…goes in the fritz at the same time Viktor Bout arrives in Russia. I don’t like it when an important NASA satellite goes dark. It sounds Russia and/or China.
NASA doesn’t know why it went dark and it has been worked on to reengage it unsuccessfully.
Thursday, December 08, 2022
Viktor Bout
Putin is desperate. Things haven’t gone well with his wars and he is hoping Bout can fix it all. There will probably be an uptick in some arms into Russia, but, it will be brief. The world is different than it was when Bout made his money. Now he is being asked to bring arms into Russia rather than export them.
Bout has friends and connections and will get early successes simply because people owe him a favor, but, favors are short lived.
Wednesday, December 07, 2022
Congratulations
The race was well run and Former President Obama did his part, too. It is nice to see Democrats being taken seriously in their love of this country and it's Constitution.
Tuesday, December 06, 2022
A prince can get away with murder? That is outrageous.
The Biden White House should not have interfered with the law. Joe wants to be re-elected, huh? I wish him a lot of luck. He will need it.
By Stephanie Kirchgaessner
A US judge has dismissed (click here) a case against Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman for conspiring to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying the crown prince was entitled to sovereign immunity despite “credible allegations” that he was involved in the murder.
Judge John Bates, a US district court judge with a long history of presiding over cases involving national security, acknowledged “uneasiness” in making the decision, but said that his hands were in effect tied by the Biden administration’s recent recommendation that Prince Mohammed be given immunity.
The decision to dismiss the charges, which were brought by Khashoggi’s fiancee Hatice Cengiz, and Dawn, a pro-democracy group founded by the murdered journalist, likely marks the end of efforts to hold the future Saudi king accountable for the 2018 murder....
The Biden White House has just put every American journalist in the world on notice that if their writing is too heavy handed they can be killed for it. The Khashoggi murder was heinous. He was on foreign soil and believed safe as he went to the Saudi mission to obtain paperwork to clear his marriage. There is no way anyone involved should have walked.
The Diplomatic Relations Act of 1978, 22 U.S.C. § 254a et seq. governs diplomatic immunity in the United States. Title 22 specifies the degree of protection awarded to diplomatic personnel; protection increases in parallel with the official's status within a diplomatic mission. Article 31 of the Vienna Convention provides for three exceptions to the diplomatic immunity which are as follows:...
The Biden White House never put the journalist first in realizing the extent immunity will bring about more danger to journalists in the field. This is a huge mistake.
This and the rail unions are starting to add up.
By Fahmy Hudome
Washington - Today, Mrs. Hanan Elatr Khashoggi (click here) was invited to meet with senior officials at the White House as President Biden prepares to depart for the Middle East. Mrs. Khashoggi was accompanied by her attorney, Randa Fahmy, Esq., of Fahmy Hudome International.
Mrs. Khashoggi conveyed her thanks to President Biden for fulfilling his commitment to human rights and his promise to investigate her husband's murder in a transparent and fair manner. She also expressed her thanks to the President for publicly releasing the intelligence report which led to a very painful understanding of exactly what happened to her husband....
Bring the journalists home. This is a window of danger and disrespect that has opened.
Jamal Khashoggi was murdered because he believed in free speech. His knowledge of Saudi Arabia would bring criticism to the Prince. Criticism is leveled to bring about awareness, dialogue and resolve of issues overlooked or misunderstood by the people in power. He did nothing illegal. He loved the people of Saudi Arabia and it drove him to become a champion for their causes. He was a hero. His memory will always be laced with his willingness to speak out when so few others did not. He was an American through and through and he believed in the principles this country was founded.
Inquiry into the killing of Mr. Jamal Kashoggi (click here)
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
She also sought permission to conduct a similar country-visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but such a visit did not take place.
Similarly, she also requested and had meetings with other relevant stakeholders.
Who is going to stand with Dr. Azzam Tamimi?
Trump’s decision (click here) to recognize Al-Quds as the capital of Israeli occupation has the potential to further inflame tensions across the Middle East and the world know how by watching Dr Azzam Tamimi lecture at the International Islamic University-Maylaysia organized by: International Center for Global Peace
Saudi Arabia and Israeli technology company NSO (click here) are facing another legal challenge in the UK, after British-Jordanian human rights activist Dr Azzam Tamimi launched legal proceedings against them.
Tamimi was a friend of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
He is being represented by law firm Bindmans and the Global Legal Action Network, which earlier this year launched a similar case on behalf of three other UK-based civil society leaders and human rights activists, who claim they were hacked by the UAE and Saudi Arabia using NSO’s Pegasus software.
Tamimi, the founder and editor-in-chief of satellite television channel Al-Hiwar, says he was targeted by the Saudi state using the same spyware. His case in the High Court of England & Wales against NSO Group and Saudi Arabia is based on a claim for breach of privacy....
Dubai, UAE - A US citizen jailed in Saudi Arabia (click here) is being punished for "mild" Twitter posts on topics including the war in Yemen and the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, his son told AFP on Wednesday.
Saad Ibrahim Almadi, a 72-year-old of Saudi origin, was this month sentenced to 16 years in prison, the latest in a spate of what human rights groups describe as draconian sentences for social media criticism of the government.
The case risks further ratcheting up tensions between Riyadh and Washington, longtime partners currently at odds over oil output cuts approved by the OPEC+ cartel, which the White House says amount to "aligning with Russia" in the Ukraine war.
