Attribution: Newsom mocks MAGA by Dave Whamond, Canada, PoliticalCartoons.com
89 thoughts on “Mockery or Mirror”
After years of dominating the headlines, Trump now faces major hurdles on all sides:
• Explosive scandals refuse to die down, reviving questions about his past connections and campaign promises.
• The Republican Party is locked in public infighting, struggling to find unity as cracks deepen between its factions.
• Even parts of Trump’s once-loyal base are starting to lose faith, shaken by ongoing controversies and a growing sense of fatigue.
most memorable is the last line at 2:45 minutes: “the final act is underway…the laughter, bitter as it is, may yet be the only appropriate response.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signs legislation to put congressional maps favoring Democrats on the November ballot: “I remind you all the time, it’s not the rule of law. It’s the rule of Don, and we’re standing up to that … They fired the first shot in Texas.”
Federal judge orders closure of Trump’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration jail
Judge’s order finds jail, which has attracted waves of criticism, was causing severe harm to Florida Everglades
A federal judge in Miami late on Thursday ordered the closure of the Trump administration’s notorious “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration jail within 60 days, and ruled that no more detainees were to be brought to the facility while it was being wound down.
The shock ruling by district court judge Kathleen Williams builds on a temporary restraining order she issued two weeks ago halting further construction work at the remote tented camp, which has attracted waves of criticism for harsh conditions, abuse of detainees and denial of due process as they await deportation.
In her 82-page order, published in the US district court’s southern district of Florida on Friday, Williams determined the facility was causing severe and irreparable damage to the fragile Florida Everglades.
She also noted that a plan to develop the site on which the jail was built into a massive tourist airport was rejected in the 1960s because of the harm it would have caused the the land and delicate ecosystem.
“Since that time, every Florida governor, every Florida senator, and countless local and national political figures, including presidents, have publicly pledged their unequivocal support for the restoration, conservation, and protection of the Everglades,” she wrote.
“This order does nothing more than uphold the basic requirements of legislation designed to fulfill those promises.”
No further construction at the site can take place, she ruled, and there must be no further increase in the number of detainees currently held there, estimated to be about 700. After the 60-day period, all construction materials, fencing, generators and fixtures that made the site a detention camp must be removed.
[continues]
FBI agents entered Bolton’s Bethesda, Maryland home at 7 a.m. Friday, as part of a classified records probe.
Bolton has not been detained or charged, according to sources familiar with the matter.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X shortly after the raid: “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission”.
Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser for 17 months and later became a vocal critic of the president.
He previously faced scrutiny over his 2020 memoir, which officials alleged contained classified material; the Justice Department dropped its lawsuit in 2021.
The comments came as Bolton’s memoir, The Room Where It Happened, was released despite efforts by the Department of Justice to block its publication. A federal judge allowed the book to proceed, acknowledging national security concerns but noting its widespread pre-release circulation.
Bolton denied violating the Presidential Records Act, arguing the notes were not official records and that others followed similar procedures. At the time, the DOJ filed a civil suit seeking to prevent Bolton from profiting from the book, which reportedly earned him a $2 million advance.
The memoir includes explosive allegations about then-President Donald Trump, including claims of soliciting election help from China and leveraging military aid to pressure Ukraine.
Trump revoked Bolton’s security clearance and protection earlier this year upon returning to office.
*“NO ONE,” Kash? OK, then.
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton criticized ongoing diplomatic efforts between Russia and Ukraine in a tweet this morning ahead of the announcement of his arrest, asserting that Moscow’s core objective remains unchanged: absorbing Ukraine into a revived Russian empire.
“Russia has not changed its goal,” Bolton wrote on X. “Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede territory it already holds and the remainder of Donetsk, which it has been unable to conquer. Zelensky will never do so.”
Bolton added, “Meetings will continue because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize,” he added, “but I don’t see these talks making any progress.”
*IMO, Putin plans to take back Alaska, too.
Yesterday on Dupont Open Mic our Florida friends reported disturbing news about the Pulse Nightclub Memorial.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X shortly after the raid: “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission”.
The irony practically screams for attention.
Bolton raid just more distraction from Epstein, Russia, Economy, National Guard in DC, Election tampering etc. ….. Trump just wants people to look elsewhere but he’s running out of ways to distract from all the garbage.
I would really like to get into a discussion about this Bolton raid in chat today. Where does he live.?Maybe I’ll go there.
“Where does he live.?Maybe I’ll go there.”
craig, take a look at MSNBC. their favorite shot this morning seems to be his front porch with address clearly in view. too bad because this unfortunately means magaT harassment/violence to follow.
This is a great response. Fighting back with chalk!
Bethesda out of my range. I get lost every time I go to Maryland
Right here on Connecticut avenue in front of the Mayflower hotel. Isn’t that the English language Communist China Party newspaper?
