From the WSJ:
Home Sales Likely Fell in January
Home sales in January likely declined, as home prices and mortgage rates remained too high to attract buyers.
Sales of previously owned homes likely fell 2.6% in January from December, economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate. The data is seasonally adjusted.
The report, from the National Association of Realtors, is due at 10 a.m. ET.
Homes typically go under contract a month or two before the contracts close, so the January data largely reflect purchase decisions made in December and November.
Existing-home sales in 2024 fell to the lowest level since 1995 for the second straight year.
U.S. Homes Sales in 2024 Fell to Lowest Level in Nearly 30 Years
Nothing to buy and priced too high. What will be the trigger to open the flood gates?
O Canada! Our home and native land!
Canucks – 3
USA – 2
The concept(s) of Quantum AI is just stunning. In the last 75 years, we’ve gone from carburetors and spark plugs to this:
https://www.pasqal.com/news/quantum-ai-explained-the-essential-guide-for-business-leaders-ready-to-innovate/
And advancements won’t just be linear any longer, discoveries in medicine, logistics and financials will emerge exponentially. It’s amazing to be alive and witnessing it.
First first
Eddie,
What’s the ten on Chex Mix today?
Native? Like it should be one of our states? Or native as in we should give them a poisoned blanket with smallpox and steal it?
Fast Eddie says:
February 21, 2025 at 6:52 am
O Canada! Our home and native land!
Canucks – 3
USA – 2
Eddie,
What’s the ten on eggs today?
Savory mix, family size, two-fiddy at Walmart.
The little bastards cluck like chickens when you spread the feed. Sometimes the deer edge their way up to investigate the clatter. I occasionally toss them a few Sekai-Ichi apples to join the soirée. Watching from my window wrapped in a Kora Yak blanket with a Hawaii Kona Mauna Loa Coffee is quite the delight. I run the Bauer torpedo heater sparingly so they need to git’ it while they can.
Trump had his meeting over Russia.
24 hours is up.
War still going on last I checked. But some credit due compared to warmongering brain dead Biden.
What’s the ten on eggs today?
Expensive as all fuck! Only the educated progressives in blue states can afford it. It’s like food bling. The liberals love it because it separates them from the deplorables and garbage people.
I had no idea those buses blew up in Tel Aviv when I posted this. Stunning. So glad it was a misfire.
chicagofinance says:
February 20, 2025 at 6:17 pm
You know that inherent sense of danger you feel just walking around the reflecting pools at Ground Zero or the Occulus? Just because….. imagine all of NYC felt that way…… that is what it is like over there….
RentL0rd says:
February 20, 2025 at 10:53 am
10:49, I have a close jewish zionist friend who is originally from apartheid SA, who believes Israel is running an apartheid state. Like many moderate Jewish folks believe. I will take his word over yours.
Yo, I don’t care how you voted, Javier Milei handing a Musk a giant prop chainsaw, which he then wields around on stage WWE style while making growling motor sounds… is just wild. Pretty crazy optics given the circumstances.
Ten 448
Is that gas meter in the garage even legal? Isn’t it supposed to be external? It scares me. Miss ditzy blond could be backing out of that garage and smash into it. The whole effin’ house will burn down.
https://www.trulia.com/home/23-ferndale-rd-wayne-nj-07470-39788623
Two houses meet in a head on collision:
https://www.trulia.com/home/53-palmer-dr-wayne-nj-07470-39791417
“War still going on last I checked. But some credit due compared to warmongering brain dead Biden“
I see it completely differently. Since 1945, the US has played peacekeeper to nearly every authoritarian advance. When it couldn’t win, it secured peace treaties and used NATO and its own might to enforce them. The precedent Trump is setting is one, it’s okay for an authoritarian government to invade and conquer. Second, don’t expect the US to come to your rescue. But then again, why would someone who wants to be an authoritarian not have an issue with what other authoritarians do? This becomes clearer when you look at who Trump has befriended in recent years. Even Xi JinPingpongpalace is now a good man. And Xi now has been given the green light to say, invade Taiwan.
Canada won 3 to 2? Looks like they‘ve earned the right to be the 51st State!
Unintended consequences. What Trump seems to ignore even though he claims he has great common sense.
3B, have fun over there. If you get a chance, go to a local bar and claim you are Canadian and report back on what the locals think of the King.
I thought Israel was the 51st state.
Lib,
You might be right about that! Looks like Canada will have to shoot for number 52.
Montclair baby, the impetus for the formation of this blog… Montclair; the NJ representative and ground zero for the liberal elites. Upper Montclair shall not to be confused with Southern Montclair. Yes, we’ll navigate Bloomfield Avenue so that we can feel trendy and inclusive but don’t follow us home.
I like this home, like so many others in the town but who can stomach the 30K in property taxes?
https://www.trulia.com/home/558-park-st-montclair-nj-07043-38684761
Chi – What’s happening in Israel and Gaza is fucked up. And my comments here will sound insensitive no matter what I say. What I yesterday about my Jewish friend’s take on the matter is true and I am with him.
In other news, 30% of Project 2025 is complete.