Almadi was detained on arrival in Saudi Arabia in November last year for what was meant to be a two-week trip, said his son Ibrahim, who went public with the case this week, criticizing US officials for failing to do more to secure his release.
The State Department said on Tuesday it had "consistently and intensively raised our concerns regarding the case at senior levels of the Saudi government", and that "exercising freedom of expression should never be criminalized"...
WHO IS GOING TO STAND WITH THEM NOW?
By Manoja Gupta
The murder of renowned (click here) Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif seems to be the latest headache for India's neighbor as Inter-Services Public Relations (ISRP) and ISI leadership came together for a rare press conference to discuss the killing in cold blood of Sharif. He was shot by police in Kenya....
Monday, December 05, 2022
Two power stations in Moore County, North Carolina disabled by gunfire.
Now guns are being used to disable infrastructure. Isn’t that wonderful, huh?
My first thought is where are there burglaries occurring in Moore County and/or murders?
Home and business security systems may have back up, but, people don’t necessarily have security systems, just street lights and dogs.
Sunday, December 04, 2022
I am surprised Lavrov is still alive.
The Belarus Prime Minister is suddenly dead and Orman is quickly in an interview with the surviving Russian General stating the two countries, Russia and Belarus are, one in attacking Ukraine.
Businessmen were killed, Russian military dead in large numbers, Russia generals are dead, including recent mysterious death of the Russian Defense minister. The new Russian Defense Minister is doing pale he could pass for an albino. Just think if Trump were president, Pompeo might be dead to gain Trump’s guaranteed cooperation no matter what whims Putin is having.
The televised interview was shown to the Russian people to build support for the unprovoked attacks into Ukraine.
There was a big TV production for the Russian viewing audience with surviving family members about the new software that is going to defeat Ukraine’s HIMARS. The video states the HIMARS can’t operate in the cold of winter because they were constructed in the summer in Ukraine. Okay, Vlad if you say so.
Russia is screaming about a $60 per barrel top price paid for its oil by Free Countries. That is about the going price anyway.
After all of Putin’s misdeeds the IAEA is beginning to secure an area around one of Ukraine’s power plants.
The energy emergency in Europe is working out to be an interesting venture in “What works.” The UK has realized it’s method of building is very ineffectual to conserve energy. They are rethinking the type of construction that will improve energy efficiency.
Putin will not commit to surrender I guess he is going to fight to his last breath. The Free Countries are committed to remain independent.
Speaking of dying, the former Chinese president is dead. Gorbachev died. Strange time in the world. It just seems that part of the world is having a lot of important people are all of a sudden are no longer with us.
Then Trump is trying to raise for his campaign by denouncing the USA constitution. The guy has to have a mental health problem.
Have you been watching the World Cup? Yeah, everyone is tuned in since the USA has a good team. Well, kindly notice the sweet sixteen of the World Cup are all from Free Countries. LOL! That means teamwork actually works.
There was an interesting article out of Florida about an entire block is declaring the mega Christmas display is being dismantled after his year. The costs to maintain it have gotten out of hand as well as the energy drag on the grid that could result in additional warming for Earth.
So, good night for now. I will write more this week.
Saturday, December 03, 2022
Mr. Elon Musk must stop hate speech.
Hate speech is not free speech because it seeks to remove the speech of others. Antisemitism seeks to end an entire race of people from Earth. Racism is another form of hate speech that victimizes and sometimes kills human beings.
There is a global group of people that base their movement in hate. That group practices racism and anti-semitism. The group believes in violence and death to attempt control of the human race. The group has many subsets of names, but, are white supremacists and Christian Nationalists.
Mr. Elon Musk lives in cloud city where absolute freedom exists and everything is right with the world. In the real world, there is no absolute freedom and people die because of hate speech. Musk’s Twitter must roll back it’s policy of absolute freedom of speech. Hate speech should never be tolerated.
Friday, December 02, 2022
The two First Ladies looked really nice at the State Dinner.
France and the USA are linked forever. There would be no USA if there was no France. It was nice to see President and First Lady Macron in the USA, especially at the White House.
Guest List:
There is something a little more radical.
The reservoir system in the USA provided three things; water to drink, electricity for power and lakes for recreation. In order to turn the downward spiral at Lake Powell it will most likely mean giving up any recreational areas.
There is an alternative to allowing the drought to deteriorate the water supply to the dam. It will also mean conservation in the area will change depending on how the wildlife adapts.
It may be possible to capture the water from the Colorado River at the entrance to the lake and create manmade channels directly to the turbines. In other words, every turbine will have it’s own small river running to it.
Basically, what that means is taking all the water currently in Lake Powell and condensing it into a far narrower channel that will deliver water to the turbines for a longer period of time simply because an entire lake doesn’t have to be filled in order to run the turbines.
It is a massive task and it isn’t an easy fix, but, if the water is coming close to deadpool there are few options. I don’t know of any engineering firm that would want a high risk project like this except the government, Army Corp. They have decades if not a century of experience that no one else can match.
Good luck.
White concrete please. Conservationists need to be included as shareholders to estimate the impact of the change and decide how to protect species from extinction even if it means relocating them. We aren’t going to be in a climate crisis forever so long as the GHGs are reducing to livable levels.
