Althouse: Sunrise — 6:59, 7:09, 7:15, 7:20.

January 28, 2025

Sunrise — 6:59, 7:09, 7:15, 7:20.

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110 comments:

MadTownGuy said...: @NewsWire_US

"The Doomsday Clock is now 89 seconds to midnight, the closest ever to global catastrophe."

Concerned Scientists edition:

"The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set its "Doomsday Clock" closer to midnight 3 times between 2017 & 2020. But during an actual proxy war b/w nuclear powers & talk of using nukes, the scientists are silent."
thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock; 1/28/25, 6:31 PM
Spiros Pappas said...: I wonder if the US and the USSR would have gone to war if both sides didn't have nuclear weapons.; 1/28/25, 6:56 PM
Sebastian said...: Might Trump be using the Tribe strategy of throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks?; 1/28/25, 7:00 PM
narciso said...: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/article/navy-bosses-rename-hms-agincourt-to-avoid-annoying-the-french-tvp73bhjf; 1/28/25, 7:00 PM
narciso said...: https://notthebee.com/article/california-drops-case-against-david-daleiden-for-undercover-expos-of-planned-parenthood; 1/28/25, 7:03 PM
narciso said...: https://thefederalist.com/2025/01/28/nyt-uses-anonymous-terrorist-sources-for-latest-deep-state-hit-on-tulsi-gabbard/; 1/28/25, 7:04 PM
narciso said...: https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1884321242314088449; 1/28/25, 7:05 PM
narciso said...: Forget about civility; 1/28/25, 7:05 PM
Jersey Fled said...: I thought all of these concerned scientists would be dead by now.; 1/28/25, 7:09 PM
rehajm said...: ..it all seems to be sticking dunnit? A rhetorial…; 1/28/25, 7:14 PM
Narr said...: As someone said already, it's impossible not to annoy the French, especially for Brits.

Churchill wanted to name a BB "Lord Protector" (i.e. Ollie Cromwell) but that was a bridge too far for the Britstablishment.; 1/28/25, 7:18 PM
rehajm said...: …if you did not watch the first Karoline Leavitt presser from The White House it is well worth your time. Perfection…; 1/28/25, 7:20 PM
Aggie said...: Is it remarkable, the number of 2024 Presidential Candidates (or Contenders) that have decided to join the Trump cabinet? Vivek (now departed), Kristi Noem, Doug Burgum, Marco Rubio... seems to me to be a rather remarkable happenstance, having that many being folded into the leadership team. A first? Or at least, notable?; 1/28/25, 7:21 PM
Aggie said...: ...and Junior' , of course....; 1/28/25, 7:22 PM
Aggie said...: ..." it's impossible not to annoy the French,"

It's not only a God-given right, it's a fundamental principle of responsible adult human behavior.; 1/28/25, 7:30 PM
Big Mike said...: The 'Concerned Scientists" are just a pack of attention whores who haven't had anybody looking in their direction for a while.; 1/28/25, 7:31 PM
Josephbleau said...: I guess the HMS Frogfighter is off the table. Brits have reason to be skeptical of the French, Napoleon's armies raping and killing and stealing gold from Europe and all. Under Napoleon's model the Kaiser destroyed England by having it's manhood killed.; 1/28/25, 7:34 PM
narciso said...: https://twitchy.com/aaronwalker/2025/01/28/watch-you-are-not-going-to-believe-who-itv-left-out-of-holocaust-remembrance-day-n2407447; 1/28/25, 7:36 PM
narciso said...: https://www.theblaze.com/news/sen-tillis-ended-up-voting-for-hegseth-but-apparently-that-wasnt-the-original-plan?utm_source=theblaze-; 1/28/25, 7:39 PM
Josephbleau said...: Great links.; 1/28/25, 7:44 PM
Josephbleau said...: But there are long-ago things between Brits and French like the fact that they are all ruled by each other and there is no real difference between them but the smarminess of accent. Normans conquered, and then the Henries tried to recover France.; 1/28/25, 7:50 PM
Jaq said...: All of the Nazi powers were there, not just Germany, but Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, the Waffen SS allies, just not the power that liberated Auschwitz.; 1/28/25, 7:53 PM
narciso said...: https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1884102970675192094 bye bye mr mackie; 1/28/25, 7:53 PM
Josephbleau said...: Everyone likes thin girls that are high IQ.; 1/28/25, 7:59 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The firing of the Inspector Generals is a trap, says Erik Erikson.

