Doing some weekending.
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Some Of Our Faves
A very big and influential Dem donor who everyone has long known is Epstein adjacent is, in fact, in the Epstein files with some stuff that doesn't look good!
I suspect the chips will not fall from above so it is time for another woke uprising.
Phone Addiction
I heard stories for years from some academics about how The Kids Today were worse than The Kids Of Yesterday and they were mostly bullshit (and plenty of other older academics agreed that nothing important had changed). Still, between "AI" and the phones, I suspect these stories are no longer bullshit.
I have a rule, mostly followed, that if I'm deliberately watching something (as opposed to background noise TV, which as an old I still do sometimes), I don't look at my phone. If I really feel the need to, I will pause whatever I am watching (again, mostly followed).
I won't deny the addict's urge exists, though I will blame my job and the current state of affairs for that, somewhat. It wasn't so bad a million years ago in the Biden era.
Beyond the classroom, it's a bit hard to have interests and hobbies if you can't put your phone down occasionally. Go watch a movie, kids!
I have a rule, mostly followed, that if I'm deliberately watching something (as opposed to background noise TV, which as an old I still do sometimes), I don't look at my phone. If I really feel the need to, I will pause whatever I am watching (again, mostly followed).
I won't deny the addict's urge exists, though I will blame my job and the current state of affairs for that, somewhat. It wasn't so bad a million years ago in the Biden era.
Beyond the classroom, it's a bit hard to have interests and hobbies if you can't put your phone down occasionally. Go watch a movie, kids!
But They'll Be Safer Than Humans!!!
This was an evidence-free article of faith among autonomous vehicle boosters. I've never really doubted that to the extent that they work, they'd be reasonably safe, but how safe they are in practice won't just depend on the technology, but on how safe they are told to be.
By accounts, Waymos are being set to drive more aggressively than they had been previously. They had been safe, in part, because they were programmed to be cautious. Maybe overly cautious, but it is risky to turn the dial the other way.
Elon's technology was always trash. His commitments to safety and honesty are, of course, what you would expect.
Elon's technology was always trash. His commitments to safety and honesty are, of course, what you would expect.
Tesla’s nascent robotaxi program is off to a rough start. New NHTSA crash data, combined with Tesla’s new disclosure of robotaxi mileage, reveals Tesla’s autonomous vehicles are crashing at a rate much higher than human drivers, and that’s with a safety monitor in every car.
Friday, January 30, 2026
In Her Defense, She Needs The Money
Welp.
Mrs. Clinton’s take was somewhat more subdued. She said, nonetheless, that she had been impressed by the development that had taken place since her last visit more than a decade ago, when she was secretary of state.Ah, Prince Turki al-Faisal, let's learn a bit about him.
“The example that the kingdom is setting for the right kind of development — ambitious, audacious, but organized, focused, bringing people, men and women together to move into the future — that is a very strong model for other parts of the world,” she said.
Mrs. Clinton met with the crown prince, and with Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi ambassador to the United States whom she called a “very valued friend.”
“I can’t wait to call Bill and tell him that I got to see you,” she said of her husband.
From 1979 to 2001, Prince Turki was director general of Al Mukhabarat Al 'Ammah, Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency, resigning from the position on 1 September 2001, ten days before the September 11 attacks in which 15 Saudi nationals hijacked commercial American airliners.Fascinating stuff!
Space Data Centers
I know I don't have the genius of Elon Musk, but the issue with data centers isn't land, it's power and cooling. While we think of the vacuum of space as being "cold," it also doesn't conduct any fucking heat as you thermos users might know, which is why cooling is a big issue on the space station!!!
I hate that "everyone" feels obligated to take obvious cons seriously.
I hate that "everyone" feels obligated to take obvious cons seriously.
A Man Of Principle
I gotta say that I do respect Lindsey Graham for using the power that he has to stand up for what he thinks is right.
NO SENATE VOTE TONIGHT Couldn’t get all senators to allow a speedy vote. Schumer tells reporters Lindsey Graham is blocking it. “That’s the holdup,” Schumer tells reporters. Graham wants to keep a provision letting him sue to pocket $500,000 over J6 phone records seized.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur.bsky.social) January 30, 2026 at 4:28 AM
It Was Someone Else's Vomit
We do love our "law enforcement officers."
A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol employee was charged with drunken driving in St. Paul after a state trooper found him passed out in a car Tuesday morning “covered in vomit.”
The state trooper found 31-year-old Alfredo Mancillas Jr. of Corpus Christi, Texas, “slumped over in the driver’s seat” at 3:25 a.m. Tuesday in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood near Allianz Field, according to charges filed that day by the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
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.
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!
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.This isn't a "rein in ICE plan" it's an "avert the shutdown that our hog voters are yelling for" plans.
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.
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!
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
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."
And yes I know it's designed to make the Senate Dems go wobbly and I know nothing will come of this, ultimately.BREAKING: Agents involved in the Alex Pretti shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave. MS NOW's @marcsantianews.bsky.social has the latest
— MS NOW (@ms.now) January 28, 2026 at 6:16 PM
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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!
Not exactly sure who "not my fault, just following orders" is addressed to here.Kristi Noem: "Everything I've done, I've done at the direction of the president and Stephen"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 28, 2026 at 1:21 PM
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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.
— Shipwreck (@shipwreck75.bsky.social) January 28, 2026 at 1:31 AM
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The guy had a syringe/needle of (?).
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!
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!
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
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.
