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etiennekissborlase · 1 year

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NY Feds Policy Change May Crush Circles Plan To Implement Fed Payment Rail

NY Fed’s Policy Change May Crush Circle’s Plan To Implement Fed Payment Rail https://bitcoinist.com/feds-policy-change-crush-circle-plan-implement-fed/ Following the recent disclosure of Circle’s goal to get approved for the Fed program, the New York Fed has now updated its rules crushing the stablecoin issuer’s plan. Though the rule is not directed solely to hinder Circle’s goal, however, it has cast uncertainty over the company’s intention to implement Federal payment rail. According to an announcement published on April 25, the New York Federal Reserve has made changes to its eligibility criteria for parties looking to participate in its reverse repurchase agreements (RRP). Policy Change Sabotages Circle’s Plan In a Federal Reserve Reverse Repurchase Agreement (RRP), the Fed sells securities to eligible counterparties with an agreement to buy them back at the maturity date. This has been seen by companies such as Circle as a way to earn interest, therefore, making the company want to implement the system. However, the latest update of the New York Federal Reserve Policy appears to sabotage that specific Circle plan. Circle maintains a Reserve Fund that is managed by investment management firm BlackRock. The fund is classified as a 2a-7 fund and is exclusively available to Circle. However, the Federal Reserve’s statement suggests that this classification under which the Circle reserve fund is labeled may disqualify Circle from participating in the upcoming Federal program. The New York Fed stated: SEC-registered 2a-7 funds that, in the sole judgment of the New York Fed, are organized for a single beneficial owner, or exhibit sufficient similarities to a fund so organized, generally will be deemed ineligible to access reverse repo operations. A 2a-7 fund is a type of money market fund that is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act of 1940. These funds are designed to be low-risk, highly liquid investments that provide a stable value and yield to investors. The primary goal of this government money market funds is to ensure that funds under it can promptly fulfill investor redemptions. Particularly, funds falling under this category must hold a minimum of 10% of their total assets in daily liquid assets and at least 30% of their total assets in weekly liquid assets. Fed Payment System Imposes Potential Risk On Circle Circle’s approval into the Federal Reserve’s program would enable the stablecoin issuer to earn interest on excess funds by investing in low-risk Treasury securities, and therefore, help maintain the stability of its stablecoin, USDC Coin, while also generating interest income. However, In January, the Bank Policy Institute, a prominent advocacy group for US banks, argued otherwise and warned that in the event that Circle’s USDC is granted access to the RRP, it could potentially create a stablecoin that is effectively backed by the Federal Reserve. This poses a risk to the stability of the financial system. Despite this, in March, Raagulan Pathy, the Asia-Pacific vice president of Circle, said that the company’s ultimate goal remains to keep all of its cash with the Federal Reserve and utilize the payment rails to the Fed. This approach would decrease Circle’s reliance on traditional financial (TradFi) partners, according to Pathy. Meanwhile, the USDC market cap value has been moving in a downtrend in the past week. Over the past 24 hours, the USDC market cap has declined by 0.1% with the total value sitting at $3.6 billion. Featured image from Unsplash, Chart from TradingView via Bitcoinist.com https://bitcoinist.com April 26, 2023 at 03:30PM

#Bitcoinist.com

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atlanticcanada · 1 year

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Data used to remove New Brunswick rental cap comes into question

Jill Green, New Brunswick’s minister responsible for housing, came under fire for data she used to support ending the province's rent cap during question period Thursday.

"I then realized I had used the incorrect word when I was talking about the data here in the house,” Green said during question period.

“I said housing starts which is very different, Mr. Speaker, then building permits. The numbers I provided were building permits that were pulled,” she said.

Opposition is now calling into question all of the minister's data used to end the 3.8 per cent rent cap.

"Here's the issue, when you offer these types of statistics then it puts everything else the minister says in question. It questions her whole credibility,” said Liberal MLA Benoît Bourque, during question period.

"What are they doing? What is their plan? And where is the evidence to back up their plan? It seems to be changing from day to day,” said Megan Mitton, the Green Party’s housing critic.

“It's really confusing and stressful for people and it's clear the priority is not protecting tenants, it's not protecting New Brunswickers,” Mitton continued.

Backtracking on ending the rent cap does seem possible but the minister would not confirm one way or the other.

"We are considering that and there's a lot of moving parts with it. So that's one of the issues that's on the table and definitely, we're considering that for the spring session,” Green told reporters.

It was proposed that the rent cap could remain in place and property owners could apply to the Residential Tenancies Tribunal for increases.

"I still believe the rent cap is the better way to go and looking at the new reports and the new data that has been made available it confirms that in my mind,” Bourque said.

"If there's not going to be a rent cap, what's the next best thing? I agree with the idea of owners having the onus to justify the increases, and I would want it right now,” he said.

But there are concerns that if the rent cap is not addressed ahead of the spring legislature sitting, it leaves months open to a loophole for landlords to increase rents ahead of the legislation.

"They would be notices of rent increases cause they have to give six months' notice and they can only give one rent increase a year, so it's possible,” Green said.

“I'll be interested to see what happens if that does happen that's going to be part of the consideration,” she said.

ACORN N.B. -- a community advocacy group -- told CTV News the return of the rent cap is imperative for New Brunswickers to feel secure in their housing and that the spring session will be too late to implement measures.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/U0GK6gs

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

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gkdhaka · 2 years

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Automakers and climate activists agree on need for Congress to extend electric vehicle tax credits

It’s not often that environmentalists and automakers find themselves on the same side of an issue, especially one related to climate change. But when four of the world’s largest automakers sent a letter on Monday to the leadership of both parties in Congress asking for an increase in the cap on how many electric vehicles are eligible for tax rebates, environmental advocacy organizations…

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qqueenofhades · 4 years

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Okay, I’ve read Joe Biden’s plans.

