2021 American Political Scene

[Albany Rifles]

Much of the fraud was committed with false identities, using identity theft. I would expect that bank accounts were opened using those same false identities. If the thieves went through all of that trouble, I expect that they would also put in the effort to move the money out of those accounts, to somewhere that it cannot be easily retrieved, if at all.

Brad Stevens, the coach of the Boston Celtics NBA team, had his identity stolen recently and used to steal some funds.

That word came out last week.

[JRT]

Biden administration limits what Border Patrol can share with media about migrant surge at border

Restrictions on what border agents can share with the media were passed down verbally, say officials. Some have released videos of the border surge anyway.

by Julia Ainsley
17 March 2020

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is restricting the information Border Patrol agents and sector chiefs can share with the media as a surge of migrants tests the agency's capacity at the southern border, according to two current and two former Customs and Border Protection officials.

The officials say the restrictions are seen as an unofficial "gag order" and are often referred to that way among colleagues. The officials requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media about the topic.

Border Patrol officials have been told to deny all media requests for "ride-alongs" with agents along the southern border; local press officers are instructed to send all information queries, even from local media, to the press office in Washington for approval; and those responsible for cultivating data about the number of migrants in custody have been reminded not to share the information with anyone to prevent leaks, the officials said.

Multiple news organizations, including NBC News, have requested access to or photos from inside overcrowded border processing facilities holding unaccompanied migrant children; they have been denied.

The new restrictions have been passed down verbally, not through an official memo, the officials said. The unofficial policy has led some agents at the border to release videos that show mass arrests and surges of migrants without permission from Washington, two officials said.

Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security have not offered any media tours of the newly opened processing facility in Donna, Texas, which is reported to be over capacity with unaccompanied migrant children, a DHS official said.

Some of the restrictions, particularly for in-person tours, are due to Covid-19 precautions, said one of the current officials. But, as the current official said, while the Trump administration allowed some border ride-alongs for journalists during the pandemic, there has been "not a single one since January 20," the day President Joe Biden was inaugurated.

A DHS spokesperson said the agency is following standards set in 2014.

"Across the federal government, certain employees are designated spokespeople for their respective agencies and public statements are vetted to ensure accuracy. This standard and process has been followed at DHS since the Department's inception and across bipartisan administrations. Customs and Border Protection continues to publicly provide the same monthly data on the same schedule as it has since 2014," the spokesperson said.

The Trump administration's media strategy for DHS often focused on highlighting the dangers posed by migrants, at times inflating the risk. Politically appointed public affairs officials under President Donald Trump pushed local border sectors to publicize arrests and to take national media organizations to the border to see agents in action.

"Part of maintaining the public trust is to communicate regularly and often," a former official said.

A second current official, who has served in the past three administrations, said the current climate for Customs and Border Protection personnel is more similar to what it was during the Obama administration.

"It was more restrictive under Obama than under Trump, when there was more autonomy for each region to speak to the media," the second current official said.

With the change in tone from the Biden administration, which has committed to a more humane system on the southern border, some border agents have released videos without permission.

One such video was posted online over the weekend by the office of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas. The video shows dozens of migrants, including young children, being shuttled across the Rio Grande by raft. A spokeswoman for Cuellar said that the video was shot in March but that "Congressman Cuellar is not able to say who gave him the video." Two officials, however, said the video came from a border agent.

Cuellar has previously criticized Biden for not visiting the border during the surge.

Another key piece of data is the number of unaccompanied children in Border Patrol custody. While the number has historically been somewhat protected, as it is law enforcement-sensitive, a congressional aide said the data have been harder to accumulate amid a leak crackdown.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on March 1, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas committed to being transparent with the media, citing "another principle to which I intend to adhere throughout my tenure, and that's openness and transparency, and that includes the Fourth Estate."

Mayorkas was responding to a reporter who said that she had been denied access to Border Patrol facilities and that the agency had cited Covid-19 restrictions. Mayorkas said he would look into it to find out why access was denied.