Thursday, December 01, 2022
Every word is true, but, there are measures to be examined for viable use of the dam.
The Colorado River is a magnificent river and has been a loyal partner to an American West that grows even today. Besides the people that rely on the river for water and professions there are numerous creatures that call the river home. This drought has been hard on them and now it is threatening the people themselves.
But, there are a few things to consider. This is not a short read necessarily.
December 1, 2022
By Joshua Partlow
The 1,450-mile river starts in the Colorado Rockies and ends in the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. There are more than a dozen dams along the river, creating major reservoirs such as Lake Powell and Lake Mead....
By Joshua Partlow
Page, Arizona - The first sign of serious trouble (click here) for the drought-stricken American Southwest could be a whirlpool.
It could happen if the surface of Lake Powell, a man-made reservoir along the Colorado River that’s already a quarter of its former size, drops another 38 feet down the concrete face of the 710-foot Glen Canyon Dam here. At that point, the surface would be approaching the tops of eight underwater openings that allow river water to pass through the hydroelectric dam.
The normally placid Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir, could suddenly transform into something resembling a funnel, with water circling the openings, the dam’s operators say....
..Anxiety about such outcomes has worsened this year as a long-running drought has intensified in the Southwest. Reservoirs and groundwater supplies across the region have fallen dramatically, and states and cities have faced restrictions on water use amid dwindling supplies. The Colorado River, which serves roughly 1 in 10 Americans, is the region’s most important waterway.
It could happen if the surface of Lake Powell, a man-made reservoir along the Colorado River that’s already a quarter of its former size, drops another 38 feet down the concrete face of the 710-foot Glen Canyon Dam here. At that point, the surface would be approaching the tops of eight underwater openings that allow river water to pass through the hydroelectric dam.
The normally placid Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir, could suddenly transform into something resembling a funnel, with water circling the openings, the dam’s operators say....
..Anxiety about such outcomes has worsened this year as a long-running drought has intensified in the Southwest. Reservoirs and groundwater supplies across the region have fallen dramatically, and states and cities have faced restrictions on water use amid dwindling supplies. The Colorado River, which serves roughly 1 in 10 Americans, is the region’s most important waterway.
The 1,450-mile river starts in the Colorado Rockies and ends in the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. There are more than a dozen dams along the river, creating major reservoirs such as Lake Powell and Lake Mead....
To begin the Upper Colorado has a snow pack that will melt come spring and supply water to the river and below. Currently, the early stages of the snow pack are following the trend in 2020. That is not an optimistic point of view, but, may provide relief to some extent.
This is only December and we have a way to go yet so optimism is not the way to view the dam and it's porous rock.
On that graph 2017 and 2019 has seen the highest snow pack, but, it has not returned to that level since. The trend is more the 2018, 2021 and 2022 accumulations. I do not expect the snow pack to return to higher levels. The amount for December 2023 shows the trend is still down from those maximums. The current levels look similar to 2020, however, there is still a chance it will drop to the power snow pack amounts. I do not believe it will fall below the snow pack of 2018.
Now, as to the Powell Dam. It has always been a problem. Always and everyone involved with the dam knows it. They have known it from the beginning.
The picture to the right is an overhang of red sandstone at Lake Powell.
Lake Powell is a tier of rock, but, the largest part of the rock that surrounds the lake is "Navajo Sandstone." It appears on Page 4 of the "Rainbow of Rocks" article. Yes, there are people all over the USA and the world interested in rocks and not just as geological formations to find oil in the ground which were once dead dinosaurs.
The Navajo Sandstone is very porous. That means when the dam was built and the water started to accumulate there was an enormous amount of water that had to fill all that porosity before the lake level increased. Lake Powell is one of the most selfish lakes in the world simply because it requires enormous amounts of water to fill the shores first and then the lake.
That is probably clear as mud, so let me put it this way. You are coming home after an especially terrible day at work. All you could think of all day long was climbing into the tub, lighting some candles and adding your favorite bath salts. You arrive at the bathroom to find the tub has been replaced with a sponge lined ceramic modernized renovation. Your spouse is especially proud of the new design as it will cushion any fall. Not bad thinking really. So, you are the first to try it out.
You turn on the water to fill this new modern idea of a bathtub, but, it is taking longer than usual to fill it. See, the sponge lining has it's price. It has to be saturated first before the level in the tub rises. You have lighted your candles and are waiting to put the bath salts in the tub, but, it is taking a long time and it is rather frustrating.
That, my friend is Lake Powell. It has to absorb a lot of water before it fills the shores to deliver water to the hydroelectric power dam. Lake Powell's rock formation is sandstone. Sandstone has it's price.
It, for the most part, regardless of the frustration in filling it initially has not been as much an issue as today. Drought is forcing everyone involved to take a look at that beautiful lake and it's magnificent rock and ask what can be done?
Now, AI folks will be coming to the rescue to increase the dams efficiency. And all those engineers currently worried will be looking at improving the performance of the dam, but, what if after all that there is still a problem? The obvious answer to me regardless of the horrible impact of such an act is to line the lake with white concrete.
It is an outrageous idea that no one will even entertain, but, if one is talking about electric power to millions of Americans it is definitely in the running of a myriad of answers to this problem.
