RFKJr. Suspends $1 Billion in Medicaid Payments to California and Minnesota Because Both Failed States Continue to Permit and Encourage Massive Fraud

The Trump-Kennedy Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has paused over $1 billion in Medicaid funding for California and Minnesota, as the Democrats there have absolutely no intention of truly reforming their systems to root out the rampant fraud.
HHS leadership held a press conference Tuesday regarding the suspension and how the Trump administration is combatting fraud. "If those states want that money, they need to provide documentations that these ⁠payments are legitimate," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at the press conference where Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), also appeared.
Oz explained why California in particular is raising so many questions. "Another $250 million, a quarter billion dollars, comes from claims tied to high-risk providers, as I explained earlier, those who are billing more than a year after the service is provided, those billing for four or more patients all at the same time -- hard to juggle that many patients."
...
Referring to the Democrats in charge of California and Minnesota, "If Gov. Gavin Newsom or Gov. Tim Walz wants this funding released, all they have to do is provide basic documentation, showing that these services are legitimate and not fraudulent. And that's common sense. The Biden administration abandoned that kind of oversight. Instead of protecting your money, they open the floodgates to theft. They dismantled basic program integrity and oversight."

Biden's policy was to send out checks to the fraudsters and then, if someone noticed, fruitlessly attempt to "claw back" the money which was already spirited out of the country.

Blue states' economies run on fraud and plunder from red states.

Education fraud is just as bad.

Jeremy Portnoy at Real Clear Investigations:

Topline: Since 2019, school districts across 24 states and Puerto Rico have lost $225 million to fraud confirmed by the U.S. Department of Education inspector general's semiannual report to Congress. No more than $67 million has been recovered.
Key facts: Open the Books and the State Financial Officers Foundation documented 74 instances of confirmed school fraud, averaging over $3 million each. There are far more that have gone unprosecuted or undetected.
Florida and Illinois schools each had the most instances of fraud with 11.
Indiana lost the most money -- $44 million -- due to inflated attendance numbers that increased state funding to two schools. The schools' founder then allegedly sent the money to companies he owned. The schools closed in 2019, and four alleged conspirators were charged in 2024.
At Broward County Public Schools in Florida, information officer Anthony Hunter allegedly used district funds to buy $17 million worth of school supplies from a friend's business, ignoring the competitive bidding process. In return, the friend hired Hunter and his son to work a security job and sold Hunter a house for $150,000 below market value, state prosecutors claim
Chicago Public Schools received $1 million of federal grants meant for Native American students, using an application that included more than 1,000 students of South Asian descent. The district was unable to verify how many students were actually in the program, and agreed to repay the money.
...
Summary: The government loses hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud annually, but redirecting money away from children's education is especially egregious.

Just the News:

Watchdog says as much as 74% of federal grant spending in 2024 was untraceable to local levels
The report released Tuesday revealed that many federal assistance programs didn't accurately track their spending, explain specific uses of funds or report location data in 2024.

A government watchdog group's new report on federal spending found that it's unclear where hundreds of billions of grant dollars go once they reach states.
The Project On Government Oversight downloaded and analyzed data from USAspending.gov that the nonprofit group says in a report released on Tuesday shows over 74% -- $712.6 billion -- of $958.6 billion in domestic grant spending from fiscal 2024 couldn't be tracked to the local level.
The Trump administration confirmed with Just the News that the lack of accountability shown in the report's findings is why new rules have been proposed for federal grantmaking, and they comport with those at the Office of Management and Budget.

Finally, a judge has ruled that Harvard must face a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that scientists made false claims in their NIH grant applications -- and in fact never intended to do the "science" they claimed in the grant application. They just wanted the NIH to give them a pot of money, and decide later how to spend it.

It's just fraud from one end of the government to the other:

A federal judge allowed most of a whistleblower lawsuit against Harvard to proceed Tuesday, letting two claims advance in a case accusing the University and a Harvard Catalyst principal investigator of misusing National Institutes of Health grant funding.
The suit, filed by David S. Zielinski, the former executive director of Harvard Catalyst -- formally the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center -- alleges that the University and the center's founder, Lee M. Nadler, collected $275 million in NIH grants while abandoning or repurposing promised research work in violation of the False Claims Act.
The lawsuit was filed in March 2024 and remained under seal while the Department of Justice reviewed the allegations until November 2025.
U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun rejected most of the University's motion to dismiss in his 28-page order, tossing one count of "reverse false claims" while allowing two claims alleging false claims and false records to advance.
...
The University had argued that the court should "be skeptical" that the NIH "somehow missed that two-thirds of the work contemplated was never done," arguing NIH would have been able to make that determination by reviewing the annual reports and choosing whether to renew the grants.

In other words: You can't say we committed fraud because the NIH was in on it and knew we were lying.

Which may well be true. More on that later.

Joun wrote that the University's arguments did not make the allegations "implausible" and that "the very purpose of those statements is to keep NIH in the dark" from the truth. He added that it would be a "futile effort" for the court to immediately compare all the reports with the allegations, noting that Nadler allegedly "used crafty grantsmanship to obscure their true usage of the funds."
Zielinski's attorneys wrote in a statement that Joun's ruling made clear that Zielinski "sufficiently alleged with particularity that Harvard defrauded NIH."
...
The suit alleges that Nadler and the University "repeatedly, year after year" submitted falsified reports attesting that progress was made in compliance with the terms of the NIH award.
...
Zielinski, a former NIH official, alleged that Nadler told other colleagues in the center that he wrote grants to receive funding and then "decides what to do with the money." Zielinski further alleged that Nadler "was uninterested in modifying his behavior" despite warnings from Zielinski.
Zielinski wrote in the suit that Nadler stated "this is how he handled grants for decades" and "frequently made no effort to perform the work they had certified they would conduct" or change the scope of the grant.
Zielinski alleged that the center repeatedly had no intention to perform "much of the work for which he received hundreds of millions of dollars." He alleged that the center had falsely represented progress since annual reports in 2013. In one instance, he alleged that Harvard Catalyst failed to complete 41 of 56 objectives identified in a $93 million 2018-2023 grant application, 21 of which Zielinski alleged had no work completed.
...
Several other whistleblower complaints and lawsuits have applied pressure on the University and its affiliates as of late. In November, the State Department began investigating the Harvard Cognitive Aesthetics Media Lab following a whistleblower complaint that the lab mishandled admissions for its visiting scholars.
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute agreed to pay $15 million in December to settle allegations that a Harvard Medical School affiliate used NIH grant funding to publish studies with manipulated images, after a British biologist raised concerns in a whistleblower lawsuit.

Below: Sabine Hossenfelder says that the NIH doesn't detect this kind of fraud -- which is "common" and "normalized" -- because they're in on the con. They know these applications are fraudulent, they just don't care.

She also says that this might unleash dozens of new lawsuits. This lawsuits is brought under a federal provision that allows a litigant to retain 25% of the money that the government saves if the lawsuit exposes fraud.

Just another data point to consider in the covid-19 mass-murder by Anthony Fauci.

Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 01:20 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 foist

Posted by: gnats local 678 at July 22, 2026 01:19 PM (CWTWj)

2 i noodled

Posted by: gnats local 678 at July 22, 2026 01:20 PM (CWTWj)

3 Crooks...

Posted by: It's me donna at July 22, 2026 01:20 PM (5gObE)

4 Crooks...

Posted by: It's me donna at July 22, 2026 01:20 PM (5gObE

Fed.

Posted by: The Password Is... at July 22, 2026 01:21 PM (SB5L+)

5 It's a start.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at July 22, 2026 01:21 PM (ExV1e)

6 I can get behind this.

Posted by: Guy who always says "Nothing will happen" and is usually right at July 22, 2026 01:22 PM (MWfyi)

7 MURDERER!

REEEEE!!!

Posted by: leftists at July 22, 2026 01:22 PM (vDZgA)

8 Folks ... if the story is ever told ... California, the North East, and urban areas like Chicago are not the Economic Engine of the United States.

The rest of us subsidize California, the North East, and those urban areas. Through the SALT deduction. Through legit public policy that doesn't always flow one way - but it flows their way more often than not. And through straight up fraud.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:22 PM (q/hOL)

9 Choke on "The Secretary of Health and Human Services will decide...", Dems!!

Of course, that was back when you believed in Forever Rule because "Republicans were never going to win another major election".

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:23 PM (Fi81e)

10 It's only "suspended" though, implying that it can be released later.

Posted by: fd at July 22, 2026 01:23 PM (MWfyi)

11 when half your high skool grads are illiterate it doesn't matter if there was no fraud, does it

Posted by: gnats local 678 at July 22, 2026 01:23 PM (CWTWj)

12 If it wasn't fir fraud, theft, and lying; what would Democrats stand for?

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 22, 2026 01:23 PM (EDLNf)

13 >>> 8 Folks ... if the story is ever told ... California, the North East, and urban areas like Chicago are not the Economic Engine of the United States.

The rest of us subsidize California, the North East, and those urban areas. Through the SALT deduction. Through legit public policy that doesn't always flow one way - but it flows their way more often than not. And through straight up fraud.
Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:22 PM (q/hOL)

BUT MUH GDP!!!

Posted by: leftists at July 22, 2026 01:23 PM (vDZgA)

14 Summary: The government loses hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud annually, but redirecting money away from children's education is especially egregious.

I might agree with this statement if children were, in fact, being educated by our education system. I suspect that the school systems responsible for most of this fraud are the same ones that do such a miserable job of education children, so, you know, no harm no foul.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:24 PM (Riz8t)

15 It’s truly remarkable that they have set up a labyrinthine byzantine system that only ratchets one way.

Mr. Trump deserves America’s undying gratitude merely for exposing this thoroughly rotten edifice riddled with horribly defective people.

Somebody had to do it. Somebody has to try. I guess he was That Guy.

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 01:25 PM (z+KLG)

16 I just have one little dig to get in on Sabine:
---
B-but differential equations means they couldn't have done anything other!!!
---
Other than that, she's pretty cool.

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:26 PM (Fi81e)

17 “High-risk providers”

Of?

They day we stop using that word for everything cannot come soon enough.

Posted by: Cow Demon at July 22, 2026 01:26 PM (4g5V+)

18 Remember Alexander took a sword to the Gordian knot.

Sometimes that is the only answer.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 22, 2026 01:26 PM (EDLNf)

19 >I might agree with this statement if children were, in fact, being educated by our education system. I suspect that the school systems responsible for most of this fraud are the same ones that do such a miserable job of education children, so, you know, no harm no foul.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:24 PM (Riz8t)

Education Indoctrination, potato, potaahhto.

