What's in the News? 2.0

[ninjawriter]

He was the former prime minister of the UK.  After losing that job, he was still a Member of Parliament, which is the job he quit today.

[Mechelle]

Wait, did Boris somehow get back in power? I thought He stepped down last year.

No, he has not been back in power, but he has remained as a backbench MP (that's an MP with no government job).  His plan may now be to stand for Nadine Dorries' seat, from what I hear, where the Conservatives have a better chance of victory than in his current,or I should say former, seat.

Basically, he needs to be an MP to be the party leader, and even now, he may not have given up hope of a comeback.

[TheGlyphstone]

Oh, I understand now. Thanks, I forgot it was two separate jobs.

[Beguile's Mistress]

Ted Kaczynski - the Unabomber - has died at the age of 81 in his jail cell in North Caroling.

https://nypost.com/2023/06/10/unabomber-ted-kaczynski-found-dead-in-jail-cell/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news_alert&utm_content=20230610?&utm_source=sailthru&lctg=646b6ccf86d22e8bd80b0ebc&utm_term=NYP%20-%20News%20Alerts

[Beorning]

On the positive side of things - Iga Świątek makes history at Roland Garros tennis tournament:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/65868826

I love this girl! My favourite Polish sportsperson ever...

[Keelan]

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-press-secretary-violated-hatch-act-watchdog-agency-says-rcna88526

“Because Ms. Jean‐Pierre made the statements while acting in her official capacity, she violated the Hatch Act prohibition against using her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election,” Ana Galindo‐Marrone, who leads the agency's Hatch Act Unit, wrote in a letter Wednesday.

At a White House briefing on Nov. 2, Jean-Pierre referred to “mega MAGA Republican officials who don’t believe in the rule of law” and made other comments disparaging Republican candidates, according to a Hatch Act complaint the conservative watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust filed against Jean-Pierre in November.

The group called Jean-Pierre’s remarks “an inappropriate attempt to influence the vote.”

Despite having found Jean-Pierre in violation of the law, the Office of Special Counsel “decided to close this matter without further action,” Galindo‐Marrone wrote in last week's letter to Protect the Public’s Trust, noting that the White House counsel’s office “did not at the time believe that Ms. Jean‐Pierre’s remarks were prohibited.”

“We have decided not to pursue disciplinary action and have instead issued Ms. Jean‐Pierre a warning letter,” Galindo‐Marrone wrote.

[Al Terego]

https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2023/06/the-rise-and-fall-of-chris-licht-and-cnn/674329/

See if this link works for you.  I did a Google search to find it.

There's this.
Is it one of those links?

If you have a paywalled link, send it my way, I'll check if I can access it.

[RedRose]

He's now in a mental hospital but people are not agreeing with this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3A48EkhAh4

[Mechelle]

The report into Boris Johnson's behaviour during Covid finally came out today, despite his attempts to stall it, and to discredit the investigating  Privileges committee, who were made up of a majority of Conservative MPs. It was actually worse than expected as he would have been suspended for 90 days as an MP, if he hadn't already resigned, which would allowed a call for a by-election. Possibly, the most damning evidence was from an unnamed whistleblower who said that life at 10 Downing Street continued as if Covid was not happening, with regular parties, but the staff were told to ensure there were no signs of this and to maintain social distancing when the cameras might be watching. The summary was that Johnson had deliberately and wilfully lied to Parliament on numerous occasions.

Johnson's response was typically childish, ranting on about a kangaroo court and how unfair it was. I have a feeling if he hadn't gone so hard on the committee in the last few days, the punishment would not have been so harsh. , although as he resigned as an MP , it's meaningless, although he might be refused the pass to visit Parliament in future which is normally granted to former MPs.

To sum up the man, I will mention that Bernard Jenkin is a Conservative MP who is on the Privileges Committee. Johnson first said that Jenkin had been to some social event himself during the Covid lockdown and then that the evidence against him (Johnson) was as threadbare as at one of Jenkin's naturist events. A funny line, but it seems to be outing Bernard Jenkin as a naturist. Johnson still has some support, not particularly among Conservative MPs or the general public, but among the Conservative membership, who might make trouble for any MPs who are against him, and could face deselection.

It's bad news for the Conservatives, who are still in a state of civil war, and the greatest humiliation for a Prime Minister since Anthony Eden, the Prime Minister at the time of the Suez Crisis in the 1950's.


[url]https://www.politico.eu/article/boris-johnson-uk-parliament-inquiry-covid-partygate//url]

[Mechelle]

Sorry, messed up the link.

https://www.politico.eu/article/boris-johnson-uk-parliament-inquiry-covid-partygate/

[Keelan]

He's now in a mental hospital but people are not agreeing with this

Can't really blame them. Saw the video; motherfucker was actively targeting children on a playground.

Oldest one was three.

I can think of several places I would rather see him get sent than a psychiatric facility.

None are pleasant.

[Missy]

I mean I can respect a society that gets him the help he needs, if that's what the matter is.

[RedRose]

Yeah. The whole question is is he crazy or not? And the fact that it's not the first time a terrorist is deemed crazy.
I really hope the children will be fine. Apparently they're not in danger anymore.

[Valerian]

It looks as though the body of the long-missing Julian Sands has been found.  Room With a View is one of my favorite movies, though watching it is a lot more bittersweet now...

[Keelan]

SCOTUS has ruled on the SFFA v Harvard Case.

The ruling was that the way race was being utilized in the admissions process was in violation of the Equal Protections Clause of the 14th Amendment.