The dark stand stone now only absorbs water, it absorbs heat making the drought even worse as the water evaporates with hot temperatures. White color will cool the land surrounding the lake and change the dynamics of water retention in the basin which is Lake Powell. It is not a minor change. There are all sorts of wildlife in and around that lake. Change in albedo will change the daytime and nighttime temperatures in the area. It is not a minor consideration at all.
The concrete is almost a no brainer, it will be far less permeable and remove the issues with sandstone that has plagued Lake Powell since it's inception. When producing hydroelectricity every inch counts in the case of drought.
The project of this enormity may be untenable simply because it may require building coffer dams to temporarily wall off the water to pour the concrete. The issue is enormous and I do not envy anyone making decisions.
But, at this point it is a wait and see to decide what the snow pack is looking like and how much of it will make its way to the lake.
This is a climate crisis and it is more or less becoming a climate emergency. There are a few factors that are dictating avoiding radical changes in what we do with issues such as large lakes like Powell. This is an illustration of how ridiculously expensive surviving this climate crisis might cost. But, lives are at stake and it is completely impractical to shutdown towns and states and move all those people, economy and culture to places in the country where they won't be effected. Some of that might already be underway by personal choices, but, currently there is no such policy by the government to do so.
‘Gaslighting’ is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2022
In this age of misinformation (click here) —of “fake news,” conspiracy theories, Twitter trolls, and deepfakes—gaslighting has emerged as a word for our time.
A driver of disorientation and mistrust, gaslighting is “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.” 2022 saw a 1740% increase in lookups for gaslighting, with high interest throughout the year.
Its origins are colorful: the term comes from the title of a 1938 play and the movie based on that play, the plot of which involves a man attempting to make his wife believe that she is going insane. His mysterious activities in the attic cause the house’s gas lights to dim, but he insists to his wife that the lights are not dimming and that she can’t trust her own perceptions.
When gaslighting was first used in the mid 20th century it referred to a kind of deception like that in the movie. We define this use as:
: psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator
But in recent years, we have seen the meaning of gaslighting refer also to something simpler and broader: “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for a personal advantage.” In this use, the word is at home with other terms relating to modern forms of deception and manipulation, such as fake news, deepfake, and artificial intelligence.
The idea of a deliberate conspiracy to mislead has made gaslighting useful in describing lies that are part of a larger plan. Unlike lying, which tends to be between individuals, and fraud, which tends to involve organizations, gaslighting applies in both personal and political contexts. It’s at home in formal and technical writing as well as in colloquial use:...
Shut-Up!!!!
This isn't the United States. This is a bunch of right wing wackos trying to get attention, fans and money. This is a method to consolidate White Supremacists/Nationalists under one nation within a nation. It seeks to undermine democracy and hate is especially successful with these people.
April 25, 2022
Incidents reported in all 50 states, (click here) including a dramatic spike during Hamas-Israel conflict; Attacks against synagogues and JCCs increased 61 percent
New York, NY, April 26, 2022 … Antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in the United States in 2021, with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism reported to ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). This represents the highest number of incidents on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979 – an average of more than seven incidents per day and a 34 percent increase year over year.
ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, issued today, found that antisemitic incidents reached a high watermark across virtually every category. Attacks against Jewish institutions, including Jewish community centers (JCCs) and synagogues, were up by 61 percent, incidents at K-12 schools increased 106 percent, and incidents on college campuses rose 21 percent.
Assaults – considered the most serious incident type because it involves person-on-person physical violence triggered by antisemitic animus – increased 167 percent, jumping to a total of 88 reports in 2021 from 33 in 2020. Incidents of harassment were up 43 percent, and acts of antisemitic vandalism rose 14 percent....
Incidents reported in all 50 states, (click here) including a dramatic spike during Hamas-Israel conflict; Attacks against synagogues and JCCs increased 61 percent
New York, NY, April 26, 2022 … Antisemitic incidents reached an all-time high in the United States in 2021, with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism reported to ADL (the Anti-Defamation League). This represents the highest number of incidents on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979 – an average of more than seven incidents per day and a 34 percent increase year over year.
ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, issued today, found that antisemitic incidents reached a high watermark across virtually every category. Attacks against Jewish institutions, including Jewish community centers (JCCs) and synagogues, were up by 61 percent, incidents at K-12 schools increased 106 percent, and incidents on college campuses rose 21 percent.
Assaults – considered the most serious incident type because it involves person-on-person physical violence triggered by antisemitic animus – increased 167 percent, jumping to a total of 88 reports in 2021 from 33 in 2020. Incidents of harassment were up 43 percent, and acts of antisemitic vandalism rose 14 percent....
And the complaint by six states which the Supreme Court believes has a claim...
Parent PLUS loan borrowers and current college students will also be eligible for relief using the same $125k/$225k income guidelines. Dependent college students will use their parents’ income. Loans taken out after June 30, 2022, are not eligible for a reduction.
Most people will need to complete a simple application form to receive forgiveness, but roughly 8 million current loan holders whose income data is already on file with the US Department of Education won’t need to apply. The application form and process are still in development but are promised to be ready by the time loan payments resume in January 2023.
The administration is also proposing significant changes to income-driven repayment, which calculate monthly payments at 10% to as much as 20% of discretionary income. The proposal would limit monthly payments to 5% of discretionary income, cutting most monthly payments in half. These changes will need to be posted in the Federal Register and be open to public comment for 30 days. The changes could be in place when payments resume.
