Friday, July 10, 2026
Let Them Fight
Apple on Friday sued OpenAI in federal court in Northern California, alleging trade secret theft, saying that the artificial intelligence lab took the iPhone maker’s intellectual property in order to develop its own consumer hardware.No respect for IP? Shocking. There were no warnings.
“This much is clear, however: at every level, from members of its Technical Staff to its Chief Hardware Officer, and in coordination with business partners, OpenAI has been stealing Apple’s trade secrets and confidential information,” the company said in a legal filing.
Read the full article. There are good bits!
They Could Still Tout It
President Donald Trump said Friday that he will not sign a bipartisan housing bill in protest of Republicans’ inability to advance separate elections overhaul legislation, dealing a major political blow to vulnerable lawmakers in his own party.
The housing bill is set to become law at midnight even without Trump’s signature. But GOP leaders had originally hoped to tout the moment as a historic economic achievement ahead of midterm elections that are likely to be defined by Americans’ concerns over the cost of living.
"AI Agents"
I really think the only people who could imagine the computer assistants would work well are the people who have actual assistants do everything for them and therefore don't understand the complexity of "simple" tasks.
NEW YORK, July 2 (Reuters) - Meta (META.O), opens new tab Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged shortcomings in the company's sweeping restructuring at an internal town hall on Thursday, saying the systems known as AI agents had not progressed as quickly as he had expected, according to a recording heard by Reuters.
Sure, Jan
Israel shared new intelligence with the U.S. that it said indicated a fresh Iranian plan to kill President Trump, people familiar with the matter said, a finding that would mark an escalation in the war between Washington and Iran.Analogous to this one:
I Spoke To Mitch McConnell Yesterday For 20 Minutes
But being completely unconcerned with the health of the president of the United States and prominent members of Congress is bizarre.
If it comes out that Jennings was completely lying here, CNN won't fire him.
“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky,” the pundit wrote.
“He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes… about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible.”
Subsequently on appearing on The Arena with Kasie Hunt, Jennings was asked by the anchor whether McConnell would be willing to dial into the studio from his hospital bed.
“As we wrap up here, do you think he’d be willing to call into the show? Could we get him on the phone now?” Hunt asked.
Her guest carefully brushed aside the request, answering instead: “I wasn’t really expecting him to call this morning, to be honest so when the phone rang and I was able to talk to him, I was frankly pretty grateful.
Videos taken by the neighbor show emergency responders wheeling a person on a stretcher toward an ambulance. The videos are shot from some distance, and the face of the person is not visible. Once in the ambulance, the person’s lower legs appear to be covered by an orange blanket, but feet are visible.
The neighbor said they asked officers what was going on, and the officers responded that there had been a “medical emergency.” But when the neighbor inquired if McConnell was having a medical emergency, officers said they would block the street for anybody. The neighbor said they learned from another eyewitness who saw the individual’s face that the person on the stretcher was McConnell and he was not wearing an oxygen mask.
...
“In a situation where perhaps time is of the essence, there seems to be a little bit more urgency, but there was no urgency here,” the neighbor told CNN.
Then the emergency vehicles left the street, the neighbor said their sirens were not on.
Obey The Decider
The new Air Force One, which President Trump flew on earlier this week to Turkey, lacks the same defensive countermeasures that were security features of the old model, including its advanced antimissile capabilities, according to multiple officials who have been briefed on how the jet was retrofitted.
...
“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff,” Steven Cheung, the communications director, said in a statement. “As the president has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”
Thursday, July 09, 2026
Sounds Familiar
Where have I heard of cyclospora?
But this summer, with cases of diarrhea caused by a microscopic parasite called cyclospora climbing across several states, you may want to take extra care with how you prepare your produce and where you swim.
The epicenter of an outbreak is Michigan, where more than 1,200 people have fallen ill. Ohio has also seen nearly 200 cases. Other states, including New York, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, and Texas have also reported a jump in cases, although it’s not clear whether they’re all part of the same outbreak. More than 40 people have been hospitalized.
As of July 1, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) program has reduced surveillance to just two pathogens: salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told NBC News.
Before July, the program had been tracking infections caused by six additional pathogens: campylobacter, cyclospora, listeria, shigella, vibrio and Yersinia. Some of them can lead to severe or life-threatening illnesses, particularly for newborns and people who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems.