Monitor it’s progress here: https://www.project2025.observer
This is the agenda that Trump went on record to say he has nothing to do with it. Which I believe. Which also means that the strings are being pulled from somewhere else. And it’s not just Musk.
Fast Eddie 7:05, I can agree with you on this. Proud of my kid who is going on to do his Ph.D to study quantum physics and materials. And glad there is funding for it. If it was all Donnie’s way, there should be no funding for research.
re: “peacekeeper” and “it’s okay for an authoritarian government to invade and conquer.”
I an starting to agree with Libturd..
I don’t however believe we have enough boots to invade. For example our Eight army is tied up in Korea. Actual numbers of riflemen in the Army that are available. Well today it about of 15% of the army there is roughly 67,903 infantry on active duty that can form up a platoons etc. You need men carrying rifles to fight this one. It’s a 1200 mile long trench war and to take back every inch of land to the 1991 Ukraine borders we are probably going to need allot more boots on the ground.
We need a draft right now, it’s going to take a standing army and marines of a 1/2 million or more riflemen and boots on ground as well as tanks (luckily we have thousands rusting slowing in the desert). Our boys need to be equipped properly to push the Ruskies back to the 1991 border in Ukraine.
We should start the lottery again soon. We had to do it for Vietnam well we need to do it for Ukraine too just like the did in 1969 when we could no longer fill the ranks of the infantry in Vietnam… 366 blue plastic capsules containing birth dates placed in a large glass container and drawn by hand to assign order-of-call numbers to all men within the 18-26 age range specified in Selective Service law. NO exceptions or deferments this time.
Make sure Trump gets the memo, he should start telling EU they need to start paying for it now too. It cost allot of money to train and equip an Army.
I’m buying 2 dozen premium farm fresh eggs, deep orange yolks still every week. Same price as four years ago. It’s almost as if, their birds are still alive.
BRT, I was in Shoprite and Organic were cheaper than Bowl and Basket.
Whats funny is watching the Magaheads pivot. Egg prices were a big deal before the election and it was Bidens fault. But now’s “Avian Flu” its going to take time to replace the flocks and Donnie cant be held accountable for that.
Libturd says:
February 21, 2025 at 8:29 am
“Since 1945, the US has played peacekeeper to nearly every authoritarian advance”
SlowJoe and Oblama (and Clinton and Carter and Johnson) have been the exact opposite of peacekeepers. The world, and especially the middle east has exploded during their weak and feckless admins. Iran has caused trouble throughout the middle east and SlowJoe and Oblama shipped them pallets of cash and ignored their blatant sanctions evasions — that’s some peacekeeping! And in Europe, Russia invaded under both of their watches and after squandering hundreds of billions of US taxpayer dollars, we have a million or more dead or injured on both sides, and Russia has gobbled-up several provinces — that’s some peacekeeping! TDS has wrecked you Lib; take a nap and wake up in 28 when you can vote for AOC.
Just so you fat pigs know there is one chicken producing eggs for every person in the USA. Perhaps cut down on eating them? 200 mg of cholesterol in one egg and 1.6 grams of saturated fat.
Chi, nice to know I am living rent free in your head. I post a nice light, here is a fun song for the evening and you jump on me.
Whenever someone does this it is usually some projection from them. I wonder if it was appropriation that triggered you. Now that Depeche Mode are the darling of the right, a good White Band loved by all the WS. While they count the Fundamentalist dollars they got for the Superbowl add, are they planning a tour with Kid Rock and Ted Nugent?
Federal tax is the redistribution of wealth from Democrat, blue states to Maga states.
It’s Maoist communism of producer states subsidizing southern takers.
It won’t go away.
New Jersey receives about 75 cents for each dollar it pays in federal taxes.
New Jersey’s high percentage of high-income earners contributes disproportionately.
New Jersey’s higher per capita income tax contribution also contributes.
New Jersey doesn’t have many military bases or federal agencies.
May 31, 2023 —
Mississippi taxpayers receive $2.73 in federal money for every dollar in federal taxes paid.
Yes, Fab, you’re clearly a beacon of wisdom on this issue.
Rentlord,
My 2cents regarding 2025 is that they are the real danger. OrangeTurd is being used as the battering ram to dismantle the democracy’s safety check and balance systems.
When Vance takes over is when we are going to see and feel the clericalism theocratic brunt because by then the majority control of political power at key levels will make the country into a competitive authoritarianism as they will rig it to win at all levels.
When you hear the Seven Mountains, Christian Nationalism, Russell Vought Post Constitutional times and other alikes. It means that these fckers feel that because it is not under their control is not the legitimate meant US Constitution.
Think of Utah, that is the future they have in mind. The power there at all levels is control by the Mormon Church. Think of Boston and the Catholic Church’s power as seen in the child abuse issue movie “Spotlight” where they were able to remove legal papers from the courthouse records room so no one would have access to it. Think of the Hasidic Jewish Cult and the power they have in Brooklyn, Jackson, Kyrias Joel and other areas where they are the majority.
Now see it at a nationwide level influencing politics, business, education, science, etc. Overall it will guarantee low performance and mediocrity because everything will have to be clear by political/religious policy filters which the new power brokers, let’s called the Nationalist DEI censors will put things through.
