Furnace Filters and SCOTUS

This is Jim, yesterday morning.  He's not fond of this photo, but I think he's adorable.  The point of my posting this is to serve as a reminder that it does get cold enough to require the heavy polar fleece camo pants, and so we must continue packing them.  Please make a note of this.

We also changed the furnace filters yesterday.  One of these days, I will get a video of the filter levitating into its position with some force.  It's so different than when installing one in the vertical.  Anyway, the point of this is to remind us that when we are using the rubber mallet to force the cold air return grill back where it belongs, apply force in the direction of the second bedroom, as well as straight up.  Please make a note of that, as well. 

We had interesting skies yesterday.  I was hoping for a good sunset, but, alas, it was not to be.

So, the Supreme Court over ruled 47's use of IEEPA to levy tariffs at will.  There are a lot of legal words, and closely reasoned arguments for and against, but essentially they said a tariff is a tax, and taxation belongs to Congress.  It says so in the constitution.  He has other paths to levy tariffs; what I don't know is if Congress has to approve the use of those laws.  Here is a 70 second clip of 47 going off the rails this morning.  Later in the speech, he was having trouble reading the words on the page because he was so angry, and apoplectic.  SCOTUS side stepped the issue of whether the tariffs have to be repaid to the companies and consumers who paid them.  So, he has lost his bludgeon that he was applying to other countries to make them bend to his will.  Previously negotiated trade deals are now in jeopardy.  

A person who tweets under the name Boson Smalls had this to say about it:  Corporations are already filing lawsuits and they're going to win them. This is going to be a disaster. Taxpayers will once again get screwed. We will be on the hook and pay billions for these lawsuits. Not to mention corporations are not going to lower prices because they never do. While at the same time, the damage is already done with trump's illegal trade war that he has waged for the last year and the world is passing us by now. They're moving on because maga has turned America into a dumpster fire. Canada, Europe and the trans-pacific (40 countries) are currently working out deals with each other. This 6x time bankrupt pedo has ruined us. Elections have consequences and your stupidity has driven us off a cliff. Thanks maga.

Justin Wolfers, an economist had this to say: Key issue to bear in mind as you watch today's political response to the Supreme Court tariff decision: The Court didn't say that the US can't issue tariffs, simply that the President has to convince (the Republican-controlled) Congress first. If tariffs are a great idea, that should be an easy argument to win. (Spoiler: They're not.)

So, that's it then.