The Conversation -- May 12, 2025
Bill Shaner, a local, Worcester, Massachusetts, reporter, in Mother Jones: Shaner witnessed an arrest and detention of an alleged undocumented woman (name still unknown). The local police, who claimed not to be helping the federal agents (departments unclear), in fact showed up in force to protect the agents from residents trying to stop the detention or at least see a warrant (that didn't happen). The local cops arrested two people, one a 16-year-old girl who is the daughter of the detained woman, the other a community activist. Thanks to RAS for the link. MB: I urge you to read this report. This is happening in a town near you (and in this particular case, near me).
Patricia Clarke of the Observer (Guardian) draws a Venn diagram of the Trumpocracy's various corrupt players & their interests. Thanks to laura h. for the link. MB: Looks like Clarke wrote the piece before the Sky Palace story erupted, so we'll need another circle or perhaps another part of the Oval Office walls on which to begin a new Venn diagram. BTW, you'll realize when you take a look at that chart that there is no way to separate the Trump corrupt players from the Trump corrupt administration. They're one-and-the-same.
~~~ MB: I meant to link this earlier. Thanks to RAS for the link.
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A Temporary, Partial Ceasefire in Trump Trade Tax War with China. Daisuke Wakabayashi, et al., of the New York Times: “The United States and China said Monday they reached an agreement to temporarily reduce the punishing tariffs they have imposed on each other in an attempt to defuse the trade war threatening the world’s two largest economies. In a joint statement, the countries said they would suspend their respective tariffs for 90 days while they negotiate. Under the agreement, the United States would reduce the tariff on Chinese imports to 30 percent from its current 145 percent, while China would lower its import duty on American goods to 10 percent from 125 percent. 'We concluded that we have a shared interest,' said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at a news conference in Geneva where U.S. and Chinese officials met over the weekend.... The agreement breaks an impasse that had brought trade between China and the United States to a halt. Many American businesses had suspended orders, holding out hope that the two countries could strike a deal to bring down the tariff rates while raising the possibility of price increases.” A CNBC report is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Are we supposed to cheer now? ~~~
~~~ Marcy Wheeler: “Against the background of empty ports, stalled shipping traffic, and impending business failures, Trump has capitulated on his trade embargo with China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will announce an even bigger rollback of tariffs than the 80 or 50% tariffs Trump floated last week, to 30% (which is the 10% tariffs imposed worldwide, plus the 20% that purports to be a punishment for China’s role in providing precursors for fentanyl).... In announcing this 'deal,' Greer offered up thin excuses for capitulating within hours.” Wheeler argues that Greer's thin excuses may be useful evidence for the plaintiffs bringing lawsuits against the tariffs.
... And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State. -- U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8
⭐~~~ Extraordinary Graft. Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: “The Trump administration plans to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 plane as a donation from the Qatari royal family that will be upgraded to serve as Air Force One, in possibly the biggest foreign gift ever received by the U.S. government, a senior official with direct knowledge of the matter said. The plane will then be donated to ... [Donald] Trump’s presidential library when he leaves office, the official said, allowing him to continue using it as a private citizen. The plan raises substantial ethical issues, given the immense value of the lavishly-appointed plane and the fact that Mr. Trump plans to use it after he leaves office. Sold new, a commercial Boeing 747-8 costs in the range of $400 million.... The plane being donated by Qatar is expected to be retrofitted by a military contractor called L3Harris, in Texas, and that work can begin once the government approves how the plane is being acquired, the official said. It is expected to be finished being equipped with military capabilities by the end of the year, the official said, allowing Mr. Trump to use it while in office.” (Also linked yesterday.) The story has been updated. ~~~
~~~ Here's the last graf: “The current plan has been signed off on by government lawyers who concluded it does not violate the emoluments clause of the Constitution and that the Defense Department can accept the gift, the official said.” MB: Yeah, I'll bet those government lawyers signed off. Wouldn't we like to know who they were: Pam Bondi & Emil Bove?? And who will be doing the extensive remodeling and upkeep of Trump's plane? You and I, of course. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Oh, wait. This is from the ABC News report, which broke the story: "... Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump's top White House lawyer David Warrington concluded it would be 'legally permissible' for the donation of the aircraft to be conditioned on transferring its ownership to Trump's presidential library before the end of his term.... Bondi provided a legal memorandum addressed to the White House counsel's office last week after Warrington asked her for advice on the legality of the Pentagon accepting such a donation.... Both the White House and DOJ concluded that because the gift is not conditioned on any official act, it does not constitute bribery, the sources said. Bondi's legal analysis also says it does not run afoul of the Constitution's prohibition on foreign gifts because the plane is not being given to an individual, but rather to the United States Air Force and, eventually, to the presidential library foundation, the sources said." MB: I was mostly kidding about Bondi. I should have known she would not even consider standing between Trump and a $400MM thing. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Let's not forget that while Trump is flying around in his "palace in the sky," he is cutting services and programs for young families, cutting R&D for medical and other scientific advancement that help us all, AND is raising the prices of everything that struggling young families need, especially safe products for babies and children like car seats & strollers (or as Trump would have it, "the thing you carry the baby around in"). Also, do see Patrick's comment in yesterday's thread regarding federal government gift laws. ~~~
