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Tuesday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Tue Aug 11, 2026 at 03:40:41 PM EST
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I'm taking a longer break from daily blogging than I anticipated. Until I return, here's a new open thread.

< Fourth of July Open Thread | Wednesday Open Thread >

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    Tuesday Open Thread | 201 comments (201 topical)
    Hard to know which outrage to focus on (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 11, 2026 at 06:14:24 PM EST
    Thanks for being here and trying.    

    The tragic folly began with ... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 06:01:05 AM EST
    ... the violent arrest of Matthew Ludwig, an innocent man initially but mistakenly identified by San Francisco police as a car thief.

    It escalated with Ludwig's malicious prosecution by a vengeful district attorney's office for reckless driving and having resisted a clearly wrongful arrest. It was further compounded by the unnecessary and egregious impounding of his car by the police, which left Ludwig without a vehicle when he was unable to pay the impound fee. Of course, it was all done to cover up a bad arrest - at least, it certainly looks that way.

    And now, in the wake of Matthew Ludwig's suicide while the vindictive charges against him were still pending, San Francisco authorities have an awful lot of explaining to do.

    The folks who abused their authority should face charges of their own.

    So now the is a streaming service from ROKU (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 09:40:10 AM EST
    called HOWDY

    Just curious (none / 0) (#8)
    by jondee on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 01:45:21 PM EST
    has anyone here ever brought up where you got the 'Howdy' name from?

    Parent
    Years ago I was hired to represent (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:09:26 PM EST
    a Mafia consigliere with the nickname "Howdy," based on his curly red hair and his nervous habit of bouncing up and down like a marionette.

    Parent
    My ouija board (none / 0) (#11)
    by jondee on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:33:01 PM EST
    gave me a clue to where it comes from.

    Parent
    You (none / 0) (#14)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 06:18:30 PM EST
    Always have the best stories

    Parent
    i have quite a few about (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:56:08 PM EST
    the old Philadelphia Mob. In one case, the client I was hired to represent on appeal was convicted, among other things, of murdering a guy who had been my wife's client. (Almost an Adam's Rib situation.) His father, an old Mafioso from the days when the feds used to leave them alone, delivered me a $15,000 fee in cash in a paper bag. I commented that I would be taking the money directly to the bank to deposit in my business account and would be including it on my tax return (not pocketing it, in other words). I said that out loud not only because it was true but also in case he was recording me to set me up by trading information "against" me to help his son. He replied, "I cannot understand how youse could love the government more than youse love your own family." I did not win that appeal, and the son wound up serving 2/3 of a 20 year sentence for five murders. Not bad, I guess. And during that time my client managed to get his wife pregnant in the visiting room of the federal prison without anyone detecting the interaction.

    Parent
    The story was always (none / 0) (#47)
    by jondee on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 02:45:43 PM EST
    that they had blackmail material on Hoover (who was rumored to be a cross-dresser). Which possibly could have been true.

    Parent
    Well,at least he didn't have the nickname .... (none / 0) (#20)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:41:37 PM EST
    ... "Frankie Five Fingers," because we all know how that ended.

    Parent
    Captain Howdy (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:47:42 PM EST
    is the child's name for  Parish in the Exorcist.

    Parent
    S**t (none / 0) (#13)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:48:26 PM EST
    Child's name for PAZUZU

    Parent
    I always related it to the movie (none / 0) (#17)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 07:35:37 PM EST
    Strangeland. Written by Dee Snider.

    Parent
    Perhaps it was given him by his parents, ... (none / 0) (#18)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:25:09 PM EST
    ... Dudley and Debbie Doody. 🤪

    Parent
    See my comment (none / 0) (#19)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:40:33 PM EST
    number 9.

    Parent
    RIP Frank Beard. (5.00 / 2) (#37)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Aug 18, 2026 at 05:36:10 PM EST
    The ZZ Top drummer with no beard. Billy Gibbons is the last man standing from that little ol' band from Texas.

    Brighter days (5.00 / 1) (#38)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 19, 2026 at 04:36:02 PM EST
    I live in a very rural area.  Trump country.   And historically it has been, more or less.  Lots of Trump signs and flags.  No more.  I have not seen a Trump sign is ages.  

    Things have changed politically here.  I'm still trying to figure out how when and if it's happening in other places.  

    There was the drag show(s). Then last week in that venue we had a sold out crowd for a string quartet from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.  Maybe I'll post video.

    The point is, this does not feel like my father's zip code.  

    I think this could show up on election day in this crazy political climate.  
    Even here.  

    Among the reasons to be positive (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 19, 2026 at 04:41:58 PM EST
    is the huge turnouts for our Democratic Party events.  For here.  Huge.  
    Overflowing crowds every place we meet.

    These are good signs.

    we now have an HQ registering voters six days a week

    Parent

    That's great. (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 19, 2026 at 07:26:55 PM EST
    I really hope it means something.

    I still see a smattering of Trump signs in rural NC. I haven't been to any events so I am not sure of the turnout other than the protest attendance has been higher than expected. What I do know is Cooper has been running a flawless campaign. He is probably going to cruise to victory with thanks to Trump for endorsing Whatley.

    Parent

    I think a lot of the formally (none / 0) (#50)
    by jondee on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 03:32:22 PM EST
    pro-Trump people aren't going to vote at all.

    The trope going around is that a dark, mysterious 'They' now controls Trump and his close allies.

    The mistrust and paranoia sown by the Foxes and podcast bros of the world is now coming around to bite them in the form of despair and apathy.

    Parent

    I have (none / 0) (#51)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 05:11:20 PM EST
    Seen that. Suddenly the all powerful Trump has no agency. He us being controlled by the swamp.

    During the primaries here Cooper alone got more votes than all the GOP candidates combined.

    Parent

    That's right. (none / 0) (#59)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 04:57:59 AM EST
    jondee: "The trope going around is that a dark, mysterious 'They' now controls Trump and his close allies."

    Now, MAGA folks may not know who, what or where they are, or how, why or when they'll go do that voodoo that they do so well. They just know they're sometimes out there, lying in wait somewhere to somehow do something to someone someday soon.

    :-O

    Parent

    The String Quartet (none / 0) (#40)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 19, 2026 at 04:58:24 PM EST
    this is a Facebook link

    But it's a great clip.  I'm in it.  In a tie.  Look fast.

    Parent

    PWire (none / 0) (#43)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 10:25:54 AM EST
    Tight Race for U.S. Senate in Arkansas
    August 20, 2026 at 10:50 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 55 Comments

    A new Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College Poll in Arkansas finds U.S. Senate candidate Hallie Shoffner (D) holds a slim lead over incumbent Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), 47% to 44%, but within the survey's margin of error.

    Parent

    I would love to see (5.00 / 3) (#44)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 10:33:43 AM EST
    Cotton sent packing. There's something wrong with that guy.

    Parent
    LIkewise in Pennsyltucky (none / 0) (#46)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 02:36:41 PM EST
    A special election for a vacant State House seat went D for the first time in 30 years, admittedly narrowly, in a rural, western PA district north of Pittsburgh and south of Erie. That district went R by 65-35 in 2024.

    Parent
    I'm shocked by that poll (none / 0) (#48)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 02:46:13 PM EST
    and that is one of the 2 good polling outfits in the state.

    If a Democrat wins here its going to be an interesting election.

    OTOH Arkansas had the highest number of farm bankruptcies in the country.  People are pi$$ed

    Parent

    Here (none / 0) (#49)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 02:48:20 PM EST

    Arkansas leads nation in farm bankruptcies in 2025; state's 33 Chapter 12 filings were 10% of U.S. total



    Parent

    If (none / 0) (#52)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 05:19:09 PM EST
    Arkansas goes blue you can bet Kansas and Nebraska do too

    Parent
    Cotton is proof (none / 0) (#56)
    by jondee on Fri Aug 21, 2026 at 02:22:54 PM EST
    that inbreeding is no impediment to an Ivy League education and advancement in the military.

    Parent
    Fifty years ago today, my then-girlfriend and I (5.00 / 8) (#54)
    by Peter G on Fri Aug 21, 2026 at 10:43:35 AM EST
    promised to love, respect and support one another, as best we were able, for the rest of our lives. Our friend Tom, then a Jesuit priest, was satisfied to declare us married. Anna, who is supremely wise, compassionate and generous (and before her retirement three years ago a superb criminal defense lawyer), remains the centerpiece of my life and the foundational rock of our beloved family. I am a very lucky man.

    Congrats Peter (5.00 / 5) (#55)
    by jmacWA on Fri Aug 21, 2026 at 11:10:42 AM EST
    We made 53 years on Wed.

    Parent
    Congratulations, Peter. (5.00 / 1) (#58)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 04:30:10 AM EST
    50 years of wedded bliss is no small feat. But to our credit, my siblings and I have never stopped trying. We have 12 marriages between us.

    Parent
    I don't believe that I mentioned anything (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by Peter G on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 02:13:56 PM EST
    about "bliss." That's not realistic. But I am a very lucky person to have found such a wonderful life partner, who somehow is willing to put up with me.

    Parent
    Peter (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by fishcamp on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 02:45:34 PM EST
    Congratulations on your golden anniversary.  I would to send a gift of gold, but alas all those gold coins I had for years are gone.  I traded my last ounce of gold to my dentist for a dental bridge, and that was when gold was worth $1,500 per ounce.  I hope you and your wife had a wonderful celebration.

    Parent
    Congratulations on 50 years + one week (5.00 / 1) (#143)
    by ruffian on Fri Aug 28, 2026 at 05:17:31 PM EST
    That's a feat of character and commitment I have a hard time even imagining. I'm glad you found one another!

