Althouse: Sunrise.

September 16, 2026

Sunrise.

58 comments:

Disparity of Cult said...: Cher's greatest acting performance - her eulogy at Sonny's funeral?; 9/16/26, 7:50 PM
Vance said...: ForestwithouttreeS wants and is campaigning for a full on judicial dictatorship now, I see. "Judges should just run everything!"

I mean, I guess it makes sense: democrats want unelected government weenies to have total power over everything, and who represents unelected government weenies more than judges?; 9/16/26, 8:14 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Trump suggests EU allowing Canada as associate member could be a ‘hostile act’ ~ FOX News
𝘜𝘚 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 ‘𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴’ 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥

Who cares?

The decreasing return of empty threats …

Midterms … low tide, emperor naked.; 9/16/26, 8:21 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: though Althouse won’t do everything we might ask, she does do this sunrise post (along with Meade, when she falters) and for that I’m truly grateful. Don’t forget to thank the other commenters, read and unread. Thanks to them too. Even the Trump heaters, specially the Trump haters. Did I just get political?; 9/16/26, 8:22 PM
Mason G said...: Anybody notice that the same country that bristled at the idea of becoming the '51st state' is excited to have been invited to become first ever ‘associate member’ of the European Union?; 9/16/26, 8:37 PM
Josephbleau said...: “Trump suggests EU allowing Canada as associate member could be a ‘hostile act’ ~ FOX News
𝘜𝘚 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 ‘𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴’ 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥”

If Canada becomes a member of the EU, of any type, associate, pledge, assistant, then they should get the standard EU deal, not the old USMCA. The USMCA is free access and it would not be fair to give one EU country more privileges than another, like Germany or France, so Trump is right to warn them. That is why Canada is just flailing with the EU bs. They risk 75% of their total highly subsidized trade otherwise.; 9/16/26, 8:40 PM
Josephbleau said...: If Canada joined the EU then Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, would be their brothers, not the US. So in solidarity they would give up their privileged access to US markets under the USMCA and take the standard EU rates. This would of course destroy their economy. And Mexico and the US would have free trade together.; 9/16/26, 8:51 PM
William said...: I watched the Supergirl movie. Not as bad as I expected. On occasion the dialogue was snappy, and the special effects were okay. What with the advances they've made with CGI, awesome miracles are kind of boring, but I'd like to live in a world where death and gravity are negotiable and fantasy movies offer that option........Anyway, I got through the entire movie in only two sittings so that's something. Most movies I give up on after a half hour or so.; 9/16/26, 8:59 PM
Josephbleau said...: If Canada somehow became a full EU member, it would have to join the EU customs union and common commercial policy. EU members apply a common external tariff and do not independently negotiate their own trade agreements with outside countries. Trade policy is an exclusive EU competence.

So Canada could not simply remain in USMCA as Canada while simultaneously being an ordinary EU member. USMCA gives Canada preferential treatment based on North American rules of origin, whereas an EU-member Canada would have to apply the EU’s common tariff regime toward the United States and would participate in whatever U.S.–EU trade arrangement existed. The EU treaties specifically require a common customs tariff toward third countries.

If Canada somehow became a full EU member, it would have to join the EU customs union and common commercial policy. EU members apply a common external tariff and do not independently negotiate their own trade agreements with outside countries. Trade policy is an exclusive EU competence.

So Canada could not simply remain in USMCA as Canada while simultaneously being an ordinary EU member. USMCA gives Canada preferential treatment based on North American rules of origin, whereas an EU-member Canada would have to apply the EU’s common tariff regime toward the United States and would participate in whatever U.S.–EU trade arrangement existed. The EU treaties specifically require a common customs tariff toward third countries.

Economically, that would be a very consequential trade-off for Canada because the United States is geographically adjacent and is by far the more integrated Canadian goods market.

So the trick is, Canada can say loudly, fuck America we are going to join the EU. But what they will try to do is say, we are just an associate member so it doesn’t mean we lose our rights under USMCA, see, because we are not really in the EU, even though we say we are.