Talent Scouts
Last July, in a small town in coastal Maine, a couple of progressive, self-styled recruiters of economic populists showed up at the blue-shingled house of Graham Platner, a little-known oyster farmer and Marine veteran who lived largely off government benefits.They knew his name from local labor organizers and activists, and they had watched a video on the internet of him talking about oysters. Struck by his left-leaning ideology, his working-class affect and his gravelly voice, they became convinced that he could win a Senate seat in Maine — and quickly persuaded Mr. Platner of the same.The initial headhunters, Dan Moraff and Leanne Fan, and then a third out-of-state operative they called up to Maine — Morris Katz — told Mr. Platner he was “the one,” a “hero of the movement,” “a historical figure” who could be “leading a revolution,” according to half a dozen people with knowledge of their conversations.But a clutch of people who cared about Mr. Platner were telling him something else. They worried about his mental health, amid his ongoing efforts to heal from post-traumatic stress disorder after tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. They feared this trio of out-of-state operatives was a dangerous combination of inexperienced and overconfident. The worst-case scenario, they thought, wasn’t running for Senate and losing — it was destroying the life he worked hard to build.
They were plotting a 2028 presidential run.
Popularism!
Sorry, I forgot, "popularism" means do popular stuff as long as the people funding my fake think tank like it, too.NEW: Our first report on the swing voters of the 2026 midterms finds that when they are asked which policies would make them definitely vote for a Democrat, the most selected option is “raise taxes on the wealthy,” followed by “create a Medicare for All health care system.”
— Data for Progress (@dataforprogress.org) July 9, 2026 at 2:30 PM
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The Internet Is Real, But Not All Of Reality
I stayed away from the Platner discourse largely because it seemed like one of those things people were fighting about, pointlessly, on the internet. Probably, most arguing on the internet is pointless, but sometimes the heat/light ratio is off the charts.
Eventually it was obvious he was going to win the Maine primary (which he did) and no arguing about it on the internet was going to change that one way or another. Sometimes it is best not to stir shit up just for the sake of it.
Even if the worst stuff about him hadn't come out, I would have still found it very odd that (some) people both Left and Center were so invested in him.
Too much of the reason is that he used to be the DC bartender for some somewhat influential people.
That kind of explanation applies to too many things.
Quick, Call Boxer
Not especially important but an odd detail.
But some Platner allies moved to canvass national Democrats to assess whether he still had support. Former Senator Barbara Boxer of California said that a representative from the campaign reached out to her on Monday afternoon to see whether she would stand with Mr. Platner.
She refused.
Wednesday, July 08, 2026
Happy Hour
Betting against Elon has been a loser for a long time but his latest is below the IPO price.
Sure Why Not
I'm sure these commie stores will get as much negative attention as Mamdani's proposed FIVE urban grocery markets.
The White House launched 25 Freedom Fuel gas stations, all selling fuel at $3.47 a gallon.
The White House announced the initiative on July 7 on X with a video of customers thanking President Donald Trump for lowering gas prices. The gas stations are located in the greater Philadelphia area, the White House told USA TODAY in an email on Tuesday, July 7.
In the video, one customer claimed the gas station saved him money. "I thought gas was more expensive, but it's not," the man, who was not identified, said. "Thanks, Trump, for saving me some money."
They aren't really commie, just some corrupt deal of some sort.
The White House did not immediately respond to CBS News' inquiry about who operates Freedom Fuel, or how it is offering gasoline at more than 30 cents a gallon below the national average. The stations are run by a private company and aren't part of a government program, nor are they receiving funding from the administration, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, citing the White House.
Sure Why Not
Back to his old games.
ANKARA, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday at a NATO summit he had ordered his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off all trade with Spain, calling Madrid a "terrible partner" in the alliance.
I don't even know what this means, or if he knows what it means, but it's funny!
"I don't want to do any trade with them, alright?" he said, turning to Bessent, who replied: "Yes, sir."
"Take it immediately, Don't even talk to them. They're hopeless. They're bad people," he added. "They make so much money with us, and we're going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them."
At Least The War Is Over
- Air raid sirens blare in Bahrain and Kuwait as Iran says it targeted “85 US military installations” over attacks on its Hormozgan province and the port city of Mahshahr.
- The US says it launched the “powerful strikes” against Iran after attacks on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, including Qatari and Saudi tankers.
Tuesday, July 07, 2026
Seems Bad
I have no larger point here.