    Parent
    Here's to you (5.00 / 1) (#152)
    by jondee on Mon Aug 31, 2026 at 02:21:20 PM EST
    and your beloved, Peter.

    And here's to many more golden years.

    Parent

    Congratulations (none / 0) (#61)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 12:20:35 PM EST
    to you and your wife on your anniversary! I hope you have an awesome celebration planned.

    Parent
    Once again showing us all ... (5.00 / 2) (#57)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 21, 2026 at 02:54:18 PM EST
    ... why he's absolutely and without question the most feckless chief justice in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court, and as useful to the cause of American jurisprudence as teats on a bull, John Roberts lifted a temporary restraining order to enable Donald Trump's lawless desecration of the White House and its grounds to continue unabated, which will render Elvis Presley's Graceland rather plain and austere by comparison when he's finally done.

    Paddlers protested at Robert's private island (5.00 / 1) (#63)
    by desertswine on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 01:31:10 PM EST
    in Maine.

      Rubber stamp for fascism.

    Parent

    Second verse, same as the first. (none / 0) (#103)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 02:42:23 AM EST
    John Roberts is once again showing us all why he's absolutely and without question the worst chief justice in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court.

    This time, the Ceejay and his MAGA-addled SCOTUS colleagues allowed the Trump regime to proceed with plans to restrict mail-in voting, by lifting a judicial stay on an executive order that creates "citizenship lists" and directs the Postal Service to decide who gets a mail-in ballot.

    I needn't tell any of you that there is no provision or language to be found anywhere in the U.S. Constitution which even hints that the president has any authority whatsoever - whether oversight, administrative or moral - over our nation's elections.

    Allowing the Trump regime to continue its plans to use the U.S. Post Office to unilaterally restrict voter access to mail-in ballots just further proves my point that John Roberts has no phuquing business even presiding over a traffic court.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I do not fundamentally disagree (5.00 / 2) (#106)
    by Peter G on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 11:24:36 AM EST
    Indeed, the best predictor of an illogical and lawless majority ruling at SCOTUS these days is whether the outcome is expected to enhance the chances of the Republican Party continuing its grip on minority power.
        That said, I do note that this particular ruling is at least ostensibly grounded entirely on the technical issue of "ripeness," not on the merits of the lawfulness/lawlessness of the proposed postal regulation. Excellent more-or-less-instant analysis available from Steve Vladeck ("One First"), Lyle Denniston ("Lyldenlawnews"), and Chris Geitner ("Law Dork").

    Parent
    To me (5.00 / 1) (#114)
    by jmacWA on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 03:29:54 PM EST
    the greatest danger of this ruling is that it was made at all... even if it is not going to help in the long run, it does exactly what TRUMP wants be keeping election fraud in the news.  Then when TRUMP calls in the troops the media will say that it is warranted, and point to the fact that there have been many rulings favoring TRUMP... no matter that they are mostly bogus.

    Parent
    That true (5.00 / 1) (#115)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 04:06:31 PM EST
    and of course really the point.  Trumps only real skill is in manipulating the system.  

    He's well aware it will never be allowed.  He will blame it's not being allowed for imaginary problems.

    It won't work.

    Parent

    Trump's entire life is built (none / 0) (#122)
    by desertswine on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 05:03:24 PM EST
    upon exploiting "loopholes."

    Parent
    There should be an (none / 0) (#125)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 06:06:11 PM EST
    International Tribunal to Close Trump's Loopholes

    Led by the US.

    but seriously
    There should be/must be a massive push to pass laws that will make sure thus never happens again.

    F*ck "norms".  And imaginary guard rails. Lets have some actual M-Fing laws.

    Parent

    See (none / 0) (#116)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 04:08:28 PM EST
    comment 111

    Parent
    SCOTUS shouldn't have even considered it. (5.00 / 3) (#142)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 28, 2026 at 01:58:15 AM EST
    Our Constitution is explicitly clear on the subject of a president's role in the administration of elections in this country. Specifically, there is none. It's the purview of the states, not the White House. Why couldn't Roberts, et al., just say that and decline to consider Trump's appeal?

    Instead, the court's MAGA-addled majority lifts the judge's order and then, America's orange lordship almost immediately issues an executive order directing the U.S. Postal Service to decline to deliver mail-in ballots unless blue states first kiss his fat a$$. Honestly, if they really didn't anticipate that happening, then these a$$hats are without a doubt the stupidest muthaphuquas EVER! to occupy the bench in the history of the high court.

    As far as the issue of "ripeness" is concerned, the court majority's MAGA-maniacal decision has rendered this matter as ripe as that big pile my dog left for me to clean up in the backyard this afternoon, next to that fallen Norfolk pine tree that hasn't been removed yet.

    They are unworthy of any benefit of dount.

    Parent

    The New York Times (5.00 / 2) (#77)
    by KeysDan on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 11:02:26 AM EST
    reports that Hakeem Jeffries met privately with Jared Kushner to discuss areas of common ground. They met in a private space in NYC offered up by a mutual friend.

    Common ground?  What is common ground with Trumpism?  They apparently both oppose Medicare for All and the importance of abolishing ICE, but history warns about seeking common ground with a side that sees good faith as quaint, lies as a strategy and has a determination to destroy the government.

    Jeffries, in addition to the bad optics, seems to be letting a Vichy flag fly. Or, he is in a bubble and believes that Republicans are just good-meaning people who simply disagree on tax policy and regulations. Perhaps he should take a meeting with Miller and Vought for some reality therapy.

    The meeting may have been revealed by Kushner, himself, to assure his Saudi business partners that he will still be in the know if the Democrats take Congress and the grift will not be jeopardized. Certainly it does not seem helpful to Jeffries when so many Democratic voters are looking for fighters.

    At some point, you have to be willing ... (5.00 / 1) (#104)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 03:16:16 AM EST
    ... to face your adversaries and have that difficult direct discussion, even if it's only to clarify your own position so that there is no misunderstanding on their part. You're never going to accomplish much of anything by only talking to friends and allies.

    That said, I would agree that the optics of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries's private meeting with Jared Kushner are not exactly optimal or flattering. Such a meeting best serves the public when it's public knowledge beforehand, rather than after the fact.

    In that regard, I'm reminded of that now-infamous White House cabinet room meeting on Oct. 16, 2019 between President Trump, administration officials, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and congressional leaders to discuss the then-deteriorating situation in Syria prompted by the Russian military intervention there, which culminated when an exasperated House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood up, pointed her finger at a surprised Trump and told him to his face, "All roads with you lead to Putin" - an iconic moment of Democratic alpha-dog politics captured for posterity by the White House photographer.

    Unfortunately for us, Hakeen Jeffries is no Nancy Pelosi.

    Parent

    I swear (none / 0) (#78)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 12:20:36 PM EST
    this year has been so frustrating in many ways. Hakeem should explain what he was doing. The last 25 years have been full of this kind of crap. We get autocrat lite George W. and full blown autocrat Trump and both Obama and Biden miss the moment. Obama with kumbaya I wanna hold hands with the GOP and Biden "the GOP will go back to normal once Trump is gone". God bless both of them but they were completely clueless. Maybe it's the DC virus or something. Now we also gotta deal with these disastrous DSA candidates. It seems we just can't stand success and are going to screw it all up. The only silver lining I can get out of this is it is better to have all this happening now rather than 2028.

    Parent
    Look Forward not Backward, (5.00 / 2) (#79)
    by KeysDan on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 01:19:05 PM EST
    My distinguished colleague across the aisle--- these sentiments need to be put on hold for a decade or so, or, at least during the last two years of this nightmare where the job is to resist and fight.

    Parent
    As much as we all want him (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 02:59:12 PM EST
    impeached and removed, which I continue to think is possible, there will be an argument to make for  keeping him in office through 2028.

    Although his stink is going to remain on whoever they pick next.

    Parent

    Impeachment (none / 0) (#82)
    by KeysDan on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 04:33:18 PM EST
    of Trump (which takes just a simple majority by the House) may have been the crux of Jared's and Hakeem's meeting to find common ground.  Surely Jared's father-in-law dreads the prospect of a third impeachment.  

    Parent
    He's been impeached twice (5.00 / 1) (#87)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 08:05:56 PM EST
    I would think he more concerned about removal than impeachment since that would mean he could be prosecuted.

    Parent
    I would (none / 0) (#86)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 07:24:19 PM EST
    Not even think of impeachment until all these investigations expose the graft and corruption that drive his numbers to the 20s or below and even the GOP.wants.to.get rid.of.him

    Parent
    I see (none / 0) (#85)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 07:17:43 PM EST
    Looking backward as what NOT to do. I cant believe so many of them keep going what did not.work in the past. 2 years is optimistic. I would say a.decade at least

    Parent
    Right, if he were better at explaining himself (5.00 / 1) (#144)
    by ruffian on Fri Aug 28, 2026 at 05:20:31 PM EST
    It would help an other. I feel like Dem leadership has been AWOL which is good in a way in that it has let new people get some attention. But I don't like the rudderless feeling I get with this crew. I know they're out of power so maybe they feel like there's no point, but keeping us all energized and informed is important.

    Parent
    Good to hear (5.00 / 1) (#145)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Aug 29, 2026 at 09:36:59 AM EST
    from you. I hope you are doing well!

    Parent
    Jeffries is the Chuck Schumer (none / 0) (#92)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 02:51:56 PM EST
    of the House. Another waste of space.

