Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Seems Bad
Eliminationist rhetoric about Jews is always a right wing thing, even though everyone in The Discourse pretends antisemitism is solely a left wing issue.
Depression
That was why Tom Kean says he was away and hospitalized for 4 months. Good he found the help he needed, though I bet we'll be treated to about 5 days of people praising his bravery and discussing mental illness as if it's an actual real and bad thing, who will then go back to talking about it being a fake thing if suffered by people who can't take 4 months off.
I suspect the legislative record of Tom Kean (R) on related issues is exactly what you would expect, but really even if not, the (R) says enough.4 Of 9 Justices Can't Read
5-4 on the constitutional question of birthright citizenship, 6-3 on the law.
A bunch of people are going to pretend to be confused by this, as many thought it would be 8-1 at worst.
I don't waste my beautiful mind parsing their decisions anymore, but I am sure you can find more serious analysis elsewhere.
NPR briefly posted, and removed, a story saying Alito was retiring. Hilarious stuff. Good job, Nina.
Unclear whether they just accidentally published a standard pre-write or accidentally published the news before it was real. In any case, I hope he has much more time to watch Fox News.
A bunch of people are going to pretend to be confused by this, as many thought it would be 8-1 at worst.
I don't waste my beautiful mind parsing their decisions anymore, but I am sure you can find more serious analysis elsewhere.
NPR briefly posted, and removed, a story saying Alito was retiring. Hilarious stuff. Good job, Nina.
Unclear whether they just accidentally published a standard pre-write or accidentally published the news before it was real. In any case, I hope he has much more time to watch Fox News.
Did He Find The Lost Ark
Better be good!
Westfield, New Jersey — One day before Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. planned to return to Washington, the long-missing congressman sat on the steps of his tidy Tudor-style home in North Jersey, sifting through mail beside his wife.
Kean, wearing a gray polo, offered a casual wave and headed inside when he noticed a reporter from CNN on his street. Then, he dispatched a spokesperson for his campaign to deliver a message that his own GOP colleagues have been eager to hear for months.
The 57-year-old congressman will be “fully transparent” about his nearly four-month absence when he returns to Washington on Tuesday, spokesperson Harrison Neely told CNN.
"Strong Borders"
You (and they) can argue if they were in charge that their tough on immigration stance would be different than Trump's. I can even believe that's true! But in the middle of (looks around at all this), this brands you as nothing other than "Trump lite" when people either want anti-Trump or The Full Trump.
Those Liz Cheney Republicans will vote for us next time, bro, I promise, and when we get enough of them we'll never have to hear the pig squealings of The Left again.
Those Liz Cheney Republicans will vote for us next time, bro, I promise, and when we get enough of them we'll never have to hear the pig squealings of The Left again.
Monday, June 29, 2026
"One Crazy Lefty"
If "one" is all it takes to ruin your cunning political strategy, I do not think it is so cunning.
The reaction from Democratic leaders this week was mixed, at best. Some regard Mamdani not as a saviour, but an existential threat. Centrists warn of electoral suicide, fearing that a leftward lurch will doom their chances in swing states in November’s US midterm elections. For Third Way, a centrist Democratic thinktank in the tradition of Bill Clinton, the New York results were a disaster.
Matt Bennett, its executive vice-president of public affairs, said: “It’s a bummer, and it’s a problem – not because there’s any danger of losing those districts to Republicans, but because those kinds of candidates and their ideas and rhetoric can be weaponised against Democrats running in tough races. We’ve seen this before, with ‘Defund the police’, and we’re worried about it happening again.”
The concern was echoed by Joe Walsh, a former Republican congressman turned Democrat and Trump critic. He warned: “Democrats have given Republicans a huge fucking gift. Republicans will do what I used to do: one crazy lefty says ‘defund the police’, and then Republicans and conservative media tag the whole party with ‘defund the police’. They’re gonna try to make the whole party out to be crazy, America-hating, democratic socialists and, to a degree, it’ll work.”
The Prayers of Devils Fill the Midnight Sky
At least they're somewhat incompetent.
State (and county) fairs are a thing. The country is filled with them every years. There are people, presumably not all Woke Libturds, who know how to put on a big event like that, who know what kinds of things would interest visitors.
Somehow they didn't find any of these people.
It isn't precisely the same as outsourcing your cancer research to "some shit I read on the internet," the whole "I do my own research" nonsense, but it isn't very different. People who know nothing assuming they, or their rich pals, know best. People who can't even delegate competently. People who think things are actually easy, so if things are broken it's because of DEI.
People who have never organized a church bake sale, or equivalent, or thought about how you might for 15 seconds. People who think the food at events just magically appears, like it did when mom took care of things.
Sure Why Not
Not a chance MY PRESIDENT is lying.
US President Donald Trump said Iran has requested a meeting that will be held in Qatar on Tuesday, despite Tehran earlier denying that any technical talks have been scheduled.
Occasional Surprises
Not that you have to hand it to them.
The correct call on all this voting stuff is obvious no matter which "side" you imagine it benefits (and I am not sure the Trumpers are correct in how they imagine that, for some of this).Just now: SCOTUS sides with grace periods for mail voting!
— Taniel (@Taniel) June 29, 2026
In a 5-4 decision by Barrett, with Roberts & 3 liberals, court says that it's alright for mail ballots to be received after Election Day (*as long as they were sent by then*).https://t.co/9ynHklzmVV
At Least The War Is Over, Again
"Truce" talk happened Sunday night, right on schedule for the stock market opening.
The US and Iran will “stand down for now,” a Trump administration official said after both sides traded fire near the Strait of Hormuz. Technical talks with Iran remain “on track,” said a US official. It’s not clear yet what Iran’s position is on the matter.
Deadpan final sentence there.
Sunday, June 28, 2026
The Greatest Event In American History
I admit I am curious about why, precisely, this looks so sad. I don’t mean the attendance. I get that. DC (Besźel DC not Ul Qoma DC) is not exactly MAGAland and conservatives in the rest of the country know they will be shot by BLM Antifa Supersoldiers if they visit.
I mean who was responsible and why they were unable/unwilling to create a mildly compelling product.
Peter Doocy claims "people are still coming out" to Trump's 250th fair -- even as the camera shot shows clearly behind him that almost nobody is there 😆
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 28 June 2026 at 16:38
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We Believed The Computer God Could Do Everything
A lot of the big corps/institutions have done this without any actually proven use cases. It has been "install AI and fire people."
