Althouse: The first sunrise of summer.

June 20, 2025

The first sunrise of summer.

That happened at 5:20 a.m.

Talk about whatever you like in the comments. And please support the Althouse blog by doing your Amazon shopping going in through the Althouse Amazon link.

67 comments:

Iman said...: One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands…

There was a woman in Georgia didn't feel just right
She had fever all day and chills at night
Now things got worse, yes a serious bind
At times like this it takes a man with such style I cannot often find
A doctor of the heart and a doctor of mind
If you like country with a boogie beat he's the man to meet
If you like the sound of shufflin' feet he can't be beat
If you wanna feel real nice, just ask the Rock and Roll doctor's advice
It's just a country town but patients come
From Mobile to Moline from miles around
Nagodoches to New Orleans
In beat-up old cars or in limousines
To meet the doctor of soul, he's got his very own thing
Two degrees in be-bop, a PHD in swing
He's the master of rhythm he's a rock and roll king
If you like country with a boogie beat he's the man to meet (he's the man to meet)
If you like the sound of shufflin' feet he can't be beat
(I say he can't be beat)
If you...
If you wanna
If you wanna feel real nice, just ask the Rock and Roll doctor's advice

https://youtu.be/uaL--1dNyRQ; 6/20/25, 6:44 PM
Caroline said...: The Glory has gone on vacation.; 6/20/25, 6:45 PM
FormerLawClerk said...: What do you have to do in order to hire an American legally in the United States.

1) You have to pay a tax of 6.2% of that person's salary to the Social Security administration.
2) You have to pay a tax of 1.5% of that person's salary to Medicare.

(The employee has to pay the OTHER 8% of those taxes, and so you have to pay that to attract them as well because they won't ever see 8% of their salary).

3) You almost HAVE to offer health insurance equal to about a 15% tax on hiring that person. The health care system in the United States is employer-purchased.
4) You have to pay that person the legal minimum wage (currently north of $22 in many states, once the states figured out they could set the minimum wage in their state and so the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 is irrelevant nowadays.)
5) You have to pay about 3% of that person's salary to your state's Workman's compensation system.
6) You have to pay about 1-4% state unemployment taxes on that person's wages - the amount depending on the state.

So before you even CONSIDER hiring an American, you are inundated by a bunch of very tightly controlled tax regimes administered by state and local governments. You cannot "cheat" on these taxes. You can't avoid them. You must pay them, and if you don't the punishment is both IMMEDIATE and SEVERE. You will lose your business if you don't pay these.

Or, you could just hire an illegal alien and not pay any of this bullshit.; 6/20/25, 7:15 PM
Tom McGlynn said...: Just a silly quibble: The title seems either quite late or a trifle premature. By the astronomical definition (summer solstice to autumnal equinox) summer doesn't start till tonight at 10:42 p.m. EDT (or perhaps 9:42 CDT is more appropriate) so tomorrow's dawn would be the first of the summer. Meteorologists define the the summer to start on June 1, but that's long past. Of course you are free to use your own definition!; 6/20/25, 7:29 PM
Jamie said...: Point of order, FLC: no state has a minimum wage greater than $20/hr, which is CA's rate for fast food workers (otherwise it's $16.50, and the third highest in the country with DC at #1).

It is a fact that 28 states have minimum wages higher than the federal rate of $7.25/hr.

It is also a fact that, wherever you are, you'll have to pay what workers will work for. The McDonald's near me advertises $11/hr to start, though we have no state minimum wage. I actually don't know what illegal aliens with for around here, but given that I'm in a construction-heavy area, I doubt it's minimum wage - or maybe it is now, as they are vulnerable to employers' threats. But I haven't noticed a downward trend in, say, the cost of doing home improvements.; 6/20/25, 7:30 PM
Breezy said...: What a surprise - our government depresses the hiring of American citizens and encourages the hiring of illegal aliens. SMH.; 6/20/25, 7:30 PM
Achilles said...: I note that the media, and by extension Ann, are avoiding the issue that the FBI knew China was mass printing ballots and fraudulent ID's in 2020 and that the FBI covered the entire investigation up and tried to hide it all.; 6/20/25, 7:31 PM
gilbar said...: when you've lost the New York Times...
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/magazine/scotus-transgender-care-tennessee-skrmetti.html
How the Transgender Rights Movement Bet on the Supreme Court and Lost; 6/20/25, 7:32 PM
FormerLawClerk said...: @Jamie: Point taken. I was pushing out numbers from memory, so they may be off by a percentage or two or a dollar or two.