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...states they will lose tax income from this loan forgiveness?
What? How the devil do you lose tax income from student debt? My imagination may be somewhat limited, but, these are federal loans. The states income tax from banks servicing the loans? Is that the loss of tax income? Like how much loss of tax income, because, banks are really the issue, are they?
My understanding is that the federal government forgiveness plan will impact federal collections and it touches up to trillions. But, the states have no losses. These are federally insured educational monies and were not a burden to the states when they were incurred. The federal loans are granted nationally by a FAFSA which is uniform in every state. If anything the FAFSA has brought billions to state universities and 2 year colleges across this country, so where are these states collecting taxes on the loans? It sounds corrupt to me.
By Danielle Douglas-Gabriel and Jeff Stein
The White House estimates roughly 43 million federal student loan borrowers (click here) are eligible for forgiveness, and about 20 million could have their debt completely wiped out, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on Aug. 24. The policy will deliver the single largest discharge of education debt on record.
“This is going to change the lives of a lot of people,” said Mark Huelsman, director of policy and advocacy director of the Hope Center, a higher education think tank. “When we’re talking about full cancellation for 20 million people, this is unprecedented.”
Still, the announcement disappointed some activists who had fought for a more generous policy. And it angered other Democrats and conservatives who say it is fiscally irresponsible and unfair to people who never borrowed, as well as those who have already repaid their student loans....
The majority of states were trying to decide if loan forgiveness was actually income subjected to state income tax. It doesn't make sense six states are complaining they are losing income through taxes when they have every right to tax it as income.
...After some confusion (click here) regarding whether or not states would count the money saved by student loan forgiveness as taxable income, student loan borrowers in a few more states can also relish in the fact that they’ll no longer have this hanging over their heads. With the exception of three states — Mississippi, North Carolina and Indiana — that have decided to levy state taxes on federal student loan forgiveness, and several others that have yet to announce their final decision, in most states, additional state taxes will not be required for those whose federal student loans have been forgiven....
Typically, when you have debt discharged, the IRS treats it as taxable income. Since you didn’t pay the debt you owed but kept the money that would normally have been sent to a debtor, it is seen as income, which makes it taxable.
With student loan forgiveness, taxes work differently. In March 2021, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law, which included a clause regarding student loan forgiveness saying that any federal student loans that were discharged between 2021 and 2025 would not be considered taxable income — in terms of federal taxes.
That said, as Eric Bronnenkant, certified financial planner, certified public accountant and head of tax at Betterment, tells Select, residents of several states may still be on the hook for state taxes if their state determines the money saved from student loan forgiveness to be taxable income.
It all comes down to the concept of conformity — whether or not a state chooses to conform to federal tax regulations or go its own way thanks to statutes that are already in place — and whether or not non-conforming states have time to update those statutes to conform with the new legislation.
″[37 states] choose to have conformity with the federal tax system, have conformity with specific federal legislation or create their own specific exceptions and exclusions,” Bronnenkant said. “There are 13 states where the debt forgiveness may be considered taxable income.”
According to Bronnenkant, these states can adjust this for their respective residents through “legislative changes or administrative decisions by state tax authorities.”...
There is complete separation of federal and state tax structures unless the state decides it will follow the federal tax system which does not consider loan forgiveness taxable income.
So what are these six states complaining about? These are federal loans and only federal loans. The federal government has control over these loans. They don't have any room to complain and their tax structure is still within States Rights to decide if loan forgiveness is income. The complaint makes no sense.
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Bad credit to big polluters
November 30, 2022
The numbers are consistent with the amount of funds that banks have served up for fossil-fuel producers via bond sales and loans. Since the start of 2016, banks have arranged about $4.5 trillion of financing for oil, gas and coal companies, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Companies most susceptible to credit risks are those involved in the coal, chemicals, mining, and oil and gas industries, according to Moody’s. To put that in perspective, only coal mining and coal terminal operators were seen by the firm’s analysts as having “very high” environmental credit risks as recently as 2020....
...In 2021, the U.S. experienced 20 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, putting 2021 in second place for the most disasters in a calendar year, behind the record 22 separate billion-dollar events in 2020. What really made 2021 stand out was the diversity of disasters:
October 4, 2022
By Annie Gowen
McCook, Neb. — As the sun rose on another hot day, (click here) rancher Brad Randel rode through his feedlot working at a grim task — culling cattle from his herd because his ranch’s sparse grass can’t sustain them during a crushing drought.
As Randel swung his quarter horse Bay Belle in tight circles, he and a ranch hand separated runty Black Angus heifers to be sold at a livestock auction from the more promising stock. The cows bellowed as the temperature began its climb into the high 90s, the remnants of a late-summer heat wave that blasted the American West with furnacelike temperatures....
By Tim Quinson
Bloomberg -- Credit risks keep creeping higher for the world’s biggest polluters. (click here)
In fact, the companies facing perhaps the largest climate crisis-related losses have more than twice as much rated debt as they did when the Paris Agreement was announced almost seven years ago, according to an analysis by Moody’s Investors Service.