In a statement released Tuesday, Mayorkas said DHS is "on pace to encounter more individuals on the southwest border than we have in the last 20 years."

The Biden administration finds itself in a difficult position when it comes to messaging about immigration. On one hand, it wants to show voters it has a more humane approach, while on the other hand it doesn't want to encourage more undocumented migrants to cross the border.

Speaking at the White House last week, Ambassador Roberta Jacobson, Biden's coordinator for the southern border, told reporters: "It is difficult at times to convey both hope in the future and the danger that is now. And that is what we're trying to do. And I — I will certainly agree that we are trying to walk and chew gum at the same time."

.

...

[JRT]

So, did every one of those fraudulent claims go into someone's bank account -- where it can be reclaimed -- or am I missing something?

Much of the fraud was committed with false identities, using identity theft. I would expect that bank accounts were opened using those same false identities. If the thieves went through all of that trouble, I expect that they would also put in the effort to move the money out of those accounts, to somewhere that it cannot be easily retrieved, if at all.

[DOR]

So, did every one of those fraudulent claims go into someone's bank account -- where it can be reclaimed -- or am I missing something?

[Albany Rifles]

When you spend so much effort to make government less efficient don't be surprised when government is less efficient.

[JRT]

Just for a little perspective on the magnitude of the numbers in the news story quoted further below...
Per CRS report R41129, "The Navy's FY2021 budget submission estimates the total procurement cost of a 12-ship class at $109.8 billion in then-year dollars.", the cost of designing and building 12 SSBN replacement submarines in the new Columbia class, intended to serve more than several decades as the primary leg of the US strategic deterrent triad.

More than $200 billion in unemployment aid may have gone to fraudsters in the pandemic

by Denitsa Tsekova
15 March 2021

A significant chunk of the government support reserved for unemployed Americans went to fraudsters instead during the pandemic, according to new estimates.

More than $200 billion of unemployment benefits distributed in the pandemic may have been pocketed by thieves, according to ID.me, a computer security service that 19 states — accounting for 75% of the national population — use to verify worker identities. That's more than triple the official government estimate of $63 billion based on the 10% pre-pandemic fraud rate.

"The level of fraud is truly unprecedented," Blake Hall, CEO and cofounder of ID.me, told Yahoo Money. "The main driver is the PUA program... For criminals, this program essentially makes every American and their identity a target."

Up to 30% of claims under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), the program that provides benefits to self-employed and contractors, are fraudulent, according to data by ID.me.

'The nature of what you're setting up is very vulnerable'

Generally, unemployment programs are vulnerable to fraud because eligibility rules can change quickly. That was especially true during the pandemic when new programs were established. Then there was the sheer scope: Around 30 million Americans were relying on jobless benefits last spring.

Add in the fact that the benefits increased in value per person — first the additional $600 per week under the CARES Act and then $300 extra a week under various other actions — and the programs became a lightning rod for fraud, especially from professional criminals.

"Unemployment is a program that certainly has a high rate of overpayment," Andrew Stettner, an unemployment insurance expert and senior fellow at the Century Foundation, told Yahoo Money. "What's different about this period is the level of organized crime activities targeting unemployment insurance is definitely unprecedented."

Around 20% of the fraud is linked to breached personal data, up to 10% is through social engineering, and 2.5% are linked to face matching, where a criminal tries to use a mask, video, or image of the victim, according to Hall.

Verifying the identity of a self-employed or freelance worker is more complicated than confirming a worker's income with a traditional employer. There are no employer wage records to help verify that worker's income.

"You wanted to extend eligibility to people that are not in the system like gig workers, the self-employed," Stettner said. "The nature of what you're setting up is very vulnerable."

'Choose those states that they could get the most per person'

Criminal enterprises targeted California, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Washington — some of the states with the highest per week unemployment benefits, according to Stettner.