I’ve just sat down and spent several hours actually reading all the damn plans on his website, the whole thing, so you don’t have to. And here’s the conclusion:

They’re pretty good.

Are they absolutely everything we want immediately? Maybe not. Are they a solid Democratic agenda anyway? Yes they are. Are they better than Trump?

Light years!

His Violence Against Women plan is lengthy, detailed, and pays specific attention to violence against Native, lesbian and bisexual, low-income, disabled, rural, transgender (especially trans women of color) immigrant, domestic abuse victims, and other vulnerable women. He calls for replacing and expanding Obama-era policies and funding for campus sexual assault programs that DeVos trashed, and for providing money for culturally specific services that are sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of survivors. He also notes that sexual assault, while it predominantly affects women and girls, needs to be taken seriously and addressed for people of all gender identities.

His gun safety plan is forceful and lays out several steps for banning assault weapons, taking existing weapons from offenders, closing gun purchase background check and other legal loopholes, addressing the intersection between domestic violence and weapons ownership, and reducing or eliminating weapons and ammunition stockpiling.

His plan for tackling climate change and creating green jobs is also lengthy. He makes the connection between economic, environmental, and racial justice. He pledges to immediately rejoin the Paris Agreement and restore American leadership on the issue in pushing for even stronger climate standards, make climate change a central part of our trade, international, and justice goals, demand a worldwide ban on fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks (!!!) and if the Green New Deal is passed, to sign it, as well as for the U.S. to achieve 100% clean energy and zero percent net emissions by 2050.

His healthcare plan is decent. It offers an immediate public option for all Americans regardless of private, employer, or no coverage, and generous new tax credits to put toward the cost of coverage. It strongly protects abortion rights and federal funding for Planned Parenthood, as well as rescinding the “gag rule” that prevents U.S. federal aid money from being used to provide or even talk about abortions in NGOs abroad. It attacks generic and drug price gouging. It calls for doubling the capital gains tax on the super-wealthy (from 20% to 39.5% paid on capital gains by anyone making over $1 million) to help fund healthcare reform. He also has a separate plan on the opioid crisis in America, and on older Americans and retirement, including the protection and re-funding of Medicare and Social Security.

His immigration plan is lengthy and detailed. He apologizes for and acknowledges the excessive deportation that occured during the Obama-Biden administrations, pledges to do better, and attacks Trump’s current inhumane acitivities on every front. The policy of children in cages, indefinite detention, the metered asylum system, and the Muslim Ban are gone on day one. In this and his LGBTQ plan, he notes the vulnerability of LGBTQ refugees, incuding LGBTQ refugees of color. He proposes streamlining of visa applications and prioritizing the immediate reunification of families. It also specifically states that ICE and CBP agents will be held directly accountable for inhumane treatment.

Speaking of which, his LGBTQ plan is comprehensive. It pays attention to multiple intersectional issues, down to the high rates of incarceration among trans people of color. (He also notes the rates of violence against trans women of color particularly.) He calls for a complete ban on conversion therapy and the discrimination against HIV-status individuals, as well as removing the ban on blood donation from gay and bisexual men. He will remove the transgender military ban immediately. He calls for funding for mental health and suicide prevention among LGBTQ populations.

His plan to empower workers calls for raising the federal minimum wage to $15, as well as indexing this to median hourly wages to ensure that working-class and middle-class wages grow closer to parity, and implementing strong legal protections for unions. He expresses support for striking workers and to empower the National Labor Relations Board in workplace advocacy. Farmworkers, domestic workers, gig economy workers, and other non-traditional labor groups are included in this. He will restore all Obama-Biden policies related to workplace safety and regulation.

His plan to restore American dignity and leadership in the world calls for immediately investing in election security and reform, restoration of the Voting Rights Act, immediately restoring White House press briefings and other Trump refusals of information, tackling criminal justice reform and systematic racial discrimination, calling for campaign finance reform, and basically blowing up all the stupid things the Trump administration does on a daily basis. It also calls for an end to all ongoing wars in the Middle East, restoring the Iran nuclear deal, and new arms control treaties with Russia, among general repairing of international alliances.

His plans for K-12 education and post-high school education call for greatly expanded funding across all levels of 2-year, 4-year, and other educational options. There will be no student loan payments for anyone making under $25,000 a year; everyone else will pay a capped amount and be completely forgiven after a certain period. Public servants qualify for up to $50,000 in loan forgiveness. This is not total loan forgiveness for everyone, which is obviously important for me and many of us, but it’s acceptable to start with. Additionally, his wife is a teacher and has a proven track record of calling for education investment and supporting public school funding.

His plan for housing addresses the needs of formerly incarcerated, LGBTQ, veteran, low-income, sexual assault survivor, black and Hispanic, and other vulnerable populations at risk of losing housing. It calls for a tax on companies and corporations with in excess of $50 billion in assets to fund comprehensive new housing initiatives, including $100 billion in accessible and low-income housing development. It includes extensive investment in public transportation and a high-speed rail system. This ties into his plan to repair infrastructure and invest in new technologies across the country.

