A free, downloadable piece of classical music every weekday.

Here’s the funny thing: Biden’s 8 percent estimate is derived from that same tax data on the top 400 taxpayers. So what’s going on? The president is describing a tax system that he wishes existed — not the system in place.

As Kessler noted, under the 16th Amendment of the Constitution, ratified in 1913, “Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on income, from whatever source derived.” //

Biden and the Democrats dishonestly use a definition of income, to Kessler's previous point, that they wish existed, vs. the definition that does exist, per federal tax legislation and the IRS. //

Note that unrealized capital appreciation is not included in the above definition of income. //

Here's more from Kessler:

In 2021, two White House economists — Greg Leiserson of the Council of Economic Advisers and Danny Yagan of the Office of Management and Budget — published a blog post that estimated what the tax rate would be for the 400 wealthiest households if unrealized capital gains were considered part of income. ... The report estimated that these households had an average federal individual income tax rate of 8.2 percent for the 2010-2018 period.

The steep run-up in stock prices in recent years has meant the wealth of super-wealthy Americans has risen significantly, even if they never sell stock that would trigger a tax liability. In fact, when interest rates were low, it was more cost-effective for a billionaire to borrow money against the value of those shares than sell them. The White House economists estimated what the tax rate would be if that income — now not subject to taxation — were included on their tax returns.

Shortly after South Africa made its complaint to the ICJ, Pennsylvania's John Fetterman offered his take on the issue.

Who are they really fighting? In a group of cowards, they hide in tunnels. They hide behind civilians. They attack, kill, and mutilate children and women, and they do that...Stop talking about proportion on that. They shot their best shot on October 7. And they would've taken more lives if they could have, but they couldn't do it. And now, also let's talk about that. Now we're talking about genocide. And now South Africa, now, is bringing that kind of...to trial. Maybe South Africa, maybe you ought to sit this one out when you're talking about criticizing anybody. Sit it out. //

FloridaTransplant
an hour ago edited
Why does the UN even think the Geneva convention s apply? AFAIK the convention was and is an agreement between nations. Members are not bound to the conventions when they are in conflict with a non signatory or a party that has blatantly ignored the conventions. Hamas has never been a signatory and Oct 7 would have been a blatant violation.

This bill has two purposes. First, to normalize illegal immigration into the United States at a rate of at least 2 million per year if the plan worked. But the plan can't work because the "5,000" per day can't survive legal scrutiny. There is no plan to reduce the case backlog. There is no plan to deal with the second-order problem of what to do with this mass of illegals and the influx of "Dreamers." The second objective is to give Biden unfettered control of the US Border via some nebulous "new emergency authority." //

TexasVeteran
5 hours ago
It’s worse than the stinking pile of crap that Cruz describes, it’s a trap Biden’s handlers have set up for Republicans (senile Joe’s not smart enough). Should the bill pass, the dems won’t use the additional judges and agents to secure the border. Instead they’ll use them to process the illegals faster, expediting entry into the USA. See how humane the are?🙄

If the bill fails, with the collusion of the MSM, it’ll become a cudgel with which to beat the "obstructionist" Republican House. //

redincalifornia TexasVeteran
3 hours ago
How about we just enforce the immigration laws we already have? No need to do more. ///

Cloward and Piven again ... Create a crisis, then propose a solution that essentially normalizes the crisis, plus removes some of the previous "impediments" that formerly existed before the manufactured crisis.

The second problem can´t be fixed so easily. It has the effect that my Soundbrigde more and more is losing the ability to get in contact with radio-streams. It needs a while to identify this as a protocol issue. The Roku can work with a lot of protocols like WEP, WPA, AutoIP, DHCP, TCP, TELNET, HTTP and DRM – but not with HTTPS. And this is the point. Each time a radio station is switching from HTTP to HTTPS my ROKU is losing the capability to “receive” it. Time to put the M1001 into Garbage can? No! Time to call my friend and software developer Winfried Jacobs. I asked him for some MIND WORK to find a way for transforming HTTP into HTTPS requests. And here is what came to his mind while on a bike ride. //

https://github.com/mindwork-design/soundbridge-reverse-http-proxy

HTTPS for Roku SoundBridge M1001
The SoundBridge M1001 has a lot of protocols the device can work with. But being 15 years old, HTTPS is not implemented. So the radio is dying in slow motion - each time a station is changing from HTTP to HTTPS it passed away for owners of a SoundBridge. Until now. Cause I love my M1001 I made a workaround. So have a look at https://mind.work/2021/01/18/rescue-of-the-soundbridge-m1001/

Years in service: 2004-2008

The Roku SoundBridge Network player allowed you to stream your music library, including iTunes and Windows Media libraries, from your PC to your stereo. The player also made it easy to listen to a variety of Internet radio stations without even turning on a computer. The stylish aluminum SoundBridge was compatible with a customers speakers or stereo and had built-in support for Roku's free Roku Radio tuning service, making it easy to listen to radio from around the world or across town.