You see this in China’s CCP political appointees embedded in businesses, just like the Reuters article where OrangeTurd will have Political Appointed staff working at the FTC to decide on recalls and the FDIC to decide on bank regulations. Which of course means a Gate Keeper, that is also a Toll Taker. Pay Toll you get through regardless of issue – aka Corruption.
Very Stable Genius says:
February 21, 2025 at 7:15 am
“What’s the ten on eggs”
Speaking of eggs, have you had yours frozen so that you can do the IVF thing when you get older? I see that DJT is looking to expand access; thought you might appreciate that.
PayTollToOrangeTurdNow HeritageFoundationLater,
What’s the frequency, Kenneth!
And Trump is stupid enough to take the religious money and is willing to sell out the country to do it. It is the Art of The Deal. Perhaps the only one dumber than Trump are those who think he cares one iota about them and the country.
When MAGA is over, and hopefully sooner rather than later, Trump will be remembered as a traitor, as he was in J6 and in calling Georgia Election Officials and asking them to fabricate votes for him, all while claiming the election was stolen in 2020. How STUPID ARE WE?
We are the laughingstock of the World.
But… but… but…
Aborti0n!!
Libturd says:
February 21, 2025 at 10:17 am
“Trump is stupid…Trump will be remembered as a traitor…”
Sore loser + advanced TDS = raving lunatic!
Remind me Lib, why are you opposed to DJT/DOGE rooting out waste and fraud, and given what they’ve already uncovered, why do wish that Cermella had won and taxpayer funds were still being used to pay for tranny operas in Colombia?
Smalls,
Trump is looking to do lots of things.
1) Health care reform – 9 years behind that one.
2) Making Canada the 51st State
3) Acquiring Panama
4) Acquiring Greenland
5) Still waiting for Jordan and Egypt to except the Gazan Terrorists and for All Hell to Break Lose.
6) Still waiting to hear a single detail about the budding peace accord with Putin, excluding the Ukraine’s involvement, and also waiting for All Hell to Break Lose There.
7) Still waiting on nearly everything that Trump promises.
So far, we’ve seen 16 billion in savings on a near 7 trillion dollar budget. Since MAGA is not so good at math, that’s 1/437th of the budget. The average american pays $5,700 in fed taxes. What do you plan on spending your $13 in savings on? Hopefully not eggs?
It’s all a fucking show and you stupidly paid extra for a front-row center seat. Hope you have some money left over to watch the second act. That’s when the emperor (and their stupid supporters) realizes he’s been exposed.
SGC, what we have already uncovered is that DOGE has no idea what they are looking at or how government works. ICE are not finding the number of violent illegals they expected. And a lot of MAGA are getting run over by the Karma Bus.
Lib,
You forgot the running joke that was Infrastructure Week.
In the name of transparency, I need to be honest. Trump’s Russian envoy met with Zelenskyy for which they planned a press conference for afterwards. For some unpublished reason, that press conference was cancelled. That’s MAGA transparency. I guess they ran out of lies for one day.
Fab: re: ” ICE are not finding the number of violent illegals they expected.”
You would be on the run too if you were wanted..
Self Deport?
https://abcnews.go.com/US/california-family-left-us-fear-ice-raids/story?id=119010270
To prove the stupidity of the average MAGA supporter. I present the following as evidence.
I spend hours everyday sharing all of Trump’s lies and MAGA deception. Always sharing facts and truths. The only response I get is, “Sore loser + advanced TDS = raving lunatic!”
I rest my case.
And don’t forget, if you get on a plane and the pilot is a woman, get off the plane.
THIS is MAGA.
Congressional Republicans are beginning to put up more forceful resistance to Trump’s sharp turn away from Ukraine’s president, warning that they won’t tolerate concessions to Vladimir Putin. Trump told Republican governors that
implementing his agenda is key to their own political futures, including in midterm elections. And read how the president is getting his revenge on New York’s elite.
THIS is MAGA.
Trump’s tariff wars are leaving small US businesses with no place to hide. Many firms say they’re having to hike prices, freeze expansion plans or absorb a hit to already-thin profit margins as import bills climb.
THIS is MAGA.
Are we GREAT yet. I’m still waiting. That $13 was nice. Not GREAT. But nice. Now I can afford to pay for my own healthcare.
Juice, so they are trying to round up non violent to try and make up numbers.
This was an interesting statement.
“So you are going to return the check to the Treasury in protest?”
Very Eddie Ray (Nom). He would crack out “write a check to the Treasury” when he was losing an argument. We had a discussion on the of the Bush Tax cuts. I had the position that any surplus should go to paying the deficit, he was adamant that it was his money and should be returned to him.
So I took a look at the wall of shame.
It says $8,000,000 in Covid funds to buy an Island.
Dig deeper and it says, A Pandemic Plunder: A Florida man stole $8 million in COVID-19 Relief funds to buy an island and more.
Who was in power when the PPP program was introduced? The Trump administration.
THIS is MAGA. Enjoy the show!
The lies are endless and all MAGA supports got is, “You have TDS!”