The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense. But the matter remains under review by the respective legal departments, and no decision has been made. -- Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attaché, in a statement made shortly before Trump boasted about acquiring the plane
Nothing says ‘America First’ like Air Force One, brought to you by Qatar.... It’s not just bribery, it’s premium foreign influence with extra legroom. -- Sen. Chuck Schumer, in a statement ~~~
~~~ The Latest. So Far. Zeke Miller & Will Weissert of the AP: “... Donald Trump is ready to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar during his trip to the Middle East this coming week, and U.S. officials say it could be converted into a potential presidential aircraft. The Qatari government said a final decision hadn’t been made. Still, Trump defended the idea — what would amount to a president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government — as a fiscally smart move for the country. 'So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,' Trump posted on his social media site on Sunday night. 'Anybody can do that!'...
“One expert on government ethics, Kathleen Clark of the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, accused Trump of being 'committed to exploiting the federal government’s power, not on behalf of policy goals, but for amassing personal wealth.'... [The Trump Organization recently entered into] a new deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar, partnering with Qatari Diar, a real estate company backed by that country’s sovereign wealth fund.” ~~~
~~~ Politico's story concentrates on the Qatari's insistence that reports about the gift plane are inaccurate. MB: So it appears to me that Trump's boast about acquiring the Qatari "gift" is an effort to force the Qataris to give him the luxury plane. ~~~
~~~ Robert Reich: "Apparently [Trump has] been talking about the plane for months. In February, he toured it while it was parked at Palm Beach International Airport. He’s tried to redecorate the White House into a palace but that’s not nearly as satisfying as flying around the world in one, especially once he’s left the White House (assuming he will).... [Pam Bondi, who blessed this gift,] represented Trump in a criminal proceeding. Presumably he appointed her attorney general because he knew she’d do and say anything he wanted. Oh, and she used to lobby for Qatar.... This week’s trip to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E. is as much a personal business trip for Trump and his family businesses as a diplomatic trip." ~~~
~~~ Julianne McShane of Mother Jones outlines just a few of the other incidents in which Trump has flouted the Constitution, the law and ethics rules. She concludes, "The real threat to our democratic institutions and national interests, then, may not be the foreign kings the Emoluments Clause warned about, but the one sitting in the White House." ~~~
~~~ Jacob Levy in a Washington Post op-ed: “... how can the royal family of Qatar give Trump a $400 million 'flying palace' of a plane, one that will act as Air Force One during his presidency but remain his afterward? The answer lies in a problem that predates Trump: the presidential library system. These somewhat misnamed institutions — they do house presidential records and archives, but they also act as hagiographic museums, almost shrines — are established through private donations, from anyone, in any amount.... Concerns have been raised about this system since at least the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, which received millions from foreign governments; reform efforts have stalled.
“The Qatari plane will first be a time-limited gift to the Air Force. Shortly before Trump leaves office, after it has been upgraded at taxpayer expense, it will be transferred to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Fund, which will then keep it available for the fund’s namesake. Presto: a gift to the Air Force becomes one to the library fund becomes a lavish lifetime perk for Trump personally. As with donations to a presidential inaugural committee, gifts to the library fund fall between the cracks of campaign finance regulations and rules governing ethics in office. As he has already done with inaugural committees, Trump seems likely to expand a known problem with library foundations into a crisis.... Now that he has shown the path to personal enrichment in the billions of dollars from those currying his favor, lawful general governance is at risk even after he departs.” ~~~
~~~ Josh Marshall of TPM disagrees: "... the [presidential] libraries are structured as nonprofits with boards and so forth. They become little museums ... and they also become the official repositories of the presidential papers. But those remain under the control and custody of the National Archives. Basically, you’ve got what is in effect a museum and then the Archives enter into some contract to store and protect the official presidential records on the grounds. The point is that the library isn’t the ex-president’s official office. It’s not owned by the president and it doesn’t, like, book his hotel reservations. Each president also gets public funds to do just that, to have an official office, the formal entity from which he does his ex-presidenting. The [New York Times is] acting like the library is his office. But it’s not.... The relevant point here is that the plane remains for the personal use of Trump and his family, permanently. So that means he owns it, whatever paperwork definition they may come up with. It’s a bribe. (Trump has literally been found to have abused a charity. So he’s got a record for this.) They’re not even trying to hide it. And the Times does everyone a bit of a disservice by not making clear that this isn’t how presidential libraries work."
Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: Donald “Trump will tour the Gulf this week in search of ... business deals. Planes. Nuclear power. Artificial intelligence investments. Arms. Anything that puts a signature on the bottom of a page. While planning the first major overseas trip of his second term, a four-day swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Trump told his advisers that he wanted to announce deals that would be worth more than $1 trillion.... Yet as a strategic exercise, the trip’s purpose remains foggy.... It is unclear what foreign policy goals, if any, will be advanced on this visit.... In place of grand strategy will be a series of financial transactions that Mr. Trump will promote as producing jobs for American workers. The agenda conveniently aligns with Mr. Trump’s expanding business plans. His family has six pending deals with a majority Saudi-owned real estate firm, a cryptocurrency deal with an affiliate of the government of the United Arab Emirates and a new golf and luxury villa project backed by the government of Qatar.”
Gerry Shih of the Washington Post: “During his first major overseas trip this week..., Donald Trump is set to visit three countries in the Middle East — Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — without stopping in Jerusalem. It’s not the first time he has bypassed Israel — or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. From embarking on nuclear talks with Iran to attempting hostage talks with Hamas without Israel’s knowledge, Trump has increasingly sidelined Netanyahu, stoking anxieties in a country long accustomed to being consulted by successive U.S. administrations.” The article includes quite a good rundown of the Trumpity slights to Israel and tensions between the two administrations. So the link here is a gift link. In the meantime, I suggest Bibi find a $500MM yacht to donate to the Trump Presidential* “Library” & Emoluments Ministry. And how 'bout those plans for a Middle East Riviera in Gaza, featuring a complex of gaudy Trump-branded highrises?
Rebecca Robbins & Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times: Donald “Trump will sign an executive order on Monday aimed at lowering some drug prices in the United States by aligning them with what other wealthy countries pay, he said on Truth Social on Sunday evening. The proposal he described, which alone cannot shift federal policy, is what he calls a 'most favored nation' pricing model. Mr. Trump did not provide details about which type of insurance the plan would apply to or how many drugs it would target, but he indicated that the United States should pay the lowest price among its peer countries. Any such plan will most likely be subject to challenges in court, and it is not clear whether it will pass legal muster, especially without action by Congress. In his first term, Mr. Trump tried unsuccessfully to enact a version of this idea for Medicare.... A federal court blocked it, ruling that the administration had skipped steps in the policymaking process. The pharmaceutical industry bitterly opposes the idea, which would almost certainly cut into its profits, and has been lobbying against it....” The CBS News story is here.
The Trump Effect. Giovanna Coi of Politico: “A majority of people [around the world, surveyed in a poll by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation] had an overall negative perception of the U.S., marking a steep decline from last year. America’s reputation took a particularly massive hit in EU countries — perhaps unsurprisingly, as ... Donald Trump has called the bloc “horrible,” “pathetic” and “formed to screw the United States.... Meanwhile, China kept improving its global standing, overtaking the U.S. for the first time and recording mostly positive perceptions in all regions except Europe.... The survey showed [Trump is] less popular worldwide than his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Putin and Xi Jinping.”