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."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 27, 2026 at 7:04 PM
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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."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 27, 2026 at 5:42 PM
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The War At Home
"We can deport as many people as we want to as long as people don't see all the cruelty" is probably more true than I would like it to be, but much less true than either elected Dems or Republicans think.
Still it is quite amazing that the headbangers all believed that a weeks-long show of extremely cruelty while invading Minneapolis, complete with taunting social media campaign and actual murders, would be popular.
I don't think they'll change much going forward, but they will probably tone down the cruelty show.
Still it is quite amazing that the headbangers all believed that a weeks-long show of extremely cruelty while invading Minneapolis, complete with taunting social media campaign and actual murders, would be popular.
I don't think they'll change much going forward, but they will probably tone down the cruelty show.
Squeaky Little Nazi
I do hope Trump saw Bovino on TV and was so disgusted that he didn't look and sound like he was from "central casting" that he has banned him from appearing on TV forever.
You can't rely on Trump doing the right thing for the right reasons, but sometimes he does the right thing for hilariously wrong reasons.
...Now saying not only will "Bovino" retire, but Bovino himself.
You can't rely on Trump doing the right thing for the right reasons, but sometimes he does the right thing for hilariously wrong reasons.
Key player sidelined: Top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino and some of his agents are expected to leave Minneapolis on Tuesday, sources said. The Department of Homeland Security has also suspended his access to his social media accounts, a source told CNN. President Donald Trump has dispatched border czar Tom Homan to oversee enforcement operations in the city.I don't think he actually ran his social account, so this is "the character of Bovino is going on temporary hiatus."
...Now saying not only will "Bovino" retire, but Bovino himself.
Gregory Bovino has been removed from his role as Border Patrol “commander at large” and will return to his former job in El Centro, California, where he is expected to retire soon, according to a DHS official and two people with knowledge of the change.
Monday, January 26, 2026
Happy Hour
Supposedly Bovino and all border patrol agents are leaving MN. Not entirely sure what that means, given the blurring of the various agencies.
The Worst House Democrat
She was one of the 7 who voted for funding, of course. The NYT appears to run features about her weekly.
Not just her. All of the Democrats. What did they think was going to happen next?
The sense that none of these people put a little decision tree up on a whiteboard, plotting out the next possible steps, is maddening.
Um, boss, what happens when someone else gets killed next week? I CAN'T HEAR YOU SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP
On top of the various ways this is craven, what did she think would happen? What did any of them think would happen? Did any staffer say uh, boss, what happens when they kill again in a week? What happens when the weather is a bit better and they are even more hyped up? Do you think this just ends when you vote and go home for the rest of the month?It’s unacceptable to have another needless death in Minnesota, and it’s unacceptable to have elected officials, candidates, and administration officials continue to throw gas on this fire, or tacitly encourage assaults on law enforcement and anyone else. The situation is…
— Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (@RepMGP) January 25, 2026
Not just her. All of the Democrats. What did they think was going to happen next?
The sense that none of these people put a little decision tree up on a whiteboard, plotting out the next possible steps, is maddening.
Um, boss, what happens when someone else gets killed next week? I CAN'T HEAR YOU SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP
Alex Pareene. Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time.
I propose a sort of long-term residential program for everyone who remains with ICE and CBP after this week, along with more or less everyone hired since the start of the second Trump administration. This would have to be a mandatory program, reflecting the seriousness with which we ought to take proper law enforcement training in this country.
Obviously, ICE agents will not be able to continue working while they are undergoing this rigorous new training program. And in order for retraining to be effective, it will take a long time—perhaps even years. Because we can’t accept one-size-fits-all solutions, we should expect this mandatory residential retraining program to be somewhat open-ended. I would recommend we place these agents on an indefinite leave of absence from their jobs while they are retraining, and have their essential duties taken over by other agencies, preferably outside the Department of Homeland Security (which will have a lot of its agents undergoing this long-term residential training).
He'll Know Better Next Time
I'm really curious about something. Did he not game this out at all? Did it not occur to him that there was a nontrivial chance ICE was going to kill again? Did he think, once, how will I respond if that happens?Tom Suozzi says he "failed" in voting for the DHS bill, in an email to his campaign list
— Michael Gold (@migold) January 26, 2026
"I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis." pic.twitter.com/mw91qJBsKd
Some of these guys have shitty politics, in the sense of supporting shitty policies, but also they seem to lack the ability to game things out. What if I vote for this, and then Trump does that? What then?
Maybe Some Progress
Worst man in the world but he hates when he senses he is looking bad.
Of course Dems are gonna go wobbly now, so...
Started/Going
Now is when a bunch of people start telling The Left (unnamed, because they won't publish any of us and can't name any of us) that they are supposed to accept converts to our views with grace, but I don't think Joe Scarborough is altering his guest list (correct me if I am wrong) to include "us."
A lot of people weren't troubled with Trump because they wanted just-the-tip Trumpism. They thought WOKE had gone too far and a correction was due, and Daddy Trump was just the guy to administer it. It was high time to turn the dial back on some of that "progress" and reduce some of those unqualified minorities in positions of power. So tired of hearing about trans people! Time to return to the glorious meritocracy of Scarborough Country!
"I didn't expect Trump to kill white guys!"
Shifting
It isn't too hard to come up with (unpleasant) explanations about why the murder of Good didn't seem to move people (I mean the news media and politicians, mostly) and the murder of Pretti has, but it is still, uh, fascinating.
Republican Chris Madel made a stunning exit from the Minnesota governor’s race on Jan. 26, saying he cannot support the national GOP’s “stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so.”Especially as:
In a surprise video announcement, the Minneapolis attorney said he supported the originally stated goals of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s operation in Minnesota, including the deportation of undocumented immigrants with serious criminal records, but the effort has “expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats.”
