Thursday, April 24, 2025
Go, King
Not enough people enjoy pissing off the Harry Potter lady.
Pedro Pascal has strongly criticised JK Rowling following her public celebration of a UK Supreme Court decision that trans women are not legally women.
The Last of Us actor left a pointed comment on Instagram under a post by activist Tariq Ra’ouf, who had urged a boycott of all future Harry Potter projects in response to Rowling’s stance.
...
In his video, Tariq called Rowling’s actions “awful and disgusting” and said: “It has become our mission as the general public to make sure that every single thing that's Harry Potter related fails...because that awful disgusting s**t, that has consequences.”
Pascal not only liked the post but added his own take in the comments: “Awful disgusting S**T is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.”
Pascal's sister is trans.
Seems Bad
If the US does have a big measles epidemic, other countries, including current visa waiver countries, will start requiring proof of vaccination for travel.
The United States faces millions of measles cases over the next 25 years if vaccination rates for the disease drop 10 percent, according to new research published Thursday.
No change in the current vaccination rate would result in hundreds of thousands of measles cases over the same period, according to a mathematical model produced by a team of Stanford University researchers.
Time Is A Flat Circle
We know that some CEOs put the fear of God into Trump about empty shelves, but I suspect he doesn't understand that you can't just turn the boats back on and fill those shelves instantly with a "BEAUTIFUL DEAL WITH CHINA" tweet.
I know nothing, but I'd guess he has max 3 weeks to go begging to Xi before it's too late to stop serious disruptions.
And he will have to beg.
I know nothing, but I'd guess he has max 3 weeks to go begging to Xi before it's too late to stop serious disruptions.
And he will have to beg.
Senior administration officials are scrambling to stem economic damage from China’s restrictions on rare-earth exports, as President Donald Trump’s trade war risks cutting key industries and defense contractors off from supplies of metals crucial to production, according to three people familiar with internal deliberations.
Friedman's Revenge
He wrote a column just to annoy me,specifically.
One funny thing about the robotaxi dream is that everyone imagines they will somehow make taxi rides free or cheap. My brothers in poverty, how much do you think taxi and uber drivers earn? Just how much less per mile do you imagine your fare is going to be when you are in this much more expensive vehicle? Why exactly do taxi companies want to take responsibility for capital costs they had managed to offload onto their drivers?
I've never been in a Waymo, but people I generally trust say they basically work, though it isn't clear just how many people are inside the mechanical Turk.
I struggle these days whenever someone asks me for my political affiliation. But if you really force me, I’d describe myself as a “Waymo Democrat.” Waymos are the self-driving electric taxis started by Google. My party’s bumper sticker would read, “A chicken in every pot and a Waymo in every city.” And our TV ads would say: “Trump is for he/him — his grievances, his revenge, his corruption — and for bringing old stuff back ‘again,’ like coal and gasoline cars. Waymo Democrats are for ‘We the People’ and reinventing American industry anew.”Yes, Elon, get out those car tools and finish that product you've been promising for a decade that you are totally going to deliver one of these days. What? You want to inspect my wallet first? Sure go right ahead.
...
And, finally, we’d say to Elon Musk: “Stop wasting your talents and hurting America with your DOGE craziness and finally get the Tesla robotaxi that you have been promising for a decade out on the road. The greatest gift you could give America today is to junk your stupid chain saw, replace it with car tools and create a nationwide competition with Waymo for robotaxis.”
One funny thing about the robotaxi dream is that everyone imagines they will somehow make taxi rides free or cheap. My brothers in poverty, how much do you think taxi and uber drivers earn? Just how much less per mile do you imagine your fare is going to be when you are in this much more expensive vehicle? Why exactly do taxi companies want to take responsibility for capital costs they had managed to offload onto their drivers?
I've never been in a Waymo, but people I generally trust say they basically work, though it isn't clear just how many people are inside the mechanical Turk.
Also, they're *really* annoying to other drivers.
Working doesn't mean a successful, competitive business model exists.
Depraved Institution
I admit I just thought the bomb threat was faked (lied about) by the university/cops.
When a bomb threat coincided with a pro-Palestine student protest at Barnard College last month, the New York City Police Department arrested nine demonstrators. By the next day, local and national media had picked up the story. Some outlets suggested that the protesters were responsible for the threat. “Several Barnard College protesters in custody after bomb threat made during sit-in,” read one headline.
That headline, as well as statements from Barnard College and the NYPD, overlooked a key fact: The Palestine solidarity protesters were actually the targets of the bomb threat.
Xi Begged Me, With Tears In His Eyes
Trump is going to give Hawaii to China soon.
Hilarious:Beijing on US-China tariff talks: 'All fake news'
A Chinese official on Thursday said that claims that Washington and Beijing are in active talks about tariffs were "all fake news."
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the two sides have not consulted or negotiated on tariffs at all, but signaled that Beijing would be open to talks on an equal and reciprocal footing.
Beijing has called on the US to “completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures” if it wants trade talks, in some of China’s strongest comments yet on the impasse between the world’s two economic superpowers.
Beijing on Thursday also said there were “currently no economic and trade negotiations between China and the United States”, despite recent signs of softening on dispute from Washington. US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has said in recent days that the trade war is “not sustainable” and “there would have to be a de-escalation by both sides”.
“The unilateral tariff measures were initiated by the US,” said He Yadong, a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson. “If the US truly wants to solve the problem, it should . . . completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China and find a way to resolve differences through equal dialogue.”
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Fred Malek's Ghost
Seems bad.
Several professors at Barnard College received text messages on Monday notifying them that a federal agency was reviewing the college’s employment practices, according to copies of the messages reviewed by The Intercept.
The messages, sent to several professors’ personal cellphones, asked them to complete a voluntary survey about their employment.
The survey from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, asked questions including whether respondents were Jewish or Israeli; whether they had been subjected to antisemitism; and whether they were subject to “unwelcome discussions,” graffiti or signs depicting antisemitic messages or images, “unwelcome comments, jokes or discussions,” or “pressure to abandon, change or adopt a practice or religious belief.”