His plan for criminal justice reform calls for the end of mass incarceration, the decriminalization of marijuana, the automatic expunging of all cannabis convictions, and an end on jail sentences for drug use. It highlights systematic institutional racism and the impact on black and brown people particularly. It calls for an end on all profiteering and private prisons. It focuses on reintegrating offenders into society and funding the needs of people released from prison. It proposes to “expand and use the power of the U.S. Justice Department to address systemic misconduct in police departments and prosecutors’ offices.” It broadens funding for social services and other programs for people who are otherwise placed into the prison pipeline.

There are more plans, which you can find here. These are the ones I read top to bottom. I am not by any means a Joe Biden fangirl; he was not my first choice, my second choice, or really anywhere on my list. However, having carefully read through his policy documents, I can say that:

He has at the least a good team of advisors who are keenly aware of the political climate, and is willing to both restore Obama-era standards and to improve on them where necessary. Obviously, all politicians’ promises are politicians’ promises, but this is a solid Democratic platform with obvious awareness of the progressive wing of the party.

If progressive legislation is passed in the House and Senate, he will sign it, including the Green New Deal.

He represents a clear and definite improvement over Donald Trump.

Is he everything we want? No. Are his policies better than I was expecting? Yes. I advise you to read through them for yourself. It has made me at least feel better about the likelihood of voting for him.

I realize it’s an unsexy position, especially on tumblr, to advocate for an old centrist white man. I’m not thrilled about having to do it. However, speaking as someone who was very resistant to Biden and still doesn’t agree with all of his previous legislative track record, that’s my consensus. He is a candidate who broadly aligns with values that I care about. His policies represent a concrete end to the damage of the Trump administration and gets us on the right track again.

Joe Biden, if he is the Democratic nominee, will receive my vote on November 3, 2020. I urge you to consider what I’ve laid out above and join me.

#hilary for ts #politics for ts #long post #if you're gonna argue with me about this #at least read the plans first #i'm still not super excited #but it's acceptable #it's much better than trump #it does more than i expected #and that's a good start #so there we have it #joe biden

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omegaplus · 2 years

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# 3,890

Madvillain: “Money Folder” b/w “America’s Most Blunted” (2003)

I’m not here for “Money Folder” but instead it’s “America’s Most Blunted” I’m after. It’s the ultimate time machine for me. Any listen of the AA-side magically transports me to my absolute best time at Stony Brook: those cold months making sushi and eating night meals at Jasmine, house parties and lower-level events at the University Cafe, and finally meeting that broken girl who would forever change the course of my life. Even to this day, “America’s Most Blunted” has that effect on me every time I hear it. It’s like those months never left me because it still feels like it was yesterday.

The double AA-feature presented here is a trademark example of the legendary Madvillain’s sampling lunacy and beat supremacy, and only a couple of years in when Zed Love X resurfaced as MF DOOM (all caps) and started dominating the hip-hop / backpacker world. Two colorful verses of complimentary rap from DOOM and Madlib’s helium-pitched alter ego Quasimoto overlaying a skip-happy beat and some samples courtesy of Ron Jacobs’ A Child’s Garden Of Grass (1971) and Steve Reich’s “Come Out” (’66) all in the name of smoking advocacy. If you thought that was fun, then 2004′s Madvilliany is hip-hop / rap’s ultimate summer attraction. It took too long to get my hands on that album. Now, it’s finally mine.

#omega #music #mixtapes #reviews #playlists #Madvillain #Madlib #MF DOOM #Zed Love X #hip-hop #rap #samling #samples #Quasimoto #Ron Jacobs #Steve Reich #personal #Long Island

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malnatihq · 4 years

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LET'S CELEBRATE, IT'S ALL RIGHT: a week long pride celebration !! — 🌈

the first pride parade && festival in 1970 commemorated the one year anniversary of the stonewall riots in new york city. today, hundreds of pride festivals around the world provide safe spaces for lgbtq+ people to be themselves && for all of us to celebrate the rich diversity found in our communities. in the next week, chicago will join people around the country && the world in this celebration of diversity through the celebration of pride week. pride week, for the malnati hotel, is as an inclusive, safe community for everyone. malnati’s pride week celebration is also an opportunity for the hotel to show pride in its diversity and for all members of the community to show pride in our hotel. additionally, we hope to educate employees && guests about the availability of lgbtq+ organizations && services. june is national pride month, and to us, the love extends to the lgbtq+ communities && beyond. pride has been celebrated for years at the malnati hotel, but the celebration we know && love today began in the early 90s. throughout the years, the malnati hotel has provided a safe stay for all during the week event. even though there has been many changes, one thing has remained the same && that is the malnati hotel’s commitment to bringing safe, fun events to the lgbtq+ community && their allies. along with the festivities, the outside of the malnati will be lit up with pride colors for the whole week. anyone may be able to celebrate pride week ( june 15th-21st ). each day, an event will be all over the city && the malnati. through the week, many events will be held at different times. each day will have a different headlining event. most events are free but donations will be taken && given to lgbtq+ organizations !!

please like this once you’ve seen it!

