SFDanny Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 1 minute ago, DMC said: A bottle of water, juice, soda? I forget you don't live in San Francisco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 3 minutes ago, SFDanny said: I forget you don't live in San Francisco At the vending machines on campus in Pittsburgh it still only costs $1.25! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFDanny Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 3 minutes ago, DMC said: At the vending machines on campus in Pittsburgh it still only costs $1.25! I'm sure if I work at it I can find something to buy for less than $2, but it will likely be spent on just what @Fez recommends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ormond Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 1 hour ago, DMC said: At the vending machines on campus in Pittsburgh it still only costs $1.25! Wow, it's now $1.75 from a vending machine at my campus in an Omaha suburb. Who knew Pittsburgh could still be that inexpensive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 1 minute ago, Ormond said: Wow, it's now $1.75 from a vending machine at my campus in an Omaha suburb. Who knew Pittsburgh could still be that inexpensive! Well, it has always ranked high on most affordable cities lists. Gotta say, while I chose to move here entirely due to the program and not the city, I must admit it's very ideal for me in a lot of ways. Great mix of culture without being haughty about it, diversity, not too big not too small. Other than the weather it really is outstanding at being just right in many aspects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFDanny Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 Biden has picked Samantha Power to head up USAID. An extremely good pick, and another child of Ireland for Biden to celebrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFDanny Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 Jamie Harrison, who ran against Lindsay Graham will be the new DNC Chairman. Obviously not a government position, but an important one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFDanny Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 The previously mentioned David "Varys" Cohen will return to the CIA as the Deputy Director. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 18, 2021 Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 Biden rolled out a bunch of Deputy Secretary nominees today. He also officially announced Gary Gensler as SEC chair and Rohit Chopra as CFPB director: Quote Biden plans to nominate Elizabeth Klein, who worked in the Interior Department during the Clinton and Obama administrations, as deputy secretary of the Interior under Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.); Jewel Bronaugh, the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as deputy secretary of Agriculture under Tom Vilsack; and Andrea Palm, the current secretary-designee of Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services, as deputy secretary of Health and Human Services under Xavier Becerra. The president-elect will also nominate Polly Trottenberg, New York City’s transportation commissioner, as deputy secretary of Transportation under Pete Buttigieg and Cindy Marten, superintendent of the San Diego unified school district, as deputy secretary of Education under Miguel Cardona. As the article notes, all but Bronaugh and Marten are Obama vets in their respective agencies. Shocker! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 18, 2021 Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 Also of note, Axios has posted a list of confirmation hearings that will be updated as more are scheduled. Thus far, five hearings will start tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 18, 2021 Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 Also also - sorry for the triple post - but just noticed this hadn't been mentioned it. On Friday Biden nominated Eric Lander as his Science Advisor (technically director of OSTP) and elevated the position to Cabinet-level. A very good pick who can hopefully restore the office. In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, the office's staff fell from 135 to 45 under Trump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFDanny Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 @DMC, the transition website has become the new administration website, and it has the new Cabinet shown in all of its twenty-five members. It has Chief of Staff Ron Klain as a member of the Cabinet, and it has Eric Lander, as you note above as a newly elevated cabinet-level position. No John Kerry. It appears the decision to make Lander's position elevated to Cabinet-level was a late decision, and it make the composition 13 men and 12 women. Short of the 50-50 ratio Biden was boasting about not less than two weeks ago. Perhaps there will be other changes and elevations of positions in the future? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 32 minutes ago, SFDanny said: It has Chief of Staff Ron Klain as a member of the Cabinet, and it has Eric Lander, as you note above as a newly elevated cabinet-level position. No John Kerry. That's odd, and disappointing - the Kerry omission. They were explicitly touting that. I doubt anything is gonna change, and it was just convenient accounting at the time, which was before he elevated/appointed Lander. I'm shocked this was all spinned for political expediency! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFDanny Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 1 hour ago, DMC said: I'm shocked this was all spinned for political expediency! Why do I read this and think of my favorite movie - Casablanca? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 4 minutes ago, SFDanny said: Why do I read this and think of my favorite movie - Casablanca? Cuz that's what I was going for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Lloyd Austin has been confirmed as SecDef in a blowout 93-2 vote; which is higher than I expected considering the senate approved his eligibility waiver by a comparatively closer 69-27 vote. I guess the ones who were concerned about civilian control of the military felt that the first no vote was enough to make their point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 Austin's vote almost matches Mattis' 98-1. Gillibrand was the only nay vote "out of principle" as opposition to the waiver...but then voted for Austin today. Might be time to revisit the waiver rule. I could see maybe a one year buffer out of principle but five years seems silly - and clearly almost all of the Senate practically agrees. Saw Yellen advanced out of Finance unanimously and should be confirmed later today. Dunno if they'll work through the weekend but it'd be nice if they could get the big four through by Monday at least. Still, I suspect more (or at least some) resistance with Blinken, Austin and Yellen were the easy ones. Garland should be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceChampion Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich gives an overview about how the Executive Branch actually works, who has power and what it means to be in the loop: https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/posts/3997208456958387 Yes it's facebook, suck it up fuzzball! It's a public post so you do not need a facebook acount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 Janet Yellen confirmed 84-15. Pretty impressive showing. Curious who the nay votes are but the roll call isn't up yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Antony Blinken has been confirmed 78-22 as SoS. I've actually been a bit surprised by how comfortable the margins have been on these cabinet positions so far. I know these have been the easier lifts, but I do wonder if Jan. 6 has in fact changed the calculus for some Senate Republicans on what level of obstruction they should aim for. Even the more "controversial" nominees are moving forward pretty easily. Alejandro Mayorkas was favorably reported out of committee today on a 7-4 vote, with Romney and Portman voting with the Dems. And Buttigieg seems like he might clear 90 votes (which would actually be the lowest vote total a Transportation Secretary has ever gotten, but these are different times) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.