"Organized crime rings in Russia, China, Nigeria ,and Ghana, and prisoners and petty thieves have made it their job to exploit the pandemic and creatively work to steal funds from state agencies, including PUA funds from the federal government," Hall said.

California, which paid at least $11.4 billion in fraudulent claims according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times, was also targeted because it relies on debit cards for distributing the benefits, according to Stettner.

Fraud losses in Washington are expected to total $600 million as of June 2020, amounting to 122,000 known or suspected fraudulent claims, according to a report from the Office of the Washington State Auditor. In Massachusetts, up to $687 million is estimated to be paid for fraudulent claims as of February, according to the state's Department of Unemployment Assistance.

"They pick and choose those states that they could get the most per person off of," Stettner said.

Some states like Colorado have been effective in turning back fraudulent unemployment claims. The state estimates it prevented 1.1 million fraudulent claims from being paid out — potentially worth $7 billion — since the start of the pandemic.

After the $900 billion stimulus package was signed into law in December, more protections against unemployment benefits fraud were put in place. For example, many states now require picture-based or two-factor identity verification as well as additional documentation to verify your lost employment.

"We are currently working with 22 states (live in 19) to combat unemployment fraud," Hall said. "We were working with just one state in July 2020. The states have moved quickly to upgrade their defenses."

.

...

[TopHatter]

Trump Is Adrift
Donald Trump was supposed to be the 800-pound gorilla. No longer in the room, but still an 800-pound gorilla. Now he has decided not to start a new party, not to start a television network, and not to start a new social media site. Yes, he has raised a lot of money for his revenge super PAC, but it is not clear whether he will be able to deploy that effectively or that it will really matter. Besides, Trump is currently fighting with the RNC over where donors should send money. Fighting your own party isn't a great way to dominate the scene.

People close to Trump say that he is adrift. He is disorganized. He is torn between playing the role of party leader and being its antagonist. One close adviser said that there is no apparatus and no political infrastructure. This is far from the Godzilla people were expecting.

The result is whiplash. One day he is threatening to sue the RNC and the next day he is offering Mar-a-Lago as the site for its spring donor meeting. He has brutally attacked Karl Rove but endorsed Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), who repeatedly criticized Trump's trade policies. Trump has encouraged NFL star Herschel Walker to challenge Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) in a primary and also invited NRSC Chairman Rick Scott (R-FL) to dinner, even though Scott has vocally opposed challenging any incumbent Republican for any office. The only consistency here is an attempt to remain relevant. One insider likened Trump to a pinball machine, with the ball abruptly changing direction every second.

Trump has assembled a barebones political staff. Brad Parscale, Bill Stepien, and Justin Clark are supposed to vet candidates to find ones Trump can support. David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski are dealing with fundraising. But at the same time, Trump is calling his old real estate pals and former White House officials asking for advice, potentially undercutting what these teams are doing. One former adviser said: "Politics is his hobby and he's having fun with his hobby in between his rounds of golf." So far, all of his maneuverings have been met by a shrug by the Party. In the end, he may have far less influence on the Republican Party than GOP politicians feared. (V)

Trump Will Be Discovered
Donald Trump is the subject of investigations by officials in Georgia and New York. These could conceivably lead to large fines or prison time. But there is yet another danger lurking in the background that is not as potent but is more likely: Having his financial affairs exposed. Currently, 10 people have filed civil suits against Trump. Civil suits have a weapon that criminal investigations don't have: wide-ranging discovery. Once a judge approves a civil suit, the plaintiff gets to depose the defendant and any other people the plaintiff thinks might be relevant. The plaintiff can also ask the judge to subpoena just about anything that might be relevant to the case. Unlike in criminal cases, in civil cases defendants can't plead the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions. Judges can order depositions to take place in the courthouse if need be, and can compel testimony. Trump is about to learn much more about the discovery process in the months ahead.

