Politics

[Brent in Az]

For the first time ever, the Republican party will be hosting a midterm election convention in Dallas, TX.

 

[SaintPanzer]

As regards the 2nd, basically the Court already ruled on this, with the "common use" ruling some time back. Weapons in common use cannot be banned the court said, so this should be a slam dunk when they finally rule next summer.
As to the 14th, I am surprised it was close at 5-4. If Roberts or Barrett had gone the other way, it would have been dealt with.
Now it probably wont at least by the Courts, and perhaps legally thats how it should be done, not in the courts but in Congress.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I believe it was a 6-3 decision.

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/supreme-court-rejects-trumps-bid-to-curtail-birthright-citizenship-bf386c17?st=udKyg8&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Re: the 2nd, agreed. I'm merely pointing out the argument used, and the unwillingness of the same people to use similar arguments about the 14th.

No, it won't be resolved "in Congress", because the Supreme Court has ruled what the language of the 14th says. Any law passed stating otherwise will be as unconstitutional as the Executive Order.

What you would need to do is amend the Constitution (with all that entails) to redefine what Birthright Citizenship is. Just like it was amended to allow direct election of senators, income tax, et al.

 

[Doug3006]

Who called the 14th a mistake, not me; all I'm saying is that the constitutional framework relies on the totality of the documents that support the founding document. Without that the "intent" of the framers reverts to speculation. Think of the 2nd amendment, there's an exemplary example of mass confusion; or the first; people think it say says freedom from religion when it actually says freedom of religion. Those simple amendment paragraphs only gain meaning/context when interpreted "through" the supporting documents that gave birth to the amendment itself.

In a nation whose founders were highly literate and well-published, people can find pretty much whatever they want in “supporting documents.” Plain reading of the Constitution may not always support our preferred policies, but there is real risk when we rely on other sources for clarification. The liberals are masters at this, and it always works against conservatives.

 

[Wheels]

I want to say up front that I completely understand the recent Court decision on citizenship. I don't know how anyone would be surprised by the decision.

But here's the thing: I frequently hear opponents of the Second Amendment argue "But the people who wrote that were thinking of muskets, they couldn't have imagined automatic weapons..." or words to that effect.

If I accept that argument (and I'm not saying that I do), would it not also be true, in reference to the 14th Amendment, to argue: "But the people who wrote that could not have imagined air travel, allowing someone to comfortably fly to a city, have a baby, and then comfortably leave?"

I guess consistency would be the hobgoblin of little minds, wouldn't it?

It wouldn’t be surprising to see a requirement for a negative pregnancy test on visas or renewals in the near future.

 

[Rafiki]

In a nation whose founders were highly literate and well-published, people can find pretty much whatever they want in “supporting documents.” Plain reading of the Constitution may not always support our preferred policies, but there is real risk when we rely on other sources for clarification. The liberals are masters at this, and it always works against conservatives.

sorry but it believe this is a bit of a reach, it's usually better to have more information rather than less; but I do understand your point.

 

[sestoppelman]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I believe it was a 6-3 decision.

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/supreme-court-rejects-trumps-bid-to-curtail-birthright-citizenship-bf386c17?st=udKyg8&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Re: the 2nd, agreed. I'm merely pointing out the argument used, and the unwillingness of the same people to use similar arguments about the 14th.

No, it won't be resolved "in Congress", because the Supreme Court has ruled what the language of the 14th says. Any law passed stating otherwise will be as unconstitutional as the Executive Order.

What you would need to do is amend the Constitution (with all that entails) to redefine what Birthright Citizenship is. Just like it was amended to allow direct election of senators, income tax, et al.

No, it was 5-4.

To edit. I have now read it was both, which isnt possible of course. The confusion may lie with Kavanaugh both dissenting and agreeing with it.
But most, not all, sources say it was 6-3 so will go with that.

 

[Doug3006]

The Warren court scoured the archives to find evidence of a right to privacy, which exists nowhere in the Bill of Rights, then based their Roe vs. Wade decision on that newly discovered right.

 

[Rafiki]

The Warren court scoured the archives to find evidence of a right to privacy, which exists nowhere in the Bill of Rights, then based their Roe vs. Wade decision on that newly discovered right.

Yes, and even Ginsberg thought Roe was a terrible decision.

 

[Red Leg]

Any thoughts on gold or silver from our resident bulls of a few months ago? Hopefully no one jumped on the bandwagon at over $4K. It has been a very nice run, but perhaps reality is starting to reassert itself?

 

[Big_Easy]

Securing our borders - decades overdue

Moving to stop/slow fraud in our social programs - again decades overdue

The rights of women to not compete against transgenders in sports - common sense

Shutting down the massive waste of money that was USAID

Ending "temporary protected" status for illegal immigrants - 17 YEARS is not temporary

Immigration enforcement - I can tell you first hand that companies blatantly hiring illegal immigrants in the USA and especially those that facilitate fake documents to hire illegal immigrants are being hit with massive fines and enforcement that were unheard of for decades.