Ford has admitted to rehiring hundreds of human workers after its aggressive Al adoption strategy backfired.
The US automaker hired over 350 veteran engineers, referred to internally as "gray beards", over the past three years in order to address mistakes made by automated
This is how you get paid the big bucks:
“Mistakenly, we thought that by just introducing artificial intelligence and ingesting the design requirements that we had, that that would produce a high-quality product.”
I don't think older workers are automatically better in all fields, but there are some where keeping around the "gray beards" maintains necessary institutional knowledge that can't easily be maintained and transmitted otherwise.
Saturday, June 27, 2026
No Loitering In A Park By The Reflecting Pool
Good representation of the American attitude towards public spaces, generally.
“Loitering is not permitted in this area. Please proceed to a designated location. Thank you for your cooperation,” a surveillance machine tells a small cluster of National Guard members as they patrol the fenced off Reflecting Pool in the rain.
— amanda moore 🐢 (@noturtlesoup17.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 11:38 PM
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Bubblers Are Gay And Woke
Amazing.
The nanobubblers had to go.
It was early June, and the Trump administration was planning an event at the Lincoln Memorial on June 12 to promote President Trump’s Ultimate Fighting Championship birthday celebration at the White House.
Dotted around the perimeter of the memorial’s Reflecting Pool were the nanobubblers, the temporary water-purification machines meant to keep the pool clear of algae. Encased in black fencing and powered by large generators, the machines were something of an eyesore.
Before the event, the National Park Service asked Greenwater Services, which won a $1.7 million no-bid contract to install the nanobubblers, to remove them, according to two people briefed on the decision. The people asked for anonymity because they feared retaliation from the administration. The Park Service did not provide a reason for the removal, but it coincided exactly with the promotional event, which drew crowds to the Reflecting Pool.
At Least The War Is Over
We can declare peace again before the stock market opens.
The United States has renewed its attacks against Iran in response to an incident a day earlier when a cargo vessel was struck by an Iranian drone. On Friday, the US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said it had issued a “powerful response to yesterday’s attack”.
Friday, June 26, 2026
Starmersim
True courage is telling your "followers" to eat shit.
Former Congressman Tom just lost his primary with this inspiring message of hope.
Weird he doesn't have many followers.
Taking on the establishment is easy. Beating shit out out of people with no power - that's courage.When your followers treat Israel as the world's only human rights violator and AIPAC as the only evil dark money group, that should be a red flag. So should crazy stuff like abolishing police, seizing property, and opposing Ukraine (none of which is an "affordability agenda"). 4/
— Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) June 25, 2026
Former Congressman Tom just lost his primary with this inspiring message of hope.
Weird he doesn't have many followers.
Better Make A Decoy
No matter who is in the final World Cup match, there could be some awkwardness in New Jersey on July 19 when US President Donald Trump presents the trophy.
Climate Change
Over the years, the reasons for not doing anything about climate change evolved, predictably (and predicted):
The "other countries won't do anything" prominently featured industrializing China.
Now renewables are, with exceptions, cheaper, certainly for new installations, China is taking the lead both on production and installation, and we are in 70s gas-guzzling is the American way, "kick their ass and steal their gas" (or try to) mode.
- It's not real
- It's real but humans aren't causing it
- It's real and humans are causing it but we can't do anything about it because all the other countries won't do anything
- It's real and humans are causing it but it's too expensive to do anything
- Please, people, think of the oil company executives
- It's real and humans are causing it but, whoopsie, too late, now it's REALLY too expensive to do anything about it
- Whoopsie, just too late now. Off to Mars, with its welcoming climate.
Now renewables are, with exceptions, cheaper, certainly for new installations, China is taking the lead both on production and installation, and we are in 70s gas-guzzling is the American way, "kick their ass and steal their gas" (or try to) mode.
It isn't just Trump. All the prominent Sensible Centrists have been pushing against talking about or doing anything about climate change, which I am sure has nothing to do with their various direct and indirect funding.
To the Sensible Centrists, Biden's popularity declined and Harris lost because of anything good Biden did or tried to do.
One thing that is different than 20 years ago is that basically everyone in The Discourse is on the take, at least everyone not on The Left. You don't get $50,000 speaking fees for saying things rich people don't want to hear!
And There's Always The Bezos Post
Thirteen Democratic House members and candidates announced their support Thursday for a centrist initiative aimed at pushing back against the party’s tilt toward democratic socialism.
And what is this initiative:
Killin is one of the 13 who signed on to the “Promise to America” initiative that commits candidates to a set of centrist principles, including capitalism, fiscal discipline, strong borders and pride in the United States.
Lol. "Principles."
Full list of assholes, proud of themselves.
Reps. Kristen McDonald Rivet (Michigan), Susie Lee (Nevada), Maggie Goodlander (New Hampshire), Josh Gottheimer (New Jersey), Laura Gillen (New York), Don Davis (North Carolina), Janelle Bynum (Oregon) and Vicente Gonzalez (Texas) are all supporters. Candidates Marlene Galán-Woods in Arizona, Jamie Ager and Paul Barringer in North Carolina and Bobby Pulido in Texas also signed on.
Centrist Emotional Support Journalists
They run to Axios with all their complaints. Makes a handy list of people to primary.
Moderate House Democrats are warning they're prepared for "war" if incoming progressives and democratic socialists try to hijack the House floor to secure ideological concessions.
There is nothing wrong with some intra-caucus conflicts, but these people are acting as if The Big Tent can't accommodate lefty people from lefty districts. 3 of them!
There is a difference between "we disagree" and "we do not accept your legitimacy."
And none of this about ideology, as that term is commonly understood, as much as people want to claim. It's about who is in power and whose friends and families get the goodies.
Some ideologies get more goodies, of course.
At Least The War Is Over
Ah, well, nevertheless.
The Israeli military has dropped leaflets over a town in southern Lebanon, ordering residents to leave, Lebanese state media reported, in a first such order issued since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect.
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Sure Ted
I suppose if Republicans believe he's the candidate who best "owns the libs" he'd have some chance.