Troy Closson of the New York Times: “As Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports, struggled with technological disruptions and staffing shortages, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned in a television interview on Sunday that more U.S. airports could face similar disruptions as the busy summer travel season approached. Mr. Duffy, who recently announced a multibillion-dollar proposal to modernize and overhaul the country’s air traffic control system, said in the interview that he would meet with the leaders of major airlines on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to create a plan for scaling back flights at Newark. It was not clear by how much flights could be reduced.... The troubles at the nation’s airports have created significant havoc for travelers, stranding some far from their destinations. [Besides the mounting troubles in Newark,] in Georgia, an equipment outage on Sunday led to a ground stop for more than an hour at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the area’s largest airport, according to the F.A.A.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Stephanie Loder of NJ.com: “The mounting air traffic control problems at Newark Liberty International Airport caused aviation officials to implement a ground stop for flights on Sunday morning, the third such incident in the past two weeks. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Sunday that there was a telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control center known as TRACON, which manages air traffic control in the airspace surrounding the Newark airport. 'The FAA briefly slowed aircraft in and out of the airport while we ensured redundancies were working as designed,’ the FAA said in a statement. 'Operations have returned to normal.’ FAA advisories show the ground stop lasted for about 45 minutes, according to a CNN report.” (Also linked yesterday.)
Lisa Mascaro of the AP: “House Republicans unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of ... Donald Trump’s 'big, beautiful bill' late Sunday, at least $880 billion in cuts largely to Medicaid to help cover the cost of $4.5 trillion in tax breaks. Tallying hundreds of pages, the legislation is touching off the biggest political fight over health care since Republicans tried to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during Trump’s first term in 2017 — which ended in failure. While Republicans insist they are simply rooting out 'waste, fraud and abuse' to generate savings with new work and eligibility requirements, Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage.... [They] said the cuts are shameful' and essentially amount to another attempt to repeal Obamacare. A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade.”
Derek Hawkins of the Washington Post: “Federal judges say unsolicited pizza deliveries to jurists’ homes that began in February may number in the hundreds across at least seven states, prompting increased security concerns and a demand from a Senate leader for a Justice Department investigation. Many of the deliveries have gone to judges presiding over lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s policies.... Some of the pizza deliveries have gone to judges’ relatives. In recent weeks, orders have been placed in the name of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas’s son, Daniel Anderl, who was fatally shot at the family home in New Jersey in 2020 by an attorney who posed as a delivery person.... The U.S. Marshals Service has been tracking the deliveries....”
Keith Alexander of the Washington Post: “A fight to lead Washington’s influential bar association has drawn triple the votes of a typical cycle, animated by the candidacies of two lawyers connected to Trump appointees who some members fear could transform the body into a retaliatory arm for the president’s administration.... Heightened attention has focused on the bids of Bradley J. Bondi, a presidential candidate and brother of Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Alicia Long, a candidate for treasurer and longtime prosecutor who was principal assistant to the District’s departing interim U.S. attorney, Ed Martin.
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India/Pakistan. Anupreeta Das, et al., of the New York Times: “The fragile truce between India and Pakistan appeared to be largely holding on its first full day after some initial skirmishing, as both countries turned on Sunday to making the case that they had come out on top in the four-day conflict.... [Donald] Trump announced on Saturday that the two sides had agreed to a cease-fire with the help of U.S. mediation.... [He followed up on Sunday, saying] that he would increase trade 'substantially' with both countries, and that he would work with them to see if a 'solution can be arrived at' to settle their seven-decade dispute over the Kashmir region. Pakistan ... praised the American role as a mediator. But ... in the hours after the cease-fire was announced, India said it had negotiated directly with Pakistani officials.... On Sunday, a senior Indian official offered a timeline of the conflict that acknowledged discussions throughout with American officials but described India as making its own decisions.” MB: That's because President* Blunderbuss couldn't zip his fat lips. Also, because he had Junior Scout JayDee phoning up Modi, and deploying JayDee is an automatic insult.
Israel/Palestine, et al. Wafaa Shurafa & Samy Magdy of the AP: "Hamas said Sunday that the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, will be released as part of efforts to establish a ceasefire, reopen crossings into the Israeli-blockaded territory and resume the delivery of aid. Two Hamas officials told The Associated Press they expect the release in the next 48 hours. The announcement of the first hostage release since Israel shattered a ceasefire in March comes shortly before ... Donald Trump visits the Middle East this week. It highlighted the willingness of Israel’s closest ally to inject momentum into ceasefire talks for the 19-month war as desperation grows among hostages’ families and Gaza’s over 2 million people under the new Israeli blockade. Alexander is an Israeli-American soldier who grew up in New Jersey. He was abducted from his base during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that ignited the war in Gaza.” (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here.
Philippines. Sui-Lee Wee of the New York Times: “... Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines..., is accused of crimes against humanity, and [is currently housed in a detention center for the International Criminal Court in The Hague.]... Mr. Duterte, who ordered a brutal antidrug campaign in which tens of thousands of people died during his presidency, remains very popular in the Philippines. With Filipinos voting in midterm elections on Monday, he is expected to win another term as mayor of Davao City, his eighth, by a landslide. For now, he remains eligible for office.”