I’ll tell you who should be deported. Anyone dumb enough to have fallen for this rube.
Just watch.
Fab- There is an actual DHS campaign for self deport. It’s more humanitarian than arrest, family separation and expensive deportation proceedings.
Biden left a mess a complete mess. Immigration courts are facing a backlog of 3.6 million cases because of Biden… Jails are packed with 41,000 criminal aliens. There is no room for anymore to jail them. We may have to now put up tent cities…for just the criminals.
It’s more humanitarian to encourage them to leave on their own or do you not agree?
Libturd says:
February 21, 2025 at 10:47 am
“I spend hours everyday sharing all of Trump’s lies and MAGA deception”
Seriously Lib, you’re not going to make it through the next 4 years. That’s not normal behavior. My suggestion, go back to just providing investment ideas.
re: “Lib you’re not going to make it through the next 4 years.”
No worries as Lib is self deporting to Costa Rica…….
But… but… but…
January 6th!
10:03, Very well said. If I was Grim, I will make that into it’s own post.
Smallman and other MAGA here, what do you have to say to mr long name at 10:03?
Don’t you feel it happening? Be honest.
On Ukraine? Trump got baited into blabbing his mouth, saying Ukraine started the war and that Zelensky is a dictator.
How exactly is he going to negotiate peace here? He is clearly biased. Who cares if he meets with the Saudis or Putin. His blabbing has effectively destroyed any credibility he had at being the intermediary. Done, it’s over.
Zelensky played him masterfully. Z needed to respond to the negotiation threat (that they clearly were not part of). What better way to kill it than to have Trump spout his biased mouth off?
RentLord,
Congrats on your kid working on a Ph.d. Mine is as well.
Lib, someone needs to keep calling out the bullsh1t. We may miss a few here and there given the barrage of crap flying out of this white house
That’s awesome Fast. Congrats to you as well.
A few years ago, when we were visiting UPenn to explore, my kid and I walked past a guy selling lottery tickets. And I asked him, would you go to UPenn if you hit the lottery. And he replied – and that got me worried a good bit: “I feel there is so much to learn and I am not interested in just making money”.
I was concerned then. Bit proud of him now.
I’ve been reading from multiple media sources that the DOGE list of savings is almost completely made up. The numbers don’t come close to adding up and it’s rife with mistakes. So, I decided to dig. The last claim for waste was a
Completed FY 2024
STATE DEPARTMENT SPENDING ALLOCATED TO BREAKDANCING
$32,596.
So I follow the link and it includes multiple contracts to multiple vendors. One of them being listed as an address. The address is for https://americansinalsace.com
Americans in Alsace (AIA) is a network of support for Americans and Canadians living in the beautiful Alsace region of France. Whether you’re a new arrival with questions about which neighborhood or village is for you, how to get around the region or where to buy peanut butter or you’ve been in Alsace for a while and just want to celebrate some traditions from home with some other expats, we’ve got something that will interest you.
Sure, and easy cut, but we are talking 3K. No where does it explain how this got classified as breakdancing.
As you look into each claim, you will find there is mostly next to no evidence of half of the claims, most of which came directly from Rand Paul’s annual Festivus Report. Wait, wasn’t DOGE supposed to be finding all of these? Or did those brilliant Musk prodigies just find Paul’s Festivus Report like I did.
It’s one big fucking show. And these lies and misconceptions are what idiot MAGA supporters are using to claim massive malfeasance.
Go dig for yourself. Or you can continue to trust the liars at their word. Transparency my hairy ass. It’s all deception. Dig a little. Find out for yourself. It’s FoxNews playing out of DC instead of a studio in Manhattan.
Enjoy the MAGA shitshow.
RL,
Sounds like a good kid. We never know which road our kids will take despite how many guardrails we put up. It’s good sleeping at night knowing they’re off and running on their own. For those kids without guidance and support, it pains me greatly.
Did y’all get your state-issued fatigues? Make sure you display your ID badges so that they are in full view. The TESF will stop you and question the reason you’re not in compliance. And if they run the scanner over your ID and see that it was altered, instant arrest. Follow the rules and you will earn privileges.
Problem with Zelensky is he is losing and lying badly too.
Even the NY Times says Ukraine is Losing the War and lying about the casualties.
Estimates on Solider deaths anyone? Somewhere around 4 times what Zelensky claims. He has lost more than 1/2 his army estimates as high as 160,000 killed and a great many more injured and the gap is growing every day. Russia has the numerical advantage in weapons and soldiers and that gap is only growing.
There can be no war if there are no soldiers folks. It does not matter how many conventional weapons we give them. They do not have boots to win this war which has a 1000 km long front line.
Any “next” phase to continue this war means fresh young men will have to be sent there to man the 1000 km of front lines and trenches and cross those front lines and push forward to retake the land. The Ukrainian young men that have been fighting bravely have been fighting for nearly three years now with no relief in sight… So where are those fresh young men going to come from folks? Some leafy suburb near you?
The recruitment gap ultimately shapes the battlefield in wars that last for years. We are headed into year four now. Year three ends this week….