He launched his campaign for governor as a staunch defender of law enforcement and had recently provided legal counsel to Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.
Obviously Intoxicated Dickheads With Guns
Keeping everybody safe.
Minneapolis, MN - After FPS agents went into the hotel, shot teargas and kinetic munitions into the crowd assembled outside he wanted to know where the PD is to the press. I asked if he has a message for the community members that wanted out. No response. None to the mayor either.
— Sean Beckner-Carmitchel (@acatwithnews.bsky.social) January 26, 2026 at 4:36 AM
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Sunday, January 25, 2026
Senate Watch
More senators - including the worst ones - are making the right noises about ICE funding. I am always happy to be wrong when pessimistic, but I expect them to pull some bullshit combined with "ohwellweareintheminoritynothingwecandovoteharder."
There are some costs to obstruction, but if they fail to understand the costs of not obstructing at this moment...
There are some costs to obstruction, but if they fail to understand the costs of not obstructing at this moment...
They are going to keep killing people.
Innovations in 2nd Amendment Interpretation
I know they're all pushing the "he shouldn't have brought a gun to a protest (even though it wasn't even a protest)" line, but only Kash is dumb enough to say this.Kash Patel: "You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple. You don't have a right to break the law." (Pretti was carrying a gun legally.)
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 25, 2026 at 3:34 PM
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Saturday, January 24, 2026
Which Dem Senators Will Be The Designated Shiteaters
Get in line.
Reminder: DHS legislation that funds ICE at current levels without policy restrictions is in the Senate and needs 60 votes to pass. Deadline is next Friday.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur.bsky.social) January 24, 2026 at 4:47 PM
It's Tariff Week, Again
I'm starting to think you can't make binding deals with President Deals, especially illegal trade deals that are required to go through Congress and thus there isn't even any pretense that they are binding in any sense.
There's A Catch
Two women were detained by ICE (under attorney's advice they are not saying why), one of the ICE thugs started having seizures, they saved his life, and then:
Once the agent was transferred to medical care, Amundson and Zemien were placed into another vehicle and driven to Whipple anyway.
“I asked if we could just go home,” Amundson said. “I said, ‘We just saved his life. Is that cool with you?’ And they said no.”
Eventually:
“We’re releasing you to your counsel and to your state representative,” the officer said, according to Amundson. “But you need to tell everybody that we treated you kindly.”
A scene in the film version of Catch-22, when Cathcart and Korn are offering to send Yossarian home.
We will issue orders sending you back to the States and there's one thing you have to do for us in return.
What would that be?
Like us.
Like you?
Like us.
You'll be surprised how easy it is once you begin.
Later in the Star Tribune piece, the obvious realization:
What stayed with Amundson most, she said, was not the adrenaline of the moment but the realization that came while she was holding the agent’s head in her hands and keeping his airway open.
“I was hit so hard with the fact that this man would not do this for me,” she said.
Friday, January 23, 2026
...The Democrats!
I have no patience for the ones who pull shit like this because they are saying, "ha ha fuck you stupid hog voters."
Over the years I've noticed that it really enrages Professional Democrats when the hog voters don't clap along with scripted nonsense like this. They put on the show for you! Clap!
Well fuck you too!Cynically, DeLauro issued blistering statements against ICE, then negotiated the ICE funding deal, then personally voted against it, then celebrated with Republicans after passage. She's 82, represents Yale, and has a primary challenger.
— Ezra Levin ❌👑 (@ezralevin.bsky.social) January 23, 2026 at 2:02 PM
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Over the years I've noticed that it really enrages Professional Democrats when the hog voters don't clap along with scripted nonsense like this. They put on the show for you! Clap!
The Best Guy In The Trump Administration
I appreciate Kash Patel just trying to live like an A-List celebrity instead of focusing on destroying American lives.
Senior executive 2: Every May, there’s a Five Eyes conference with the head of every intelligence agency. This year it was in the U.K. Kash Patel is going. In the lead-up to that, his detail starts making crazy requests. He’s got special requirements on everything. And the Brits are getting pissed.
Before the conference, his staff says he’s unhappy because he doesn’t like meetings in office settings. What he wants is social events. He wants Premier soccer games. He wants to go jet skiing. He’d like a helicopter tour. Everyone who heard about this was like: Hold on. Is he really going to ask the MI5 director to go jet skiing instead of meeting? The schedule is set, and every Five Eyes partner is doing this. They can’t just say that he’s not participating and instead he wants to go to a Premier soccer game. This is a job, guys.
His staff only cared about three things: what his meals were, when his workouts would be and what his entertainment would be. The biggest plan is how he’s going to get his girlfriend in there so she can go to Windsor Castle. He’s got Nicole Rucker as his assistant, like a true executive concierge. And when she’s not getting the food or the workout she wants, she’ll just start screaming at people, Make it happen!
His staff was briefed multiple times that the Brits were going to want to talk about an F.B.I. position in London that has been pulled. The F.B.I. is arguably their most important partner. MI5 is 5,000 people. The F.B.I. is 38,000. If MI5 ceased to exist, it would be very bad for us. If we cease to exist, it would be an existential threat for them. That person was working on a ton of sensitive stuff, including embassy penetrations and technology, and they want this position back. So Ken McCallum, the MI5 director, goes to Kash Patel at the conference and says: Hey, we really need this position. It’s so important for our mutual benefit. And Kash says: Yep, that person’s going nowhere. She’s absolutely staying. And the Brits rejoice.