Ted Cruz’s not-so-secret White House dreams have gotten JD Vance’s attention and annoyed Trump allies
It's Gonna Be Great
I have no idea about the State Fair specifically, but generally the lack of any sense that the 250th is a Big Deal is quite surprising, even with Trump in charge.
The Trump administration’s 16-day-long Great American State Fair has begun, offering visitors to the National Mall in Washington, DC, the chance to visit pavilions showcasing every US state and territory.
President Donald Trump first teased the project, a modern World’s Fair, on the campaign trail in 2023. Three years later, the project has come to life, with military flyovers, movie screenings and a giant 110-foot Ferris wheel on the packed schedule. Trump’s stamp will be evident, including a scaled-down replica of Trump’s proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch.”
The Big Tent
You can argue James Carville doesn't matter, not entirely incorrectly, but he does represent the views of Professional Democrats much more than I do. More than that, he can get a NYT piece out tomorrow if he wants to in order to further push whatever point he is trying to make.
A Big Tent that can't handle three lefty House backbenchers, including a Jewish guy who isn't Israel-supportive enough entirely because he isn't Israel-supportive enough, isn't a very big tent.
“But I’m done,” he continued. “I’m not in that f*cking political party. I am totally comfortable in a political party that spends time questioning the policies of the government of Israel. In fact, I’m enthusiastic about that. I don’t want to be in a political party that denies the right of the state of Israel to exist. That’s just not– I just can’t do that.”
The "denies the right of the state of Israel to exist" deflection is silly no matter who it is invoked for, applying some strange Israel-specific framework and exception while asserting it is other people who have embraced double standards, but I don't think any of these people have done that. And even if they have, it isn't the "party," it's a couple (likely) backbenchers.
People get annoyed to me for criticizing the Democrats, but on one side is assholes on the internet like me and some small donor/activists movements, and on other side is, you know, EVERYBODY ELSE WITH POWER. Those people are tugging one way constantly. They have newspaper columns and TV slots. Their views are often little more than "I SHOULD GET WHAT I WANT" even though what they want has little more substance than "my network and faction should be in control."
It isn't only about Israel, but as for Israel, the Dem leadership and their media outriders are extremely out of touch with their own voters, and I don't know how they imagine that can persist.
Vote Blue No Matter Who Update
Will his fundraising text messages stop?
I’m Done, I’m Not in That F*cking Political Party’: James Carville Freaks Out After Progressives Win Big in Democratic Primaries
Clarifying what the "big tent" has always meant:
“Lady, I ain’t in the same party as you,” Carville said. “I’m sorry. I’m just not. And I actually do think it’s time for Democrats to talk the ‘s’ word: schism. I really do. Everybody’s always said, ‘No, no. We’re a coalition. We’re a big tent. And there’s just some sh*t I can’t be in the same tent with.”
Carville then insisted that despite winning their Democratic primaries, “these people are not Democrats.” He then suggested that establishment Democrats “negotiate the terms of a schism” with democratic socialists in the party.
Don't be 3rd party spoilers, work within the party, run in primaries, be a part of our big tent.
[3 incumbents get ousted]
FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU GO BACK TO RUSSIA, COMMIE SCUM
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Sure, Whatever, Man
I know House Dems won't get involved in primaries against incumbents, but they do get involved in primaries against incumbents in the Senate! There is no adhered to principle here! The mayor of New York does not work for you! He does not have to agree with your primary picks!
Asked if Mamdani’s endorsements were making him “enemies” with Democrats in Washington, D.C., Jeffries told CNN that he and Mamdani “strongly” disagreed over his primary picks ahead of Election Day.
Now, according to Jeffries, the mayor has serious “work to do in terms of the conversations that he’s going to have with members of Congress moving forward.”
Jeffries had one skill: kissing up to Pelosi. That's it! He went far on that!
"Our Volunteers"
People not on the payroll are not, in any sense, yours.
An amusing thing about Harrison is he has run for precisely one public office lost.
Whose Dream
I know the answer is "because he's a Kennedy, duh" but can we have some journalist reflection about why this guy got so much coverage.
Schlossberg’s Defeat Dampens Dream of a Renewed Camelot
Lol:
And in an age in which Democrats have often played catch-up with Republicans online, Mr. Schlossberg had a vibrant social media presence, presenting an oddball and decidedly opinionated persona that drew attention whenever he posted.
He came in 3rd with 11%!
Having the name "Kennedy" should not guarantee you national media coverage if you run for office!
A Really Expensive Way To Do Very LIttle
A lot of "AI" use is like this.
Consulting giant Accenture is trying to figure out how to stop non-technical workers from blowing through companies’ AI token budget on trivial tasks like converting PDFs to presentation slides, according to leaked audio obtained by 404 Media. Across the industry Accenture is seeing “soaring token spend,” according to the audio.I don't know about Accenture, but I'm sure there are lots of companies that are incredibly stingy with things like "office supplies" and "printer paper" that are currently letting their workers spend 500 bucks to maybe simplify mundane and unimportant tasks slightly.
Landerslide
There were a few "haha Mamdani's going to be a big loser when all his people lose" hopium pieces and well.
Jaime Harrison (former DNC chair) is madmad about something but I don't even know what.
Mamdani Allies Sweep House Primaries in Big Night for Left-Wing DemocratsGoldman is such a piece of shit. This is hilarious.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani backed Darializa Avila Chevalier, who beat Representative Adriano Espaillat, and Brad Lander, who ousted Representative Dan Goldman.
Jaime Harrison (former DNC chair) is madmad about something but I don't even know what.
I say this with no ill will or animosity: if you hate the Democratic Party, then please don’t run for our nomination. Don’t use our resources. Don’t rely on our volunteers. Don’t use our infrastructure. Don’t ask Democrats to invest their time, money, and energy in your campaign.
— Jaime Harrison (@jaimeharrison.bsky.social) June 24, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Pete's Buying A Round Of Shots
Amazing.
"Even so" is a funny way to begin that paragraph.
"Our new policy is simple: If you, an American warrior entrusted to defend this nation, believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you are free to take it; you should. But we will not force you," Hegseth said in April.Even so, the services have already been given exceptions to Hegseth's policy according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in a statement provided to ABC News. As part of those exceptions to the policy, the Army, Navy and Air Force are once again requiring flu shots for basic trainees, according to officials.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Cope
I don't think this is entirely crazy, in that either it's true or the Trumpers (if not Trump himself) are telling it to people to keep them on board.