EXTENDED INFORMATION !!

where: this event will exist on the dash. there will be a discord event that will be on thursday, june 18th, however. post any starters, text messages, snapchats, etc. in the starter tag ( malnatistarters ) !!

when: this event will begin on monday, june 15th and will end on sunday, june 21st. this event will happen in real time, meaning each event will happen as each day happens. however, you don’t have to start a thread at the time it says, you can start it whenever !! we just thought we’d set the setting to make it more easier for you all !! also, you can either stop your current threads and continue after the week event or you can try to tie in the event with your current threads.

ooc information: this event will last the whole entire week, and you may continue any threads until sunday, june 21st 3AM EST. hopefully with the events lined up and planned below, you all can plan which ones you want your character(s) to attend and plot accordingly !! your character(s) don’t have to attend all of these events. if one of your threads happens to overlap, that’s alright !! we want everyone to be able to develop their character(s) with this week event and just to have a fun time with their characters as it’s a celebration, after all !!

also: despite everything going on in the world right now, we think that roleplay is the best way to escape from reality, so we’re going to play as if there are no threats happening right now && that everyone will be safe as they enjoy the week.

etc: anything related to the event such as ootds, playlists, moodboards, instagram posts can be posted and tagged with #malnatipride !! we have so many characters who are a part of the community and this is our time to celebrate them !! if anyone has any q’s, please direct them our way !!

DAILY EVENTS !!

MONDAY:

the malnati takes part in the city’s pride parade – the parade kicks off at noon on monday, june 15th, 2018, beginning at montrose avenue && broadway in uptown and ends near the intersection of diversey parkway && sheridan road in lincoln park. the grand marshals of the parade are the hosts of queer eye aka the fab five !! the malnati’s will be having a float that will be in the parade, so employees && guests are encouraged to walk the parade. bring all your flags, best outfits, and yourself to represent the community at the malnati !! the malnati is participating in the parade to honor the trevor project. employees && guests are encouraged to donate to the cause, where all donations will support the trevor project !! feel free to post how you think our pride float would look like using pinterest, moodboards, etc !! if you’d like to donate to the trevor project, you can find the link here !!

TUESDAY:

pride skate at the malnati’s – pride skate has been a highly anticipated family-friendly pride event since its inception and, with this year’s theme of disco pride, we want to celebrate all with retro/disco skating !! we encourage everyone to dress up as a vision from the 70s/80s disco era — be it with bell bottoms, glittery tops, flowery dresses or even a corduroy suit. this will be the ultimate party for fans of abba, earth wind & fire, prince, chic && all round disco music from the 70s && 80s !! in addition to that, drag queens trixie mattel, shea coulee, manila luzon, shangela, bob the drag queen, alyssa edwards, nina west && naomi smalls will make a special appearance. for one night, the banquet hall of the malnati’s will be turned into a roller skating rink for all to enjoy, with performances from the acclaimed queens !! along with that, the malnati’s rec room will be set up with arcade games so you guys can get the true roller rink experience. this disco extravaganza will take place from 6pm to 2am. admission is free, but donations for glaad are greatly appreciated. skate rental, unlimited slices of pizza, drinks ( with free refills ), and popcorn are included with the event. you don’t want to miss this event that will have you, pardon our pun, feeling like a dancing queen !! if you’d like to donate to glaad, you can find the link right here !!

WEDNESDAY:

annual rainbow charity 5k run/walk – the rainbow 5k is a great event for those trying to beat their personal best or those just trying to stay active !! all proceeds from the rainbow 5k run/walk will support the hiv/aids services through the amFAR foundation, one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of aids research, hiv prevention, treatment education, and advocacy. unique colored shirts will be provided to each participating member. in addition to a shirt, you will also be provided colored power to splash on people as you make your way through the city. groups are $6 && singles are $1. the 5k run && 5k walk will both start and end at the navy pier and follow a street course through lakefront trail. because this is a city course, registration will be capped at 1,000 participants. after you get done with the marathon, you’ll be able to join the community picnic near the hotel. they will serve classic treats such as burgers && hot dogs, along with options for non-meat eaters. this event will start at 9am and end at 8pm. if you’d like to donate to amFAR, you can find the link right here !!

THURSDAY:

pride prom and silent auction at the malnati hotel – on thursday, june 18th, we celebrate love of every kind with pride at the malnati hotel: love is love. you are invited to join us for an elegant && fun evening of celebration, delectable food && drinks, and most of all, contributing to the mission of national center for transgender equality -- a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. to raise funds for the amazing organization, the malnati will be hosting a silent auction all night. some items include a gorgeous sculpture, an tasteful statue, and a couple of stunning paintings. at the beginning of the evening, you will be served dinner in the banquet hall && will have the opportunity to watch laverne cox give a keynote speech. after the dessert is passed around, pride prom will begin at the hotel’s ballroom !! let’s dance in the name of everything that makes us unique && beautiful by letting loose && dancing with every beating heart ( no matter your sexuality, gender identity, color, or religion ). don’t miss out on this night of glitz, glam, mocktails, and fashion with this night. you can count on us to provide the music && glitter, but make sure to bring your favorite wig or accessory to capture the night at our photobooths. all proceeds will benefit the national center for transgender equality, so invite your friends && make sure to grab a cocktail or two ( or three ) on the night of before you show up. the attire: be bold, be beautiful, be you. the dress code is black tie && formal wear, so be sure to pull out all the stops as you’ll arrive to a beautiful rainbow carpet. colorful dresses / suits are encouraged, however !! if you would like to donate to the ncte, you can find the donation link here !!

note: this event will take place on a separate discord server where we will be sending out the link to starting on thursday @ 6 pm EST for those who would like to join !! everyone is invited to this incredible fundraising event. this is the opportunity for those who were not yet open && out in their high school days to celebrate the most sensationalized dance of your lives as who you truly are with pride and in a nonjudgmental space. most of all, it is a night to have great fun with friends, lgbtq+ pals, and allies alike !! all sexualities && gender identities are welcome to express themselves && have fun on this night !! you are encouraged to post your attire for the event, any type of social media posts, and all the aesthetics / moodboards you can think of using the #malnatipride tag !!

information about the silent auction and bidding: in character, your muses will bid for items based on what it is and a few details about it. the items will range from artwork such as a sculpture or a beautiful painting. each item will also be associated with a certain prize that will be similar to our point system prizes ... it’s going to be a lot of fun && something we have never done before !! out of character, you will be using your points to bid on the items and it will be a silent auction. there will be more information about this event && the auction on thursday !! we thought it would be a unique way to use your points && you definitely won’t regret using them !!

