Specifically, the regime did not want to release a complete list of businesses that utilized the programs or what amount of money they received, but the SBA finally released the list last night and this may be one reason among others why it was kept secret.

Properties owned by Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner profited from both program.

From NBC News:

Over 25 PPP loans worth more than $3.65 million were given to businesses with addresses at Trump and Kushner real estate properties, paying rent to those owners. Fifteen of the properties self-reported that they only kept one job, zero jobs or did not report a number at all.

The loans to Trump and Kushner properties included a $2,164,543 loan to the Triomphe Restaurant Corp., at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York City. The company reported the money didn’t go to keeping any jobs. It later closed.

A company called LB City Inc, which is at Kushner’s Bungalow Hotel in Long Branch, New Jersey, received a loan for $505,552.50 that it used to keep 155 jobs.

Two tenants at 725 5th Avenue, Trump Tower, received more than $100,000 and kept only three jobs.

Four tenants at the Kushner-owned 666 5th Avenue combined received more than $204,000, and retained only six jobs.

In addition to keeping this list secret until now, it's also possible this is why so little scrutiny was applied to borrows in the first place and why government workers reviewing the EIDL program were recently instructed not to use the word "fraud" to describe obvious fraud.

These programs were rushed out the door in a panic for other reasons when the coronavirus pandemic began, but the fact that the programs could be so easily abused was a nice feature for anyone who has no scruples about such abuse. I honestly believe that some but not all of these deficiencies were included by design or executive decision.

A government controlled and run by grifters is going to engineer things in way they can easily take advantage of. It's how their brain works.

Politico reports that the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Robert Lighthizer, has filed paperwork in the Federal Register indicating that they're planning to impose tariffs for at least the next three years.

USTR is indicating it plans to maintain some of its tariffs on more than $350 billion worth of Chinese goods for three more years, according to a Federal Register notice set to be published today.

In the notice, the Trump administration has outlined several changes it plans to make to the process for companies to request that certain products be excluded from Trump’s tariffs. USTR is also submitting a request to OMB to renew the revised process for three years.

Now, obviously, if Trump miraculously signs a fateful deal with China the USTR could file new paperwork, but what is the more likely scenario?

Whether the next president is a Democrat or --god forbid-- Trump himself, they're going to have a trade war on their hands.

You have to look at the big picture, he says, and if you do that you'd see that rich people will benefit greatly from the course of action the Brownback administration has chosen.

The governor said this year's tax increases must be viewed in light of aggressive personal income tax cuts enacted by the GOP-dominated Legislature at his urging in 2012 and 2013 to stimulate the economy. His aides distributed figures showing that those income tax cuts would be worth nearly $1 billion during the next fiscal year.

The $1 billion figure distributed by the governor's staff may seem familiar because that is the amount of revenue the state was projected to miss over the next two fiscal years thanks to Brownback's signature tax cuts.

The legislation recently signed into law by the governor which reshuffles the fiscal deck will only raise approximately $384 million in revenue over the next fiscal year. Taking that into account, it doesn't require an advanced degree to see that the state could find itself in a $600 million hole at this point in time next year.

Undoubtedly, taxes have increased and decreased for the wrong people.

New analysis from the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy makes this very clear.

The analysis posted online said the poorest 20 percent of the state's residents will pay 1.5 percent more in taxes than they did in 2012, or an average of $197 a year. Meanwhile, the wealthiest 1 percent will pay 1.9 percent less, or an average of about $24,600, the group said.

Although the governor has signed the state's budget for the next fiscal year which begins on July 1st, the state's fiscal matters are not necessarily settled. The Associated Press reports that some Republican members of the legislature expect they will be forced to cut spending by another $50 million at some point during the fiscal year.

The last time the state cut spending in the middle of the year, some public schools were forced to close for the Summer earlier than usual because they did not have enough money to stay open.

The governor was asked about the status of public education by local reporters yesterday and, rather than accept responsibility, Brownback blamed school districts.

As you may recall, the governor's office is threatening to defund the state judiciary to prevent it from ruling in favor of school districts which would force the state to spend more money on education.

If you'e already a member, go on in.

This Week's Pulse-Pounding Episode: The Letterman Show: Our First Drinking Show; Dan Bidondi Tweets; Dan Bidondi's Wrestling Victories; Our Tribute to David Letterman; Letterman and Gen X; Bob's Progressive Drunkenness; Chez's Daughter Helps to Name Bob's Cat; Nonna; What the What the What the Wow; and more.

One World Trade Center Light Test. November 8, 2013. AP Photo/Julio Cortez

2 World Trade Center is tentatively scheduled to be completed sometime in 2016. At a cost of about $3 billion, 2 W.T.C. is on hold until they can come up with enough tenants who will sign leases promising not to use their windows for drying laundry. Tough sell.

In other news, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law sweeping new gun control measures today which will ban magazines that hold more than 7 bullets, among other things.

1) I hope this one gets in in time to make the mailbag, but how the fuck did Boehner manage to hang onto his job??? Just yesterday Chris Christie was tearing him a new one in front of the whole country and today he's reelected Speaker of the House. What gives?
-- Sophia

2) What proves most from this week that the right hasn't learned anything since the election and will never change, the fiscal cliff fiaco, the Sandy aid bill debacle, or the conspiracies about Hillary Clinton faking her brain injury so she doesn't have to testify about Benghazi? Inquiring minds want to know.
-- Travis

3) What are your biggest resolutions for 2013?
-- KV

Ask an Astrobiologist has received more than 5000 questions about Nibiru and Doomsday 2012, with more than 400 answers posted.

Questions like: "How do we know that the government and NASA are not covering up for the end of the world?" and, "is it true that on December 21 2012 that there will be a shift in the earth due to the sun and moon lining up?"

Turns out, these questions actually have answers!

5000 questions just like these! But not all the questions were Doomsday-related. Someone had the intuitiveness to ask a question on the serious threat of climate change!

Like, "In New York, we are suffering from Hurricane Sandy and everyone in our town are saying these are the signs of the end of the world!! are these signs of global warming or something else?"

Damn it!

Who knows how long it will take to drive NASA to weep openly in public for the future of intelligent life in the universe? but, Senior Scientist Of The NASA Astrobiology Institute, David Morrison, is fending off the 2012 Doomsday Zombie horde like a courageous pocket protector warrior with his back to the wall and the future of humanity at stake. After thousands of questions, he may be showing signs of cracking, seemingly trembling with uncontrollable frustration over the fact that there are so many people who believe this crap.

Fight the good fight, Science!

In other news, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-Jackass) is already vowing to block confirmation of Obama administration nominees during the president's 2nd term based on repeatedly-debunked conspiracy theories.