So another blowhard way for Canadians to flap their mouths.; 9/16/26, 9:05 PM
Peachy+2 said...: Democrats are the party of HARM; 9/16/26, 9:06 PM
Peachy+2 said...: We are being colonized by illegal entrant illegal immigrants; 9/16/26, 9:11 PM
Bob Boyd said...: They're trying to influence the upcoming election.; 9/16/26, 9:12 PM
Josephbleau said...: I wrote in a text editor and had a weird copy and paste problem but you get the idea.; 9/16/26, 9:13 PM
Disparity of Cult said...: Benny Shapiro, the know-it-all eighth grader, has seen his views on immigration evolve...; 9/16/26, 9:23 PM
Eva Marie said...: Life is good. I’ve always said that if summer ended at the end of August in Phoenix, I’d be living in paradise. Or paradise adjacent. In 2024 it was 110 on October 7. October 7! The poor stray cats in kitty city (that’s what my area is called because of all the homeless cats; they beg for food but they don’t set up tents or take drugs, which is a plus) were panting . . . in October.
This year the first 100 hit on March 18 and the last 110 was August 29. A brutal frame, but plenty of cooler days in between made it bearable. Since then, smooth sailing. What matters isn’t the mid afternoon temperature but the morning, and mornings have been in the mid 80s heading to mid 70s. Now we’re getting rain, so it’s humid but also cloudy. That sun isn’t following you around wherever you go. And a little humidity never hurt anyone.
BTW, today I was going to take my first ride in a Waymo. Opened the app: service suspended. Why? Poor little Waymos can’t do wet. Watch this guy stuck in one that just doesn’t know what to do; he finally grabbed his belongings and got out:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Uj8VbtiMz/; 9/16/26, 9:25 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Speaking of the greatest this and that. You know that open ai "hugging face" story reminded me of the greatest post I have ever seen at this here blog... At the Mudface Café...
Can you believe that's been well over a year.; 9/16/26, 9:27 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Trump threatens to cut off all trade with Europe if Canada associates closer with the EU. So let’s do it and see what happens. Seriously.; 9/16/26, 9:31 PM
Eva Marie said...: @LVB: greatest post and it doesn’t exist? Shirley, you jest.; 9/16/26, 9:35 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: In case you're not inclined to click on a link, what with ai breaking loose on a wild and untamed intertubes... Here is what happened: Althouse saw the Mudface on ground (or what appeared like a Mudface) and then Mudface came up on an audiobook she happened to be listening to, later that same day.; 9/16/26, 9:36 PM
Eva Marie said...: Clicked on the link. Nothing there.; 9/16/26, 9:38 PM
Mason G said...: I clicked on the link, saw this: "Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist."; 9/16/26, 9:39 PM
Jim at said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 9/16/26, 9:40 PM
Jim at said...: *Surely there is something the court can do when the bd of directors of the center completely abdicates its responsibilities as stewards of the institution.*

Yeah. It's Trump's fault the facility needs $250 million in repairs. And it's Trump's fault he wants his name on the building when he offers to use HIS money to make those repairs.

Do fuck off.; 9/16/26, 9:41 PM
Eva Marie said...: He’s a bad linker.; 9/16/26, 9:42 PM
Josephbleau said...: “Trump threatens to cut off all trade with Europe if Canada associates closer with the EU. So let’s do it and see what happens. Seriously.“

And did he now?

“If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things.”

He then added:

“If Europe does that with a bad intention — if it’s a good intention, that’s fine — if it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.”

That’s what I read. From RCP site.

That does not change the stupidity of what Carney is proposing. If the EU and Canada want to fight the US after the US has appropriated 170b to Ukraine and has had troops in Europe for 80 years holding off aggression then bring it on. If they want to be enemies of the US fine.; 9/16/26, 9:44 PM
Disparity of Cult said...: Possibly interesting Canuck-Euro migration patterns. Will the Malmö Muslims welcome the Surrey Sikhs?; 9/16/26, 9:44 PM
AMDG said...: In reaction to the Fed’s decision to increase interest rates Trump posted the following on Truth Social:

“Interest Rates in the United States should be 1%, or less, because we are the Best Credit in the World — BY FAR. Our Country is BOOMING with new Investment! If we stopped Trading with every country that we have a Deficit with, which is most of them, we would make, at least, 1.5 Trillion Dollars a year. The word “Deficit” is nothing more than a fancy word for LOSS. We are “carrying” almost every country in the World, and that cannot go on any longer. LOWER THE INTEREST RATES FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND FAST!”

Where does one begin? This has got to be the most economically illiterate statement by a President.

The idea that a trade deficit is automatically a “loss” is just plain retarded.

Trump’s second term economic policies could very well do as much damage to the US economy as those of Biden.

If Trump had not spent the first part of 2025 with the idiotic taunting of Canada then there would be a US friendly Prime Minister and things with them would be much better.; 9/16/26, 9:56 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: This may be a good time to post something I've thought about for awhile now. I'm just going to say it...
There is a positive side, here and there, to the surveillance were are all subjected to, whether flock cameras catching bad guys, or my phone matching me with really cool people it knows I would love to talk to.

