An unexpected win: The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that states can count mail ballots that are cast by Election Day but arrive later, rejecting a GOP challenge to a Mississippi law.
Offset by the ruling on independent agencies, but still good news.
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Stare Decisis? Not for this Supreme court:
Supreme Court expands presidential firing power, overturning 90-year-old ruling
In other words: The conservative justices overturned 90 years of precedent to allow the president to fire almost any executive branch official for any reason at all.
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The Iran war has cost Americans roughly $1,000 per household in higher fuel, food and other expenses since the start of the conflict in February, according to an estimate shared last week by Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi. – and still not over? Does this cover the cost of all the missiles and bombs we have used?
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The Vance rewrite of history, in part: He stated, “If you look at the story of how the deep state took down Richard Nixon, it’s not all that different from what the same groups of people, the same institutions tried to do to Donald Trump in the first Trump administration.”
Ah, Nixon as the victim!! Like Trump! Like the Reflecting Pool! Wait.
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Soccer (futbol) sports reporters, please learn what a collective noun is!!
You write crap like this: “Four-time winners Germany were eliminated from the World Cup in a shootout by No.41 ranked Paraguay.” The word, “Germany” is not plural. It represents many people, collectively, and is singular! Should be . . . “Four-time winner Germany was eliminated . . . “
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As we approach the 4th of July, let’s remember:
The bald eagle isn’t bald.
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It isn’t just the reflecting pool contract: White House officials last year secretly awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million for the construction of the East Wing ballroom in an unusual arrangement that sidestepped typical contracting procedures designed to control costs, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by The Washington Post.
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And, yes, it is still about stocks: Ethics experts are raising concerns after President Trump bought as much as $5-million dollars in shares of taser-maker Axon Enterprise, just two weeks before ICE sought a 5-year contract for tasers with specifications that appear to only match Axon products. This is just the latest example of a possible conflict of interest President Trump has found himself in while in office. — MSNOW
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Watched jus a bit of Wimbledon tennis tournament. Couple things: primal scream terrible, to me, unsportsmanlike; the server choosing what ball to use and casting the others aside is ridiculous – do a test and I’ll bet none of them could sense any difference. Lastly, the men’s matches don’t need to be best of five sets. Three will tell you who is better on that day. Do we want an endurance contest, or a match?
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In the World Cup, I am surprised to see players and fans of Norway wearing those horned helmets – no historical proof such were ever used by anyone except an opera singer.
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President Donald Trump earned more than $1 billion from his cryptocurrency ventures, according to his personal financial disclosure released on Tuesday. This is last year alone.
He has some complicated crypto companies, but suffice it to say: Many of his investors lost money.
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OK, so Trump lost his bid to overturn the Constitution in Re: to birthright citizenship. What still bothers me is the four justices still voted to do so, in violation of one of the most clearly written parts of our Constitution1
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From CBS News, another explanation of how the really wealthy avoid taxes, aka “buy, borrow, die”:
First, wealthy investors buy appreciating assets like stocks, real estate or art. Next, they use the assets as collateral to borrow money to fund their lifestyles, thereby avoiding any sales that would trigger income taxes. Finally, when the owner dies, those assets are passed on to heirs on a “stepped-up tax basis.”
Because loan proceeds aren’t considered taxable income, a borrower can use the debt without triggering capital gains taxes.
Death provides another tax benefit — known as “step-up in tax basis” — because heirs generally inherit those assets at their market value at the time of the owner’s death. That wipes out capital gains taxes on any increase in the value of the assets over the owner’s lifetime.
Got that?
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FYI: both eaglets have fledged. Today they returned to the nest. Not sure why, maybe hoping parents would still feed them?
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I played in a lot of concert bands as a kid. Watching some of the pro conductors, I have to say that they earn their money in rehearsals, not performances. I don’t like the overly dramatic gestures (Leonard Bernstein, et al). Most good symphonies could play a piece from start to finish with NO conductor – just have the first chair violin, or clarinet, start it off.
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In reading some blubs about our 250th and history, I am reminded of the 3/5ths of a person laws written into our Constitution. How would you like to have no rights but be counted as 3/5ths of a person? Or, the hypocrisy of a slaveholding country declaring that “all men are created equal.” Not to mention women – they were not considered at all.
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Polluting the Air OK with Trump:
Earlier on Friday, CBS News was the first to report that Mr. Trump planned to pardon defendants who were prosecuted for tampering with air pollution control equipment in vehicles, in violation of the Clean Air Act.
The pardons come after Mr. Trump last fall granted clemency to Troy Lake, a Wyoming mechanic who served seven months in prison for violating federal emissions laws for disabling air pollution-control equipment on diesel engines.
Trump said they were just “fixing their cars.”
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Request for baseball announcers:
Once the game starts, do NOT say “there is no score.” Even if no one has scored any runs, there IS a score – 0-0, or zero to zero. Zero is a number.
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Of the various names suggested for Trump’s Qatari jet, I like “Graft Force One.”
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An old saying only sailors would understand:
“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in the North Atlantic.”
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Guess who does NOT think NATO is essential?
President Trump said late Thursday it’s “ridiculous” for the United States to continue its “one sided” relationship with NATO. His remarks came less than a week before a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Why?
He has repeatedly lashed out at European allies over their response to the war in Iran, as several countries restricted the use of bases for U.S. forces, though he didn’t consult with them in advance or involve them in any planning for its economic and security fallout.
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Ladies, if you need help with your man who brags about men’s sports, offer this:
How many World Cups have the USA men’s teams won? A: None
How many World Cups have the USA women’s teams won? A: Four
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July 4th today: We’ll have a traditional BBQ with slinky dogs (hot dogs cut in a spiral), corn on the cob, chips, pickles, freshly-cut onion, pickles, deviled eggs, and trimmings. WWII plane flyover and demo at 5:50 p.m. and fireworks over the harbor at 9:00; both of which we will have a good view of from our deck — no need to go anywhere!
Hope your day is/was good too!
Don’t let the right-wingers adopt the holiday. I have our flags out, too.
All take care,
Kevin, former Lt., USNR
Blog: If I understand this 