Althouse: Sunrise

February 2, 2025

Sunrise — 7:20.

82 comments:

RCOCEAN II said...: What do Dragons eat on Chinese New Year?

Answer: FIrecrackers; 2/2/25, 5:55 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: Crows called the police to report a Murder.
Its was a crank caw; 2/2/25, 5:56 PM
Peachy said...: This guy walks into a Barnes and Noble and asks the clerk for Trump's New Book on illegal immigration.
The clerk, visibly enraged, yells - "Get the fuck out of here and never come back!"
The guy says- "yeah, that's the book."; 2/2/25, 6:10 PM
tcrosse said...: Althouse has noticed there's a vacancy on the bench.; 2/2/25, 6:10 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Here's what Trump's Mexico and Canada tariffs would mean for Wisconsin gas prices ~ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Canada is America’s second largest trading partner. In 2023, of the $416 billion of imported goods from Canada, $119 billion is oil and gas, and petroleum products and coal. (Total merchandise imports is $3.1 trn.)"
From the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal

"The 25% tariffs could increase the price of Canadian crude oil from about $63 per barrel to $80, according to De Haan. The refineries that serve Wisconsin rely primarily on Canadian crude oil, so within a few days of the tariffs kicking in, prices at the pump could rise between 20 and 50 cents a gallon."; 2/2/25, 6:15 PM
Drago said...: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal!

LOL

Wow. Read the room and try to catch up!; 2/2/25, 6:19 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Don't look at your 401(K) tomorrow or your children's 529....; 2/2/25, 6:46 PM
Political Junkie said...: I don't think either Thomas or Alito will resign during the next 2 years, but if they did, DJT would get confirmed a just as conservative person who is 25 to 30 years younger. We shall see. I would like a conservative Asian female who kicks ass.; 2/2/25, 6:47 PM
BudBrown said...: That looks kinda tropical. Could be renamed Gulf of Mexico. Needs sea oats.; 2/2/25, 6:48 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: ha.; 2/2/25, 7:10 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: When the smog lifts,
UCLA; 2/2/25, 7:14 PM
Jaq said...: I wish I had a big wad of cash to buy the dip. But I suggest you just sell everything, put it into cash, and wait for a buying opportunity.; 2/2/25, 7:16 PM
narciso said...: https://open.substack.com/pub/elizabethnickson/p/canada-is-a-failed-state-and-mark?; 2/2/25, 7:20 PM
Inga said...: Trump says the trade war “pain” Americans will feel will be “worth the price”. Oh…ok, that’s so reassuring. Don’t worry, be happy.; 2/2/25, 7:30 PM
narciso said...: https://x.com/JackPosobiec/status/1886195437834551674; 2/2/25, 7:31 PM
Quayle said...: Saw a headline today that the new head of the DNC said something to the effect that they are done messing around with TRUMP, and they are going to take to gloves off. Was the funniest thing I read all month.; 2/2/25, 7:33 PM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: DEI rampant in the house tonight GRAMMYS. Repubs won't be able to handle all that but you can read about it on truth social when the orange guy disses it and calls some names MERIKA!; 2/2/25, 7:41 PM
Original Mike said...: That is hilarious.; 2/2/25, 7:45 PM
Enigma said...: As Trump also turns on Alaskan and US offshore drilling...a short term spike perhaps...; 2/2/25, 7:46 PM
Quayle said...: I’m not a Repub, but I handled it just fine. I didn’t watch and couldn’t care less. And I say that as a music lover.; 2/2/25, 7:49 PM
Enigma said...: We were all taught to diversify our investments. I fully dodged the ESG fad, did you? I will personally be ecstatic if the Magnificent 7 valuations return to Earth. The longer that bubble lasts the more pain it will cause.; 2/2/25, 7:50 PM
Enigma said...: I am personally super duper happy about Biden's food and fuel and housing inflation over the last four years. I also love that drug stores have to lock up half their items, and that crime and high labor costs destroyed many businesses in blue areas too. Per your comments about Trump we surely agree. I'm a masochist who enjoys pain.