Something has made Lindsey Graham call off his armed coup!
Something has made Lindsey Graham call off his armed coup!
A Most Excellent Victory, Sir
I know the usual refrain is "what if this was a Democratic president..." but actually this goes beyond that. This really is WHAT IF THIS WAS ANY PRESIDENT BUT TRUMP?
The "foreign policy" community, the blob, the bipartisan collection of arms dealers, former generals, spooks, ex spooks, journalist assets, Harvard educated State Department psychos, tough guy politicians, corrupt "think tanks," and all their easily manipulated (willing to be) journalists would be having an absolute shit fit. Ted Koppel would start a new nightly TV show.Since the signing of the interim agreement last week, the Americans have said that money will be released to Iran as the country hits certain benchmarks – that the US will unfreeze certain funds and give access to the international banking system and international markets.
But what has happened over the last 24-48 hours has been hugely significant because it is a reversal of US policy – sanctions on the Iranian oil industry.
For many, many years, the Iranians managed to sell the oil despite the sanctions, but at a huge discount. That’s because countries were concerned about being on the wrong side of US sanctions.
Now, Iran can sell the oil at full price, which will bring hundreds of millions of dollars into the Iranian economy. This is a huge change, but the Americans insist the Iranians still have to meet those benchmarks if other sanctions are to be lifted.
I know you don't have to hand it to Trump, but managing to pull off effectively surrendering to Iran without Lindsey Graham personally leading an armed coup against him requires skills of some sort.
Can't Stop Won't Stop
It doesn't much matter if Iran "cares" about Lebanon or sees Israel's actions as providing a useful opportunity for them for other issues, but as long as they stick to those concerns, Bibi is going to keep doing this until someone makes him stop.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah says Israeli forces opened fire on civilians with assault weapons in southern Lebanon calling the deadly attack a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire.
What Are You Going To Do About It
An interesting question is why the Trumpers decided they did kinda, sorta, have to pretend to listen to judges. I'm not saying they follow all their orders perfectly, but they did seem to climb down from their initial "fuck you, make me" bravado they began Trump II with.
WASHINGTON — New photos of the Kennedy Center show President Donald Trump’s name has been taken down from the building’s facade after a monthslong court battle and the recent addition of a tarp blocking public viewing of the removed signage.
I suspect they've had communications with the Supremos who informed them they have to play along, some, or they'd revoke some of the permission slips. That implies they feel they need to listen to the Supremos, of course, but when mom and dad let you do 90% of what you want, it's smart to overlook the other 10% instead of throwing a tantrum.
We Can't Say Who It is, HOWEVER...
The writers do keep coming up with new plotlines. I'll give them that.
WASHINGTON — Millions of Americans with obesity are eagerly awaiting a powerful new drug from Eli Lilly called retatrutide, which has demonstrated bariatric-surgery levels of weight loss. Some aren’t even waiting for approval from the Food and Drug Administration, instead racing to acquire it through sketchy means.
But STAT has learned that Eli Lilly and the FDA have allowed one person to gain access to the drug through the FDA’s “compassionate use” program, a pathway that gives patients with serious and immediately life-threatening medical issues access to experimental treatments.
This person was a 79-year-old man at the time the request was made in April, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Those sources, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals, said it drew the interest of top health officials, suggesting the person receiving this drug was well connected.
Hopefully this unapproved drug doesn't have any unfortunate side effects, like toxic flatulence, criminal stupidity, or sudden agonizing death syndrome.
Monday, June 22, 2026
Team Marco/Team Vance
We do get very few pleasures these days, and one is knowing that everybody hates Vance. Even the people who "should" like Vance hate him.
I don't think there really is a Team Vance.
Foundations
The Iran deal is almost done, just waiting for the final agreements on every important issue.
The Committee To Save The World
My favorite Alan Greenspan (RIP) moment was when as soon as Clinton got close to doing what people like Alan told him to do - stop running a deficit - Alan said haha, just kidding, the world economy requires shitloads of constant American bond issues to function, so this is a perfect time for some (Bush) tax cuts.
PM Down
Keir Starmer, a ridiculous and malevolent figure, will step down as PM.
Nothing will improve in Britain as long as the people currently around him retain their positions of power, and there is little reason to think they won't.
I have my occasional problems with The Democrats, but I'll take the worst of them over any of the right wing of the Labour Party, which is most of the Labour Party now.
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Sure Why Not
"President Trump told Fox News the US may take over the strait in the future if they have to & collect tolls. The president described this as the US being the guardian angel of the Strait of Hormuz & Middle East. He said that would involve the US taking 20% of the oil that passes through the strait"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 21 June 2026 at 09:23
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It Is Very Very Funny
Netanyahu (and American lunatics) has been pushing for war against Iran for years, and now Iran has an effective veto over Israeli actions.
Saturday, June 20, 2026
At Least The War Is Over
- Iran’s military says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz over Israel’s attacks on southern Lebanon that have killed at least 32 people since dawn.
- US Vice President JD Vance says he is expecting to travel to Switzerland for Iran talks within days.
Friday, June 19, 2026
You Don't Have To Hand It To Her, BUT
It is funny that Meloni has been less willing to take any shit publicly from Trump than most other European leaders.
I don’t mean that this makes her good. I just think it is funny that right wingers often can't stand each other because they are assholes.
Mr. TRUMP DOES NOT LIE
Vile slander.
A diplomatic row between United States President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has escalated, with Italy’s top diplomat cancelling an upcoming visit to the US.
At issue is Trump’s claim that Meloni “begged” him for a photograph during the Group of Seven (G7) meeting in France earlier in the week.
Sure Why Not
Normal behavior.
One morning, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt walked into the Oval Office and found Trump “clutching a tube of superglue and attempting to affix gold decorations to the marble fireplace mantel,” according to the book.
“As he was known to prefer his own aesthetic handiwork to anyone else’s, the sight of the President squeezing glue onto gilded appliques and mounting them on the wall himself surprised no one in his inner circle,” Haberman and Swan write.
Bibi Won't Stop
Not until somebody makes him.
Talks under pressure: Vice President JD Vance is no longer traveling to Switzerland for US-Iran negotiations today, with talks postponed. Iran has asked for guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon will end before it resumes the talks, a diplomat told CNN.