In a Friday hearing in The Hauge, Netherlands, the United Nations' International Court of Justice issued a ruling that acted on a request by the South African government that directs Israel to take immediate action to prevent genocide in Gaza. The court was acting on a request from South Africa's government, which had accused Israel of committing mass genocide against the residents of Gaza.

However, the Court did not act on a cease-fire order in the same request.

If you haven't seen the trend going around on social media, women have been getting into the habit of putting their significant others through "relationship tests."

These "tests" usually involve ridiculous or arbitrary situations that are then captured on video and posted to sites like TikTok or Instagram. These tests include things like the "orange peel" test, where a woman will ask her beau if he can peel an orange for her. The test is supposed to indicate the health of a relationship through the man either refusing or accepting the task of peeling an orange for their lady. //

Moreover, this isn't just about a test. What this ends up is a forced subjugation of your boyfriend or husband's worth as a partner to the whims of the public. You're allowing others to tell him whether he is or isn't worth anything in place of you, his partner, //

Ultimately, however, this is more of a reflection of the person conducting the test as it shows their desire for attention, their willingness to betray their partner's privacy, and the invitation of the public into one's relationship without the knowledge of another. None of these things reflect well on the woman administering the test.

Let's hit the bottom line here, though.

At no point should anyone on the internet be allowed to pass judgment on the success or failure of a couple's marriage or relationship. The internet does not have everyone else's best interests in mind as a general rule, and most of what happens on the internet is ultimately self-serving.

Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze
·
We must be involved in Ukraine for "as long as it takes" and piecemeal blank checks but he wants Israel to submit to a ceasefire after 90 days.

Axios @axios
SCOOP: Biden last week pressed Netanyahu to scale down the Israeli military operation in Gaza, stressing he is not in it for a year of war.

A Biden adviser told Axios the White House is very concerned about losing young voters.
https://trib.al/6Q2v7OC //

American by Nature -> LightsOnAndAtHome
3 hours ago
Joseph Robinette is a made man. The criminal enterprise (the Deep State) that sponsors him, will support him, for he does their bidding.

A government without a constitution is an organized crime syndicate. When patriotic Americans understand that, what is happening to our country will make sense.
10:33 AM · Jan 26, 2024

James Ray 🔻 @GoodVibePolitik
·
John Fetterman spent the night standing on a rooftop waving an Israeli flag at protestors in Pennsylvania. Just an unbelievable sight to see.
0:27 / 0:27
9:06 PM · Jan 26, 2024

Benny Johnson @bennyjohnson
·
🚨 25 states have signed a letter pledging their support to Texas and its constitutional right to defending the Southern Border:

ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARKANSAS
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
IDAHO
INDIANA
IOWA
LOUISIANA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
MONTANA
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NORTH DAKOTA
OHIO… Show more
6:20 PM · Jan 25, 2024

Letter: https://t.co/mqSz1aItqm

A Houthi terrorist-fired anti-ship ballistic missile hit a petroleum tanker in the Gulf of Aden, and the crew was forced to abandon the ship on Friday. The British-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged 110,000-ton tanker M/T Marlin Luanda was carrying a cargo of Russian naphtha from Greece to Singapore. A second ship, the Panama-flagged 109,000-ton tanker M/T Achilles (ownership is unknown), loaded with petroleum products taken on in Prmorsk, Russia, with no revealed destination, was also targeted but completed its transit safely. //

The crew of the M/T Marlin Luanda tried to save the ship but were overwhelmed and, according to reports, abandoned the ship. The Indian destroyer INS Visakhapatnam was first on the scene to render assistance. Since then other coalition warships have responded.

The Hydrogen Ladder is my attempt to synthesise all the information known to me about all the factors driving technology uptake across all sectors of the economy in all countries of the world. Not ambitious at all!

What the Hydrogen Ladder is designed to do is to show how likely it is that any proposed use case ends up being a significant user of hydrogen (perhaps via one of its derivatives) in a decade or so, say 2035. That doesn't mean it's game over, the transition has happened, it just means it is absolutely clear by then that hydrogen is either the answer, or a major answer, to decarbonizing that use case.

In other words, it looks forward to a time after the current firehose of subsidies has subsided to affordable proportions, after there has been enough time for a bit more tweaking of technologies, after the emergence of supply chains, after a bit of familiarity has grown in the project finance sector, and so on.
As for what the rows mean, here's how I think about them:

• A - no alternative (though this does not mean the use case is growing)
• B - decent market share highly likely
• C - some market share likely
• D - small market share plausible
• E - niche market share possible
• F - niche market share in some geographies possible
• G - the Row of Doom

The Hydrogen Ladder is not all about efficiency, as its detractors claim. It does not include information about market size. It does not include information about speed of adoption. It does not include information about relative emissions reduction per kg of hydrogen or kWh of electricity. I leave it to others to add that information to the discussion.