    Parent
    Elbows Up! (5.00 / 1) (#102)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 08:49:49 PM EST
    Buy Canadian!

    "Lake America" (5.00 / 3) (#107)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 11:51:17 AM EST
    What an effing immature man-baby.

    Remember a while back (5.00 / 1) (#108)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 12:05:56 PM EST
    discussing Trump I said something like "I want him to go whole hog"  or something like that.

    He's doing exactly what I wanted him to do.  In creative news way I never imagined.

    This is a perfect example.  This is sad embarrassing stuff.

    Renaming the Aircraft Carrier after himself is another good one.  Instead of the WWII hero.

    here's the funny bit about that, it was to be named after a black man named Doris. (Dory)

    What's the over under Trump assumed it was being named after a black woman.

    Which is obviously unacceptable

    Parent

    This BS can't go on for another 2 years. (5.00 / 1) (#109)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 12:26:58 PM EST
    Sorry folks. But it is time for torches and pitchforks.

    Parent
    Oh (5.00 / 1) (#117)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 04:14:29 PM EST

    Cutting American beef producers off at the knees is another good one

    Alarm as Republicans warn that `flooding' stores with 300,000 metric tons of beef imports will hit US farmers

    Parent

    I think the legal battles (none / 0) (#118)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 04:18:31 PM EST
    resulting from this election could still be going this time next year.

    But we will win.

    Parent

    This is why (none / 0) (#119)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 04:51:22 PM EST
    We have to win big. As I have Saud before the only time they tried that scrap here was in a close race. Liddell looks silly even to his supporters screaming about an 11 point loss

    Parent
    High noon 1/3/27 (none / 0) (#111)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 02:31:33 PM EST

    Judge lays out Trump's 'high noon' plot to seize power if Republicans lose the midterms

    if this happens , and it totally could, BOOM.

    Parent

    Hilarious and wonderful (none / 0) (#129)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 26, 2026 at 10:55:49 AM EST

    Republican strategists are concerned about Trump's low approval ratings and voter anxiety about the economy... Some GOP strategists favor focusing entirely on specific races in an effort to convince voters of the merits of individual candidates and local issues."

    "But Trump himself has rejected that approach. House and Senate Democrats, the president noted during the meeting, will make their fall campaigns a referendum on him. His advisers told him that the poor polling reflects the fact that the voting public still does not know about many of his accomplishments--the dozens of new stock-market highs, a decline in fentanyl deaths, the `sealed' southern border, the increase in domestic-manufacturing production."

    Link

    Parent

    Now the Orange Monkey is threatening to (none / 0) (#120)
    by desertswine on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 05:00:01 PM EST
    tear down the Kennedy Center if he doesn't get his name on it.

    Parent
    Maybe the Canadians can change the name (none / 0) (#128)
    by desertswine on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 09:31:27 PM EST
    of Lake Michigan to Lake Dudley Do-Right. Or Lake Sergeant Preston. Or Lake McKenzie Brothers.

    Parent
    Car... (5.00 / 1) (#139)
    by desertswine on Thu Aug 27, 2026 at 01:57:16 PM EST
    toon.

    Parent
    The FDA has confirmed (5.00 / 3) (#137)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 27, 2026 at 09:57:46 AM EST
    the only safe thing left to eat is the rich.

    This is Trump winning hearts and minds (5.00 / 1) (#150)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 31, 2026 at 12:23:18 PM EST
    This is to damn funny

    Trump Says Opposing Data Centers Is `Backwards'
    August 31, 2026 at 1:01 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 21 Comments

    "President Trump warned Monday that communities that don't embrace data centers will `end up being backwards and poor,' putting himself at odds with most Americans who say they don't want the facilities that power AI to be built near them," the Wall Street Journal reports.

    Said Trump: "The only reason that communities throughout the USA should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor. If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign

    Other than the construction, (5.00 / 1) (#153)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Aug 31, 2026 at 08:44:45 PM EST
    Data centers do not create a lot of jobs. It's a warehouse full of computers.

    Parent
    What's with this fixation Trump (5.00 / 1) (#154)
    by jondee on Tue Sep 01, 2026 at 01:31:02 PM EST
    and other Rethuglicans have with Chicago, as if it were some uniquely violent-crime-ridden city?

    The Chicago fixation started when Obama became President and it became a symbol for uppity Democrats who deserve to be punished for being Democrats.

    Last time I looked, Memphis and St Louis were the two most violent cities in the U.S, but no one's threatening to withhold federal aid from them.

    Happy Friday (5.00 / 2) (#158)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 04, 2026 at 05:32:34 PM EST

    Trump's mail ballot rule hits another wall

    According to reporting on Friday, Judge Indira Talwani handed down a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Postal Service from setting in motion portions of its new mail-in ballot rule. Talwani had previously handed down a restraining order, but Talwani's ruling replaced her restraining order. Talwani's latest ruling forces appeals to begin anew, legal analyst Chris Geidner noted.
    Donny doesn't bowl, this is just another... (5.00 / 1) (#160)
    by desertswine on Fri Sep 04, 2026 at 10:19:08 PM EST
    focal point for graft.

    The General Services Administration awarded a contract worth more than $250,000 to renovate the lighting at the two-lane Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley, Politico reported Monday.

    The July 28 contract went to Charles Mann Enterprises, a Washington-based construction firm that later received an additional $8,800 contract to escort workers through secure areas during the project.

    A previous project to revamp the bowling alley under President Barack Obama in 2014 was scrapped after Republican objections. The Republican-controlled House later approved an amendment prohibiting federal funding for the renovation.
    Tonite was the 102nd burning of (5.00 / 2) (#161)
    by desertswine on Fri Sep 04, 2026 at 10:57:21 PM EST
    Zozobra, also known as Old Man Gloom. A 50-foot-tall marionette built annually to hold thousands of written "glooms"--notes representing personal worries, regrets, or frustrations. The Burning of Zozobra is a long-standing Santa Fe tradition, created in 1924 by artist Will Shuster. The event symbolizes the release of negativity and the start of a fresh year, drawing over 60,000 attendees from across the U.S. and beyond

    Zozobra (5.00 / 1) (#162)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Sep 05, 2026 at 08:50:20 AM EST

    Video



    Parent

    Netanyahu knew. (5.00 / 2) (#169)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Sep 08, 2026 at 02:49:03 PM EST
    Report from the AP. He had ample warning of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. And, IMO, he let it happen anyway.

    I have believed for some time that this was the case. Especially after the Gaza genocide began. Netanyahu wanted the Hamas attack to proceed to give him reason for obliterating Gaza and killing as many Palestinians as possible. A genocide.

    Did you see Morning Joe today (5.00 / 1) (#170)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 09, 2026 at 01:32:15 PM EST

    There was a great screaming match between Joe and Donny Douche, tireless apologist for Beebee, over this subject.

    Parent

    Here (none / 0) (#171)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 09, 2026 at 07:12:35 PM EST
    Enjoy

    Parent
    One place where you won't hear (none / 0) (#172)
    by jondee on Wed Sep 09, 2026 at 08:39:01 PM EST
    an exchange like that is Real Time with Bill Maher. Maher has effectively blacklisted a long list of former quests because they won't toe the Hasbara line. No more Mehdi Hasan, Greenwald, Jeffrey Sachs, Cornel West, Krystal Ball, Peter Beinart etc.

    Maher's serving up state propaganda, and the 'state' isn't even the U.S.

    Parent

    To be clear. (none / 0) (#174)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Sep 10, 2026 at 11:22:55 AM EST
    I don't think Netanyahu was aware of the extent of the brutality that was meted out. Or that they would take so many hostages.

    But I do believe he formulated a plan based on the information he had and let the attack happen. All with the goal of eliminating Palestinians from the planet.

    Parent

    Bibi has mob boss sensibilities (5.00 / 1) (#175)
    by jondee on Thu Sep 10, 2026 at 02:33:16 PM EST
    like Trump. The barnyard pecking order is the way of the world. He's already publicly stated that 9/11 and the Iraq invasion were good for Israel..

    This is a person with few, if any, moral scruples about how much 'collateral damage' occurs along the way to achieving his 'grand vision.'

    Do people really believe someone like that gives a sht about the fate of a few hostages?

    Parent

    I don't (none / 0) (#178)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Sep 11, 2026 at 01:35:25 PM EST
    think he let it happen. Like most malignant narcissists, he ignored warnings because he didn't think they "would dare to do it" and the fact that he had all those troops scheduled at the northern border to appease the far right and didn't want to anger them. It's a classic pattern with these types. They only listen to those they deem "worthy" which tends to always get them into trouble. When it happened he saw an opportunity like no other and went with it.

    Parent
    Joe diGenova wants,to keep his law license (5.00 / 1) (#176)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 10, 2026 at 05:06:07 PM EST
    Loyalist Tapped by Trump to Oversee Probe Resigns
    September 10, 2026 at 5:02 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 35 Comments  

    "A Trump loyalist who had been tapped to oversee a sprawling and controversial DOJ conspiracy investigation targeting political foes of President Donald Trump abruptly resigned Thursday," ABC News reports.

    "Joe diGenova submitted his resignation to Attorney General Todd Blanche amid what sources described as growing frustrations from Trump and senior DOJ officials regarding his work on the so-called `grand conspiracy' investigation based out of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida."

    Man (none / 0) (#179)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Sep 11, 2026 at 01:36:58 PM EST
    that guy is like a recurring disease. I remember him from back in the 90's. He must be in his eighties by now. I am surprised at his age he wouldn't even care about his law license but maybe he does care about what little reputation he has left.