"Four more years? Yes, Sir! Where is that whip?"; 2/2/25, 7:54 PM
Enigma said...: The Grannies faded from relevance many decades ago. Never mind the unintended humor of the Jethro Tull best Rock/Metal album.; 2/2/25, 7:56 PM
Eva Marie said...: Another Trump win: Following his meeting with the Panamanians, the country’s president announced that it will not be renewing its deal with China’s Belt and Road; 2/2/25, 8:00 PM
wildswan said...: Just Sayin'
When I first heard of Trump (2016) I thought he was a political a oddball. But then my sister started talking about him, how great he was, and her husband - the same. I did some reading, watched some rallies. Trump was the only person who seemed to realize that we had sold our manufacturing capacity to China.
The attacks on him Increase. But ... America has been sold. Something must be done. But ... Trump supports Planned Parenthood. But ... he says he'll appoint prolife Justices. Oh, yeah, sure. But... Clinton?
I read an article that says this is the Flight 93 election. Yes, that's it. Now I support Trump. If we save America, maybe we can get abortion overturned. If we lose America, we lose America plus the Chinese are totally pro-abortion and even have a eugenics law - we lose it all. I'm for Trump. Instantly everyone thinks I'm a nutcase. Trump wins. I will never forget sitting there at 3 in the morning and realizing he won.
Nor will I forget realizing that there were those who intended to deny his legitimacy.
Nor will I forget the way events seemed to jerk forward as Trump acted. I kept thinking of the Iditarod and of some Jack London story I read about sleighs and huskies and a great race through the snow and dark under brilliant stars. By that I mean, it was hard to keep up with new events and new interpretations of events; it was as hard I imagined the Iditarod would be.
Yes, and I tossed things overboard just as they did in the Jack London story, in order to keep going. Belief in the media; belief in Anerican liberalism. Was that easy? I'm a girl of the suburbs - pretty much the exact same suburbs as Maureen Dowd; pretty much the exact same type of school as Christine Blasey Ford and Mark Judge. I used to admire Peggy Noonan and Christianne Amanpour. But ... we'd sold our manufacturing to China and our elites seemed to have been in the package, though they didn't think so. Flight 93. There was just one chance, I thought to myself. Support Trump.
And, by God - BLAM - Roe v Wade was gone.
I could go on but I'm not telling a story; I'm trying to make a point.
Here's what I'm getting at. I (and many others, evidently) had a lot time to make up my mind (our minds) about Trump. At least relatively speaking, we had a lot of time; at least we had a lot of time compared to the people who realized nothing until the election of 2024 and still don't know why it happened the way it did.
And Trump is charging forward again. Another Iditarod. I'm with him all the way. It's our only chance and he's learned! Oh, how brilliantly he's learned.

But I know why some are lying in the snow, so to speak, gasping for breath and fearing, as they find themselves in a dark, cold race under the cold stars. They haven't had all the time I had to think things through. Or, anyhow, they didn't think back then and now they have to and they have to do it fast. However it all makes them feel, the meaning of the events going on around us is not "all is lost"; the meaning is: "we still have chance." It's as if it is October 6th, 2023 in Israel and the intelligence reports have been interpreted correctly and the Israeli forces are moving down to confront a great danger. They face a great war but the worst, the reality of October 7, 2023 in Israel, does not happen and is unimaginable. Similarly, the worst, the hell that could have happened to us in America, will always be unimaginable. What's going on is salvation. Try to catch up. It's tough. No surprise in that.; 2/2/25, 8:04 PM
Mason G said...: Yikes! If it's even just a fraction as bad as he's saying...; 2/2/25, 8:04 PM
Wince said...: The energy tariffs are 10%, not 25%.; 2/2/25, 8:18 PM
FullMoon said...: Grannies very low key and moderate this year. Best ever.; 2/2/25, 8:26 PM
FullMoon said...: No wet ass pussy, no siree.; 2/2/25, 8:27 PM
Eva Marie said...: “Grannies very low key and moderate this year. Best ever.”
It’s nice that you like older women, Fullmoon.; 2/2/25, 8:45 PM
Narr said...: Grammys. How quaint.; 2/2/25, 8:49 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Via Reddit: TikToker tries to "show love" to homeless person for content and it threaten to go sideways.; 2/2/25, 9:04 PM
David53 said...: Interesting - Wiki doesn't list Panama as a part of the Belt and Road Initiative but the President of Panama acknowledged it and pledged not continue down that path.; 2/2/25, 9:06 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Wall Street Journal: Biden Commutations Angered His Own Justice Department.; 2/2/25, 9:06 PM
Jimmy said...: If it is that bad, then folding them into America isn't that far fetched. Trump seems to be the only Western leader who gets what is going on.; 2/2/25, 9:09 PM
Jimmy said...: yeah Inga, makes sense. Biden blew smoke up your ass for 4 years, telling you inflation wasn't real, gas was actually affordable, and things were great in foreign policy.
Don't recall you raving about the great economy, or maybe you were in awe of all the charging stations, and broadband we got for 45 billion. the answer is zero.
or was it the safe border we enjoyed?? hard to keep up with you idiots who get on your knee for biden and rachel maddow, clapping like seals when they tell you how good things are. LOL
The leftists on this blog are so predictable, and always, always wrong. about everything. and they can't admit that Trump is usually right, about everything.; 2/2/25, 9:15 PM
Jimmy said...: Does anyone seriously think Biden knew what he was signing?; 2/2/25, 9:17 PM
Jersey Fled said...: Donald Trump now has 100 million followers on X.; 2/2/25, 9:17 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: Grannies very low key and moderate this year. Best ever.