Juice/Smalls, I appreciate your concern with my well being. As you know, it’s nothing personal and I’d have all of you over for drinks at the drop of a dime. But that’s because I stand behind everything I say, but you all knew that already. I’m also willing to admit my errors.
Though it sounds like I am going off the rails. I clearly am not. I always said this election was between choosing corruption and crazy. Welcome to crazy.
Like blaming a plane crash on DEI.
I hope that makes you feel safer the next time you fasten your seatbelts tight across your lap.
Juice,
I know you are anti-war. I tend to be as well. But I learned from history (and my stepfather who served) that the agressor must not only be stopped, but punished as well, to prevent future expansion. I would be glad to send my son out to defend among the incredibly brave and intelligent Ukrainian forces. You see, our huge military and economic power (strength of the almighty dollar) are why our debts are fathomable. I’m not happy that more and more of our tax collections go to funding the debt service, but we absolutely can not risk our position as safe haven for world investment. We back Putin here, a lot of the free world may think twice. Remember the lessons of isolationism from last century. It seems so easy and practical. But before you know it, it can be too late. I think a large force of NATO nations to go with a large deployment of our boys and girls (without penises), would scare Putin into withdrawal. Not into continuing to fight this war that he can hardly afford and find soldiers of his own to participate in.
Lib – re: “next time you fasten your seatbelts tight across your lap”
I already explained the current issues with the FAA in detail.. Biden made the Mayor of Montclair the head of the Department of Transportation. Is the mayor of Montclair qualified to do that job? Well Biden thought he was…
Pete wasn’t doing his job for one….The Mayor of South Bend was not qualified for the job. ATC shortages and the delayed upgrade air traffic control systems are two prime examples. We still have squawk code voice radio communications. Look Europe already adopted CPDLC data communications. Why haven’t we gotten there yet? What was Pete doing?
He doesn’t have the leverage, if the money is cut off, it’s over.
Musks misclassifications are AI hallucinations.
Dove didn’t find that report, it exists in the AI because it was scraped like everything else.
Doge
Yes Lib peace for sure.
However there is a reason why I am pushing for a negotiated peace instead of more war.
Who as you say if going to Scare Putin into withdrawal?
Look we all know the Democrats became the party of war. They actually had 86 year old former CIA Director Leon Panetta quoting Ronald Reagan at the Democratic convention. He said Kamala Harris would be the leader to defend our democracy from tyrants and terrorists…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvDB3eCbzpY
Did anyone really believe that? Kamala was going to scare Putin?
If President Kamala was running the show now the draft would probably be coming by this Spring….
Let’s get back to the negotiation table and let cooler heads prevail. Even if the Orange clown messes it up there won’t be millions more dead.
That’s your viewpoint. No doubt, our military industrial complex brings a lot of revenue into the Dem/Republican establishment pockets. Corruption aside, I think what Bibby did in Gaza is what the West should be doing do Putin or at least threatening to do. Buy Trump is a moron.
But, not buy.
Like so we should bomb Russia and then evict them from the rubble? Normally we just bomb them and then give them money to rebuild…
BRT – re; “He doesn’t have the leverage, if the money is cut off, it’s over”
Zelensky wants the 250 Billion of Russian cash held by Euroclear in Belgium…he might need to send the remainder of the Ukrainian army there to actually get it.
12:28 Actions speak louder than words. “Scaring” Putin? Come on now, he’s a murderous sociopath. Though I would be surprised if Putin didn’t live in a constant state of paranoia.
Are we NOT entertained….???
I have decided to look at another one. $20 million for Sesame Street in Iraq. I chose this one because there is no possible way the government contributed $20 million for Sesame Street in Iraq. So you click on the link, and the number immediatelly drops to $13 million. You click on the link from Rand Paul’s Festivus document and it takes you to the Sesame Street Workshop and a link to the arab version of Sesame Street. So I dig deeper because there is no fucking way Arab Sesame Street costs even $13 million when falafel sandwich in Bagdad costs 50 cents. It’s as stupid as the MAGA oft repeated 100 ofs millions of condoms claim which has been debunked over and over, yet is still denied by MAGA, well, since MAGA can do no wrong.
Well I happened upon a Snopes that did the work for me. Now check this out.
The claim appears to conflate a kids’ TV show featuring “Sesame Street” characters and broadcast in Arabic across numerous countries, including Iraq, with a USAID-funded educational project called Ahlan Simsim Iraq. An archived page from the USAID website shows the agency provided funding for Ahlan Simsim Iraq in 2021. The name “Ahlan Simsim” applies to both the TV show and an early childhood development program targeting families in conflict zones.
The archived USAID webpage said the agency would provide $20 million in funding to Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street,” between July 2021 and June 2027 to produce Ahlan Simsim Iraq, the early childhood development program.
A Sesame Workshop spokesperson said via email that the “Ahlan Simsim” TV show is funded separately from the Ahlan Simsim Iraq early childhood development program. They added that only the latter received USAID money.
However, usaspending.gov, an open data source of federal spending information, only lists $18.2 million in obligated funding for Sesame Workshop during this period — one $13 million grant starting in July 2021 and one $5.2 million grant starting in September 2021. According to usaspending.gov, only $473,784 of the two grants had been “outlayed,” or paid out to the Sesame Workshop, at the time of this writing, meaning the rest of the funding was yet to be paid.
