The Imperial Presidency

[robkelk]

And one that doesn't go with the above:

Several conferences relocate north of the border as Canadians refuse to travel to the U.S.

tl;dr: Since it's become more difficult to get into the USA, Canadians simply aren't going. But the conferences still want (or need) Canadian participation, so move the conference or have a parallel conference linked by videoconference.

[robkelk]

Attackers pwn charter airline helping Trump's deportation campaign

GlobalX is one of the small airlines contracted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out the President's mass deportation campaign of "illegal aliens."

[aku]

Derek Lowe's (of things I do not work with) view of the ongoing attacks on science and other institutions of the nation.

[aku]

Sigh: ArsTechnica: xAI’s Grok suddenly can’t stop bringing up “white genocide” in South Africa

[robkelk]

RFK Jr tells Congress ‘people shouldn’t take medical advice from me’

Which makes me wonder why he should be in charge of the Department of Health, which is responsible for giving medical advice.

[Labster]

With US out, World Health Organization director says it’s running on budget of a local hospital.  I'm just gonna say that this doesn't feel like it's entirely Trump's fault.  Mostly his, of course, but it's weird how so few countries care about global health.

Trump has also done one thing I agree with, lifting the sanctions on Syria.  I think for the first time this term... which kind of makes me doubt my original view.  Also, Trump Tower Damascus was offered -- I starting to suspect this has more to do with Jolani's Sharaa's political acumen than Trump.

Trump also got a free Boeing 747 from Qatar, given to him personally.  It definitely does not contain any listening devices; he asked.

[robkelk]

Analysis:A Trump doctrine in foreign policy? He just made it clearer than ever

More talking money, less morality in U.S. approach to the world

I am remminded of Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13.

[Labster]

Interview with U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra

I am glad Trump sent Hoekstra as an ambassador.  I'm quite elated that Hoekstra is out of the country, somewhere else that is not America, far away from me.

You don’t want me talking to Canadians about that, because you don’t want to hear my opinion on it.

Pretty much what I get out of this is that you Canadians really shouldn't use such personal insults on our Ambassador, like taking American products off the shelves.  Seriously, how much can you insult one single man by removing those products?  Also good luck figuring out what America wants in its trade deal, because we Americans sure as hell don't know what we want.  The whole approach here has been to shake down the world for whatever they're willing to give us, and more.  If I was in Carney's shoes, I'd write an treaty with everything that Canada wants, and just give $100 million directly to Trump to secure the deal.

[robkelk]

You're assuming we have $100,000,000.

We might, we might not. What we don't have is a budget.

[Norgarth]

The problem with your idea with your idea Labster, is that Trump doesn't keep his promises.

Regardless of what we pay him, there's no assurance that we'll get what we pay for. One and done exchanges maybe, but anything involving an ongoing process? He'll change his mind about it in a few months and/or decided to try and shake us down for more money.

[Labster]

US now less popular globally than China, Trump is more hated than Putin

This seems like as good a place as any to drop this.


First they came for the immigrants, and I did not speak out — because I was not an immigrant.

Then they came for the bureaucrats, and I did not speak out — because I was not a bureaucrat.

Then they came for the judges, and I did not speak out — because I was not a judge.

When will they come for you — and will there be anyone left to speak?

— a pastiche of the words of Martin Niemöller



He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment

- Jesus Christ, Matthew 25:45-46a (New International Version)

I see you are a fellow NIV enjoyer.

The main problem with this is there are plenty of people speaking out, but this is what Americans want.  They want the bureaucrats and judges thrown out, everyone on high brought down low.  They want the immigrants thrown out, everyone lower also brought down to lowest.  There has been no mystery about Trump's second administration, because he's doing what he said he would do.  And following on to the first administration where there were children kept in cages.  And more than half of us thought, yes, let's have more of that!

So what good does speaking out do?  The die has been cast, and the culpability collectively accepted by voting-age Americans.  All we can do now is wait for the age of bureaucracy to fade and usher in the age of aftermath.

[robkelk]

Make
America
Gravid
Again

Because somebody has to replace all the immigrants that are being deported.