FRIDAY - SUNDAY:

malnati’s pride street carnival – all fun things have to come to an end, right ?? to close our pride week, the malnati will be hosting a street carnival for all to enjoy. with permission from the city, they have closed off all the blocks surrounding the hotel so the carnival can be set up. during the day, you’ll be able to hit up the booths from vendors, food trucks, games, and carnival rides lined up in the street. at night ?? the neon bulbs will light up the sky, making the area around the malnati look like a dream. the bars && restaurants will open with great deals && lots of partying that spills into the streets for you to stay out all night. it’s bound to be a good time, and we hope to see you there !!

activities/games include: dunk tank, cake walk, face painting, tattoo booth, water guns, basketball games, balloon games, ping ping games, duck pond, ring toss, bounce houses, photo booth, disc drop, etc.

junk food alley: food that’s featured in junk food alley would be corn dogs, elephant ears, spiral spuds, soft pretzels, caramel apples, popcorn, cotton candy, all the fried food, pizza, bbq, etc.

rides: ferris wheel, the zipper, 1001 notches, wipeout, fun slide, bumper cars, the carousel, fireball, gravitron, the round up, the swings, etc.

#malnatievents #malnatipride

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realitysangle · 4 years

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Okay, I’ve read Joe Biden’s plans.

I’ve just sat down and spent several hours actually reading all the damn plans on his website, the whole thing, so you don’t have to. And here’s the conclusion:

They’re pretty good.

Are they absolutely everything we want immediately? Maybe not. Are they a solid Democratic agenda anyway? Yes they are. Are they better than Trump?

Light years!

If progressive legislation is passed in the House and Senate, he will sign it, including the Green New Deal.

He represents a clear and definite improvement over Donald Trump.

Joe Biden, if he is the Democratic nominee, will receive my vote on November 3, 2020. I urge you to consider what I’ve laid out above and join me.

#Joe Biden

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allthecanadianpolitics · 5 years

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Legislation aimed at preventing foreign interference and constraining the influence of big money in Canadian elections has been approved by the Senate.

Bill C-76 passed in the upper house late Monday on a vote of 54-31 and is expected to receive royal assent later this week.

That means the reforms will apply during next year’s federal election campaign.

Chief electoral officer Stephane Perrault had warned that the much-delayed bill must go into effect by the end of this year if the independent elections watchdog was to have time to implement the reforms for next year’s campaign.

Bill C-76 is an omnibus bill that will reverse a number of changes wrought by the previous Conservative administration’s widely denounced Fair Elections Act. It will restore the use of voter information cards as a valid form of identification to prove residency and will do away with measures that critics argued were designed to benefit the deep-pocketed Tories.

It will limit spending by parties and advocacy groups during the three-month period before an election is officially called, as well as during the official campaign. And it scraps a Tory-instituted provision allowing parties to spend $650,000 for each day a campaign exceeds the minimum 37 days and caps the maximum campaign length at 50 days.

It will also extend the right to vote to ex-patriate Canadians, no matter how long they’ve lived outside the country, rather than the current five-year limit.

#Justin Trudeau #Democracy #cdnpoli #canada #canadian politics #canadian news #canadian

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bountyofbeads · 5 years

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Federal Budget Would Raise Spending by $320 Billion https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/us/politics/budget-deal.html

Federal Budget Would Raise Spending by $320 Billion

By Emily Cochrane, Alan Rappeport and Jim Tankersley | Published July 22, 2019 | New York Times | Posted July 22, 2019 |

WASHINGTON — White House and congressional negotiators reached accord on a two-year budget on Monday that would raise spending caps and lift the government’s debt ceiling, likely averting a fiscal crisis but splashing still more red ink on an already surging deficit.

If passed by Congress and signed by President Trump, the deal would stop a potential debt default this fall and avoid automatic spending cuts next year. The agreement would also bring clarity about government spending over the rest of Mr. Trump’s term.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

· 20m

I am pleased to announce that a deal has been struck with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy - on a two-year Budget and Debt Ceiling, with no poison pills....

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

....This was a real compromise in order to give another big victory to our Great Military and Vets!

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5:44 PM - Jul 22, 2019

“It’s pretty clear that both houses of Congress and both parties have become big spenders, and Congress is no longer concerned about the extent of the budget deficits or the debt they add,” said David M. McIntosh, president of the Club for Growth, a conservative group that advocates for free-enterprise.

The agreement, struck by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, would raise spending by $320 billion, compared to the strict spending levels established in the 2011 Budget Control Act and set to go into effect next year without legislative action. Spending on domestic and military programs would increase equally, a key demand of Ms. Pelosi, offset by about $75 billion in spending cuts, far lower than the $150 billion in cuts that some White House officials initially demanded.

The deal would lift the debt ceiling high enough to allow the government to keep borrowing for two more years, punting the next showdown past the 2020 elections. The negotiators hope to enact the accord before Congress leaves for its August recess.

The president said he was pleased with the added military spending and made no mention of the mounting deficits that he and Republicans once railed against.