    Parent
    And a Sweet New Year (5.00 / 2) (#183)
    by Peter G on Fri Sep 11, 2026 at 03:20:10 PM EST
    l'Shana Tovah to all who celebrate, as well as to all who do not.

    Thank you (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 11, 2026 at 06:15:00 PM EST

    Judge Blocks Postal Service From Restricting Mail Voting
    August 11, 2026 at 5:31 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 69 Comments

    "A federal ​judge on Tuesday blocked the U.S. ‌Postal Service from implementing part of President Donald Trump's executive order that aims to tighten ​rules for mail-in voting ahead of ​November elections that will decide control of ⁠Congress," Reuters reports.

    "The ruling by U.S. District ​Judge Indira Talwani in Boston effectively expanded ​on an earlier order she had issued in June that had prevented Trump's administration from ​implementing it in 23 mostly ​Democratic-led states."

    NPR: A judge expands a block on U.S. Postal Service work on Trump's mail-in voting order
    Six states (none / 0) (#3)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 11, 2026 at 06:17:44 PM EST
    Could be an interesting night.

    Primary Results
    August 11, 2026 at 7:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

    Primary elections in six states today will offer fresh clues about President Trump's grip on the Republican Party -- and Democratic voters' appetite for progressive candidates.

    Among the marquee races are Democratic primaries for governor in Wisconsin and U.S. Senate in Minnesota, along with a crowded Republican contest in South Carolina to succeed Sen. Lindsey Graham.

    Poll closing times and results:

    South Carolina: 7 p.m ET
    Vermont: 7 p.m. ET
    Alabama: 8 p.m. ET
    Connecticut: 8 p.m ET
    Minnesota: 9 p.m. ET
    Wisconsin: 9 p.m. ET
    Defi (none / 0) (#4)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 03:03:01 AM EST
    Interesting in MN where Lindell is accusing his GOP opponent of stealing the primary.

    Parent
    So Crowley wins (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 09:39:13 AM EST
    that's good. But the interesting thing is the Dem turnout was almost double the Republican turnout

    Good signs

    Parent

    This (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 06:28:54 PM EST

    Sky-high Democratic primary turnout is another sign of big blue wave



    Parent

    Sounds like a sign of more hope (none / 0) (#10)
    by jondee on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:14:48 PM EST
    on the 'left' than there is on the right.

    People who are apathetic don't turn out. Could be because so many loudmouth know nothings and conspiracy mongers on the right have sown so much doubt about institutions, that these people don't care about voting. Also, they're depressed because the great and powerful Trump has let them down.

    Parent

    I have (none / 0) (#16)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 06:41:01 PM EST
    Wondered about these election deniers and voting. If your vote doesn't count or is gonna be stolen why vote. These people are not critical thinkers

    Parent
    Speaking of election deniers, ... (none / 0) (#21)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:45:57 PM EST
    ... did you catch Mike "My Pillow" Lindell on TV after the first returns showed him trailing by double digits in Minnesota's GOP gubernatorial primary? Geez, what a loon! The guy puts the "goober" in gubernatorial.

    Parent
    I think there is some very serious s*it here (none / 0) (#23)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 13, 2026 at 04:30:43 PM EST
    Stuff that when it come out, and I think it will come out, is going to be big news and shock people used to being shocked

    Freakin Hugh Hefner personally called the freakin FBI "several times"

    Hugh Hefner Reported Jeffrey Epstein to the FBI
    August 13, 2026 at 4:51 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 33 Comments

    "Hugh Hefner reportedly notified the FBI that a Playboy Playmate was sexually abused and trafficked by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and others in his orbit," NewsNation reports.

    "Court records state that Hefner was told by then-Playboy Playmate Audra Christiansen in 2005 that she was an Epstein survivor and requested the Playboy founder call the FBI, arguing he would have more status than her with the authorities."

    "Hefner allegedly called the FBI several times with the tip, who didn't investigate the claim for 15 years, according to court documents."
    Most concerning to me right now ... (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 15, 2026 at 01:56:06 PM EST
    "Hefner allegedly called the FBI several times with the tip, who didn't investigate the claim for 15 years, according to court documents."

    ... about that Hugh Hefner revelation is by inference, it pretty much confirms that Jeffrey Epstein very clearly had some serious influence inside federal law enforcement circles that long predates Donald Trump's arrival on the federal political scene a decade ago.

    There were some high-ranking individuals at DOJ who had the administrative muscle and personal wherewithal to protect Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell back in 2005, to run interference for them and put the kibosh on any and all legal inquiries originating farther down the food chain at local FBI field offices.

    We need to know who those people were and why.

    Parent

    I go back and forth (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Aug 16, 2026 at 12:33:29 PM EST
    between 3 ideas with this kind of information.
    1. Epstein was intelligence and they knew what he was doing.
    2. It went up the chain and got stopped because of Les Wexner who was the largest GOP donor at the time IIRC.
    3. The autocratic bro culture of law enforcement just basically didn't take these kinds of claims seriously.

    Don't know if I have told this story before but a friend of mine had a daughter that was r*ped by someone she knew. She went to the police and they basically refused to take the report admonishing her that she "didn't want to ruin that boy's life did she"

    Parent
    Yes (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 15, 2026 at 03:15:35 PM EST
    Exactly

    Parent
    Its hot. Just got this from Entergy (none / 0) (#24)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 13, 2026 at 06:00:00 PM EST

    This call is from Entergy at 870-888-0702 to help customer stay safe and comfortable during the national weather service is extreme heat advisory disconnects are suspended through Friday, August 21. We will resume disconnects starting Monday, August 24 we appreciate your partnership as we work to keep you safe and comfortable throughout the summer.

    Stay as cool and well-hydrated as possible. (5.00 / 3) (#25)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 15, 2026 at 01:27:50 PM EST
    Speaking of extreme weather, we're about to experience some here in Hilo, Hawaii, courtesy of Hurricane Lala, a late-forming Category-1 storm (80mph winds) which is presently just off the Big Island's Ka'u coastline and the eye is 50 miles southwest of Hilo. It's already pouring rain, and forecasts call for anywhere from 12 to 25 inches today. So, we're just sitting a home and riding it out. The winds aren't so bad, but the forthcoming deluge could pose a real problem for folks downslope of us near Hilo Bay. If you want to watch the storm as it moves over us, check out Hawaii News Now's live Hilo weathercam.

    Parent
    UPDATE: It's bad. (5.00 / 2) (#30)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 16, 2026 at 12:52:06 PM EST
    Hurricane Lala is really doing a number on the Big Island. As for us personally, we lost a 40-ft. tree last night to the overly saturated ground in the backyard, which fortunately fell between us and our neighbors and not directly on either house.

    But the tree also pulled up by the roots when it toppled over, and we now have a massive 5-ft. deep hole where the tree once stood. I'm going to have to have it removed professionally after this storm has passed. It's too big from me to cut up by chainsaw and dispose of it myself.

    I can only imagine what the rest of the island looks like.

    Parent

    And that's a Category One, the least (none / 0) (#31)
    by Peter G on Sun Aug 16, 2026 at 03:57:27 PM EST
    deadly of hurricanes by strength. Glad to hear on the news that it blew away from land and did not intensify.

    Parent
    250,000 Oahu residents are without power. (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Aug 17, 2026 at 01:59:21 AM EST
    After Lala left our vicinity, it tracked westward and did a real number in Honolulu, too. It wasn't the winds so much as the torrential rains, like Oahu needed another 25 inches after those destructive twin Kona-low monsoons last May. Wailupe, Palolo and Manoa valleys had significant flood damage today.

    So as of right now, it looks as though Oahu and Hawaii island both took it on the chin this weekend. We'll know a lot more tomorrow when it's daylight and the weather clears, and we can get outside and start assessing the full impact.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    The impression I got from NPR's (none / 0) (#34)
    by Peter G on Mon Aug 17, 2026 at 10:39:42 AM EST
    national news broadcast really missed the boat, then. Made it sound like you had dodged a bullet, not run into a bomb.

    Parent
    It certainly could've been much worse. (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Aug 17, 2026 at 09:45:20 PM EST
    But while we didn't have a direct impact from Hurricane Lala, there's no question that we got sideswiped pretty good. But to be fair, most of the U.S. media reporting on Lala was from a perspective that's 2,400-5,000 miles away.

    Thus far, the bulk of the damage appears to be flood-related. The northeast quadrant of a hurricane is the portion that contains most of the storm's moisture, and Lala's northeast quadrant dragged slowly over the islands from Hilo to Honolulu at about 8-10 mph. This is what the Wailuku River - which empties into Hilo Bay - looked like on early Saturday evening.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I was concerned about you (none / 0) (#35)
    by Coral on Mon Aug 17, 2026 at 11:40:59 AM EST
    When I read about heavy rains in Hilo. Stay safe!

    Parent
    Good (none / 0) (#28)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Aug 16, 2026 at 10:00:19 AM EST
    Democrats Target Supreme Court with New Bills
    August 16, 2026 at 6:52 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 198 Comments

    "One bill proposes increasing the number of Supreme Court justices from nine to 13. Another would cut their lifetime terms to 18 years. Others would create an enforceable ethics code and place standards on how the court rules from its relatively opaque `shadow docket,'" the Washington Post reports.

    We're safe and sound, Peter. (5.00 / 3) (#32)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Aug 17, 2026 at 01:46:06 AM EST
    And that's what truly matters, isn't it? But I will say that when you're outside in a Category-1 storm (75-95mph winds), it's as much a struggle to stand as any higher-level storm. Structure-wise, our house is built to withstand storms of much greater intensity. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the tree. If it had fallen 15 feet to left of where it did, it would have crashed into our office-study on the second floor and likely caved it in. So, consider us lucky.