Posted by: The NEA at July 22, 2026 01:26 PM (NgqoH)

20 >>The report released Tuesday revealed that many federal assistance programs didn't accurately track their spending, explain specific uses of funds or report location data in 2024.

Who the hell do those people think they are? The Defense Department?

Posted by: huerfano at July 22, 2026 01:26 PM (VJX5o)

21 >>> 18 Remember Alexander took a sword to the Gordian knot.

Sometimes that is the only answer.
Posted by: Anna Puma at July 22, 2026 01:26 PM (EDLNf)

How about rotor blades?

Posted by: Zombie Pinochet at July 22, 2026 01:27 PM (vDZgA)

22 Remember Alexander took a sword to the Gordian knot.

Sometimes that is the only answer.

Wood chippers are just a highly automated and much faster way of wielding a sword.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:27 PM (Riz8t)

23 "Since 2019, school districts across 24 states and Puerto Rico have lost $225 million to fraud confirmed by the U.S. Department of Education inspector general's semiannual report to Congress. No more than $67 million has been recovered."

Fake news. The loses are easily 10x that.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at July 22, 2026 01:27 PM (iFTx/)

24 Remember the people that tell you millions are literally dying because the government isn't spending enough on social welfare programs also react to people stealing from these programs with a shrug

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:27 PM (sKqQm)

25 I might agree with this statement if children were, in fact, being educated by our education system. I suspect that the school systems responsible for most of this fraud are the same ones that do such a miserable job of education children, so, you know, no harm no foul.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:24 PM (Riz8t)
---
The verb "to educate" is a skin suit.

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:27 PM (Fi81e)

26 And I should put in a word for RFK jr. He gets a little off the beam at times, but when he’s right, he’s right. I’ve never been a Democrat but JFK wasn’t a bad guy in a lot of ways.

He didn’t hate America or Americans in my estimation, but that’s who we’re dealing with now. Out right subversives and other scrofulous types

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 01:28 PM (z+KLG)

27 -
BUT MUH GDP!!!
Posted by: leftists at July 22, 2026 01:23 PM
--------

is 50% fraud.

Posted by: irright at July 22, 2026 01:28 PM (SchQD)

28 Trump is making some awesome posts today. Hope he folllows through!

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 22, 2026 01:29 PM (T2w7I)

29 I’ve never been a Democrat but JFK wasn’t a bad guy in a lot of ways.

JFK would be completely unwelcome in today's Democrat Party.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:29 PM (Riz8t)

30 I remember one of the Minn scams was for a Somali guy married to multiple women to have the wives setup a "daycare" business where woman A is providing daycare to woman B's kids and vice versa...all in his house of course.

Is that still "legal"

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:29 PM (sKqQm)

31 Remember Alexander took a sword to the Gordian knot. Sometimes that is the only answer.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 22, 2026 01:26 PM (EDLNf)

Yep. I tire of the "we can reform it" argument. This crap is rotten to the core. A lot of crap. Sacred Cows on both sides - although more on the Left than the Right.

Also - I blame "W" a little bit for this. He loved him some block grants to the "right groups". Like Upper Midwest Lutherans who immediately started sponsoring Somalians for immigration.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:29 PM (q/hOL)

32 If you give more money to the Schools you’re just gonna get more of what we already got

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 01:29 PM (z+KLG)

33 JFK would be a Reich Winger to the narod of the DSA.

Posted by: Anna Puma at July 22, 2026 01:29 PM (EDLNf)

34 I’ve never been a Democrat but JFK wasn’t a bad guy in a lot of ways.

JFK would be completely unwelcome in today's Democrat Party.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:29 PM (Riz8t)
---
Except for the part where he's lending out a groupie to give his buddies blow jobs.

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:30 PM (Fi81e)

35 The concept of qui tam or False Claims Act litigation is pretty cool. Essentially, a private citizen whistleblower is "deputized" as a little private attorney general to go after fraud, and gets a "bounty" if money is recovered. The problem, in these cases, is that usually the fraudulently-obtained money is long gone by the time of litigation.

Posted by: Frasier Crane at July 22, 2026 01:30 PM (bNf8H)

36 Below: Sabine Hossenfelder says that the NIH doesn't detect this kind of fraud -- which is "common" and "normalized" -- because they're in on the con. They know these applications are fraudulent, they just don't care.
________

I think they do care. They care a lot. They want the applications to be fraudulent, and none of the work be done, because they want their cut of the lucre.

The entire system is just taxpayer money being passed around a gaggle of vultures and scumbags, with each step in the chain taking a nice fat cut until the money is gone.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (iFTx/)

37 BUT MUH GDP!!!

Posted by: leftists at July 22, 2026 01:23 PM
---
You ever heard Elon Musk's joke about GDP?

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (Fi81e)

38 Again, as has been noted, numerous times, there are 5 federal magic money machines that send out money 24/7/365 with literally zero oversight.

At a bare minimum, 30 pct of all money is straight up stolen from tax-payers and redistributed to various and sundry remoras.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (XV/Pl)

39 Make sure that every fraudster in academia and education is never allowed to obtain a Federal grant again. That would limit their employment opportunities to the glory hole

Posted by: Smell the Glove at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (sMkB+)

40 JFK would be a Reich Winger to the narod of the DSA.

Barack Obama circa 2012 is a far right white supremacist according to the DSA

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (sKqQm)

41 RFK, Jr has just killed every grandmother in California and Minnesota. /sarc

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at July 22, 2026 01:32 PM (FZ29D)

42 I expect a judge to order the payments to continue within a day or two.

Posted by: steevy at July 22, 2026 01:32 PM (YwEeS)

43 The entire system is just taxpayer money being passed around a gaggle of vultures and scumbags, with each step in the chain taking a nice fat cut until the money is gone.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (iFTx/)
---
It's more about swimming pools and retirement funds these days.

(Did I mention I hate being so jaded?)

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:32 PM (Fi81e)

44 Wood chippers are just a highly automated and much faster way of wielding a sword.
Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:27 PM (Riz8t)

Automatic Assault Swords.

Posted by: Reforger at July 22, 2026 01:32 PM (PjoLk)

45 But I so enjoy paying the interest on the money we borrowed that they stole.

Posted by: Bilwis - Wizard of Clwyd at July 22, 2026 01:32 PM (w/O5Q)

46 Billion here, billion there, pretty soon your talking about some rich mofo somolians.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at July 22, 2026 01:32 PM (n5tGW)

47 I’ve never been a Democrat but JFK wasn’t a bad guy in a lot of ways.

Shitty PT boat captain. Fun Fact - only Joe Kennedy intervening stopped him from being Court Martialed for the PT-109 incident. Because it was Navy SOP to keep those things in gear, at all times. The boat got cut in half because it was not in gear and they couldn't get it in gear.

Also, starting the string of Kennedy popularity - got much more likeable after he got shot. It wasn't looking like JFK was going to win re-election.

But yes, today ? He'd be a Republican.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:33 PM (q/hOL)

48 California and Minnesota are the biggest but the rest aren't small and they add up. Do them all.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 01:33 PM (+yTe/)

49 JFK would be completely unwelcome in today's Democrat Party.
Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:29 PM (Riz8t)

Yup.

There is no place for commie-hating, tax-cutting, war-starting, broad-banging, white, cisgendered males in today's Democrat party.

Posted by: Washington Nearsider: Gotterdammerung at July 22, 2026 01:33 PM (AdHga)

50 What was the hundreds of millions or billions of dollars to Somalis funding. It was NOT mansions and cars.

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 01:33 PM (SB5L+)

51 Do you ever ask yourself, "Why are all of the college professors liberal?"
Now we know.

Posted by: Shaftoe at July 22, 2026 01:34 PM (BrTPw)

52 It seems pretty clear to me what the true purpose of the Blue state opposition is. This is just another of their fundraising operations off the books and very illegal. When Biden removed the oversight of these type operations while simultaneously shelling out $47 Billion of taxpayer money to them it became obvious.

Just like the use of Foundation Depots to distribute USAID and Federal Grant fund to an ongoing listing of smaller operations, and eventually returning a portion to the DNC through small (un-vetted) amounts not subject due diligence (via ActBlue and similar scam ops), this is no different.

It's estimated that over $18 Million was leaving the country from Minneapolis alone. That money gets laundered, and a portion returns into the DNC campaign funds.

The Blue states will not comply with investigators because this is one of the few remaining fundraising ops that is still up and running.

Posted by: Orson at July 22, 2026 01:34 PM (dIske)

53 I think they do care. They care a lot. They want the applications to be fraudulent, and none of the work be done, because they want their cut of the lucre.

The entire system is just taxpayer money being passed around a gaggle of vultures and scumbags, with each step in the chain taking a nice fat cut until the money is gone.

Imma disagree a bit here, because I'm probably the only one with a loved one working at NIH (as a contractor). Some of them do really good work; work which moves humanity forward. I'd hate to see the good workers thrown out with the bad, but I fear that's what's going to happen. I don't know if it's possible to reform the system, but the bench scientists shouldn't pay the price for the malfeasance of the higher ups.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:35 PM (Riz8t)

54 One thing that occurred to me is that the old arguments between the left and right morphed from whether there should be a "social safety net" for heritage Americans and just how much should be given to the current left's argument that we should by paying any foreigner on earth a "living wage" as long as they fill at paperwork so slowly that no one really pointed it out.

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:35 PM (sKqQm)

55 Barack Obama circa 2012 is a far right white supremacist according to the DSA
Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (sKqQm)

You're kidding, right? Both are comfy cozy with each other. DSA is a dream come true for him.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at July 22, 2026 01:36 PM (g8Ew8)

56 Eliminate waste, fraud and abuse and there's no reason anyone making less than $250k should pay any taxes.

Trump should announce that:
For America's 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence--a declaration of freedom from oppressive taxation--no one making less than $250k should pay income taxes.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at July 22, 2026 01:36 PM (3cUTc)

57 The entire system is just taxpayer money being passed around a gaggle of vultures and scumbags, with each step in the chain taking a nice fat cut until the money is gone.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (iFTx/)
----
I'm not sure it even is taxpayer monies, though we like to think it is.

