home

Friday Open Thread

Our last open thread is about to hit 200 comments and close. Here is a new one all topics welcome.
I'll add some content here when I'm done with work for the day. In the meantime, it's your turn.

< Monday Open Thread
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    PSA please help (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 01, 2026 at 05:20:49 PM EST
    It's easy.

    I have posted here about both my new gay friends locally planning a drag show and the white nationalist group harassing them.

    Short version.  There's two businesses identified with the Drag Show. They are both gay owned and are next door to each other.  
    The feckless white nationalist can't get anyone interested (it seems) in stopping the horror of a drag show so they are bombing the stores with bad reviews on GOOGLE

    please go to GOOGLE
    search (separately) for

    3 Magi Hardy AR

    Market on Main Hardy AR

    click on the reviews tab

    Give them 5 stars
    You can say something but that's not necessary

    Thank you for your attention to this matter

    Sure (none / 0) (#2)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat May 02, 2026 at 05:50:43 PM EST
    Will be glad to when I get on Chrome. On Internet Explorer at least on the first one the search comes back with no ratings. This is an antique store?

    So in Florida they are using vouchers to set up LGBTQ schools. the evangelicals are having a meltdown. Personally I don't think this segregation is a good idea for LGBT community nor do I think it's good for Christians either. But like the gerrymandering disaster, we don't or didn't make the rules and don't whine when we use your own rules against you.

    Parent

    Downloading chrome (none / 0) (#3)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 02, 2026 at 06:37:48 PM EST
    is pretty easy

    Parent
    I find having a GOOGLE account (none / 0) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 02, 2026 at 06:45:42 PM EST
    very useful.  I dont really care if the track me.
    Good luck staying awake.
    It allows you to log into just about anything on the web using your GOOGLE account.

    Not sure if an account is needed

    Parent

    I have (none / 0) (#12)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 04, 2026 at 02:08:18 PM EST
    Chrome. I just don't use it for TL. For some reason I have problems with Chrome and TL. So when I am here I used IE.

    Parent
    Yes (none / 0) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 02, 2026 at 06:41:36 PM EST
    both antique stores

    Parent
    So crazy (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 02, 2026 at 07:00:45 PM EST
    The new deal is the previous deal.
    Trump is going to agree with this

    Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential diplomacy, the senior Iranian official said Tehran believed its latest proposal to shelve nuclear talks for a later stage was a significant shift aimed at facilitating an agreement.

    Under the proposal, the war would end with a guarantee that Israel and the United States would not attack again. Iran would open the strait, and the United States would lift its blockade.

    Future talks would then be held on curbs to Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, with Iran demanding Washington recognize its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, even if it agrees to suspend its nuclear program.

    "Under this framework, negotiations over the more complicated nuclear issue have been moved to the final stage to create a more conducive atmosphere," the official said.

    Link



    Now it (none / 0) (#13)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 04, 2026 at 02:12:12 PM EST
    seems we are resuming bombing after Iran shot one of our tankers? Sorry to say with this administration we don't know what really happened. I did read that Iranian ships had gotten past the US by pretending to be Iraqi ships.

    Iran has found something stronger than a bomb...the Strait of Hormuz. They have learned they can shut down the energy sector and do an economic strike which honestly you could say is worse than a bomb.

    Trump has screwed us and a ton of other countries with his idiocy. Elect a clown and this is what happens. Hello gas at 6 bucks in the next few weeks.  

    Parent

    Giuliani swirling down the drain. (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by desertswine on Sun May 03, 2026 at 07:56:09 PM EST


    And it's all the fault (none / 0) (#11)
    by Chuck0 on Mon May 04, 2026 at 01:54:08 PM EST
    of "Radical Left Lunatics." Dementia Donnie said so.

    Parent
    I hope (none / 0) (#14)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 04, 2026 at 02:13:40 PM EST
    his estate has to pay out all the claims should he pass away to all the people he harmed.

    I thought Trump had put him in the garbage dumpster since he no longer has anything to do with him. I guess he's only useful to drag up when he can blame someone else.