    Anyway, we're going to be staring at our fallen giant for the next week or so. I took the dog outside tonight since she's been cooped up in here for the last 36 hours, and she spent a good 15 minutes exploring the tree and checking it out thoroughly. I'm going to fence off the hole it created tomorrow morning, because I don't want her to hop down in it and get stuck. I have no idea how I'm going to fix that permanently - it's at least eight feet wide and about five feet deep, and it looks like a bomb crater.

    have a great day.

    Parent

    Floriduh (none / 0) (#42)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 19, 2026 at 07:28:14 PM EST
    Florida voters sure do a poor job overall of picking candidates to run for office. Jolly seems fine but Nixon, the DSA member? That office was a long shot but now it is a total loss. I just hope the senate race doesn't affect other races in the state.

    I think living in the Deep South (none / 0) (#45)
    by jondee on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 02:34:12 PM EST
    under that sun does something to the brains of people of European extraction. Present company excepted of course.

    Parent
    A friend of mine lived (none / 0) (#53)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Aug 20, 2026 at 06:07:40 PM EST
    In Orlando for 12 years and said the sun had baked the brains of people there.

    Parent
    Thus is great (none / 0) (#60)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 09:07:15 AM EST
    Mike Rogers Tells AIPAC to Stay Out of His Senate Race
    August 22, 2026 at 9:23 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 24 Comments

    "Allies of Mike Rogers, Michigan's GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate, have asked AIPAC not to advertise on his behalf, triggering a rupture with the powerful but polarizing pro-Israel group," Axios reports.

    "The extraordinary tension underscores how far AIPAC's political standing has fallen amid voters' anger over the war in Gaza. Even Rogers -- a staunchly pro-Israel Republican -- fears the group's public support could be a liability in the Nov. 3 election."

    Two things can both be true at once: (5.00 / 1) (#65)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 02:23:07 PM EST
    (1) Hamas' unprovoked and murderous assault on Oct. 23, 2023, which was launched from Gaza and deliberately targeted defenseless noncombatant Jewish civilians in southern Israel along the border, killing over 1,200 people and kidnapping 250+ others, constitutes a crime against humanity.

    (2) The Netanyahu regime's grossly disproportionate military response against Hamas in densely populated Gaza, which was conducted with both an absolute defiance of international law and a complete and callous disregard for the more than 2.2 million Palestinian Arab civilian noncombatants caught in the crossfire, and which further killed over 70,000 of them (including over 30,000 children), is a war crime.

    So many of our own politicians in Washington, Democrats and Republicans alike, appallingly failed to appreciate both the significance of the second point above and the grotesque spectacle that Americans were bearing witness to in TV news reports from Gaza on a daily basis. Consequently, they failed to use U.S. military and economic leverage over Israel to rein in Benjamin Netanyahu's bloodlust accordingly.

    Not surprisingly, that spectacularly blind-eyed misjudgment of American public sentiment has not only prompted a remarkable collapse of longstanding bipartisan public support for Israel, but it also provoked a serious and widespread political backlash from Democratic primary voters against those Democratic candidates and elected officials whom they perceived as mindlessly status quo.

    Further, American voters' ire toward the Netanyahu regime has only increased with the commencement of Donald Trump's disastrously ill-considered war upon Iran. And they're now siting in their political crosshairs those compliant Republicans who've identified so closely with Trump's unquestioning support of fellow far right leader Netanyahu.

    So, Rep. Mike Rogers can run away and hide from AIPAC all he wants. But he can't disassociate himself from all those votes in Congress taken on behalf of its primary client Israel and its genocidal assaults on Gaza and southern Lebanon.

    For his part, Abdul El-Sayed could help himself immeasurably with Michigan voters by calling for Hamas' expulsion from Gaza and the establishment of a robust international presence there to both keep the peace and help facilitate the rebuilding of its violently shattered infrastructure and the safe return of its dislocated Palestinian communities.

    By most any statistical and moral measure, the recent bloodbaths in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and the greater Middle East will be remembered as one of the great tragedies in the 21st century.

    It's now entirely up to voters in both Israel and the United States over the next three months to recognize nuance and cast ballots accordingly, in order to ensure that this tragedy is not further compounded by an electoral doubling down on stupid.

    Are we up to that task? Honestly, I'm really not sure. But for our own sakes, I certainly hope so.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    What aggravates me (5.00 / 3) (#67)
    by Chuck0 on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 02:55:57 PM EST
    is that now, any criticism of Netanyahu or Israeli policy get you accused of anti-semitism. I despise the current Israeli regime. They have evolved into the Germans that tried to exterminate them. Their treatment of Palestinians is now no better than that of the Nazis towards Jews.

    That said, I have no quarrel with anyone of the Jewish faith.

    Parent

    I do not agree that comparisons with the (none / 0) (#69)
    by Peter G on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 03:41:02 PM EST
    Nazis and their conduct is productive. (This relates also to my question for Donald.) But I join your aggravation at the dishonest rhetorical ploy of equating opposition to Israel's current policies, or even to the existence of a Jewish State in the Middle East, with antisemitism. Certainly a person who is antisemitic is likely to profess such views, but those moral or political beliefs, if reached and held in good faith, are not inherently antisemitic and most people who adhere to those positions are probably not antisemites. (I would expand your definition of antisemitism, however, ChuckO, to include not just prejudice against those who adhere to "the Jewish faith" but also those of Jewish heritage or ethnicity.)

    Parent
    Yes. Heritage and ethnicity (5.00 / 1) (#74)
    by Chuck0 on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 09:45:54 PM EST
    were included in my comnent. I just didn't phrase it very well.

    Parent
    War crimes, absolutely. Crimes against (none / 0) (#68)
    by Peter G on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 03:28:00 PM EST
    humanity, no doubt. But I am still not convinced that the term "genocide" can be properly applied to Israel's despicable actions and policies. You are a careful and thoughtful person, Donald. Explain it to me; persuade me that that particular term, which describes a particularly heinous course of conduct (the attempted destruction of all or a significant part of a people, as such) applies.

    Parent
    This got my attention (5.00 / 1) (#70)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 03:57:30 PM EST
    It has for years been the most visible part of whatever you call their efforts to erase and remove them.  
    The "Settlements".

    Trump Faces a Moment of Truth On Netanyahu
    August 22, 2026 at 12:11 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 28 Comments

    "A new Israeli government effort to build settlements near Jerusalem could lead to another uptick in Israeli-Palestinian tensions, and there's little indication the Trump administration will use its influence to limit rising instability," NOTUS reports.

    "Israel's housing ministry opened bidding this week for companies to build more than 1,200 housing units in the West Bank's E1 zone, part of occupied Palestinian territory where Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. Constructing Israeli homes in the region would block a key route between the north and south sections of the territory and separate it from East Jerusalem, where more than 300,000 Palestinians live and where diplomats have long envisioned a capital for a Palestinian state alongside Israel."

    NOTUS

    Parent

    Oh yes, Israel's settlement policy (5.00 / 1) (#71)
    by Peter G on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 04:14:56 PM EST
    in the West Bank is egregiously and shamelessly illegal. It is also designed, without question, to make impossible any resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that envisions an independent Palestinian State.

    Parent
    The forced displacement of Palestinian Arabs ... (5.00 / 2) (#83)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 04:37:46 PM EST
    ... from their ancestral lands by Jewish "settlers" and squatters in the occupied West Bank has also been cited by the U.N. and others as evidence of Israel's genocidal intent.

    I think it's important to note that genocide doesn't necessarily require an aggressor's wanton slaughter of victims to meet the definition's criteria. Genocide can also be the intended and purposeful extinguishment of an indigenous host culture as a means to compel a conquered people's subjugation and assimilation to the new order.

    Following the 1898 U.S. annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, American authorities attempted to discourage the art of hula and extinguish the use of the Hawaiian language amongst the Native Hawaiian people through the law and other means, such as the inflicting of corporal punishment on indigenous students in public schools.

    And they nearly succeeded, had it not been for the efforts of a stubborn few white academics at the University of Hawaii and a number of native practitioners who endeavored to keep the host culture alive, even if it had to be done in secret. By the 1960s, it was estimated that the number of people who were fluent in 'Olelo Hawai'i (the Hawaiian language) numbered a couple hundred at most.

    Ironically, the attainment of statehood in 1959 fostered a native backlash to the ruling white establishment in the form of a cultural movement known today as the Native Hawaiian Renaissance, which accelerated in the 1970s and continues to the present.

    The number of people who are fluent in Hawaiian now number close to 50,000, and the use of the language is encouraged and perpetuated through the establishment of Native Hawaiian immersion schools within the state Dept. of Education, particularly here on Hawaii island.

    We're now seeing local TV commercials produced in 'Olelo Hawai'i, and the regular use of Hawaiian idioms by native and non-native speakers alike is quite prevalent. It's rather an amazing turnaround in less than 50 years, especially considering just how close we were to losing it all through the loathsome practices of cultural genocide and forced assimilation.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    It's also turning into a PR (none / 0) (#75)
    by jondee on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 09:56:41 PM EST
    disaster for Israel that even YHVH can't make go away.

    I just read that Isreal gives grants to Christian mega churches in the U.S. Why would they do that? I thought we agreed that enlightened humanism was what we were aspiring to and not Dark Ages superstition.

