NBA: Denver Nuggets sweep the LA Lakers.
Updates
May 23, 2023: I see "Biden considers 14th amendment" as a Yahoo!Finance headline today. Biden knows Washington politics very, very well. First, this data point: more and more Washington insiders are beginning to question Janet Yellen's "June 1, 2023" as the "x-date. These insiders will argue that Janet Yellen is not the sharpest knife in the drawer; she often seems out of the loop; she is a politician and loyal Democrat above all else, except perhaps to "preserve" her own legacy; and, as such, these insiders are starting to question Yellen's "crying wolf" speeches. Whether one wants to "believe" these insiders or not, it is a fact that her date seems very nebulous. It's always "on/about/before" without providing hard numbers to reporters.
My hunch: the US Treasury knows exactly what money is scheduled to come in on any given day for the next 30 days. The US Treasury also must know exactly what money is scheduled to go out on any given day for the next 30 days. It would be impossible for any "new pop-ups" because it would require US Congress to authorize more spending.
I'm sure that Yellen has provided the Biden administration the best estimate for "x-day."
Now, back to Biden. As I was saying, he knows Washington politics very, very well.
Invoking the 14th amendment, it's binary. Either he is serious or he is not.
If he's not serious, it's simply a rhetorical tool to keep the opposing party off balance. A distraction at worst.
If he's serious, he knows that legal ramifications are also binary: the courts will either rule invoking the 14th amendment is constitutional or it is not. If the courts rule in his favor, the whole thing becomes moot.
Regardless, Biden knows the judicial process takes a bit of time, and the government has already stated they expect quarterly tax money to start arriving in mid-June which pushes the "x-date" out even farther. If enough money comes in, he can "pull back" on the 14th amendment, the courts drop the case, and we move on to the next deadline.
May 23, 2023: on May 23, 2023, I wrote:
Debt ceiling:
- talks not going well;
- most concerning:
- GOP leadership not able to frame “their” message;
- Do the GOP even have a message?
- do MAGA Republicans see blood in the water?
- 14th Amendment; section 4.
- wiki;
- op-ed: WAMC Northeast Public Radio; about WAMC.
Original Post
Locator: 44727DEFAULT.
How many times does Janet Yellen have to tell us the US could default as soon as June 1, 2023.
We get it. And "we" don't matter.
The negotiators know what's going on. That's all that matters.
One can do the calendar-math.
X-day.
X-day-1: same day / one day before -- President Biden signs the document to raise the debt ceiling.
X-day-2: two days before x-day, US Congress passes whatever they need to pass to raise the debt ceiling.
X-day-5: agreement between US House and President Biden printed and distributed to members of US Congress. US Congress has 72 hours to read the document.
X-day-6: agreement between US House and President Biden reached. Handshake. Photo-op. All smiles.
So, now, put some calendar dates against "X-day."
X-day: May 31, 2023, per Janet Yellen.
May 31, 2023 - 6 days = May 25, 2023.
Today, is May 22. We have three more days.
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On The Balcony
It is an incredibly nice evening.
Nice breeze. Probably 75°F. Sun setting. [Just checked: it's 78°F.]
Listening to great YouTube music.
It would be hard to beat this.
Asteroid City opens June 23, 2023. I'll go by myself.