There is a method to the madness.; 1/28/25, 8:02 PM
Josephbleau said...: And more those with large gazongas. Right?; 1/28/25, 8:10 PM
john mosby said...: Narciso, ref HMS Agincourt: Jeez. Three of France's five attack subs are named after 17th and 18th century admirals who killed Brit sailors. At least Agincourt was a battle led by French on both sides (the Plantagenet royal family of England vs nobles loyal to the King of France), in what was mostly a French civil war (e.g. Jeanne d'Arc was captured by Burgundians allied with the English). They didn't seem to mind when Agincourt's predecessor ships of the same name were fighting the Krauts for them.

JSM; 1/28/25, 8:10 PM
Saint Croix said...: Nine years ago, two pro-lifers (David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt) did an undercover sting operation on Planned Parenthood. They went to a conference and secretly recorded some of the PP higher ups negotiating for the sale of baby parts, and saying things like "I want a Lamborghini."

California, under Kamala Harris, charged the pair with multiple felonies for doing what 60 Minutes does all the time. This was an insane example of the left stomping on free speech and journalism, all to protect Planned Parenthood and their revenue streams. It was disgusting and outrageous.

Today, the State of California has dismissed all charges against the pair.; 1/28/25, 8:11 PM
Josephbleau said...: Although my personal preferences are for the smaller.; 1/28/25, 8:12 PM
Lucien said...: I’ve never seen an article saying that the Union of Concerned Scientists had set the Doomsday Clock to 3:45 a.m.
Also, did you notice that no septum rings were visible in that New York Magazine cover photo?; 1/28/25, 8:12 PM
john mosby said...: Rehajm, ref the new WH press sec: There is now a seat in the press room reserved for alternative media, including, as Ms Leavitt specifically stated, bloggers!

How about it, Prof? These times cry out for cruel neutrality in the WH!

JSM; 1/28/25, 8:18 PM
Saint Croix said...: Here's a good Ross Douthat column in the NYT about the sting operation.

The pro-life sting was sweeping; there are reportedly 10 videos to go. You can turn away. But there will be plenty of chances to look, to see, to know.

That's why Harris and the other fascists in California wanted to put the reporters in jail. They don't want you to look, to see, to know. They want to keep you in the dark. American fascism is on the left. The violence they do, is in secret. And they don't want you to know what's going on.; 1/28/25, 8:20 PM
Josephbleau said...: It is well known that the skandinavisk Viking SS wolf brigades fought for Hitler.; 1/28/25, 8:45 PM
Rocco said...: Josephbleau said...
"And more those with large gazongas. Right?"

Well, they have been sending a team to the Elite Eight every other year lately.; 1/28/25, 8:46 PM
Rocco said...: When the Allies were going up the Italian peninsula in WWII, Patton wanted to turn right once we got to the top.; 1/28/25, 8:48 PM
Mason G said...: "I guess the HMS Frogfighter is off the table."

HMS Froggy McFrogface wasn't suggested?; 1/28/25, 8:48 PM
wildswan said...: What I'm looking at is the way all of a sudden the humanitarian aid around the world will collapse because Trump has hit pause on foreign aid. I had no idea Amurka was doing anything good. Now it seems that all refugee feeding, all disease tracking, all immunizations, all women's education, all wars and all peace - it's all in jeopardy. Because it seems we've been supporting it all, although people felt free to say FU. But when we say FAFO, then a world-wide scream goes up - "NOOOOOO! FU. You're supporting vital stuff. You can't stop. FU. I mean, FU is just symbolic gesturing - you can't stop. Really. You can't. Vital. Vi ...tal." I think we should defund the UN and send the money to North Carolina.; 1/28/25, 8:50 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: "'Predator': Caroline Kennedy warns senators about RFK Jr. in 'searing' letter"