What Is Wrong With These People
I used say, back during Trump I, that all these people are the biggest assholes in the world who only hang out with the biggest assholes in the world and they have no idea that isn't the standard human experience.
Kasper would later work at the Department of Homeland Security, the Navy and the Air Force in the first Trump administration and as a lobbyist. But critics say he quickly ran into trouble with his new job at the Pentagon.He was often late to meetings and developed a reputation for dropping the ball on critical tasks with little follow-up, according to three people who witnessed his behavior. Another person familiar with his management said he “lacked the focus and organizational skills needed to get things done.”While some who know him say he was fun and charming, three of the people said he frequently berated officials in meetings and repeatedly referred to military officials by a lower rank.And at times, Kasper’s detractors say his leadership seemed almost juvenile. He graphically described his bowel movements to colleagues in one high-level meeting, according to two people who were in the meetings.
Working with David Brent.
Oh No Sexbots Delayed
This is a nonsense excuse, of course, but it well disappoint Elon's biggest fans who truly believe he is making sexbots for them.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says China’s new trade restrictions on rare earth magnets have affected the production of the company’s Optimus humanoid robots, which rely on the exports.
Bye Durbin
Good for him.
Dick Durbin, the longtime second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, announced plans to retire at the end of next year, setting off a succession scramble to take his powerful leadership spot in the chamber and a likely crowded primary in Illinois for the seat.
I have a soft spot for him, as he could be feistier than some back in the Bush days, but that was awhile ago...
Can't Trust The Mad King
I suppose if Trump genuinely moves beyond his tariff fetish then things could go back to "normal," but I suspect the damage is done. If he'd just announced 25% tariffs across the board, or whatever, that might not have been great but it wouldn't have upset the world order. But tariffs can't be a daily random number depending on whims, combined with "negotiations" without specific demands.
Also, half - down to 50-65% - ain't gonna do it.
US President Donald Trump has signaled a potential U-turn on his trade war with China, saying the high tariffs on Chinese goods will “come down substantially, but it won’t be zero.”There's a decent chance China responds to this by keeping much of their retaliation in place, and it almost certainly will continue to reorient their economy away from the US.
Trump’s remarks, made at a White House news event Tuesday, appear to mark a rhetorical climbdown after weeks of tough posturing and tit-for-tat retaliation that sent tariffs on China beyond a staggering 145%.
Also, half - down to 50-65% - ain't gonna do it.
The Trump administration is considering slashing its steep tariffs on Chinese imports—in some cases by more than half—in a bid to de-escalate tensions with Beijing that have roiled global trade and investment, according to people familiar with the matter.
President Trump hasn’t made a final determination, the people said, adding that the discussions remain fluid and several options are on the table.
Teased
As long as they take Axios journalists first.
The post-9/11 era was a dark time that most people have forgotten about. It wasn't exactly a high point for "free speech" broadly defined.
Trump administration officials are suggesting their immigration crackdown could expand to include deporting convicted U.S. citizens and charging anyone — not just immigrants — who criticizes Trump's policies.Gotta love the house style:
Why it matters:The answer is not "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST THEY'RE PLANNING ON SENDING CITIZENS WHO EXRESS DISSENT TO FOREIGN CONCENTRATION CAMPS" for some reason.
Zoom in: Here are three tactics the administration has teased that legal analysts say would challenge Americans' rights:"Legal analysts say."
The post-9/11 era was a dark time that most people have forgotten about. It wasn't exactly a high point for "free speech" broadly defined.
Even so, the worst I worried about, personally, was Bill O'Reilly putting my face on his TV show or similar. I didn't ever worry that the FBI would be hauling me away or that I would be harassed at the border, though I do recognize that people of different backgrounds did have bigger worries than a Fox News hit job, then.
Culling The Botched And The Bungled
It has a few different flavors (Musk/Thiel, Kennedy, Miller), but the people in charge are implementing a eugenics agenda and until reporters understand that the public will have no idea what is happening.
The spread of measles in the Southwest now constitutes the largest single outbreak since the United States declared the disease eliminated in 2000, federal scientists told state officials in a meeting on Monday.Months of describing DOGE cuts as being about about waste, fraud, and inefficiency instead of highlighting the real, if clumsily implemented, agendas behind it.
The New York Times obtained a recording of the meeting. Until now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had not publicly described the outbreak in such stark terms.
In a public meeting last week, Dr. David Sugerman, a C.D.C. senior scientist, said recent threats to local public health funding meant the agency was now “scraping to find the resources” to support those in Texas and other states grappling with outbreaks.
Last month, H.H.S. moved to cut billions of dollars allocated to local health departments. (A judge temporarily blocked the funding cuts after a coalition of states sued the Trump administration.)
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Sure, Jan
Either lying or signalling Trump's surrender.
Also you can't unshit this bed. Things could settle down, but then Gramps will tweet some crazy shit again and all deals will be off.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a closed-door investor summit on Tuesday that he expects the tariff showdown with China will de-escalate as the situation is unsustainable, according to a media report.Totally good and normal for the Treasury Secretary to say market moving shit to a select group in private!
He noted that a deal is possible, even though talks haven't started yet, Bloomberg News reported, citing people who attended an event hosted by JPMorgan Chase in Washington. The conference wasn't open to the media or the public.
Also you can't unshit this bed. Things could settle down, but then Gramps will tweet some crazy shit again and all deals will be off.
Sure Why Not
Pro-natalism agenda proceeding as expected.
WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for testing of fluid milk and other dairy products due to reduced capacity in its food safety and nutrition division, according to an internal email seen by Reuters.Gotta increase that birthrate even more if you're trying to increase the childhood mortality rate, too.
Tariff Deals
We keep making them.
The US Commerce Department has announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 3,521% on imports of solar panels from four South East Asian countries.This is the kind of thing where you can make a case for protecting a domestic infant industry against dumping, but in the current context...