To be more specific, the 16 industries considered to have “very high” or “high” environmental credit risks have about $4.3 trillion of rated debt (roughly equal to Germany’s gross domestic product), up from $2 trillion in November 2015, Moody’s reported. That equals about 5.1% of total debt outstanding, up from 3% in 2015.
Whether this upward trend continues “largely depends upon the direction of environmental regulations, policy and corporate actions,” said Ram Sri-Saravanapavaan, senior analyst and lead author of the report.
Last week, (click here) our team at NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) released the final update to its 2021 Billion-dollar disaster report (www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions), confirming what much of the nation experienced throughout 2021: another year of frequent and costly extremes. The year came in second to 2020 in terms of number of disasters (20 versus 22) and third in total costs (behind 2017 and 2005), with a price tag of $145 billion.
Bloomberg -- Credit risks keep creeping higher for the world’s biggest polluters. (click here)
In fact, the companies facing perhaps the largest climate crisis-related losses have more than twice as much rated debt as they did when the Paris Agreement was announced almost seven years ago, according to an analysis by Moody’s Investors Service.
To be more specific, the 16 industries considered to have “very high” or “high” environmental credit risks have about $4.3 trillion of rated debt (roughly equal to Germany’s gross domestic product), up from $2 trillion in November 2015, Moody’s reported. That equals about 5.1% of total debt outstanding, up from 3% in 2015.
Whether this upward trend continues “largely depends upon the direction of environmental regulations, policy and corporate actions,” said Ram Sri-Saravanapavaan, senior analyst and lead author of the report.
That is a misstatement.
By allowing companies to pollute to continue to make profits means the profit is paid for by American taxpayers carrying the burden for climate catastrophes and that doesn't begin to measure climate deaths.
The loss of a mother, father, child or grandparent, friendly neighbors is never measured in dollars. Entire communities have met with devastating climate disasters and the loss of a community goes far beyond understanding individual deaths due to climate.
The USA EPA, Department of Agriculture, Interior and Energy are only a few agencies involved in climate disasters. Include in the international realm, Departments of State and USAID. The Russian wars now on three fronts are absolutely climate disasters, but, the USA is the one country that can still produce large amounts of grains and foods in Southern California that might be the one true source of sustenance for our allies.
When politicians want to play with government laws and protecting cronys and their profits, it is more than corruption, it is a threat to the lives of Americans as well as our allies. There is no room for pollution anymore and any politician that sees it differently does not care about the COST of these disasters or the LIVES lost because of them. We don't need corruption, we need legislators with a conscience willing to protect the American people and bring down the enormous toll on land and air.
We cannot go on forever with escalating climate disaster costs.
The numbers are consistent with the amount of funds that banks have served up for fossil-fuel producers via bond sales and loans. Since the start of 2016, banks have arranged about $4.5 trillion of financing for oil, gas and coal companies, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Companies most susceptible to credit risks are those involved in the coal, chemicals, mining, and oil and gas industries, according to Moody’s. To put that in perspective, only coal mining and coal terminal operators were seen by the firm’s analysts as having “very high” environmental credit risks as recently as 2020....
There is not one area of the USA that hasn't faced climate disasters in 2021. In the Northern Great Plains of the USA it appears on the map to be free of trouble. They had livestock losses and hardships of heat and drought.
By Annie Gowen
McCook, Neb. — As the sun rose on another hot day, (click here) rancher Brad Randel rode through his feedlot working at a grim task — culling cattle from his herd because his ranch’s sparse grass can’t sustain them during a crushing drought.
As Randel swung his quarter horse Bay Belle in tight circles, he and a ranch hand separated runty Black Angus heifers to be sold at a livestock auction from the more promising stock. The cows bellowed as the temperature began its climb into the high 90s, the remnants of a late-summer heat wave that blasted the American West with furnacelike temperatures....
No one, except the Dept. of Agriculture and Farm Bureau cares about these losses. They could mean more loan availability. Wall Street just sees it as a fluctuating price for commodities.
The climate crisis must end. It is just too bad that Big Oil lived past 2005 when the peak of their production occurred. Big Oil never dies, it just seeks political power to ensure their subsidies. These ranchers don't receive guaranteed federal subsidies year after year.
End the climate crisis now.
That should be a priority of any US Congress.
Wall Street jitters are not the jitters of Americans.
Boomers are retired. They are on a fixed income. Costs of living are important. But, the generations employed coming off the pandemic unemployment payments are not as bad off as they could have been.
The housing crisis didn't always hurt those that saw the opportunity to trade up. There are definitely housing crisis in the USA, but, not everyone is feeling it.
By Adam Hardy
For most of 2022, (click here) an inflation rate hovering above 8% took a toll on the wallets of Americans across the board. But a new report shows that Gen Z is especially confident that they’ll be able to turn things around next year.
A survey released this month by the financial firm Goldman Sachs found that Gen Zers are far more optimistic about their finances in 2023 than any other generation.
The firm asked more than 2,400 Americans across age groups if they expect their financial situation will be better or worse next year. Of all respondents, only 45% say they believe their situation will improve in 2023. For Gen Z, though, a whopping 77% believe their finances will improve next year.
Most millennials were optimistic, too: 54% say they will be financially better off in 2023, while 45% of Gen X report the same.
For most of 2022, (click here) an inflation rate hovering above 8% took a toll on the wallets of Americans across the board. But a new report shows that Gen Z is especially confident that they’ll be able to turn things around next year.
