• NATO’s Baltic exercises are part of preparations for military clash with Russia — diplomat (TASS · 2025 Jun 3)"If Lithuania was alone, I would feel differently," he added. "If not for the NATO membership, things here could already be same as in Ukraine," said Elena Tarasevic, 55, Rynkun's neighbour.
No onecannotcan control another’s motor cortex with words. — NOS4A2
i. The unlawful occupation of territory, and illegal appropriation, extraction, and export of Ukrainian grain;
ii. The initial de facto blockade of Black Sea Ports from February to June 2022;8 and
iii. After Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2023, through attacks against grain and related infrastructure located in the Black Sea and Danube ports, previously utilised to export grain.
No one has made the case how the written word can "causally influence" a human being differently than any other mark on paper. — NOS4A2
no one has made the case how a spoken word can “causally influence” a human being any differently than any other articulated, guttural sound — NOS4A2
I enjoy thinking and arguing about such topics. — NOS4A2
Donbas is certainly Russian-speaking, but there was no organised separatism in Donbas before 2014. It's not a region that had organised separatist aspirations before that. — Huseyn Aliyev
Any time any political official cites "Deep State" (especially capitalized) as the cause for something, we all know they are spewing nonsense. We also all know that the people involved with Epstein weren't limited to on particularly political party. Perverts transcend politics. People on "both sides" of the political aisle are involved. — StevenF · May 8, 2025
And has ever corruption been so evident? With the Qatari gift of a luxury jet for Trump, never. And this was the person the Trumpists believed to root out corruption and "drain the swamp"! :lol:
After the presidency, the 400 million or so luxury jet goes to the Trump Presidential Library Association... not to be part of the US Presidential fleet. — ssu
The people in congress is only interested in maintaining their individual power — Christoffer
Underwood: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This weekend, the president made the remarkable statement that he doesn't know whether he has to uphold the Constitution. You, however, have taken a different position both in your confirmation hearing and when you took the oath of office. You said that you were committed to complying with the Constitution. Do you still stand by that statement?
Noem: Absolutely. I believe President Trump ...
Underwood: Excellent. Let's start with Article 1, which gives Congress and only Congress the power of the purse. No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law. But this administration is freezing, terminating, and even clawing back federal grants and awards that were already signed into law. These are taxpayer dollars that were appropriated by Congress for the specific purposes that we laid out. So Secretary, let me ask you, do you believe the administration has the authority to subvert appropriations law to freeze and terminate congressional funding?
Noem: The administration and the Department of Homeland Security used our authorities that we have to evaluate every grant that was in front of us and made statutory requirements but also to make sure that they were being spent appropriate ...
Underwood: So of course the president is within his authority ...
Noem: ... to make sure ...
Underwood: Ma'am this is my time. Thank you so much. Of course, President, the president is within his authorities to drive policy decisions within the bounds of federal law and the Constitution, but that's not what you've been doing. What I'm asking is whether you believe you have the authority to ignore appropriations law. Do you believe that the Constitution gives the executive branch unilateral authority to withhold funds appropriated by the legislative branch?
Noem: We have evaluated grants to make sure if they're being spent appropriately, and work that is underway and was authorized has continued. Other grants that have not been started and have not been authorized or obligated, we have re-evaluated and I think you're talking specifically about grants potentially within FEMA that were non-disaster related grants ...
Underwood: I'm talking broadly, ma'am, and Article 2 does not give the executive the authority to withhold funds, period. And multiple courts have weighed in to agree. Multiple courts have ruled in agreement. Congress controls the power of the purse.
Noem: ... We're ...
Underwood: That is a fact. That's not a question. That is a fact. And so if the president disagrees with certain spending, Congress passed the Empowerment Act to create a legal process to seek rescission, and we expect him to follow the law. This administration is not just ignoring the constitutional power of the people's elected representatives. It is also violating the fundamental right of individuals. Do you believe that the Constitution grants everyone in our country the right to due process, including noncitizens?
Noem: The administration has the authority to ...
Underwood: Ma'am, I'm looking for a yes or no question. Yes or no. Do you believe the ... Ma'am?
Noem: ...
Underwood: Claiming my time. Mr. Chairman?
Noem: ...
Underwood: OK, Secretary Noam, I'm just looking for a yes or no here. Do you believe the Constitution guarantees due process to everyone in America?
Noem: Due process is exactly what this Congress ...
Underwood: Yes or no. OK, ma'am, I'll take that as a "No".
Noem: ... due process ...
Underwood: Excuse me, I'm trying, ma'am, I'm trying to ascertain your understanding of the law as it applies to your department, and you as this leader should be able to give us a yes or no answer because judge after judge has ruled that the law is not being followed. Do you believe that the US government has the authority to deport American citizens?
Noem: No, and we are not deporting US citizens.
Underwood: OK, great. I'm so happy to hear that you do not believe that the law gives you that authority because the federal government has no authority under US laws to deport any American citizen, and as I know, everyone during this hearing today knows that several American citizens have been deported to date.
Noem: ... That's not true ...
Underwood: Secretary Noem, that was not a question. Secretary Noem, that oath that we both swore before taking office was to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, not the president, not a political party, the Constitution. And that's what we're going to keep doing here at the Appropriations Committee. Thank you, Ayo back.
— Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Testifies at Oversight Hearing · C-SPAN · May 6, 2025