Just the other day I gave a ride to these two youths, boy and a girl, maybe HS seniors, maybe first year of college. The vibe they gave was brother and sister. On a quest to visit every Major League Baseball park in the country. That day they were headed to Truist Park to watch the Braves host the Phillies. That day they were on about the middle total number of parks. What a ball I had talking to them.
They were not posting anything a la influencers bit.
They were taking pictures and they thought maybe later they would compile them on blog.
What a ride that was talking baseball.
It may be something the app is doing, matching me with likeminded riders, or it may be completely coincidental.
I just don't know.; 9/16/26, 9:57 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Chinese oil prices hit record highs after attacks on Saudi pipeline ~ FT
𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘫𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 ‘𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘵’

Just in time for the mid-term election.

China bought Trump time to find an exit from his quagmire, but he opted instead to shoot himself in both feet.; 9/16/26, 10:04 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: "Clicked on the link. Nothing there."

Sorry... At the Mudface Café...; 9/16/26, 10:05 PM
Josephbleau said...: “ Chinese oil prices hit record highs after attacks on Saudi pipeline ~ FT
𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘫𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 ‘𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘵’

Just in time for the mid-term election.”

IEE says hurray for Iran Hurray for China, hurray for Hooties, they are helping us win!; 9/16/26, 10:08 PM
AMDG said...: Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...
Trump threatens to cut off all trade with Europe if Canada associates closer with the EU. So let’s do it and see what happens. Seriously.

9/16/26, 9:31 PM
—————————————————-

We know what happens and it ain’t good. The thing about trade wars is that there are no winners, only losers.; 9/16/26, 10:19 PM
Josephbleau said...: “We know what happens and it ain’t good. The thing about trade wars is that there are no winners, only losers.“

No the winners are the elites and the losers are regular people, Carney will win his elections in Quebec.; 9/16/26, 10:26 PM
Original Mike said...: "Carney will win his elections in Quebec."

That appears to be what this is about.; 9/16/26, 10:28 PM
Aggie said...: What exactly is an 'associate' member of the EU? Is that the junior varsity, or second string? What are their perks? Do they get parking, or are they more like an initiate, and they have bathroom cleaning duty for the first year? Or, is this like the difference between Standard and Executive COSTCO cards?

And I'm confused..... I thought that Canada was a subject of the United Kingdom, and King Charles is large and in charge. No? Didn't the U.K. already leave the E.U.? Very confusing, all of this maneuvering. Are they back in, now?; 9/16/26, 10:53 PM
Eva Marie said...: When Quebec wanted to leave Canada, Canada should have sald good riddance. Hindsight is 20/20 but that’s ehat should have happened.; 9/16/26, 11:10 PM
DINKY DAU 45 said...: Yes fella is pretty clueless for a stabile genius Where does one begin? "This has got to be the most economically illiterate statement by a President. The idea that a trade deficit is automatically a “loss” is just plain retarded". 80 year old senile man who sleeps through everything. AGE LIMITS please. :); 9/16/26, 11:10 PM
Aggie said...: The Kennedy Center debacle. You know, it's funny, it got in such completely rotten shape in just a little over a year, or that's what's implied. Or is this a condition that's been developing for slightly longer? One wonders. I had read somewhere that donors were lined up to renovate it completely at no cost to the taxpayers, but..... something got in the way. Something about a nose, spiting a face. Oh, well..... Personally I think it's stupid, putting Trump's name on it, but on balance, I don't think anybody will see anybody's name, now, since the place is fenced off to keep the public away from its deteriorating condition. Too bad, but at least it still has its reputation.; 9/16/26, 11:48 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: “IIE says hurray for Iran”

My super lefty sister was on Facebook today celebrating a refinery fire somewhere in the country. Same vibe.; 9/17/26, 12:10 AM
Jim at said...: *Just the other day I gave a ride to these two youths *

Yutes.; 9/17/26, 2:42 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: iPhone operating system year 27 is out now. Apple is ahead of Costco Christmas tree rollout.; 9/17/26, 3:49 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Never mind. Google says “Apple released iOS 26 on September 15, 2025.” Nothing to see here.; 9/17/26, 4:00 AM
Saint Croix said...: People have been asking why AI is so scary.

This scares me.; 9/17/26, 4:17 AM
Saint Croix said...: AI could design an ebola virus, or a killer bacteria, that wipes out most of humanity.

We've already seen a vicious disease, COVID-19, which I think was created by scientists (on purpose) and released (accidentally), in China.