The script after 10/7 was that Israel would get to spend a few months slaughtering mostly innocent Palestinians, as a treat, and then somehow Netanyahu would be pushed out a d Good Israel would return.
And then...
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Lickspittles
I think a lot of people don't get that Trump understands the flattery he gets is bullshit. It is his power play, how he humiliates people, how he establishes he is on top. He doesn't actually respect the bootlickers.
Weeks after they met with Trump, he was still regaling associates with stories of how Zuckerberg and Bezos were “kissing my ass,” according to the book. “You would not believe the texts I got from these tech guys. I've got to show you,” Trump is quoted as telling some guests.
The episodes also show how Trump reveled in the genuflections of the titans of Big Tech—Google’s Sundar Pichai and Apple’s Tim Cook also met with the incoming president—before relentlessly deriding their efforts.
At Least The War Is Over
Maybe for real!
I am curious about why, precisely, Trump told his people to do whatever was necessary to end it. Was he just sick of it? Did he think, rightly or wrongly, that economic Armageddon was imminent?
The Black President - Pretty Popular
57% favorable for Obama is pretty high! That is higher than I would have expected.
I think it is pretty hard for any national politician to get much over 50% approval.
Trump is at 34%.
Abundantly Clear
It was instantly obvious that "Abundance" hijacked lefty urbanism to put a friendlier face on evil rich guy bullshit.
According to Zack Rosen, founder of California YIMBY and the Abundance Network, the problem with politics is Americans being too involved. Bemoaning the rise of small-dollar political donations in fundraising documents leaked to the Prospect, Rosen is blunt: “Small dollar internet fundraising makes politics dumber.” Rosen misses what he considers to be a bygone era of elite dominance. Lamenting the current state of democratized influence, Rosen says “the old gatekeepers were political professionals who could count cards; small dollar donors today are amateurs yanking the handles of ActBlue slot machines.”
This sentiment is laid out in substantial detail, filling 31 pages across two separate documents obtained by the Prospect. In an email exchange, Rosen confirmed the documents’ legitimacy.Rosen and his allies have no need for small-dollar donations or mass-membership politics: They come to do political battle with $260 million annually (yes, each year!) from billionaire benefactors, one document asserts. This “Abundance Capital Stack” is being deployed to organize in all 50 states and consists of a $120 million annual commitment from ex-hedge fund manager and current Meta board member John Arnold, $40 million from Facebook/Meta co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, and $100 million from Steve Ballmer, the L.A. Clippers owner and former Microsoft executive. Ballmer, who is currently embroiled in a scandal surrounding alleged off-book pay for NBA star Kawhi Leonard, was not previously known as a funder of the abundance movement.
What do you have against building more houses, Atrios? How dare you criticize our selfless movement.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
The Man Has A Point
Imagining all of Official Washington (including the press) completely exploding if anyone but Trump said this.Trump endorses Iran having ballistic missiles: "I'm saying that if other countries have them, it's a little unfair for them not to have some"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) June 17, 2026 at 8:14 PM
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Hometown Paper
It is funny, but probably it is better if everyone pretends it is a wonderful deal to keep our very special president happy.
Otherwise the lovebombs will be replaced with bombbombs
The Last Person Who Has Sat On Him
No deal with President Deals is actually a deal
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding on Iran was not final, and that he could resume a bombing campaign if he did not like it.
"It's a memorandum of understanding. And if I don't like it, we'll go back to shooting at them, dropping bombs on their head. If I don't like it, if they don't behave, we'll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head, OK?" said Trump, at the G7 summit in France.
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Southland Tales (2006)
Sorry I doubted you, Kash.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KABC) -- Two men from Riverside County were arrested in connection with an alleged plot targeting the "UFC Freedom 250" fights at the White House, Eyewitness News has learned.
...
The alleged plot came to light after Proper's mother overheard conversations on encrypted chats and phone calls and contacted police, according to court documents.
At Least The War Is Over
A lot depends on whether Bibi behaves (unlikely) and how serious Iran is about Israel not attacking Lebanon (I have absolutely no idea).
I realize this is Captain Obvious level commentary, but I write it to highlight the fact that a lot might depend on an American president telling Israel to knock it the fuck off.
Speaking of Kash
Seems worrying!
FBI Director Kash Patel may have authorized taxpayer-funded special payments to his inner circle of FBI executives and agents on his protective detail, according to the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
“We have been receiving troubling reports that you may be using part of the budget of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a personal slush fund to make tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in unlawful ‘bonus’ payments to loyalist MAGA henchmen who have engaged in misconduct,” says a letter from Rep. Jamie Raskin to Patel, obtained exclusively by MS NOW.
When Dems take over, people will scream about "partisan witch hunts" if ever anyone tries tries to prosecute anyone who has engaged to obvious illegal corruption. If they listen, this will keep getting worse and worse.
The "institutionalists" need to accept they let all their beloved institutions become corrupt. It is on them!
Do These People Have Names
Will we ever learn them?
The FBI foiled an alleged plot to attack Sunday’s UFC fight at the White House, FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday morning in a post on X.“On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region — and thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Patel said in the post.
Very Bad Man, Bibi
College students have been expelled for less.
Israel's fighting Hezbollah for too long, and too many people are being killed. You don't have to knock down an apartment house every time you're looking for somebody because there's a lot of people in those apartment houses and they're not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you," the president said.
I know you should never hand it to Trump, but I will say he has a better sense than some DC people that war involves killing people, even if he doesn't much care usually.
Monday, June 15, 2026
Enshittification
Roku UIs (either the sticks or installed TV software) are the only ones that don't make me want to Elvis my the TV.
On Monday Fox announced it would acquire Roku for $160 per share in a cash-and-stock transaction. Fox plans to fund the cash portion of the deal with a combination of cash on hand and new debt. The company said it obtained a $12 billion loan for the transaction.
They want to control the streaming pipes, of course, which is of greater concern than my UI experience.
Unconditional Surrender
I am not optimistic that any "deal" will stick - Netanyahu and the insane Iran hawks who still dominate the Professional Republicans of DC will make sure of that even if Trump was in some sense willing.
I am confident that our media will never quite portray that any "deal" will be an absolutely humiliating loss, with the war setting US crass interests back significantly.
