Subsidiarity Economics 2024. The times more or less locally, Part 2. The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 Edition.

 

Oil field, Grass Creek, Wyo, April 9, 1916

April 16, 2024

The BLM's new oil and gas leasing rules has effectuated new oil and gas leasing rules for the first time since 1988.

The new rules adjust bond amounts for the first time since 1966, increase royalty rates for the first time in over a century (leasing has only been in place for a century). Bond rates will go from $10,000 to $150,000 and state-wide bonding requirement for operators with more than from $25,000 to $500,000.

Governor Gordon criticizes oil and gas rule that raises costs to producers

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –Governor Mark Gordon is criticizing an announcement from the Department of Interior last week that will increase the costs to oil and gas companies seeking to drill on federal lands. The Governor used the following statement:

“If there was any doubt, it could not be more clear now that the Department of Interior has lost its way. Within a day of announcing its renewable energy rule designed to promote the equivalent of a modern-day gold rush of development for renewables by reducing fees and rents on federal lands by 80%, Interior issued an oil and gas rule increasing costs to Wyoming’s industry by 1400%.

America surely needs more energy, including from renewable sources. What our country does not need are policies that greatly reduce the return to our nation’s taxpayers while simultaneously increasing the impacts and burdens on states and communities. We don’t need policies that increase the costs to consumers while also reducing reliability, or rules that sharpen the threat of industrializing our open spaces and crucial wildlife habitat without recognizing the importance of balance in our energy portfolio. These policies should seem misguided to most Americans of every stripe who love our country. Instead of experience and practicality, DOI has doubled down on bias, dogma, and politics. America is suffering as a result.

It is time we get back to common-sense energy policy. I will continue to fight against federal policies that are short-sighted and antagonistic to Wyoming’s industries, our workers, and our way of life. We need to build a realistic, all-of-the-above energy strategy that correctly plans a future of reliable and dispatchable power and properly accounts for – and balances – the costs and impacts of all energy sources.”

April 19, 2024

Tensions in the Middle East have jumped the price of oil back up. 

April 27, 2024

Ur Energy will reopen It's in situ uranium mine and processing plant in Shirley Basin in 2026.

The UAW has entered into a tentative deal with Daimler.

Wyoming is suing the Federal government over a methane rule.

Wyoming Sues Biden Administration Over Costly and Burdensome Methane Rule

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming has joined the states of North Dakota, Montana and Texas in suing the U.S. Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over a new rule that undermines existing state regulatory programs and harms Wyoming oil and natural gas producers.

The suit was filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota. The rule – commonly known as the “methane waste prevention rule” and released last month – is an attempt by the Department of Interior to re-introduce a similar rule adopted by the Obama Administration in 2016. That rule was previously blocked by a Wyoming federal court.

The new rule requires oil and gas companies to pay royalties on flared gas, driving up costs for producers and resulting in increased costs to consumers, the Governor said.

“This rule is yet another example of the Biden Administration attempting to use rulemaking to undermine state authority and suffocate the oil and gas industry,” Governor Gordon said. “We will continue to defend Wyoming’s interests in court whenever they are under attack by the federal government.”

Governor Gordon has previously pointed out Wyoming is a national leader in regulating methane gas, with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission working cooperatively with oil and gas producers to reduce emissions. The states’ complaint explains that the new rule conflicts with state regulations and in certain instances, creates less stringent standards.

The states’ complaint may be found here.

In a major action, a new EPA rule may actually end coal-fired power plants by 2032. Tom Lubnau on that matter:

Tom Lubnau: EPA Increases Wyoming Industry Political Risk, Again

That would be an epic level change in electrical generation in the United States, although its something we've seen coming for a long time:

Coal: Understanding the time line of an industry

May 9, 2024

There has been a 20% reduction in the demand for Wyoming coal in the first quarter of the year.

May 14, 2024

The US has changed regulation to make construction of high tension lines easier.

The US has banned imports of Russian uranium.

May 16, 2024

Governor Gordon Outraged by BLM’s No Coal Leasing Selection in the Powder River Basin

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon responded forcefully to an announcement by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that it had selected the “No Leasing” alternative in its Buffalo Coal Resource Management Plan Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). The BLM’s choice means it is all but determined that coal leasing in the Powder River Basin will not be permitted past 2041. The Governor’s statement follows:

“With this latest barrage in President Joe Biden’s ongoing attack on Wyoming’s coal country and all who depend upon it, he has demonstrated his lack of regard for the environment, for working people, and for reliable, dispatchable energy. This decision, compounded by the recent EPA rules, ensures President Biden’s legacy will be about blackouts and energy poverty for Wyoming’s citizens and beyond. 