I am not a fan of scientists creating new bacteria or viruses, on their own, in a secret lab somewhere.; 9/17/26, 4:28 AM
Saint Croix said...: If AI creates a bioweapon, that starts killing a lot of people

and another AI creates a vaccine, that is supposed to protect you from the bioweapon

would you take it?; 9/17/26, 4:32 AM
Humperdink said...: Headline from Saint Croix’s link: “Scientists Used AI to Create 16 New Viruses”

Do the scientists need AI to create viruses? Of course not. Evil people do evil things.; 9/17/26, 4:42 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Via X with video: Remarkable confession from Angela Merkel: “Bill Gates pressured her to promote his vaccine business. She was afraid for her reputation and would have preferred to promote education instead of vaccines.”; 9/17/26, 4:44 AM
Humperdink said...: I checked the availability of panic buttons on Amazon. They are sold out. Apparently the DNC has preordered several million.; 9/17/26, 5:14 AM
Peaceful warrior said...: Again ... Russia was never a hoax.
https://x.com/TheTNHoller/status/2100238630228836374?s=20; 9/17/26, 8:16 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: "𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢," ~ Eric Trump; 9/17/26, 8:23 AM
boatbuilder said...: Russia in 2015 "was never a hoax" because in 2026 the president of the International Boxing Association spends lavishly (allegedly--I ain't buying anything you're selling) for Trump, Jr's wedding?

The Steele Report was a fabrication. You know that. Address that.; 9/17/26, 8:43 AM
Michael McNeil said...: **I’ve always said that if summer ended at the end of August in Phoenix, I’d be living in paradise. Or paradise adjacent.**

The end of August is the end of summer—to meteorologists.; 9/17/26, 8:44 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: It's so ironic that everything Trump has done in his second term has greatly, some might say bigly, stoked inflation that have led to this interest rate rise.

The most economically illiterate President ever?; 9/17/26, 8:59 AM
Leland said...: “Russia was never a hoax”

Yeah it is. It has been proven that it was a washed up UK intelligence offer that was played by two drunk Russians. That idiots still think a fancy AI short somehow makes the hoax real doesn’t change the source of the material being Russians trying to play you.; 9/17/26, 9:01 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: “𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘤."

Carney knows he'll be in office longer than Trump has left. That math is starting to matter everywhere.; 9/17/26, 2:35 PM
Peaceful warrior said...: Leland and boatbuilder, very fair point about Steele. The dossier had major problems, and the FBI’s handling of it deserves criticism.

That being said, I don’t think that quite gets us to “Russia was a hoax.” Steele didn’t start Crossfire Hurricane, Russia did interfere in the 2016 election, and there were documented contacts between Trump campaign figures and Russia-linked people. However, Mueller also did not establish that the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government. Both sets of facts matter.

FWIW, the bipartisan, Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee came out in roughly the same place. It called the evidence of Russian meddling “irrefutable,” identified serious counterintelligence concerns, criticized the FBI for giving the Steele dossier unjustified credence, and found no evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded with the Russian government to meddle in the election.

So the record is more complicated than either “collusion” or “hoax.” Some important things were real and well documented; some of the more dramatic Trump-Russia allegations were unproven or wrong.

And, yes, the recent ProPublica story doesn’t prove anything about 2016 or rehabilitate Steele. But I do think it’s independently noteworthy that a Putin-connected Russian figure spent hundreds of thousands of dollars hosting wedding events for the president’s politically influential son. We don’t know his motive, and I wouldn’t claim that we do.

So, Russian interference wasn’t a hoax, while some of the broader claims made under the “Russiagate” umbrella haven't held up.; 9/17/26, 6:16 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: Russian intelligence plot to commit murder for hire in the US was foiled by the FBI ~ FOX News

I think they were all at Don Jrs wedding

Sounds like Russia is working all the angles. Social media, politics, hit squads and Trump family weddings. Good thing President Trump is not a Russian asset otherwise we would all be in trouble.; 9/17/26, 7:44 PM
Peaceful warrior said...: Well, I’ll resist connecting all the dots. :-)

Unless the FBI somehow finds out that the folks in the alleged murder-for-hire plot were standing by the pool at Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding, it’s perhaps best to keep the indictment and ProPublica's piece on Kremlev in separate folders.

There certainly does seem to be plenty to keep U.S. counterintelligence busy, from documented Russian election and social-media interference to efforts to cultivate influential people and now an alleged Russian-intelligence murder-for-hire operation on U.S. soil.

While this evidence doesn’t show Mr. Trump as a Russian asset, it’s getting really difficult to keep saying the whole Russia situation was, and is, just a hoax.; 9/18/26, 8:13 AM