    Parent

    May the 4th be with us (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 04, 2026 at 08:20:58 AM EST
    Playbook: "Six months from today, America will wake up to a new political reality. Nov. 4 -- the morning after the midterms -- is the moment Democrats expect the next phase of retaliation against Trump 2.0 ... and the moment optimistic Republicans, at least, believe the president and his allies in Congress will be newly empowered to finish the job."

    "Right now, the mood among rank-and-file Republicans is desperate...

    Four Dead in Ohio (5.00 / 4) (#21)
    by Peter G on Tue May 05, 2026 at 10:29:28 AM EST
    Meant to post yesterday, in keeping with TL tradition, a memorial to the Kent State killings, May 4, 1970. A turning point in my life, for sure. Can't seem to get the hyperlink button working, but here's CSNY's recording of Neil Young's "Ohio": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCS-g3HwXdc

    Here, let me help you with that. (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 05, 2026 at 10:51:34 AM EST
    Crosby, Still, Nash & Young - "Ohio."

    Hard to believe it's been 46 years. And honestly, we as a nation learned nothing from that experience. In an interview with Christian nationalist podcasters, former CBP official Greg Bovino pointedly characterized as "cannon fodder" the thousands of Minneapolis / St. Paul residents who recently protested the presence of ICE and CBP in their communities.

    What's wrong with these people?

    Parent

    Hard to believe it's been 46 years (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by Peter G on Tue May 05, 2026 at 12:46:35 PM EST
    because it hasn't. It's been 56! ;)

    Parent
    Typo. My bad. (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 05, 2026 at 09:14:57 PM EST
    Didn't even notice. Thanks for catching it.

    Parent
    Jeffrey Miller was 265 feet (none / 0) (#32)
    by jondee on Tue May 05, 2026 at 05:27:11 PM EST
    away from the nearest 'threatened' Guardsman when he was killed. The other three killed were over a football field length away. Needless to say, none of them were armed.

    The way the usual suspects portrayed it in the media was that the National Guard felt 'beseiged' and 'panicked in the moment' etc


    Parent

    I thought (none / 0) (#24)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 05, 2026 at 10:56:53 AM EST
    the same thing when the murders happened in Minneapolis. I wonder sometimes if we are even capable of learning. I heard someone opine that Americans just move on and never do any self reflection leading to horrible events repeating themselves. Nowhere is that more evident than our current situation with Iran.

    Parent
    Jackson State (5.00 / 2) (#35)
    by Zorba on Tue May 05, 2026 at 08:45:38 PM EST
    And 11 days later, two were killed and 12 injured by city and state cops at Jackson State in Mississippi.


    Parent
    Also cool (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2026 at 03:57:31 PM EST
    Denying the ceasefire is over (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2026 at 05:49:54 PM EST
    with bombs flying is like saying gas is not expensive.

    These guys are high on their own supply.  

    SC puts its finger on the scale again (5.00 / 1) (#37)
    by jmacWA on Wed May 06, 2026 at 06:34:58 AM EST
    To help Republicans of course.  At this point I am pretty much giving up on ever seeing a fair ruling from John Roberts and his TRUMP toady court.  They have ignored one of their own rules again:

    Ordinarily, if the Court had applied its own rules and its common practice, the ruling issued five days ago would not have been put into effect for another 27 days - the end of this month.  Usually, after announcing almost all of its rulings, it allows that 32-day time lapse to give the side that lost a chance to ask the Justices to reconsider.

    But on Monday afternoon, saying it had not heard from those who lost the new decision other than their request not to act swiftly, the Court put the decision into effect immediately.  Only a single Justice noted a dissent; the ruling last week had come on a 6-to-3 vote.

    What a load of crap.  If they had followed their previous rulings it would have been TOO LATE for LA to redistrict and would have deprived King Donald of an additional house seat.  See Lyle Denniston for full info

    Should be interesting (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 02, 2026 at 06:40:19 PM EST

    The white nationalists are going to be there

    As will every gay person within 50 miles at least.

    I sympathize (none / 0) (#8)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 03, 2026 at 07:47:26 PM EST
    but good luck legislating

    Government, in general, is so unprepared for this.