Two weeks later, he reverses himself and removes her. The Brits are outraged. Kash will make promises and he will break them, and he doesn’t worry about that.
On that trip, the heads of intelligence for the Five Eyes went to Windsor Castle and met with the king. There was a photo taken of all the Five Eyes people, some of whom are nondisclosed, meaning their affiliation with the British intelligence service isn’t public. The Brits forwarded that picture as a keepsake for the individuals. They prefaced it with, This isn’t to be shared. But Kash has decided he wants to post it on social media. They have people trying to negotiate with the Brits about whether that’s possible. They’re fighting with the director’s office, like: You cannot post this. Do not do that. And they’re arguing, He wants a picture out.
Did Anyone Take The "Invitation" Seriously
For a moment it seemed like some country leaders did, though they might have been faking it, but maybe that moment has passed.
Yes I know some countries have signed up, but...
Yes I know some countries have signed up, but...
Shot, Chaser
The simple explanation for this is Tesla couldn't manage to set up the remote intervention system that Waymo does its best to obscure but not hide entirely, so this is what they do.
Earlier today, Elon Musk announced on X that Tesla had “just started Tesla Robotaxi drives in Austin with no safety monitor in the car.” Tesla’s stock immediately jumped over 4% on the news. Headlines across the financial press celebrated the milestone.It looks less obviously ridiculous than having "driver" in your driverless car, but it is actually more ridiculous of course!
There’s just one problem: it appears to be another game of smoke and mirrors. The Robotaxi cars spotted without “safety monitor” were all being followed by a trailing black Tesla supervising the “driverless” Robotaxi.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Would You Like To Try That Again, James
Obviously that they're constant shameless liars isn't good, but he did feel some pressure to walk this back a bit.
Speaking at the White House, Vance appeared to try to stymie any efforts by Minnesota prosecutors to pursue a criminal case against the agent.
“The precedent here is very simple. You have a federal law enforcement official engaging in federal law enforcement action – that’s a federal issue. That guy is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job,” Vance said, echoing others in the Trump administration. “I’ve never seen anything like that. It would get tossed out by a judge.”
JD Vance: "I didn't say that officers who engaged in wrongdoing would enjoy immunity. That's absurd. What I did say is that when federal law enforcement officers violate the law that's typically something federal officials would look into. We don't want these guys to have kangaroo courts."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 22, 2026 at 7:52 PM
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Breaking the Law
We knew they were misusing the data because there was no proper use for it, but if they are admitting to this then just how bad is it?
After months of denials, the Trump administration has acknowledged in a federal court filing that employees working for Elon Musk’s supposed cost-cutting operation accessed and improperly shared Americans’ sensitive social security data.
The justice department court filing, submitted on Friday in an ongoing lawsuit, reveals that a member of the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) signed a secret data-sharing agreement with an unidentified political advocacy group whose stated aim was to find evidence of voter fraud and overturn election results in certain states.
Metaphors
Good job, James David.
Vance on the economy: "You don't turn the Titanic around overnight"
— FactPost (@factpostnews.bsky.social) January 22, 2026 at 3:15 PM
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What's In The IV
Trump's hand bruises aren't from shaking a lot of hands, of course. What do we think is in the IVs that he is hooked up to for extended periods?
But What Do Extreme Violations Of The 4th Amendment Have To Do With The Price Of Eggs
Seems bad (and they know it is bad, which is why they are hiding it).
Even the Newsmax guy can see it...
An internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement document in May shows that ICE told officers and agents they can forcibly enter homes of people subject to deportation without warrants signed by judges.This kind of thing isn't hard to oppose! More than oppose, to center in a campaign in year 250 of our glorious nation!
Even the Newsmax guy can see it...
And They Can Do It To Her Again, Today
And probably will, as retaliation for speaking out.
I WILL ALWAYS FIGHT FOR YOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUU.
I am open to the idea that certain budgetary machinations are above my silly little brain, and that the Dems Know What They Are Doing, but there is an aspect of basic politics which is showing people that you are on their side, that you are at least trying to rescue them, and the leadership in Congress is so bad at this basic, fundamental form of politics.Nasra Ahmed, a 23-year-old US citizen, was arrested and detained by ICE. She was held for TWO DAYS. ICE agents handcuffed her, called her a racial slur, and she was knocked to the ground so hard she got a concussion. This cannot continue happening. ICE needs to leave.
— Minnesota House DFL (@mnhousedfl.bsky.social) January 22, 2026 at 1:42 AM
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I WILL ALWAYS FIGHT FOR YOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUU.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Better
And Jeffries is supposedly coming out against the funding bill which is certainly better than not... but ultimately performance.The people carrying out Trump’s illegal orders think they’re untouchable. They’re not. Trump won’t be in power forever to protect them. Accountability is coming. We will bring them to justice. That’s a promise.
— Rep. Jimmy Gomez (@gomez.house.gov) January 21, 2026 at 4:05 PM
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But What About The Price Of Eggs, Mr. President
Sometimes I think I am too hard on the Washington Generals, and then..
Trump is more focused on acquiring Greenland than on lowering costs for you and your family.
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@pocan.house.gov) January 21, 2026 at 4:23 PM
I'm not against discussing "affordability." I don't think they only have to talk about one thing. I just really hate portraying other things - like threatening to invade and maybe actually invading Greenland - as distractions instead of important things in and of themselves!Donald Trump should focus on the price of groceries, not Greenland. Americans can’t afford distractions. www.reuters.com/business/dav...