One high-profile case that Trump is definitely not looking forward to is that of his niece, Mary Trump, who is alleging that he swindled her out of tens of millions of dollars from the inheritance from her father. She is going to demand a full-blown inquiry into the family finances during the discovery process. It seems likely that the judge will approve this since the question of whether Mary was cheated depends on how much money was at stake. Consequently, the judge is likely to approve most requests for financial documents, which could become evidence at a trial and thus become public. Trump has often said that digging into his finances is a red line no one may cross. In civil discovery, he may have no choice. Of course, he could try to buy her off, but if she thinks she has a pretty good chance at getting tens of millions of dollars at a trial, she is unlikely to settle for $5 million.

Two sitting members of the House, Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS), have (separately) sued Trump under the Ku Klux Klan Act, which allows damages for anyone conspiring to use force to prevent a public official from carrying out his duties. Swalwell, a lawyer, has alleged that Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, and others conspired to prevent him from observing the electoral votes being counted, which is definitely part of his job as a representative. He also alleges that Trump conspired with a crowd of people to stop him from doing his job by riling them up to invade the Capitol and they agreed by roaring their approval. If the judge allows the case to go forward, he and his lawyer could depose both Trumps and Giuliani separately and then compare their descriptions of the same event. If there are inconsistencies, they could later tell the jury that someone was lying. No matter who it was, it weakens Trump's defense. And in a civil case, the standard is "preponderance of evidence," not "guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."

Other civil cases that are pending are the one in which E. Jean Carroll is asking for damages for Trump's defaming her and Summer Zervos' case, in which she is asking for the same. Trump tried to get both cases thrown out and they are on appeal now. If the women win the appeals, the cases will start in earnest and discovery, including depositions, will begin promptly. In short, Trump has plenty to worry about as a result of the civil cases and their almost boundless discovery, in addition to all the criminal cases. (V)
_________________

When Trump has a robust "infrastructure" to put his childish whims and demands into action. Take that away and he actually has to work to make these things happen. And if Trump's 4 years as president showed anything crystal clear, it's that Trump is a lazy indolent pile of shit.

One thing I'm definitely looking forward to, assuming he doesn't stroke out or completely lose his marbles, is Trump testifying under oath...which is something that will cause his lawyers to stroke out or lose their marbles at the mere thought of.

[TopHatter]

“If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket.”- LBJ

still true today.

Reminds me so much of Gene Hackman's character, reminiscing about his father in this scene from Mississippi Burning

[astralis]

“If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket.”- LBJ

still true today.

note how Lindsey Graham's new talking point about the COVID relief bill is that it's "reparations!"

I wonder why, oh why, Graham decided to use that particular word...

[TopHatter]

How the quest for significance and respect underlies the white supremacist movement, conspiracy theories and a range of other problems

President Joe Biden’s fundamental pitch to America has been about dignity and respect. He never tires of repeating his father’s words that “a job is about more than a paycheck, it is about … dignity … about respect … being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Everything is going to be OK.’”

In strikingly similar language, Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton affirm that “jobs are not just the source of money.” When jobs are lost, they wrote in 2020, “it is the loss of meaning, of dignity, of pride, and of self respect … that brings on despair, not just or even primarily the loss of money.”

I am a psychologist who studies the human quest for significance and respect. My research reveals that this basic motivation is a major force in human affairs. It shapes the course of world history and determines the destiny of nations. It underlies some of the chief challenges society is facing. Among others, these are:

• The suicides – known as “deaths of despair” – of working-class Americans
• White supremacist movements
• Systemic racism
• Islamist terrorism
• The proliferation of conspiracy theories
• The growing rift in the Republican Party between moderates and extremists

In all these cases, people’s actions, opinions and attitudes aim, often unconsciously, to satisfy their fundamental need to count, to be recognized and respected.

The very term “supremacism” betrays concern for superior standing. So do names like “Proud Boys” or “Oath Keepers.” Systemic racism is rooted in the motivation to put down one race to elevate another. Islamist terrorism targets the alleged belittlers of a religion. Conspiracy theories identify alleged culprits plotting the subjugation and dishonor of their victims. And the extremist faction of the Republican Party cares exclusively about winning, no holds barred.

