Happy Hour

get happy

America's Worst Humans

Chaya Raichik.

Hype Machine

A lot of people have lost betting against Elon for the past decade or so, but going all in on robots that certainly won't do anything useful anytime soon...

Tesla also announced plans to end production of its Model S and Model X vehicles. It will now use the manufacturing plant in California that made those cars to produce its line of humanoid robots - known as Optimus.

Fred, who used to be one of Elon's hype men but finally saw the light, caught the important bit:

Elon Musk admitted on Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call today that the company doesn’t have any Optimus robots doing useful work in its factories right now.

This is a striking admission, given that Musk has spent the past two years claiming the opposite.

Good That You Can Get Them On The Phone

Now that her problem is taken care of - at least enough to push it off the front page for a bit - she can go back to not pretending to care about it.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said Thursday that immigration officials have ceased their "enhanced operations" in the state, the site of an enforcement surge and more than 200 arrests since last week.

Collins, a Republican, made the announcement after saying she had several direct communications with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

RIP Dan McQuade

I only met him a couple of times, years ago, though I'd see him randomly around Philly occasionally, but he always struck me as good people. I think he was still in college when I first met him.

First, We Remove All Leverage

Propose a shitty compromise because it got a group hug in the caucus meeting, and then remove any leverage you have to pass it.

Under the emerging plan, according to two officials knowledgeable about it, the Senate would split off legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security from a six-bill package of spending measures needed to keep the military, health programs and other federal agencies funded for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The Senate would pass those bills before a Friday midnight deadline, and Congress also would consider a short-term extension for homeland security operations, which would prevent an interruption of services by the Transportation Security Agency, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This isn't a "rein in ICE plan" it's an "avert the shutdown that our hog voters are yelling for" plans.

Then they will yell at people for not understanding their brilliance. Then not understand why people are mad when ICE continues its campaign of ethnic cleansing and murder.

...The Democrats!

Morning

Thinkpiece Thursday.

Thursday Night

Rock on.

Happy Hour

get happy

Going Wobbly

I know Dems don't have a magic wand, but if they fail to look like they're doing what they can (which is even different even from doing what they can! and no it isn't my job to pretend), they're going to have to answer for this shit next week, and next week, and the next week..

Something

I know this is a long way from anything approaching a path to justice, but it's slightly better than "our racist drunk slobs can kill who they want, fuck you."

BREAKING: Agents involved in the Alex Pretti shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave. MS NOW's @marcsantianews.bsky.social has the latest

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— MS NOW (@ms.now) January 28, 2026 at 6:16 PM

And yes I know it's designed to make the Senate Dems go wobbly and I know nothing will come of this, ultimately.

There's A Red Under His Bed

And a little green man in his head.

It remains to be seen how the Venezuelan people will respond to a more overt CIA presence in the country post-Maduro. For years, Maduro cast the CIA as a convenient boogey man, repeatedly accusing the agency – without evidence – of attempting to topple his regime as he clung to power despite US opposition.

Now, the CIA has helped supplant Maduro and is poised to help actively manage the Trump administration’s dealings with Venezuela’s new leadership.

Nom Nom

This particular incident is "funny," but generally shoving AI into everything means the plagiarism machine is inevitably eating an immense about of things (legal, corporate, medical) that are supposed to be private.

The interim head of the country’s cyber defense agency uploaded sensitive contracting documents into a public version of ChatGPT last summer, triggering multiple automated security warnings that are meant to stop the theft or unintentional disclosure of government material from federal networks, according to four Department of Homeland Security officials with knowledge of the incident.

The apparent misstep from Madhu Gottumukkala was especially noteworthy because the acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency had requested special permission from CISA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer to use the popular AI tool soon after arriving at the agency this May, three of the officials said. The app was blocked for other DHS employees at the time.

Not Even Sure What Her Play Is Here

I know they're all trying to be in a seat when the music stops, but I am not sure how this achieves that for her!

Kristi Noem: "Everything I've done, I've done at the direction of the president and Stephen"

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 28, 2026 at 1:21 PM

Not exactly sure who "not my fault, just following orders" is addressed to here.

This Reminds Me Of The Time Sarah Huckabee Sanders Was Politely Asked To Leave A Restaurant

Rep. Ilhan Omar was charged at by a man during a town hall event in Minneapolis. Video from the incident shows the man spraying a substance in her direction.

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— Shipwreck (@shipwreck75.bsky.social) January 28, 2026 at 1:31 AM

The guy had a syringe/needle of (?).

That's the second assault/attempt assault against elected Dems recently.  Ilhan was gonna punch him!

The title is my running joke about how political journalists and commentators swing into action whenever some random left-leaning person does anything  and the discourse becomes dominated by discussions of the Uncivil Left.

A quick search shows there were at least seven New York Times pieces about the Battle of Red Hen (the infamously intolerant restaurant).

It was quite "funny" that Maggie Haberman had no concerns about making clear who her favorite special source was - Smokey Eye herself.

Objectivity!

Morning

Wacky Wednesday.

Happy Hour

Your moment of Zen.

And If The Band You're In Starts Playing Different Tunes

Much of The Discourse 2022-2025 can be explained by people believing - or pretending to believe - that 1) Joe Biden was president in 2020 and 2) Because of the actions of President Joe Biden leading up to the 2020 election, Joe Biden lost re-election and the Democrats suffered a historic wipeout at the polls.

No this doesn't make any sense, but it is the only way that "because of Woke and the Covid response and Defund the Police, Democrats lost" can make sense.

And She Doesn't Even Care About The Price Of Eggs!

(joke)

Jeffries is turning it up, finally.

Hakeem Jeffries: "Kristi Noem is a despicable, corrupt, pathological liar. We've seen her slander not just one, but American citizens, patriotic Americans who were killed without justification on the streets of Mpls ... we are prepared to initiate impeachment proceedings against her in the House."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 27, 2026 at 7:04 PM

Finally, Gun Control

Thank you, President Trump!

Trump: "With that being said, you can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns. You just can't. You can't walk in with guns. You can't do that. But it's just a very unfortunate incident."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 27, 2026 at 5:42 PM