Here is a prime example - A former employer was caught red handed and given a $750 fine in 2015 with Obama in office; he was caught again in 2018 with Trump in office and $1.8mil dollars was seized.

Here is an article from early 2020 that shows several companies that were hit, including my former employer.

ICE’s Actions Against Company Owners Who Harbor Undocumented Workers

In the past six months, owners of companies, who re-hired undocumented

www.tba.org

@KJE81, The real answer is immigration. Trump significantly reduced immigration into the US. That's the end of his accomplishments. But since he didn't work with congress to pass any new immigration legislation to reform the current system (i.e. implement more stringent quotas, or limit what constitutes a valid asylum claim), his success can be undone by the next president if he so chooses.

 

[Big_Easy]

OK, I'll play for a while:

1. Convincing Europe that they need to contribute more for their own defense. Many countries in the EU were not living up to the goal of 2% of GDP, Germany for one. Now some have actually pledges 5% (we'll see if that actually happens).

2. More recently, finally address the I ran problem. This has been festering for 47 years, everyone is responsible for this including every US president until President Trump. Many may not like his approach but the reality is it is the only approach that could be effectively taken against that regime. Europe has been particularly corrupt in it's dealings with Iran in helping with it's enrichment program.

3. In looking at what has happened in Europe and at out own borders under Biden, President Trump recognized that it is unsustainable to throw the borders open to a world of poor foreigners of poor education, means or interest in assimilating, especially in countries with a huge welfare state. European states are losing their wealth and culture to unfettered immigration. The Biden administration said that it would take an act of congress to secure our border, Trump did it is 6-weeks.

4. Addressing the Fentanyl crisis here in the US. This obviously is work-in-progress but he has made significant inroads in closing down the pipeline. Some people may say that blowing up drug boats is overreach, too many dirtbags are being killed on the high seas; well, 100,000 Americans were being killed yearly by these drugs.

5. Venezuela: Again, many may not like snatching a drug dealing head of state but it turned out that doing so has so far worked out for the better of the Venezuelian people and the US. Doing so is not without precedent, in 1989 we captured Manuel Noriega.

There's much more but I'll stop boring people with this.

What an excellent piece of fan fiction. You do realize that Fentanyl precursor chemicals come from China/India, and it's made in Mexico, and then smuggled across the Southwest border. Alleged Caribbean drug boats have got jack squat to do with it.

https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf

Trump also hasn't "secured" anything. Drugs still flow over that boarder everyday. If by "secure" you mean less immigrants, than yeah, sure. But let's not conflate that with drug smuggling.

If Trump is so anti-drug smuggling, then why is he pardoning so many drug traffickers?

Stop lying to @KJE81

 

[Big_Easy]

Yes, and even Ginsberg thought Roe was a terrible decision.

Yes, but only because she thought that it should have been decided based on the Equal Protection Clause as a matter of sex equality. Instead, the Supreme Court based the right to an abortion on a "right to privacy" under the Due Process Clause.

 

[Scott CWO]

I actually don’t think that they are hitting the highest impact targets in the refinery. I would have thought that they would have someone with some expertise in the area helping them with their targeting decisions.

Here’s where your expertise and your connection to Ukraine come together. You should contact someone in the Ukraine consulate.

 

[spike.t]

Ford rehires human engineers after AI fails to match quality checks

The car-maker found AI quality checks failed to match the skill of veteran technicians.

www.bbc.com

 

[spike.t]

I wonder how many heads will roll....xi doesn't seem to mind binning his top officers....

A plane crashed into a tower in Beijing, but China's not saying what happened

The collision left holes on the side of the tower, but Beijing has scrubbed other visible traces of the incident.

www.bbc.com

 

[Altitude sickness]

Any thoughts on gold or silver from our resident bulls of a few months ago? Hopefully no one jumped on the bandwagon at over $4K. It has been a very nice run, but perhaps reality is starting to reassert itself?

I bought gold and silver 30 years ago and occasionally all the way through March of 2026. (Found Krugerrands at below spot)

if I sold everything on the street today I would realize a large capital gain. If I parsed out the March 26 purchase those coins lost money. Which is insignificant compared to what I made in the market over that period.

Just like the stock market over those 30 years.
There were days that if I sold a stock. I would have lost money.

As we know nothing is realized or Lost until it’s sold. I’m still confident that Bessent has the U.S. economy juiced for a Good 2026 maybe into 2027. But the tea leaves say there are large corrections coming.

I have been even more bullish with cases of ammo. .22 to 50 BMG. my grandsons will reap the benefits of gold, silver and lead. I’m buying physical metal again at $3500 and under $50

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Any thoughts on gold or silver from our resident bulls of a few months ago? Hopefully no one jumped on the bandwagon at over $4K. It has been a very nice run, but perhaps reality is starting to reassert itself?