Snopes contacted the White House, Sen. Joni Ernst’s office, Sesame Workshop and USAID’s Office of Inspector General for comment on the source of the $20 million figure on the archived USAID page. None of them provided context for the discrepancy between USAID and usaspending.gov. Additionally, Sesame Workshop would not confirm how much of the pledged funding was paid out by February 2025.
Despite the funding discrepancy, one thing remains clear: According to Sesame Workshop, the recipient of USAID’s grant, USAID money only funded the Ahlan Simsim Iraq early childhood development program. This program did include localized content which leveraged the existing “Ahlan Simsim” TV show. However, the two initiatives, though bearing a similar name, are funded separately.
A Sesame Workshop spokesperson said that the “Ahlan Simsim” TV show was funded “through separate philanthropic funding,” not USAID grants to Ahlan Simsim Iraq. The spokesperson further explained:
The USAID-funded “Ahlan Simsim Iraq” program supports the creation of local content and materials, which include localized media content to reach children at scale and teaching and learning materials like storybooks, activity books, classroom materials, and training and facilitators guides for teachers for use in early childhood development centers to improve children’s learning by training teachers, parents, caregivers, and youth leaders.
Again, MAGA lies. It’s all they do. It’s endless. And could you imagine being fired by this administration of constant bullshit. I’ll tell you, I wouldn’t be surprised if some disgruntled government worker takes Trump out. Actually I would be surprised if it didn’t occur at this point. And it won’t be an idiot. It will likely be a true Patriot.
As for Doge. You’ve all been duped again. There is very little on the wall of shame that is even truthful. It’s about as honest as Trump’s Truth Social.
Why don’t you ask me how the S&P is doing since Trump was elected, or took office. I dare you.
Enjoy the show.
Trump pushing for POTUS for life — hahahaha like he’s gonna live much longer.
Remember, when MAGA say 20 million was spent on Sesame Street in Iraq, they really mean only $473,784 was spent and it had nothing to do with Sesame Street.
All lies, all of the time. THIS is MAGA!
I could do this for four years straight and the brilliant minds of MAGA would just keep ignoring the truth. Much like the Germans and the Pole’s and the Russian’s denied they were killing off half of the world’s Jewish population.
It’s not that large of a step to go from one to the other.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment
Zelenskyy has no leverage over Trump. His arrogance to speak one word out of line against trump was probably a mistake for his future circumstances if he really believes in his cause.
The Europeans are the only other global source of funding for the weaponry to continue fighting the Ukraine war. The Europeans have funded $100-something billion. The Europeans have shown no willingness to go to $500B, and even if they did, Ukraine might still not be able to dislodge the Russian military from Ukrainian land.
More western funding to Ukraine is simply a question of trading western money and Ukrainian lives for a reduction in Russian capability to engage in ground warfare for a period of time. All at the risk of global annihilation.
The end of the war and the new lines on the map get decided by two men. Trump and Putin have a seat at the real table. EU, NATO, France, Canada, Ukraine or anyone else is there at the sole discretion of the US president.
If the Establishmrnt wanted Americans to have enthusiasm for the deep state’s vision of geopolitics in Eastern Europe , they shouldn’t have spilled $5T, a few thousand American lives and a million civilian lives on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The democrats are still claiming they will fight like mad to get rid of Musk and do away with DOGE. They will defend corruption, theft and abuse of your tax dollars at all costs!
Lib – We’ve both been coming here for a long time. I am not sure where all of this is heading, but I am certain that it will not end very well. The US will burn every bridge with NATO allies and set aside long standing alliances to cater to Russia where Trump is obviously an asset. The astonishing thing here is that more “intelligent” people don’t see this.
Lib – You are missing out here…….there is a double dip from the military industrial complex and the NGOs pushing Sesame Street. First we dropped bombs on these folks. Now we are now paying them back with the sesame street puppet shows. Not much different than what we did with the Japanese. They got bombs first and then we gave them hula-hoops..
https://sesameworkshop.org/our-work/what-we-do/ahlan-simsim/
Juice Box with the obscure but accurate reference!
Libturd says:
February 21, 2025 at 1:12 pm
“I have decided to look at another one…”
When you get a chance can you look into the $2B that was funneled to Stacy Abrams’ phony non-profit; let us know what you find…Thx
And to be clear here many of these NGOs are pass thru to hid the grift and keep people on their payrool. Clinton foundation anyone?
“The MacArthur Foundation awarded Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) a $100 million grant in 2017 to create the Ahlan Simsim television show.”
Where do you think the MacArthur Foundation and International Rescue Committee (IRC) got the money from? IRC receives funding from the US Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
On Inauguration Day, the S&P 500 was about 70 points higher than it is now.
If you want to go back to Election Day, the same index was less than 100 points lower than it is now for a whopping gain of 1.5%.
Are we GREAT yet. Please let me know when this GREATNESS arrives. So far, everything is turning to complete shit.
Let me just leave this little factoid here since it’s been a month.
