Friday, August 01, 2025

Friday Night

Choose your own video.

Happy Hour

Get happy

America's Worst University

Columbia University. But, Atrios, how can there be TWO worst American universities?

Sure Why Not

Putting this "conspiracy theory" to rest.
Jeffrey Epstein’s imprisoned associate Ghislaine Maxwell has been moved from a detention facility in Florida to a lower-security prison in Texas, her attorney David Oscar Markus said Friday.

Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking charges, had been serving her 20-year sentence at a low security prison in Tallahassee. She has been transferred to a prison in Bryan, Texas, her attorney said. That facility has a minimum level of security and is known as federal prison camp.

Everything Is Trump

Every single blacked out name.
While reviewing the Epstein files, FBI personnel identified numerous references to Trump in the documents, the people familiar with the matter told me. Dozens of other high-profile public figures also appeared, the people said. (The appearance of Trump’s name or others in the Epstein files is not evidence of a crime or even a suggestion of wrongdoing.)

In preparation for potential public release, the documents then went to a unit of FOIA officers who applied redactions in accordance with the nine exemptions. The people familiar with the matter said that Trump’s name, along with other high-profile individuals, was blacked out because he was a private citizen when the federal investigation of Epstein was launched in 2006.

Lunch

eat

America's Worst University

Brown University.

It's Tariff Week, Again

To the extent that there is any long term strategy other than "Fox News junkie gets mad at something and uses power he believes he has over other countries," it's to settle on high long term tariff rates.

We're past the "panic the market" phase of tariff posturing, for whatever reason, and now we'll see if actual real economy dangers can get them to do anything other than blame Powell.

I do stand by my earlier assertion that that tariffs themselves wouldn't be economy-destroying, but the tariffs+surrounding uncertainty (new policy every day!)+plenty of other things they've done (ICE - workers and tourism, student loans, ACA premiums about to skyrocket, federal job cuts, ...)...

The tariffs matter, the ongoing uncertainty - which will never stop under President Deals - matters more. You might invest in a factory if there's a 20% tariff, you won't if that tariff might be 50, or your competitors in other countries might suddenly get a better deal, or...

Jerbs

Not looking good.good.
Job growth totaled 73,000 for the month, above the June total of 14,000 but below even the meager Dow Jones estimate for a gain of 100,000. June and May totals were revised sharply lower, down by a combined 258,000 from previously announced levels.

Morning

Fancy Friday.