Not quite. Kanye West and naked Bianca Censori asked to leave Grammy Awards; 2/2/25, 9:30 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: Anti-ICE demonstrators shutdown LA freeway protest deportations while waving Mexican flags

2025 the year if teh stoopid.; 2/2/25, 9:35 PM
NKP said...: $80 oil is fine. Tommy said so on "Landman". Relax.; 2/2/25, 9:37 PM
NKP said...: A conservative female on the court would be a first.; 2/2/25, 9:41 PM
Ralph L said...: From the previous cafe: "No equipment to treat the roads."

NC used to do even less last century when it got more snow. In the 80s on I-85, coming from Virginia, plowing stopped at the state line.; 2/2/25, 9:51 PM
Iman said...: Gee… I wonder why the Left is panicking…

“Democratic states and their economies depend much more on Washington largesse than Republican states do. This year, New York received roughly $4,900 per capita from the feds and California $4,300—two to three times as much as Florida ($1,700) and Texas ($1,500). That’s because Democratic states provide more generous social welfare, which is increasingly funded by Washington thanks to regulatory changes by the Biden administration.

Democratic states also received a disproportionate share of the more than $1 trillion that Congress sent to state and local governments in 2020 and 2021 as pandemic relief. Between 2018 and 2022, federal dollars flowing to state and local governments increased by about $515 billion, more than the rise in Social Security and Medicare combined.

Most Covid funds are running out, though the Biden Federal Emergency Management Agency planned to hand out disaster-relief funds to states and cities for pandemic “emergency” spending through August 2026. This year’s Los Angeles city budget includes $208.2 million in FEMA Covid funds, including for housing vagrants in hotels. New York state’s budget this year includes nearly $3.5 billion in FEMA dollars for Covid “emergency protective measures” such as home test kits.

After blowing through federal pandemic largesse, states and localities are tapping FEMA to backfill their budgets. Congress, in turn, keeps backfilling FEMA. Rinse and repeat.

The Government Accountability Office last summer projected that the Covid “disaster” will be the most expensive in FEMA history. President Trump is right to call for shifting more FEMA responsibilities to states. Federal spending on disaster relief creates a moral hazard by reducing the incentive for states to invest in disaster preparation and mitigation.

The same goes for social welfare. States have less incentive to help lift people out of poverty since they receive more federal dollars if people stay poor. When you’re spending someone else’s cash, there’s hardly an incentive to spend it prudently. Medicaid, states’ biggest source of federal dollars, encourages inefficient spending.

States receive $1 to $3 from Washington for every dollar they spend on Medicaid—and $9 for lower-income able-bodied individuals covered under the ObamaCare expansion. Democratic states provide more-expansive benefits and easier eligibility to wring more money out of Washington. Some 36% of Californians are covered by Medicaid, compared with 19% of Floridians and 15% of Texans. The federal share of the Golden State’s Medicaid spending—nearly $120 billion—is more than Florida’s entire budget.

America’s welfare queen is New York. Federal dollars make up roughly 40% of the state’s budget.”

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/democratic-states-are-wards-of-washington-federal-spending-dollars-states-cities-92ace121?mod=WTRN_pos1&cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_171&cx_artPos=0; 2/2/25, 10:17 PM
Jim at said...: That's President Trump to you.
Say it.; 2/2/25, 10:33 PM
Jim at said...: DEI rampant in the house tonight GRAMMYS.

The Grammys can do whatever they want. Keep it out of my government.
Why is that so difficult for you to understand?; 2/2/25, 10:35 PM
Eva Marie said...: @wildswan: very well put; 2/2/25, 10:53 PM
Caroline said...: NKp umm Amy coney Barrett?.; 2/2/25, 10:54 PM
Original Mike said...: "I fully dodged the ESG fad, did you?"

