This Is An Open Thread
Howdy do, TNBers!
You ever have one of those times you wake up craving something specific?
Like waffles?
I am totally craving waffles swimming in syrup right now.
Then I remembered all my cooking supplies are packed in boxes *waves hands in the air* somewhere so, International House of Pancakes, fire up that waffle maker ’cause here I come after I get this posted! 🤤
Rehab is going well. My feet hurt from ladder work, but I’m staying positive! Good news though, windows are installed and framed, cased and trimmed on the outside and are getting their framing, casing, and trimming done on the inside now.
My son is doing the work. He spent his summers from 11 years old until he was in his early 20s helping my brothers (when they weren’t off fishing), earning some spending money, who taught him some of their finished carpentry trade. He is doing a fabulous job! I went with true 1″x4″ for window and door casings, although a couple of them will have to be ripped down, but thems the breaks. I’ll post some pictures at the end month.
Okay, enough of that nonsense, let’s get to rockin’ n’ rollin’.
So, sure enough, @POTUS had lots and lots … and lots of things to tweet after hanging with O yesterday.
To finish up Tuesday, April 5, 2022, he retweeted once and tweeted 17! more times. In ascending order…
The first was his retweet from O. It is a thread with like 6 posts, but I’m just posting the first one, because, yeah, no need to get to crazy here. 🤪
Thread:
End thread.
Thread:
End thread.
Additional April 5, 2022 posts from the White House Briefing Room:
Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and HHS Public Health Officials | April 5, 2022
PRESS BRIEFINGS
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, April 5, 2022
PRESS BRIEFINGS
Memorandum on the Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
APRIL 05, 2022
PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 506(a)(1) of the FAA to direct the drawdown of up to an aggregate value of $100 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Ukraine and to make the determinations required under such section to direct such a drawdown.
You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
whitehouse.gov/briefing-room
Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on COVID-19 Funding Proposal
APRIL 05, 2022
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Former President Obama on the Affordable Care Act
APRIL 05, 2022
SPEECHES AND REMARKS
Nominations Sent to the Senate
APRIL 05, 2022
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
Executive Order on Continuing to Strengthen Americans’ Access to Affordable, Quality Health Coverage
APRIL 05, 2022
PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS
Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
APRIL 05, 2022
PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS
FACT SHEET: The Biden Administration Accelerates Whole-of-Government Effort to Prevent, Detect, and Treat Long COVID
APRIL 05, 2022
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
FACT SHEET: Implementation of the Australia – United Kingdom – United States Partnership (AUKUS)
APRIL 05, 2022
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
AUKUS Leaders’ Level Statement
APRIL 05, 2022
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
Good grief.
Okay, moving on to today’s Bits:
Dale is dithering this morning so I am going with screen shot from Factbase for @POTUS’ schedule for April 6, 2022:
@POTUS has tweeted two time, so far. Hopefully, he will have a quiet rest of his twitter day so the boss won’t have to backfill too much on her first day back.
Statement by President Biden Extending the Pause on Student Loan Repayment Through August 31st, 2022
APRIL 06, 2022
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
From White House Briefing Room, the following is posted about new sanctions:
FACT SHEET: United States, G7 and EU Impose Severe and Immediate Costs on Russia
APRIL 06, 2022
STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
Today, the United States, with the G7 and the European Union, will continue to impose severe and immediate economic costs on the Putin regime for its atrocities in Ukraine, including in Bucha. We will document and share information on these atrocities and use all appropriate mechanisms to hold accountable those responsible. As one part of this effort, the United States is announcing devastating economic measures to ban new investment in Russia, and impose the most severe financial sanctions on Russia’s largest bank and several of its most critical state-owned enterprises and on Russian government officials and their family members. These sweeping financial sanctions follow our action earlier this week to cut off Russia’s frozen funds in the United States to make debt payments. Importantly, these measures are designed to reinforce each other to generate intensifying impact over time.