I didn't mention state disability taxes (which many states charge employers). I didn't mention the overhead costs associated with collecting for the state, federal and local governments all the taxes that the employee owes to the federal, state and local governments. As an employer, you have to manage all those collections FOR the state and if you f*ck it up, they will END your business.

I didn't mention local taxes that cities like New York impose on employers.

Finally, I didn't mention that it's against the law to hire an illegal alien.

LOL. Is it really, though? Are they arresting employers? Tyson Chicken will ONLY hire illegal aliens on their chicken processing plants and for some reason the CEO of that company is UNTOUCHABLE. You cannot arrest him for his crimes.

So the next time you start to bitch about illegal aliens taking American jobs, you really need to take a look in the mirror because you are voting for these motherf*ckers who have set up an entire system that PREVENTS the hiring of an American citizen.; 6/20/25, 7:43 PM
Iman said...: Another fave… Sneakin Sally Through the Alley… written by the late, great Allen Toussaint. Performed here by Robert Palmer, backed by the estimable Meters and Lowell George on slide guitar…

Sneakin' sally through the alley
Trying to keep her out of sight
Sneakin' sally through the alley
When up pops the wife
I said, ah I can't find nothing wrong with being friends cos sometimes
She lets me use the car
She said if you can't find nothing wrong with your mind
You'd better, you'd better find something wrong with her, her
So I began to try to explain that it just wasn't, just wasn't what she thought oh
I'd better find something to do with my time
The fact is oh I've just been caught
Sneakin' sally through the alley
Trying to get away clean
Sneakin' sally through the alley
Oh, when up pops the queen
Trying to double talk, get myself in trouble talk, catching myself in lies
Catching myself in lies
Mama just looked at me as if I was, ah, crazy
And didn't even bat an eye
So I began to try to explain, that it just wasn't, just wasn't what she thought oh
I'd better find something to do with my time
The fact is aaaah just been caught,
Sneakin' sally through the alley
Just been caught,
Oh, oh, Sneakin, sneakin, sneakin,
Sneakin' sally through the alley
Sneakin' sally through the alley
Trying to get away clean
Sneakin' sally through the alley with sally
Oh, when up pops the queen
Sneakin' sally through the alley with sally
Sneakin' sally through the alley with sally

https://youtu.be/W4q9_XlsU3Y; 6/20/25, 7:43 PM
Josephbleau said...: “The Glory has gone on vacation.“

The long sobs of the violins of August.; 6/20/25, 7:50 PM
Old and slow said...: Just saw this on X:

Alleged shooter Vance Boelter left behind a rambling FBI letter claiming Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz instructed him to assassinate Sen. Amy Klobuchar so Walz could take her Senate seat.

https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/1936209692801302605; 6/20/25, 7:51 PM
Political Junkie said...: Sometimes I read Joe Klein in highlighted RCP articles (his Substack). Joe is moderate, and most always on Team D, but he is disappointed in Team D these days.

As I read Klein today, overlooking his team preferences, I kept thinking he was better in his 20s, 30s, and 40s than the equivalent reporters today. I think the answer is yes, he and his generation were better.

Am I guilty of "good ole dayism"? Are the reporters today just as good, maybe even better? I don't think so.But am I wrong, maybe? Hope I am wrong, but fear am I am right.

Cheers all.; 6/20/25, 8:08 PM
Original Mike said...: I'd say it's the last sunrise of spring. The solstice is at 9:42pm CDT on June 20th. IOW, it hadn't happened yet this morning at sunrise in Madison. It still hasn't happened yet, as of the time I am writing this. It's another hour and a half in the future.; 6/20/25, 8:20 PM
Peachy said...: When I first saw this photo - I though - mmmm not so sure.
but if you look at the teeth and the nose - they are the same.

https://x.com/otto_hope/status/1936212719025135696; 6/20/25, 8:34 PM
Peachy said...: Is this Boelter and his wife?
Same nose - same teech..

the media went MAGA MAGA MAGA - that made the whole thing smell even worse.; 6/20/25, 8:36 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: Iman said...