Talking About What We Should Be Talking About
A maddening thing about the "we need to talk about kitchen table issues" tic is that it's almost entirely a meta conversation, with lead Democrats going on TV and saying it's what they need to talk about instead of actually talking about it.
Jeffries on Sunday, the relevant bits:
Leader Jeffries, thank you for being here. Let me get right at what you were saying, because I also heard you say that Republicans are breaking the economy and will own all of the damage that is being done to the American people. So, what are Democrats going to do about it?JEFFRIES: Well, we're going to continue to make clear that the cost of living in the United States of America is too high. Donald Trump and Republicans promised to lower the cost of living. In fact, on day one, costs aren't going down. They are going up. And they are crashing the economy in real time and, in fact, driving us toward a recession.Democrats have a different vision. We want to build an affordable economy for hardworking American taxpayers, and we're ready to work with anyone in good faith to get that done. But that's not occurring in the Congress right now, which is why things are heading in a bad direction.KARL: But let me ask you about a Gallup poll that came out recently, asking people how much confidence they have in various people to -- to deal with the economy. And Donald Trump only -- you know, 44 percent have a great deal or fair amount of confidence, but that was -- GOP leaders were next, the Fed Chairman, the Speaker of the House. And when you get down to the bottom, Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer down at the bottom. You had only 30 percent.So, what do Democrats have to do to convince the American people that they have a better plan on the economy than the Republicans?JEFFRIES: Well, this week, we'll be having a cost of living week of action, and we have to continue to talk to the American people about our plans. We recognize that housing costs are too high, grocery costs are too high, utility costs are too high, childcare costs are too high, insurance costs are too high. America is too expensive.Now, Donald Trump is the president. And in terms of his approval as it relates to the economy, it was his biggest strength on January 20th. Now, it's his greatest weakness.There are a variety of different polls that are out there, including most recently a Morning Consult poll, that showed that Congressional Democrats were actually trusted more than Congressional Republicans on the economy for the first time in four years.We're going to continue to press our case on the economy, continue to press our case on protecting and strengthening Social Security, which is what we are committed to do. Republicans are trying to detonate Social Security as we know it. And certainly, we're going to protect the healthcare of the American people.
The only "plan" here is defending the status quo! Which is important at the moment! But that was basically the November 2024 message also!
We are going to keep talking about our plans, he says, while not taking a prime opportunity to talk about those plans.
Seems Bad
Drunk man walking.
WASHINGTON — Minutes before U.S. fighter jets took off to begin strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen last month, Army Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, who leads U.S. Central Command, used a secure U.S. government system to send detailed information about the operation to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The material Kurilla sent included details about when U.S. fighters would take off and when they would hit their targets — details that could, if they fell into the wrong hands, put the pilots of those fighters in grave danger. But he was doing exactly what he was supposed to: providing Hegseth, his superior, with information he needed to know and using a system specifically designed to safely transmit sensitive and classified information.
But then Hegseth used his personal phone to send some of the same information Kurilla had given him to at least two group text chats on the Signal messaging app, three U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the exchanges told NBC News.
Monday, April 21, 2025
At Least That's What She Said For Her Insurance Claim
Must have been an Antifa Supersoldier:
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem fell victim to a thief while eating dinner at a downtown Washington, DC, restaurant Sunday night, two sources familiar with the incident, including a law enforcement source, told CNN.
The Secret Service, which provides security for Noem, reviewed security camera footage at the restaurant and saw an unknown white male wearing a medical mask steal her bag and leave the restaurant.
The thief got away with Noem’s driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks, and about $3,000 in cash, the law enforcement source said.
I occasionally think about how for years the Secret Service managed to project an image of extreme professionalism. Now we know they're just playing candy crush all the time like cops.
How About Sean Hannity
...story here🚨 NPR reports that it has learned that the White House has begun the search for a new Secretary of Defense.
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) April 21, 2025
What Did They Think Would Happen
I don't mean Trump, as his brain is mostly worm castings at this point, but any of the people around him. Did it not occur to them that countries would retaliate?
A Boeing jet intended for a Chinese airline landed back at the planemaker’s US production hub on Sunday, a victim of the tit-for-tat bilateral tariffs launched by Donald Trump.
The 737 MAX, which was meant for China’s Xiamen Airlines, landed at Seattle’s Boeing Field at 6.11pm, according to a Reuters witness. It was painted with Xiamen livery.
The jet, which made refuelling stops in Guam and Hawaii on its 5,000-mile (8,000-km) return journey, was one of several 737 MAX jets – Boeing’s bestselling model – that had been waiting at Boeing’s Zhoushan completion centre for final work and delivery.
Leaky Pete Is A No Show
Hegseth, for his part, has still not weighed in on the firings or turmoil inside his office and has avoided situations over the last week in which he may have encountered the press. Reporters were invited to cover the defense secretary welcoming his French counterpart to the Pentagon on Thursday, but Hegseth failed to show up, sending an aide instead.
At first I thought this meant Hegseth didn't show to the meeting at all, but then I realized there was some formal protocol greeting that he avoided, probably to avoid the press.
The guys who got fired are pissed that they were slimed on the way out (whether or not they deserved it) and Pete's worried about what they'll say.
Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll wrote Saturday in a joint statement that they are “incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended” and denied leaking information.
“Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door. All three of us served our country honorably in uniform — for two of us, this included deployments to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And, based on our collective service, we understand the importance of information security and worked every day to protect it,” they wrote. “At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of ‘leaks’ to begin with.”
RIP Francis
The Pope died. Shame one of his last moments was meeting Vance briefly.
A pretty good Pope, to the extent that I have any understanding of these things. Aside from the things "we" hear about, he also was involved with purging some nasty orders in his home continent.
I don't think there's too much argument from decent people against the idea that he was the best pope in my lifetime.
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Clogged Circulatory System
I don't claim to know every much about this stuff, but you don't need too much of an imagination to see how much of a problem this is for businesses that are used to relying on things working a particular way.
