Happy New Year and Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Jan 01, 2026 at 02:31:18 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)

Share This: Digg!

Happy New Year to all! Photos of the celebrations around the world are pretty awesome.

Still, the world is not a happy place today. America has watched in disbelief as Donald Trump has chipped away bit by bit at the very core of our democracy. Even prominent hard-core MAGA supporters are scratching their heads at his latest actions, and refusing to stay silent.

Trump's primary game plan has always been deflection. Change the subject, provide false facts, promote conspiracy theories and juxtapose the victim and aggressor.

Since it worked for him the first time around, he's been back at it every day during his second term. How do we encourage more of his MAGA supporters to jump ship, and also remain engaged and vote for Democrats in the mid-term elections?

How do we turn Trump's deflection game on its head? Democrats Abroad has some ideas. I'll just quote one section: [More...]

Combatting Misinformation and Propaganda

The Trump administration was notorious for spreading misinformation, labeling legitimate journalism as "fake news," and promoting conspiracy theories. This tactic undermined public trust in the media and led to widespread confusion. Combating misinformation requires critical thinking, fact-checking claims before sharing them, and encouraging others to seek verifiable information. Social media platforms can be breeding grounds for disinformation, so promoting digital literacy is essential.

In other Trump news, the New York Times has a mind-mapping feature on Trump and his family's myriad of questionable financial dealings during his second term that has reaped them millions (if not more).

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

< Merry Christmas Eve 2025 and Open Thread

Legal

Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice. TalkLeft does not give legal advice.

TalkLeft is not responsible for and often disagrees with material posted in the comments section. Read at your own risk.

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

Kind of misleading (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 09:51:03 AM EST

There are scores of articles about Trump's aspirin habits. Like this from RawStory

Jonathan Reiner, CNN medical analyst and interventional cardiologist, joined "The Lead" on Thursday with fill-in host Phil Mattingly to discuss a wild Wall Street Journal report in which the president said he takes 325 mg a day of aspirin to prevent a heart attack.

I just wish they would point out that 325mg is ONE aspirin. This was something I heard a lot growing up. People I knew took an aspirin a day. Then at some point I remember when they started making those 81(?)mg pills for daily usage.

Clearly this is unhealthy and inadvisable. But it's one aspirin a day.

Leave the man alone. Let him have his aspirin,

"They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart ... I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?" Trump said

Aspirin dosage (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by KeysDan on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 11:43:06 AM EST

for antithrombotic effect was initially based on use for other effects of the drug, such as analgesia. However, the clinical effect of larger aspirin doses in cardiovascular disease does not bring proportionally greater benefit in light of potential adverse effects.

Adverse effects are principally gastrointestinal-intestinal hemorrhage(aspirin should be taken with or after meals). The potential for adverse bleeding is lowered with an 81 mg dose while maintaining clinical benefit.

Note: The odd 81 mg dose is the conversion from the earlier use of the grain. There are 65 mg per grain. A regular aspirin tablet is five grains or 325 mg. The lower dosage, or baby aspirin, is 1.25 grains or 81 mg.


That story in the WSJ (none / 0) (#9)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 12:20:24 PM EST

said a meal was one quarter pounder one big Mac and a fish sandwich. With fries.

I will admit to having a big Mac a fish sandwich and fries.

I've never done the trifecta


: Trump (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by KeysDan on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 02:25:56 PM EST

boasted in that article that he "Aced" a cognitive test for the third straight time. And he advocates that such tests should be "mandatorily forced" for anyone running for president or vice president since "our great Country cannot be run by "STUPID" or Incompetent people."
Medicare pays for one cognitive test a year as part of a wellness exam. It is curious that he would have three cognitive tests in a year, unless.....monitoring rate of decline? And, is he saying something about JD Vance? it is agreed about stupid and incompetent. So in a rare instance of self-awareness, does that mean we can expect resignations from both Trump and Vance?

: Wendy's fish sandwiches (5.00 / 1) (#15)
by fishcamp on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 05:21:35 PM EST

taste much better to me since they are finished with crispy panko breading. They are also larger and have lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.

: I saw (none / 0) (#24)
by Ga6thDem on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 09:11:45 PM EST

What he ate and felt my arteries clogging. Does he eat anything other than McDonald's and steak? If he didn't have the best medical care he would probably be gone

I would encourage (none / 0) (#6)
by leap2 on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 11:27:19 AM EST

Orange Clown to take even more aspirin a day. More is better.