Trump’s Rating Better Than First Term, Worse Than All Presidents Since 1953
Trump’s job approval rating is 15 points below the historical average for all other elected presidents in mid-February since 1953, but it is five points higher than the February reading in his first term.
This is MAGA!
“When you get a chance can you look into the $2B that was funneled to Stacy Abrams’ phony non-profit; let us know what you find…Thx”
Is that more or less than what Trump grifted off of his charity?
You know, your cult leader isn’t even allowed to have a charity anymore?
So why bother.
The MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation, not subsidized by the government, meaning it receives no government funding and operates independently.
The MacArthur Foundation awarded the grant to the IRC.
Juice, you are letting your bias get in the way of the truth.
It’s all bullshit. I stand by this with my great reputation on the line.
Now to look into what is probably exagerated Stacy Abrams bullshit. Let’s see what lies are told there.
Grifter in Chief is a white man and does whatever he pleases. This really excites the MAGA boys. They live vicariously through his exploits and think somehow that this adject failure of a human will somehow lead the Country to a better tomorrow. Suuuuckers
Lib – never said all of the puppet money came from the US taxpayer.
IRC gets money from the feds.
Yeah, I completely agree that our elected officials are ineffectual and corrupt. But I doubt TRUMP will fix any of that. He’s openly corrupt. We all lose in the end.
From what I’ve read, Abrams didn’t report under 3 million dollars of services provided by her charity that went to canvassing and sending out flyers to promote her and other Democrats. Where does the 2 billion come from? I’m sure it’s another Trump exageration. And yes Abrams, is disgusting. But it’s not like she issued a SPAC and MEME Coin generating 7.2 billion which Trump is gifting out to cabinet members to purchase loyalty. That’s not corruption. That’s just how MAGA operates. Or blackmailing Adams. It’s the Art of the Deal. Come on man, the corruption is clear as day and it’s gargantuan compared to the run-of-the-mill Dem establishment corruption.
The lies are so stupid you need not even look them up. Half the things that come out of Trump’s big fat piehole simply don’t make any logical sense.
Canada the 51st state. Plane crashes due toi DEI. You don’t need a fact-checker. You need a brain checker to be run on his supporters.
IRC did a lot of good. No doubt there were some kickbacks and fake jobs there. Last I looked, Patel just resigned from the Board of DJT. How much did he make there?
And Truth Social is the silliest platform I have ever seen.
Dare me to list the first five truths that come up in my feed?
Lie Social would be much more appropriate. Another proud Donald Trump creation and platform to spread his lies to his brainless supporters. The show is so obvious. Don’t be too pissed when you and the deficit see none of the savings.
Libturd says:
February 21, 2025 at 1:33 pm
“Are we GREAT yet?”
Certainly moving in the right direction over the past ~month. But the best is yet to come now that Kash has been confirmed and he can begin to resurrect the FBI. I assume one of his first acts will be to find the people that are tipping off those illegal alien criminals and preventing ICE from making us safer.
Can’t wait until the crime numbers have no impact. Then you’ll find some other group to blame it on. Maybe MAGA will go after Native Americans or back to Muslims.
Well the legal system has been replaced by MAGGOTS. On to the justice system. Soon no one can stop the King. Just as our forefathers intended.
Markets imploding again.
Feel the GREATness.
Happy Friday.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/5zSXtfHnRqmZ8rYz9
And this.
Stocks sink as consumers start to sour on US economy
By late Friday, all three major indexes looked set to record losing weeks.
MAGA MAGA MAGA
Little wonder that the king of Bankruptcy would somehow deflate the US economy. nO he’S a gEniuS anD wOrkInG fOr fRee!!!!!!
Look. More of the show.
Trump deporting people at a slower rate than Biden’s last year in office
US President Donald Trump deported 37,660 people during his first month in office, previously unpublished Department of Homeland Security data show, far less than the monthly average of 57,000 removals and returns in the last full year of Joe Biden’s administration https://reut.rs/3QrUQfQ
I am trying to separate the noise and rhetoric from the proposed spending bill.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trump-endorses-house-gop-budget-bill-swipe-senate-plan-rcna192791
What are they saying? What is the proposed expense of tax cuts – $4T? Am I reading it right?
And spending on Immigration enforcement is what?
It also appears that there won’t be “one beautiful bill” but several – just to add to the confusion. Anyone here have a better idea on the numbers proposed?
NJGator says:
February 21, 2025 at 3:23 pm
“Trump deporting people at a slower rate…”
Zzzzzzzzzzzz…
Illegal border crossings down 94%, Border Patrol chief says – https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/02/21/illegal-border-crossings-down-94-border-patrol-chief-says/
ICE Barbie continues to play dress up and hires her former lover…..nothing to see here.
meanwhile:
UnitedHealth Group shares tumbled Friday on a report that the U.S. Department of Justice has started an investigation into the health care giant’s Medicare billing practices.
The Wall Street Journal said federal officials have launched a civil fraud investigation into how the company records diagnoses that lead to extra payments for its Medicare Advantage, or MA, plans. Those are privately run versions of the government’s Medicare coverage program mostly for people ages 65 and over.
The paper, citing anonymous sources, said the probe focused on billing practices in recent months.