Somebody doesn't believe in redemption.; 1/28/25, 8:59 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Feel free to weight in on this tort case: do you #hope it fails or #hope it succeeds?; 1/28/25, 9:07 PM
wildswan said...: It's my opinion that the Hispanics are so sick of the gangs and so angry that the gangs have followed them up here that they are supporting ICE right now. Joe &Co. let in so many criminals that months will go by and we'll still be rounding them up. During those months, a lot of "sojourners" will return on their own to their own country, especially if US citizens suffering from catastrophes are designated (internal) refugees and put in line ahead of everyone else for refugee benefits which are far better than FEMA benefits. And, similarly, if migrant benefits are down to welfare benefit levels, a lot of people will leave. And the border will be closed, so no more people pouring in. Fentanyl deaths will drop. This whole time, Team Trump would still keep the Hispanic vote, I think, and we'd gain more in the black community. And then four years down the road we can have another election on how to handle the return of the remaining migrants.; 1/28/25, 9:10 PM
Jupiter said...: Britain. No Second Amendment. So you can't kill the fucking thing. No First Amendment. So you'd better not complain.
We did it before, and I guess we may need to do it again.; 1/28/25, 9:21 PM
Jupiter said...: I'm all for both, but RFK is by far the more important. I'm dropping the Jr.; 1/28/25, 9:23 PM
Jupiter said...: The technical term is "HellSow".; 1/28/25, 9:26 PM
mikeski said...: "And more those with large gazongas. Right?"

Well, they have been sending a team to the Elite Eight every other year lately.

Okay, that’s just funny, I don’t care who you are. Well-crafted.; 1/28/25, 9:31 PM
Jupiter said...: While I understand the proud logic behind naming the firstborn son after his father, I feel it places an unwise expectation on the child. My son has his own first name, but my middle name. Which was also my father's middle name. I think that better expresses the idea that a child should have a due regard for his parents, but is not merely a continuation of them.
But if a man gives his first name to his firstborn, there is nothing he could prefer to having his son live such a life that he, the father, is known as "Sr.". That is posthumous glory.; 1/28/25, 9:33 PM
Jupiter said...: Everything is a trap. The question is, "For whom?".; 1/28/25, 9:35 PM
Dr Weevil said...: There were of course far more Ukrainians fighting for Stalin than fighting for Hitler. One of them was Zelenskyy's grandfather, a colonel in the Red Army. And the Ukrainian SS contingent was roughly the same size as the Dutch contingent, which means the percentage of Dutchmen who fought for Hitler was much higher. Calling Ukraine a 'Nazi power' is a filthy lie.

I've pointed this out to Jaq before, but he just stops his ears and continues repeating slanderous Russian propaganda. Russia was not of course "the power that liberated Auschwitz": that was the Soviet Union, which included Ukraine and 13 other pseudo-republics besides Russia. And the percentage of Ukrainians killed in the war was much higher than the percentage of Russians, though not so high as the percentage of Belarusians. The fact that the Germans occupied all of Ukraine and Belarus and the Baltics and only 3% of Russia was one of the main reasons for this disproportion.

When it comes to foreign policy, Jaq is a bigot, a liar, and a fool.; 1/28/25, 9:41 PM
Jupiter said...: Oh, wow! These guys just don't let up!
The Federal government is offering most of its current employees a "buyout". Eight months pay. Eight days to make up your mind.
I got a similar offer from Intel, back in June. I took it, and I don't regret it.; 1/28/25, 9:41 PM
Original Mike said...: "My son has his own first name, but my middle name. "

Your son's middle name is Jupiter? Cool. Though Zeus might have been even cooler.; 1/28/25, 9:42 PM
Jupiter said...: Hey, I'm all for closing the border, but the talking points around fentanyl are lame and unconvincing. It is probably true, that a person who has never taken synthetic opioids will not seek them out, and in that sense, making it harder to get them means that fewer people will addict themselves. But the idea that the only way fentanyl gets into the US is by smuggling over the same routes as human smuggling is utter BS.; 1/28/25, 9:46 PM
Jupiter said...: Oh, good. Science!; 1/28/25, 9:47 PM
Aggie said...: I suspect it's along the lines of NGOs are claiming they're on a Mission from God while all the while it's really more like the Darien Gap illegal alien pipeline-for-terrorists that's really being funded - not starving Biafran chirren.; 1/28/25, 9:49 PM
Dr Weevil said...: Serendipity! Two minutes after posting that comment I went to my Twitter feed and the first tweet was from david D. @secretsqrl123 (link):

"next time someone says anything about ukraine and nazies... please push this back at them..
this is the insignia of the ... RUSSIAN liberation army..
200,000 russians that volunteered to join the german army in WWII...

yes russians then and now are nazies"

david D. is a Texan veteran and (despite his annoying e. e. cummings writing style) a sensible and very well-informed observer of world politics and warfare.