One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands…

You got good taste, Iman! But I like this one better....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80TUlmVOEAQ; 6/20/25, 8:41 PM
traditionalguy said...: The Longest Day. Sounds like the old D-Day movie chock full of stars.

And yes we have always entered Amazon via Althouse Blog. Think of how many porch packages that amounts to over the last 14 years. Mind boggling.; 6/20/25, 8:41 PM
Peachy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/20/25, 8:42 PM
Original Mike said...: Tom said…"Of course you are free to use your own definition!"

Actually, she's not. There was a post about that this morning (the last morning of spring).; 6/20/25, 8:46 PM
Eva Marie said...: The first 2 episodes of Outrageous are available on BritBox.
“Outrageous is about the scandalous lives of the Mitford sisters, six aristocratic women in 1930s England whose personal and political lives became a national obsession.”; 6/20/25, 8:55 PM
Iman said...: Excellent choice, NorthOfTheOneOhOne! Another great one.

I saw this band numerous times from late ‘74 through ‘78 at various SoCal venues. Those were some glorious days of good music, so many great shows with other bands.

Then George died. Heartbreaking but expected, given his vices. Saw the band even more often, after they reformed in ‘88… the last time was a show with Dr. John in 2005 in Anaheim. Not the same without that strong voice and slide guitar, but with so much talent they were still well worth seeing.

Thanks again for that one!; 6/20/25, 9:11 PM
Dave Begley said...: Okay. I appeared on the Grains of Truth podcast and cited Althouse three times. The discussion was about my Knox County case in federal court regarding a large industrial wind project. I also quoted Ann in a footnote.

The podcast is focused on a proposed wind project in Keith, Duel and Garden counties.

DDB, “I’ve been to Garden County. It is a big county. It is a beautiful county.”; 6/20/25, 9:27 PM
Josephbleau said...: I have to admit that I live in downtown Chicago and I like the mommies and babies that live in my hood, mostly students. Blue cities are mostly made of well educated whities that live here until their kids are ready for school. If they have the pull to go to st Ignatius. they will stay. Otherwise they will head to Naperville.; 6/20/25, 9:30 PM
wildswan said...: This the glory of summer. Late-blooming lilacs, fountain roses, peonies. Also the first garden tomatoes. Oh, you can see why in the old days they used to isolate out "nature" from all we see and know and worship it.; 6/20/25, 9:32 PM
MadTownGuy said...: The Brazilian Judge Who Would Be King Faces an American Reckoning

It's a long read, but worthwhile in my opinion. DeMoraes has a chequered history.

"There is an old maxim that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. In the case of Alexandre de Moraes, Justice of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), the phrase feels less like a cautionary adage and more like a clinical diagnosis. What began as a seemingly standard judicial appointment has curdled into something far more corrosive: an extraterritorial assault on civil liberties, waged by a man who now finds himself compelled to explain his actions before a US court. The lawsuit filed by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) and Rumble against Moraes has not only survived initial scrutiny, it has drawn the Brazilian justice into an unprecedented legal confrontation with American constitutional protections. The man who silenced critics in Brazil is now being forced to speak.
Moraes's rise to power began with a suspicious appointment. In 2017, Brazil was in the midst of the explosive Operation Car Wash (Lava Jato) corruption investigation, which implicated some of the nation’s most powerful political and business figures. Justice Teori Zavascki, who had been overseeing the case, died suddenly in a plane crash, a death that many found too convenient given the political stakes. With Zavascki gone, then-President Michel Temer, himself a subject of corruption investigations, quickly appointed Moraes, his former justice minister, to the STF, ensuring that someone loyal to the political establishment, rather than an impartial jurist, would have a decisive role in shaping the Court’s direction.
Moraes had never served as a judge before being elevated to the STF. His appointment was political, not judicial. His ties to the Temer administration and the broader Brazilian political elite raised immediate concerns that he was being installed not to uphold the rule of law, but to protect those in power. The Rumble lawsuit contends that Moraes was chosen for precisely this reason: to act as a guardian for the establishment, ensuring that the STF could serve as a shield against future corruption investigations rather than an impartial enforcer of justice."