— Rep. Sam Liccardo (@liccardo.house.gov) January 21, 2026 at 2:45 PM
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President Deals
Have they figured out that he doesn't honor them? That a real "trade deal" has to go through Congress, according to the constitution? Sure nothing is binding, really, in the era of Trump, but "a trade deal with Trump" isn't even pretend binding.
BRUSSELS, Jan 21 (Reuters) - The European Parliament has decided to suspend its work on the European Union's trade deal with the United States in protest at U.S. President Donald Trump's demands to acquire Greenland and threats of tariffs on European allies who oppose his plan.
Hippie Cars
I've been somewhat of an EV skeptic. I don't mean I was against them, just that I thought that adoption timelines were a bit optimistic and that the emphasis on replacing gas cars with electric ones distracted from the more important goal of reducing auto dependency.
We need to create built environment such that it isn't difficult to be without one car per driving age household member. We need to create more places where many more people can satisfy most of their non-commute daily needs without a car, at a minimum. It isn't actually difficult.
Still I didn't doubt that EVs were inevitable. Whether or not the Biden push for them was overall a good use of resources is one question, but certainly reversing course, nullifying promises, and actively fighting them is ridiculous.
We need to create built environment such that it isn't difficult to be without one car per driving age household member. We need to create more places where many more people can satisfy most of their non-commute daily needs without a car, at a minimum. It isn't actually difficult.
Still I didn't doubt that EVs were inevitable. Whether or not the Biden push for them was overall a good use of resources is one question, but certainly reversing course, nullifying promises, and actively fighting them is ridiculous.
This is the kiss of death for American car sales in Canada. You can get a Chinese Xiaomi sedan with 300-plus miles of range, more than 600 horsepower, and extremely fancy luxury trimmings for the equivalent of about $42,000 in China; or you can get a Chinese BYD Seagull with 190 miles of range for about $11,000. I would bet that the next step for Chinese automakers is to build a factory in Toronto or somewhere nearby so Canada can get a slice of the jobs and production.For various reasons, the rest of the world will soon be buying cheap BYD EVs and... Americans won't.
More broadly, the American EV transition has clearly hit the skids, thanks to Trump. Sales plummeted by about 46 percent when the tax credit for purchase expired at the end of September. Ford took a $19.5 billion bath on a planned battery factory investment, canceled its F-150 EV, and is now reportedly in talks with—wait for it—BYD to pick up batteries for its hybrid cars sold abroad. GM is doing better, but its EV sales are still down sharply, as are Tesla’s.
Contrary to the triumphalism of various EV critics, all this horrendous waste does not mean that the global EV transition is now in question. As I have previously detailed, in 2025 a quarter of global car sales were EVs, led by Southeast Asia, where the EV share of new car sales in several nations has soared past the 40 percent mark, with many more nations just behind. China, the largest car market in the world, went from almost zero to more than half in just five years. America’s failure to gain a serious toehold in EV production—particularly very cheap models—is a major reason why the Big Three’s share of the global auto market has fallen from nearly 30 percent in 2000 to about 12 percent today, while China’s share has risen from 2 percent to 42 percent.
Thousand Words
One thing that bothered me during Trump I - weirdly, in some ways more than even now! - was how so many people around him obviously had no sense of the importance of "running the government/country." Even if you're evil, planning to do nothing but evil, it's still a big responsibility!
I'm sure this face captures her regular inner thoughts pretty well, and yet she doesn't care! She goes out there every day and supports it!
I'm sure this face captures her regular inner thoughts pretty well, and yet she doesn't care! She goes out there every day and supports it!
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Happy Hour
Your moment of Zen.
If you're not watching the PBS footage, you're missing out on seeing Karoline Leavitt looking really, really anxious about Trump's rambling... cc: @atrupar.com
— Will Harris (@willharrisinva.bsky.social) January 20, 2026 at 7:35 PM
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Abolish ICE
Maybe Chuck Schumer shouldn't say it (no idea), but political strategies which involve yelling at people who aren't on the payroll, telling them what they can or can't say, are not actually political strategies.Mamdani: "I am in support of abolishing ICE. What we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist. We're seeing a government agency that is supposed to be enforcing some kind of immigration law, but instead what it's doing is terrorizing people."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 20, 2026 at 4:56 PM
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Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville has advised members of his party against using the phrase “Abolish ICE” as protests opposing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement continue in Minneapolis and across the nation.As we know, the "Defund The Police" era was 2020, when Dems won the House, the Senate, and the presidency, then prominent Dems and pundits agreed the slogan doomed them. Somehow we have been pretending this makes sense for over 5 years now.
Carville, in remarks on his “Politics War Room” podcast with Al Hunt, chimed in after his co-host raised an issue with Democrats using the word “abolishing” rather than calling to reform the agency or to start “making ICE work.”
“‘Defund the Police’ are the three stupidest words in the history of the English language,” said Carville, comparing the anti-ICE phrase to a slogan that grew in popularity amid the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.“The left is universally wrong about everything.”
Carville argued that Americans want to have some form of “immigration and customs control” before noting that he finds recent actions by ICE to be “horrible.”
I dont think everyone was lying about this. I think somehow they convinced themselves of it. But they won! And then, in 2022, they did extremely well for a midterm election! They kept the Senate and came pretty close to holding the House!
Mommy He Shot Me Back
Repeating my assertion that if we invade Greenland, our great newspapers will adopt the view that defending their territory is Not Fair.
Greenland’s prime minister said the Arctic island’s population and its authorities need to start preparing for a possible military invasion, even as it remains an unlikely scenario, as President Donald Trump continues to threaten taking over the territory.Probably "acts of terrorism" even.
