Happy New Year and Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Jan 01, 2026 at 02:31:18 PM EST
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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

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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

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.

Aspirin dosage (none / 0) (#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 (none / 0) (#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?

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.