More at the link. I suspect that DeMoraes will respond along the lines of "eles fizeram sua decisão, agora deixe-os aplicá-la!"; 6/20/25, 9:33 PM
Kakistocracy said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/20/25, 9:47 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Alleged assassin and wife were ‘preppers’ with a plan to flee during catastrophe, court filing says ~ Minnesota Star Tribune

"A newly unsealed court filing states that Vance Boelter and his wife were “preppers” with a contingency plan in the chance of impending catastrophe. The federal complaint alleges that at some point, Boelter had given his wife a “bailout plan” to flee to a relative’s residence just beyond Menomonie, Wis., should a disaster unfold."

Letter to FBI from shooting suspect made wild claims about Klobuchar and Walz, sources say ~ Minnesota Star Tribune

"In a rambling, conspiratorial letter addressed to the FBI, alleged assassin Vance Boelter claimed Gov. Tim Walz instructed him to kill U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar so that Walz could run for the U.S. Senate, according to two people familiar with the contents of the letter."; 6/20/25, 9:52 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: Ok, I finally got through the Sam Tanenhaus biography of Buckley ( William F. Buckley Jnr. to be exact). 860 pages that flew by, but since I'm am a WFB fan, that might not be due to the writing.

Its a strange book. Its as if Tanenhaus was going to write 1200 pages or maybe 2 volumes, and then the publishers said "Nope, that's enough". Because we get to 1980, at around page 800 and suddenly everything goes into "overdrive" and we cover WFB's last 28 years in 60 pages.

The rest is just as you'd expect. Tanenhaus is fairly objective, but he's still a NY Times Liberal/Left writer (Jewish of course) and has the POV you'd expect. Lots of discussion of racism, civil rights, antisemitsm, Joe McCarthy, and the John Birch Society. And of course, Gore Vidal and "Gosh, was WFB Gay?" Almost nothing on WFB's Catholic Faith.

But WFB must have know that would be the result when he picked Tanenhaus.; 6/20/25, 10:03 PM
Original Mike said...: Welcome to summer, everybody!; 6/20/25, 10:04 PM
Kakistocracy said...: @Peachy: The Minnesota assassin's real motive? Economic insecurity. The Minnesota assassin supported Trump and had a kill list consisting entirely of Democrats and reproductive rights advocates. But it's unclear what his political motivations might be.

The Minnesota assassin is done with politics.; 6/20/25, 10:04 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: I've heard Tanenhaus on several podcasts, and some people bring up the fact that WFB's is really a relic of a by-gone age. And judging by the number of reviews on Good reads, and the fact I was able to get a copy from my local library right away (no waiting list), I think that might be the case. WFB was really a Cold-warrior, and in terms of his beliefs wasnt that far from Bush '41 (Yale class of 1950).

If you gave WFB a choice between Henry Kissinger and Pat Buchanan or Jeb Bush and Donald Trump - he'd probably have chosen Kissinger and Yeb!; 6/20/25, 10:10 PM
gadfly said...: FormerLawClerk knows everything about paying employer payroll taxes which is required when you declare them as employees or contractors, either collecting taxes or declaring that money was paid out in their behalf - but if you only hire illegal immigrants you do not have to do that.

Not quite so, since Form 1099 does not require tax collection or government payments. Failure to report such payments is technically illegal, except that cash transactions are not easily traceable and I am sure that many readers pay grass cutters, housecleaners, and handymen with greenback dollars regardless of origins and skintones.