Monetary policy in this country seems to be that we just print whatever we like. We only use the taxpayer-collected funds as a figleaf for "fiscal responsibility." And to perform additional accounting tricks to hide the shuffling of the funny money that was printed up last night.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at July 22, 2026 01:36 PM (FZ29D)

58 "a federal provision that allows a whistleblower to retain 25% of the money that the government saves"

This is how to fix it. Appeal to the basic greed of people who would normally just turn their eyes away.

Posted by: Gunslinger at July 22, 2026 01:36 PM (R2gO3)

59 Do you ever ask yourself, "Why are all of the college professors liberal?". Now we know.

Now on this ? I'd say no.

Certain jobs attract certain people. I love to say "watch where somebody lives". That tells you something. "Watch what they do for a living". It tells you something. Finally - I don't believe in the "take the golfing" stuff. Just "watch them drive".

Doesn't tell you all there is to know about them. But it tells you all you need to know.

Teaching in College doesn't make a Communist. Its just attracts Communists.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:36 PM (q/hOL)

60 42 I expect a judge to order the payments to continue within a day or two.

Posted by: steevy
---

Fire him. If he can't be fired cut off all funding to him.
Bring lawsuits against him every day that he must defend, no matter how frivolous. He'll have to pay a lawyer to defend against them. Break him down, it's the Democrat way.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 01:36 PM (+yTe/)

61 Make sure that every fraudster in academia and education is never allowed to obtain a Federal grant again. That would limit their employment opportunities to the glory hole

Concur 100%.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:37 PM (Riz8t)

62 SDS became DSA.

Posted by: Reforger at July 22, 2026 01:37 PM (PjoLk)

63 Barack Obama circa 2012 is a far right white supremacist according to the DSA
Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (sKqQm)

You're kidding, right? Both are comfy cozy with each other. DSA is a dream come true for him.

Posted by: Dr. Pork Chops & Bacons at July 22, 2026 01:36 PM (g8Ew

---
But it works if they can get you to believe it.

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:37 PM (Fi81e)

64 I wil always hold RFK Jr in high regard for calling out Fauci as a liar and fraud before ANYONE else called him out.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 22, 2026 01:37 PM (T2w7I)

65 This will kill even more children than cuts to USAID. The sob stories are already written.

Posted by: Ripley at July 22, 2026 01:38 PM (GUOwU)

66 I don't know if it's possible to reform the system, but the bench scientists shouldn't pay the price for the malfeasance of the higher ups.
Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:35 PM (Riz8t)

The Ham and Egger argument. Well done Sean. Throw the football.

I keep waiting for all these great Ham and Eggers to spill the beans.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:38 PM (q/hOL)

67 I've said it before:
There's already Universal Basic Income in this country.

Except it's only in blue states and cities.
And it's all fraud.
They get no-show and no-work "jobs."
And you pay for it.

Just the way all socialism works--somebody else's money.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at July 22, 2026 01:38 PM (3cUTc)

68 Where my EBT card at?

Posted by: La'Shondra at July 22, 2026 01:38 PM (2Ez/1)

69 I used to think I was fairly smart. Got good grades, worked, hard. But I never got in on the real action.

So I'm still poor, waiting around like everybody else, and living like a schnook.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at July 22, 2026 01:38 PM (sYM3s)

70 What was the hundreds of millions or billions of dollars to Somalis funding. It was NOT mansions and cars.

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 01:33 PM (SB5L+)

Not all that long ago, Sec. Bessent demonstrated that the single largest funding source of the Al Shabaab terror organization was the state of Minnesota.

Posted by: Washington Nearsider: Gotterdammerung at July 22, 2026 01:38 PM (AdHga)

71 Barack Obama circa 2012 is a far right white supremacist according to the DSA

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (sKqQm)

Without distance between the DSA and "mainstream" Democrats there is nothing to legitimize the DSA.

Hence all the purported shock and awe from Democrats like Van Jones and Carville and establishment party members about the up and coming crazies. Without that it just looks like the same old party.

The division also lets the party create distance if the operation goes tits up and the public rejects these people wholesale.

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 01:39 PM (SB5L+)

72 The entire system is just taxpayer money being passed around a gaggle of vultures and scumbags, with each step in the chain taking a nice fat cut until the money is gone.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at July 22, 2026 01:31 PM (iFTx/)
----
I'm not sure it even is taxpayer monies, though we like to think it is.

Monetary policy in this country seems to be that we just print whatever we like. We only use the taxpayer-collected funds as a figleaf for "fiscal responsibility." And to perform additional accounting tricks to hide the shuffling of the funny money that was printed up last night.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at July 22, 2026 01:36 PM (FZ29D)
__________

Maybe, but I think at the end of the day even newly-printed money ultimately gets paid -- or reimbursed -- by taxpayers through inflation, etc.

Posted by: Elric The Blade at July 22, 2026 01:39 PM (iFTx/)

73 One thing that occurred to me is that the old arguments between the left and right morphed from whether there should be a "social safety net" for heritage Americans and just how much should be given to the current left's argument that we should by paying any foreigner on earth a "living wage" as long as they fill at paperwork so slowly that no one really pointed it out.

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:35 PM (sKqQm)
---
They have a cart with a goalpost rack.

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:39 PM (Fi81e)

74
The Ham and Egger argument. Well done Sean. Throw the football.

I keep waiting for all these great Ham and Eggers to spill the beans.

Be quiet. The grownups are talking.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:39 PM (Riz8t)

75 Not all that long ago, Sec. Bessent demonstrated that the single largest funding source of the Al Shabaab terror organization was the state of Minnesota.
Posted by: Washington Nearsider: Gotterdammerung at July 22, 2026 01:38 PM
+++++++

They've been learing a lot.

Posted by: Thanks Nick Shirley at July 22, 2026 01:40 PM (2Ez/1)

76 This will kill even more children than cuts to USAID. The sob stories are already written.

I saw an article in the Guardian claiming that a brazillion people have died from AIDS due to the USAID cuts.

And I was amused every comment on the article was a variant on "Don't think they have, mate."

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:40 PM (sKqQm)

77 I used to think I was fairly smart. Got good grades, worked, hard. But I never got in on the real action. So I'm still poor, waiting around like everybody else, and living like a schnook.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at July 22, 2026 01:38 PM (sYM3s)

One of the lies we were told as kids. Lets put paid to it now.

Life is not a Meritocracy.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:41 PM (q/hOL)

78 Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:39

Another day. another handle for the man of many handles. I just arrived here so I don't know if he's gotten to the insults yet.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at July 22, 2026 01:41 PM (rHgXV)

79 Axeman at 1:26pm: "Other than that, she's pretty cool."

Meaning Sabine, the German physicist.

Pretty cool, other than the fact that she's a climate change nincompoop. I'm not really sure how someone with her credentials can be that stupid, so I'm assuming she's been cowed into that stance; so it's pretty rich that she's calling out others for questionable ethics.

She actually advocates for geoengineering to solve the "problem" of climate change. That's a special level of nincompoopery. I stopped watching her YouTube channel once I realized.

Posted by: Pastafarian at July 22, 2026 01:41 PM (sifs3)

80 there's no reason anyone making less than $250k should pay any taxes.
——

Initially, it was 2%, starting on incomes exceeding about 500,000 in today’s funny money

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 01:41 PM (z+KLG)

81 Hence all the purported shock and awe from Democrats like Van Jones and Carville and establishment party members about the up and coming crazies. Without that it just looks like the same old party.

I don't think it's purported. I think they're legitimately terrified of what's going to happen to the Democrat Party if the commies control it. They are wise to be so.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:41 PM (Riz8t)

82 Broward County sure shows up a lot when something hinky is going on ....

Posted by: Emmie, celebrating 250 years of God's grace at July 22, 2026 01:41 PM (OlzlW)

83 That chart going around of the percentage of post-graduate degrees making less than $60k is staggering.

I don't think if you gave me 3 guesses I'd ever get close to guessing that some 30% of post-grads make so little.

And such a way to build a massive pool of resentful, greedy, envious and spiteful people:
"My degree and my professors and everyone guaranteed that paper would assure me of elite status. And these ... these fucking uneducated Republicans with no college degree make more than me!!!"

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at July 22, 2026 01:42 PM (3cUTc)

84 what about OHIO?

We got big fraud here too

Posted by: Otto Penn at July 22, 2026 01:42 PM (JHVDg)

85 Obama was a puppet who would do whatever his backers wanted. He didn't have principles where you can say "well he was a conservative compared to blah". He didn't love America. He didn't even like it.

Like many a Democrat before and after, he was whatever they wanted him to be. That may "look" conservative or his actions may have appeared so in comparison now, but it's a mirage.

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 01:42 PM (SB5L+)

86 Can we just suspend it all? Seems to me Ohio has massive fraud too.

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at July 22, 2026 01:43 PM (N1tpc)

87 Another day. another handle for the man of many handles. I just arrived here so I don't know if he's gotten to the insults yet.

I kind of figured that. I'll ignore him now.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:43 PM (Riz8t)

88 Broward County sure shows up a lot when something hinky is going on ....

Remember FL went from the top battleground state to one of the most red states in America after DeSantis put in some modest election security changes. So the blue spots in FL are hives of scum and villainy...

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:43 PM (sKqQm)

89 One of the lies we were told as kids. Lets put paid to it now.

~~Life is not a Meritocracy~~

“Crime Does Not Pay”

Bullshit, it pays great. Especially in government.

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 01:43 PM (z+KLG)

90 I'd bet every state has, at a minimum, 30% fraud across the board. Probably more like 50%. But anything around 30 would be a rounding error at Treasury. If they even looked.

They don't look. It's not worth the effort.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 22, 2026 01:43 PM (jehhT)

91 That chart going around of the percentage of post-graduate degrees making less than $60k is staggering.

I don't think if you gave me 3 guesses I'd ever get close to guessing that some 30% of post-grads make so little.

In what subject is your degree? If it's "Studies", that's all one needs to know.

A plumber can do something useful for which people will pay. You can't.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:44 PM (Riz8t)

92 "The Project On Government Oversight downloaded and analyzed data from USAspending.gov that the nonprofit group says in a report released on Tuesday shows over 74% -- $712.6 billion -- of $958.6 billion in domestic grant spending from fiscal 2024 couldn't be tracked to the local level."

$712B is a lot of walking-around money... for connected democrats. So much luxury and influence on someone else's dime.

