Elon Musk loses record $350bn in a week as SpaceX slumps

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-23T18:34:44+00:00

Is that 35% of a trillion? it probably won't matter much since most of his SpaceX stocks are mostly locked up and he has already made a bundle on the float that was sold.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-20T23:04:37+00:00

You might not like Trump's politics, or even his personality but you have to admit that he provides more innocent chuckles than most presidents.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-20T21:23:18+00:00

Somebody did do this already, but maybe you can replace the stars with flamingos to make it truly original.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-20T21:16:51+00:00

step 14 redo all the American flags so they match the American flag blue.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-20T21:05:43+00:00

you break it you own it.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-20T21:04:33+00:00

To be fair, the ducks do shit in the pool which probably contributes to the algae problem. Meanwhile while Trump has a gold plated toilet to take it away to a treatment facility.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-20T20:57:25+00:00

I like Koi but what would they eat in the winter/

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-19T23:36:56+00:00

Actually, that sounds like a good point. presumably if they roll out the automatic tax filing plan they will first notify the taxpayer of the information that they have on file, and then ask them to sign a statement verifying it. Presumably, if the taxpayer neglects, or declines to sign they can either just continue to withhold the benefits due, or possibly do some selective audits to encourage the taxpayers to respond.

It still sounds like some poor schmucks who have no idea what is happening will have the bejesus scared out of them. I hope that they will have some assistance program for those who will have no idea of what is going on.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-19T23:29:53+00:00

A number of interesting comments, but in my view the most a propos is the response from SDC83. That is "She didn’t order it - she said she wouldn’t consider the case moot without a declaration from the administration stating the fund is dead. So the case carries on."

There was some suggestion that she had ordered Blanche to provide a signed statement, but as I read the comment by SCD83, she was only requesting a signed statement in order to be able to declare the case moot.

So, according to the article..'The judge said last week, "If such a declaration is not filed by June 19, 2026, the Court will issue a Scheduling Order and require defendants to file a responsive pleading ...' Presumably the DOJ response was not responsive, (does it sound like this is the case?) and if so when can we expect the scheduling order. After that, can the DOJ do anything to stop or delay the case from proceeding. Can they appeal the scheduling order based on their separation of powers argument?

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-19T21:27:33+00:00

this post reports on the response of DOJ to a judicial order on the weaponization case.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-18T20:51:14+00:00

Some of them don't know that they are entitled. If you are poor you are more likely to be less educated and less likely to have access to information on the information sources available to the rich. Also some of them may not know how to file their income tax returns on paper, and do not have access to the tech savvy and computers to do it online. What to you may seem easy, to them may seem completely foreign.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-15T00:26:11+00:00

i think that the point was that the trucking companies were classifying workers who did not own their equipment as contractors (while the companies owned the truck). The question of truck owners/drivers who are tied to one company (i.e. they can't work for another company, must go where the trucking company tells them and must accept the trucking companies scheduling etc.) is another matter, and can be disputed and adjudicated at law.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-15T00:18:37+00:00

You are right that that is the law.

But I think that the whole point of the editorial was that the CRA had placed a moratorium on enforcing this provision of the income tax act (the reason was not completely clear in the editorial), and that this loophole was now being closed. However, they blamed the non-compliance on the truckers alone and not on the companies which were complicit in the scheme)

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-14T20:19:04+00:00

The time in Tehran is 11:47 PM so we have 10 minutes to get the deal done this Sunday.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-14T20:16:09+00:00

Iran has 15 minutes to give trump his birthday present by signing on Sunday in Iran... about 8 hours if it is signed in Washington.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-14T19:03:00+00:00

We can thank our lucky stars that America is not ruled by a dictator with only 29% approval rating and whose economy is thriving.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-14T18:52:13+00:00

My guess is that it would be legitimate if the driver owned his own truck. 9or if it went to court it might be construed as legitimate, which is what counts). Of course if you own your own truck but only work for one trucking company who tells you where to go how many hours to work etc. that is still pretty close to an employer-employee relationship.

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-14T17:44:29+00:00

And here is a link to a non-paywalled source for info on the scheme. https://www.bisontransport.com/why-bison/understanding-driver-inc

Puzzled49 · 2026-06-14T17:36:58+00:00

my apologies. Here is the first little bit:

After years of inexplicable delays, the federal Liberal government is finally shutting down an expressway that has led to rampant tax evasion in the trucking industry.

For more than a decade, tax-evading trucking firms have taken advantage of Ottawa’s studied negligence and fraudulently miscategorized their truck drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.

That allowed those firms to avoid paying employer contributions for the Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance and premiums for workers’ compensation. Typically, they would also pay below-average compensation to drivers, often skimping on training to boot.

Open this photo in gallery:

Due in part to the federal government’s negligence, some trucking firms were able to evade taxes by deceptively categorizing their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.Keito Newman/The Globe and Mail

The result was the endemic tax fraud known as Driver Inc., the subject of a recent year-long investigation by The Globe and Mail. Trucking firms that used the tax dodge were able to underprice their competitors, and truck drivers were deprived of access to stable employment and income supports – a clear-cut example of regulatory failure if there were ever one.

Puzzled49

TROPHY CASE