DHL Express, a division of Germany’s Deutsche Post, said it would suspend global business-to-consumer shipments worth over $800 to individuals in the United States from April 21, as US customs regulatory changes have lengthened clearance.It isn't all Musk, but it is a government by people like Musk, by people who don't know how anything works, and who believe they are smarter than everyone else so there's no point in asking.
But They Won't Cover It
I know - and if you have ever read this very fine blog you should know that I know - the media game is rigged against Democrats in various ways for various reasons, but it is also true that it is not hopeless. You can get coverage.
Sunday morning April 20, 2025 Fox News Sunday — Van Hollen NBC's Meet the Press — Van Hollen CNN's State of the Union — Van Hollen CBS’ Face the Nation — Van Hollen ABC’s This Week — Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov #AbregoGarcia #RuleOfLaw
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw.bsky.social) April 20, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Nobody Could've Predicted
Leaving aside all the obvious concerns about Hegseth, he's obviously not qualified to run the world's biggest bureaucracy.
Bullies
Always stand up to them.
Basically - we didn't mean to send you that, you should've talked to us, but also we mean it 200% actually.
The broader point is that no one is in charge, because Trump isn't in charge, and maybe that's the story journalists should be telling more.
Harvard University received an emailed letter from the Trump administration last Friday that included a series of demands about hiring, admissions and curriculum so onerous that school officials decided they had no choice but to take on the White House.It's quite clear what happened here (the Trumpers are full of shit), but even though the journalists clearly know this they still privilege the bullshit to make it sound as if Harvard is the unresonable party, that Harvard should've accepted the "mistake" claim and continued to grovel.
The university announced its intentions on Monday, setting off a tectonic battle between one of the country’s most prestigious universities and a U.S. president. Then, almost immediately, came a frantic call from a Trump official.
The April 11 letter from the White House’s task force on antisemitism, this official told Harvard, should not have been sent and was “unauthorized,” two people familiar with the matter said.
The letter was sent by the acting general counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services, Sean Keveney, according to three other people, who were briefed on the matter. Mr. Keveney is a member of the antisemitism task force.
Basically - we didn't mean to send you that, you should've talked to us, but also we mean it 200% actually.
A senior White House official said the administration stood by the letter, calling the university’s decision to publicly rebuff the administration overblown and blaming Harvard for not continuing discussions.The simple point is that if they can't beat this stuff in court then there's no point in going on. It's all over already. Spend your endowment then turn out the lights.
The broader point is that no one is in charge, because Trump isn't in charge, and maybe that's the story journalists should be telling more.
Slowing The March
Late last night, the Supremos stopped Trump's latest kidnapping efforts, not even giving Alito time to write his "to come later" dissent.
At the very least this is recognition that it is hard to unshit the bed, but it is not yet a promise to stop the shitting.
At the very least this is recognition that it is hard to unshit the bed, but it is not yet a promise to stop the shitting.
Friday, April 18, 2025
Sorry, Elon
I suspect this will create some issues.
China is introducing new regulatory standards for electric car batteries that will represent some of the strictest safety and testing requirements in the world. Set to take effect on July 1, 2026, the “Safety Requirements for Power Batteries of Electric Vehicles” will essentially prohibit fires and explosions even after thermal propagation, or the spread of an uncontrolled temperature increase from one battery cell to another.
Is This A Kitchen Table Issue
This one is confusing to the centrist dems who keep giving anonymous quotes complaining about other Dems caring about immigrants being disappeared.
Immigrants falsely labeled dead by the Social Security Administration are showing up at field offices with documents proving they are alive, leading staff to reinstate nearly three dozen people over the past week, according to records obtained by The Washington Post.
The immigrants who have requested a reversal and been reinstated in Social Security databases include a Haitian asylum seeker and a minor child, the records show. Some immigrants have shown up with driver’s licenses and work permits to prove their legitimacy, the records show. Others have arrived bearing letters of notification that they received from their states declaring them dead.
The reversals come after the Department of Homeland Security and Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service pushed to incorrectly label roughly 6,100 mostly Latino immigrants as dead in a bid to pressure the immigrants to leave the country. The administration overrode the objections of senior Social Security staff to labeling the immigrants as dead — a move that current and former top officials at the agency warned was illegal because it violates privacy laws and involves the purposeful falsification of government records.
Bret Stephens, Welcome To The Resistance
More than I would've expected.
So this is a column that I really need to write because it really rankles — I’m a U-Chicago person. I have a fundamental commitment to concepts of academic freedom, which include the right of students and professors to espouse views, which I find mistaken, wrong and even loathsome.
And so what Trump has now done is turned a legitimate grievance — and specifically Jewish grievance — into a tool to undermine and potentially destroy a value, which I think is a core Jewish value, which is the value of debate, dissent, reason, inquiry, criticism and so on. The one mistake we cannot make is we cannot get on the side of illiberalism. We cannot get on the side of people who pretend to be our friends but seek to undermine a political order centered on the notion of the freedom of conscience and thought, the freedom of and the dignity of the individual.
I don’t mean liberalism in the kind of progressive sense. I mean liberalism in the classic Jeffersonian and John Stuart Mill sense of the word. I think it’s dangerous because it puts the Jewish population sort of as a protected class of the ruler, and that’s happened historically for Jews over the centuries.
We keep hoping the next king won’t expel us or put us to the torch. But the whole purpose of liberalism is that Jews enjoy the same kind of rights and privileges and freedoms as everyone else, as equal citizens. That’s the promise of Washington’s letter to the Newport congregation. He says: We no longer speak of mere tolerance because Jews are every bit as American as everyone else.
And so there is a side of the Jewish population that’s sort of cheering Trump because he seems to have the same enemies, or many of the same enemies, that we do. But the methods he’s using to oppose those enemies, we ought to fear.
Man of Action
Good for Van Hollen showing the way.
Polls always show that when you give people the specifics they don't really like it. They just need it to be explained to them.
And sometimes you do the right thing even if the polls aren't obviously on your side because it's the right fucking thing to do.