A survey released this month by the financial firm Goldman Sachs found that Gen Zers are far more optimistic about their finances in 2023 than any other generation.
The firm asked more than 2,400 Americans across age groups if they expect their financial situation will be better or worse next year. Of all respondents, only 45% say they believe their situation will improve in 2023. For Gen Z, though, a whopping 77% believe their finances will improve next year.
Most millennials were optimistic, too: 54% say they will be financially better off in 2023, while 45% of Gen X report the same.
The only thread between the pains Wall Street feels and Americans in general are 401k.
by Ashlyn Brooks
Morningstar (click here) recently compared the numbers on different scenarios for investors who may be thinking of pausing their 401(k) contributions. The result was not favorable for those who opted to stop contributing to their retirement plans, and the data showed that it rarely ever is.
After comparing those who continued investing to others who withheld and tried out the "wait and see" approach, the end return was quite drastic in terms of dollars earned and dollars lost. Let's look at their results and see an example of what you could stand to lose should you choose to pause your retirement investing.
Investors needing guidance on creating a resistant retirement plan can find assistance through a financial advisor. You can connect with a financial advisor for free in just five minutes....
Morningstar (click here) recently compared the numbers on different scenarios for investors who may be thinking of pausing their 401(k) contributions. The result was not favorable for those who opted to stop contributing to their retirement plans, and the data showed that it rarely ever is.
After comparing those who continued investing to others who withheld and tried out the "wait and see" approach, the end return was quite drastic in terms of dollars earned and dollars lost. Let's look at their results and see an example of what you could stand to lose should you choose to pause your retirement investing.
Investors needing guidance on creating a resistant retirement plan can find assistance through a financial advisor. You can connect with a financial advisor for free in just five minutes....
I never followed by 401k much. I saw it mostly as a savings account with 4 percent interest. 4 percent was the employer contribution to my deposits. I realize 401ks are a sweet spot for Wall Street, but, if anyone gets caught up in the markets and tries to ride bubbles with them, it usually doesn't work out.
Wall Street and citizen investors through 401ks make money if the funds are left in guaranteed money market accounts or secured investments with known returns. Otherwise, leave the money in a standard reliable money market with annual interest and consider it an addition to the 4 percent from the employer.
Uncertainly in the markets is simply a meaningful reason to keep the money in guaranteed income accounts.
By Andrew Keshner
Amid stubbornly high inflation, (click here) a record-breaking share of Americans are turning their 401(k) accounts into emergency piggy banks, according to Vanguard.
Dissecting data from a sample of the approximately 5 million employer-sponsored 401(k) accounts that Vanguard handles, researchers said 0.5% of account holders were making hardship withdrawals in October.
That’s a “concerning” all-time high, said Vanguard, the retirement-savings and asset-management heavyweight, offering a view that stretches back to 2004.
For comparison, 0.3% of accounts had hardship withdrawals last October, and during October 2020, the share was 0.2%, Vanguard’s data showed. In October 2019, it was 0.4%, it said.
At the same time, Vanguard’s numbers show that 401(k) loans and nonhardship withdrawals are also currently rising. In October, 0.9% of 401(k) plan participants had loans and another 0.9% had nonhardship withdrawals....
Hardship loans and withdrawals may only be a hardship for Wall Street in losing volume of funds in their accounts. The fact is sometimes if payments are made to existing loans for the consumer it can open up important disposable income and/or opportunity to leave high interest rates behind. This is not necessarily bad news depending on the focus of the consumer.
November 21, 2022By Sarah Hansen
2022 just keeps getting worse for cryptocurrency investors. (click here)
More than half of all bitcoin investors are now in the red, according to data from blockchain analytics platform IntoTheBlock. As of Tuesday morning, 54.5% of all bitcoin addresses were categorized by IntoTheBlock as “out of the money,” meaning that the bitcoin held by that investor is worth less now than it cost on average.
That figure is based on a recent bitcoin price of $16,171.61 per coin, which is 66% lower than bitcoin’s price at the beginning of the year and its lowest level since November 2020....
Cryptocurrency is a permanent bubble. Long term investment usually results in losses. It is not a retirement wonderland. It is opportunistic and is a climate crisis nightmare.
Working at home is less expensive and provides perks that contribute to quality of life. Additionally, it is easier on the climate.
By Mary Ellen Cagnossola
Employees (click here) who returned to the office are probably spending far more compared to working from home. How much more? According to recently released data, working at the office can cost twice as much — adding up to an extra $5,000 a year — even if employees are only commuting a couple days a week.
A new survey from Owl Labs, a video conferencing solutions company, found that employees who go into the office at least part-time spent an average of $863 per month in work-related expenses. Employees working full-time remote jobs averaged less half that amount, spending $423 per month on internet, phone, meals, utilities and other expenses.
That's a difference of $440 per month, or $5,280 over the course of a year....
Stowaways Rescued from Ship's Rudder After 11-Day Voyage
Stowaways Rescued from Ship's Rudder After 11-Day Voyage: LAS PALMAS, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Two of three stowaways who were rescued in Spain’s Canary Islands after enduring 11 days on the rudder of a fuel tanker from Nigeria have been...
The Nantucket fire…
…destroying Secret Service vehicles assigned to President Biden is the same type of attack carried out on UN peacekeeper vehicles.
