@davidasuper.bsky.social
My latest on the lessons from the Administration's horrific freeze of SNAP food assistance.
Balkinization: What the Administration’s SNAP Freeze Teaches Us share.google/PSeuJtcugMGO...
Balkinization: What the Administration’s SNAP Freeze Teaches Us share.google/PSeuJtcugMGO...
What the Administration’s SNAP Freeze Teaches Us
For more than a decade, Congress has provided a contingency reserve to fund the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP) during g...
share.google
November 12, 2025 at 2:42 PM
My latest on the lessons from the Administration's horrific freeze of SNAP food assistance.
Balkinization: What the Administration’s SNAP Freeze Teaches Us share.google/PSeuJtcugMGO...
Balkinization: What the Administration’s SNAP Freeze Teaches Us share.google/PSeuJtcugMGO...
In the Trump Administration's latest Supreme Court filing, it condemns the lower courts for interfering with "how the Executive exercises its discretionary authority over appropriating limited funds among competing priorities." Actually, the Appropriations Clause gives that power to Congress.
November 11, 2025 at 1:02 AM
In the Trump Administration's latest Supreme Court filing, it condemns the lower courts for interfering with "how the Executive exercises its discretionary authority over appropriating limited funds among competing priorities." Actually, the Appropriations Clause gives that power to Congress.
Sounds like a violation of the 27th Amendment.
Look at this new outrage. To open govt, we're retroactively letting 8 Senators sue for $500K each over having had their J6 phone toll records looked at. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Spending Bill Would Pave Way for Senators to Sue Over Phone Searches
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Sounds like a violation of the 27th Amendment.
Reposted
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
Reposted
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 9:23 AM
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
More chaos and cruelty in SNAP. A short 🧵. On Thursday, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered USDA to issue full SNAP benefits for November by Friday, using unneeded extra funds in the child nutrition account. Several states responded by starting work on issuing full benefits. 1/
November 9, 2025 at 5:18 PM
More chaos and cruelty in SNAP. A short 🧵. On Thursday, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered USDA to issue full SNAP benefits for November by Friday, using unneeded extra funds in the child nutrition account. Several states responded by starting work on issuing full benefits. 1/
USDA issued guidance Friday saying it was working toward full issuance of SNAP benefits for November. It did not say "this policy will change if we get a stay". They left it in force for roughly a day after they got a stay. Many states issued full SNAP benefits. Now USDA is angry at those states.
November 9, 2025 at 12:34 PM
USDA issued guidance Friday saying it was working toward full issuance of SNAP benefits for November. It did not say "this policy will change if we get a stay". They left it in force for roughly a day after they got a stay. Many states issued full SNAP benefits. Now USDA is angry at those states.
Reposted
The growing consensus on Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's order tonight: a horrible situation, handled strategically (from @stevevladeck.bsky.social) www.stevevladeck.com/p/190-snap-wtf
November 8, 2025 at 3:42 AM
The growing consensus on Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's order tonight: a horrible situation, handled strategically (from @stevevladeck.bsky.social) www.stevevladeck.com/p/190-snap-wtf
Key point: Justice Jackson did not think the Supreme Court should decide this case without a full opinion from the First Circuit, especially because the urgency of the crisis prevented the district court from writing much. We should expect a meaningful opinion from the First Circuit in a day or two.
I need to emphasize what I say down-thread: this is a temporary, procedural move known as an administrative stay issued in haste by Justice Jackson.
Little to nothing should be read into this ruling for how SCOTUS might ultimately rule on SNAP—either way.
Little to nothing should be read into this ruling for how SCOTUS might ultimately rule on SNAP—either way.
BREAKING: the Supreme Court has granted Trump administration’s request.
November 8, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Key point: Justice Jackson did not think the Supreme Court should decide this case without a full opinion from the First Circuit, especially because the urgency of the crisis prevented the district court from writing much. We should expect a meaningful opinion from the First Circuit in a day or two.
Pam Bondi tweeted that she is outraged that the Court intervened rather than allow the Administration to seek a political resolution. That sounds a lot like an admission that they are trying to deprive 42 million people of food for political leverage. They don't deny they have the power to fix it.
"Donald Trump would suffer far more harm if he had to feed poor people as Congress ordered him to do than if small children did without."
BREAKING: DOJ goes to SCOTUS trying to stop a district court order that USDA pay out full SNAP benefits this month.
The First Circuit denied an administrative stay, but has not yet ruled on the stay request. And, CNN reported that USDA is already processing payments.
DOJ went to SCOTUS anyway.
The First Circuit denied an administrative stay, but has not yet ruled on the stay request. And, CNN reported that USDA is already processing payments.
DOJ went to SCOTUS anyway.
November 8, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Pam Bondi tweeted that she is outraged that the Court intervened rather than allow the Administration to seek a political resolution. That sounds a lot like an admission that they are trying to deprive 42 million people of food for political leverage. They don't deny they have the power to fix it.