Senator Chris Van Hollen said on Thursday night that he had met in San Salvador with Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man whose wrongful deportation to El Salvador last month has become a flashpoint in the immigration debate and fueled a standoff between the Trump administration and the courts.Dems decided immigration was their "loser" issue but there is a big difference between "Do you approve of Donald Trump deporting people with criminal records?" and "Do you approve of Donald Trump kidnapping people and sending them to a concentration camp for no reason?" Americans have shitty opinions about "immigration" in part because no one explains how cruel the system is.
Mr. Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, shared a photo of the two men speaking on Thursday evening, hours after the senator had been denied entry to the prison where Mr. Abrego Garcia was being held.
Polls always show that when you give people the specifics they don't really like it. They just need it to be explained to them.
And sometimes you do the right thing even if the polls aren't obviously on your side because it's the right fucking thing to do.
I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return.
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@vanhollen.senate.gov) April 18, 2025 at 2:02 AM
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David Brooks, Welcome To The Resistance
The man's wearing a balaclava and creating a stash of Molotov cocktails.
It’s time for a comprehensive national civic uprising. It’s time for Americans in universities, law, business, nonprofits and the scientific community, and civil servants and beyond to form one coordinated mass movement. Trump is about power. The only way he’s going to be stopped is if he’s confronted by some movement that possesses rival power.There's a bunch of nonsense in there, too, of the "look what you made them do" variety. He hasn't yet gone the full Kristol.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
We've seen that most people don't think that's necessary, AKSHUALLY.
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski told a room full of Alaska nonprofit leaders that the tumult of tariffs, executive orders, court battles, and cuts to federal services under the Trump administration are exceptionally concerning.
“We are all afraid,” Murkowski said, taking a long pause. “It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I certainly have not been here before. And I’ll tell ya, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right.”
Miserable Failure
I've been wrong about things, of course, but the things I have been correct about that make me mad because no one listened are:
1) Somehow people forgot just how bad the Bush administration was. Not just Bush himself or Cheney, and not just how "evil" they were, but how completely ridiculous they were in addition to that.
2) This guy, Elon Musk? Maybe you've heard of him now.
Contribute to more beautiful failure!
I tried!
1) Somehow people forgot just how bad the Bush administration was. Not just Bush himself or Cheney, and not just how "evil" they were, but how completely ridiculous they were in addition to that.
2) This guy, Elon Musk? Maybe you've heard of him now.
Contribute to more beautiful failure!
I tried!
Well Yes You See The Problem Then
Clown show.
“The tough balance is the fact that we get money because of tariffs, but we want to pick and choose which countries to have free trade with. We want to appear to be going towards free trade but we also love the revenue from tariffs,” said a second White House official.
Too Late
I'll never shop there again if I can avoid it (never say never, once I had to get some emergency clothes there when my luggage was delayed, for example, but generally):
Target CEO Brian Cornell will meet with the Rev. Al Sharpton this week in New York as the retailer faces calls for a boycott and a slowdown in foot traffic that began after it walked back key diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the civil rights leader told CNBC Wednesday.
The meeting, which Target asked for, comes after some civil rights groups urged consumers not to shop at Target in response to the retailer’s decision to cut back on DEI. While Sharpton has not yet called for a boycott of Target, he has supported efforts from others to stop shopping at the retailer’s stores.
“You can’t have an election come and all of a sudden, change your old positions,” said Sharpton. “If an election determines your commitment to fairness then fine, you have a right to withdraw from us, but then we have a right to withdraw from you.”
HAPPY 23RD BLOGIVERSARY TO ME
I remember how, after the 2004 election, I was regularly asked things like, "What are you going to do now?" — as if the blog would be OVER.
Oh well.We've had some victories and, uh, some losses, but maybe the point has been the friends we made along the way.
It's time for the SPRING FUNDRAISING WEEK because my mighty blogs are powered by your generous gifts.
Ups And Downs
This blog, as wonderful as it is, can't include everything, especially as so much is happening. To be honest, I can't handle riding every emotional roller coaster - a judge does good! then an appeals courts overrules her - as it is all a bit too nerve-wracking.
I suppose my general preference at the moment is to focus on areas where they are unambiguously eating shit. That is entertaining at least.
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Marco Says Stay Away
Everybody should listen:
Driving the news: Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent an extremely harsh message on Saturday to anybody thinking of visiting the country.
"Visiting America is not an entitlement," he wrote in a Fox News opinion piece. "It is a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values."
"We expect — and the law requires — all visa holders to demonstrate their eligibility every day their visa is valid."
Has China Seen Donald Trump
I imagine China gets why this is hilarious, even if the people writing it up don't.
China wants to see a number of steps from President Donald Trump’s administration before it will agree to trade talks, including showing more respect by reining in disparaging remarks by members of his cabinet, according to a person familiar with the Chinese government’s thinking.
Other conditions include a more consistent US position and a willingness to address China’s concerns around American sanctions and Taiwan, said the person, who asked not to be identified to discuss internal thinking.
Have They Seen A Map
Just completely dumbasses.
The Trump administration plans to use ongoing tariff negotiations to pressure U.S. trading partners to limit their dealings with China, according to people with knowledge of the conversations.
The idea is to extract commitments from U.S. trading partners to isolate China’s economy in exchange for reductions in trade and tariff barriers imposed by the White House. U.S. officials plan to use negotiations with more than 70 nations to ask them to disallow China to ship goods through their countries, prevent Chinese firms from locating in their territories to avoid U.S. tariffs, and not absorb China’s cheap industrial goods into their economies.
Ladies, Is Elon Sliding Into Your DMs?
Amazing guy.
While Musk posts sometimes dozens of times a day on X about right-wing politics or his companies, among other things on his mind, he often interacts with lesser-known users. He replies to them and sometimes interacts through direct messages, some of whom he eventually solicits to have his babies, according to people who have viewed the messages.I'm sure he's reading all of their DMs, too, and I don't mean the ones he sends to them.