    Parent

    As I understand the definition of genocide, ... (5.00 / 2) (#76)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 02:01:54 AM EST
    ... it is the deliberate and systematic persecution, displacement and killing of a large number of people from a particular national or ethnic group, with the aim or goal being the destruction of that nation or group.

    Like you, I discourage the cavalier use of Nazi analogies to describe the reprehensible conduct of people with whom we otherwise disagree. As an historian, I recognize The Shoah as a singular horror show on the 20th century world stage. To their eternal and damnable discredit, the Nazis meticulously documented both their intent and their conduct in the systematic effort to eliminate Europe's Jewish population.

    Now, because I've also long considered myself a friend of Israel, I don't use the term "genocide" lightly. And while reasonable minds may reasonably agree to disagree with one another, I'll please ask you to keep an open mind when considering what I'm saying here.

    Speaking for myself only, I believe the Netanyahu regime's barbaric actions have deliberately and systematically targeted the Palestinian Arab populations of not just Gaza but also the occupied West Bank territories and southern Lebanon. As such, that regime's murderously aggressive conduct fits the aforementioned definition of genocide to a tee. I'll continue to stand by my opinion.

    And if my argument isn't enough to sway you, then please also consider the 2025 report of a United Nations commission of inquiry (p. 64), which concluded that "genocidal intent was the only reasonable inference that could be drawn, based on the pattern of conduct of the Israeli authorities."

    Further, that same commission also found that several high-ranking Israeli officials -- specifically President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant -- have offered multitude of verbal statements that dehumanize Palestinians and which incite, justify, or praise atrocities committed against them. (Same report, p. 54.)

    "I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel. Everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly."
    - Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Oct. 9, 2023)

    Finally, there are several prominent Israeli scholars who have reluctantly reached the same conclusion about their country's longstanding hostility toward Palestinian Arabs. Israeli historian Raz Segal and Israeli legal scholar Luigi Daniele noted the prolific use of genocidal rhetoric even before October 2023, citing (1) A May 2023 Times of Israel article that said that the only way to achieve peace is to "obliterate" Palestine; and (2) A public statement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from Feb. 2023, which called for the destruction of Palestinian villages in the West Bank.

    I take no pleasure in leveling such a damning accusation against a country I've long respected and admired. But as the late Jane Addams once observed, the essence of immorality is our tendency to make exceptions of ourselves.

    Our reluctance to believe that Israel is capable of genocidal conduct is a perfectly understandable reaction, given the tragic history of the Jewish people. But in light of the considerable evidence otherwise, it is also a grievously mistaken one.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    They're human beings (5.00 / 1) (#84)
    by jondee on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 05:12:39 PM EST
    first and foremost. We already know from history that human beings are capable of the best and worst.

    And being traumatized is no guarantee that people won't inflict the same evil they experienced on others.


    Parent

    Exactly. (5.00 / 1) (#88)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 12:18:27 AM EST
    And if I had to guess - a rather hazardous undertaking nowadays - I'd say most Israelis likely disapprove of Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct. Well, they have an opportunity in October's general election to get rid of him. Let's hope they avail themselves of it and do so.

    Parent
    A Hebrew University poll (none / 0) (#89)
    by jondee on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 10:33:12 AM EST
    found that 62 to 64% of Israelis believe that there are no innocent people in Gaza.

    All that tells me is that a majority of Israelis have lost their fcking minds and that their bullets, missles, and Iron Dome allowance should be cut off; the same way we don't sell guns to violent psychopaths in the U.S.


    Parent

    They're enraged (none / 0) (#90)
    by jondee on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 11:17:01 AM EST
    being enraged is the most primitive survival reaction. Our prisons are full of people who acted out of rage. It might be 'understandable' but that doesn't make it right, sustainable, or life-enhancing.

    Parent
    I'd have tolook at that poll's crosstabs. (none / 0) (#91)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 01:48:21 PM EST
    I've seen polls that say otherwise. Most Israelis realize that antagonizing the American public, as the Netanyahu regime has been doing of late, is not a wise thing to do.

    Meanwhile, the prime minister himself appears to be of the mindset that U.S. public opinion doesn't matter, so long as he has most officials in Washington on his side.

    At some point, something has got to give and when it does, it's likely going to snap - perhaps in our November elections or Israel's upcoming national elections, or both.

    I agree with you that we need to cut Israel off from its primary munitions source. That should have been done even before Joe Biden left office. Israel has squandered its longstanding goodwill in the U.S. and we need to be willing to use our leverage to make that known to its government.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    If Arab Israelis are subtracted (none / 0) (#93)
    by jondee on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 02:55:41 PM EST
    from the poll, the number is estimated to be closer to 76% who believe there are no innocents in Gaza. If that isn't indicative of a genocidal mindset, I don't know what is.

    One can only imagine what they would be doing if the rest of the world wasn't paying close attention.

    Parent

    Probably (none / 0) (#62)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 12:24:00 PM EST
    a smart move by him. You can be pro-Israel and not get money from AIPAC. There is a whole group of voters that have abandoned Dems for Rogers. Don't know if it is enough to make a difference but El-Sayed is the only D senate candidate that is underwater on approval with a chance of winning. He is polling below the statewide candidates so there is a Benson/Rogers voter in MI. The question is how many.

    Parent
    What I mean by "great" (none / 0) (#72)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 05:17:18 PM EST
    is Rogers is telling AIPAC to "stay out" of a race with Abdul El-Sayed.

    Something about that just seems to suggest there is hope for or country.  


    Parent

    It's not as though Rep. Rogers ... (none / 0) (#80)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 23, 2026 at 02:12:38 PM EST
    ... has suddenly seen the light regarding AIPAC through experiencing some sort of come-to-Jesus moment. (Skanky religious analogy, to be sure, but not necessarily an inappropriate one.)

    Rogers' recent repositioning vis a vis AIPAC is entirely superficial and situational, as you're clearly aware given your earlier comment. Rather, he now belatedly realizes that any publicly perceived association on his part with AIPAC is becoming increasingly toxic by the hour.

    Personally, I think it'll be interesting to see whether AIPAC's leaders have any political self-awareness of their own regarding the deteriorating public perception of their organization, which would prompt them to stand down accordingly, at least for now.

    Given their militantly volatile history of advocacy on behalf of Israel, I'd offer pretty good odds that they'll instead double down. To paraphrase the Blues Brothers, they're on a mission from God.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    According to a Recent Book (none / 0) (#73)
    by RickyJim on Sat Aug 22, 2026 at 08:13:24 PM EST
    "Israel's Lobby" by Clifton and Lustick, the lobby's strategy in states where Israel is not an issue, is to keep candidates in sync with their interests by threatening to support their opponents with attack ads on topics having nothing to do with Israel. So they might employ this strategy to help Rogers by paying for ads complaining about El-Sayed's socialist tendencies and hiding the fact they paid for them.  

    Parent
    Never mind (none / 0) (#105)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 07:01:22 AM EST
    AIPAC  Hosts Multiple Fundraisers for Mike Rogers
    August 25, 2026 at 7:29 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 13 Comments

    "Michigan Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers attended three fundraisers hosted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Los Angeles on Sunday and another on Monday amid reports that he holds reservations about the pro-Israel group advertising on his behalf to help him defeat Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in November," the Detroit News reports.

    "The pro-Israel group is motivated to defeat El-Sayed, a fierce critic of Israel's government, and is reportedly eager to boost Rogers by adding to the $32 million that it spent trying to defeat El-Sayed in the primary."

    Parent

    Read the room lady. (none / 0) (#94)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 03:00:47 PM EST
    I saw an advertisement on TV the other day for PA GQP gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity.

    She is calling for hundreds more data centers and deregulation on building them in the Commonwealth. This at a time when general sentiment towards data centers is less, not more. People don't want them in their back yards.

    She is pointing out PA rural areas for data centers. Just what we need, less farmland for food to house data centers. Which, other than the labor to build them, do not create any long term jobs.

    If this the crux of her campaign for governor, she will lose as badly as Doug Mastriano.

    One can only hope (none / 0) (#95)
    by jmacWA on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 03:40:24 PM EST
    she will lose as badly as Doug Mastriano... I'll settle for any loss though.  Not a huge Shapiro fan but there is no comparison between the candidates.


    Parent
    Important to remember (none / 0) (#96)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 05:02:22 PM EST
    The Fight Over Trump's Mail-Voting Order Isn't Over
    August 24, 2026 at 5:32 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 49 Comments

    The Supreme Court cleared the way for President Trump's new mail-voting requirements to take effect before the midterms.

    But that does not mean the order will take effect.

    They were just talking about this (none / 0) (#97)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 05:04:28 PM EST
    On MSN. It sounded like Andrew was pretty sure it would be stopped.

    It is pretty obviously illegal.

    Parent

    The Supreme Court (5.00 / 2) (#98)
    by KeysDan on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 06:58:15 PM EST
    has, essentially, ruled that Trump hasn't actually done anything unlawful, yet.  He is just planning to do something unlawful--so standing.  Sort of like I have not unlawfully punched you in the nose, yet. I am just planning it.  So, nothing to see here.

    Since the issue is delivery of ballots to the voter, not from, maybe the states could send the ballots out in a plain brown envelope. Three envelopes, the plain brown envelope outside, inside-- the ballot and the return envelope.  Or, the states could contract with FedEx or UPS for delivery.

    Of course, Trump doesn't care that much if he loses, he wins with the chaos and the set-up for claim the election was stolen if Republicans lose.  The Supreme Court sinister six are willing to help out.

    Parent

    He is making people hate him (none / 0) (#100)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 07:07:51 PM EST
    more and more every day.  Canada.