FLC needs to check facts about the makeup of Tyson Chicken employees. ICE and Tyson both say that payroll is only made to employees with valid SS#s.; 6/20/25, 10:31 PM
Peachy said...: Kak(D)- there is no actual evidence that Trump had anything to do with the MN killer. You know this.; 6/20/25, 10:34 PM
Peachy said...: MN killer - NO evidence he supported Trump.
Also - the left - MAGA MAGA MAGA; 6/20/25, 10:35 PM
Peachy said...: "Assaults on ICE Officers Rise 500% as the Democrat-Media Party Encourages Their Cult Members to Attack the Police"; 6/20/25, 10:42 PM
Peachy said...: Proof - Trump wasted money on that parade; 6/20/25, 10:48 PM
Original Mike said...: Poor conservatives are as happy as rich liberals.; 6/20/25, 10:57 PM
Original Mike said...: Europe Admits "Trump Is Right", China Is The Problem As Beijing Unleashes Global EV Dump

Well imagine that.; 6/20/25, 11:03 PM
Peachy said...: Kak - LOLz plz watch for ure shade-n-fraud; 6/20/25, 11:15 PM
Peachy said...: Tampon Terrorist Tim is a Terrible Evil man - change our minds; 6/20/25, 11:16 PM
Disparity of Cult said...: California Dems clutch their pearls after JD Vance misspeaks and refers to Alex Padilla as José Padilla.; 6/20/25, 11:58 PM
Big Mike said...: Bari Weiss’s Free Press has a very clear-eyed discussion of the situation regarding Iran vs Israel in general, and Fordow in particular, written by Niall Ferguson and titled “Israel Has Done Most of the Job. Only Trump Can Finish It.”

IMHO worth a read. Go to www.thefp.com.; 6/21/25, 12:43 AM
gadfly said...: Sadly, Achilies doesn't know that Kash Patel is a Trumpist liar who uses X as his place to make-up and report his deviations from truth. Where is the official report?

Mr. Patel is dangerously, politically extreme. He has repeatedly expressed his intention to use our nation’s most important law enforcement agency to retaliate against his political enemies.; 6/21/25, 3:09 AM
Big Mike said...: California Dems clutch their pearls after JD Vance misspeaks and refers to Alex Padilla as José Padilla.

You mean there’s a difference?; 6/21/25, 3:09 AM
Big Mike said...: Mr. Patel is dangerously, politically extreme. He has repeatedly expressed his intention to use our nation’s most important law enforcement agency to retaliate against his political enemies.

Absolutely not like Messers Comey, Wray, Richardson, Mayorkas, etc., etc. etc., who were noble public servants, right gadfly?

In a famous phrase from Ken Burns’s “The Civil War” PBS miniseries, “Bottom Rail on Top.”; 6/21/25, 3:21 AM
planetgeo said...: Victor Davis Hanson just posted an article about the increasingly bizarre actions of major Democrat politicians, from Padilla to Booker and numerous others. I don't think it's even debatable any more that there is something clinically wrong with their mental condition based not just on their ideas and statements but also on their no longer restrained actions.

My theory is that their lifetime of recreational drug use has taken a significant toll on their brain function and other physiological functions, resulting in wild mood swings. Fits of rage, bulging eyes, spewing hate-filled speech, and even needing to be restrained by multiple law-enforcement personnel. It's a complete freakout.; 6/21/25, 4:51 AM
Humperdink said...: The gad said: “ Mr. Patel is dangerously, politically extreme. He has repeatedly expressed his intention to use our nation’s most important law enforcement agency to retaliate against his political enemies.”

I hope so. It is a target rich environment.; 6/21/25, 5:55 AM
Jaq said...: By their propaganda, you shall know them. Any time we call a leader "paranoid," it's a lead pipe cinch that we are out to get him.; 6/21/25, 6:14 AM
Jaq said...: "He has repeatedly expressed his intention to use our nation’s most important law enforcement agency to retaliate against his political enemies.”

Like I said, by their propaganda, you shall know them.; 6/21/25, 6:15 AM
Jaq said...: "here is something clinically wrong with their mental condition "

They are not crazy, they just are not allowed to state their true objectives out loud. So they seem crazy. Their true objective seems to be to reengineer the electorate to create a permanent majority so that they can rule unimpeded.; 6/21/25, 6:17 AM
Jaq said...: They would rather you think them crazy or stupid than to understand their true goals.; 6/21/25, 6:18 AM
FormerLawClerk said...: The Minnesota Star Tribune reports the disturbing fact that the Minnesota assassin is telling investigators he was chosen to murder two state Senators by Governor Tim Walz.