Trump's Team Ponders How to Make Women Have More Babies. One Idea Was Part of Hitler and Stalin's Playbook

Another idea mentioned in the article is to offer a $5,000 bonus to any family who gives birth. Considering that it costs $16,000 just to give birth in a US hospital, maybe making healthcare more affordable -- or, like in the rest of the G7, free -- would be a better incentive. Just saying.

EDIT: Well, at least they aren't considering the Atwood solution. Yet.

[classicdrogn]

If they want people to have more kids, let them feel like they're financially secure and can reasonably expect stability for at least a decade naybe? You know, so the prospect of an extra mouth and medical expenses and school supplies and everything else doesn't look so daunting. Maybe get on controlling that climate change stuff too, so people don't have to worry about their kidws and grandkids being left a woeld of alternating wildfires and hurricanes with a special side order of famine as staple crops fail to adapt fast enough and/or pollinators die off from the new extremes.

I mean, none of that agrees with the party line, but physical reality is shockingly indifferent to quid pro quo, ideology, and polemic alike.

[Bob Schroeck]

I mean, none of that agrees with the party line, but physical reality is shockingly indifferent to quid pro quo, ideology, and polemic alike.

"Reality has a well-known liberal bias." -- Stephen Colbert

[robkelk]

CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon quits amid possible settlement of Trump lawsuit

McMahon, who has led both the network news division and news for the CBS-owned stations, said in an email to staff that "it's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It's time to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership."

McMahon has made clear she opposes settling with Trump — just like 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens, who quit last month.

[Labster]

CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon quits amid possible settlement of Trump lawsuit

McMahon, who has led both the network news division and news for the CBS-owned stations, said in an email to staff that "it's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It's time to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership."

McMahon has made clear she opposes settling with Trump — just like 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens, who quit last month.

Yep, it's looking like a full surrender over at CBS rather than lose their broadcast license.  They're not alone, as NBC is planning to divest themselves of the left-leaning MSNBC cable channel (soon to be unrelated to both M$ and NBC).  PBS has lost most if not all federal funding.  But on the other end of media, the cable companies, it's going better for them: FCC Chair Brendan Carr is letting ISPs merge—as long as they end their DEI programs

[robkelk]

Well, I'm going to mark that on the bingo card anyway. They might not have lost their licence, but they've lost the people who made them CBS in the first place.


  2025-bingo-card.png (Size: 138.67 KB / Downloads: 113)

[Labster]

I'm still not so sure on the CBS one, they could only be doing this temporarily until they get regulatory approval for a merger.

Got a new one though: Under RFK Jr., COVID shots will only be available to people 65+, high-risk groups.  It's getting closer to "Vaccine banned", as it looks like the COVID vaccines are banned for me, but not my parents.

[Labster]

Elizabeth, Crown Princess of Belgium, will be forced to leave the U.S. due to crackdown on Harvard University

And this is how domestic politics can spawn international relations problems.

[Norgarth]

I saw a post suggesting that the reason Trump's going after Harvard is because they rejected his 'brilliant' son, Baron.

[Mamorien]

I saw a post suggesting that the reason Trump's going after Harvard is because they rejected his 'brilliant' son, Baron.

And his stable genius self. And they accepted Barack HUSSEIN Obama and Malia.

[robkelk]

It's not us — it's them. Why it's time to end the affair with the U.S.

"us" being liberal democracies and "them" being the USA in this context.

Set aside an hour to listen to the presentation and followup Q&A session.

[robkelk]

Trump tariffs ruled illegal within minutes of Musk announcing end of government role

Correlation does not mean causation.

No need to update the bingo card yet, since the steel and aluminium tariffs are still in place.

[classicdrogn]

Damn, now here's a missed opportunity - we could have been slagging Elongated Muskrat's former pet project as the Department Of Gross Government Overreach all this time. One stale meme deserves another!

[Jinx999]

Trump tariffs ruled illegal within minutes of Musk announcing end of government role

Correlation does not mean causation.

And just after he learned about the Wall Street slang of Taco Tariffs (Trump Always Chickens Out), where there may be a more direct link.