Intravenous (none / 0) (#8)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 12:16:18 PM EST

aspirin


Perhaps (none / 0) (#12)
by jmacWA on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 03:16:43 PM EST

He could even add a little warfarin to his regimen and get that INR up to a respectable 5 or so.


There are much better blood thinners (none / 0) (#16)
by fishcamp on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 05:32:31 PM EST

than aspirin and warfarin. I take the ridiculously expensive Eliquis due to atrial fibrillation. President Biden promised to lower the price of ten expensive drugs with Eliquis at the top of the list, and just today I read it's going to happen.


: Too Expensive for me (5.00 / 1) (#27)
by jmacWA on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 04:16:08 AM EST

With no drug plan I take the ridiculously cheap warfarin. The downside is taking my INR weekly, but it's a simple stick like for blood sugar and even with the cost of the meter and supplies added in it is way cheaper than Eliquis. I have Afib too, but have not been in Afib since I had an ablation 18 months ago.

I am distraught (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 05:00:17 PM EST

My grandfather clock has died. Apparently.

I got it in an estate sale and it has run perfectly for 15 years.

I was unprepared for how much I would miss Westminster chimes on the quarter hour.

I may have found someone to fix it.

It was not supposed to stop (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 05:03:22 PM EST

until I do. Never to go again.


I know what you mean (none / 0) (#17)
by jondee on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 05:42:43 PM EST

I've been distraught since they cut down the beautiful 200 year slippery elm tree down the street that I used to greet on my walks.

It was an act of barbarism as far as I'm concerned.


: Sorry (5.00 / 2) (#18)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 06:36:38 PM EST

for your loss. I understand.

The appelation... (5.00 / 4) (#21)
by Repack Rider on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 08:03:38 PM EST

"Grandfather clock" is not the original name for that timepiece. It is a "standing pedestal clock."

Then a guy wrote a huge hit song called "My Grandfather's Clock," and the name stuck.


: I was put in mind (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by jondee on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 08:12:58 PM EST

of Grandfather Clock on Captain Kangaroo for some reason.
Funny that I remember that clearly, but not where I put my keys yesterday. The mind's a funny thing.

I inherited (none / 0) (#23)
by Ga6thDem on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 09:09:26 PM EST

A ate 1800s fashion mantle clock. I found someone to fix it but it took a year to get it back


Billions not millions (none / 0) (#1)
by jmacWA on Thu Jan 01, 2026 at 03:11:41 PM EST

From what I can tell the TRUMP family grift seems to be more in the billions than millions.

Many kudos (none / 0) (#2)
by jondee on Thu Jan 01, 2026 at 04:11:21 PM EST

to Chuck Redd, Peter Wolf, Kristy Lee, the cast of Hamilton and others for telling the Trump-Kennedy Center and it's renamer to go screw.

Happy new year, everyone. (none / 0) (#3)
by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Jan 01, 2026 at 08:15:22 PM EST

It's been a wet holiday season in Southern California. A coyote has taken up residence under the lemon tree in my mother's backyard in Pasadena. I really can't tell if it's ill or not. While coyotes co-exist very well with humans, they tend to not want to hang out with us. State Fish & Wildlife personnel are coming tomorrow to catch and relocate it.

We return to Hawaii on Monday night.

This whole thing is worth a read (none / 0) (#5)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 09:58:50 AM EST

Retirements, primaries and more. When the House returns next week, the GOP's already razor-thin majority will immediately shrink. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is leaving Congress Jan. 5. Johnson's majority will then be 219-213, a two-vote cushion (Remember that tie House votes fail.)
The House GOP leadership is watching carefully to see if Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Cory Mills (R-Fla.) or Don Bacon (R-Neb.) leave before their terms are up. Stefanik and Bacon are retiring, while Mills has had a lengthy list of ethics and legal issues

The 6 things Thune and Johnson have to watch out for

Question for Jeralyn and Peter G: (none / 0) (#11)
by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 02:33:56 PM EST

U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh has ruled that alleged J6 pipebomber Brian J. Cole Jr. must be detained. Oddly, he's ruled that he will accept Cole's superior court indictment, inter alia, pending reconvening of a federal grand jury to secure an indictment.

