given locality should correspond to what that locality's official naming body (if one exists) says.  I'm assuming for non-Americans the Gulf of Mexico will be presented as "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)".

[Barrister]

The way that Congress has operated since the 1930s when legislating in a significant area is to pass a law that sets forth broad principles and priorities but then delegates the details to the Executive Branch.  There are obvious practical advantages to proceeding in this way.  But there have always been critics - mostly conservative - that sees this as an abdication of Congress' constitutional responsibility and as the original sin that sparked the growth of the administrative state.

What we may see in Trump II are people on the left rallying to this critique, not from the perspective of seeking to control the size and influence of government, but as a check on the unreasonable and dictatorial exercise of Presidential power.

I feel like the administrative state is a big chunk of the problem, but not the entire story.


As I understand it, there are numerous powers that Congress has given to the President in case of "emergency".  Which again is understandable - in an emergency you don't have time for Congress to sit around and act.  We saw this in full effect during the pandemic (and of course this is now the one area where I believe congress may act to limit the President's emergency powers - sigh).

Trump of course has discovered there's no real check on declaring an emergency, or what constitutes an emergency, so he can unlock those powers just by saying so.


The other one, potentially even scarier, is the President's war powers as Commander in Chief.  Other Presidents have figuratively declared things like "War on Poverty" or "War on Drugs" - but if Trump literally treats illegal immigrants as enemy aliens and says the US is under invasion he can use the military seemingly without limit.

[viper37]

It would seem Americans have lost their Medicaid as of yesterday night:
https://bsky.app/profile/wyden.senate.gov/post/3lgt2ng5xms2o

The portals are down in all 50 States, given the funding freeze.

[viper37]

And the real reason why the GOP does not want any immigrant in the country:
Republican congressman suggests some children receiving free school lunches should work at McDonald's instead

[Razgovory]

Well, if I don't get my meds I will personally stab one of those "I won't vote for Genocide people" that is partly responsible for this.   Then, I will plead insanity and ask Trump for a pardon.  Might even get it.

[viper37]

Well, if I don't get my meds I will personally stab one of those "I won't vote for Genocide people" that is partly responsible for this.  Then, I will plead insanity and ask Trump for a pardon.  Might even get it.

Why not of the 50% who voted Trump? The people like Otto who would vote for a pig in red tie?


In other news, the pro freedom of speech want to restrict kids' access to wifi hotspot because it could lead to exposure to non conservative views:
Senator Ted Cruz is trying to block Wi-Fi hotspots for schoolchildren

[Barrister]

If Trump is really freezing medicare that's going to turn on him real quick...

[crazy canuck]

The NYTimes is reporting the portals through which the states get their federal funding for Medicare stopped working this morning.

[Razgovory]

Well, if I don't get my meds I will personally stab one of those "I won't vote for Genocide people" that is partly responsible for this.  Then, I will plead insanity and ask Trump for a pardon.  Might even get it.

Why not of the 50% who voted Trump? The people like Otto who would vote for a pig in red tie?


In other news, the pro freedom of speech want to restrict kids' access to wifi hotspot because it could lead to exposure to non conservative views:
Senator Ted Cruz is trying to block Wi-Fi hotspots for schoolchildren

Why stab stupid people, when you can stab people who knew what would happen and maliciously let it happen anyway.  People who wanted to punish this country because it would not indulge their sectarian and racial hatreds.

[viper37]

Why stab stupid people, when you can stab people who knew what would happen and maliciously let it happen anyway.  People who wanted to punish this country because it would not indulge their sectarian and racial hatreds.

Ah, you're picking the path of least resistance, the people you already hate.

Good to know you're not really different.

[garbon]

The NYTimes is reporting the portals through which the states get their federal funding for Medicare stopped working this morning.

I think it is Medicaid not Medicare. The latter is all old Americans while former is put crudely for the poor.

[Barrister]

The NYTimes is reporting the portals through which the states get their federal funding for Medicare stopped working this morning.

I think it is Medicaid not Medicare. The latter is all old Americans while former is put crudely for the poor.

Supposedly 92 million people receive Medicaid - a lot of whom are Trump voters.

But I appreciate the correction - it's one of those things where I do know the difference but clearly confused the two just now.

[viper37]

The NYTimes is reporting the portals through which the states get their federal funding for Medicare stopped working this morning.

I think it is Medicaid not Medicare. The latter is all old Americans while former is put crudely for the poor.

I did say Medicaid, for once, I had the right name.

And yes, it is Medicaid for the poor, those who usually don't vote massively Republican (but still do in some parts).  Elderlys who depend on Medicare are still safe.

Republicans always viewed this as an entitlement program, so it's no surprise that it's affected, even if they try to pretend it's a glitch.

Edit:

A Federal judge as temporarily blocked the Trump freeze.

[viper37]

And... This is the end.

Trump administration offering buyouts to nearly all federal workers

The Trump administration is offering millions of federal workers the option to accept buyouts through a government-wide "deferred resignation" program if they resign by Feb. 6.

Those who accept the offer will receive pay and benefits through Sept. 30, according to a draft email obtained Tuesday by NBC News.

The emails will be sent starting Tuesday afternoon, NBC reported.
The White House expects up to 10% of federal employees to take the buyout, a senior administration official told NBC on condition of anonymity.

The offer comes as President Donald Trump's administration pushes federal employees to return to the office five days per week, scrapping work-from-home allowances implemented during the coronavirus pandemic.

[Barrister]

There can be a role for buyouts, and I'm open to the idea that there's room for a reduction in headcount in the US federal government.

But a blanket offer of buyouts is just fucking stupid until you know what cuts you want to make.  You could get half of some really vital workers taking the buyout, and almost none of the most useless workers taking them.