Rich is long on Germany.; 2/2/25, 11:00 PM
Disparity of Cult said...: The Ballad of Igna Dullard

The morning sun touched dimly on
The eyes of Igna Dullard
In a red Wisconsin county
In a red Wisconson town
Pissed off once again about Gitmo
And all the lost chances with Ritmo
'Til the world turned to Orange ;)
And the room went spinning round...; 2/3/25, 12:08 AM
Drago said...: P-Inga is very very upset that border crossings of her pet MS13 heroes l/cartel members and child traffickers is already down 93% since Trump became President...

...worse, P-Inga has not yet been given another New Soviet Democratical impeach-the-President-cult-hoax to run with so she just sits around moping and coping.; 2/3/25, 1:07 AM
Lucien said...: Listening to explanation of the explicit gender quotas used to elect the DNC board members it occurred to me that the effect was probably to keep the wokies in attendance from picking a couple of dwarf lesbians and the rest “non-binary”.; 2/3/25, 5:17 AM
Leland said...: Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats will fight Trump’s agenda “on the streets”. Now we have “anti-ICE” protesters blocking streets and freeways. Remember folks, disrupting a vote in Congress with a protest is insurrection and treason. Disrupting your day to day business by blocking freeways is a peaceful protest.; 2/3/25, 5:40 AM
Enigma said...: Protesters waving Mexican flags make it easy for ICE to decide where to put its busses. Mexican protestors in southern California have a short, short ride back to Mexico.; 2/3/25, 5:53 AM
Kakistocracy said...: I think too many assumed tariffs were a bluff to get better deals. Even now there's a delusion that they'll be temporary and will be lifted once they've generated a renegotiated trade settlement.

Trump has been clear that he sees them as a way to generate revenue -- they'll be used to fund tax cuts and are going to be locked in. Probably time to start actually listening to him and come to the realization that he actually believes the nonsense he spouts rather than assume there's any rationality behind it.; 2/3/25, 5:54 AM
Enigma said...: Following Trump's tax and SALT limitation actions, the Democrats used COVID and the inflation the COVID actions caused--as propagandistic cover for funding blue states. With the remote work brain drain from high-cost locations (despite Musk and Trump), some blue cities will end up as poverty centers very soon.; 2/3/25, 5:56 AM
Rocco said...: Kakistos the Kakiposter said…
“…and come to the realization that he actually believes the nonsense he spouts rather than assume there's any rationality behind it.”

Pretty much describes your posts to a T.; 2/3/25, 6:12 AM
Drago said...: LLR-democratical Rich ("kak") is beside himself in anger over the kick in the teeth the Trump admin gave to the New Soviet Democratical's ChiCom allies.

Well Li'l Richie, this wont be the last time Team Dem/ChiCom tajes it in the teeth.

And what is being exposed by DOGE coming out of USAID is nothing short of breathtaking in corruption and anti-American actions by the dems and controlled opposition GOPe.; 2/3/25, 6:20 AM
Enigma said...: The USA spent most of the 1945 to 2024 era preaching free trade. The Japanese expressly admitted to reviewing US strategy documents and doing precisely the opposite to game the system.

Any time an idea becomes a dogma, other ideas are probably better. Tariffs cannot be worse for the US than the recent pattern of having foreign governments (e.g., Germany) maintain their economies through mercantilism and dodging defense spending, even as they lie through their teeth as they preach globalism and free trade.; 2/3/25, 6:32 AM
boatbuilder said...: "It's only a flesh wound!"; 2/3/25, 7:20 AM
MadTownGuy said...: NTSB: Conflicting Altimeter Data Retrieved After Midair Collision Near Washington

"Investigators have found conflicting altimeter readings from the control tower data of the Black Hawk military helicopter and the passenger jet that collided over Washington on Jan. 29.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials told reporters on Feb. 1 that preliminary altimeter data do not match the events on the night of the deadly accident.

Officials said the control tower recorded the Black Hawk helicopter flying at an altitude of 200 feet at the time of the collision, in line with its maximum allowed altitude for its flight path.

However, data from the passenger jet’s flight recorder show the collision occurred at an altitude of about 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet.

“That’s what our job is, to figure that out,” NTSB member J. Todd Inman said during an evening news conference on Feb. 1.

Investigators hope to reconcile the altitude differences with data from the helicopter’s black box, which is taking more time to retrieve because it became waterlogged after it plunged into the Potomac River. They also said they plan to refine the tower data, which can be less reliable.