From the SCOTUS website you can take a look at the ruling as docket 20-1199: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/slipopinion/22

[Al Terego]

Google and FB to stop news sharing in Canada
https://www.michaelgeist.ca/2023/06/a-massive-own-goal-for-the-government-google-to-stop-news-links-in-canada-due-to-bill-c-18/

[RedRose]

Because book shops, pharmacies, clothes shops, appliances shops (and town halls and police stations) need to be destroyed... I refuse to be afraid but tomorrow I'll probably keep the kids home.
https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/centre-val-de-loire/loiret/montargis/photos-a-montargis-des-commerces-saccages-et-des-immeubles-en-flammes-2805602.html

[LostInTheMist]

A few days ago SCOTUS decided that President Biden didn't have the authority to just forgive the student debt he had forgiven by executive order.

I can understand this, as it's a pretty clear-cut violation of the U.S. Constitution, particularly the separation of powers. (For those not in the U.S. who don't know and might be interested: Simply put, under the U.S. Constitution, the President is not authorized to spend money without the approval of Congress, except in the cases of a severe national emergency, usually funding relating to fighting or recovering from natural disasters.)

Still, I owe a significant amount in federal debt, and this would have wiped out enough of it that I could pay the rest back easily from my savings, and I'm nearly paid back on my private loans. (I'm paying almost entirely principal now.)

If I were debt free, that would nearly double my spending power, and I'd be able to finally look into getting a place of my own. Not that I don't like my housemates, but having a place entirely to myself would be very nice.

But, it looks like I'm going to have to keep gradually repaying my debt at least for the foreseeable future.

Could be much worse. There are many people my age and younger who are in a form of debt-peonage. They can't afford to pay back their debt, so they have to take whatever job they can find, and still fall further into debt as time goes on. Their job keeps them too busy to look for a better job, and they don't have the kind of financial stability they need to look for another. I'm not quite in that position, as I am getting my debt paid back, but... meh. Would have been  nice if it could have been easier.

[Chulanowa]

A few days ago SCOTUS decided that President Biden didn't have the authority to just forgive the student debt he had forgiven by executive order.

I can understand this, as it's a pretty clear-cut violation of the U.S. Constitution, particularly the separation of powers. (For those not in the U.S. who don't know and might be interested: Simply put, under the U.S. Constitution, the President is not authorized to spend money without the approval of Congress, except in the cases of a severe national emergency, usually funding relating to fighting or recovering from natural disasters.)

Still, I owe a significant amount in federal debt, and this would have wiped out enough of it that I could pay the rest back easily from my savings, and I'm nearly paid back on my private loans. (I'm paying almost entirely principal now.)

If I were debt free, that would nearly double my spending power, and I'd be able to finally look into getting a place of my own. Not that I don't like my housemates, but having a place entirely to myself would be very nice.

But, it looks like I'm going to have to keep gradually repaying my debt at least for the foreseeable future.

Could be much worse. There are many people my age and younger who are in a form of debt-peonage. They can't afford to pay back their debt, so they have to take whatever job they can find, and still fall further into debt as time goes on. Their job keeps them too busy to look for a better job, and they don't have the kind of financial stability they need to look for another. I'm not quite in that position, as I am getting my debt paid back, but... meh. Would have been  nice if it could have been easier.

Yeah. Too bad the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act exists. Some chucklefuck senator from Delaware pushed that thing into being like a bulldog giving birth and now poor President Biden is stuck with it I guess.

(I'm being facetious of course; both chucklefuck senators from Delaware were on board with that shit.)

[Oniya]

So, what were the results reported in accordance with section 1308?

[Regina Minx]

So, what were the results reported in accordance with section 1308?

Your shade is too subtle. I had to back-door research my way into figuring out what you were meaning. A generic Google search brought me to various controlled substance laws when I searched Section 1308.

I think what Oni is saying is that the law that was reverenced and linked above contains Section 1308, which states that the Board "to study and report to Congress on the impact that credit extensions to dependent students enrolled in postsecondary educational institutions have upon the rate of Federal bankruptcy cases." Which I'm not sure if they did or not but there it is.

[Oniya]

Your shade is too subtle. I had to back-door research my way into figuring out what you were meaning. A generic Google search brought me to various controlled substance laws when I searched Section 1308.

I think what Oni is saying is that the law that was reverenced and linked above contains Section 1308, which states that the Board "to study and report to Congress on the impact that credit extensions to dependent students enrolled in postsecondary educational institutions have upon the rate of Federal bankruptcy cases." Which I'm not sure if they did or not but there it is.

That is indeed what I was asking about, although it was a straight-forward enough path of inquiry as I perceived it.  Seeing as the bill was referenced in relation to LostInTheMist's comment about student debt, I went to the text of said bill to find out what it had to say about student loans in particular, as the title of the bill in question only referenced 'bankruptcy' and 'consumer protection'.

As a point of note, both chucklefucks from Alaska, Kentucky, South Carolina and Alabama also voted for this (along with ~three quarters of the Senate), while neither of the chucklefucks from Illinois, New York, or California voted for it.  For what it's worth.

Anyways, having actually read the bill, I did stumble across that bit about a report to Congress on whether student loans to dependents affected bankruptcy cases - the aforementioned section 1308.  Mind you, this report wouldn't have been submitted until after the bill had passed, and could not, therefore, have affected which way any of the chucklefucks voted.

[Al Terego]

Justice Kagan's dissenting view is quite illuminating.

[Oniya]

Some dipshit carved his name in the Colosseum and his excuse was that he 'didn't know how old it was.'

[Al Terego]

He's using the "I'm an idiot" defence.