Turkey. Erika Solomon & Ben Hubbard of the New York Times: “A Kurdish militia group that has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state for four decades said on Monday that it would lay down its arms and disband, a decision that could reshape Turkish politics and reverberate in neighboring countries. The announcement by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known by its Kurdish acronym, P.K.K., came a few months after its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, urged the group to disarm and disband. In his February message, he said the group’s armed struggle had outlived its initial purpose and that further progress in the struggle for Kurdish rights could be achieved through politics. The P.K.K. began as a secessionist group that sought to create an independent state for Turkey’s Kurdish minority. More recently, it has said that it sought greater rights for Kurds inside Turkey. It is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and other countries.”
⭐Ukraine/Russia, et al. Isobel Koshiw of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump on Sunday backed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call for direct talks with Ukraine, breaking his administration’s agreement with European leaders announced less than 24 hours earlier. On Saturday, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and demanded that Putin accept a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday or see sanctions increased. Trump, they said, had joined them in the demand, a key development. Trump’s envoy to Russia and Ukraine reposted a picture of the European leaders on a call with him and said the 30-day ceasefire would start the process of ending the war. Putin, in response, proposed direct talks to begin Thursday in Istanbul. Zelensky has said he would be open to direct talks — once a ceasefire was agreed upon. Trump, writing on social media on Sunday... said, 'Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY.... At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!' Zelensky responded moments later to Trump, saying Kyiv still expected a ceasefire but that he was ready to meet Putin on Thursday.” ~~~
~~~ Marie: I guess Vlad reminded Donald of the "thing" he is holding over Donald's head. I don't know what the thing is, but it must be really bad, because there's almost nothing that can shame Donald Trump. But you do have to wonder how many times a day that colossal dirtbag can shame the USA. Yesterday was a monumental doozy.
Vatican. Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times: “Pope Leo XIV returned to the balcony where he was presented to the world as the new leader of the Roman Catholic church just days ago, using his first Sunday address to the faithful to call for peace. 'Never again war,' he said to a roar from the tens of thousands who had gathered in St. Peter’s Square at noon. Leo’s appeal was addressed to the world’s most powerful leaders, and he noted that it had been almost 80 years to the day since the 'immense tragedy' of World War II had ended. He quoted Pope Francis, his predecessor, who often referred to the current global wave of violence as 'a third world war in pieces.'” (Also linked yesterday.)
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He sure can pick ‘em.
Judge Boxwine has more than just drunken lies on her resume:
“Long before she was a Fox News host who pushed pro-Trump election conspiracy theories, Jeanine Pirro was an ambitious New York politician whose career stalled after she was recorded plotting to bug her then-husband’s boat to catch him in an affair.
The revelation rocked Pirro’s campaign for New York attorney general nearly 20 years ago, resulting in days of front-page headlines in the city’s tabloids (‘BUG THIS LOVE BOAT!’ blared the Daily News cover).”
She was caught on tape planning her illegal tap with former NYC police commissioner Bernie Kerik, another Trumpy crook who was himself under investigation for various criminal activities.
What a bunch of losers.
Fat Hitler is off to MBS land to continue his Grift-O-Rama.
Will we see the Orb again? Maybe a ceremonial beheading or two? MBS knows how much Fatty approves of state sponsored violence.
Posted this late last night, but I think it bears repeating because of an observation RAS made yesterday.
Holy massive data theft, Batman!
RAS brings up a frighteningly important point I hadn’t thought of (but one which must have foreign hackers popping champagne corks at each other).
I think by now it’s clear that Elmo Chainsaw, Big Balls, and the other Teenage Mutant Nazi Turtles are cobbling together data they’ve (probably illegally) purloined from dozens of previously siloed databases in order to A) provide Chainsaw with a master list which he can use to target Americans for any number of reasons, B) allow Dead Eyes Himmler Miller a way to pinpoint thousands of future deportees to some god forsaken black hole, and C) gift Fat Hitler’s string pullers at Heritage and other far right wing surveillance state proponents with their own Stasi-Big Brother overwatch tool.
BUT…as RAS points out, this dramatically assists foreign and domestic bad actors who would have the dickens of a time collating all this data on their own. Now they just have to hack into one database, not thirty.
