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Wman1996 on 11 February 2025
Torillian said:

As a side note since I often hear "you guys never say when Trump does something you agree with" from the Totally Not a Trump Fan crowd here's one from recently:

Trump told the Treasury to stop printing pennies. That's an idea I can totally get behind because pennies are stupid and useless, but doing it by an EO is not the correct way. This is something that is supposed to be done by congress. I understand that that's frustrating and everyone hates congress but that's because they're slow by design. You don't want knee jerk reactions when it comes to making big decisions so most everything when it comes to larger governmental decisions is left to congress so they can deliberate and take their time with it. The benefit of losing the penny is not worth the loss of our governing norms.

Edit: I think I could honestly even get behind the recent change to the NIH funding for indirect expenses. I've been in an Nih-Funded lab and always thought it was crazy how much money the college takes. But doing this so quickly is how you fuck over a ton of different research Labs. I'm not sure that legally Trump is in any issue with this one but how it's being done is still poor. 

I absolutely support ceasing the minting of pennies and have my entire adult life. I think there should even be price changes like Canada used when it got rid of its pennies. Prices ended in 5 and 0. 1-4 rounds down to zero, 6-9 rounds up to the next 0. But it has to be done through an act of Congress. Trump is too lazy to use the bully pulpit for this issue to get Congress to agree. I honestly think Congress actually would agree on this, but maybe I'm naive. Republicans and Democrats are both scared of Trump so it probably would pass. 



Lifetime Sales Predictions 

Switch: 161 million (was 73 million, then 96 million, then 113 million, then 125 million, then 144 million, then 151 million, then 156 million)

PS5: 115 million (was 105 million) Xbox Series S/X: 40 million (was 60 million, then 67 million, then 57 million. then 48 million)

PS4: 120 mil (was 100 then 130 million, then 122 million) Xbox One: 51 mil (was 50 then 55 mil)

3DS: 75.5 mil (was 73, then 77 million)

"Let go your earthly tether, enter the void, empty and become wind." - Guru Laghima

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Ryuu96 on 11 February 2025

Just got off the phone with Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), who said Elon Musk's DOGE team is "actively dismantling" federal Department of Education programs today.

"They are in the building, on the 6th floor, canceling grants and contracts."

— Jen Bendery (@jbendery.bsky.social) 11 February 2025 at 18:33



Ryuu96 on 11 February 2025

The research draws on every tweet posted between 2017 and 2022 by every member of parliament with a Twitter (now X) account in 26 countries: 17 EU members including Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, but also the UK, US and Australia. It then compared that dataset – 32m tweets from 8,198 MPs – with international political science databases containing detailed information on the parties involved, such as their position on the left-right spectrum and their degree of populism.

The data showed conclusively that far-right populism was “the strongest determinant for the propensity to spread misinformation”, they concluded, with MPs from centre-right, centre-left and far-left populist parties “not linked” to the practice. The researchers noted that they would not be able to expand their dataset of MPs’ posts on X because the platform – now owned by the US billionaire Elon Musk, who has made no secret of his support for far-right parties – no longer offers data access.

Far-Right Populists Much More Likely Than The Left To Spread Fake News – Study

Lol. No Shit.

Last edited by Ryuu96 - on 11 February 2025

Ryuu96 on 11 February 2025

‘Big Balls’ DOGE Guy, Edward Coristine, 19, Is Now a ‘Senior Adviser’ in State Department

Lmfao. 19 Year Old is a Senior Adviser to DHS, FEMA, State and OPM.

1. Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old member of DOGE launched an image-sharing website in 2021 that featured custom “shitposting” URLs that redirected to content hosted on his site. URLs that redirected to Coristine’s site referenced the sale of child sexual abuse material, racial slurs, and rape.