USDA has left states to guess what crazy policy it will adopt next. Some are quite reasonably issuing benefits in compliance with the unstayed court order. It could end up that most of the benefits the Administration will be asking the Supreme Court to stop are in red states.
Imagine wanting 42 million people to go hungry so much that you're willing to appeal to the Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration turns to Supreme Court to block order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments.
November 8, 2025 at 12:06 AM
USDA has left states to guess what crazy policy it will adopt next. Some are quite reasonably issuing benefits in compliance with the unstayed court order. It could end up that most of the benefits the Administration will be asking the Supreme Court to stop are in red states.
The Administration created this chaos by abruptly adopting a crazy "no SNAP" position on Oct 24 then dropping it and cycling through one bizarre position after another since it got sued. States have been left with no idea what USDA will say next. They can't even be competent in their cruelty.
November 8, 2025 at 12:02 AM
The Administration created this chaos by abruptly adopting a crazy "no SNAP" position on Oct 24 then dropping it and cycling through one bizarre position after another since it got sued. States have been left with no idea what USDA will say next. They can't even be competent in their cruelty.
Reposted
I wish folks were as excited about Democrats beating Republicans as they are about one faction of Democrats beating another faction of Democrats.
November 6, 2025 at 11:29 AM
I wish folks were as excited about Democrats beating Republicans as they are about one faction of Democrats beating another faction of Democrats.
Is Mike Johnson hoping to keep the House long enough that Rep. Sherrill has to resign to take up the NJ governorship and we still don't get to 218 signatures on the discharge petition for the Epstein files?
November 5, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Is Mike Johnson hoping to keep the House long enough that Rep. Sherrill has to resign to take up the NJ governorship and we still don't get to 218 signatures on the discharge petition for the Epstein files?
Reposted
it's so weird to think that empowering masked men with no identification to run around terrorizing communities while completely insulated from consequences could have unintended negative side effects
November 4, 2025 at 10:31 PM
it's so weird to think that empowering masked men with no identification to run around terrorizing communities while completely insulated from consequences could have unintended negative side effects
Liberals and progressives both need to grow up: progressive voters will lack enthusiasm for voting if liberals obstruct progressive candidates who can win, but progressives need to accept more centrist candidates in purple and red areas. Mamdani and Spanberger are good fits where they are running.
the other thing about this is that there is no reason to pit these candidates against each other? each are good fits for their respective electorates and each shows the value of vigorous campaigns focused on the stated material problems of voters.
November 4, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Liberals and progressives both need to grow up: progressive voters will lack enthusiasm for voting if liberals obstruct progressive candidates who can win, but progressives need to accept more centrist candidates in purple and red areas. Mamdani and Spanberger are good fits where they are running.
Valuable 🧵 debunking popular misconception about trade economics that underlies much of Trump's trade policy. The world is tightly interconnected whether we choose to admit it or not. Complex economic problems do not succumb to simple-minded solutions.
9/10
The point is that bilateral imbalances are largely irrelevant. It is the growing US trade deficit, not the declining bilateral deficit with China, that determines the extent to which growing Chinese trade surpluses can be absorbed by the rest of the world.
The point is that bilateral imbalances are largely irrelevant. It is the growing US trade deficit, not the declining bilateral deficit with China, that determines the extent to which growing Chinese trade surpluses can be absorbed by the rest of the world.
November 4, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Valuable 🧵 debunking popular misconception about trade economics that underlies much of Trump's trade policy. The world is tightly interconnected whether we choose to admit it or not. Complex economic problems do not succumb to simple-minded solutions.
Reposted
November 3, 2025 at 12:05 PM
A citation from a hallucination-prone system that has not been checked does not meet the attorney's duties under existing ethics or procedure rules. This is one narrow area where a zero-tolerance policy could have a major impact on risk-averse actors. Strike the brief and default the case.
“Judges around the world are dealing with a growing problem: legal briefs that were generated with the help of artificial intelligence and submitted with errors such as citations to cases that don’t exist”
apnews.com/article/arti...
apnews.com/article/arti...
Mistake-filled legal briefs show the limits of relying on AI tools at work
Judges around the world are seeing error-riddled legal briefs that were generated with the help of artificial intelligence.
apnews.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:02 PM
A citation from a hallucination-prone system that has not been checked does not meet the attorney's duties under existing ethics or procedure rules. This is one narrow area where a zero-tolerance policy could have a major impact on risk-averse actors. Strike the brief and default the case.
Reposted
A struggle among many colleagues to fully grasp the structural vulnerabilities in the Chinese system and escalating instability in the American system is not helpful when developing reality-based analysis of the severe stresses now tearing the global system apart.
November 3, 2025 at 10:52 AM
A struggle among many colleagues to fully grasp the structural vulnerabilities in the Chinese system and escalating instability in the American system is not helpful when developing reality-based analysis of the severe stresses now tearing the global system apart.
