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10 votes
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ERRA - Divisionary (2021)
5 votes -
US military issues rare statement denouncing Capitol riot and confirming Biden as next commander-in-chief
35 votes -
Democratic Sen. Manchin casts doubts on $2,000 direct payments, potentially jeopardizing passage
5 votes -
Today was Ken Jennings first episode as Jeopardy! guest host
Did anyone watch it? I was a little emotional at the beginning. I thought Ken did a great job for his first time.
18 votes -
What I learned in two years of moving government forms online
9 votes -
Daily thread - United States 2021 transition of power - January 12
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic,...
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.
This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.
18 votes -
Univision announces PrendeTV - A new streaming service with free, ad-supported, 100% Spanish-language programming for the US Hispanic audience, launching in Q1 2021
5 votes -
Daily thread - United States 2021 transition of power - January 11
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic,...
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.
This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.
23 votes -
Several gorillas at San Diego Zoo in US test positive for COVID
18 votes -
The last handoff: How the Obama-Trump Presidential transition led to chaos
7 votes -
We can uphold free speech and hold US President Donald Trump accountable
20 votes -
Six Boeing-supplied 20kW solar arrays to augment existing International Space Station power system
8 votes -
Daily thread - United States 2021 transition of power - January 10
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic,...
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.
This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.
17 votes -
How Rome destroyed its own republic
12 votes -
What's your opinion on the concept of US Supreme Court packing and/or term limits?
For those not aware, packing the court in this context refers to expanding the size of the U.S. Supreme Court so that whoever's in power can nominate judges they prefer to the newly-created seats,...
For those not aware, packing the court in this context refers to expanding the size of the U.S. Supreme Court so that whoever's in power can nominate judges they prefer to the newly-created seats, thereby creating a favorable majority for them where there might not have been one previously. It was attempted once in 1937, but failed, and has not been attempted since.
As for term limits, Supreme Court justices have none; the position is for life. The reasoning for this is primarily so that they can't be influenced as easily for political gain, as they've already achieved the final step in their careers.
Personally, the concept of court-packing has worried me no matter who does it, because from what I can tell (though granted I've not researched this), the Supreme Court has thus far done a decent job of avoiding partisanship; I'm concerned packing the courts would damage this precedent. I do believe that term limits could work, though I suspect they'd require a clause prohibiting justices from holding any jobs after their term expires, lest they become politically influenced by down-the-line job offers.
That said, what's your take?
(By the way, CGP Grey has a great video on some parts of the Supreme Court if you're interested in learning more about it)
21 votes -
Hunting pastime spikes during pandemic. Conservationists are glad
6 votes -
Art markets: New York bodegas in watercolor
5 votes -
Twitter has removed a post by China’s US embassy claiming that Uighur women have been “emancipated” from extremism and were no longer “baby-making machines”
15 votes -
How the United States chose to become a country of homelessness
11 votes -
Twitter should immediately and permanently ban Trump
16 votes -
Daily thread - United States 2021 transition of power - January 9
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic,...
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.
This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.
26 votes -
Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump
50 votes -
I see no choice but to resign from this Death Star as it begins to explode
34 votes -
When Americans committed insurrection: Until 2021, Americans had confronted federal authority with armed aggression just four times
13 votes -
Why didn't Canada join the American Revolution?
5 votes -
Daily thread - United States 2021 transition of power - January 8
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic,...
This thread is posted daily - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.
This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.
30 votes -
Facebook bans Trump "indefinitely" with Mark Zuckerberg explaining that "the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service... are simply too great"
36 votes -
California expects record revenues in stunning Covid budget reversal
8 votes -
In Georgia Runoff Elections, (D) Warnock wins vs (R) Loeffler, (D) Ossof very likely wins vs (R) Purdue
Text post because the big news companies are cowards playing it safe and not calling Ossof yet, though it's basically over Warnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majority (AP News) My...
Text post because the big news companies are
cowardsplaying it safe and not calling Ossof yet, though it's basically overWarnock makes history with Senate win as Dems near majority (AP News)
My takes below:
What does this mean?
This gives Democrats a thin majority in the senate. Does it mean they have free reign? No, the party is not that unified. In particular, as you probably have heard his name many many times now, Manchin, the "conservative Democrat" from WV is likely to be the kingmaker in votes. So it's not like just anything can get passed, and Manchin will not eliminate the filibuster easily.
So is it pointless?
ABSOLUTELY NOT
It's a huge victory nonetheless for Democrats. Remember, with control of the Senate, Chuck Schumer will be Senate Majority Leader, who controls what legislation the senate votes on. Even bipartisan bills were consistently torpedoed by McConnell who would refuse to even have a vote on it. Now, there is politics that can be done - deals, compromise, whatever. If you can't vote on something, nothing can be done. Things that are overall popular like increased stimulus are also going to pass.
Additionally, perhaps an even bigger deal, Biden can get his nominations through for cabinet and judges. There's an insane amount of unfilled heads of state departments right now, and the rest are filled with people absolutely unfit for the job. Having a real human being be the head of the EPA, or Department of Education, or the Department of Energy, and so forth is a big deal.
It also means that Justice Breyer can safely retire and have another "liberal" Justice take his place.
It's not sweeping control over the government, but it's a immensely superior political situation to McConnell stone walling anything he doesn't want, and Biden having to haggle with McConnell over how incompetent his cabinet needs to be.
48 votes -
Book of Love - Boy (1986)
5 votes -
Twitter requests deletion of three inciteful tweets from Donald Trump. If tweets remain undeleted, account will remain locked.
@Twitter Safety: As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C., we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy. https://t.co/k6OkjNG3bM
35 votes -
The Mexican American border: A tale of two colonies (Part 1/2)
3 votes -
The Proud Boys are dangerous - Know your fash
9 votes -
In 1814, British forces burned the US Capitol
9 votes -
Donald Trump response to yesterday violent roitious insurrection at the Capitol
@Donald J. Trump: pic.twitter.com/csX07ZVWGe
21 votes -
US Capitol Police rejected offers of federal help to quell mob
12 votes -
Boeing charged and agrees to pay $2.5 billion for 737 MAX fraud conspiracy
16 votes -
US trade group asks VP Mike Pence to ‘seriously consider' invoking 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump
37 votes -
Joe Biden is certified as the 46th President of the United States
43 votes -
A brief history of peanut butter: The bizarre sanitarium staple that became a spreadable obsession
6 votes -
Voices from the front lines of the United States' food supply chain
4 votes -
Number of people killed in deadly attacks in the post-9/11 era, by ideology
9 votes -
Pennsylvania Republicans block seating of Democratic state senator, take control from lieutenant governor
20 votes -
Making policy for a low-trust world
6 votes -
AskHistorians write-up on January 2021 sedition at the US Capitol
23 votes -
JetBrains' continuous integration server TeamCity may have been compromised as part of the wide-reaching Russian hack of the US federal government
13 votes -
2020 NFL playoffs are set
5 votes -
It Could Happen Here: A podcast series from 2019 about how a second American Civil War might take place
16 votes -
The US is building a bike trail that runs coast-to-coast across twelve states
21 votes