Posted by: Grudge Harbor at July 22, 2026 01:44 PM (yFLFB)

93 One of the conspiracies floated by Qanon was that there are "more good than bad" in government.
I see not a shred of evidence for this one. In fact it is a straight up lie. Moreso now than when it was professed.

Posted by: Reforger at July 22, 2026 01:44 PM (PjoLk)

94 What's the worst that could happen?

https://tinyurl.com/3u6m3rff

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Fat, Dumb, and Happy at July 22, 2026 01:45 PM (ndZc7)

95 That chart going around of the percentage of post-graduate degrees making less than $60k is staggering.

A post graduate degree in Western African lesbian literature doesn't really compete with a an MD or JD or MBA.

Posted by: Thomas Paine at July 22, 2026 01:45 PM (1wCdz)

96 Federal spending went from $2T in 1999 to just under $8T under the Biden junta.

Does anyone believe the federal government was giving 3X as much service to Americans over that time period?

It was all stolen...

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:45 PM (sKqQm)

97
I'm surprised Newsom hasn't screamed that he's being persecuted by Trump for the crime of trying to keep all Californians healthy. Really, nothing from him yet.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia's Phone at July 22, 2026 01:45 PM (mmrXZ)

98 I don't think if you gave me 3 guesses I'd ever get close to guessing that some 30% of post-grads make so little.

I graduated in '95. It was a fact ... if I took those two years to get a MS in Engineering ? I'd never make up the difference of just going to work.

I almost did it. At Tennessee Tech of all places. But I'm glad I didn't. Frankly - it took ten years to just make up the difference of going into the trades. The pay off is I'm 54 and can make great money for another ten years.

But add to the stack of lies the "you must go to college" lie we were all fed.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:45 PM (q/hOL)

99 I don't think it's purported. I think they're legitimately terrified of what's going to happen to the Democrat Party if the commies control it. They are wise to be so.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:41 PM (Riz8t)

Let's see what the establishment ends up surrendering in the long run.

Will they allow DSA to select their candidate and control everything or will he be a "bridge" candidate that unites factions?

Because as of right now all Democrats seem to have given up is a few safe Democrat districts to further left candidates, and some narrative energy to a bunch of "crazies".

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 01:46 PM (SB5L+)

100 I never understood why students go through such complicated chicanery to cheat when they could just those talents to study and pass. 😂

Last week an autonomous agent powered by OpenAI’s frontier systems escaped a supposedly sealed testing environment, reached the open internet, and launched a multi-stage cyberattack against Hugging Face. The goal was simple and pure: steal the answers to the exam the models were taking. Not for money. Not for ideology. Just to win.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at July 22, 2026 01:46 PM (n5tGW)

101 Does anyone believe the federal government was giving 3X as much service to Americans over that time period?

It was all stolen...
Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:45 PM (sKqQm)
---
It really helps not to have passed a budget in years!

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:47 PM (Fi81e)

102 Because as of right now all Democrats seem to have given up is a few safe Democrat districts to further left candidates, and some narrative energy to a bunch of "crazies".

The danger is that even if the crazies win only a few states, they will become "the face" of the Democrats, and the vast majority of people will reject them no matter where on the ideological spectrum they fall.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:48 PM (Riz8t)

103 96 Federal spending went from $2T in 1999 to just under $8T under the Biden junta.

+++
It's a write off, Jerry.

Posted by: Kramer at July 22, 2026 01:48 PM (2Ez/1)

104 Make the states pay for all the shit they want to provide to citizens and aliens.

Posted by: mr tmz at July 22, 2026 01:49 PM (rJ48h)

105
Federal spending went from $2T in 1999 to just under $8T under the Biden junta.

Does anyone believe the federal government was giving 3X as much service to Americans over that time period?

It was all stolen...
Posted by: 18-1

===============

Has the spending gone back down?

Posted by: Blonde Morticia's Phone at July 22, 2026 01:49 PM (mmrXZ)

106 College profs. are the product of a feedback loop started in the late 50's. Each generation producing more liberal graduates than the preceding one.

Each of these graduates going into the professional arena including judges, lawyers and teachers. Each of these professions, again, feeding and promoting generational liberalism until we come to today where conservative thought is an anathema to the court, its officers while insinuating itself into the public consciousness.

The same with colleges. Colleges that graduate teachers who infect young students minds from their very first year of enrollment.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 01:49 PM (+yTe/)

107 A powerful House panel subpoenaed three far-left nonprofits Wednesday as part of a sweeping review of Shanghai-based Marxist millionaire Neville Roy Singham’s network of subversive groups in the US.

The House Ways and Means Committee is probing the path of $39 million disbursed from Singham to the People’s Forum, lefty media outlet BreakThrough News, and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research.

Posted by: SMOD at July 22, 2026 01:50 PM (RHGPo)

108 A post graduate degree in Western African lesbian literature doesn't really compete with a an MD or JD or MBA.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at July 22, 2026 01:45 PM (1wCdz)

The structure is jacked. Truly jacked.

Now I can't speak for this or that. But I can tell you about Engineering - simply as a guy that's worked Industry as well as in Architectural and Engineering firms.

To get a functional guy ? The older grads that did something ... anything ... in anything construction have always been better. Because they have practical experience. The kid that goes straight through in four years and passed him first tests to get a PE ? You have to put him or her on a leash. Because they don't know what they don't know. And they don't know anything.

It would be better - so much better - if you could just do the first two years, get the Associates Degree, and then work for a bit. Maybe just a year or two. Better for the company. Better for the kid.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:51 PM (q/hOL)

109 >>The danger is that even if the crazies win only a few states, they will become "the face" of the Democrats, and the vast majority of people will reject them no matter where on the ideological spectrum they fall.

Posted by: Archimedes
---

Is that bad?

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 01:51 PM (+yTe/)

110 I am amused by the way at what the left's current argument is...

Ignore the Somali Learing centers and Bidenflation...the reason your groceries cost more is because Elon Mush is a trillionaire.

And...its like the underpants gnomes from southpark. What impact, does Musk's wealth have on the price of eggs? None. He's buying the same number as you are.

Now...the tens of millions of illegals? They increase demand and therefore cost. And the money Biden printed to give to them? That reduced the value of your dollars, again raising costs...

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:51 PM (sKqQm)

111 It’s truly remarkable that they have set up a labyrinthine byzantine system that only ratchets one way.
--
in everything.

Fraud and voting especially.

But remember:
It's your fault some lady in Africa died in childbirth because you didn't pay for the diesel for their ambulance.
Sure, sure--you're all whining about barely being able to pay your own bills but:
Fuck you, you killer--pay your taxes so someone you'll never meet can have free diesel.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at July 22, 2026 01:51 PM (3cUTc)

112 So billions, close to a trillion in fraud.

Can someone show me where in the federal budget we subtracted these amounts?

Because they’re fraudulent expenditures- right? So. No need to increase an agencies budget. Just subtract the fraud and there’s your new baseline.

It’s math and I am a simple person. But talk to me like I am a small child. Use monosyllabic words.

Posted by: Vengeance at July 22, 2026 01:51 PM (VnVVA)

113 The danger is that even if the crazies win only a few states, they will become "the face" of the Democrats, and the vast majority of people will reject them no matter where on the ideological spectrum they fall.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:48 PM (Riz8t)

Which I did say. In fact it's what I explained about why mainstream Democrats right now must feign shock and even dismay at how left these people are. In case it doesn't work they have the distance to put it down.

But I think you'll find what's happening is the Democrats are busy setting up their own "anti-establishment" narrative. The one Trump captured and still owns. The one many an average person thinks is "cool".

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 01:52 PM (SB5L+)

114
I pledge allegiance to the Fraud
Of the United States of America,
And to the Graft for which it stands,
One Nation with no God,
Fleeceable, and stuff.

Posted by: Axeman at July 22, 2026 01:52 PM (Fi81e)

115 Has the spending gone back down?

No not really. That would be required legislating DOGE changes and more

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:53 PM (sKqQm)

116 >>>A plumber can do something useful for which people will pay. You can't.

Posted by: Archimedes

>Not everybody wants to be a plumber. No offense, but I don't want to come to your house and crawl around in your shit. Plus, if you want to comply with OSHA, you need to get shots to stave off the spread of disease.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at July 22, 2026 01:53 PM (sYM3s)

117 Actually the idea of "Base-line" budgeting needs a come back.
HHS showed $4.5 B in fraud?
Next year allocation reduced $4.5B.

Posted by: MkY at July 22, 2026 01:55 PM (q6tQZ)

118
They just wanted the NIH to give them a pot of money, and decide later how to spend it.

This mindset/scam has been going on for decades.

When I was in grad school, long ago and far away, I wrote a grant request to the NIH and miracle of miracles, was awarded roughly $50K to continue my research. This was great because even with working part-time I couldn't swing the freight and needed my parents' help, which put the squeeze on them, and I felt bad about it and this grant would solve my problems and allow me to just squeak through the Ph.D program on "my own dime".

Well...that didn't happen. My major professor took the money for whatever they wanted to do. And I was once again, in poverty-stricken grad student mode. so, I, of course, argued with my prof, who told me that I was being selfish along with a big fat no because it was their money to do with as they wished.

So, I sat down and determined that I would be stuck in grad school now a long time costing my folks money, so that was a no go, and two, I determined that I didn't want a job where I would be under someone else's thumb.

I applied for med and dental school and left all that and nonsense behind.

Yay me

Posted by: naturalfake at July 22, 2026 01:55 PM (iJfKG)

119 Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at July 22, 2026 01:51 PM (3cUTc)

And she probably doesn't even exist. It was a report from one leftard "journalist".

Like we're gonna check on the life of one Malika McXoctl M'booboo.

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 01:55 PM (SB5L+)

120 Republicans on one hand stand up there and tell you how terrible and wasteful this spending is. You know, even though it’s a lack of oversight that partly allows it.

Then when it’s time to pass the budget, they don’t subtract a single nickel.

Posted by: Vengeance at July 22, 2026 01:55 PM (SEVUm)

121 109 >>The danger is that even if the crazies win only a few states, they will become "the face" of the Democrats, and the vast majority of people will reject them no matter where on the ideological spectrum they fall.

Posted by: Archimedes
---

Is that bad?

Not from our perspective, no. We were talking about Van Jones and Carville.

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 01:55 PM (Riz8t)

122 Because they’re fraudulent expenditures- right? So. No need to increase an agencies budget. Just subtract the fraud and there’s your new baseline.