    I'm starting to hope he tries to stop the election or change the outcome.
    He would not win.
    The country wood absolutely explode. And maybe that's what needs to happen.


    Parent

    And then what? (5.00 / 1) (#151)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Aug 31, 2026 at 12:29:16 PM EST
    "We are like sheep without a shepherd.
    We don't know how to be alone,
    So we wander 'round this desert,
    Wind up following the wrong gods home.
    But the flock cries out for another,
    And they keep answering that bell
    As one more starry-eyed messiah
    Meets a violent farewell.
    Learn to be still."
    - Don Henley and Stan Lynch, "Learn to Be Still"
      The Eagles, Hell Freezes Over (1994)

    Will such a resultant "explosion" be enough to compel us to see the inherent danger of our feckless political ways and bring about the much-needed course correction - or, to quote the Rev. Johnson in Blazing Saddles, "Are we just jerking off?"

    It won't do us any good to simply restore the political center to power and reinstate the status quo as it existed prior to 2016. We already tried that with Joe Biden. Not only did the center fail to hold, it collapsed in rather shocking fashion.

    Worse still, key elements of our centrist coalition then clearly and quickly moved to accommodate themselves to MAGA rule, even if that accommodation came at everyone else's expense. So, we need to get very real here and recognize that we're now well beyond any restoration stage, whether we like it or not.

    Personally, I believe that we're going to be in for some rocky times, regardless of the 2016 midterms' outcome. Even if Democrats do manage to regain control of Congress, which appears increasingly likely at this point, there will remain the matter of some still-unfinished business looming over us all.

    There will need to be a consequential reckoning with the MAGA far right, which needs to be castrated. They need to be crushed - not just wounded, but completely dismantled and wrecked. And that's going to be as painful a task as it is a necessary one.

    Because anything short of that, and this country will very quickly find itself in a politically volatile "lather-rinse, repeat" cycle, and we'll soon find that the far right's call for civil war isn't an idle threat anymore.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    "explode ' (none / 0) (#101)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 07:11:29 PM EST
    in the moral and political sense.  Of course  

    Parent
    I think Darlene is a loser (none / 0) (#99)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 24, 2026 at 07:03:09 PM EST
    Her opponent is one of the worst people on earth.
    I hope he wins.

    ----

    Trump Lays It On the Line for Darline Graham
    August 24, 2026 at 6:03 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 98 Comments

    "President Trump has stuck his neck out for Senator Darline Graham," the New York Times reports.

    "On the line: The president's credibility in a state that twice in the last six months has rejected his preferences

    Both are (none / 0) (#121)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 05:01:16 PM EST
    Terrible candidates but Norman has decades of bad votes in SC to be mined. I was in SC a few weeks ago and my husbands niece said a lot of people were sick of Trump and his sycophants. However there are a lot of old people in SC who will vote for any Republican

    Parent
    Very sad (none / 0) (#110)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 02:09:45 PM EST

    Dolly Parton, country music icon, dies at 80

    Dolly Parton's passing has hit so many people ... (5.00 / 1) (#138)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 27, 2026 at 12:20:39 PM EST
    ... really hard. All the professional accolades she's received aside, I think she was also America's favorite cousin or aunt.

    So, if folks in Nashville want to rename their city's international airport in Dolly's honor, that's great. It would certainly be better if it's her rather than Marsha Blackburn.

    ;-D

    Parent

    She seemed like an awesome person (none / 0) (#112)
    by jondee on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 02:45:33 PM EST
    her coat of many colors is going to have even more colors now.

    Parent
    over 300 million free books (none / 0) (#113)
    by Peter G on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 03:22:34 PM EST
    for kids under 5. Unbelievable.

    Parent
    My town is flying the flag for her (none / 0) (#126)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 07:04:08 PM EST
    this is a screen grab of a Facebook post

    Parent
    I just heard Trump ordered this (none / 0) (#127)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 07:18:26 PM EST
    I don't think that's why

    Parent
    The (none / 0) (#123)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 05:14:00 PM EST
    Pundits have noticed that Cotton is separating himself from Trump yet nobody believes that poll that has him losing. Hmmmm

    I (none / 0) (#124)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 25, 2026 at 05:51:58 PM EST
    Believe it

    Parent
    Tim Curry (Dr. Frank-N-Furter) died yesterday. (none / 0) (#130)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Aug 26, 2026 at 02:28:31 PM EST
    He was also 80. I had no idea he was that old.

    Rest in Peace. Now it's time to make some popcorn, get a spray bottle and make meatloaf for dinner and enjoy my old Rocky Horror Picture show recording.

    I used to have a vinyl copy of his album Fearless. I had originally bought it because Dick Wagner played guitar on the album. Dick Wagner played on Lou Reed albums Berlin and Rock N Roll Animal. The album surprisingly good. Tim Curry could rock.

    He was unique (none / 0) (#131)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 26, 2026 at 02:38:25 PM EST
    he had been sick a since 2012 when he had a major stroke while getting a massage.

    Weird.

    Parent

    2 80 year olds (none / 0) (#133)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 26, 2026 at 03:59:34 PM EST
    have died in a couple of days. The one that most people would celebrate passing is still here. I wonder who will be next but I doubt it will be the orange one.

    Parent
    Old Mitch (none / 0) (#134)
    by leap2 on Wed Aug 26, 2026 at 06:51:52 PM EST
    may have already been the third. We don't know if he is alive or daid.

    Parent
    Death may not be the end (none / 0) (#140)
    by jondee on Thu Aug 27, 2026 at 02:25:17 PM EST
    Bill O'Reilly still roaming abroad and popping up on talk shows is proof of that.

    In the old country, they used to drive an iron stake through the grave to prevent that sort of thing.

    Parent

    Shelley Fabares died a couple days ago (none / 0) (#135)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Aug 26, 2026 at 07:33:41 PM EST
    She was 82. She sang Johnny Angel and was on The Donna Reed Show and played Coach's girlfriend in Coach.

    Parent
    Well (none / 0) (#136)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Aug 27, 2026 at 04:32:35 AM EST
    then there's our 3.

    Parent
    Darline (none / 0) (#132)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 26, 2026 at 03:58:17 PM EST
    wins the primary, oof. Will SC elect yet another cringe senator? Personally I think she's the better candidate to go against Andrews simply because the people that won't vote for a woman (which there are a lot of in SC especially SC republicans). Even though Norman was an insurrectionist he committed the gravest of sins by endorsing Haley in 2024. There is no grievance Trump won't nurse forever.

    I can't imagine Darline will do another debate.

    I have it on good authority (none / 0) (#141)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Aug 27, 2026 at 06:09:49 PM EST
    that Canadian PM Carney will be issuing a proclamation renaming the United States to Lower Canada.

    /s

    Seeed like a good idea at the time (none / 0) (#146)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 29, 2026 at 09:55:10 AM EST
    Equity Stakes Face Election Risks
    August 29, 2026 at 10:35 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 0 Comments

    "Traders have made a bundle over the past year following President Donald Trump as the U.S. government pursues an unprecedented strategy of taking ownership stakes in publicly traded companies," Bloomberg reports.

    "But with the deeply polarized midterm elections approaching and polls suggesting the Democratic Party is likely to win a majority in at least one house of Congress, market strategists see rising risks of the administration's equity positions."

    I would be interested to read some sort (5.00 / 2) (#147)
    by Peter G on Sun Aug 30, 2026 at 03:43:17 PM EST
    of expert analysis of this question, but to me, I don't see how it is constitutional for the U.S. government to own an "equity position" (stock) in a private company. Under the U.S. Constitution, the federal government is by design a government of limited powers; it is authorized only to do things that the constitution enumerates (including reasonable interpretations of general authorizations), and nothing else. Has the government ever been authorized to invest in stocks? What appropriation or budget line is that?

    Parent
    Hopefully, (5.00 / 2) (#148)
    by KeysDan on Sun Aug 30, 2026 at 10:47:24 PM EST
    at least one member of Congress  is interested in finding answers to these questions.  And, to find out if revenues go to the US Treasury or to curious accounts in Qatar.

    Parent
    At the very least (5.00 / 3) (#149)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 31, 2026 at 08:29:41 AM EST
    it should be brought up every time they yell "socialist/communist"

    Seems it could be turned into a teaching moment

    Parent

    5 points (none / 0) (#155)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 02, 2026 at 09:11:02 AM EST

    In the EPIC-MRA poll, 43 percent of respondents either said they would back Rogers or leaned toward him if their ballots were due that day, while 47 percent said the same of El-Sayed

    Ha (5.00 / 2) (#156)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 02, 2026 at 09:12:15 AM EST
    Obviously. 4 points.  

    Parent
    It's hard to understand (none / 0) (#157)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Sep 02, 2026 at 04:09:55 PM EST
    why Trump and his flying monkeys fail to understand that if you try to stop people from voting, especially blatantly and openly, it only makes them more determined to vote.

    I glad they don't get this

    What could go wrong (none / 0) (#159)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Sep 04, 2026 at 07:21:29 PM EST

    Trump Begins to Draft Middle East Strategy
    September 4, 2026 at 2:22 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 50 Comments

    "The Trump administration is working on a post-war strategy focused on a regional effort to contain Iran and expand normalization of relations between Israel and its neighbors," Axios reports.

    and

    Arab Diplomats Fear Iran Is Widening the War
    September 4, 2026 at 1:25 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 55 Comments

    "Iran's renewed attacks against Arab countries are raising the stakes for regional powers, with some saying they are losing hope that there's any way out of the war -- and that things will get worse before the November elections," Politico reports.