One should beware of simple-minded parallels, but China exploding its debt pursuing a bad plan has parallels with the U.S. driving up debt under this summer's megabill pursuing no coherent plan at all. Ignoring basic economics pursuing feel-good fantasies is problematic in any economic system.
3/6
It's best to remain skeptical. China's over-reliance on investment and exports to power the economy sustainably reached its limit many years ago, with the imbalance showing up as one of the fastest increases in a country's debt burden in history.
It's best to remain skeptical. China's over-reliance on investment and exports to power the economy sustainably reached its limit many years ago, with the imbalance showing up as one of the fastest increases in a country's debt burden in history.
November 3, 2025 at 10:39 AM
One should beware of simple-minded parallels, but China exploding its debt pursuing a bad plan has parallels with the U.S. driving up debt under this summer's megabill pursuing no coherent plan at all. Ignoring basic economics pursuing feel-good fantasies is problematic in any economic system.
Valuable short 🧵 on one consequence of China's rigid growth targets. When an economy is under overwhelming pressure to cook the books, cooked they will be. Valuable resources will be wasted systematically and the system becomes more fragile with unacknowledged weaknesses (here, hidden bad debt).
2/3
By my calculation it is actually a little more (4.27%), but the important point is that for a large economy to be able to determine with precision next year's GDP growth, let alone GDP growth for the next ten years, requires that it not to recognize investment losses.
By my calculation it is actually a little more (4.27%), but the important point is that for a large economy to be able to determine with precision next year's GDP growth, let alone GDP growth for the next ten years, requires that it not to recognize investment losses.
November 3, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Valuable short 🧵 on one consequence of China's rigid growth targets. When an economy is under overwhelming pressure to cook the books, cooked they will be. Valuable resources will be wasted systematically and the system becomes more fragile with unacknowledged weaknesses (here, hidden bad debt).
Indeed, tariffs whose primary purpose was to raise revenues could pass via reconciliation, immune from filibuster. Of course, tariffs whose primary purpose was to punish allies for not bowing low enough to our President would be disallowed on reconciliation as "merely incidental" to fiscal purposes
Worth remembering that a loss in this case would just mean Trump had to get Congress to pass his tariffs – at a time when his party controls both chambers. That’s it.
TRUMP: IF WE LOSE TARIFF CASE, OUR COUNTRY COULD BE REDUCED TO ALMOST THIRD WORLD STATUS
November 3, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Indeed, tariffs whose primary purpose was to raise revenues could pass via reconciliation, immune from filibuster. Of course, tariffs whose primary purpose was to punish allies for not bowing low enough to our President would be disallowed on reconciliation as "merely incidental" to fiscal purposes
The majority the Democrats had in the 1960s included hardcore white supremacists and die-hard supporters of the Vietnam War. A majority that rotten had no way to hold together. But continued leftward migration requires persuading more people to support the party, which happened far too little.
I guess here on Bluesky it's controversial to note that the Democrats, once the majority across this country, were reduced to national minority (in stages, from 1968, to 1980, to 2016) by moving left.
But if you'd rather think I'm just making Trump's point...well, whatever helps you cope.
But if you'd rather think I'm just making Trump's point...well, whatever helps you cope.
I'm questioning this statement, "the left started to lose the public (who to this day don't see Reagan the same way they do.)"
Who is this *public* you speak of? Wouldn't the left be a subset of it?
This feels like the current Trump regime's feelings that Democrats aren't real Americans.
Who is this *public* you speak of? Wouldn't the left be a subset of it?
This feels like the current Trump regime's feelings that Democrats aren't real Americans.
November 1, 2025 at 8:26 PM
The majority the Democrats had in the 1960s included hardcore white supremacists and die-hard supporters of the Vietnam War. A majority that rotten had no way to hold together. But continued leftward migration requires persuading more people to support the party, which happened far too little.
I have plenty of disagreements with President Reagan, but in trying to persuade people to do what is needed today, it's valuable to highlight every way in which President Reagan did something right (like prevent a food aid cut-off) that this Administration is refusing to do.
This! When you say "Listen, Reagan and the Bushes and Trump are the same," you're actually reassuring low-info voters that Trump isn't a crazy choice, because unlike Bluesky folks, millions of Americans would vote for those guys again.
They didn't understand that "this isn't your parent's GOP" is exactly why Biden won. Because comparing Trump to Reagan is to almost all conservatives, an in kind donation to Trump.
But pointing out the voters principles weren't what changed, it was the party that broke their pledge to them, works.
But pointing out the voters principles weren't what changed, it was the party that broke their pledge to them, works.
November 1, 2025 at 5:35 PM
I have plenty of disagreements with President Reagan, but in trying to persuade people to do what is needed today, it's valuable to highlight every way in which President Reagan did something right (like prevent a food aid cut-off) that this Administration is refusing to do.