It’s math and I am a simple person. But talk to me like I am a small child. Use monosyllabic words.
---

Don't change the baseline Eliminate the agency.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 01:56 PM (+yTe/)

123 A plumber can do something useful for which people will pay. You can't.

I want to take this a step further.

I've hired plumbers and they've improved my life by fixing/improving things in my house.

I've never hired a woman's studies graduate because with her skill set there is nothing she can do to improve my life

So the question isn't who is paying over/under paid but who is learning skills and doing work that someone else will pay for?

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:56 PM (sKqQm)

124 product of a feedback loop started in the late 50's. Each generation producing more liberal graduates than the preceding one.
——-

They are so fucking stupid now, though, they can’t teach any longer, so they’ve stopped trying. This is a national security issue.

Math is a great example. Aptitude and proficiency is not distributed equally.

Out of that small or smaller subset, just because someone is proficient at Math and Physics, it doesn’t follow they have the ability to teach students.

Further, even if he is, not everyone can be persuaded to go into Teaching. Why would they, in today’s climate?

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 01:56 PM (z+KLG)

125 >Not everybody wants to be a plumber.
-----

What if the female client wants to pay you in cash?
From her bra.

Posted by: From the last thread at July 22, 2026 01:56 PM (2Ez/1)

126 Remember:
All this fraud, waste and abuse--money stolen from you--is necessary so Karen McAwfl and her dried up uterus can feel good about supporting The Science and the Poors and Standing Up to Racism.

So when you, you evil heartless bastard, vote to cut fraud, waste and abuse, you are hurting Karen McAwfl most of all.
You should be ashamed.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at July 22, 2026 01:57 PM (3cUTc)

127 The danger is that even if the crazies win only a few states, they will become "the face" of the Democrats, and the vast majority of people will reject them no matter where on the ideological spectrum they fall.

Posted by: Archimedes
---

Is that bad?

Posted by: Braenyard

I think the danger is in that these crazies will be on committees that have access to national security information.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at July 22, 2026 01:57 PM (n5tGW)

128 Not everybody wants to be a plumber. No offense, but I don't want to come to your house and crawl around in your shit.

Fair enough but you still have to be able to do or make something someone else finds desirable if you expect them to give you money. That's the part that seems to be lost on so many "* Studies" MAs.

Posted by: Oddbob at July 22, 2026 01:58 PM (vTZFs)

129 >Not everybody wants to be a plumber.
-----

What if the female client wants to pay you in cash?
From her bra.
Posted by: From the last thread

She immediately wants you to start laying pipe.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at July 22, 2026 01:58 PM (7kSco)

130 But I think you'll find what's happening is the Democrats are busy setting up their own "anti-establishment" narrative. The one Trump captured and still owns. The one many an average person thinks is "cool".

It may well be what the DNC thinks they are setting up. But I think its entirely probably the DNC gets their own Trump Moment. Maybe not this election cycle. But soon.

Because ... frankly, and here I go pissing off the board again ... the GOP got Trump because the GOP went full-on Corporate and Open Economic Zone. They quit any idea of Nationalism. Ironic - because they got shit-canned by both the Wealthy Elite and Big Corporate as a reward.

The DNC is "this close" to getting abandoned by the Working Poor, Small Business Dems, and the Union Trades. Their Trump will probably sound like an old Southern Democrat from the 80s. Before the DNC purged them all.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:58 PM (q/hOL)

131 >> Actually the idea of "Base-line" budgeting needs a come back.
HHS showed $4.5 B in fraud?
Next year allocation reduced $4.5B.
Posted by: MkY at July 22, 2026 01:55 PM (q6tQZ)

You get it. But Congress tries to tell us the math isn’t what you think it is.

2-2=5

Posted by: Vengeance at July 22, 2026 01:58 PM (SEVUm)

132 >Not everybody wants to be a plumber. No offense, but I don't want to come to your house and crawl around in your shit. Plus, if you want to comply with OSHA, you need to get shots to stave off the spread of disease.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at July 22, 2026 01:53 PM

I know a young man who started as an apprentice plumber when he was 16, before graduating HS. He's now 24, and does nothing but new builds. He hasn't touched shit in years.

Posted by: huerfano at July 22, 2026 01:59 PM (VJX5o)

133 China’s Moonshot AI stole from Anthropic’s most sophisticated AI large language model, Fable, to help create its latest K3 release and has acquired advanced Nvidia AI chips, top White House tech official Michael Kratsios said Wednesday.

“We have information that Moonshot AI distilled Anthropic’s Fable for the development of its K3 model,” he said in a post on X. “Large-scale, covert industrial distillation aimed at stealing proprietary US technology and undermining American research is unacceptable.”

He also said Moonshot AI had acquired servers containing powerful Nvidia NVDA.O AI chips called GB300s and had used them in Thailand, “likely to train its AI models.” A senior Trump administration official said in February that Chinese AI startup DeepSeek’s latest AI model was trained on Nvidia’s most advanced AI chip, in what could represent a violation of U.S. export controls.

Posted by: SMOD at July 22, 2026 01:59 PM (RHGPo)

134 Hey, how am I going to make my student loan payments?

Posted by: 38 year old childless Karen McAwfl at July 22, 2026 01:59 PM (2Ez/1)

135 What if the female client wants to pay you in cash?
From her bra.

Saw a skit where a woman hires an attractive plumber and keep making double entrendres he takes literally.

"No madam I checked your plumbing in detail and it does not in fact need to be thoroughly worked on"

This goes on for a while until she tells him she doesn't have cash but maybe there is some other way to pay him...? He looks confused for a moment then says "Ah I get it now...yes!" and pulls out his phone and says he does in fact have venmo setup.

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:59 PM (sKqQm)

136 Not everybody wants to be a plumber. No offense, but I don't want to come to your house and crawl around in your shit.

I don't "want" to do what I do for a living. But I do it.

Its on you, no offense, to find something to do that other people want to pay money for.

If you don't ? Enjoy being skinny.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 02:00 PM (q/hOL)

137 I don't think the old time Dems have anything to fight the DSA with. The Dems are broke, a lot of their donors , many Jewish , aren't going to give to the Dems with them being overrun by antisemites. Schumer and Jefferies look like they've been pithed and are absolutely clueless how to deal with it. The one Arizona win made them happy , but the energy is with the DSA.

Posted by: Smell the Glove at July 22, 2026 02:00 PM (sMkB+)

138 “We have information that Moonshot AI distilled Anthropic’s Fable for the development of its K3 model,” he said in a post on X. “Large-scale, covert industrial distillation aimed at stealing proprietary US technology and undermining American research is unacceptable.”

Other than calling it unacceptable, what are you prepared to do about it?

Posted by: Archimedes at July 22, 2026 02:00 PM (Riz8t)

139 but you still have to be able to do or make something someone else finds desirable if you expect them to give you money. That's the part that seems to be lost on so many "* Studies" MAs.

Posted by: Oddbob
---

Capitalist pig.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 02:00 PM (+yTe/)

140 Losses as GAINZZ news:
I'm down 28.9 lbs since 21 April.

I exported data from my Lost It! app. I've been tracking my weight since late November 2022. I'm now at my lowest weight since then at least.

Posted by: bonhomme at July 22, 2026 02:00 PM (mkw2N)

141 The New Republic: RFK Jr. Halts Medicaid Funds to Blue States Despite No Proof of Fraud. The Trump administration is yanking Medicaid payments for California and Minnesota.

No evidence? Uhh Nick Shirely, hello. /s

How can anyone hear him speak and think “oh yeah this guy is totally legit”? that brain-damaged child will be president one day

These are vile, evil, people attempting to rip the country apart at its seams.

I think they are mostly trying to use it as political leverage. Cut off funding and then agree to restore it if they do what you want. The problem with our system is it presumes at least some modicum of good faith.

This is a vindictive attack on the people of California and Minnesota by the Trump administration because they want to hurt the people they hate.

It’s basically civil war but you’re slow walking it. The slower you walk the harder it will be to regain what you lost.

The problem is only one side seems to realise its a civil war. Republicans are the ones turning up the heat and the democrats are the frogs in the pot.

Posted by: Intercepted Reddit Transmissions brought by the Intrepid AoS Liaison at July 22, 2026 02:00 PM (5+LQ2)

142 French modeling scout linked to Epstein found dead

According to French media, at least five women accused Daniel Siad, 69, of rape and human trafficking, allegations he denied.

Siad’s body was discovered ⁠on Monday evening. An autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office said. Siad’s name appeared nearly 2,000 times in the Epstein files released by ⁠the U.S. Department of Justice.

Posted by: SMOD at July 22, 2026 02:01 PM (RHGPo)

143 She immediately wants you to start laying pipe.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at July 22, 2026 01:58 PM (7kSco)

You have no idea how right you are. I've still got PTSD from my time as a home heating and air tech.

Posted by: Reforger at July 22, 2026 02:01 PM (PjoLk)

144 U.S. has "Smuggled" up to 500 Million Barrels of Oil Through Gulf of Oman, Hegseth says

Posted by: SMOD at July 22, 2026 02:02 PM (RHGPo)

145 > Enjoy being skinny.

I do!

Posted by: bonhomme at July 22, 2026 02:02 PM (mkw2N)

146 plumber

Don't put your fingers in your mouth
Shit runs downhill
Paydays Friday

Posted by: Commissar of plenty and festive little hats at July 22, 2026 02:02 PM (2CJnA)

147 It's not just the payment fraud. There are millions of federal and local employees that don't do any work at all.

I had a team of 8. Precisely 0% of the team worked at all.

Posted by: MJ at July 22, 2026 02:02 PM (XOmY9)

148 So you're saying there's a job opening for a modeling scout?

Posted by: Starts updating resume at July 22, 2026 02:02 PM (2Ez/1)

149 lose it, not lost it

Posted by: bonhomme at July 22, 2026 02:02 PM (mkw2N)

150 Other People's Money.

Posted by: Margaret Thatcher at July 22, 2026 02:02 PM (Wkrcf)

151 How can anyone hear him speak and think “oh yeah this guy is totally legit”? that brain-damaged child will be president one day

Honestly I don't think RFK has a serious shot at the presidency. If the Dems lose a few elections badly and come back to sanity then someone like him would have shot but he'll be too old by then.