    Minnesota passes the nation's first ban on `nudification' apps

    The apps are one of the major ways nonconsensual AI deepfakes can be made without any technical expertise -- including by kids.


    Honestly (none / 0) (#15)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 04, 2026 at 02:15:38 PM EST
    government seems unable to deal with a lot of AI issues. Next president should hire some ETHICAL Silicon Valley gurus to find out what should be done.

    Parent
    Wise (none / 0) (#16)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 04, 2026 at 03:50:44 PM EST
    White House Already Preparing for a Democratic Congress
    May 4, 2026 at 3:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 101 Comments

    "The White House Counsel's Office is giving private briefings to the administration's political appointees on how to best prepare for congressional oversight as staff begin to brace for the likelihood of significant Democratic victories in the November midterm elections," the Washington Post reports.

    "The roughly 30-minute briefings have included a PowerPoint presentation about how congressional oversight works and best practices for handling it... Staff from the counsel's office have encouraged political appointees to be careful about what they put in writing and provided guidance for how to respond to congressional inquiries in a timely manner."

    If only (none / 0) (#17)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 04, 2026 at 06:23:41 PM EST
    Democratic Representative Johnny Olszewski of Maryland is expected to propose a law on Monday that would establish 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices and would mean the removal of Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito if passed.

    Even (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 05, 2026 at 09:17:02 AM EST
    if passed I bet those 3 would refuse to obey the law. They already said that nobody could make them do ethics.

    My personal thought is increase the court to 13 since there are 13 federal judicial districts assigning one supreme court judge to each district.

    Parent

    Just as a matter of vocabulary (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Peter G on Tue May 05, 2026 at 10:45:29 AM EST
    There are 13 federal judicial circuits, which have jurisdiction over appeals taken from various federal trial courts and agency tribunals. The federal trial courts cover geographical areas within the various states and territories, and are called "United States District Courts." There are 94 federal judicial districts. For much of its existence the Supreme Court had one member for (and generally from) each Circuit, but the last couple of times the number of Circuits was increased -- most recently, to 13 -- there was no corresponding increase in the number of Justices, which has stood at nine since 1869.

    Parent
    They are going to be under (none / 0) (#25)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2026 at 11:01:01 AM EST
    a lot of pressure to "do something"

    Jonathan Bernstein: "The first and probably best option is to `pack' it. In other words: Add more Justices. The Constitution doesn't specify how large the Supreme Court should be, so it's been set by legislation, and it took a long time for Congress to settle on nine. All it would take to add another one or two or ten Justices would be Congress passing something and the president signing it. Then nominate and confirm the new Justices, and the GOP majority on the Court is gone."

    "The advantage of this is how easy it is. Yes, it would require a nuke of sorts in the Senate - as it is now, the bill could be defeated by a filibuster unless Democrats could find 60 votes, and there's not going to be any Republican help on it. However, that's true of most of the Democrats' democracy agenda, from restoring the Voting Rights Act to statutory DC statehood. My guess is that as long as there are, say, at least 53 Democrats in the Senate they'll have the simple majority needed to carve out a new exception to the filibuster."

    "The downside of court-packing is that it creates an obvious arms race: Republicans would retaliate as soon as they had the chance by doing the exact same thing."



    Parent
    Lord of the Flies (none / 0) (#18)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 04, 2026 at 08:53:18 PM EST
    From BBC Netflix.

    Really interesting.  Not the way I would have gone but they get some great performances out of very young actors.   In the jungle.  Piggy almost certainly has an EMMY in his future.

    Its sort of stylized.  Very effective.  Very close to the source as I remember it.

    4 hours.  Great binge.

    i will (none / 0) (#20)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 05, 2026 at 09:17:40 AM EST
    have to watch this. Read the book in high school I think it was. Seems relevant to what is going on these days.

    Parent
    It's election day (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2026 at 03:29:29 PM EST
    again.  Politico

    INDIANAPOLIS -- In May of 2016, on the eve of using Indiana's primary to knock out his presidential rivals and claim control of the GOP nomination, then-candidate Donald Trump called the state "Importantville."