The United States and more than 30 allies and partners across the world have levied the most impactful, coordinated, and wide-ranging economic restrictions in history. Experts predict Russia’s GDP will contract up to 15 percent this year, wiping out the last fifteen years of economic gains. Inflation is already spiking above 15 percent and forecast to accelerate higher. More than 600 private sector companies have already left the Russian market. Supply chains in Russia have been severely disrupted. Russia will very likely lose its status as a major economy, and it will continue a long descent into economic, financial, and technological isolation. Compared to last year, U.S. exports to Russia of items subject to our new export controls have decreased 99 percent by value – and the power of these restrictions will compound over time as Russia draws down any remaining stockpiles of spare parts for certain planes, tanks, and other resources needed for Putin’s war machine.
As long as Russia continues its brutal assault on Ukraine, we will stand unified with our allies and partners in imposing additional costs on Russia for its actions. Today, the United States is announcing the following actions:
Full blocking sanctions on Russia’s largest financial institution, Sberbank, and Russia’s largest private bank, Alfa Bank. This action will freeze any of Sberbank’s and Alfa Bank’s assets touching the U.S financial system and prohibit U.S. persons from doing business with them. Sberbank holds nearly one-third of the overall Russian banking sector’s assets and is systemically critical to the Russian economy. Alfa Bank is Russia’s largest privately-owned financial institution and Russia’s fourth largest financial institution overall.
Prohibiting new investment in the Russian Federation. President Biden will sign a new Executive Order (E.O.) that includes a prohibition on new investment in Russia by U.S. persons wherever located, which will further isolate Russia from the global economy. This action builds on the decision made by more than 600 multinational businesses to exit from Russia. The exodus of the private sector includes manufacturers, energy companies, large retailers, financial institutions, as well as other service providers such as law and consulting firms. Today’s E.O. will ensure the enduring weakening of the Russian Federation’s global competitiveness.
Full blocking sanctions on critical major Russian state-owned enterprises. This will prohibit any U.S. person from transacting with these entities and freeze any of their assets subject to U.S. jurisdiction, thereby damaging the Kremlin’s ability to use these entities it depends on to enable and fund its war in Ukraine. The Department of Treasury will announce these entities tomorrow.
Full blocking sanctions on Russian elites and their family members, including sanctions on: President Putin’s adult children, Foreign Minister Lavrov’s wife and daughter, and members of Russia’s Security Council including former President and Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. These individuals have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people. Some of them are responsible for providing the support necessary to underpin Putin’s war on Ukraine. This action cuts them off from the U.S. financial system and freezes any assets they hold in the United States.
The U.S. Treasury prohibited Russia from making debt payments with funds subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Sanctions do not preclude payments on Russian sovereign debt at this time, provided Russia uses funds outside of U.S. jurisdiction. However, Russia is a global financial pariah — and it will now need to choose between draining its available funds to make debt payments or default.
Commitment to supporting sectors essential to humanitarian activities. As we continue escalating our sanctions and other economic measures against Russia for its brutal war against Ukraine, we reiterate our commitment to exempting essential humanitarian and related activities that benefit the Russian people and people around the world: ensuring the availability of basic foodstuffs and agricultural commodities, safeguarding access to medicine and medical devices, and enabling telecommunications services to support the flow of information and access to the internet which provides outside perspectives to the Russian people. These activities are not the target of our efforts, and U.S. and Western companies can continue to operate in these sectors in Russia. When necessary, relevant departments and agencies will issue appropriate exemptions and carveouts to ensure such activity is not disrupted.
***
whitehouse.gov
Press Secretary Jen Psaki Gives an Update on Putin’s Price Hike
Apr 6, 2022
President Biden Delivers Remarks at the NABTU 2022 Legislative Conference
Scheduled for Apr 6, 2022; 11:45 AM
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki
Scheduled for Apr 6, 2022: 1:30 PM
President Biden Signs Into Law H.R. 3076, the “Postal Service Reform Act of 2022”
Scheduled for Apr 6, 2022; 3:15 PM
Okay, that is it for Thursday’s Biden Bits. Boss will be back tomorrow and I’ll be back the last week of the month.
Quick shoutout to NC Mountain Girl who is in the hospital waiting for a possible heart valve replacement/repair. She’s been keeping us updated in comments when she can. Well wishes and get home soon, NC.
Stay cool, TNB peeps, see you in the comments!
This Is An Open Thread