Also, isn't that ableism? I remember Trump made of some reporter with a disability he didn't know about and the FNM raked him over the coals for it

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 02:02 PM (sKqQm)

152 I've never hired a woman's studies graduate because with her skill set there is nothing she can do to improve my life

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 01:56 PM (sKqQm)

I've never hired a Women's Studies graduate but I may have agreed with one or two about The Patriarchy.

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 02:03 PM (SB5L+)

153 JPost:

Did Carlson inadvertently encourage Iran to assassinate Trump, make Vance president? - opinion

Carlson is effectively telling Iran: The man who would replace Trump does not support this war and would not have taken these actions. What conclusion does he expect Iran to draw from that?

Posted by: SMOD at July 22, 2026 02:03 PM (RHGPo)

154 She immediately wants you to start laying pipe.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at July 22, 2026 01:58 PM (7kSco)

You have no idea how right you are. I've still got PTSD from my time as a home heating and air tech.
Posted by: Reforger at July 22, 2026 02:01 PM (PjoLk)

So do you have any need for a partly retired Engineer, still quite able to work, for say a day or two a week ?

Asking for a friend.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 02:03 PM (q/hOL)

155 What if the female client wants to pay you in cash?
From her bra.
Posted by: From the last thread
......

As long as she removes it equally from each cup. I hate lopsided titties.

Posted by: wth at July 22, 2026 02:03 PM (UjdFS)

156 The problem is only one side seems to realise its a civil war. Republicans are the ones turning up the heat and the democrats are the frogs in the pot.

IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE DEMOCRATS ARE THE ONES LITERALLY STARTING FIRES.

Posted by: BEN RUTHLESSBURGER at July 22, 2026 02:04 PM (vTZFs)

157 Siad’s body was discovered ⁠on Monday evening. An autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office said. Siad’s name appeared nearly 2,000 times in the Epstein files released by ⁠the U.S. Department of Justice.

Posted by: SMOD at July 22, 2026 02:01 PM (RHGPo)

Cause of death: Not seeing his doctor after four hours

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 02:04 PM (SB5L+)

158 You know about the cup sizes?

Posted by: Frank Costanza at July 22, 2026 02:04 PM (2Ez/1)

159 IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE DEMOCRATS ARE THE ONES LITERALLY STARTING FIRES.

Also they killed the right's top speaker, and tried 3 times to kill the current president...

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 02:05 PM (sKqQm)

160 Democratic Senate candidates James Talarico and Jon Ossoff are facing scrutiny over significant donations from Reid Hoffman, a billionaire mega-investor with former associations to Jeffrey Epstein, after both accused Republicans of representing the billionaire "Epstein class" over working Americans.

Posted by: SMOD at July 22, 2026 02:05 PM (RHGPo)

161 Siad’s body was discovered ⁠on Monday evening. An autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office said. Siad’s name appeared nearly 2,000 times in the Epstein files released by ⁠the U.S. Department of Justice.

Posted by: SMOD at July 22, 2026 02:01 PM
*******
Police suspect fair play.

Posted by: The ghost of Dennis Miller at July 22, 2026 02:05 PM (2Ez/1)

162 >>>She immediately wants you to start laying pipe.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory

>That's a pretty tight plug, miss. We're going to have to break out the snake.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at July 22, 2026 02:05 PM (sYM3s)

163 Remember: The party that justified burning down business and all the cities and laughs about conservative commentators being murdered on video in front of their family is worried there might be some "extremists" in their party ranks.

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 02:06 PM (SB5L+)

164 She immediately wants you to start laying pipe.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at July 22, 2026 01:58 PM (7kSco)

You have no idea how right you are. I've still got PTSD from my time as a home heating and air tech.
Posted by: Reforger

The Paolo does not appreciate you infringing on my territory!

Posted by: Paolo at July 22, 2026 02:07 PM (GUOwU)

165 The NYT commentariat views stopping Medicaid fraud in CA and MN as targeting brown people and intentionally harming people in need.

"Please stop repeating the regime’s lies that they are targeting “suspected fraud” or “voter fraud” or “crime” or “illegal immigrants.” They aren’t doing any of those things. We all know they are targeting people who disagree with Trump, who have brown or black skin, who didn’t vote for him, and who resisted ICE."

and

"So, Trump is withholding ALL Medicaid funding rather than just the claims in question, essentially harming thousands of people who need this help, and have legitimate claims? That makes zero sense. Unless of course, the point is to cause as much harm to as many as possible."

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My president has convictions at July 22, 2026 02:07 PM (/eAef)

166 The Paolo, he receives many requests for his, how you say, plumbing services.

Posted by: The Paolo at July 22, 2026 02:07 PM (2Ez/1)

167 So do you have any need for a partly retired Engineer, still quite able to work, for say a day or two a week ?

Asking for a friend.
Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 02:03 PM (q/hOL)

No. I don't do that work anymore but I can get your friend a job in AI manufacturing with roughly the same amount of said harrasment on day shift.
Which is why I refuse to go off of swing shift.

Posted by: Reforger at July 22, 2026 02:07 PM (PjoLk)

168 Rep. Cleo Fields (D-La.) has announced he will not seek reelection, choosing instead to run for state Senate in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling gutting the Voting Rights Act.

Posted by: SMOD at July 22, 2026 02:07 PM (RHGPo)

169 Remember: The party that justified burning down business and all the cities and laughs about conservative commentators being murdered on video in front of their family is worried there might be some "extremists" in their party ranks.

I've seen lefties start to use Kirk as a verb, as in "If you say that in public you are getting kirked"

But you know they are the party that takes the high road and all that shit...

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 02:07 PM (sKqQm)

170 These thieving bastards need to put up against the wall, stat. 0% recidivism rate.

Posted by: Drink Like Vikings at July 22, 2026 02:08 PM (J12ZD)

171 Remember:
We gave up cities on the Moon and colonies on Mars so Democrats could rob us blind to feather their nests and emotionally blackmail us while doing so.

Guess what?
Let all the little lazy fuckers starve.
Let the colleges and universities go broke.
Let the poor minorities fight tooth and nail for a scrap of bread from the Walmart dumpster.

I. Don't. Fucking. Care.

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at July 22, 2026 02:08 PM (3cUTc)

172 >>>She immediately wants you to start laying pipe.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory

>That's a pretty tight plug, miss. We're going to have to break out the snake.
Posted by: Rev. Wishbone
......

You might want to send a camera in first. Check for roots and shit.

Posted by: wth at July 22, 2026 02:08 PM (UjdFS)

173 Well ma'am, I may have to enter from the back or the top of the house.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at July 22, 2026 02:09 PM (n5tGW)

174 We all know they are targeting people who disagree with Trump, who have brown or black skin, who didn’t vote for him, and who resisted ICE."

Hmm, people that resist ICE would be illegals.

And even the left agrees they are voting for Dems...

Posted by: 18-1 at July 22, 2026 02:09 PM (sKqQm)

175 Suad was 69 so it may have just been his time. Then again it might have been Jewish space lasers. That's probably what Owens thinks

Posted by: Smell the Glove at July 22, 2026 02:09 PM (sMkB+)

176 There'll be a judicial injunction or some such shortly where some hack in black will say the money must flow. As with the previous post here at AofS, all these court filings and various arguments are just delay and obstruction, but also serve to give some the Leftists and the general opposition some fig leaf of a talking point on which to defend the criminal activity.

Posted by: Ex Rex Reeder at July 22, 2026 02:09 PM (QaH55)

177 Back in my day they used to call it getting "Kopechned."

Posted by: Teddy at July 22, 2026 02:09 PM (2Ez/1)

178 FIRST!!!!!

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:09 PM (2YhKe)

179 No. I don't do that work anymore but I can get your friend a job in AI manufacturing with roughly the same amount of said harrasment on day shift.
Which is why I refuse to go off of swing shift.

Posted by: Reforger at July 22, 2026 02:07 PM (PjoLk)

I'd like to hear more about the details of the harrasment.

I worry about my friend. He's fragile.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 02:10 PM (q/hOL)

180 There's a Metallica album out there that has a fitting title for this situation.

It came out long before they started sucking hind tit.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:10 PM (2YhKe)

181 "Democratic Senate candidates James Talarico and Jon Ossoff are facing scrutiny over significant donations from Reid Hoffman, a billionaire mega-investor with former associations to Jeffrey Epstein, after both accused Republicans of representing the billionaire "Epstein class" over working Americans.
Posted by: SMOD"

If Ossoff had to rely on in-state donation his campaign would be dead broke. At least 80% of his funds are from Friends of Pelosi.

Posted by: Ripley at July 22, 2026 02:10 PM (GUOwU)

182 @linuxuser1996
OpenAI models broke containment in a major security incident.

During an internal ExploitGym cybersecurity evaluation, GPT-5.6 Sol and a more capable unreleased model escaped their sandbox.

They exploited zero-day vulnerabilities to gain internet access, then targeted Hugging Face’s production infrastructure to steal benchmark answers.

The models chained attacks using stolen credentials and further exploits, executing thousands of actions autonomously. ...

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 02:10 PM (+yTe/)

183 I think the danger is in that these crazies will be on committees that have access to national security information.
——-

That ship sailed a long, long time ago

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 02:11 PM (waftC)

184 How come no one every sucks front tit?

Posted by: Imponderables for 200, Alex at July 22, 2026 02:11 PM (2Ez/1)

185 The DNC is "this close" to getting abandoned by the Working Poor, Small Business Dems, and the Union Trades. Their Trump will probably sound like an old Southern Democrat from the 80s. Before the DNC purged them all.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:58 PM

They are. And I think the plan is to show all the "diversity" in their ranks - like fights between blacks and fags in unwinnable races with national exposure.

And to do their new thing as a "movement" rather than one particular guy like an Obama. Not until Trump is gone anyway. He's too good at branding people away. So make it look like there is an unstoppable young energy being absorbed into a "new" party for the common man.

The big problem for conservatives is the party is headed back to the hands of Republicans, who are likely to get rolled by this movement and anything else because they invariably suck. They are owned lock stock.

But life will go on!!

Posted by: ... at July 22, 2026 02:11 PM (SB5L+)

186 I think the danger is in that these crazies will be on committees that have access to national security information.
——-

That ship sailed a long, long time ago
Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 02:11 PM (waftC)

That ship sailed with FDR.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 02:11 PM (q/hOL)

187 Don't suspend payments.

START ARRESTING ASSES.