Crimeing
This is a federal crime and a crime in (I believe) every state for obvious reasons.
A good example of how laws and regulations exist, in part, to provide trust in what would otherwise be an untrustworthy market. You'll destroy the used car market - and dealer tradeins - if everyone can pay their mechanic a hundred bucks to roll off 20K from their odometer.
However, Tesla allegedly ”knowingly overstates the distances traveled in Tesla vehicles” by manipulating odometers, allowing the company to dodge repair responsibilities tied to warranties. ... “Tesla Inc. employs an odometer system that utilizes predictive algorithms, energy consumption metrics, and driver behavior multipliers that manipulate and misrepresent the actual mileage travelled by Tesla vehicles,” reads the lawsuit. “In so doing, Defendants can, and do, accelerate the rate of depreciation of the value of Tesla vehicles and also the expiration of Tesla vehicle warranties to reduce or avoid responsibility for contractually required repairs as well as increase the purchase of its extended warranty policy.”This is adding, not subtracting, for an entirely different fraudulent reason, but the laws are about modifying, not just subtraction. California law:
28050. It is unlawful for any person to advertise for sale, to sell, to use, or to install on any part of a motor vehicle or on an odometer in a motor vehicle any device which causes the odometer to register any mileage other than the true mileage driven. For the purposes of this section the true mileage driven is that mileage driven by the car as registered by the odometer within the manufacturer's designed tolerance.
28050.5. It is unlawful for any person with the intent to defraud to operate a motor vehicle on any street or highway knowing that the odometer of such vehicle is disconnected or nonfunctional.
28051. It is unlawful for any person to disconnect, turn back, advance, or reset the odometer of any motor vehicle with the intent to alter the number of miles indicated on the odometer gauge.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
CALL ME PLEASE
Humiliating stuff.
President Donald Trump called on China to reach out to him in order to kick off negotiations aimed at resolving the escalating trade fight between the world’s two largest economies.(paywalled, everything is)
“The ball is in China’s court. China needs to make a deal with us. We don’t have to make a deal with them,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday, reading what she said was a statement Trump dictated.
Brit Hume - Welcome To The Resistance
No golden age, no good conservatives, but the old guard like Brit here could occasionally be inspired to deviate from the bullshit.
(the title is a joke, of course)
This Is The Way
"I think it's only a matter of time before [a state attorney general] figures out how to file state kidnapping charges against those that are abducting people who are in the country legally..." says former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley.
— MaddowBlog (@maddowblog.msnbc.com) April 15, 2025 at 3:47 AM
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Sounds Bad
If only there were a "DOJ" and an "FBI."
But according to an official whistleblower disclosure shared with Congress and other federal overseers that was obtained by NPR, subsequent interviews with the whistleblower and records of internal communications, technical staff members were alarmed about what DOGE engineers did when they were granted access, particularly when those staffers noticed a spike in data leaving the agency. It's possible that the data included sensitive information on unions, ongoing legal cases and corporate secrets — data that four labor law experts tell NPR should almost never leave the NLRB and that has nothing to do with making the government more efficient or cutting spending.Extra bad, even:
The new revelations about DOGE's activities at the labor agency come from a whistleblower in the IT department of the NLRB, who disclosed his concerns to Congress and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel in a detailed report that was then provided to NPR. Meanwhile, his attempts to raise concerns internally within the NLRB preceded someone "physically taping a threatening note" to his door that included sensitive personal information and overhead photos of him walking his dog that appeared to be taken with a drone, according to a cover letter attached to his disclosure filed by his attorney, Andrew Bakaj of the nonprofit Whistleblower Aid.
Even More
Whoopsie.
China has ordered its airlines not to take any further deliveries of Boeing Co. jets as part of the tit-for-tat trade war that’s seen US President Donald Trump levy tariffs of as high as 145% on Chinese goods, according to people familiar with the matter.It's one thing to start a trade war with one country, even a big one like China, quite another to do it with the whole fucking world simultaneously.
Beijing has also asked that Chinese carriers halt any purchases of aircraft-related equipment and parts from US companies, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing matters that are private.
Here We Go
I can't (I'm not sure anyone can) predict how this impacts everything once the intermediate goods in the supply chain start disappearing, especially, but...
Five Below, the 1,500-store chain based in Center City that grew rapidly by selling cheap sunglasses, LED watches, and many other brightly colored Chinese-made items, has paused its Chinese imports, citing the rapid rise in U.S. tariffs that have more than doubled costs on new inventory.People can live without cheap sunglasses, but it isn't just going to be cheap sunglasses.
“In order to ensure maximum flexibility, we proactively paused orders from China, given the escalation in the tariffs, as we evaluate all options” to find “trend-right products” at attractive prices, Five Below said in a statement.
Boycott Columbia
One exists in society and can't boycott every bad actor, but I am pleading with every academic and adjacent to cut any and all ties, present and future, with that rotten institution.
President Claire Shipman of Columbia University just sent out an email advertising an "International Student Relief Hardship Fund". When you click on the link for "Special Student Relief", you're taken to the ICE website to report people. Sent this after a student was detained.
— Layla 🪬 (@itslaylas) April 15, 2025
Screen recording for proof. This is Columbia's "resources for international students", linking to the ICE website to report people. Columbia University is not safe for international students. pic.twitter.com/2RUGCH66Q2
— Layla 🪬 (@itslaylas) April 15, 2025
Monday, April 14, 2025
The Rich Tech Bro Dilemma
Their dream is of a post-scarcity society in which AI and robots do everything, which they will achieve by inventing God, but also they want human slaves.
Star Trek, but it's on one of those sex planets.
Well I'm Sure The Other News Outlets Will Continue Their Existing Show Of Solidarity
Good job, Schumer:
Though he hasn't said anything about today's events, either.
No I don't think Schumer has the power to fix everything, but constantly moving the lines doesn't help!
Despite a court order, a reporter and photographer from The Associated Press were barred from an Oval Office news conference on Monday with President Donald Trump and his counterpart from El Salvador, Nayib Bukele.Schumer's "red line" for a constitutional crisis was ignoring the SUPREME COURT, you see.