And who thinks the pizza munching pimple popping pablum pukers who fired everyone overseeing nuclear power in this country have the know-how or the smarts to build a hack-proof database, or to even appreciate the gravity and existential danger of what they’re doing?
These freakin’ morons, with the full blessing of Flabby Hitler, are creating a doomsday database.
Jesus fucking Christ! This gets worse by the minute!
Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog explains how King Rupert at Faux has “tabloidized” and weaponized his TV thingamajig to make hair-on-fire MAGA alerts sound like actual news.
“The dumbing down of America, on this [the immigrant “invasion] and many other subjects, is a consequence of the politicized tabloidization of the news by Fox and other outlets. Let's look at what news ought to be and what it is now, thanks to Rupert Murdoch and other weaponizers of tabloidization.
We know what the news should ideally be: stories that tell us what we need to know about significant events in our communities and in the world at large. Tabloidization changes this formula: Instead of telling us what we need to know to understand our world, tabloid news tells us whatever makes our pulse race, and presents it all in the most emotion-inducing way possible. An editor of The Sun in Britain said that the paper should ‘shock and amaze on every page.’
The evil genius of Murdochism is that it's politicized tabloidization. Fox doesn't present the news. It presents news (and pseudo-news) stories crafted as narratives of good and evil, with evil always represented either by liberals or by groups associated with liberals (people of color, sexual minorities, college professors, and so on). The top stories are whichever stories are most successful at getting viewers' blood to boil.”
He goes on to say that it’s one thing to whip up MAGA morons in their BarcaLoungers, but another thing entirely when the congressional contingent of an entire party becomes equally fired up about bullshit, especially given the fact that they can complete the apotheosis of Faux lies by passing laws to address non-existent or minor problems.
https://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-rise-of-fascism-and-tabloidization.html?m=1
My morning cynic suggests that this tariff seesaw is a plot hatched by the Heritage crazies, gleefully carried out by their bully boy in the White House and quietly cheered on by the Masters of the Universe on Wall Street.
Has anyone calculated the immense profit in trading fees that must accrue to these near predictable gyrations that yield no real market gain?
Oh, to be an insider...and woe to those in Congressional Budget Office charged with calculating the promised tariff bonanza...
Still can’t get over Fat Hitler sending his real estate buddy, Steve Dummkopf, off to “negotiate” with Putin without his own translator, forcing him to rely on whatever Putin’s guy tells him.
I’m thinking he could end up like this guy.
My guess is that Putin got tired of Dummkopf trying to sell him a condo on the upper east side and decided to have some fun with the guy by feeding him nonsense.
The incompetence is shattering.
Ken.
Yeah. Wondering how many Trumpy insiders were given the heads up about this tariff “cease fire” in order to take advantage of this news before it was released to the general public.
The Grand Grift. It’s how business is done now.
Patricia Clarke, in The Observer, summarizes
How the US president and his clan ushered in a new golden age of corruption
"Over the course of the last eight months, Justin Sun, a Chinese-born billionaire best known for paying $6.2m for a banana at an art auction, made another series of unusual investments. He spent $75m buying crypto tokens from World Liberty Financial (WLF), a firm backed by the Trump family.
Five weeks after Donald Trump became president, the US securities regulator shelved a civil fraud case against Sun that could have cost him millions in fines and repayments.
....
Now the Trumps, the Witkoffs and Sun – the banana-buyer – are in business together. Sitting beside Sun and Eric Trump at a crypto conference in Dubai this month, Zach Witkoff, Steve’s son, announced a new deal. It involved a crypto token called Tron, whose price Sun had been accused of manipulating in the shelved fraud case."
Akhilleus,
Speaking of Bannon, I saw something yesterday, maybe in the NYTimes, in which the reporter actually consulted him about something, perhaps the divisions in what passes for the Republican Party these days--I really didn't read it--and then quoted Bannon as an expert on the matter, but since I didn't read the article--my eyes developed a Bannon aversion early on--I don't know what the matter was.
All I got from my skim was the same impression I get from Bannon world every time I fail to fully avoid it: Bannon doesn't like some or many things about the government, and he's really angry about them because they're really, really bad--but he never says exactly what they are and why he doesn't like them.
Your comment on Faux above brought yesterday's glancing Bannon encounter to mind. All bushwah, all the time. Like the Pretender, it's all performative.
John Oliver takes a look at the Alliance Defending Freedom
Mother Jones
"“They’re Trying to Kidnap Someone”
On the scene of a brutal ICE arrest in Worcester, Massachusetts."
Bill Shaner