UnitedHealth said it wasn’t aware of the start of any new activity as the paper reported. It criticized the Journal’s report and said in a statement posted on its website, “Any suggestion that our practices are fraudulent is outrageous and false.”
The company’s UnitedHealthcare business covers more than 7.8 million people as the nation’s largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans. The business has been under pressure in recent quarters due to rising care use and rate cuts.
Bad news gents. Hooters is filing for bankruptcy. I believe the reasons given were that sales at many of their restaurants were either flat or sagging.
hahaha. Hooters was started by some dentists in Clearwater FL as a tax write-off.
I ❤️ this forum.
You guys are the best.
Ty.
Small brains 3:42,
What does that mean to you personally? Other than the fact that you may have less help when you need?
4:02 Dark Phoenix FTW
I guess now those children digging diamonds for de-beers can go to school tomorrow.
https://fortune.com/europe/2025/02/20/chinese-retailers-offloading-polished-diamonds-demand-tanks-adding-2-billion-inventory-headache-de-beers/
Forget the myths the media has created about the White House. The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.”
Now they are laying off people at the FDA whose jobs were not funded by taxpayers. They oversee little things like medical devices, food safety, chemical safety, oh and Elon’s Neuralink safety guys got the axe too.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/health/fda-trump-layoffs-device-and-food-safety.html
“Zzzzzzzzzzzz…”
But what about all of those rapists, murderers and Fentanyl mules that are already here?
Enjoy the show.
Just wait for the impact of all of these layoffs and putting completely unqualified morons, whose only accomplishment was kissing the ring when the rest of the sane world saw the facade, into very important roles in our government.
Oh the unintended consequences are going to be huge. Can’t say you weren’t all warned.
Hughes,
You heard about the nuclear weapon operators that were let go too before they were quickly hired back.
Again, the worst president ever is doubling down on stupid. I don’t care that the majority voted for him. The masses are asses and too many of the smart voters stayed home.
No we get the dumbest show on earth.
The worst part of all of this being that even with all of the Dem corruption, we were the greatest country on the planet. I thought even idiots knew you don’t fix it if ain’t broke. I guess not.
Remember. You were all duped. I never said to vote for Harris either. But I’m fairly sure we all would have been dramatically better off.
But what do I know. I’m a registered Republican. But would never vote for MAGA lies.
Never forget that half of the people out there are dumber than average.
Look we found $205 billion!!!!
https://fortune.com/2025/02/19/americans-died-covid-social-security/?itm_source=parsely-api
Ten 442
Hughesrep _ The best version of that is this one…..
“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” – George Carlin
Juice Box says:
February 21, 2025 at 5:03 pm
Look we found $205 billion!!!!
https://fortune.com/2025/02/19/americans-died-covid-social-security/?itm_source=parsely-api
You spent 3x that much keeping some of them alive for 6 months.
Anyone else find Trump’s endless chattering about a third term to be absurd…?
Kash Patel sounds every bit the Queens born public defender dolt he was just prior to crossing paths with Trump. The cheap suit, the “freaking cool” interjections, starting sentences with “you guys”.
This guy is the lawyer version of Doug from King of Queens, and they’ve handed him the keys to the FBI.
Hey, we’ll get the leadership that people voted for and thus “deserve”. I doubt that this will go the way that many of the morons that support this dolt figured. But then most of these fools are broken. They are disconnected from reality. Let them suffer. Meanwhile.
Boomer Remover says:
February 21, 2025 at 5:33 pm
“Kash Patel sounds every bit the Queens born public defender he was just prior to crossing paths with Trump.”
Another great American success story; middle-class guy makes it to the top through hard work and determination. Kind of like Hunter Biden, who realized his dream of becoming a renowned artist who’s paintings demanded tens of thousands of dollars — when his father become president. Anyone know what an original Hunter Biden is going for these days?
ADMINISTRATION
83 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons: Poll
BY ASHLEIGH FIELDS – 02/21/25 1:52 PM ET
BREAKING NEWS!
UPDATED FRI, FEB 21 20254:46 PM EST
Dow drops 700 points for worst day of 2025 so far on new fears about economic growth: Live updates
Brian Evans
Lisa Kailai Han
Ooof…
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1893043822600323583
Just for you Unstable…
Farm fresh eggs $5/dozen at Norz Hill Farm in Hillsborough; go get ’em.
My friends in India are very proud.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeejiOZABi0
And for the rest…there are proud “Americans” too/
https://x.com/DavidJHarrisJr/status/1892660607163199941
Enjoying the show Juice?
From my perch it’s boring actually…
7:27,
But they (Indians) still had a problem with Kamala because her mom married a Black man. Indian Americans did NOT support Kamala.
All that said, with the new “standards”, isn’t Kash Patel a DEI candidate?
You can’t have it both ways
6:51,
Why is MAGA so afraid of women? Because a vast majority of them got fucked by women in divorce courts
Farm fresh eggs $5/dozen at Norz Hill Farm in Hillsborough; go get ’em.
and might I recommend Route 206 to get there. You can view the infrastructure project of trying to get a single road built over the course of 4 decades.