All the cards are on the table now. At the highest levels the Biden Administration – including Interior Secretary Haaland – have shown a complete disregard for blue-collar workers and their families; local communities and neighborhood businesses; the aspirations of  local governments and economic development entities; university scientists and others diligently working on viable solutions to climate concerns; as well as the livelihoods of power plant employees and anyone who relies on dependable, affordable, and attainable electricity. 

This SEIS is not about making a well-informed decision. It is about Joe Biden’s partisan, vindictive, and politically motivated war on America’s abundant, cheap, efficient, and consistent energy sources – one that holds practical and achievable goals to remove carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. This administration touts its preference for “best available science” yet only chooses to highlight the science that advances their job- and career-killing agenda.

As Governor, I am profoundly disappointed that our nation’s highest executive leadership has chosen to ignore innovation and opportunity to grovel at the feet of coastal elites. I promise that the State of Wyoming will fully utilize the opportunities available to kill or modify this Record of Decision before it is signed and final. The issues we face globally right now are too important and too urgent to dither away with incoherent policies and wrongheaded initiatives. As with the other attacks on Wyoming’s fossil fuel industries, the Attorney General is actively pursuing options to challenge these destructive decisions.”

-END-

March 17, 2024

Biden admin seeks to end new Powder River coal leases

Last prior edition:

Subsidiarity Economics 2024. The times more or less locally, Part I. And then the day arrived (part two).2020s, 2023, 2024, Agriculture, Alcohol, Coal, Economics, Electrical Power, Petroleum, Sheep, Solar Energy, Subsidiarity, technology, trends, Wind Power, Wyoming's boom and bust economy

Do these people actually have a clue how debt works?

Geez Louise:

RELEASE: BERNIE SANDERS, RO KHANNA INTRODUCE BILL TO ELIMINATE MEDICAL DEBT

May 9, 2024

Press Release

Washington, DC – Today, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Calif) along with Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) introduced a bill to eliminate all of the $220 billion in medical debt held by millions of Americans in this country, wipe it from credit reports, and drastically limit the accrual of future medical debt.

In the United States of America, there are currently over 100 million people holding some form of health care debt, and 20 million people with unpaid medical bills of more than $250 specifically. That’s nearly four in ten American adults reporting health care debt, and one out of every 12 American adults reporting significant debt. Women, Black Americans, and those living in rural areas and the South are hit the hardest. As a result of our health care system, one in three Black Americans have past due medical bills, as well as nearly half of American women, and nearly half of adults living in the South.

Unpaid medical bills can ruin credit scores and make it challenging to get a loan, take out a mortgage, or buy a car. Nearly 75 percent of adults in the United States say they are worried about being able to afford unexpected medical bills, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Nearly one out of every four people say they have skipped medical treatment because of concerns about cost, including one in five adults with health insurance coverage.

The problem is only getting worse. Research from Yale and Stanford revealed a recent spike in hospitals, including non-profit and public hospitals, bringing medical debt lawsuits against patients over unpaid medical bills, disproportionately impacting Black and low-income patients and patients living in rural areas. 

Canceling medical debt is a common sense position overwhelmingly supported by the American public. That support is nonpartisan with 84 percent of Republicans in favor of canceling it. In fact, when polled on which types of debt Americans would like to see forgiven, two-thirds of Americans pointed to medical debt. 

“This is the United States of America, the richest country in the history of the world.  People in our country should not be going bankrupt because they got cancer and could not afford to pay their medical bills,” Sanders said. “No one in America should face financial ruin because of the outrageous cost of an unexpected medical emergency or a hospital stay.  The time has come to cancel all medical debt and guarantee health care to all as a human right, not a privilege.”

“Our current health care system is bankrupting Americans. I’ve heard heartbreaking stories from constituents who have skipped doctor’s appointments due to cost, who have lost loved ones because they couldn’t afford their medication, and who aren’t able to buy a house or get a job because of crippling medical debt,” said Khanna. “I’m so proud to join Senator Sanders to cancel medical debt, wipe it from credit reports and reform our system going forward. This bill would transform the lives of millions of Americans and I couldn’t ask for a better partner in the fight.”