[image or embed]

— Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 11 February 2025 at 16:58

2. An analysis of URL traffic to tesla.sexy between April 2021 and September 2021 shows that numerous noxious URLs redirected to Coristine’s site, including, “child-porn.store,” “kkk-is-cool.club,” “nigga.rentals,” and “raping-women.club,” @calebecarma.bsky.social reports for Musk Watch.

— Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 11 February 2025 at 17:05

4. Coristine described his website as, “Image hosting with a touch of insanity.”

It is unclear whether Coristine, who has gone by the online moniker “Big Balls,” used or created any of the URLs. But they reflect the kinds of sordid online communities Coristine created and frequented.

[image or embed]

— Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 11 February 2025 at 17:05

Russia ought to try to bribe this kid, it would probably be easy as hell, a 4Chan edge-lord.

Whether it's Hillary Clinton sharing risotto tips on a private email server or Elon Musk giving full access to all government information to a nineteen-year old named Big Balls with ties to a child pornography collective known for its extortion techniques, both sides have played loose with security.

— New York Times Pitchbot (@nytpitchbot.bsky.social) 11 February 2025 at 18:00



Torillian on 11 February 2025
Jimbo1337 said:
Torillian said:

The Impoundment Control Act of 1974

https://www.gao.gov/products/095406

And while this judge didn't state the legal code he was thinking of (from this article at least) he decided that the audit was not being done legally:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/07/trump-musk-government-efficiency-attorneys-general-lawsuit/

I'll let another user's post, that specifically responded to you, speak for itself: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9571094

This judge better have legal standing because knowingly concealing waste, fraud, and abuse is considered a violation under the False Claims Act (FCA). Concealment refers to actively hiding information, failing to disclose relevant details, or taking steps to obstruct investigations.

This is all under the predicate that the judge is knowingly doing this, and that waste, fraud, and abuse is occurring at the Treasury Department. I'll save this post and refer back to it after the legal proceedings.

That post didn't address what we're talking about now. And since that post I've learned that after being initially created by an EO in 1961 based on a congressional act providing the funding the USAID was officially established by congress in 1998 at its own entity separate from the State department so I actually fully think the USAID stuff is illegal too since it is now established by law and not just EO. 

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12500#:~:text=The%20Secretary%20of%20State%20established,enacted%20on%20September%204%2C%201961

Is this thing about the judge being in legal trouble something that Trump fans are passing around now? Sounds like horseshit, better off just sticking with the Musk tagline and saying that congress should impeach anyone who gets in the way of Trump. Sure it's more fascistic but it's more realistic than the judges being criminally liable. 



...

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Cyran on 11 February 2025
Torillian said:
Jimbo1337 said:

I'll let another user's post, that specifically responded to you, speak for itself: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9571094

This judge better have legal standing because knowingly concealing waste, fraud, and abuse is considered a violation under the False Claims Act (FCA). Concealment refers to actively hiding information, failing to disclose relevant details, or taking steps to obstruct investigations.

This is all under the predicate that the judge is knowingly doing this, and that waste, fraud, and abuse is occurring at the Treasury Department. I'll save this post and refer back to it after the legal proceedings.

That post didn't address what we're talking about now. And since that post I've learned that after being initially created by an EO in 1961 based on a congressional act providing the funding the USAID was officially established by congress in 1998 at its own entity separate from the State department so I actually fully think the USAID stuff is illegal too since it is now established by law and not just EO. 

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12500#:~:text=The%20Secretary%20of%20State%20established,enacted%20on%20September%204%2C%201961

Is this thing about the judge being in legal trouble something that Trump fans are passing around now? Sounds like horseshit, better off just sticking with the Musk tagline and saying that congress should impeach anyone who gets in the way of Trump. Sure it's more fascistic but it's more realistic than the judges being criminally liable. 

My original post as Torillian mention turned out to be incorrect.  Would of been correct between 1961 till 1998 but I was unaware when I wrote the post that congress did pass a law in 1998 establishing it as a independent agency.  Also in the 2024 congress passed a law that explicitly requires both congressional consultation and notification to congress for reorganization, consolidation or downsizing of USAID.