Setting back crass US interests significantly is not necessarily bad, depending on your perspective.
President Deals
Not much of an agreement then (and for other reasons).
Israeli officials said the country is not bound by the U.S.-Iran agreement to end its fight with Hezbollah or to pull its forces out of Lebanon. President Trump, Pakistani mediators and Iran said the deal includes a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Sunday, June 14, 2026
At Least The War Is Over
If Iran sticks with its insistence that any deal involves Israel not bombing Beirut/Lebanon, Israel will violate it instantly.
Iran says 'no point' in US talks after Beirut strike, casting doubt on deal
Are You Suggesting A General Lack Of Respect For Standard Security Protocols
I don’t know if is is true or just an attempt to criminalize leakers, but I do not think anyone should be surprised if Trumpers do not respect protocols.
Top White House officials believe New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan obtained audio recordings of Situation Room meetings for their forthcoming book, "Regime Change."Why it matters: Such a taped leak would be a shocking breach of one of the most secure settings on Earth. Independent recording devices in the Situation Room are forbidden.
Nor do I think journalists should pretend to be surprised.
Saturday, June 13, 2026
At Least The War Is Over
It looks like Trump is planning to announce a nonexistent deal with fake details for his birthday bug party.
Cheering For Bugs
You can do it, little guys.
The biggest threat to Donald Trump’s lavish UFC birthday bash may not be a lawsuit, a heatwave, or Americans outraged by the spectacle at the White House.
It might be the bugs.
At Least The War Is Over
More talk of imminent deals, along with more belligerence.
Even I occasionally buy into the idea that "this time" it is real.
I suspect there is no way to make a deal without various hawks and Israel calling him a big loser.
Friday, June 12, 2026
Ah, Well, Nevertheless
It was worth it anyway
The newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool seems unable to escape an old haunt: algae blooming in the shallow water.Thin layers of algae floated on the World War II Memorial side of the pool Friday morning, even after workers were seen cleaning out algae from the bottom of the pool Wednesday.
I Can't Believe Trump Went After Someone Who Actually Mattered
If he would do that to me, he would do that to anybody,” Mr. Cornyn said. “There’s never going to be good enough for him, other than 100 percent, you know, slavish adherence to whatever he wants. But obviously that’s not what the senator’s role is supposed to be, especially in terms of checks and balances.”
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Long Sleepy Joe
We all know who is to blame - the guy who hasn't been president for 18 months.
The producer price index, a measure of final demand costs, increased a seasonally adjusted 1.1% on the month, putting the 12-month wholesale inflation rate at 6.5%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for a monthly move of 0.7%.
The annual headline inflation rate was the highest since November 2022. The monthly gain matched the April increase.
As soon as the war is over, everything is going to be great. Let me check on that.. .
Where's My ZIRP
The other part is that Trump I was the great era of relative prosperity AND near zero interest rates and people loved that.
You might have noticed that interest rates did not magically come down due to Mr. Trump's genius policies.
You might have noticed that interest rates did not magically come down due to Mr. Trump's genius policies.
Prats
David Wallace-Wells in the NYT:
They ran many more articles. Not all coverage was fluffy, but the point is they COVERED him.
For the last few weeks, since the campaign’s one debate with all three candidates, it was easy for a casual observer to think that Pratt was in the lead, given how his candidacy came across on X, podcasts or even cable news, each of which treated the former reality-show villain as a political phenomenon rewiring the partisan landscape of L.A., saying the unsayable about local governance and social disorder and forging a new coalition of voters too fed up with the status quo to stay in their ideological lanes.X, podcasts, or even cable news, or, THE NEW YORK FUCKING TIMES:
They ran just one centered on Nithya Raman, who took the spot he was "supposed" to take.
I Didn't Know There Were 22 Medical Specialties
I suppose that's not really true, but I would have a hard time coming up with 20!
President Donald Trump appears to have set a new bar: 22 medical specialists assessed him as part of his latest checkup, according to a medical report recently released by the White House.
That figure is nearly double the number of specialists who assessed Trump for his past medical checkups as president, according to a review of publicly available statements by Trump’s doctors.
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Wednesday Evening
I have been/am very busy with life stuff (no that is not a euphemism for vacation) recently so bear with me!
It Didn't Have To Be This Way
I know it is a bit ridiculous to ponder "what if Trump, but good" and I don't mean that precisely, but the basic truth is that every Republican president has the weight of the news media behind them and all they have to do is not fuck *everything* up. Simple path to being very popular.
They can do horrible Republican things - even horrible Trump things - as long as they show enough restraint to not break absolutely everything.
None of them managed.
Yes Saint Reagan won re-election in a landslide, but he wasn't a very popular president (nor very unpopular, mostly) except for the real Americans in the Beltway who worshipped him. Over the years we've had a lot of dishonest coverage referring to the fact that he left office as a very popular president, but that is based on his lame duck polling which tapped into some sympathetic nostalgia for the senile old bastard.
Clinton versus the Gipper.
At Least The War Is Over
TRUMP: We're gonna be attacking Iran, and attacking them very hard. REPORTER: Resuming bombing? TRUMP: Yeah. We are.
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 10 June 2026 at 11:52
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Damn You Sleepy Joe
Why does he keep doing this.
Annual inflation rose to a three-year-high of 4.2% in May, underscoring how elevated energy prices are rippling through the US economy, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How is this holding up:
“I firmly believe that nothing is more transient than a supply shock, and we can, we can look through that, because before the Iranian conflict began, core inflation was coming down,” Bessent told CNBC’s Joe Kernen from the sidelines of President Donald Trump’s summit with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. “So I think core inflation will continue coming down.”
That hasn’t been the recent trend, however.
Separate readings this week showed that consumer prices jumped 0.6% in April — and still rose 0.4% even when focusing on core costs that exclude food and energy. Twelve-month inflation stood at 3.8% for inflation and 2.8% for core.
Similarly, wholesale prices, a better indication of pipeline pressures, soared 1.4%, putting the 12-month level at 6%, the highest since late 2022. The inflation shock showed up in import and export prices as well, which also posted their highest levels in about four years.
That was from March.
At Least The War Is Over
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed attacks on United States military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian ports and islands in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement carried by state media on Wednesday, the IRGC said it launched drone attacks on the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, as well as a long-range missile strike on an airbase in Azraq, Jordan.