    A decade later, Trump enters the Hoosier State's primaries not on the ballot himself but looming over the crucial first stop along his monthlong retribution tour. Last December, nearly a dozen GOP state senators withstood intense political pressure and death threats to block a redraw of Indiana's congressional maps, delivering the president his most embarrassing political setback since he returned to the White House. Now, eight of those lawmakers are Trump targets, fighting for their political lives as his allies have spent nearly $10 million combined against them.

    Even if Trump's candidates prevail, spending that much on a retribution campaign in a safe-red state -- money that could have been spent playing defense or offense in battlegrounds -- may mean something of a pyrrhic victory for MAGA in a crucial midterm year.



    Indiana (none / 0) (#31)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2026 at 04:23:41 PM EST
    This is the 6 pm lead (none / 0) (#34)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2026 at 06:02:01 PM EST
    on CNN

    Parent
    So (none / 0) (#38)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 08:03:31 AM EST
    Most of Trumps enemies lost the primary.   It will be interesting to see what happens to them in the general

    Indianas primaries are closed

    Parent

    Pretty cool (none / 0) (#28)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2026 at 03:36:54 PM EST
    The May 9 parade on Moscow's Red Square is a highlight of the Russian calendar, commemorating victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

    But this year the Defence Ministry said there would be no tanks, missile systems or cadets, citing a "terrorist threat" from Ukraine.

    The Kremlin is quaking in its boots over worries Ukraine will attack rehearsals for the showpiece - or the main event itself.

    Extremely cool (none / 0) (#30)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2026 at 04:12:02 PM EST
    Here we go - Axios (none / 0) (#39)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 08:41:12 AM EST

    Exclusive: U.S. and Iran closing in on one-page memo to end war, officials say

    This is a total fail. After all the money and death we will be right back where we started.
    Epic fail.  Worse than Iraq.

    Michael McFaul said this will be such a disaster politically Trump will change his mind and start bombing again.

    Is Axios (none / 0) (#40)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 06, 2026 at 10:33:25 AM EST
    the one with the Trump stenographer bar none? Trump spends the evenings calling up these reporters and telling them BS.

    Parent
    Yep (none / 0) (#41)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 06, 2026 at 10:52:16 AM EST
    it is the same reporter that puts forth all the Trump propaganda from Axios. So this was a market manipulation and there is no peace agreement forthcoming.

    Parent
    Wasn't just Axios (none / 0) (#44)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 02:14:33 PM EST
    Pakistani source confirms US, Iran closing in on one-page memo to end war
    By Reuters
    May 6, 20264:44 AM CDTUpdated 9 hours ago

    May 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. and ​Iran are closing ‌in on a one-page ​memo to ​end their war, ⁠a Pakistani ​source involved ​in the peace efforts told Reuters ​on ​Wednesday, confirming an Axios ‌report ⁠on the same.
    "We will close this ​very ​soon. ⁠We are getting ​close," the ​source ⁠said.

    Parent

    NPR (none / 0) (#45)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 02:21:32 PM EST

    Iran is assessing the Trump administration's latest proposal and will relate its response to mediating country Pakistan, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

    ISNA said Iran's negotiators are discussing the end of the war, not the nuclear issue, which would come at a later stage of negotiations. The news outlet dismissed U.S. news reports about a memorandum of understanding as "media speculation."



    Parent
    Propane (none / 0) (#42)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 06, 2026 at 10:56:16 AM EST
    I know we have a few posters that live in rural areas. Do any of you use propane? Living in cities and suburbs all my adult life until now I almost always had a gas stove but it was natural gas. Propane has been running me around $2.69 to 2.99 a gallon. I checked on the price of propane and it is now $3.49 in my area. Prior to the price increase it was costing me 100 bucks a month for propane for a stove. So I am thinking if I switch to an electric range I can make back the money in less than a year. The only downside is I can't use it if the power goes out.

    I have propane (none / 0) (#43)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 02:10:43 PM EST
    I hate electric drives

    propane is highly affected by disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz. Because the strait is a primary shipping route for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)--of which propane is a major component--bottlenecks cause supply shortages and put upward pressure on prices globally.