A decent article covering all the facts

https://www.justsecurity.org/107267/can-president-dissolve-usaid-by-executive-order/



Torillian on 11 February 2025
Cyran said:
Torillian said:

That post didn't address what we're talking about now. And since that post I've learned that after being initially created by an EO in 1961 based on a congressional act providing the funding the USAID was officially established by congress in 1998 at its own entity separate from the State department so I actually fully think the USAID stuff is illegal too since it is now established by law and not just EO. 

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12500#:~:text=The%20Secretary%20of%20State%20established,enacted%20on%20September%204%2C%201961

Is this thing about the judge being in legal trouble something that Trump fans are passing around now? Sounds like horseshit, better off just sticking with the Musk tagline and saying that congress should impeach anyone who gets in the way of Trump. Sure it's more fascistic but it's more realistic than the judges being criminally liable. 

My original post as Torillian mention turned out to be incorrect.  Would of been correct between 1961 till 1998 but I was unaware when I wrote the post that congress did pass a law in 1998 establishing it as a independent agency.  Also in the 2024 congress passed a law that explicitly requires both congressional consultation and notification to congress for reorganization, consolidation or downsizing of USAID.

A decent article covering all the facts

https://www.justsecurity.org/107267/can-president-dissolve-usaid-by-executive-order/

I guess if you can give Trump credit for anything I've learned a lot more about civics than I ever wanted to bother with before. Appreciate the addition of the 2024 thing, I hadn't read about that one yet. 



...

Jimbo1337 on 12 February 2025
Torillian said:
Jimbo1337 said:

I'll let another user's post, that specifically responded to you, speak for itself: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9571094

This judge better have legal standing because knowingly concealing waste, fraud, and abuse is considered a violation under the False Claims Act (FCA). Concealment refers to actively hiding information, failing to disclose relevant details, or taking steps to obstruct investigations.

This is all under the predicate that the judge is knowingly doing this, and that waste, fraud, and abuse is occurring at the Treasury Department. I'll save this post and refer back to it after the legal proceedings.

That post didn't address what we're talking about now. And since that post I've learned that after being initially created by an EO in 1961 based on a congressional act providing the funding the USAID was officially established by congress in 1998 at its own entity separate from the State department so I actually fully think the USAID stuff is illegal too since it is now established by law and not just EO. 

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IN/IN12500#:~:text=The%20Secretary%20of%20State%20established,enacted%20on%20September%204%2C%201961

Is this thing about the judge being in legal trouble something that Trump fans are passing around now? Sounds like horseshit, better off just sticking with the Musk tagline and saying that congress should impeach anyone who gets in the way of Trump. Sure it's more fascistic but it's more realistic than the judges being criminally liable. 

I will save this post and quote it after the legal proceedings are complete. 

Nowhere in my post did I state the judge is in legal trouble.



the-pi-guy on 12 February 2025
Jimbo1337 said:

I will save this post and quote it after the legal proceedings are complete. 

Nowhere in my post did I state the judge is in legal trouble.

2/3rds of your post is implying the judge might be breaking the law. 



Jimbo1337 on 12 February 2025
the-pi-guy said:
Jimbo1337 said:

I will save this post and quote it after the legal proceedings are complete. 

Nowhere in my post did I state the judge is in legal trouble.

2/3rds of your post is implying the judge might be breaking the law. 

"Might be breaking the law" and "is in legal trouble" are two different things. Words matter.

So the following statement: "Nowhere in my post did I state the judge is in legal trouble" is in fact true. 

I even clarified the following in the same post:

A.) There needs to be waste, fraud, and abuse discovered in the Treasury Department. 

B.) If A is true, then the judge needs to also be knowingly concealing this information. 

Since we don't know either A or B, then the judge is not in legal trouble. 

We do know that neither the judge or anyone on vgchartz articulated the legal justification for blocking DOGE from auditing the Treasury Department.