I own and hold a little bit of gold, via ETFs. This is a recent synopsis provided on my investment website


Gold prices have stumbled over the past four months, but Goldman Sachs believes the pullback is unlikely to mark the end of the precious metal’s rally, a view that could reignite interest in gold-backed ETFs if the investment bank’s forecast plays out.

Citing a note released Sunday, Yahoo Finance reported that Goldman Sachs co-head of global commodities research Samantha Dart reiterated the firm’s bullish stance, writing that “Gold is not done.” While bullion has retreated from record highs reached earlier this year amid expectations of a hawkish Federal Reserve and persistent inflation, Goldman continues to forecast gold will climb to $4,900 per troy ounce by the end of 2026.

The firm argues that both structural and cyclical drivers remain intact, even as the potential for higher interest rates has temporarily weighed on investor demand for gold and gold-backed ETFs.

Read Also: Gold ETFs Just Saw Their Biggest Weekly Inflow Since April After $7.6 Billion Exodus

Gold ETFs to watch​

Should investor sentiment toward bullion improve, several physically backed gold ETFs could benefit from renewed inflows.

The largest fund in the space, SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) , remains the industry’s bellwether, offering investors direct exposure to the price of physical gold. The fund is often used by institutional investors seeking liquid access to the precious metal. The fund’s average expense ratio is 0.4%.

Another widely held option is iShares Gold Trust (IAU) , which tracks spot gold prices while offering a lower expense ratio than many legacy products, making it popular among long-term investors. The expense ratio is 0.25%.

For cost-conscious investors, SPDR Gold MiniShares Trust (GLDM) provides similar exposure at an even lower expense ratio of 0.1%, while abrdn Physical Gold Shares ETF (SGOL) offers another physically backed alternative with an expense ratio of 0.17%.

These ETFs typically see stronger inflows during periods of heightened economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, or expectations of lower real interest rates.

Central Bank Buying Remains A Powerful Tailwind​

Goldman pointed to continued purchases by emerging-market central banks as the primary long-term catalyst for higher prices.

According to the bank, reserve diversification following the 2022 freezing of Russia’s foreign exchange reserves continues to reshape global demand for gold. The trend appears far from over, with a recent World Gold Council survey showing that a record 45% of the 76 central banks surveyed between February and May expect to increase their gold holdings over the next 12 months.

Those steady official-sector purchases have helped underpin bullion prices even as investor demand through ETFs has softened.

Higher rates have pressured ETF demand​

The near-term challenge for gold remains the interest-rate outlook.

Gold generally becomes less attractive when Treasury yields rise because the metal does not generate income. Investors have increasingly shifted toward yield-bearing assets as markets price in the possibility that the Federal Reserve could keep interest rates elevated for longer, or even raise them further, following sticky inflation readings and a resilient labor market.

Goldman acknowledged these headwinds have weighed on ETF demand, noting that “a hawkish Fed helps fade the debasement theme.”

However, the investment bank expects those pressures to gradually ease. Its economists anticipate the Fed will hold rates steady this year before beginning an easing cycle in the second half of next year, a backdrop that could encourage investors to rebuild positions in gold-backed ETFs.

Long-Term Outlook Remains Constructive​

Although gold has declined more than 6% year to date after reaching record highs in late January, Goldman believes the broader outlook remains favorable.

The bank expects concerns over Western fiscal sustainability, continued reserve diversification by central banks, and an eventual recovery in ETF demand to support prices over the medium term.

For ETF investors, that suggests the recent weakness in bullion may represent a pause rather than the end of the precious metal’s longer-term bull market, particularly if monetary policy becomes more accommodative over the next year.

 

[Brent in Az]

What an excellent piece of fan fiction. You do realize that Fentanyl precursor chemicals come from China/India, and it's made in Mexico, and then smuggled across the Southwest border. Alleged Caribbean drug boats have got jack squat to do with it.

https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/DEA_GOV_DIR-008-20%20Fentanyl%20Flow%20in%20the%20United%20States_0.pdf

Trump also hasn't "secured" anything. Drugs still flow over that boarder everyday. If by "secure" you mean less immigrants, than yeah, sure. But let's not conflate that with drug smuggling.

If Trump is so anti-drug smuggling, then why is he pardoning so many drug traffickers?

Stop lying to @KJE81

Big Easy, and the daily garbage dump of b.s

 

[spike.t]

Think a certain person should have listened to him with the volume turned up....

 

[spike.t]

Take your folding camp stool if going to Europe any time soon....lovely EU balls up.....

Call to suspend new EU border system in peak holiday period as planes leave half full

Airlines and airports say passengers are struggling in queues of up to five hours for biometric checks

www.theguardian.com