Said Merkley: “Patients should be able to get the care they need when facing illness or injury without fear of financial ruin. America’s medical debt crisis continues to harm millions, and Congress must do all it can to relieve patients of this tremendous burden. Our Medical Debt Cancellation Act sets up a grant program to cancel patient medical debt. This bill is a common-sense step forward that will help families in Oregon and across the nation.”

“No one chooses to get sick and seeking essential medical care should never keep families in poverty. Yet millions of people—disproportionately Black and/or disabled—are burdened with medical debt brought about by our broken health care system. Many families are forced to file for bankruptcy, while others struggle to access necessities like housing or transportation because of debt collections listed on their credit report. Imagine being denied housing while wrestling with a major medical issue and mounting bills. This is unconscionable. I am proud to stand with Representative Khanna and Senator Sanders in cancelling medical debt and bringing us one step closer to making health care a human right,” said Tlaib.

Organizations endorsing the bill include: TheCenter for Health and Democracy, The Center for Popular Democracy, The Center for Economic and Policy Research, Just Care USA, Public Citizen, and Social Security Works.

Specifically, the Medical Debt Cancellation Act will:

Amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, making it illegal to collect medical debt incurred prior to the bill’s enactment and creating a private right of action for patients. 

Amend the Fair Consumer Credit Reporting Act, effectively wiping medical debt from credit reports by preventing credit reporting agencies from reporting information related to debt that arose from medical expenses. 

Create a grant program in the Health Resources and Services Administration to eliminate medical debt, prioritizing low-resource providers and underserved populations. 

Amend the Public Health Service Act, updating billing and debt collection requirements to limit the potential for future debt to be incurred.

###

Congressman Khanna represents the 17th District of California, which covers communities in Silicon Valley. Visit his website at khanna.house.gov. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RepRoKhanna.

Debt isn't "eliminated" or "cancelled".  It's shifted.

What this proposes is to shift the debt on a massive scale. That will be made up elsewhere, either passed on so that it can be absorbed, or through provider collapse.

A horrific idea.

I don't know about the rest of these folks, but Sanders many years in government really show here.  He seems to have a complete lack of understanding of how money works in the real world.

Monday, May 13, 1974. 55

Congress rejected a bill by Kansas Senator Bob Dole to allow states to raise the speed limit above 55.

American and Canadian Mohawk's began the occupation of the abandoned Moss Lake Girl Scouts camp near Old Forge, New York.

Last prior edition:

Sunday, May 12, 1974. Divorce Italian Style.

1960s, 1961, 1961 at the Movies, 1970s, 1974, Iraq, Kurds, Marriage, Movies, Personalities, Teenagers, The relationship between men and women

Saturday, May 10, 1924. J. Edgar Hoover becomes the head of the (Federal) Bureau of Investigation.

J. Edgar Hoover was named acting director of the Bureau of Investigation, which later became the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  He'd occupy the position of the agency's head until May 2, 1972, the latter being the date of his death.

Hoover in 1932.

Hoover was a lawyer who had graduated from Georgetown with an LLB in 1916 and obtained a LLM from the same institution in 1917.  That year, he went to work in the Justice Department War Emergency Division at age 22.  He was 77 when he died, the mandatory Federal retirement age having been waived in his case.  His extremely long retention is peculiar, and has given rise to speculation that various Presidents were afraid of what he might have on them in his files.

Hoover was foundational for the FBI, as might be suspected. As an individual personality he was peculiar and notably never married, and lived with his mother into his 40s and was extremely close to assistant director Clyde Tolson, who inherited his estate, all of which has given rise to speculation about his sexuality but nothing has been proven one way or another about it.

Personally, I suspect that Hoover was the source of information used by Joe McCarthy on Communists in the US government, something that the Truman Administration early on had attempted to keep the lid on, but I've never seen that speculated upon elsewhere.

It was a Saturday.

Last prior edition:

Friday, May 9, 1924. Scottish question results in chaos.

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Thursday, May 9, 1974. Probable cause.

The House Judiciary Committee opened hearings on whether there was probable cause for a vote of the full House on impeaching Richard Nixon.   The first 20 minutes, the open session, was televised.

The committee had 21 Democrats on it and 17 Republicans, back when there were real Republicans.