Can someone please explain how a federal magistrate can detain this defendant on a superior court indictment? Why should the superior court indictment not be considered an apparent DOJ attempt to circumvent a federal grand jury requirement prior to the tolling of the statute of limitations in a few days? And as far as I can tell, there hasn't been a preliminary hearing in this case where a judge found probable cause. So, what gives?

This, of course, may all be moot if it's subsequently determined that Trump's J6 mass pardon also covers defendant Cole in this matter. But in the meantime, I'm confused as to what's going on here. Am I missing something or do I have a screw loose?

Muchos mahalos.

The District of Columbia Superior Court (none / 0) (#26)
by Peter G on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 10:13:59 PM EST

is a federal court (in a way) not a state court, as all local government in D.C. is under Congressional control. So it's not as if this weird thing happened in a California Superior Court, by contrast. The U.S. District Court for D.C. has jurisdiction over both federal and D.C. offenses, for example. I have never practiced in D.C. or studied the unique relationship between the local and (regular) federal courts there, so I don't have an opinion on this unusual procedural development. Apparently the judges there are unsure also, and are awaiting an authoritative appellate ruling.


: Thank you, Peter. (none / 0) (#28)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 04:19:20 AM EST

We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

The Last Czars (none / 0) (#19)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 06:53:43 PM EST

I've been watching this on Netflix. It's all about how Czar Nickolas turned the people against him.

It's almost funny how closely the things he did, stupid wars conspicuous consumption, being completely out of touch - and listening to crazy people - are the same things Trump is doing.

I see Barron as Anastasia.

trailer

Like this (none / 0) (#20)
by CaptHowdy on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 07:28:41 PM EST

Nicholas an Alexandra are unable to understand what's happening in the streets of Petrograd. They did not understand the discontent. They have become so isolated they really believe the link between the Czar and the people remains unbroken.

The more things change .....


I was having similar thoughts tonight (none / 0) (#25)
by Peter G on Fri Jan 02, 2026 at 10:07:51 PM EST

as I watched Citizen Kane again (on TCM) for the first time in several years. It's not just a great film but also a brilliant psychological study of a malignant narcissist, with extraordinary parallels to the life of the (then-)future DJT.


Czar Nicholas II ... (none / 0) (#29)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 04:51:24 AM EST

... started to lose control of the situation during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, when he ordered the Russian Baltic Fleet to sail halfway around the world to break the Japanese naval blockade and relieve the besieged Russian garrison at Port Arthur (Present-day Dairen, China). It resulted in the near-total annihilation of the Russian fleet at the hands of the Japanese Combined Fleet in the Battle of Tsushima and the subsequent Russian surrender of Port Arthur, which ended the war.

The war was a humiliating defeat for Imperial Russia and a disaster for Nicholas personally. The resultant domestic upheaval compelled Nicholas to sign the October Manifesto, in which he agreed to the establishment of the Imperial Duma, and to surrender part of his heretofore unlimited autocracy.

Nicholas II was completely in over his head, and Alexandra didn't help matters any as his closest confidante by encouraging him to resist reform efforts and fire competent advisors.

They made the Russian Revolution inevitable.


wasn't Rasputin (none / 0) (#44)
by leap2 on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 12:51:45 PM EST

somewhere in the mix there?


Rasputin added to the instability ... (none / 0) (#46)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 01:28:17 PM EST

... due to his friendship with and influence over Empress Alexandra and to a lesser extent, Czar Nicholas II himself. But Nicholas was an autocrat, and despite the presence of the Imperial Duma, he firmly believed in the divine right of monarchs to rule.

For some reason, the Czar ignored his imperial courtiers, many of whom had strongly advised him to negotiate a settlement with Tokyo, even after hostilities first broke out. His obstinacy and subsequent order to send the Baltic Fleet halfway around the world to the Sea of Japan where it met its utter destruction left him with no remaining options but to accept President Theodore Roosevelt's offer to mediate peace talks in Portsmouth, NH.

The resultant Treaty of Portsmouth ended the war almost entirely on Japan's terms. The disastrous Russian defeat punctured Nicholas's aura and greatly emboldened his domestic critics and opponents, which resulted in a 1905 armed uprising Nicholas's acquiescence to a reconstitution of the Imperial Duma.