On Tuesday, a safety manager reported that a steel beam was compromised on the 21st floor, according to Buildings Department records. The Fire Department said that two support columns inside the building were buckling, and several upper floors were sagging.
Cliff Jensen, a business agent for the Steamfitters Local 638 Union, said fitters were evacuated after the beams started to bend.
“The north side of that building is crumbling,” he said. “I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there.” The developers and authorities did not say what had caused the damage, and Mr. Jensen’s claim could not be immediately confirmed.
Show Your Papers
And none of us actually have the papers to prove we are citizens, aside from our birth certificates or any subsequent documents that follow from them, like passports. Well, except for naturalized citizens, amusingly.
Take away birthright citizenship and those birth certificates don't prove anything at all! Births would have to be logged with the citizenship of the parents, which would be proven by...
Where's Kash
President Deals
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says negotiations on a final deal will not begin if threats continue, after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington will reach an agreement with Tehran or “finish the job”.
Fair Play, Belgium
Trump will probably deport them.#GMB: "It was Belgium who had the last laugh, in victory mocking Donald Trumps signature dance move"
— Saul Staniforth (@saulstaniforth.bsky.social) July 7, 2026 at 6:30 AM
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Fingers Pointing
To the extent that it mattered, he was pushed by both "The Center" (Pod Jons, Bulwark) and various figures associated with The Left.
One of those somewhat rare non-factional things, at least not as we normally define these factions.
A certain kind of person loves an ex-military guy cosplaying as Everyman, independent of ideology. A certain kind of person loves absolution for "youthful" sins.
Monday, July 06, 2026
Monday Night
QoL
Millionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson has hit a major obstacle in his yearslong quest to “defeat death.”While his problems aren't necessarily caused by his practices, getting blood transfusions from your son can lead to Transfusion-Associated Graft-Versus-Host Disease which looks very much like autoimmune gastritis.
The 48-year-old tech entrepreneur, who rose to fame for chronicling his extreme health routine curated to reduce his biological age, announced on social media last week that he has been diagnosed with an incurable autoimmune disease.
“My stomach is eating itself,” Johnson wrote in a June 30 post on X. He explained that he has autoimmune gastritis, in which his immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy cells in his stomach lining.
Do You Forget To Ask For It To Be Good
I am still somewhat astounded by the completely lack of competence around Trump's Big Beautiful 250.
How hard is it to hire people to make stuff good? There are a lot of people who know how to make stuff good. Sure I get why certain creatives with public brands might not want to be associated with him, but that doesn't really cover event organizers.
The State Fair idea was pretty good, even! The country is filled with people who know how to do that shit. How did they not manage to hire one of them?
I understand why they fuck lots of things up. I am puzzled by this one. Making it Trump-centric wasn't even close to being the only issue.
At Least The War Is Over
Katz is saying a bit more loudly what the DC Blob has been telling each other for decades and what is conventional wisdom for most journalists.
Israel’s defence minister has claimed that his country assassinated Khamenei for allegedly leading a “plan to destroy” Israel and again threatened to “eliminate” any Iranian leader who tries to promote such actions, according to Israel’s Channel 13.
...
Earlier, Katz said Khamenei’s son and successor, Mojtaba, was “marked for death”, spurring an angry protest from Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Trump “has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv”, adding, “Any threat against our people and leadership will receive an immediate, powerful response.”
Some of you might remember the era of Iraq War mea culpas, when highly paid big brain pundits were paid lots of money (again) to tell us how their big brains had incomprehensibly led them astray on this issue of minor importance and consequence.
My favorite was from Will Saletan:
Consider the opportunity cost. The problem with dumb war isn't that it's war. The problem is that it costs you the military, economic, and political resources to fight a smart war. Everything Bush wrongly attributed to Iraq turns out to be true of Iran. But we can't confront Iran with the force it probably requires, because we wasted our resources in Iraq. Americans, having been suckered in Iraq, won't accept evidence of Iran's nuclear program. Countries that might have supported us in a strike on Iran won't do so now, since we led them astray. Our coffers have been emptied to pay for the Iraq occupation. Our troops are physically and spiritually exhausted. In the name of strength, Bush has made us weak.
The problem with the Iraq war was that it made it harder for us to attack the real threat - Iran!
He wrote that 18 years ago.
Better Than Winning
The Lis Smith Magic
This was a bit of a Sunday drive-by post, but to flesh out her insiderness. She's an advisor to Majority Democrats, the 178th reboot of the Democratic Leadership Council. She gets quoted regularly by the various ghoulish NYT columnists and political journalist whose goal is to support the centrist ghouls in the Democratic party.