Triggering the quest
This quest for significance and respect must first be awakened before it can drive behavior. We don’t strive for significance 24/7.

The quest can be triggered by the experience of significant loss through humiliation and failure. When we suffer such a loss, we desperately seek to regain significance and respect. We are then keen to embrace any narrative that tells us how, and to follow leaders who show us the way.

The quest for significance can also be triggered by an opportunity for substantial gain – becoming a hero, a martyr, a superstar.

Over the past several decades, many Americans have experienced a stinging loss of significance and respect. Social scientists examined the perception of social class in the United States between 1972 and 2010.

The results of their research were striking: In the 1970s, most Americans viewed themselves as comfortably middle class, defined at the time by conduct and manners – being a good neighbor and a good member of the community, exhibiting proper behavior.

In contrast, by the 2000s, membership in the middle class was determined primarily by income. And because incomes have stagnated over the past half-century, by 2010 many Americans (particularly the lower-income ones) lost their middle-class identity entirely.

Small wonder, then, that they resonated to the Trump campaign slogan that promised to make America (or Americans) “great again.”

Piling on
The COVID-19 pandemic compounds people’s sense of fragility and insignificance.

Isolation from loved ones, the danger to our own health and the dread of an economic disaster are all stressors that make a person feel weak and vulnerable. They increase the attraction to ideas that offer quick fixes for loss of significance and respect.

Though the ideas that promise restoration of significance and dignity range widely, they share an important core: They depict the promotion of different social values as paths to significance. Promoting freedom and democracy, defending one’s nation or one’s religion, advancing one’s political party – all aim to earn respect and dignity in communities that cherish those values.

When the quest for significance and respect is intensified, other considerations such as comfort, relationships or compassion are sidelined. Any actions that promote significance are then seen as legitimate. That includes actions that would otherwise seem reprehensible: violence, aggression, torture or terrorism.

An intense quest for significance does not invite reprehensible actions directly. But it boosts a person’s readiness to tolerate and enact them for the sake of significance and dignity.

The path ultimately taken depends on the narrative that identifies significance-bestowing actions in a given situation. Depending on one’s moral perspective, such actions may be seen as “good,” “bad” or “ugly.” One might have an entirely different moral evaluation of the Black Lives Matter movement and the Proud Boys and yet recognize that, psychologically, both represent routes to significance.

The allure of violence
A special danger to societies stems from the primordial, significance-lending appeal of violence.

Among animals, dominance is established through “trial by combat,” to use Rudy Giuliani’s recent turn of phrase at the rally before the Capitol insurrection. And as President Theodore Roosevelt famously observed, walking with a “big stick” makes other nations pay attention and respect.

Most narratives adopted by violent extremists identify a real or imagined enemy at the gates, and fighting such enemies is depicted as worthy and honorable: For Trump acolytes, the enemy is the “deep state.” For much of the far right, the enemy is, variously, immigrants, refugees, people of color, Jews, Asians, or even reptilians who plot to dominate the world.

Evangelicals view Trump’s alleged battle against the “deep state” as divinely inspired. And a QAnon message from Jan. 13, 2018, stated: “You were chosen for a reason. You are being provided the highest level of intel to ever be dropped publicly in the history of the world. Use it – protect and comfort those around you.” These views sow division among segments of society, inviting fissures and polarization.

The quest for significance and respect is a universal and immutable aspect of human nature. It has the potential to inspire great works but also tear society asunder. The formidable challenge these days is to harness the energies sparked by this fundamental motive and channel them for the betterment of humanity.
____________________

I've noticed there's been one overwhelmingly appealing theme of Trump and Trumpism. It boils down to

FIGHT.

FIGHTING.

FIGHT BACK.

TAKE BACK.

Unbridled hatred and fear...such powerful tools for controlling otherwise intelligent, reasonable, well-read, well-educated people.