Investigators are also focusing on the actions of the military pilot and air traffic control, which has in recent years been struggling with shortages in manpower under the management of the Federal Aviation Administration."

More at the link: NTSB: Conflicting Altimeter Data Retrieved After Midair Collision Near Washington; 2/3/25, 7:46 AM
Enigma said...: Many of the SC Justices looked O-L-D during the inauguration. I'd be surprised if Trump 47 doesn't have a chance to nominate 2-3 more.; 2/3/25, 8:06 AM
wendybar said...: 10% to the Big guy, and millions into the pockets of the congresscritters that helped "steal taxpayer dollars" to enrich themselves.

Collin Rugg
@CollinRugg
·
Follow
NEW: Ukrainian President Zelensky says Ukraine has only received about $75 billion of the $177 billion in aid that was allegedly sent from the United States.

"I don't know where all this money is… we never received it.”

What?

https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1886133153439576471; 2/3/25, 8:29 AM
planetgeo said...: Enigma, I like the typo (busses). It suggests that the demonstrators might as well use "Buss-a-me Mucho" as their theme song.; 2/3/25, 8:41 AM
Iman said...: ^^HEH!!!^^; 2/3/25, 8:47 AM
Caroline said...: Love this, wild swan.; 2/3/25, 8:47 AM
Iman said...: Well said, wildswan!; 2/3/25, 8:52 AM
Iman said...: “Mama come here quick
And bring dat lickin’ stick!”; 2/3/25, 8:58 AM
Iman said...: Inga: THE pain in so many asses.; 2/3/25, 8:59 AM
NKP said...: Caroline, I worry that Barrett's conservative DNA is somewhat limited to her personal support of reversing Roe v. Wade. Hope my alarm is false.; 2/3/25, 9:08 AM
Kakistocracy said...: Buying anytime for the long term wins 100% of the time. Remember, the stock market comes back 100% of the time. 😉; 2/3/25, 9:14 AM
Mark said...: You get that out of a couple vague tweets?

On your knees in front of Elon again, Drago?; 2/3/25, 9:17 AM
NKP said...: GOOOAALLLLLL..., planetgeo; 2/3/25, 9:18 AM
Maynard said...: I am not at all worried Inga.

Have you recovered from your post-election meltdown?; 2/3/25, 9:21 AM
Drago said...: Dumb Lefty Mark spent several years laughing and laughing and laughing over what he claimed was the impending implosion of X/Tesla/SpaceX and other Musk companies!

Dumb Lefty Mark was giddy that Threads was the Killer App aimed at the heart of X and X would never recover! Dumb Lefty Mark kept celebrating the "numbers" each and every day along with celebrating every SpaceX RUD event...

...right up to the day he...just...stopped.

You see, something happened along the way...didn't it Mark?

And so what is our Dumb Lefty Mark left to do? Make the kinds of comments he made above, which is indicative of his many, many obvious limitations!

Those limitations do make him a perfect lefty NPC foot soldier though.

So he's got that going for him.

Which is nice.; 2/3/25, 9:44 AM
Drago said...: LLR-democratical Rich: "I think too many assumed tariffs were a bluff to get better deals."

LOL

You are all over the map like an argentinian crazy ant.

Of course the threat of tariffs are a negotiating tool. What are you? 12?; 2/3/25, 9:48 AM
Drago said...: And yes Dumb Lefty Mark, you voted for a set of policies that does indeed align you (New Soviet Democraticals) with the ChiCom's, islamic supremacists and, groomers.

If you are upset that others notice that, you could start...brace yourself here...begin to NOT support those that support those policies.

But you wont change. The dems wont change. So now you get David Hogg as your leader!; 2/3/25, 9:51 AM
Ampersand said...: That picture captures the austere loneliness of winter cold, its seeming anachronism in a world built for summer. Nice.; 2/3/25, 10:19 AM
Rusty said...: It certainly made rounding them up easier.; 2/3/25, 10:40 AM
wendybar said...: Can't wait until they arrest the corrupt bastard and charge him with aiding and abetting.

Benny Johnson

@bennyjohnson
·
1h
Did Democrat NJ Governor Phil Murphy actually just admit to hiding a criminal alien from ICE in his home?

“We said, you know what, let’s have her live at our house above our garage, and good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her.”

https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1886458889467539745; 2/3/25, 12:01 PM
Iman said...: KAK with another kakle…; 2/3/25, 12:21 PM
Jersey Fled said...: Good to see you back Inga. I rarely agree with you but admire your spunk.; 2/3/25, 1:29 PM