Go to the link for a picture of the insignia, or just look up "Russian Liberation Army" on Wikipedia.; 1/28/25, 9:49 PM
Aggie said...: Oh the irony of that particular woman calling on something named 'Lyft', and then being outraged when it couldn't.; 1/28/25, 9:50 PM
tcrosse said...: If we stop the importation of fentanyl, then what do we do with all those strung-out addicts who are will be desperate for a fix? Maybe it'll give the domestic fentanyl industry a boost.; 1/28/25, 10:00 PM
Mason G said...: "The Federal government is offering most of its current employees a "buyout"."

From the link:

"If you choose to remain in your current position, we thank you for your renewed focus on serving the American people to the best of your abilities and look forward to working together as part of an improved federal workforce," the email that will be sent to federal workers reads. "At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions."

I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six of my co-workers or only five?" Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 MAGA, the most powerful RIF in the world and would blow you clean out of your office, you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?; 1/28/25, 10:07 PM
Iman said...: HMS Freedom Chips; 1/28/25, 10:19 PM
Iman said...: Sue the corksoakers!; 1/28/25, 10:27 PM
Jupiter said...: I would advise all the federales, make damned sure you read all the fine print. Know exactly what is on offer, before you decide. But if you are any good, you can find another job easily. Also, look for work now, while you're still employed. That lets you use your current salary as a bargaining point, and also gives you an excellent explanation for why you are on the market. "I got an offer that was just too good to turn down." And for God's sake, don't use your government e-mail for your jobsearch.; 1/28/25, 10:28 PM
Iman said...: Walker’s a blast from the past, narciso!; 1/28/25, 10:31 PM
lonejustice said...: No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
Martin Scorsese's film biography of Bob Dylan includes archival footage of the singer's childhood and life on the road.

I don’t have direct TV or any streaming services because I know it would take away from my reading books time, which is what I really want to do in my retirement. It’s kind of like Single Malt Scotch. I love it so much that if I have it in my house I would drink it every day, so I only buy a bottle on special seasonal holidays. But I do have rabbit ears TV, so I can get Public TV out here on the gravel road in the country where I live. This afternoon on Iowa PBS they showed this Bob Dylan documentary. All I can say is that it was an incredible and fantastic TV show. It almost made me want to donate to PBS. When I was in high school I bought my first acoustic guitar and took 10 private lessons. I was never any good, but the first sheet music I bought was of Bob Dylan’s songs. I learned all of them. The guitar and sheet music are still in my attic. I always wanted to be an artist, musician, scholar, historian, teacher, etc, but my professors and mentors in grad school wisely knew how hard it would be for me to make a living in this occupation, since I was a working class kid attending a public university, so upon their advice and other considerations I instead went to law school and became a lawyer, which is probably like some kids today becoming carpenters, electricians or plumbers. It wasn’t what I really wanted to do, but it gave me a career and a very comfortable income and retirement so I could travel the world in retirement and read all the books I ever wanted to on philosophy, history and literature. So I have lived a good life. And I really love Bob Dylan. Maybe I will cut a check to PBS after all.; 1/28/25, 10:35 PM
effinayright said...: To call Estonia a Nazi power is ridiculous.

Estonia was OCCUPIED by the Nazis, who mercilessly killed or enslaved that countrries" Jews.

Does anyone claim occupied France was a Nazi power during WW2?

SNORT; 1/28/25, 11:10 PM
effinayright said...: Those rings are properly called "snot catchers".; 1/28/25, 11:13 PM
Drago said...: LLR-democratical lonejustice: "Maybe I will cut a check to PBS after all."

LOL

Cutting a check to left wing hacks at NPR. Like that was ever in doubt with lonejustice.; 1/28/25, 11:21 PM
effinayright said...: Jupiter, who is making the arugment that "the only way fentanyl gets into the US is by smuggling over the same routes as human smuggling"?