    How the Strait Affects Propane
    Reduced Global Supply: Roughly 30% of global seaborne LPG passes through the strait. When passage is disrupted, Middle Eastern exports are trapped, taking millions of tons off the market.

    Increased Demand for US Propane: Buyers in Asia (such as India and China) rely heavily on Middle Eastern supply. To make up for the shortfall, they look to the US Gulf Coast, driving up demand and exports.

    Price Volatility: The uncertainty and tightening of global supplies typically cause immediate spikes in global propane paper markets.



    Parent
    I am assuming (none / 0) (#46)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 06, 2026 at 02:48:37 PM EST
    that you hate electric stoves not drives. I certainly hate the coil electric stoves that were around for decades until the induction ranges came into being. My sister has electric flat top that I used while staying with her and it seemed fine. It's hard for me to believe that I am using a gallon a day since I only cook one meal a day using the stove. Propane burns hotter than natural gas and I can't tell you how many things I burned until I got used to it.

    Parent
    You should definitely (none / 0) (#47)
    by jmacWA on Wed May 06, 2026 at 03:22:07 PM EST
    consider induction.

    Parent
    Sorry (none / 0) (#48)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 03:26:46 PM EST
    Stoves

    Induction is basically electric that doesn't get hot to the touch, right?

    Nothing like a gas stove for cooking IMO.

    Parent

    It is apparently (none / 0) (#53)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 06, 2026 at 05:48:45 PM EST
    cooler than gas or old electric.
    An electric induction range is a cooking appliance that uses electromagnetic energy to directly heat cookware, offering faster cooking times, enhanced safety, and improved energy efficiency compared to traditional electric or gas ranges.


    Parent
    I know (none / 0) (#54)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 07:23:25 PM EST
    someone who has one.  Its an electric stove that doesn't get hot to the touch.

    Its not cooler than gas for a person who enjoys cooking.  At least not for this one.

    Parent

    You made me Google (none / 0) (#55)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 07:34:53 PM EST
    Daily Use: Gas is typically cheaper to operate, costing around 17-30 cents per hour, while induction can be higher at around 35cents per hour.

    Long-Term: Despite higher electricity rates in some areas, the superior efficiency of induction can pay off over time, though minimal differences are found in many areas, according to.

    They are also more expensive to buy and require 240 volt power.  


    Parent

    ALSO (none / 0) (#58)
    by jmacWA on Thu May 07, 2026 at 04:40:01 AM EST
    Magnetic requires magnetic cookware... I.E. Pyrex or copper will not work.

    Parent
    Damn (none / 0) (#49)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 03:53:13 PM EST
    President Donald Trump appeared to have a confused moment while giving a speech on Wednesday, admitting he used to not know what the phrase "by sea" meant, and thought it was actually "by see."

    I could end employment (none / 0) (#50)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 04:03:15 PM EST
    Holy hell (none / 0) (#51)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2026 at 04:49:24 PM EST
    Ok, I can sea watt ewe (none / 0) (#57)
    by Peter G on Wed May 06, 2026 at 10:17:07 PM EST
    mien.

    Parent
    Just what is THIS fresh hell... (none / 0) (#52)
    by desertswine on Wed May 06, 2026 at 05:36:49 PM EST
    The Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to allow it to step in on President Donald Trump's appeal of the $83.3 million jury verdict in a defamation lawsuit brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll -- a move that would doom Carroll's case.

    In a Tuesday filing, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Brett Shumate said the government would seek to use the Westfall Act to swap Trump for the U.S. as the defendant in the lawsuit. That would require dismissal of the case because the federal government can't be sued for defamation. A panel of appeals court judges previously denied the U.S.'s effort to insert itself as the defendant.   Politico



    The Westfall Act allows the govt to insist (none / 0) (#56)
    by Peter G on Wed May 06, 2026 at 10:15:33 PM EST
    that the "United States" be substituted as defendant when someone sues a federal official by name for an act done by the federal officer in their official capacity. (The result is then often a dismissal of the case on immunity grounds.) In the real world, that law has nothing to do with the Carroll case.

    Parent