One would think her history with Andrew Cuomo would be disqualifying, but if you are a well-connected centrist Dems who journalists AND donors can't get enough of, this is, of course, not disqualifying. As we saw with the NYC mayoral race, not even Andrew Cuomo was disqualified by his long relationship with Andrew Cuomo.
And, yes, she was a barnacle on McMorrow's campaign ship from the beginning, and most likely (I don't know this) engineered the stunts of questioning whether her doctor opponent was really a doctor, and trying to make Hasan Piker a major campaign issue. Basically the centrist dipshit turn. That's when her polls started plunging.
No one who matters ever asks whether having Lis Smith regularly attach her name to things turns off voters. Certainly repels me! Do I not matter? I'm a harm reduction voter but I ain't gonna lift a finger for any of these assholes otherwise.
Because no one who matters brings it up, they don't think people can come to conclusions all by themselves about such things.
People have heard of Lis Smith and know her history no matter how many times the New York Times tries to rehab her.
Sunday, July 05, 2026
The Lis Smith Magic
If she wasn't buddies with all of them, a journalist could probably do a deep dive into just why Lis Smith keeps getting lucrative work.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow is expected to drop out of Michigan's competitive U.S. Senate race Sunday afternoon, according to three sources with knowledge of the development who were not authorized to speak publicly about her decision.
"Rookie Mistake"
NPR’s eminent Supreme Court correspondent Nina Totenberg says she made a “rookie mistake” on Tuesday morning, and that’s why she reported that Justice Samuel Alito was retiring.
It's the opposite of that! No "rookie" would make this "mistake"! No editor would let them! Only someone for whom special rules apply could have done this! It's an elite access journalist mistake!
Saturday, July 04, 2026
Sure Why Not
Everyone planning to attend the Salute to America program and fireworks on the National Mall this evening will need to get through security within a one-hour period, Freedom 250 organizers said in an email sent just before midday today.
The email, received by an NBC digital editor at 11:14 a.m., had a subject line that began with "IMPORTANT TIME CHANGE: General Admission Guest Guidance."
The security magnetometers will open at 5 p.m., according to the email.
The Master Race
I don't just mean his/their beauty. More generally, how does Musk imagine that everyone should be just like him? He's obviously fucked up and miserable.
Even if we believe, as he does, that he is a supergenius, it isn't the only important trait. I mean, Elon Musk would fucking hate Elon Musk if he met him. How is civilization going to persist with an entire race of Elon Musks?
Suckers And Bribes
Nearly 1 million people who bought President Trump’s memecoin have lost money through the end of June, according to a report by the cryptocurrency analytics firm Nansen. Their losses total $3.81 billion.The clearest bits of the consitution are suddenly confusing.
The analytics firm’s assessment was calculated this week after Mr. Trump signed an annual financial disclosure showing that he walked away with a $636 million payout on the same crypto bet, part of a haul of at least $2.2 billion from all of his business ventures in 2025.
Friday, July 03, 2026
Big, If True
Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel delivered a series of provocative warnings and predictions about the future of artificial intelligence and the West on Tuesday, accusing Pope Leo XIV of inadvertently serving as a “Chinese communist agent” by calling for AI regulation. In his remarks at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, he also warned of a “democratic-socialist takeover” of the United States’ Democratic Party.Meanwhile, in other AI news:
Tesla told staff it will impose a $200-per-week limit on employee AI spending starting July 6, according to an internal memo reported by The Information (paywall).Even if it is correct to believe that firms can benefit from "AI" beyond some niche uses, it is quite hilarious that executives spent the last couple of years yelling at their employees to use it for something, anything, and then as soon as the bait-and-switch prices ended they pulled back.
The cap lands just months after Tesla pushed employees to use AI more aggressively, a sign that even companies betting their future on the technology are struggling to control its costs.
Generally it is hard to see how almost any use survives non-subscription pricing.
Moral Leadership
Senior U.S. officials feared that Israel intended to assassinate Iran’s top negotiators as the Trump administration pursued a high-stakes deal to end the war there and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, current and former officials familiar with the matter said.One can always argue that we very often don't live up to "our" supposed ideals and that hypocrisy is always the normal state of things, but when you stop even paying lip service to such things - stop even trying to pretend - you do make it quite a bit harder to complain about anyone else.