Wildswan says Fentanyl deaths will "drop", not end..; 1/28/25, 11:22 PM
effinayright said...: "Maybe I will cut a check to PBS after all."

Better do it now, sp PBS can piss it awqay before Trump, with the aid of Congress, ends iits miserable partisan existence.; 1/28/25, 11:27 PM
Eva Marie said...: I asked Groc about lynchings, specifically about lynchings of white Republicans who were promoting civil rights for blacks. (Thomas Sowell had made a passing reference to them.)
First, there were approx. 4200 lynchings of blacks roughly in the hundred years after the Civil War. The vast majority were “systemically used as a tool of racial oppression”. During the same period there were approx 1200 lynchings of whites for a variety of reasons including rough justice, feuds, etc.
But there were also lynchings of white Republicans for supporting black civil rights. See if this doesn’t sound familiar:
“White Republicans who were involved in politics, helped register black voters, or held positions in Reconstruction governments were especially at risk. They were seen as threats to the established racial order and were therefore targeted to intimidate others from similar actions.

Notable Cases:
George W. Ashburn was murdered in 1868 in Georgia, a white Republican who was active in supporting African American political participation.
James Hinds, a white Republican congressman from Arkansas, was assassinated in 1868 for his support of black rights.
Elias Hill, a white Republican state senator in Georgia, was lynched in 1871 for his advocacy for black rights.

Post-Reconstruction: Even after Reconstruction officially ended, there were still instances where white Republicans faced violence for their political stances, though the frequency decreased as Southern Democrats regained control through intimidation and legal disenfranchisement tactics.”

I asked Groc how many white Democrats were lynched or imprisoned for supporting black civil rights during those years: zero (To be fair Groc doesn’t say zero but “no documented cases”)

Groc also added this:
“During Reconstruction and the years immediately following, white Republicans, particularly in the South, were often subjected to violence, intimidation, and sometimes imprisonment for their political activities which included support for black civil rights. However, these actions were often framed under broader charges like "inciting insurrection" or "violating black codes" rather than explicitly for civil rights advocacy.”
“inciting insurrection” - the Democrat playbook never changes.; 1/29/25, 12:27 AM
wendybar said...: Western Lensman
@WesternLensman
🚨NEW: Adam Schiff — who just received an unprecedented preemptive pardon from a lawless president — rails about J6 pardons:

“Are we a nation of laws? Or are we a nation of men? Or more specifically, of one man above accountability, beyond reproach?"

The irony.

This is what Democrat Senators spent their entire day on — a useless resolution “condemning” Trump’s J6 pardons.

They have learned nothing, and will continue to learn nothing.

Good.

https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/1884392964455293264; 1/29/25, 2:30 AM
wendybar said...: "In conclusion, my parting summation to the inconsequential and useless far-left and “Never Trumpers” as to why Trump continually defeats you while exposing you as irrelevant:

He’s much, much better than you. At everything."

https://townhall.com/columnists/douglasmackinnon/2025/01/29/why-trump-wins-the-explanation-for-the-far-left-intelligentsia-and-haters-n2651300; 1/29/25, 2:53 AM
rhhardin said...: Amazon alerts me that there's a new Joe DeMarco kindle book, my favorite series, so that's a bright spot. By Mike Lawson. Hero tends to solve things by finding mutually beneficial ground with bad guys to deal with some other bad guy. A Christian thing.; 1/29/25, 4:31 AM
Enigma said...: The clock should have been at 1 second to midnight when Biden's handlers fired NATO/US weapons into Russia. But, these guys are owned by their handlers.; 1/29/25, 4:37 AM
Enigma said...: That is a NOTHING offer given the federal benefits package. Federal employees still have pensions, and those benefits increase every year (plus, there is a 401k-like voluntary system with a contribution match for it too). They have generous healthcare plans. They earn lots and lots and lots of vacation days. They get every federal holiday off, and under Biden, typically had "early release" half days off before every holiday. Their sick days that carry over from year to year, and that can be cashed out as early retirement anyway.

Trump and the Republicans are right that federal employees are mostly loyal to Democrats...they were bought off 100 different ways over the years. "Buyout? Heh!"