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake killed 30 people near Tokyo.

Last prior edition:

Monday, April 29, 1974. Transcribing tapes.

1970s, 1974, American Terrorist Organizations, Richard Nixon, Watergate

Friday, May 2, 1924. Craters of the Moon.

President Coolidge placed an arms embargo on Cuba at the request of its government.  

Craters of the Moon National Monument was established.

WHEREAS, there is located in townships one south, one and two National Monument, north, ranges twenty-four and twenty-five east of the Boise Meridian, in Butte and Blaine Counties, Idaho, an area which contains a remarkable fissure eruption together with its associated volcanic cones, craters, rifts, lava flows, caves, natural bridges, and other phenomena characteristic of volcanic action which are of unusual scientific value and general interest; and

WHEREAS, this area contains many curious and unusual phenomena of great educational value and has a weird and scenic landscape peculiar to itself; and

WHEREAS, it appears that the public interest would be promoted by reserving these volcanic features as a National Monument, together with as much land as may be needed for the protection thereof.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States of America, by authority of the power in me vested by section two of the act of Congress entitled, “An Act for the preservation of American antiquities,” approved June eighth, nineteen hundred and

six (34 Stat., 225) do proclaim that there is hereby reserved from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, subject to all valid existing claims, and set apart as a National Monument all that piece or parcel of land in the Counties of Butte and Blaine, State of Idaho, shown as the Craters of the Moon National Monument upon the diagram hereto annexed and made a part hereof.

Warning is hereby expressly given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy or remove any feature of this Monument and not to locate or settle upon any of the lands thereof.

The Director of the National Park Service, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, shall have the supervision, management, and control of this Monument as provided in the act of Congress entitled, “An Act to establish a National Park Service and for other purposes,” approved August twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and sixteen (39 Stat., 535) and Acts additional thereto or amendatory thereof.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

DONE in the City of Washington this 2d day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and forty – eighth.

Sen. Robert Howell (R-Neb.) proposed that the Senate broadcast its proceedings via radio. 

Doing so would have cost $3,300,000 in 1924 dollars, which would be $100,000,000 now, thanks to inflation. The initiative died.

Last prior edition:

Thursday, May 1, 1924. Salt.

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Comparison and Contrast, was Lex Anteinternet: Earth Day, 2024. Native to this place.

We ran this yesterday:

Lex Anteinternet: Earth Day, 2024. Native to this place.: We have become a more juvenile culture. We have become a childish "me, me, me" culture with fifteen-second attention spans. The gl...

On the same day, various Federal office holders and their lieutenants were engaged in Earth Day related activities.  For example:

Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Clean Energy and Domestic Biofuels to Strengthen American Farms and Small Businesses as Part of Investing in America Agenda

 

Projects Funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act Will Lower Energy Costs and Expand Access to Cleaner Fueling Options

 