But, Atrios, you can't take what the IRGC says at face value! Yes, true, but I have some bad news about Pete Hegseth's Pentagon.
Tuesday, June 09, 2026
Screwed
Heckuva job, Elon.
New York — The screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite and longtime foe of American ranchers, is back in US cattle after decades.
The US Department of Agriculture confirmed at least three infected cattle Texas this week. The beef industry has already been grappling with the smallest cattle herd in 75 years due to prolonged droughts.
The early months of Trump II were especially enraging, in part because of Dem (not all) politicians talking about DOGE as if it could be a force for good.
The American Dream
I have been curious about what they expected to find here.
But since arriving in the US, Afrikaners – largely the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of Dutch settlers and French Huguenots – have faced major challenges, in large part due to policies aimed at immigrants and enacted by the White House and Ohio’s Republican-run legislature.
Last June, Ohio introduced new driving license rules for lawful residents who are not citizens or green card holders.
They include the requirement for all applicants to complete eight hours of lessons through a designated driving school, 24 hours of classroom work and 50 hours of driving with a licensed adult before being able to take a driving exam. The cost of fulfilling these requirements is estimated at about $500 and could take up to nine months, when in the past it took a matter of weeks.
I am a "ban cars" guy and this is insane.
Headlines Every Time
The problem with all (good) fact checking type reporting is that the other reporters wake up every day with their minds wiped, putting the new claim/lie in the headlines and first paragraphs.
Including the period before the ceasefire, he’s done it at least 37 times. That’s the number of times he’s said directly — in social media posts, public appearances and phone calls with the media — that a deal was nigh or claimed Iran was desperate to cut one.
At Least The War Is Over
Or maybe it's infrastructure week.
United States President Donald Trump has said that a deal between Israel and Iran is imminent, and that the two will leave each other alone for at least a week.
He told reporters late on Monday that the US was “in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal”.
Monday, June 08, 2026
Badass
Elissa Slotkin is working on the important issues.
But those rules don’t go far enough for Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) or Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), who are introducing the Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act. Should it pass, the bill would ban connected cars built or designed in China (and other adversarial nations like Russia) from entering the country, including any connected cars built elsewhere by a Chinese company or by any firm in which Chinese companies own more than 15 percent.
I do find it funny that the usual centrist dipshits were setting her up to be The Next Big Thing before realizing she is dumber than dogshit.
Trivially easy for Canada or even just Ontario to retaliate.
I have some bad news for people who are pretending to be frightened of Chinese computer chips.
At Least The War Is Over
Few pleasures in politics these days, but it is funny when Trump makes horrible people eat shit, even if only temporarily.
Screwed
Funny how they all know they have to suggest Sleepy Joe is to blame.
Well before the first U.S. detection of New World Screwworm, since February of 2025, USDA has worked around the clock with our state, local, industry, and ranchers on the ground. The secretary herself made four trips to South Texas, more than anywhere else in the country," a USDA spokesperson told Reuters. "The idea that this department has not been transparent is absurd and does not match what ranchers are telling the department and our partners directly."
Sleepy Joe gave the cows citizenship!
Rollins blamed the spread of screwworm toward the U.S.-Mexico border on “the open-border policies of the last administration and the resulting illicit cattle movement” in a separate social media post an hour before Wednesday’s press conference.
The Decider
Bibi didn't really agree.
"He won’t have any choice," Trump told the Financial Times , over the phone. "I call the shots. I call all the shots. He [Netanyahu] doesn’t call the shots."Trump told Axios earlier that he was going to ask Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran for the latest attack to make sure the three sides could salvage a deal.Trump told the Financial Times that the latest strikes have not had "any impact on the deal".
Mr. Trump, sir, he is making you look weak and foolish.
“Israel and Iran must immediately stop ‘shooting.’ President DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump wrote on Truth Social early Monday.
In a phone call Sunday, Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold off launching a retaliatory attack on Iran, according to a US official.
Sunday, June 07, 2026
Bari's Kids
Free Press "reporter" explains why none of these dipshits ever travel.
If people want to travel because they think it would be cool to see this or that thing, that’s fine, but the idea that people are learning anything novel or valuable from these experiences is absurd. In order to learn anything that isn’t already on Wikipedia or repeated on a…
— River Page (@river_is_nice) June 4, 2026
We All Went To School Near Boston
If this really is an important subject for ongoing public discussion by people and for the benefit of people with no stake in the answer, then Harvard and our broader HE system should be nationalized.
Banana-fana-fo-Fari
Back when she was at the NYT, gross old white recently retired and near to retirement at Times journalists would assemble like Sexpest Voltron to defend Bari whenever she was criticized.
So, the story goes through screenings. It’s very well received. There are notes as always and we do rewrites as always. But this is on a very tight deadline. It’s Sunday; we’re going on the air that night. And in the case of stories that are, as we say, crashing, our deadline on Sunday is noon. So, we work on all of these things. We get the piece approved by everyone. And about four hours after our deadline, Bari Weiss sends an email to my boss, Tanya Simon. Two of the things in the email include, can we make the protesters look more violent? Now, I’m paraphrasing. I don’t have the quote, but that’s what was communicated to me. And the other thing, Renee Good’s car. You need to describe her as driving toward the officer.
This is not what you see on the video. On the video, you see the officer standing slightly off the front of the car. And you clearly see Ms. Good’s wheels turned completely as far as they will go, away from the officer. But he shoots her in the head, kills her, and says something about her that I can’t repeat in polite company.
A certain type of man is very susceptible to a certain type of (then) young brownnoser. They are all probably in love with their chatbots now.
Saturday, June 06, 2026
Is It Irresponsible To Speculate? It Would Be Irresponsible Not To
I am sure the journalist excuse for not covering Trump's health is that they are working extremely hard to source the story but everyone is tightlipped.
I don't think you need sources to plainly describe what you see. And we all know that there is only selective aversion to speculating.
At Least The War Is Over
For better or for worse (likely much worse, to be honest), George Bush didn't get bored of his war for years.
Tehran, Iran — A potential peace deal between the United States and Iran hinges on the Trump administration agreeing to release $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, a top Iranian official told CNN on Friday, warning that the US would “enter into a dark corridor” should it resume fighting.