“It’s not likely there will be a military conflict, but it can’t be ruled out,” Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said at a press conference in capital Nuuk on Tuesday.
Which Way, Yurp
It is tough to finally leave your abusive partner and call the divorce lawyer, but...
Is That News?
In Trump's first term, it was a bit silly that news outlets reported every post as BREAKING NEWS, WORD OF GOD stuff. Now they barely report when he posts 200 insane things at 2am.
There is no contradiction in complaining about both of these things! Every Trump post is not breaking news that should be treated with urgency. That gramps regularly posts 200 crazy things at 2am is newsworthy! Not the substance of the posts, precisely, but that he does it!
Confidence
I don't know if the message Trump posted from Macron is real, but if I were Macron I'd be calling the DGSE or whatever my favorite spy agency was and say, "Ok, what you got? Post it on Mechahitler, the everything app."
If the relevant spy agency didn't have anything, I'd fire everyone
If the relevant spy agency didn't have anything, I'd fire everyone
Monday, January 19, 2026
America's Worst Newish Fake Democratic Think Tank
Searchlight.
The author of a controversial memo telling Democrats to abandon the slogan “Abolish ICE” and instead focus on reform and retraining is a former Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection official who for the last seven months has worked for WestExec Advisors, a secretive Washington, D.C., shadow lobbyist that counts as clients major government contractors in the defense and surveillance industry.I'm not saying that these people speak for The Democrats, but these views get heard by members of Congress much more than views like mine do.
In an interview with the Prospect, Blas Nuñez-Neto would not say who his clients are at WestExec Advisors, where he is a senior adviser, only that he has consulted in recent years on immigration, customs, and trade. He said casting his memo as serving the interests of those clients would be “a little disingenuous,” while again declining to say who those clients are.
Nuñez-Neto recommended that protesters understand that ICE agents are people, too.How'd that all work out:
“I think it would help both sides to appreciate the fact that that’s a human being across from you who may or may not want to do the things they’ve been ordered to do. In my long history being in and out of the Department [of Homeland Security], it is very often what makes the news are the terrible things that happen but what doesn’t get reported are the … stories about agents bringing toys into the border patrol station,” he said.
The lead architect of President Joe Biden’s border strategy is not Vice President Kamala Harris, despite persistent Republican claims to the contrary. That role belongs to a bookish, little-known policy adviser named Blas Nuñez-Neto.Worked out well for his career. Many others? Not so much.
...
A data-driven technocrat, Nuñez-Neto has engineered Biden’s pivot toward tougher border enforcement and sweeping restrictions on asylum — moves that have helped slash illegal crossings by nearly 80 percent since December.
Freedum
Which of Schumer's Five Buckets Of Affordability do we put this one in?
Whatever one thinks of The Bulwark, I would like to point out that Schumer talks to them and not left wing outlets.
Thousands of people have been arrested during ICE operations in Minneapolis over the past two weeks. Multiple attorneys allege that for some of those detained, including at least one U.S. citizen, the Department of Homeland Security is denying their constitutional right to see an attorney.I initially typed "Fuck Buckets" accidentally because I was angry.
Four attorneys told ABC News they have been denied access to their clients at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, where they are being held, which they say would violate 5th and 6th Amendment rights to due process and the right to consult with counsel.
Whatever one thinks of The Bulwark, I would like to point out that Schumer talks to them and not left wing outlets.
Sure Why Not
Occasionally I see people talking about how few Good Republicans it would require to save us. The point of this should not be to make a plea to them. It should be to understand that there are no Good Republicans.
I am not an elected Democrat or a Brand Ambassador for the party. I get to say that.
Maybe it's Chuck Schumer's job to beg Susan Collins constantly to do the right thing, while pretending not to understand that she never will when it matters, but it isn't mine.
And people who demand pats on the head and a seats at the head table if they ever do the right thing are not Good Republicans either.
Maybe it's Chuck Schumer's job to beg Susan Collins constantly to do the right thing, while pretending not to understand that she never will when it matters, but it isn't mine.
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Ah, Well, Nevertheless
Seemed like Fetterman had turned into (or revealed himself to be) a genocidal lunatic, to some of us.
We Hear You Like Body Cams So We're Gonna Put Some Body Cams On The Body Cams
There are good Dems, of course, but the leadership is pushing for a message of "morebodycamsandtraining" like we didn't see this movie in 2021 when they hijacked the police reform movement, blamed it for the election losses that didn't happen, declared Eric Adams (the only Dem who could win New York City) the future of the Democratic Party entirely because it made the hippies sad, and then promptly forgot about the whole thing.
Like we didn't see the murderer of Renee Good happily filming his own actions and then even more happily leaking the footage. The guy who murdered her was not some new guy who failed his sit-ups test a month ago. He had a long career.
Cory Booker on facebook:
Today I’m taking action to bring accountability to federal law enforcement like ICE. New legislation I’m announcing will require ICE to adopt rigorous training hiring standards, and for their agents to wear body cameras. These are best practices used by law enforcement agencies use across our country. We need to bring transparency and accountability to ICE in order to make Americans safer.
As I keep saying, if Dems don't like protests (and they don't like protests), they gotta fake outrage a bit better than this.
A woman was murdered, Cory. We all saw it on the video he filmed himself.
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Only Down From There
It is no secret that I do not love the American health care system and do not think the ACA - and how the system has evolved since - has solved all of our problems. But there is no magic Republican solution that will make it in any way better. Either you improve the regulations/subsidies on the private side (boo), or you an enhance the eligibility for the public side (yay). Anything else will just make it noticeably and recognizably worse/more expensive for people.