I personally think only people near retirement or already planning to leave will accept. They'd qualify for unemployment if laid off, and any layoffs would happen down the road (requiring uncertain Congressional approval) -- this narrows the gap between the value of a buyout and waiting it out.; 1/29/25, 4:47 AM
Enigma said...: @Jupiter "And for God's sake, don't use your government e-mail for your jobsearch."

He he. Federal employees routinely search for jobs while at work. They have access to a bunch of current-federal-employee-only positions (e.g., maybe 50% of all federal openings) and they play musical chairs all the time. I think they are limited to no more than 30 to 60 minutes of job hunting per day. Per day. This may vary by agency.; 1/29/25, 4:50 AM
wendybar said...: Just imagining how great The United States Tricentennial or "Semiquincentennial" is going to be with Trump as the President!!!; 1/29/25, 5:09 AM
john mosby said...: Jupiter: "Known as Sr. That is posthumous glory."

Technically, you are supposed to stop being known as Senior when you die. The surviving namesakes all move up one: Jr becomes Sr, Trey becomes Jr, etc. Only kings and popes get permanent Roman numerals.

But this rule is being honored in the breach in modern times. I can only think of two where we follow the old rule: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Kurt Vonnegut. Part of the American tendency to re-create aristocracy, I guess. Also probably because we live so long, that Sr, Jr, and III could all be having long, simultaneous careers, so it's necessary to keep distinguishing them for decades.

JSM; 1/29/25, 5:10 AM
Saint Croix said...: What an outstanding idea!

All the DEI people in the federal government would accept this, obviously. You've got serious time to find another job. You could find one this week, and get free extra pay from the Feds for the next eight months.

All the people who hate Trump and are miserable that he's now the boss (again)? Ditto. Why would you stay? So you can "resist"? Much better to take the free money and find other work.

It puts a happy face on letting people go. You nudge them.

And if anybody's unhappy, you blame Cass Sunstein!

His book frickin' looks like a MAGA manual, with an elephant on the cover, nudging tiny elephants along.; 1/29/25, 5:17 AM
Enigma said...: @Saint Croix: The DEI people may be the LAST to resign, as they know they'll never find a job that pays as much as the crazy-generous DEI positions were. They may have been unemployable before the DEI role came along, and not be able to find any work at all (e.g., disability, hostile attitude). Many federal employees have not updated their resumes for 10 or 20 years, as they never needed to be competitive or search for a non-government job.

Hate Trump and miserable? The federal workforce has made a game of manipulating the elected officials -- left and right wing -- for generations. They know the rules and "help" incoming elected people learn the ropes, and then set themselves up as a key link in a chain. If they don't like a boss they craft rock, paper, scissors responses by falling back on contradictory rules in the vast array of federal laws on the books. They do all they can to block the path ahead. Legal passive-aggression.

Trump/Musk/Ramaswamy have great ideas for private industry, but federal positions are typically half political or patronage all the way down. Yet, they cannot be eliminated without congressional votes. The workforce cannot be handled with conventional private-industry logic (which you nicely outline above).; 1/29/25, 5:36 AM
Big Mike said...: Somebody doesn't believe in redemption#/i>

@Lem, it could be somebody is afraid of redemption.; 1/29/25, 5:37 AM
Clyde said...: The Tricentennial will take place in 2076. The Semiquincentennial (literally "half-five-hundred-years") will be next year. And it will be glorious!; 1/29/25, 5:49 AM
Saint Croix said...: I'm all for both, but RFK is by far the more important.

Wow! I totally disagree. Health and Human Services is more important than the Director of National Intelligence, or the Attorney General?

They're all cabinet level posts. All the stuff that bit Trump in the ass last time came from DNI and AG. They're the spooky swamp monsters. Those are the real anti-democratic forces in D.C. And a lot of those people really need to be gone.

RFK Jr. is pro-choice. By default, I don't think he's focused on the issue or thought about it much at all. When he's asked about it, he wants to change the subject. He's a pro-choice Democrat who wants to regulate the healthcare industry more, not less. I don't get a sense that he's a libertarian about vaccines. He's a Ralph Nader type who thinks the vaccines haven't had enough research and study, and there needs to be more oversight on them.