All those Woke Rules Of War and similar sound a little silly, sometimes, but those rules exist for self-serving purposes, too. They aren't just constraints on our own behavior.
Thursday, July 02, 2026
Jake Crapper
Dan Goldman lost his race, so now he's on CNN inventing slurs and tropes I never uttered. I challenged you before, @danielsgoldman. Quote one thing I actually said. You won't, because you can't.
— Mahmoud Khalil | محمود خليل (@mahmoudkhalel) July 2, 2026
And I'm not surprised by @jaketapper laundering baseless accusations against me.… https://t.co/GHYcxEhUSH
Smelting Pot
I can't believe these 2 earn the big bucks.Amazing things are happening on @TheArgumentMag podcast.
— Jerusalem (@JerusalemDemsas) July 1, 2026
cc: @mattyglesias pic.twitter.com/6ksEc0u3l6
Well, yes, I guess I can.
Reciprocity
Schism
There's an opening for Pope Vance or Pope Douthat.
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican responded aggressively Thursday to a traditionalist group that consecrated bishops without the pope’s consent, declaring the Society of St. Pius X had formally broken with the Catholic Church. It also excommunicated its bishops and priests, and warned its faithful that they too face the harshest sanctions in the church.
Best 4th Ever
Our big beautiful sweaty president is going to stroke out on stage while giving a speech in 100 degree weather, as fireworks choke DC with toxic pollution and then burn down the city.
Fireworks on Mall likely to cause hazardous air pollution, documents show
Internal National Park Service modeling for the July Fourth show predicts dangerous pollution around the Mall and “very unhealthy” conditions across central D.C.
Can't wait!
Wear a mask to signal you are woke and to avoid lung cancer:
Levels of up to 1,200 micrograms per cubic meter match what have been recorded with other fireworks events but are nevertheless reason to take precautions, said George Thurston, a professor of medicine and population health at New York University. He added that the worst-case scenario would exceed anything he has seen previously recorded from pyrotechnic displays.
“People should use the precautionary principle, which is to minimize exposures,” Thurston said. “An N95 mask would be a good idea.”
Wednesday, July 01, 2026
Remarkable Lack Of Curioisity
Normally the (lack of) health of the president is a big concern! Suddenly not.oh my goodness -- it looks like the rot on Trump's hand is now rotting 😳 (Andrew Harnik/Getty)
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) July 1, 2026 at 5:32 PM
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If I Could Turn Back Time
The University of Tennessee System Board of Trustees approved a settlement with former assistant professor Tamar Shirinian, agreeing to pay the fired faculty member $1.9 million.Shirinian will not be reinstated at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. State officials, including the attorney general and Gov. Bill Lee, need to approve the settlement.
At 5% return, not a bad little lifelong income base.
The Moderates!
15 Terms
30 years in Congress and Genette managed to be Chief Deputy Whip, a somewhat fake job. Never a committee Chair.
Maybe she didn’t want to be, which is fine! I don’t think everyone does or should want to have real leadership positions.
But plenty of them do stand in line for decades to the Dem official and official deference to seniority.
Exceptions, of course, but for various reasons, after 30 years of waiting you don't necessarily have the juice once you do get the gavel. And maybe you lose before you get it.
Again, maybe this isn't her story, but it is for many .
That's A Lot Of Terms
The democratic socialist Melat Kiros unseated the long-serving US representative Diana DeGette in Colorado’s primary elections held on Tuesday, the latest in a string of high-profile victories for the party’s insurgent left.
The Associated Press reported that Kiros had defeated DeGette for the Democratic nomination in the deep-blue first congressional district centered on Denver. Kiros’s triumph came a week after New York voters unseated two Democratic congressional incumbents and replaced a third who was retiring with candidates who had campaigned on standing up to Israel amid accusations that it was carrying out a genocide in Gaza.
Her success in the solidly Democratic first district all but ensures her election in November.
Kiros, 29, was born in Ethiopia in 1997 – the year DeGette arrived in Congress – and graduated from law school at the University of Notre Dame in 2022. The following year, she wrote a blogpost rejecting accusations that law students who protested against Israel’s counterattack after 7 October were antisemitic. The New York law firm where Kiros was working fired her after she refused to take the post down, and she then went into politics.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Seems Bad
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
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
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"
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"
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
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.
Sure Why Not
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
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
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
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
“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
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
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
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
- 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.
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
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
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"
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
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
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
"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
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
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
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
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.