https://archive.is/5YY66; 6/21/25, 6:43 AM
Jaq said...: Paranoid schizophrenic, most likely.; 6/21/25, 6:48 AM
boatbuilder said...: Iman--Great stuff! Feats Don't Fail Me Now!; 6/21/25, 7:04 AM
boatbuilder said...: Boelter is obviously demented. His insanity does not say anything in particular about Democrats in Minnesota or about Democrats in general. He is nuts. One thing it does say is that he has NOTHING TO DO WITH MAGA, TRUMP, OR REPUBLICANS.; 6/21/25, 7:10 AM
Maynard said...: @Josephbleau

I grew up in Chicago proper and lived in the area for over 50 years. What you say about White urbanites moving to the 'burbs when they have kids is completely true.

It is also true of Chicago middle class Black urbanites. The city is a lot of fun when you are young, but when you have the responsibility of raising kids you know it is time to go.; 6/21/25, 7:32 AM
Mr. T. said...: Kak/RichSockpuppet is mad that the Minnesota assassin didn't shout "Free Palestine! All Jews must die. "

That is the democrats mating call.; 6/21/25, 7:35 AM
Caroline said...: @josephbleau… “ The long sobs of the violins of August.” fun fact! That line comes from Verlaine’s “chanson d’automne”…and was used as the code phrase in the French resistance to signal the beginning of D day. “ “ Les sanglots long des violons”—- the long sobs of violins. My mother was a teenager in the resistance that summer of 44…she still remembers what it was like to hear that phrase coming over the radio.; 6/21/25, 8:10 AM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: trump.. welll thats the thanks I get for pardoning all those perps,now they wont let me go to war. If I lose that group....Turns out, there’s a line the Proud Boys say they won’t cross for President Donald Trump.
The extremist group said on social media this week that it wouldn’t be able to support the president if the U.S. were to become involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
“If the United States gets directly involved in the Israel-Iran conflict, the voters that voted for Trump because there was a hope that Trump was America First can no longer support Trump,” the Proud Boys account posted to Telegram on Wednesday. “America First does not mean war for Israel. Donald Trump, focus on the health of our nation, period. We are crumbling. We are crippled with debt with no plan for a solution. Be the President you ran as.” Oh no they are even using FACTS! How cold is that?; 6/21/25, 8:33 AM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: from the guy who just picks people up off the street ,ships them to foreign prisons with no DUE PROCESS. TACO DON ,in his finest form, slelective immigration now because big$$$ up his ass about labor shortages killing everything. Who do you think cleans MAR A LOGO and trump hotels.. What a joke, President Donald Trump said on Friday that farmers may be able to keep employing undocumented migrant workers without fearing enforcement raids under a system in which they would take "responsibility" for them.
"We're looking at doing something where in the case of good, reputable farmers, they can take responsibility for the people that they hire, and let them have responsibility, because we can't put the farms out of business, and at the same time, we don't want to hurt people that aren't criminals," How you now they aint criminals without DUE PROCESS,,should be sending the employers of undocumented people to cecot or whatever prisons, they are the real perps including trump who hires em left and right(see documentation ); 6/21/25, 8:39 AM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: You want the EMPLOYERS who hire the undocumented people to be resonsible for them? Do you hear yourself?; 6/21/25, 8:41 AM
Jersey Fled said...: Rasmussen has Trump’s approval at 65% among Hispanics in his weekly poll ending yesterday.; 6/21/25, 10:07 AM
Narr said...: It's rare to have to correct two posters as good as Josephbleau and Caroline, but the line is actually "The long sobs of the violins in autumn," not "in August."

Carry on.; 6/21/25, 10:53 AM
rhhardin said...: I've set up the fan driven 12" conduit of air from the basement floor, up the basement stairs, to the computer desk. Use stored winter cold to cool the summer air.; 6/21/25, 11:51 AM
Jim at said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/21/25, 2:59 PM
Jim at said...: He has repeatedly expressed his intention to use our nation’s most important law enforcement agency to retaliate against his political enemies.

How DARE he use our nation’s most important law enforcement agency to retaliate against his political enemies?

Only WE can use our nation’s most important law enforcement agency to retaliate against our political enemies.; 6/21/25, 3:00 PM