I'm happy that he endorsed Trump, and I think he was a big help in the campaign. But I don't think vaccine crusader is the most important nominee right now.; 1/29/25, 5:51 AM
Narayanan said...: explaining Trump claim to open the faucet in CA; 1/29/25, 5:52 AM
Saint Croix said...: Question I would ask: "Mr. Kennedy, Roe v. Wade has been overruled. In Roe, Justice Blackmun classified unborn children as non-people. That opinion has been overruled. Do you classify unborn babies as non-people? Do you recognize their humanity?"

I would be very interested in his response to that.; 1/29/25, 5:55 AM
Nice said...: Ann Althouse goes to Washington: "If you're an independent journalist, podcaster, social media influencer, or content creator who meet the criteria ---although to come join us!" whitehouse.gov/New Media , Critera --Produce news-related content; --Do NOT work for a news organization that already has a briefing room seat; ---Pay for own travel to Washington, DC; 1/29/25, 6:03 AM
Rocco said...: john mosby said...
“Technically, you are supposed to stop being known as Senior when you die. The surviving namesakes all move up one: Jr becomes Sr, Trey becomes Jr, etc. Only kings and popes get permanent Roman numerals.

But this rule is being honored in the breach in modern times…Also probably because we live so long, that Sr, Jr, and III could all be having long, simultaneous careers, so it's necessary to keep distinguishing them for decades.”

Ken Griffey, Jr is an example of this. I couldn’t imagine suddenly calling him Griffey Senior. Senior is always going to be linked to the Big Red Machine.; 1/29/25, 6:09 AM
Ann Althouse said...: straighten up; 1/29/25, 6:14 AM
Narayanan said...: what if King is not amused and disapproves??; 1/29/25, 6:16 AM
Saint Croix said...: It is going to be fun watching the Democrats, that just lost an election by losing independents, paint...Tulsi Gabbard as right wing extremist

I don't know if "fun" is the right word.

What's mind-boggling is that if Joe Biden didn't have his head up his ass, he would have selected Tulsi as his running mate in 2020, instead of Kamala. Tulsi demolished her in the debate. Just blew her away.

If Biden picked Tulsi, she would have been the Vice President in 2020-24, not Kamala. And she would have been the nominee in 2024, not Kamala. In an alternative universe, Tulsi Gabbard just got sworn in as the first female president of the U.S.

It's wild that Trump has picked two people for his cabinet who ran for President in the Democrat party in 2020 and 2024. And he's not getting any credit for that. And the left is going to attack them horribly.

I think Tulsi Gabbard is a genuinely good person. I really like her.

"People who are not afraid to go on Joe Rogan for $100, Alex."

First time

Second time

Third time

Fourth time

Fifth time.

Plus one with Bobby Kennedy Jr; 1/29/25, 6:19 AM
donald said...: I have now recovered physically sufficiently and fished enough for a lifetime. So back to the diamond. Also, we’re all gonna die so who cares?; 1/29/25, 6:20 AM
Jaq said...: It's funny how the neocons have been whitewashing the role of Ukraine and the Baltic states in the holocaust and the prevalence of neo-nazis there. Of course their main tool is to accuse the other side of what they do, just like they accused their enemy Russia of election interference in 2016 when all of the evidence points to Ukraine, from logs of White House meetings to anti-Trump front page stories in the NYT planted by the Ukrainians based on forged evidence.

https://antisemitism-europe.blogspot.com/2014/01/estonia-nazi-veteran-buried-with-full.html

When the Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians, and Ukrainians got there, they thought it was going to be a celebration of the "good old days."

Thousands of Estonians volunteered to fight with the Nazis. They are still honored with parades, the highway to one famous death camp in Ukraine is named after Stephan Bandera, who directed his army while under house arrest, Hitler didn't fully trust him, but he did trust him enough to have him send his Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists to Slovakia to put down an anti-Nazi revolt.; 1/29/25, 6:22 AM
Jaq said...: Steve McIntyre has done extensive analysis of White House visitor logs showing the involvement of Ukrainians not just in providing fake evidence against Trump before the election which got published, but in the impeachment. The "whistleblower," Ciaramella, attended these meetings with Ukrainians.; 1/29/25, 6:25 AM
Saint Croix said...: That's a great doc. I've got that DVD.; 1/29/25, 6:36 AM
Leland said...: The Kennedy name has always been overrated to me. Watching Democrats trash one will be treat. I suspect he might dish the trash back.; 1/29/25, 7:12 AM
Leland said...: Yet even senior Republicans still can’t figure out how to get onboard Trump’s agenda.; 1/29/25, 7:13 AM
Leland said...: Concur with Enigma on job searching with government email address.; 1/29/25, 7:17 AM
Saint Croix said...: I'm watching it now. She's good!; 1/29/25, 8:00 AM
Drago said...: And fly right!; 1/29/25, 8:20 AM
Saint Croix said...: The workforce cannot be handled with conventional private-industry logic