Conversely, it does take into account cost, safety, convenience, critical mineral availability, co-benefits, externalities like air pollution, geopolitics, human behaviour and - underlying it all - thermodynamics, physics, chemistry, other sciences and economics.

Countries Requiring ISPM 15 for heat-treated wood packaging

Is there going to be a major confrontation on the border following Joe Biden's ultimatum that Texas National Guard forces be removed from Shelby Park and other "disputed" areas? Not if the rank-and-file of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol have anything to say about it. //

Border Patrol Union - NBPC @BPUnion
Rank-and file BP agents are not going to start arresting TX NG members for following their LAWFUL orders. That's fake news.

TX NG and rank-and-file BP agents work together and respect each other's jobs. Period. If TX NG members have LAWFUL orders, then they have to carry out those orders.

TX NG members realize that rank-and-file BP agents have their orders as well. Lawful orders, no matter how unpopular or distasteful amongst rank-and-file agents, must be followed. Unlawful orders (as determined by competent legal counsel and not what some outhouse lawyer behind a keyboard says) will not be followed.

Rank-and-file BP agents appreciate and respect what TX has been doing to defend their state in the midst of this catastrophe that the Biden Admin has unleashed on America.

We want to be perfectly clear, there is no fight between rank-and-file BP agents and the TX NG, Gov. Abott, or TX DPS. It may make flashy headlines, but it simply isn't true.
1:03 PM · Jan 26, 2024 //

Griff Jenkins @GriffJenkins
·
BREAKING: A Senior CBP Official tells FOX:

"the relationship between Border Patrol, Texas DPS, & TMD remains strong... Bottom line: Border Patrol has no plans to remove infrastructure (c-wire) placed by Texas along the border. Our posture remains the same." @FoxNews
1:54 PM · Jan 26, 2024 //

Ingredients

• 20 oz. pkg. Hurst's Great Northern Hambeens (our 15 BEAN SOUP works as well!)
• 2 cups diced ham, leftover ham works great
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 8 cups chicken broth
• salt to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Place the beans in a colander and sort out any debris, rinse beans and add to the slow cooker.
2. Add the ham, onion, carrots, celery, thyme, pepper and chicken broth, stir. Wait to add the ham flavor packet.
3. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
4. When the cooking time is done, add the ham flavor packet and stir. Add salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!

The governor writes:

The federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the States. The Executive Branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting States, including immigration laws on the books right now. President Biden has refused to enforce those laws and has even violated them. The result is that he has smashed records for illegal immigration.

Despite having been put on notice in a series of letters - one of which I delivered to him by hand - President Biden has ignored Texas's demand that he perform his constitutional duties. //

The failure of the Biden Administration to fulfill the duties imposed by Article IV, § 4 has triggered Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which reserves to this State the right of self-defense. For these reasons, I have already declared an invasion under Article I, § 10, Clause 3 to invoke Texas's constitutional authority to defend and protect itself. That authority is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary. The Texas National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other Texas personnel are acting on that authority, as well as state law, to secure the Texas border. //

In the Constitution, Article I, § 10, Clause 3 states:

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Random US Citizen anon-e8p6
6 hours ago
The Navy ran away. They bravely ran away. When danger reared its ugly head they bravely turned their tail and fled... //

Steve In Texas
7 hours ago
Joe Biden has managed to make our US Navy weak enough to lose to Houthis. This may be the saddest news of the day. The world has turned upside down in three years.

The federal attorney being quoted is reading more into the Supreme Court's ruling than exists. The ruling simply lifted an injunction that stopped the federal officials from cutting the razor wire. The ruling did not say that Texas must allow federal officials access to the areas where the razor wire is. That is now going to be the point of this conflict going forward, and it will likely take another court ruling to settle the matter.

Abbott should stand tall on this. He's got absolutely nothing to lose. What is the Biden administration going to do? Open fire on the Texas National Guard if they don't clear out? The federal government has no leverage here and no ability to exact its will. Texas is holding Shelby Park and the other "disputed" areas, and they have no obligation to leave.

It is insane that this is even an argument. The border crisis has reached horrific proportions, and the Biden administration is wasting its time and resources trying to cut razor wire laid out to stop illegal entries. Texas has a right to self-defense. It has a right to protect its territory. If the federal government refuses to do the job, that's on its leaders, not state officials who are just trying to do the common sense thing.

In short, Abbott should tell Biden to pound sand. //

It wasnt me > Secession!
4 hours ago
No. I hope Governor Abbot, alone in his wheelchair, sits before whoever the President sends.
Let's all watch men armed with automatic weapons in full tactical gear toss an Handicapped Elected Governor in a wheel chair on live TV.

At first I thought Trump should stand beside him.
And then ALL the Governors should fly down and stand with him too.
But one man alone in a wheelchair...

Think Tiananmen Square.