ERIE, Pa., April 23, 2024 – Today, in honor of Earth Day 2024, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is funding more than 700 clean energy projects to lower energy bills, expand access to domestic biofuels and create jobs and new market opportunities for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers. Many of the projects are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in combating the climate crisis. The projects advance President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle out and bottom up. They will create jobs and spur economic growth in rural communities by increasing competition in agricultural markets, lowering costs and build more clean energy projects. “The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are committed to expanding access to modern clean energy systems and fueling options that strengthen the nation’s energy independence while creating good-paying jobs and saving people money,” Deputy Secretary Torres Small said. “As we celebrate Earth Day this year, we are excited to partner with hundreds more family farms and small businesses to address the impacts of climate change, grow the economy and keep rural communities throughout the country strong and resilient.” In all, USDA is providing $238 million in funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). Rural Clean Energy Production Torres Small announced more than $194 million in loans and grants through REAP to support projects in 35 states and Puerto Rico. The REAP program helps agricultural producers and rural small business owners expand their use of wind, solar, geothermal and small hydropower energy and make energy efficiency improvements. These innovations help them increase their income, grow their businesses, address climate change and lower energy costs for American families. The REAP program is part of the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy and other investment areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. These investments will cut energy costs for family farms and other businesses, increasing their resiliency and allowing them to invest back into their communities by creating new jobs and other opportunities. For example: ·     In Pennsylvania, Cellar ‘54 LLC will use a $49,000 grant to buy and install a 48-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system for its winery in the Lake Erie wine region in the borough of North East. This project is expected to save the business approximately $4,500 annually and will generate more than 32,000 kilowatt hours per year. ·     In New Jersey, Oishii Mega Farm NJ LLC will use a $15 million loan to convert a vacant building in Phillipsburg into an energy efficient production facility to grow Omakase and Koyo strawberries. The facility will include a high-tech indoor vertical farming operation and facilities to harvest, package, ship and distribute produce. The project will create 45 new jobs and reduce operating costs by $150,000 annually by being able to grow strawberries in a more efficient and controlled environment. ·     In Tennessee, Yarbro Farms will use a $536,000 grant to install a 301.92-kilowatt ground-mounted solar array on its row crop farm in the city of Martin. The project is expected to save the family farm more than $32,000 annually. It will also save 406,900 kilowatt hours of energy per year, enough to power 34 homes. USDA is making the REAP awards in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Puerto Rico. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested more than $2 billion through REAP to support renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements that will help rural business owners lower energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen their resiliency of operations. USDA continues to accept REAP applications and will hold funding competitions quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. The funding includes a dedicated portion for underutilized renewable energy technologies. For additional information, contact a local energy coordinator. Cleaner and More Affordable Fueling Options USDA is also awarding more than $43 million in grants through HBIIP to business owners to increase the availability of domestic biofuels in 15 states and give Americans cleaner, more affordable fuel options. HBIIP provides grants to fueling station and distribution facility owners, including marine, rail, and home heating oil facilities, to help expand access to domestic biofuels, a clean and affordable source of energy. These investments help business owners install and upgrade infrastructure such as fuel pumps, dispensers and storage tanks. For example: ·     In Pennsylvania, Clyde S. Walton Inc. will use a grant of more than $810,000 to install a 30,000-gallon biodiesel storage tank and loading equipment at its home heating oil distribution facility in Lansdale. This project is expected to increase the amount of biodiesel sold by more than 5 million gallons per year. ·     In Kansas, Blue River Valley LLC will use a $3 million grant to rebuild a pair of 2-million-gallon ethanol storage tanks and other equipment at a fuel distribution facility in Potwin. This project is expected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by more than 238 million gallons per year. ·     In Minnesota, Twin Cities Auto Repair & Gas LTD will use a $402,000 grant to install four E15 dispensers and two ethanol storage tanks at a fueling station in Burnsville. This project is expected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 996,000 gallons per year. USDA is making the HBIIP awards in California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested approximately $135 million to increase access to biofuels at fueling stations. In June 2023, USDA made $450 million available in Inflation Reduction Act funding through the HBIIP to expand the use and availability of higher-blend biofuels. USDA continues to accept applications for funding to expand access to domestic biofuels. These grants will support the infrastructure needed to reduce out-of-pocket costs for transportation fueling and distribution facilities to install and upgrade biofuel-related infrastructure such as pumps, dispensers and storage tanks. Applications are being accepted quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber page. USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

Senators Lummis and Barrasso, in contrast, were going after a SEC regulation requiring climate disclosure information of businesses by introducing a Congressional Review Act joint resolution of disapproval.

The Impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas. Panem et circenses

 

April 17, 2024. 

 9.4 million illegal aliens have entered this country under President Biden, 1 million more than the population of New York City and more than 16x the population of Wyoming.

The unprecedented invasion is a direct result of the open borders agenda of 

@POTUS

 and Alejandro Mayorkas.

From a Twitter post of Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis.

Alejandro Mayorkas is not going to be removed from office.  

Moreover, everyone with any political savvy knows this.  Sen. Lummis knows this, as do the other members of Wyoming's Washington representation, one of whom will be a prosecutor in the impeachment trial, if an impeachment trial actually occurs, which I very much doubt.

Rather, the Senate Republicans will screw around with this until the Democrats dismiss it.  

The validity of the impeachment process will be tarnished even more than it has been since the ill-advised GOP effort to impeach Bill Clinton brought us into the modern political impeachment era, and the border won't get address, in no small part because Donald Trump, who is in the first of what will be several trials, would rather have it as issue than address it.

Congress, of course, could have addressed this, but for following the Trump directive to the GOP.  There's utterly no excuse for the GOP failure to act.  If the bill wasn't prefect, it was much better than any others for years, and if they take a two house and Oval Office majority in November, which I doubt they will, they could have improved it.  Indeed, their failure to act not only makes this look incredibly hypocritical, but puts them in jeopardy of losing the House.