The deal is a coup de grâce for the Budget Control Act of 2011, which President Barack Obama signed into law after House Republicans, led by the current acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, pushed the government to the brink of defaulting on its debt. The law, once seen as the Republicans’ crowning achievement in the Obama era, set strict spending caps, enforced with automatic spending cuts.

But since 2014, a succession of budget deals has waived the Budget Control Act caps, and the new deal not only lifts them again but allows the whole law to expire in 2021.

Meantime, the federal debt has ballooned to $22 trillion. Despite healthy economic growth, the federal deficit for this fiscal year has reached $747 billion with two months to go — a 23 percent increase from the year before.

“It appears that Congress and the president have just given up on their jobs,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which blasted out a statement arguing the tentative deal “may end up being the worst budget agreement in our nation’s history.”

“The economy is great and able to accommodate changes,” she said in an interview. “But we’re about to make things worse due to nothing other than the lack of political will.”

The rising costs of an aging population, with the baby boom generation drawing Social Security and Medicare benefits, and Washington’s spending habits have led to increases in both federal spending and interest costs on the growing national debt. During the first two years of the Trump administration, the debt increased by more than $2 trillion, in part because of the 10-year, $1.5 trillion tax cut and large spending increases Mr. Trump signed into law.

The president has repeatedly called for deep spending cuts in the budgets he has submitted to Congress — then signed several laws that have boosted the deficit even further.

As president, Mr. Trump has overseen both a binge in discretionary spending and a plunge in expected tax revenues as a result of the tax cut legislation that stands as his signature legislative achievement. The federal budget deficit has increased by an average of 15 percent for each fiscal year he has been in office. (Mr. Obama ran large deficits in his first term in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. But his second term saw deficits fall by an average of 11 percent per fiscal year.)

In that first Obama term, which included a large government stimulus package to jump-start job creation in the depths of the recession, discretionary spending on military and domestic items rose by about 3 percent per year, on average. In his second term, such spending declined by an annual average of nearly 2 percent.

Mr. Trump is currently on pace to increase discretionary spending by an average of nearly 4 percent per year.

Mr. Trump’s tax cuts, which reduced rates for businesses and individuals, have not paid for themselves, as some administration officials said they would. Instead, they have reduced individual and corporate tax revenues by about 8 percent per year, compared to what budget forecasters expected before the cuts were passed into law.

Combined with increased costs from paying interest on a larger national debt, the tax cuts are on pace to add nearly $400 billion to the national debt in the course of the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years, according to data from the Congressional Budget Office.

But Democrats are not inclined toward austerity either. In the first round of Democratic presidential debates, the national debt was barely mentioned.

Still, passage of the budget agreement is not certain. Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Mnuchin, who have led the negotiations in private phone calls over the last week, will have to sell the deal to their parties ahead of an anticipated House vote this week, before that chamber leaves on Friday. The Senate is scheduled to leave for its recess next week.

In her caucus, Ms. Pelosi must wrangle votes from both her fiscal hawks and liberal members opposed to increased military spending. Mr. Mnuchin must secure the president’s signature and wave off critics of government spending Mr. Mulvaney.

But the threat of an economically disastrous default on the nation’s debt, coupled with widespread desire to avoid automatic cuts to military and domestic programs, are likely enough for the proposed measure to become law.

“I can’t imagine anybody ever even thinking of using the debt ceiling as a negotiating wedge,” Mr. Trump said on Friday. “We can never play with it.”

Once a deal is enacted, lawmakers have to race to agree on how to allocate the money before Oct. 1, when current spending laws expire.

Meantime, the deficit hawks are getting more disheartened.

“Everybody getting what they want is not bipartisan compromise, it’s irresponsible policymaking that harms the next generation,” said Michael Peterson, chief executive of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, an advocacy group for debt reduction.

Jim Tankersley contributed reporting.

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fandomforward · 6 years

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Why do we open our borders for Harry Potter, but not for refugees?

HPA Chapters host a wide array of magic making, including protest, advocacy, charitable fundraising, community service, social events, and more.Harry Potter fans are calling for the U.S. to #Welcome75K

Over 20 years, the Harry Potter series has seen unprecedented success across every border. Harry boasts fans on every continent who can read official translations of his story in 80 languages. The boy who lived has also given life to an international movement: there are Harry Potter Alliance chapters in 38 countries on 6 continents. The chapters act as autonomous arms of a real world Dumbledore’s Army, tackling dark arts like illiteracy, LGBTQ+ discrimination, the global refugee crisis, and more. Through Harry’s story, the HPA has donated 380,000 books around the world, supported disaster relief efforts, compelled Warner Bros. to support fair labor practices by making all their Harry Potter brand chocolate fair trade/UTZ-certified, and much more.

Image: HPA Chapters host a wide array of magic making, including protest, advocacy, charitable fundraising, community service, social events, and more.

It’s no question that Harry’s story has made the world better — his presence has inspired millions of fans around the world to become activists, philanthropists, readers, and leaders. Yet, while the world has opened their borders to Harry, the U.S. is shutting its doors to everyone else. On September 17, 2018, the U.S. State Department announced that it would cap refugee admissions in 2019 at just 30,000 people — a record low for a country that once asked the world to “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

The U.S. isn’t alone in their decision. The Australian government continues to imprison 102 refugee children on the island nation of Nauru (the U.S. detains migrant children in far higher numbers). Greece detains migrants, too, in the Moira camp that is now being called a humanitarian crisis. Hungary recently made it illegal to help undocumented migrants. Anti-immigrant parties have surged in the polls in Italy, Sweden, and other European countries.

You can, of course, purchase copies of Harry Potter in each of these countries. The world doesn’t care that Harry isn’t from within their borders. We made room in our hearts for his story a long time ago.