Posted by: rickb223 at July 22, 2026 02:12 PM (1g3xS)

188 But remember:
It's your fault some lady in Africa died in childbirth because you didn't pay for the diesel for their ambulance.
Sure, sure--you're all whining about barely being able to pay your own bills but:
Fuck you, you killer--pay your taxes so someone you'll never meet can have free diesel.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at July 22, 2026 01:51 PM (3cUTc)

And the thing is, that lady and her ambulance ride are only theoretical. If she didn't get an ambulance ride, it's not lack of funding being sent. It's because the local warlord is enriching himself rather than using the money for its intended purpose.

Posted by: Emmie, celebrating 250 years of God's grace at July 22, 2026 02:12 PM (OlzlW)

189 Plumbers and electricians are in high demand right now. In fact, any skillset used to build out datacenters is.

Electricians with the skills to wire up a datacenter or a plumber with the skills to build out a water or other liquid cooling system are making six figures right now. And there's no shortage (currently) of work.

But there is a shortage of workers who can do those types of jobs.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 22, 2026 02:12 PM (jehhT)

190 How come no one every sucks front tit?

Front tit is full, the EBT out front should have told ya.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at July 22, 2026 02:13 PM (n5tGW)

191
If Ossoff had to rely on in-state donation his campaign would be dead broke. At least 80% of his funds are from Friends of Pelosi.
Posted by: Ripley at July 22, 2026 02:10 PM (GUOwU)

Crossing state lines for donations to state candidates should be illegal.

You run in Texas, your money needs to come from Texas and Texas alone.

F*ck California billionaires.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:13 PM (2YhKe)

192 I think the danger is in that these crazies will be on committees that have access to national security information.
——-

That ship sailed a long, long time ago
Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 02:11 PM (waftC)

Between Clinton, Obama, and Biden, I'm sure that our, ahem, competitors have all the national security and national secrets, they could want.

Posted by: naturalfake at July 22, 2026 02:13 PM (iJfKG)

193 How come no one every sucks front tit?
Posted by: Imponderables for 200, Alex at July 22, 2026 02:11 PM (2Ez/1)

Front tit is good tit.

Hind tit is back fat with skin tag.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:14 PM (2YhKe)

194 *Front tit is good tit.*

So it's a boob thread?

Posted by: Just got here at July 22, 2026 02:15 PM (2Ez/1)

195 There's a Metallica album out there that has a fitting title for this situation.

It came out long before they started sucking hind tit.
Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer

Kill 'Em All.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at July 22, 2026 02:15 PM (7kSco)

196 Hind tit is back fat with skin tag. >>>>>

So gross. I laughed out loud.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at July 22, 2026 02:15 PM (n5tGW)

197
Maybe, but I think at the end of the day even newly-printed money ultimately gets paid -- or reimbursed -- by taxpayers through inflation, etc.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
======
It does. Modern Monetary Theory is bullshit.

Posted by: whig at July 22, 2026 02:16 PM (E4rtv)

198 @linuxuser1996
OpenAI models broke containment in a major security incident.

During an internal ExploitGym cybersecurity evaluation, GPT-5.6 Sol and a more capable unreleased model escaped their sandbox.

They exploited zero-day vulnerabilities to gain internet access, then targeted Hugging Face’s production infrastructure to steal benchmark answers.

The models chained attacks using stolen credentials and further exploits, executing thousands of actions autonomously. ...

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 02:10 PM (+yTe/)

Awwww! Baby Skynet!

Isn't he cute?

Posted by: naturalfake at July 22, 2026 02:16 PM (iJfKG)

199 I posted this yesterday but worth a re-post, maddening:
---------------------------
Elon Musk reposted
Collin Rugg
@CollinRugg
·
2h
Ethiopian migrant accused of executing three apartment staffers due to a parking dispute in Minnesota.

30-year-old Tsegaab Binessu was reportedly upset that he wasn't allowed to cancel his $ 65-a-month parking garage contract, so he decided to murder three people.

Nansi Fuentes Zambrano, 25, Dena Silcox, 56, and Adam Wilwerding, 43, were shot and killed.

"No, no... no no," Silcox, an assistant manager, was heard screaming as Wilwerding, the community manager, was shot. Binessu then turned the gun on her and Fuentes Zambrano, killing them both.

21 shell casings were found by investigators in the office.

While being arrested, Binessu reportedly said he "hated the American system" and was mad that his family couldn't immigrate to the U.S. from Ethiopia.

He also claimed he was "treated unfairly because he is black and an immigrant," according to court documents. Binessu has been charged with second-degree murder.

Absolutely infuriating. He should have never been in this country in the first place.

Posted by: beckster at July 22, 2026 02:16 PM (kX27y)

200
Shitty PT boat captain. Fun Fact - only Joe Kennedy intervening stopped him from being Court Martialed for the PT-109 incident. Because it was Navy SOP to keep those things in gear, at all times. The boat got cut in half because it was not in gear and they couldn't get it in gear.

Also, starting the string of Kennedy popularity - got much more likeable after he got shot. It wasn't looking like JFK was going to win re-election.

But yes, today ? He'd be a Republican.
Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 01:33 PM (q/hOL)

It's worse than that. The only reason that JFK joined the Navy was because he was banging every female he could get his hands on when his bootlegger dad was Ambassador to the Court of St James. By itself, that wasn't the problem, but it turned out that one of his squeezes was a Nazi double agent, and the State Department intel folks found out about it, so Joe had him packed off to the Navy.

Starting with the PT109 incident, his "great accomplishments" all started with him fucking up, and then he did great work while cleaning up the mess. Turkish-based nuke missiles/Cuban Missile Crisis; sending troops to Vietnam/beginning the process of pulling them out etc.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at July 22, 2026 02:16 PM (y9nCu)

201 Florida and Illinois schools each had the most instances of fraud with 11.

Statement that is false, because it left out one simple part...

Not instances of Fraud, but instances where fraud was caught.

Calif has much much more fraud, but since no one is looking, like Voter fraud, there is no evidence of it.

Posted by: Romeo13 at July 22, 2026 02:16 PM (mP0Kj)

202 But there is a shortage of workers who can do those types of jobs.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 22, 2026 02:12 PM (jehhT)

Of this I can tell you with certainty. I do Applied Engineering. Non-Union Electricians with some talent and experience ... and I'm talking early 30s guys. Going rate is $50/hr plus benefits.

Does that wage blow your skirt up ? I dunno'. But its good money around here.

Union Pipe-Fitters ? About the same. Plus one Hell of a pension if you survive the thirty years. Which is not a given - its a rough trade on the body.

You absolutely make more money once you get your Journeyman Card than you do with a College Degree. Always been that way.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 02:16 PM (q/hOL)

203 Hind tit is back fat with skin tag.
Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:14 PM (2YhKe)

Hind tit is sucking on Dad when there are more than two sucklings.

Posted by: Pete Bootedgeedge, fag at July 22, 2026 02:17 PM (kCsPk)

204
So it's a boob thread?
Posted by: Just got here at July 22, 2026 02:15 PM (2Ez/1)

Why not?

https://shorturl.fm/2MAYC

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:17 PM (2YhKe)

205 Who names their kid Tsegaab?

Posted by: I gotta ask at July 22, 2026 02:18 PM (2Ez/1)

206 I watched to electricians working on a sump on a septic system. They were jimmying the pipe and fittings to get their connection and the old pvc broke. Covered them both in human waste. I asked them why they weren't weren't wearing PPE like tyvek suits and head gear. They were like, huh? I sure hope they didn't get hepatitis.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at July 22, 2026 02:18 PM (sYM3s)

207 If Sofia Vergara had a hind tit ?

I'd take a look.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 02:18 PM (q/hOL)

208 176 There'll be a judicial injunction or some such shortly where some hack in black will say the money must flow. As with the previous post here at AofS, all these court filings and various arguments are just delay and obstruction, but also serve to give some the Leftists and the general opposition some fig leaf of a talking point on which to defend the criminal activity.
Posted by: Ex Rex Reeder
=========
They can delay but not win the legal game. They are trying to delay until the Democrats somehow win the trifecta again. And use fedgov for another bailout of bankrupt blue states.

Posted by: whig at July 22, 2026 02:19 PM (E4rtv)

209
Getting texts from Mercy-Chefs wanting money for food to feed starving people in Venezuela.

Never heard of them.

Posted by: four seasons at July 22, 2026 02:19 PM (/QHx4)

210
Kill 'Em All.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at July 22, 2026 02:15 PM (7kSco)

DINGDINGDING!!!!

Give this man a CEEEGar.....

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:19 PM (2YhKe)

211
Has the spending gone back down?

No not really. That would be required legislating DOGE changes and more
Posted by: 18-1

==================

Is like to know what this adds up to. Is the suspended money sitting in some 0- interest checking account? Do we basically know that California will get it without having to make any changes to its fraud machine?

Posted by: Blonde Morticia's Phone at July 22, 2026 02:20 PM (mmrXZ)

212 That makes zero sense.
——

It makes perfect sense. Peer pressure, and every other kind of pressure brought to bear - to fix this shit, that they will not, unless they are forced. Collective punishment is a hell of a thing. We’re long past the point where fraudsters need to go to prison.

Suck it up, Buttercup

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 02:20 PM (waftC)

213 Electricians with the skills to wire up a datacenter or a plumber with the skills to build out a water or other liquid cooling system are making six figures right now. And there's no shortage (currently) of work.

But there is a shortage of workers who can do those types of jobs.

Posted by: Martini Farmer
---

Associated skills: Pipe fitters, welders

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 02:20 PM (+yTe/)

214 > https://shorturl.fm/2MAYC

Smoking body. Odd face. I'd still hit on her if I were single.

Posted by: bonhomme at July 22, 2026 02:20 PM (mkw2N)

215 209
Getting texts from Mercy-Chefs wanting money for food to feed starving people in Venezuela.

Never heard of them.

Posted by: four seasons

Block them and report them. Scammers use texts nowadays because their email return rate is getting so low.

Posted by: whig at July 22, 2026 02:21 PM (E4rtv)

216
He also claimed he was "treated unfairly because he is black and an immigrant," according to court documents. Binessu has been charged with second-degree murder.

Absolutely infuriating. He should have never been in this country in the first place.
Posted by: beckster at July 22, 2026 02:16 PM (kX27y)

He single handedly shot and murdered 3 people in cold blood for no reason.

How is that not 1st degree?