Nantucket was also the target of DeSantis plane drops of immigrants/environmental refugees.
This is happening at a time when those who attacked the legislators certifying the election of President Biden are on trial for seditious conspiracy.
This fire is not an isolated incident.
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
What is the problem?
Congress has no right to block a strike if the company is not bargaining in good faith. There needs to be a clear understanding that the impasse is due to unreasonable negotiation tactics.
So, what is the problem?
There is a lot of newsprint about President Biden asking Congress to intervene in a potential rail strike, but, the politics isn't the problem. What is the problem with the negotiations that Congress has to wade into a legitimate union negotiation.
What is the union saying besides the fact they oppose Congress interfering?
By Adriana Belmonte
...“Congress (click here) has to act to prevent [a rail strike],” Biden told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s not an easy call, but I think we have to do it. The economy’s at risk.”
According to the Association of American Railroads, roughly one-third of U.S. exports move by rail.
“Let me be clear: A rail shutdown would devastate our economy,” ...
...“Congress (click here) has to act to prevent [a rail strike],” Biden told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s not an easy call, but I think we have to do it. The economy’s at risk.”
According to the Association of American Railroads, roughly one-third of U.S. exports move by rail.
“Let me be clear: A rail shutdown would devastate our economy,” ...
Sick time? The company doesn't want their workers to have sick time? That seems unreasonable.
...The move (click here) was a serious setback for the unions, who say they needed the right to strike in order to get railroad management to negotiate over their major demand to give workers sick days that are not in the current contracts. They say the railroads, many of which reported record profits last year, are enjoying even stronger profits this year and can afford to meet the union’s demands....
What Congress can do besides banning a strike is to allow incremental strikes to emphasize the problem with the negotiations. Incremental strikes would respect both sides without shutting down the country's economy.
Incremental strikes can occur in whatever is workable to maintain function of the rail services, but, letting management know their negotiations are not agreed upon. The issue involves sick time which includes children's needs. There is Family and Medical Leave, but, it isn't really structured for a day or so.
If the rail workers walked off the job for an hour and returned, it would cause delays and inconvenience, but, would not be catastrophic. The public safety has to come first, but, the economy is important to unions, too. If after a brief walk off there were still stalemates over the contract another incremental strike could be carried out and this time perhaps for four hours. The idea is to let the management know the rail services run with good and competent workers.
The only people not really allowed to walk off during incremental strikes are the maintenance crews so the lines are intact to restart. These interruptions are major events so I am sure management would be better listeners if such job actions were to take place.
There are reasons the rail workers are upset about this issue.
...He said this is an issue that the rail unions have been seeking to address for decades, but it has received more attention from membership recently.
“This became a glaring issue during the pandemic when we had members who were forced by their employers, the railroads, to stay home and quarantine without pay,” he said. “But really it comes down to simple things like the flu for a day or two, or a sick child, and the ability to take a day or two paid.”...
That is not an unreasonable request. Paid sick days aren't helpful if they can't be taken when needed. The pandemic was a different issue and the states carried out the Congressional laws that provided unemployment with higher limits. The pandemic put people in touch with these issues and being able to stay home with an ill child or relative that needs the care should not be based in the choice of being home vs. a day without pay.
Management needs to ask themselves why their employees work in the first place. It is usually because they have to support a family.
The USA is holding it's own in the World Cup. Go, team!
November 29, 2022
By Nick Bromberg
...Pulisic was tended to by the United States’ training staff (click here) and the game restarted after trainers moved Pulisic behind the Iran goal. The game restarted with the USMNT having just 10 players on the field as Pulisic was still getting tended to.
Pulisic limped toward the sideline and it appeared for a brief moment that he may need to be substituted right away. He was able to return to the game minutes later and played the rest of the first half as the U.S. held onto its 1-0 lead but was subbed off at halftime for Brenden Aaronson.
The final minutes of the second half got quite nervy as there were nine minutes of stoppage time added to the full 90 minutes. Iran had a couple of decent chances over the course of the second half and also had a very weak shout for a penalty in stoppage time. The penalty wasn't given and the U.S. kept Iran at bay.
Iran had most of the possession for the final 20 minutes but ended up with just four total shots and one shot on goal while the U.S. had 12 shots and five on frame....
...Pulisic was tended to by the United States’ training staff (click here) and the game restarted after trainers moved Pulisic behind the Iran goal. The game restarted with the USMNT having just 10 players on the field as Pulisic was still getting tended to.
Pulisic limped toward the sideline and it appeared for a brief moment that he may need to be substituted right away. He was able to return to the game minutes later and played the rest of the first half as the U.S. held onto its 1-0 lead but was subbed off at halftime for Brenden Aaronson.
The final minutes of the second half got quite nervy as there were nine minutes of stoppage time added to the full 90 minutes. Iran had a couple of decent chances over the course of the second half and also had a very weak shout for a penalty in stoppage time. The penalty wasn't given and the U.S. kept Iran at bay.
Iran had most of the possession for the final 20 minutes but ended up with just four total shots and one shot on goal while the U.S. had 12 shots and five on frame....
Sunday, November 27, 2022
I am grateful…
…for my country and the men and women that defend it.
I hope this holiday was a time of reflection as what is important in life, including a safe and plentiful Earth.
Good night.
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