We will see a Twitter storm of GOP tweets.  Most will be ignored. The worshiping spectrum of the GOP, the ignorant populists masses, will swoon over every word while the now purifying corpse of the GOP elephant starts to stink even more, actual Republicans and conservatives not knowing how to remove it.

Indeed, on the Twitter Storm, populist far right Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer took to twitter to demand that Mayorkas receive a full trial in the Senate as, she suggested, the Constitution demands, while at least one of her critics noted she didn't feel that way when Trump was up for impeachment.

All this while very little gets done and Americans lose faith in their government, save for a tiny sliver who somehow feel the dissolution of a 200+ year old institution is serving democracy, when in fact it's destroying it.

April 18, 2024

And the Senate dismissed the articles of impeachment, making my prediction of no trial accurate.  I thought there would be a motion to dismiss, and there was.

The motion came up immediately, and Chuck Schumer offered debate time, but Republicans, who apparently have no sense of procedure, rejected that, demanding a full trial, and thereby demonstrating the sort of hubris, ignorance and stupidity that criminal defendants sometimes do. Schumer replied and went right to the vote. 

The vote was down the party line, Republicans who know better not having the guts to vote in favor of the motion.

By this point, the dysfunctional circus that Congress has become now attracts so little attention for even extraordinary events, which this fits into as it's an extraordinary dereliction of duty and common sense by those who voted for it in the House, that it doesn't even make the primary headlines.

No doubt Wyoming's Senators went home and breathed a sigh of relief, being spared acting on this absurdity, and also being spared the pangs of acting in contravention to their conscience.  And the issue is preserved for red meat tweets, texts and speeches, so attacking the Democrats on an issue that Republicans refused to act on, when they had the chance, can still be done.

And hence this circus closed.

Thursday, April 17, 1924. Japanese reaction.

Political cartoonists were making fun of it, but the Japanese were both measured and enraged by the passage of the Japanese Exclusion Act.  On this day, Japanese businesses in Japan began cancelling orders from the US in reaction.

Regarding the Chicago Tribune cartoon from above, one of the most remarkable things about it is that the cartoonist included five political parties.  One wouldn't do that today.

Wyoming's Senator F. E. Warrren was already urging reconsideration of the act, and urging meetings to consider its impact.

The All-India Yadav Mahasabha was formed to promote equal treatment of and rights for Yadav people, the poorest people in India's caste system.

Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures were merged by Marcus Loew to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

In baseball:

April 17, 1924: Baby Doll Jacobson hits for the cycle, but Browns lose to White Sox

Last prior edition:

Wednesday, April 16, 1924. Flyer forced down.

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Friday, April 11, 1924. Closing borders.

Japan, through its U.S. delegation, warned the US that grave consequences would occur if the Senate passed the Immigration Act of 1924 which limited immigration from Asian nations.

The noted was passed to the Chairman of the Senate Immigration Committee, LeBaron B. Colt.

On April 19, the U.S. Senate voted, 62 to 6, to pass the bill, which had already passed the House.

Arizona closed its border with California as part of an effort to prevent an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease.

4,000 Germans staged a demonstration in Breslau in favor of Crown Prince Wilhelm, son of the former Kaiser, to return to Germany as Kaiser Wilhelm III.  On the same day, the German Association of Industry released a statement expressing approval of the Dawes Plan.

Casper was no longer blue.

It hadn't been for very long.

Last prior edition:

Thursday, April 10, 1924. Best dressed in the world?

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Thursday, April 10, 1924. Best dressed in the world?

 There was of course headline news this day in 1924:

And the change in how Federal oil resources were administered was a huge one.

But it's the clothing ad that drew my attention:

"Best dressed men of all nations"?  

Nobody would claim that now.

The Townsend Hotel, which was dilapidated by the time I was a kid, was opening.  It was no doubt a great hotel at the time.  Its café remained in use until it closed in the 1970s, just after the Petroleum Club moved.  The café remained good until it closed, and was popular with men who worked downtown.

The Stratton's as realtors would carry on to the present day.

The Townsend remained abandoned from the 80s until it was refurbished as the current Natrona County Courthouse.  It's now the Townsend Justice Center.

Last prior edition:

Wednesday, April 9, 1924. Dawes Plan released.

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