Though he hasn't said anything about today's events, either.
No I don't think Schumer has the power to fix everything, but constantly moving the lines doesn't help!
Seems Bad
I wonder if it will get any coverage.
Holy shit. Video posted by President Bukele’s team on X shows the moments before his press conference with Trump in which Trump tells him: “We want to do homegrown criminals next. You gotta build about five more places.” (h/t @titonka.bsky.social @michelekelemen.bsky.social)
— Marisa Kabas (@marisakabas.bsky.social) April 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
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The Abundance/Techbro Merger
Andrew Cuomo Used ChatGPT For His Housing Plan
The Democratic mayoral frontrunner's "Addressing New York's Housing Crisis" features garbled text and a citation from ChatGPT.
Unclear
Charitable explanation: really busy with Candy Crush.
It’s unclear how State Police, who have a 24/7 detail assigned to Shapiro and additional security at the governor’s residence, allowed Balmer to enter the property, start a fire, then break into the building and start two more fires before fleeing on foot without apprehension.
Well Then, Mister Industrialist, What's Stopping You?
Seems like a problem:
China has suspended exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets, threatening to choke off supplies of components central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world.
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Popularity
For reasons I don't understand, Dems decided, after the election, that Trump was YUGELY popular and many of them decided to cozy up to him. Many more decided that fighting him was pointless.
Trump's average Gallup popularity was lower in his first term than Biden's. Trump's 2nd post-election/early presidential popularity was lower than similar for all modern presidents except... Trump I.
Who are they listening to?
Trump's average Gallup popularity was lower in his first term than Biden's. Trump's 2nd post-election/early presidential popularity was lower than similar for all modern presidents except... Trump I.
Who are they listening to?
Seems Bad
Suspect it wasn't Gaza protesters.
An arsonist set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion in Harrisburg early Sunday morning causing “a significant amount of damage,” according to state police.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were uninjured. Shapiro, who is Jewish, posted a photo Saturday evening of his family’s Passover dinner at the governor’s residence.
Sunday Lunch
enjoy
...lol:
...lololol:Breaking: A senior Wall Street executive w ties to the Trump White House described @howardlutnick’s comments about the temporary nature of the tariff exemptions as “off message. Now the market will open way down again since it appears the administration is totally confused. Susie…
— Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) April 13, 2025
Clown Car Keeps Going
Amazing.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday that the administration's decision Friday night to exempt a range of electronic devices from tariffs implemented earlier this month was only a temporary reprieve, with the secretary announcing that those items would be subject to "semiconductor tariffs" that will likely come in "a month or two."
Killing Your Own Doodz
Even if this were true (it is not), I am curious about what % of Americans - and MAGAs - look at themselves in the mirror, consider their lifetyles, and imagine that they are of the healthy class of people who are immune from infectious disease.
RFK: If you are healthy, it’s almost impossible for you to be killed by an infectious disease in modern times because we have nutrition, because we have access to medicines. It’s very, very difficult for any infectious disease to kill a healthy human being.
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Magic Words
Poorly trained CBP workers who have clearly been given incentives to cause problems for people (therefore it doesn't matter if they have been trained) will react like this if they decide you word choice is poor.
At some point other countries will engage in retaliatory measures towards American visitors/workers, which is usually how they respond to the US being jerks about such things.
Jonathan says the official suggested he was carrying human remains and sent for Centers for Disease Control agents to assess the empty ashes urn. He says when he explained he had been living in the US for more than five years, he was asked: “Oh you live here, do you?”Saying you live somewhere is not communicating that you intend to overstay your visa. Similarly, saying you are in the US for "work" often means you are there for a conference or for meetings - all fine with a tourist visa! - but the border guy might decide you should have an actual work visa.
Jonathan says: “Then he told me I didn’t have the right visa – apparently saying I lived there showed that I had intent to stay and not leave.”
He says his visa was still valid for more than 12 months and he had left and re-entered the US without any problems about 20 times holding the same class of visa.
At some point other countries will engage in retaliatory measures towards American visitors/workers, which is usually how they respond to the US being jerks about such things.
Friday, April 11, 2025
Xi Calls Me Crying, Begging For A Deal
The stock market is up because dumb rich guys believe that is going to happen.
Trump Take Mortgage
The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage surged 13 basis points Friday to 7.1%, according to Mortgage News Daily. That’s the highest rate since mid-February.
Everything Is Computer
Some thing are a bit complicated and don't work at the speed of the whims of the Mad King.
In a sign that the federal government’s technology is struggling to keep up with President Trump’s tariffs, Customs and Border Protection acknowledged on Friday that importers had not been able to submit a tariff on certain goods. The glitch appeared to be preventing importers from applying a lower tariff rate on goods that were in transit to the United States before some of Mr. Trump’s tariffs took effect. Customs and Border Protection said it was releasing the goods and allowing importers to submit their customs duties later.
Stay Away
I feel horrible for any noncitizen living in the US right now as their options are more constrained, but certainly no one else should plan on coming.
He says that over a series of short interviews amounting to about half an hour, the official told him his visa had been cancelled and that he was banned from entering the US for five years, including as a transit passenger. He was told he would be placed on a flight to Australia and was handed a document informing him that he was an “immigrant not in possession of a valid unexpired immigrant visa” as required by the Immigration and Nationality Act. He says he felt he had no choice but to sign the document, which Guardian Australia has seen.
He says the official then told him: “Trump is back in town; we’re doing things the way we should have always been doing them.”
What Does "Losing" Mean
It isn't a competition, really, it just means that it will hurt us more than it will hurt them, that we have a greater incentive to end it than they do. Or should.
...lol
BOOM:
— Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) April 11, 2025
*US TOLD CHINA TO REQUEST A XI-TRUMP CALL: CNN
Cheery
I am dumb and even I know "the US will obviously 'lose' a trade war with China."