The Obama version is better than what Republicans would have ever come up with in various ways, but it is still true that the ACA is, basically, a conservative private-sector focused health care plan with some public sweeteners that were put in largely to make the bill have a better CBO score (lol).
They don't have a plan because you can't make it "more Republican" and "better/cheaper."
To make real whatever is sloshing around Trump's pudding brain, you'd basically regulate all prices and dissolve the insurance companies. Essentially it'd be Medicare only you'd get the bill. Of course Republicans can't do that.
The Obama version is better than what Republicans would have ever come up with in various ways, but it is still true that the ACA is, basically, a conservative private-sector focused health care plan with some public sweeteners that were put in largely to make the bill have a better CBO score (lol).
They don't have a plan because you can't make it "more Republican" and "better/cheaper."
"My plan would reduce your insurance premiums by stopping government payoffs to big insurance companies and sending that money directly to the people," Trump said in a video announcing the plan."One-page fact sheet."
However, the video and one-page fact sheet posted on the White House website were light on specifics about how much would actually go to Americans or how much funding the plan would require or how the funds would be distributed.
To make real whatever is sloshing around Trump's pudding brain, you'd basically regulate all prices and dissolve the insurance companies. Essentially it'd be Medicare only you'd get the bill. Of course Republicans can't do that.
I AM GOING TO TARIFF YOU
Trump is going to add more tariffs to goods from European nations that won't give him Greenland and I admit that's pretty funny. Gramps is out of juice.
Use It
If there is one good lesson from Trump, it's use power when you have it.
With Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger (D) set to take office Saturday, three University Board of Visitors members resigned Friday, including Rector Rachel Sheridan and Vice Rector Porter Wilkinson. According to reporting by the New York Times and the Washington Post, Spanberger called on at least five members to resign.They were busy destroying UVa.
Board Member Paul Manning — the donor behind the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology who gave a $100 million dollar gift to the University to fund the project — was also asked by Spanberger to resign. Manning resigned Friday, and Board members Douglas Wetmore and Stephen Long were also asked to resign, according to the Washington Post. It is unclear whether others besides the Rector, Vice Rector and Manning submitted resignations.
All members of the Board had been appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). Prior to the resignations Friday, the Board had 12 of its 17 voting-member seats filled after Senate Democrats rejected five members this past fall.
Friday, January 16, 2026
Sometimes Not Taking A Stand Is Actually Taking One
In favor of the status quo.
Sure that's provactive, but I remember this kind of thing from the Iraq war era, when putting up flags, George Bush pictures, and weepy tributes to the Troops were not seen as "taking sides" even though of course, at that moment, they were.
Acting as if everything is normal and acceptable is taking a side.
When someone asked “Why would you as a business choose to piss off 1/2 of your potential customers? Just curious what sense that makes.” the bakery responded with “I don’t want those customers.”That's a bakery selling "Fuck Ice" cookies.
A post from Tuesday morning stated “imagine sending me death threats, threatening my family AND CHILDREN, and calling ME deranged… while I’m just over here baking cookies.”
Sure that's provactive, but I remember this kind of thing from the Iraq war era, when putting up flags, George Bush pictures, and weepy tributes to the Troops were not seen as "taking sides" even though of course, at that moment, they were.
Acting as if everything is normal and acceptable is taking a side.
Shocker
Watching Sinema, you would've never imagined she was high out of her mind all the time.
Former Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, the Democrat turned independent who served one term before leaving office last year, was accused in federal court this week of conducting an affair with a member of her Senate security team, a married father of three.
Ms. Sinema also encouraged Mr. Ammel to bring MDMA drugs on a work trip, so she could help guide him through a psychedelic experience, the lawsuit claimed.
Spicy Chatbots
Repeating, again, that AI was first sold as "we are about to create God" and then "it will cure cancer, invent new forms of metal and other materials" and now it's "it will write your emails for you and be your pocket pal."
In an X (formerly Twitter) post shared by slow_developer, Suleyman can be heard saying that these AI companions will be able to see, hear, prefer, and feel the same as the user.Nerds always jump in and say it's good at "coding" or whatever. I have no idea but most people don't need these niche applications! Most people don't need to code!
“In five years’ time, everybody will have their own AI companion who knows them so intimately and so personally that they will come to live life alongside you,” the CEO said.
“It will see what you see, hear what you hear, and understand your context, your preferences, and your motivations, and it will feel like an ever-present aid or friend that is there to help you navigate life’s big challenges,” Suleyman shared.
Trump Cards
At best you're going to get some cards with teaser rates, quickly replaced by 'normal' usurious rates and I think it will be hilarious if they are in anyway branded with Trump.
Hassett is probably to dumb/cloistered to get this.Kevin Hassett on Trump's 10% cap on credit card interest rates: "Our expectations is that it won't necessarily require legislation because there will be great new Trump Cards provided voluntarily by the banks."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 16, 2026 at 2:35 PM
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Newsom
Something I say about (most) Dems regularly is that their entire pitch is to centrism. Even, or especially, when they are doing something lefty, their talking points are all aimed at addressing the basic DC "centrism" of political journalists and imagined moderate voters.
You know, "how are you going to pay for that???" and not "if Medicaid expansion is actually cheaper than ACA private subsidies, why don't you make the whole bill out of Medicaid expansion?"
That is why Newsom talks to Ben Shapiro and not, for example, Sam Seder.