Image: Harry Potter fans line the aisles of a bookstore at a midnight release party.

Make no mistake — Harry’s story is different than any refugee’s. He is, like real world refugees, a victim of violence — orphaned by war, persecuted by an evil would-be dictator, subjected to ten years of vile abuse by his only family. He has unquestionable advantages: he’s white, he’s wealthy, he’s famous. But most of all, Harry is a fictional border-crosser. He’s a story, not a person. When told in books and movies, we open our hearts to characters regardless of the countries they’ve come from and the borders they’ve crossed. Confronted with real world refugees of war, violence, persecution and, increasingly, climate change, we stumble. We don’t talk with love about a global phenomenon. We fight about vetting and worthiness and walls.

We forget our love of stories. Stories of refugees who are twice as likely as U.S.-born citizens to start businesses. Stories of refugees that become community leaders, doctors, and hot sauce moguls. Stories that, like the Harry Potter series, celebrate the magic of food. Stories, also like Harry’s, that are children’s stories: more than half the refugees around the globe are under the age of 18. Stories that are incredibly common: out of 9 billion human beings, nearly one in 100 have been pushed out of their homes due to war or political instability.

As fans of a story that has crossed every border and made the world better for it, we cannot in good conscience stay quiet while the U.S. occupies indigenous land and closes its borders. Instead, we are encouraging Harry Potter fans to urge the U.S. State Department to resettle at least 75,000 refugees in 2019. Fans can take action to #Welcome75K today:

(1) Reblog this statement. If in the U.S., add the hashtag #Welcome75K.

(2) Invite two friends into the movement by asking them to read and share this statement.

Help us open our hearts and our borders: visit Dumbledore’s Army Fights Back to change the story today.

Image: Dumbledore’s Army Fights Back logo - blue text with maroon stars and a heart with a lightning bolt.

#DAFightsBack #DA Fights Back #Welcome 75K #refugees welcome #dumbledore's army

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atlanticcanada · 2 years

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N.B. opposition, tenancy groups call for rent cap to be extended past 2022

A 3.8 per cent rent cap in New Brunswick that was put in place in March, retroactive to January of this year, may soon be running out.

However, Service New Brunswick Minister Mary Wilson couldn't say for sure if the cap would be extended or run out at the end of this year.

"I can't give you specifics on what the details of that is but I can just tell you that we're taking everything into consideration,” said Wilson. “We want to make sure we protect our tenants, we want to make sure we encourage development."

Tenants' advocacy groups are concerned if the rent cap ends it will see people out on the streets.

"People are genuinely afraid of not being able to afford their next rent increase, so it's really important that this gets extended," said Matthew Hayes with the NB Coalition for Tenants Rights.

New Brunswick Green Party MLA Megan Mitton says she is concerned that tenants won't have any protection without a rent cap from "predatory rent increases."

"They need to bring in legislation as soon as possible,” Mitton said.

“We already know that people are getting notified that their rent is going to increase Jan. 1 without a change in the legislation, which we did propose an amendment that would have allowed for that, which was voted down by the government."

"They have to be accountable, whatever the call may be, they have to protect the vulnerable population of New Brunswick because like I said, they have six months to raise the rents,” said Liberal MLA Robert Gauvin. “The notices have been sent, people are afraid, they're scared."

Rent can only be raised once in a 12-month period with six months notice.

"We've been telling Mary Wilson in meetings that we've had with her that this is not having any disincentive on new build development that is aimed at the upper end of the market. Developers, right now, are building apartments as fast as they can but what we have is an affordable housing crisis.” Haynes said.

“The affordable housing units that exist on the current market are not being built in any of those new builds."

The rent cap in New Brunswick is set to expire on Dec. 31.

CTV News made a request to the New Brunswick Apartment Owners Association but did not receive a reply by time of publication.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/95TdM4q

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

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coinwealth · 2 years

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Bitcoin Cash hits new lows vs. Bitcoin after Tesla snubs ‘fork products’

Controversial Bitcoin (BTC) spin-off Bitcoin Cash (BCH) has hit new all-time lows against its parent after Tesla publicly rejected using it for payments.

In a series of tweets on March 24, CEO and “Technoking” Elon Musk confirmed that U.S. customers could now buy a Tesla using BTC — but his company shunned “fork products” such as BCH.

Tesla: Don’t send us anything but BTC

Bitcoin Cash spun off from the Bitcoin blockchain in August 2017 and has since remained a controversial entity within cryptocurrency.

Proponents claim supremacy over Bitcoin thanks to BCH fees being far lower while transactions also tend to take less time to clear and require fewer resources.

The narrative has taken various forms over the years, with advocacy ranging from passive to belligerent as BCH/BTC continues to plug new lows. On Wednesday, BCH holders received less than 1% of a Bitcoin — 0.089 BTC — per 1 BCH for the first time.

BCH/BTC 1-week candle chart. Source: Tradingview

Tesla’s Bitcoin acceptance move appeared to drive the downturn. Support documentation originally singled out BCH and fellow Bitcoin Cash hard fork Bitcoin SV (BSV) as being unsuitable for payment.

“You may not make purchases with us using any other digital asset, including Bitcoin fork products, such as Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV,” the company stated.

“Our Bitcoin digital wallet is not configured to detect or receive digital assets other than Bitcoin.”

Dotcom rubbishes Lightning Network

The phrasing jarred with BCH holders, who frequently tout the altcoin as being the “real” Bitcoin. Among them was entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, who took Musk to task about the snub.