I would like to read a good piece (anyone know of one?) about how, generally, The Discourse flipped on China. For many years you were a crank, even quite racist, to suggest that there was anything problematic about the US facilitating China's rise - which it did, very deliberately, starting in the 90s - and then suddenly all the same people were running around screaming about the yellow peril. I completely missed what flipped this.
China just increased their tariffs to 125%.
I would like to read a good piece (anyone know of one?) about how, generally, The Discourse flipped on China. For many years you were a crank, even quite racist, to suggest that there was anything problematic about the US facilitating China's rise - which it did, very deliberately, starting in the 90s - and then suddenly all the same people were running around screaming about the yellow peril. I completely missed what flipped this.
China just increased their tariffs to 125%.
China has once again raised its tariff on US goods to match Trump’s, for what it says is the final time. China’s tariff is now set at 125 percent, as it warns that the US is on track to become an economic “joke.”In a statement from China’s Ministry of Finance, which we’ve translated using Google, the country says that any further tariffs from the US side would “no longer make economic sense,” and that the US “will become a joke in the history of the world economy.” Trump initially set a tariff of 10 percent for China in February, which has risen four times, now set at 145 percent. Until now, China has retaliated in kind with its own matching tariff hikes.
US farmers are fucked, though I am sure there will be a bailout bill, which Dems will rush to support, so that farmers get a big check signed by Donald Trump.
Thursday, April 10, 2025
DOGEd
I wonder what the reaction will be if planes carrying some members of Congress really do get DOGEd.
Two American Airlines jet have had a minor collision on the runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport - just three months after a deadly crash near there.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the wingtip of one aircraft struck another on Thursday afternoon. At least two members of Congress were aboard one of the jets.
Perfect
Low oil prices AND high gas prices.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The nearly 2,700-mile Keystone oil pipeline was shut down Tuesday morning after it ruptured in North Dakota, halting the flow of millions of gallons of crude oil from Canada to refineries in the U.S. and potentially leading to higher gasoline prices.
South Bow, a liquid pipeline business that manages the pipeline, said it shut down the pipeline after control center leak detection systems detected a pressure drop in the system. The company estimated that 3,500 barrels of oil were released and said the spill was confined to an agricultural field in a rural area, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Fargo.
Can They Both Lose
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — OpenAI is suing Elon Musk for unfair competition and interfering with its business relationships with investors and customers, escalating a legal battle between the ChatGPT maker and the billionaire who helped bankroll the artificial intelligence startup a decade ago.
The Bet
I am sure money is on the side of Trump mostly canceling the China tariffs. That might even be correct! But global shipping logistics are expensive and complicated. Firms and shippers are of course reorienting instead of figuring out how to react to 4 more years of this shit.
Morning
Thirsty Thursday. I suppose today the Wall Street geniuses will realize there are still massive tariffs.
Wednesday, April 09, 2025
First Order
They dont't get that the line going down is a second-order effect. What they imagine are second-order effects are actually the first-order ones. They just take a bit longer.
Administration officials knew the markets would dive and other nations would retaliate when President Trump announced his long-promised “reciprocal” tariffs. But when pressed, several senior officials conceded that they had spent only a few days considering how the economic earthquake might have second-order effects.
And officials have yet to describe the strategy for managing a global system of astounding complexity after the initial shock wears off, other than endless threats and negotiations between the leader of the world’s largest economy and everyone else.
On Trump
Bouie:
The fundamental truth of Donald Trump is that he apparently cannot conceive of any relationship between individuals, peoples or states as anything other than a status game, a competition for dominance. His long history of scams, hostile litigation — not to mention his frequent refusal to pay contractors, lawyers, brokers and other people who were working for him — is evidence enough of the reality that a deal with Trump is less an agreement between equals than an opportunity for Trump to abuse and exploit the other party for his own benefit. For Trump, there is no such thing as a mutually beneficial relationship or a positive-sum outcome. In every interaction, no matter how trivial or insignificant, someone has to win and someone has to lose. And Trump, as we all know, is a winner.
"And To The West"
This isn't even really true, but to the extent that it is, "the West" isn't effectively blocking Chinese imports, just us.
Deputy Chief of Staff @StephenM: "I believe that China will be forced, very soon, to come to the table for the simple reason that China's economy is completely dependent on its exports to the United States and to the West... China is now discovering, for the first time, that they… pic.twitter.com/FUy5k5Kefh
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 8, 2025
Sure Why Not
Trump "pausing" most (who knows? I don't think he does at this point) tariffs except China.
90 days, or, like, whatever, man.
...ah it is 10% everywhere else
90 days, or, like, whatever, man.
...ah it is 10% everywhere else
Empty Shelves
Global "just in time" supply chains don't have a lot of wiggle room. Things could get very interesting in ways no one can really predict.
“We’ve halted all shipping plans from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia,” the employee said. “Every factory order is halted. Anything that hasn’t been loaded will be scrapped, and the cargo already at sea is being re-costed.”
One client had told the company it was abandoning goods already on the water and giving them to the shipping company, as “no one will buy them after the tariffs are imposed”.
The company’s leadership had returned to China to manage a flood of order cancellations and had instructed its staff to suspend all container business until tariffs stabilise or alternative markets are secured.
How Does Anything Work
They have no idea. They didn't even know who their own voters are.
Absent a full financial crisis - which could happen! - "Wall Street" will eventually be fine, it's "Main Street" that's fucked. The line is just a warning sign.
Bailout Talk Already!
For some reason when I blow all my money on "cocaine" and "roulette" no one talks about bailing me out!
“Hedge funds have trillions tied up in this kind of strategy,” he said. “As things spiral, they’re being forced to sell anything they can — even good assets — just to stay afloat . . . if the Federal Reserve doesn’t step in soon, this could turn into a full-blown crisis. It’s that serious.”
One hedge fund manager said: “Those huge hedge funds with trillions of dollars of Treasuries relative value trades will blow up today if the Fed doesn’t bail them out.”
Tuesday, April 08, 2025
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