It was about this time when the Orthodox mystic Rasputin first made his acquaintance of the Imperial couple, right after the birth of their fifth child and first son, the Czarevitch Alexis, who was tragically discovered after birth to be a hemophiliac.

Rasputin had suggested to Alexandra at several key moments during Alexis's various health crises that she and her husband order the doctors to leave the boy alone, because their incessant poking and prodding was making matters worse. He proved to be right. Alexis recovered, and both Alexandra and Nicholas became convinced the God had sent Rasputin to watch over their son.

It proved to be a grievously misplaced trust, particularly when the First World War broke out and Nicholas departed for the front to take personal command of the Russian forces, leaving Alexandra in charge to make domestic policy in his stead.

Aloha.


: thanks for that, DoH (none / 0) (#47)
by leap2 on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 02:06:11 PM EST

By the way, are you familiar with the history podcast The Rest is History? The two Brit historians who present it, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, are so good at this. I'm addicted to it. A few years ago (the archives go back to 2021), they did an episode on Rasputin, which clicked when I was reading this thread on Czar Nicholas.

Wake up and find we have invaded Venezuela (none / 0) (#30)
by CaptHowdy on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 08:12:09 AM EST

and taken Maduro into custody. Great.

US captures Maduro, carries out 'large scale strike' in Venezuela

For a minute there, (5.00 / 3) (#31)
by desertswine on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 10:08:20 AM EST

I forgot about Epstein.


A page (none / 0) (#32)
by KeysDan on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 10:30:40 AM EST

taken out of Daddy Bush's Panama playbook--Venezuela rather than Panama, Control of oil/minerals rather than control of the Panama Canal, Maduro and wife rather than Noriega taken to US for trial on drug charges. Apparently, the Maduro's did not take refuge at the Vatican Embassy (to music blasting away) or make calls from a Dairy Queen--but we await more details. A difference is that Bush acted unlawfully, but was not a convicted felon whereas Trump has a leg up on the late Bush being both a convicted felon acting unlawfully.


I hope Venezuela is prepared (none / 0) (#33)
by desertswine on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 11:35:36 AM EST

for the coming rape.


Guess (none / 0) (#34)
by KeysDan on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 11:40:06 AM EST

this operation answers the question, will the military follow unlawful orders?


Operation Grab Venezuela (none / 0) (#35)
by jondee on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 11:45:42 AM EST

By The P...y

When do we start bombing and instituting regime change in Mexico, considering that 99% of the Fentanyl comes from there?


This has never been about drugs (5.00 / 1) (#36)
by CaptHowdy on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 12:12:22 PM EST

it's about oil with a side order of platinum


: And a soupcon (none / 0) (#38)
by jondee on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 12:17:59 PM EST

of distraction and a dash of tibalistic jingoism.

Maybe, (none / 0) (#40)
by KeysDan on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 12:20:22 PM EST

Rubio's arch-nemesis, Cuba, will be next


: Diaz-Canel (none / 0) (#45)
by jondee on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 01:23:52 PM EST

is already making "We shall fight them on the beaches. We shall fight them on the landing grounds" type of pronouncements. Probably for good reason.

As someone once said (none / 0) (#37)
by CaptHowdy on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 12:13:49 PM EST

The d!ldo of consequences is rarely lubricated.


I think Churchill said that (none / 0) (#39)
by jondee on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 12:19:32 PM EST

: I think (none / 0) (#41)
by KeysDan on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 12:23:28 PM EST

Voltaire.

: I'm pretty sure it was ... (none / 0) (#43)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 12:29:17 PM EST

... Pat Nixon.

As was the case with Panama's Manuel Noriega, ... (none / 0) (#42)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Jan 03, 2026 at 12:27:31 PM EST

... it's admittedly hard to muster up much (if any) sympathy for the current plight of Nicolás Maduro, a blustery and ruthless autocrat who had been residing in Venezuela's presidential palace on borrowed time after his fraudulent refusal to acknowledge his apparent defeat in the 2024 election.

The question presently before us as a country in the immediate wake of Trump's unilateral action is "Now what?" I, for one, am not at all comfortable with the looming prospect of the U.S. governing Venezuela "for the time being" - particularly by MAGA folks who've proved themselves so inept at governance in their own country.

We're trapped in a Quentin Tarantino film and we can't get out.