Friday, June 05, 2026
She Looks Fantastic In Her Crop Top But Suffers From Crippling Self-doubt
We can debate what precisely Bari's job was supposed to be, but making everybody look ridiculous was probably not part of the plan.
Paywalled, but the gist:
More likely she was supposed to MAGAfy it, but there are plenty of hardcore uncut MAGA outlets. To do propaganda for the existing CBS news audience you have to do it quietly and subtly, with a bit of skill. Not what you get from a dimbulb narcissist.
Some think her job was just to destroy it, but that doesn't make much sense. That's easy to do! Click cancel!Uh oh. The head of CBS Entertainment is privately warning that the Bari Weiss train wreck is inflicting significant damage on the broader CBS brand. And shes not alone. Inside Paramount, "some believe she should be relieved of her duties." The scoop in @status.news www.status.news/p/60-minutes...
— Jon Passantino (@passantino.bsky.social) June 5, 2026 at 2:02 PM
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More likely she was supposed to MAGAfy it, but there are plenty of hardcore uncut MAGA outlets. To do propaganda for the existing CBS news audience you have to do it quietly and subtly, with a bit of skill. Not what you get from a dimbulb narcissist.
Nobody Could Have Predicted
I suppose I did, basically.
The return of screwworm comes after the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, launched by the Trump administration, last year cut funding for a project dedicated to monitoring and containing New World screwworm in Central America."Why are we wasting money on worms in Central America. Is it because of woke?"
The funding was axed days before the U.S. ended a temporary suspension of cattle imports from Mexico, meaning livestock was allowed to cross the border without any of the monitoring previously funded by the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID).
He Never Had Any Idea What That Would Mean
He probably could've obtained a new "deal" that Fox News could've sold as being 7 billion percent better than Obama's deal if he didn't start a war first, but either way he never had any idea what that would look like.
Inside the White House, Trump oscillated between impatience and theatrical self-confidence. He told advisers repeatedly that he wanted a deal bigger than President Obama’s 2015 nuclear agreement and broader than the initial round of Abraham Accords. He also made clear that he did not want to own the failure of negotiations. The longer the process dragged on, the more the competing impulses pulled him in different directions.
He wanted the conflict over. But he had become irritated by comparisons between the emerging framework and the Obama-era agreement, which set restrictions and time limits on Iran’s nuclear-development program. Administration officials said Trump repeatedly complained that critics were calling his team’s draft agreement a weaker version of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which he had spent years attacking and tore up in his first term.
Trump wanted a way to argue that Iran had accepted terms from him that Obama never managed to extract, aides told us. One potential answer was removing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. Trump rejected military options to seize or destroy the material as unnecessarily risky, according to officials familiar with the discussions. Instead, negotiators explored arrangements under which Iran would transfer the uranium to either the U.S. or an acceptable third country, the aides told us. But that idea stalled, too.
Focus Groups
While doing a bit of reading for the previous post, I came aross a page where the New York Times provides all of its "Times Opinion Focus Groups" pieces. It is pretty funny:
'Disappointed,' 'Surprised,' 'Betrayed': 11 Trump Voters on What Has Gone WrongThose are all of the ones since the 2024 election. Even "normie Democrats" mostly exist as a character in their heads, people to be talked about, not heard from, let alone The Left.
Trump voters discuss their disappointment with the presidents second term.
11 Pro-Trump Republican Voters on What They Like So Far and What They Don't
The group discusses the economy, immigration, President Trump's recent actions in Venezuela and more
14 Wellness Voters Talk Parenting, MAHA and Social Media
The group discusses how to parent in line with health and wellness in the age of social media
'They're Just Waiting to Just Get Back on Their Phone': 12 Teachers on What's Changed in Schools
The group discusses artificial intelligence, phones and how students have changed over me
The Economy Still Isn't What These 11 Latino Trump Voters Had in Mind
The group discusses the president's second term so far, focusing on issues such as the economy and immigration.
What Worries 11 Democratic Voters Most About Trump Democrats and What They Want From
The participants discuss what Democrats should do in the face of a second Trump presidency.
How 13 Independent Voters Who Backed Trump Think He Is Doing So Far
The participants discuss how they think Trump's second term is going
How 12 Americans See Life After Watching a Lot of Tik Tok
People who usa TikTok daily talk about why thay love the app, how consuming and addicting social media can be and why they wouldn't want their kids to use
"Where's Our Place in Society?': 12 Men Who Backed Trump Grapple With America
The group discusses the news and podcasts that shape their opinions about America and the wond, what being a man's man means and what they do and don't want Trump to do in office
These 14 Voters Think Trump Has One Mandate Above All, and It's Not About the Economy
The group discusses abortion, Immigration and what Trump should focus on in his second term
Thwarted
Elon's plan to make every unwitting retirement fund holder eat his fraud losses has been temporarily thwarted.
S&P Global said on Thursday it was not changing the requirements for entry into its major indices, dealing a setback to Elon Musk’s SpaceX by effectively ruling out a swift entry for the world’s biggest-ever IPO into the benchmark S&P 500 index
Some explanation.
Within weeks of SpaceX going public, millions of Americans are going to own its stock without having chosen to, without having been asked, and at whatever price Elon Musk and his early backers decide is fair.The shares will simply appear inside the index funds in their 401(k)s, the target-date retirement accounts of teachers and nurses and bus drivers, and the boring tracking products financial advisors push on every middle-class household. The buying will be automatic. Musk sets the price himself, the index funds buy at whatever level he chooses, and when the inevitable correction lands, it lands on people who never knew they owned this company- a danger the American Federation of Teachers is demanding the SEC address.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
The Greatest Show On Earth
I think we already knew this, but the Strait is never going to revert to its previous status.
In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has waved off the stalled Iran negotiations and the looming midterm elections with a shrug: “I don’t care,” he said during a Cabinet meeting last week. But there is one topic that has his full attention: America’s 250th birthday.It is funny that the Iran hawks put their faith in Donald fucking Trump for this. No worries, tho, they will be on your TV selling new and even better wars soon.
People close to the president say he’s fixated on the flurry of events descending on Washington for the semiquincentennial celebration. He’s throwing himself into construction and renovation projects around the capital, staging a UFC fight at the White House — his idea — and attempting to salvage a botched “Freedom 250” concert series by reimagining it as a political rally.
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