There are exceptions, course, but even the Leftier ones are accustomed to communicating to this (somewhat imagined) audience. What if you get goaded into accidentally speaking the truth, or the people who work for you get a bit too feisty with their comms? You might have to walk it back. You might get asked to condemn yourself for the next few years if you are dumb enough to walk it back!
Thursday, January 15, 2026
The Joke
I am cursed with a memory for things people have forgotten. So, as a reminder, in 2020, Dems won the House, the Senate, and the presidency, and for 2 years the news was filled with fretting Democrats - including the President, the Speaker of the House, and probably the Senate Majority Leader but I am too lazy too google that at the moment - discussing the need to put "defund the police" behind them.
They won everything in the year of peak woke! Of peak police protest! Of peak poll support for police reform!
The phrase they came up with to reverse the catastrophic losses that did not happen was - and I am not kidding - "fund the police."
This was not after huge losses. This was not after any losses at all. This was after they won everything!!! And they were talking like losers who desperately needed to change course!
That is why they initially embraced Eric Adams. Here was the black cop who pretended to be for the right kind of police reform (no police reform at all) to save them all from the horrible political fate that had not befallen them.
Then, in 2022, dipshit centrists spent the entire year trying to will a dire election result into being. They pre-wrote the death of the Democratic party, blaming it on trans people, "defund the police" people, and the economic policies of Liz Warren staffers who supposedly ran the White House.
The phrase they came up with to reverse the catastrophic losses that did not happen was - and I am not kidding - "fund the police."
This was not after huge losses. This was not after any losses at all. This was after they won everything!!! And they were talking like losers who desperately needed to change course!
That is why they initially embraced Eric Adams. Here was the black cop who pretended to be for the right kind of police reform (no police reform at all) to save them all from the horrible political fate that had not befallen them.
Then, in 2022, dipshit centrists spent the entire year trying to will a dire election result into being. They pre-wrote the death of the Democratic party, blaming it on trans people, "defund the police" people, and the economic policies of Liz Warren staffers who supposedly ran the White House.
That last bit is key. A lot of people didn't get the executive branch jobs they believed they were entitled to and were getting revenge! Two years working in the White House on your CV is ego and career gold! They were denied that and were angry!
When the midterm elections went well for Democrats, by the standards of midterm elections, they just pretended things happened as scripted. Another catastrophic loss, all the fault of the wokes.
When the midterm elections went well for Democrats, by the standards of midterm elections, they just pretended things happened as scripted. Another catastrophic loss, all the fault of the wokes.
Some of you get mad at me for yelling at Democrats, but it is the rich people who give them money who call them on the phone and really yell at them! Those rich funders and their familiars in the press and consulting world - including all the effective altruism/SBF money - were driving all of this.
Then, of course, we get to the 2024 election when they all praised Harris's centrist campaign, until she lost, and then it was somehow the fault of The Left yet again.
I'm just a guy with a blog that isn't very influential anymore. Think about who is really driving the bus most of the time! It isn't me! It isn't the wokes, or the groups, or the dirty hippies, or "The Left" who nobody can really name because they barely exist in public life. It's the rich assholes and smug centrists!
He Will Do It Eventually
No actions or restraint by protesters will causr of prevent it.
Not can they stop the major news outlets from privileging whatever fake justification they come up with.
We all know law enforcement causes violence then claim the victims cause it. We all know they can just make up things and news outlets will dutifully report it.
WINTER FUNDRAISING DAY 1
Probably the wrong time for this but I'm not sure when the right time will be, so I'll stick to the "schedule."
The pitch is always the same: If you find some value and entertainment from this site (even hate reading!), spend some time here, and have some extra "give to NPR" money sitting on the table, consider contributing a bit!
The pitch is always the same: If you find some value and entertainment from this site (even hate reading!), spend some time here, and have some extra "give to NPR" money sitting on the table, consider contributing a bit!
Thanks to all!
Sure Glad I'm Not The Governor Of Minnesota Right Now
Or any prominent elected Dem. Though I didn't ask for those jobs, in part because I'd be shit at them. Certainly I'd be shit at an executive job like governor.
Tough times, but you gotta figure out something more than "only 3 more years of this, then vote harder!!!"
We do make movies about heroes who resist such things. In the past.
And, yes, he is saying more than this.
Tough times, but you gotta figure out something more than "only 3 more years of this, then vote harder!!!"
I get why he's saying this. I'm just not sure what he expects people to do when they are flashbanging babies just because. It's a terrorist occupation.State investigators have been on the scene in North Minneapolis. I know you’re angry. I’m angry. What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets. But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace. Don’t give him what he wants.
— Governor Tim Walz (@governorwalz.mn.gov) January 15, 2026 at 5:06 AM
We do make movies about heroes who resist such things. In the past.
And, yes, he is saying more than this.
Walz: "What's happening in MN defies belief. News reports simply don't do justice to the level of chaos & disruption & trauma the federal govt is raining down... This long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement. Instead, it's a campaign of organized brutality against the people of MN"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) January 15, 2026 at 2:17 AM
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Tim Walz calls on residents to film ICE agents in their communities, citing widespread misconduct. "If you see ICE agents in your neighborhood, take out that phone and hit record. Help us create a database of the atrocities … to bank evidence for future prosecution."
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm.bsky.social) January 15, 2026 at 2:58 AM
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...adding for clarity: the man has a hard job and I don't know what he should do, but people are out protesting because nobody is coming to save them. It is the feds that are inflicting violence, and while Trump and Miller are hoping for something obvious, like a protester shooting an ICE thug, they do not and will not require it for their next steps.