I wouldn't call it conventional. Conventional, to me, is that companies lay off people against their will, causing bad feelings and bad morale. It's a negative act, and it looks bad for everybody.

A buyout is a positive spin on it. And it's a magnanimous buy out offer. "If you don't like it here, we'll pay you while you find another place to work."

At Twitter, about 80% of the workforce got laid off after Musk acquired the company.

They're expecting about 5% to 10% of employees to take the deal. 100,000 to 200,000 people. We'll see in a week, right?

To me this is a very serious attempt to shrink the federal government. Yay!; 1/29/25, 8:23 AM
Mason G said...: "@Mason G, correction. This is a 47 MAGA. 44 wasn’t MAGA at all."

You are, of course, correct. My bad.; 1/29/25, 8:37 AM
Saint Croix said...: Enigma, the buy-out offer is the carrot.

Here's the stick.

"a wide-range of federal employees could lose employment protections"

"just about anybody in the civil service could be swept up into this category"; 1/29/25, 8:37 AM
Leland said...: In a fully expected attempt to hamstring the new administration, federal workers are suing the government for allowing the White House to send them email in mass: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5111199-federal-employees-sue-opm-email/

Wait until they learn about Wireless Emergency Alerts: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/public/wireless-emergency-alerts; 1/29/25, 8:55 AM
Lilly, a dog said...: God bless the perverts of the internet. The hot MAGA partygoer has apparently been identified.

https://nypost.com/2025/01/29/us-news/maga-partier-on-ny-mag-cover-is-anna-howland-smu-sorority-president/; 1/29/25, 9:00 AM
Jupiter said...: Churchill wanted to skip Italy and go in through the Balkans. But that wasn't the kind of "second front" Stalin had in mind.; 1/29/25, 9:05 AM
Enigma said...: @Saint Croix: "COULD LOSE employment protections"

Trump is putting fear of a possible future against a really silly resignation offer given the CURRENT benefit package.

Federal employees have not lost their protections yet. There's a ton of horse trading to be executed on Capitol Hill, as Congress controls budgets and only a tiny fraction of Republican defections will result in gridlock/status quo. If they lose protections are are laid off/fired, they'll shift to conventional unemployment with benefits of 13, 26, or 52 weeks. Same outcome at worst, but no commitment to resign.

This type of offer worked for Musk at Twitter in private industry, but it's off-key here.; 1/29/25, 9:48 AM
Narr said...: Churchill had a lot of bad ideas, yes.; 1/29/25, 10:16 AM
Narr said...: The British royals didn't give up their claim to being Kings of France until, wait for it, 1804.; 1/29/25, 10:18 AM
Narr said...: You know what happens in Europe when a big power conquers a smaller or weaker country? The conquerors find willing collaborators, motivated by resentment, opportunism, and occasionally even idealism.

It's a feature and a function of human nature.; 1/29/25, 10:25 AM
Rusty said...: Just an update. Because of things like GPS and advanced rocket guidance an all out nuclear war would have very limited military objectives by extremely low yield bombs. It is no longer necessary to destroy population centers.; 1/29/25, 1:05 PM
Rusty said...: The HMS Frigate, "Surrender Monkey".; 1/29/25, 1:06 PM
Rusty said...: Oh, I bet Lone has a whole stack of their tote-bags at home.; 1/29/25, 1:53 PM
Hassayamper said...: God bless the perverts of the internet. The hot MAGA partygoer has apparently been identified.

My daughter was a sorority girl at SMU. It is a competitive, pitiless hothouse of husband-chasing and catty backbiting. Those girls wear full makeup, pearls and $1000 shoes to 8 am classes.

This young lady would appear to have demolished all her competition for the year.; 1/29/25, 7:54 PM