    "The fear is that Iran is particularly motivated to increase strikes right now -- ahead of the U.S. midterms -- making a widening regional conflict more likely.
    Now he wants to (none / 0) (#163)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Sep 06, 2026 at 06:03:40 PM EST
    rename New Mexico

    Three guesses what the new name is.  
    New Murcia would be even better.  

    Seriously, more of this.  Please.

    trump is an a--hole. (5.00 / 3) (#164)
    by desertswine on Sun Sep 06, 2026 at 06:21:04 PM EST
    Nuff said.

    Parent
    You would think (none / 0) (#165)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Sep 06, 2026 at 07:23:35 PM EST
    he knows that now every Republican candidate will be asked if they want to rename New Mexico.

    I think he has realized he can't destroy the country so he is going to settle for destroying the Republican party.  


    Parent

    The orange clown says you could (none / 0) (#180)
    by jondee on Fri Sep 11, 2026 at 02:26:44 PM EST
    a 5k check if you vote Republican in the midterms.
    Second prize is a black velvet painting of Trump being sworn in by Jesus. Third prize is a set of steak knives.

    Parent
    I'm still waiting for my $2000 tariff refund, (5.00 / 1) (#184)
    by desertswine on Fri Sep 11, 2026 at 04:30:46 PM EST
    and my $5000 Doge rebate.  Hell, I'm still waiting for my Peace Dividend from the Clinton Era.

    Parent
    The peace dividend (5.00 / 1) (#185)
    by jondee on Sat Sep 12, 2026 at 02:42:35 PM EST
    is we haven't been blown up yet. Not this week anyway.

    Parent
    The only (none / 0) (#182)
    by KeysDan on Fri Sep 11, 2026 at 02:44:11 PM EST
    Identifiable perpetrator of election fraud seems to be Trump.

    Parent
    Shame on the media ... (5.00 / 3) (#166)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 07, 2026 at 01:43:31 AM EST
    ... for credulously reporting this effin nonsense and giving it wide airplay. Trump has no authority, statutorily, morally, or otherwise, to unilaterally rename a state of the union.

    Parent
    Today's moment of levity ... (none / 0) (#167)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 07, 2026 at 04:58:59 PM EST
    ... comes from my elderly aunt, commenting on Trump and MAGA Republicans:

    "I'm not saying I'm old, but I remember seeing people like that on trial at Nuremburg."

    ;-D

    Parent

    Toss up (none / 0) (#168)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 08, 2026 at 10:12:27 AM EST

    Decision Desk HQ.

    The nonpartisan election analyst on Monday shifted its November forecast to "a pure toss-up" for the upper chamber of Congress for the first time since the beginning of June. DDHQ said it based its rating on an average seat outcome across 1 million simulations.

    The new forecast is a slight change from the end of August, when Republicans were found to have a 2-point average lead over Democrats in Senate races

    Hillary was on MJ (none / 0) (#173)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Sep 10, 2026 at 09:08:26 AM EST
    for about an hour

    Over the last 70 years, ... (none / 0) (#177)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Sep 11, 2026 at 03:12:12 AM EST
    ... Hawaii was directly hit by three hurricanes - Dot in 1958, Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992. The Pacific is a big ocean, and we present a small target. But all of the sudden, we've been hit by two in the last four weeks. Lowell did a real number on Kauai. 80% of that island remains without power. But like Lala, it really could've been much worse.

    On Sept. 11, 2001, we were planning (none / 0) (#181)
    by Peter G on Fri Sep 11, 2026 at 02:39:27 PM EST
    to drive from Philadelphia to the northeast corner of NJ, where I grew up -- along with our two younger kids, who were still in high school (the oldest had started college) -- to celebrate my father's 85th birthday that day. About 95 miles. I don't remember if we were planning to eat out; more likely my mom (then about the age I am now) would have been preparing my dad's favorite at-home dinner - a standing rib roast, baked potatoes, petit pois with pearl onions, home made brownies, and a bottle of Bolla Bardolino wine. The town where I grew up was seven miles from the George Washington Bridge; less than 15 miles from the World Trade Center. Did they close the Jersey Turnpike heading toward NYC to all but emergency traffic? I don't remember.  But that dinner party was canceled and never rescheduled.  

    Congratulations (none / 0) (#186)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Sep 13, 2026 at 09:57:50 AM EST

    You Just Lived Through the Hottest Month Ever Recorded

    One of Amtrak's busiest and most popular ... (5.00 / 1) (#188)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Sep 14, 2026 at 01:27:25 PM EST
    ... routes is the Los Angeles-San Diego segment of its Pacific Surfliner service along the Southern California coast. It's actually become my preferred mode of transport when traveling between the two cities, to avoid the heavy highway traffic on the I-5 corridor.

    But once again, that segment is in jeopardy due to coastal erosion undermining the track bed along the beach at San Clemente, which was no doubt aggravated by the recent heavy rains and coastal storm surge produced by Hurricane Marie.

    Hurricanes were once an unheard-of phenomenon in California, but no more. Maria is the second such storm to sideswipe the coast in the last few years due to the warming seas prompted by the 2026 El Niño, which is forecast to be one of the strongest on record.

    But hey, let's continue to double down on fossil fuels and pump even more greenhouse gases into the earth's atmosphere. What could possibly go wrong?

    Oy.

    Parent

    Why don't they just nuke the planet... (none / 0) (#187)
    by desertswine on Sun Sep 13, 2026 at 11:18:04 PM EST
    ...it would be faster.

    The Trump administration plans to announce Monday that the United States will no longer limit the planet-warming pollution that power plants pump into the air while burning coal and gas, according to two people familiar with the proposal.

    Parent

    They wanna go back to the Cretaceous (none / 0) (#189)
    by jondee on Mon Sep 14, 2026 at 04:25:50 PM EST
    with all that lush vegetation and dragonflies with 3 foot wingspans

    Seriously, I think all the Christian end times nonsense about how 'it's all going to hell anyway' feeds into their environmental nihilism. Future generations be damned, screw 'em.

    Except if that's true, why are they all obsessed with estate planning and hiding their money from the IRS?

    Parent

    FINALLY (none / 0) (#190)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 14, 2026 at 07:05:56 PM EST
    When voting is actually happening.  And Thomas and Alito descent.

    Supreme Court rejects Trump's plan to limit mail-in voting in midterms

    Ha (none / 0) (#191)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Sep 14, 2026 at 07:21:13 PM EST
    Dissent.

    It would be great if they descended

    Parent

    Agreed (5.00 / 1) (#192)
    by KeysDan on Mon Sep 14, 2026 at 08:40:49 PM EST
    In Alito's dissent he said "The plaintiffs cannot claim the timing of the rule tilts the equities in their favor when they and the courts hearing their claims are responsible for so much of the delay."

    Parent
    Which is priceless, considering that (5.00 / 2) (#195)
    by Peter G on Tue Sep 15, 2026 at 11:06:49 AM EST
    when the challengers originally went after the earlier threatened version of the rule, the Supreme Court ordered their case dismissed as premature. Alito's comment is literally the opposite of the truth. Utterly disingenuous and argumentative, not judicious in any way.

    Parent
    God, I really hope it does (none / 0) (#196)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 15, 2026 at 11:37:48 AM EST
    Trump says

    "[The justices] are merely a shell of their original selves, a court that is costing the United States Trillions of Dollars with shockingly bad rulings.
    It is not easy for me to write this criticism of the United States Supreme Court - it will likely cost me dearly for years to come."



    Parent
    And, a (none / 0) (#198)
    by KeysDan on Tue Sep 15, 2026 at 12:26:44 PM EST
    seeming rebuke of Justice Ketanji Jackson's extensive dissent in an earlier phase of the litigation in August.  Arguing that if the timeline was too close to the elections , it was partly because Jackson and the other Democratic-appointed justices dragged out the process by writing lengthy dissents over the summer (a 23-page dissent accusing the majority of injecting chaos and uncertainty into the midterms).

    Parent
    Trump turned it on them (none / 0) (#199)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 15, 2026 at 03:18:30 PM EST
    Said Trump: "Republicans just got another bad decision from the United States Supreme Court, one that the Court System took forever to give, and then blamed it, in part, on no time left to implement a solution to our totally CORRUPT and out of control Mail-In voting `disaster.'"

    Parent
    Kennedy's questioning (none / 0) (#193)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 15, 2026 at 09:07:48 AM EST
    of Kash is entertaining

    The beastiality stuff (none / 0) (#194)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 15, 2026 at 09:10:52 AM EST
    is classic.

    Parent
    "So, you disqualify the animal?" (5.00 / 2) (#197)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Sep 15, 2026 at 11:42:33 AM EST
    I know we are running out of comments

    but this is pretty great



    Parent

    Patel: (5.00 / 1) (#200)
    by KeysDan on Wed Sep 16, 2026 at 10:11:15 AM EST
    "Applicants who have engaged in bestiality means were victims  of bestiality because they were forced to do so.  And, at this FBI we are not hoping to criminalize and prevent victims from serving."

    So weird  on so many levels.  Victims do not engage in criminality. And, has this been a big problem in recruiting?  Maybe, the old PR tactic--get ahead of the curve.

    Parent

    Kennedy sounds like a never-aired (none / 0) (#201)
    by jondee on Wed Sep 16, 2026 at 11:58:54 AM EST
    episode of Green Acres in which Mr Haney wanted to talk about beastiality.

    Parent
    Tuesday Open Thread | 201 comments (201 topical)