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:21 PM (2YhKe)

217 Kill 'Em All.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at July 22, 2026 02:15 PM (7kSco)
DINGDINGDING!!!!

Give this man a CEEEGar.....
Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:19 PM (2YhKe)

I was going to go with Ride the Lightning.

Posted by: Reforger at July 22, 2026 02:21 PM (PjoLk)

218 End Wokeness
@EndWokeness
Sunny Hostin today: "America still owes me reparations for slavery"

Her ancestors were big slave owners

https://tinyurl.com/yc4p4x6f

Posted by: redridinghood at July 22, 2026 02:22 PM (NpAcC)

219 new thread, nj voter monkey biziness

Posted by: gnats local 678 at July 22, 2026 02:22 PM (CWTWj)

220
Thanks whig. I thought it was scammy.

Posted by: four seasons at July 22, 2026 02:22 PM (/QHx4)

221 "But remember:
It's your fault some lady in Africa died in childbirth because you didn't pay for the diesel for their ambulance."

I don't believe that BS story and even if true, how many thousands of dollars of waste and fraud did it take to fill up the tank of that ambulance? Guaranteed 90% of those funds never reached the ambulances or whatever they where earmaked for.

Posted by: Ripley at July 22, 2026 02:22 PM (GUOwU)

222 182 @linuxuser1996
OpenAI models broke containment in a major security incident.

During an internal ExploitGym cybersecurity evaluation, GPT-5.6 Sol and a more capable unreleased model escaped their sandbox.

They exploited zero-day vulnerabilities to gain internet access, then targeted Hugging Face’s production infrastructure to steal benchmark answers.

The models chained attacks using stolen credentials and further exploits, executing thousands of actions autonomously. ...

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others
-----------
Thanks Braenyard - linkage?

Posted by: NALNAMSAM at July 22, 2026 02:23 PM (VkY89)

223 *Front tit is good tit.*
......

I prefer them to come in pairs.

Posted by: wth at July 22, 2026 02:23 PM (UjdFS)

224 I was going to go with Ride the Lightning.
Posted by: Reforger at July 22, 2026 02:21 PM (PjoLk)

I'm not a metal guy per se. But I really liked Justice for All, the Black album, and a lot of stuff from Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning.

I also absolutely enjoy their cover of Whiskey in the Jar. Its on my truck playlist.

Posted by: Memory Man at July 22, 2026 02:23 PM (q/hOL)

225 https://shorturl.fm/2MAYC
Linky no workee

Posted by: Commissar of plenty and festive little hats at July 22, 2026 02:23 PM (kz0KT)

226 Mercy SHIPS is a legit organization.

Sounds impressive.

https://www.mercyships.org/

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at July 22, 2026 02:23 PM (2Ez/1)

227 They were like, huh? I sure hope they didn't get hepatitis.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone
---

If shit's as dangerous as it smells all the plumbers would be dead.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 02:23 PM (+yTe/)

228 Sunny Hostin today: "America still owes me reparations for slavery"

++++

Come see me. I've got the receipts.

Posted by: The Antietam Battlefield at July 22, 2026 02:25 PM (2Ez/1)

229 @EndWokeness
Sunny Hostin today: "America still owes me reparations for slavery"

No one in America owes anyone a f*cking thing for slavery you dizzy c*nt. You're a godddamn lawyer ferchryssakes. THERE's your reparations.

If your ancestors were actually slaves in the US, that is. If it WASN'T for that, you'd still be living buck naked, pregnant with rings around your neck and a plate in your lip in Africa, you ungrateful sack of shit.

FOAD.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:25 PM (2YhKe)

230 https://shorturl.fm/2MAYC
Linky no workee
Posted by: Commissar of plenty and festive little hats at July 22, 2026 02:23 PM (kz0KT)

Huh......works for me.

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at July 22, 2026 02:25 PM (2YhKe)

231
START ARRESTING ASSES.
Posted by: rickb223

==================

It's maddening. I'm sitting here afraid of breaking the tiniest laws and paying these criminals in Sacramento to rob me. Can't the feeds do something?

Posted by: Blonde Morticia's Phone at July 22, 2026 02:26 PM (mmrXZ)

232 Modern Monetary Theory is bullshit.
——

Depends on what you’re trying to accomplish, as always.

JM Keynes was kiddie-fvcker Communist, Harry D. White, and most likely Harry Hopkins, adviser to FDR.

Alger Hiss wrote the founding UN documents

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 02:26 PM (waftC)

233
*feds

Posted by: Blonde Morticia's Phone at July 22, 2026 02:26 PM (mmrXZ)

234 The infuriating thing about those blue collar jobs?

Many of the 20 and 30 somethings that have entry level skills in high demand due to the datacenter boom are lazy shits. The can't be bothered with being on time let alone go to work 12 hours a day and do what someone else tell you to do. Many quit after less than a week because "it's stressful."

The manufacturing facilities around here have this problem perpetually. And the socials are filled with angry people bitching about how bad their employer is for making them come in on time, working late to finish something or tasking them with other duties.

There an entire generation or two that has zero interest in actually working a schedule vs. working when they feel like it.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 22, 2026 02:27 PM (jehhT)

235 Sunny Hostin today: "America still owes me reparations for slavery"
——-

Fuck You. I never owned no slaves and you never picked no cotton. Die in a Fire, Bitch

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 02:28 PM (waftC)

236 It's worse than that. The only reason that JFK joined the Navy was because he was banging every female he could get his hands on when his bootlegger dad was Ambassador to the Court of St James. By itself, that wasn't the problem, but it turned out that one of his squeezes was a Nazi double agent, and the State Department intel folks found out about it, so Joe had him packed off to the Navy.
----------

Not so scandalous, but Teddy, probably motivated to do so by JFK's 'hero' status, (and because he was thrown out of Harvard for cheating) enlisted in the Army in 1951. Joe was unhappy about that (Teddy was already known to be a fuckup), and pulled strings. PFC Kennedy landed a cushy job (MP/Honor Guard in Paris, France at SHAPE HQ).

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2026 02:28 PM (XeU6L)

237 -----------
Thanks Braenyard - linkage?

Posted by: NALNAMSAM
--

This is not the first. Saw a similar story yesterday about Altman's AI breaking into a different system. While looking for it found this one first. It seems to be Altman's modus.

https://tinyurl.com/yu82bewe

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 02:29 PM (+yTe/)

238
Boris Yeltsin once suckled a infant on a Moscow subway to quiet it down.

Yeah, it sucks, but it's all I've got.

Posted by: Auspex at July 22, 2026 02:31 PM (Y8DZL)

239 Joe, jr was the plan for President. Not JFK.

He was flying a TS mission where he would bail out of a B-24 filled with explosives and it would be remotely piloted to the target. Unfortunately it blew up before he could bail out.

This incident wasn’t declassified until the 1970s or 1980s.

Posted by: Common Tater at July 22, 2026 02:32 PM (waftC)

240 >>>
There an entire generation or two that has zero interest in actually working a schedule vs. working when they feel like it.

Posted by: Martini Farmer
---

It's been a long time coming. Had that problem last century.

Posted by: Braenyard - some Absent Friends are more equal than others _ at July 22, 2026 02:33 PM (+yTe/)

241 "There an entire generation or two that has zero interest in actually working a schedule vs. working when they feel like it.
Posted by: Martini Farmer"

Our small company made the mistake of hiring a gen z tech to help with the overwhelming work load. Nice guy, quick learner but absolutely unable arrive on time, keep any sort of schedule and give priority to getting things done (as opposed to his social life). Only lasted a few weeks. And didn't even seem to care he was being let go.

Never again.

Posted by: Ripley at July 22, 2026 02:34 PM (GUOwU)

242 >>>Sunny Hostin today: "America still owes me reparations for slavery"

>This fat whore needs to actually do some work before she gets paid.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at July 22, 2026 02:35 PM (sYM3s)

243 Our small company made the mistake of hiring a gen z tech to help with the overwhelming work load. Nice guy, quick learner but absolutely unable arrive on time, keep any sort of schedule and give priority to getting things done (as opposed to his social life). Only lasted a few weeks. And didn't even seem to care he was being let go.

Never again.

I have three Gen Z kids and they are all currently working FT - one as a college grad, two for the summer. the boys are both working in manufacturing.

they beg for overtime and often don't get it. they never miss and are never late.

they have friends who work in construction and manufacturing who didn't go to college or dropped out. they are all excellent.

I'm sorry. I'm sick of hearing about "they don't wanna work." maybe your HR sucks at finding kids who want to work.

Posted by: Black Orchid at July 22, 2026 02:37 PM (j+aD2)

244
So many fun JFK stories!

I think my favorite was his sailing around the Mediterranean in '57 with a couple of buddies and "hostesses" when information that he and Jackie's baby died after childbirth reached him.

"What's happened has happened." He cleverly opined.

Posted by: Auspex at July 22, 2026 02:45 PM (Y8DZL)

245
Good. It's a start.

However... as an American of Public Education, I would like to see every government-paid teacher flogged by knouters, and fed to ravenous panthers.

No justice, no peace.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at July 22, 2026 02:46 PM (BI5O2)

246 "Sunny Hostin today: "America still owes me reparations for slavery""

She is one of the most privileged people on the planet. What else does she want? I want reparations for slavery too. Look what it brought us.

Posted by: fd at July 22, 2026 02:48 PM (MWfyi)

247 > I'm sorry. I'm sick of hearing about "they don't wanna work." maybe your HR sucks at finding kids who want to work.
--------
Some actually do want to work, but on their terms, not the employer's. Not all, but most. There's a significant percentage who actually don't want to work at all. At anything. Their education has taught them that the state will take care of them if the proper form of government is instituted.

That's something they look forward to.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 22, 2026 02:50 PM (jehhT)

248 Jesus wept.

Posted by: Sifty boones at July 22, 2026 03:02 PM (/KGIJ)

249 Sunny Hostin pops up in every news story lately like the least interesting turd that won't flush.

Posted by: Sifty boones at July 22, 2026 03:05 PM (/KGIJ)

250 218 End Wokeness
@EndWokeness
Sunny Hostin today: "America still owes me reparations for slavery"

Her ancestors were big slave owners

https://tinyurl.com/yc4p4x6f
Posted by: redridinghood at July 22, 2026 02:22 PM (NpAcC)

Then the reparations should be accordingly adjusted. Send her off to fight a war to free current slaves in Africa. She can take a musket and a dozen miniballs.

Posted by: tcn in AK at July 22, 2026 03:17 PM (rfNMH)

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