“Try and buy a Soda with Bitcoin,” he tweeted indignantly.

Tesla had already removed the content, simply warning buyers not to send any other cryptocurrency to a BTC address other than Bitcoin itself. This was not enough to extinguish the heated debate, however, as rival supporters sparred over what is a perennial source of anguish.

“Satoshi didn’t envision Bitcoin as a new class of bank controlled by the same corrupt power structures as our current financial system,” Dotcom continued.

“Custodial solutions like Lightning are not changing our broken system. Users must control the keys to their digital money, not third parties.”

Musk responded with characteristic nonchalance, saying Dotcom had a “fair point” regarding transaction fees while also taking note of a proposal to accept Dogecoin (DOGE).

Bitcoiners argue that BCH is all but worthless versus Bitcoin despite its lower fees. This is due to the latter surviving multiple tests of its blockchain while still maintaining an unblemished 12-year history of Proof-of-Work.

BCH, by contrast, has yet to do the same, and with its hash rate steadily falling against BTC, its cheap usage costs increasingly come at the expense of both security and usefulness as a store-of-value.

Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV PoW comparison. Source: Coin Dance

As Cointelegraph reported, so-called “Layer 2” solutions such as the Lightning Network, while criticized by Dotcom, are designed to move the majority of BTC transactions off-chain, reducing fees and transaction times to near zero.

BCH meanwhile faces other problems, its declining price pushing it out of the top ten cryptocurrencies by market cap this year.

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

source https://usapangbitcoin.org/bitcoin-cash-hits-new-lows-vs-bitcoin-after-tesla-snubs-fork-products/

source https://usapangbitcoin.wordpress.com/2022/01/17/bitcoin-cash-hits-new-lows-vs-bitcoin-after-tesla-snubs-fork-products/

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thepeoplesbasics · 3 years

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THE BASIC BRIEF – AUGUST 13TH, 2021

In this week’s Basic Brief, we highlight Governor Cuomo resigning, wildfires raging across the world, small business recovery programs, and more. Also linked is all the content from The People’s Basics this week.

NEW YORK GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO RESIGNS AMID SEXUAL HARASSMENT SCANDAL

By Jonathan Allen and Joseph Ax – Reuters August 10th, 2021

“Faced with mounting legal pressures and demands for his departure from President Joe Biden and others, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned on Tuesday following an inquiry that found he sexually harassed 11 women, capping a startling downfall for one of the most prominent politicians in the United States.”

A VIETNAMESE REFUGEE SERVED AS ONE OF CALIFORNIA’S INMATE FIREFIGHTERS, THEN THE STATE GAVE HIM TO ICE

By Deepa Fernandes – SF Chronicle August 9th, 2021

“Pham had spent the last year as an inmate firefighter, an elite position inside California’s second-oldest prison. Among his incarcerated peers, Pham developed a reputation as a team player and a talented firehouse cook. In written commendations, his civilian captain noted his integrity and ‘unrelenting work ethic.'”

DESANTIS SAYS SUPERINTENDENTS COULD LOSE PAY IF THEY PUT IN PLACE A MASK MANDATE

By Vanessa Romo – NPR August 9th, 2021

“As the majority of Florida’s K-12 schools prepare to reopen campuses at full capacity this week — many of them on Tuesday — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state Board of Education could withhold pay from school leaders who implement mask mandates for students.”

ANALYSIS: 15% OF US CORONAVIRUS CASES ARE NOW CHILDREN

By Sarah Polus – August 9th, 2021

“Recent reports show that children are accounting for 15 percent of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as the delta variant causes an uptick in cases around the country.”

GREEK WILDFIRES SHOW THE ‘HARSH REALITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE’

By Patrick Smith – NBC News August 9th, 2021

“Wildfires raging across Greece’s second largest island for a seventh day, forcing thousands to flee their homes, are the direct result of climate change, a global consortium of weather and climate experts said on Monday.”

NEW GRANT PROGRAM TO ACCELERATE SMALL BUSINESS RECOVERY

By Site Editor – Chicago Defender August 11th, 2021

“Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced the $250 million Back to Business (B2B) grant program to support the continued recovery of small businesses across Illinois.”

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

By Gil Goldberg – Salem News August 9th, 2021

“According to SBA Office of Advocacy’s 2020 Ohio Small Business Profile, for the most recent year of small business reporting, there were 965,576 small businesses in our state, making up 99.6% of all Ohio businesses.”

TEXAS SENATE PASSES VOTING BILL AFTER 15-HOUR FILIBUSTER BY DEMOCRATS

By Adam Brewster – CBS News August 12th, 2021

“The Texas Senate on Thursday advanced a sweeping elections bill along party lines following a 15-hour filibuster by one of the Senate’s leading Democrats.”

HUNDREDS FORCED TO EVACUATE AMID MONTANA WILDFIRES

By Aya Elamroussi – CNN August 12th, 2021

“While the nation’s largest wildfire continues to rage in California, the most fires in the US are burning in Montana where hundreds of people have been forced to evacuate due to a particularly dangerous blaze, according to officials.”

NAACP TO LAUNCH VOTER MOBILIZATION CAMPAIGN

By Nicquel Terry Ellis – CNN August 9th, 2021

“The NAACP is partnering with several other civil rights groups to launch a national voter mobilization campaign this week that aims to engage more people in the fight for federal voting legislation and motivate voters to participate in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.”

The People's Basics is on Linktree

#The Peoples Basics #Politics #Discussion #cuomo resign #wildfires #small business #Basic Brief #Current Affairs #Current News

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