Site of Harry Truman’s inaugural.
Jamie,
Bolton raid just more distraction from Epstein, Russia, Economy, National Guard in DC, Election tampering etc. ….. Trump just wants people to look elsewhere but he’s running out of ways to distract from all the garbage.
Nail, hammer, head. And the news channels are all over it.
Yep Skep — Today just happens to be the day some Epstein files supposedly getting released to House Oversight
The problem with chalk is that it is not permanent, where as paint is.
But good to see some nonviolent creative push back.
Jack
Yes but more likely to get arrested if they use paint. Maybe
Bolton raid is about intimidating trump critics, full stop
Nah, chalk is the way to go, don’t give trump thugs an excuse to beat your head in
The Civil War has begun and it gets worse before it gets better
it can’t happen here, but it has and is
Craig
which makes DeSantis have somebody guarding the cross walk 24/7, at taxpayer expense.
A lot of good opportunities in that visual too.
Anon and you think “defacing public properties” with chalk will get you fewer blows to your head ? Optimistic? Just a bit?
But what next? How do you leverage this to hurt the bigots?
Is this cross walk fully maintained by the state or does the city have some control. If the later press them for a permit to block the street and repaint the cross walk. Do this until Desantis calls out the national guard. Then take lots of pictures, Old women and little kids.
Jack
I am at the circle ready to chat in 5 minutes. Join me:
Anon and you think “defacing public properties” with chalk will get you fewer blows to your head ?
yes
Anon is an optimist?
Who would have thunk it. ;-0
Jack
HA!
I’m just good at not getting my head beat in
it’s touch-and-go sometimes
We’re live in YouTube now
Jared Polis (Governor of Colorado) posted the following on his personal FB:
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, passed away at the age of 89. I’ve heard from so many people who were hurt and traumatized by his teachings, and from others who were inspired by him to succesfully overcome drug and alcohol addiction. He leaves a complicated and extraordinary legacy, and had a major impact for better or worse on Colorado and the world. Were you helped or hurt by his teachings? What do you feel the legacy of Dr. Dobson is?
And further…
My thoughts on the life and legacy of Dr. James Dobson: In many ways, through our own actions taken and not taken, by our words said and unsaid, we all have caused pain and suffering and also provided comfort and love. No human is perfect, and Dr. Dobson wasn’t perfect on a grander scale. My hope is that his passing is an opportunity for us all to reflect on our own actions so that we can each be a greater force for kindness and good in the world.
And speaking as Governor…
It’s challenging to address the complex legacy of James Dobson, who passed this week in Colorado Springs at age 89. His life and work left a major mark on countless individuals, inspiring some to deepen their faith and strive for personal growth, while causing great pain and trauma for others due to his controversial and hurtful teachings.
Dr. Dobson was a staunch advocate for what he described as “traditional” gender roles, emphasizing a homemaker mother and a breadwinner father. In his writings, he suggested that women’s “natural sex appeal” served as their primary leverage in relationships, with men assuming responsibility for their care in exchange for affection. He wrote “The natural sex appeal of girls serves as their primary source of bargaining power in the game of life. In exchange for feminine affection and love, a man accepts a girl as his lifetime responsibility-supplying her needs and caring for her welfare. This sexual aspect of the marital agreement can hardly be denied.”
While these views often echoed a bygone era and perpetuated harmful stereotypes, they also resonated with those who searched for dignity and purpose in traditional roles. Today, we can affirm that there is honor in choosing to be a caregiver, homemaker, or provider—whether by a woman or a man—while emphasizing that such choices should be freely made, not imposed based on gender.
He also espoused incorrect and discredited views on homosexuality that caused pain and trauma for so many people: That being gay was neither a choice nor genetic, but was caused by external factors during early childhood like being too close to your mother. His views on homosexuality caused trauma for generations of LGBT youth, and also caused stress and trauma for parents who incorrectly were led to believe they they were at fault for their child being gay.
A big fan of spanking and physical punishment of children, he wrote as recently as 2015 “when spanking fails to make a child obey, the problem may be that the parent is not hitting hard enough or frequently enough.”
Yet, for all the harm caused, we cannot overlook the inspiration Dr. Dobson provided to some. Through his ministry, Focus on the Family, which he founded in Colorado Springs in 1977 and led until 2010, he reached over 200 million people worldwide at the height of his influence. Hailed by The New York Times as “the nation’s most influential evangelical leader,” his oratorical skill and charisma touched many lives, encouraging countless Coloradans and others to pursue faith, family, and personal improvement such as successfully recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
Dr. Dobson was no doubt man of deep conviction, but his vision often excluded and even denigrated others. To have deployed his talents for love, kindness, and respect would have made an immense positive difference in the world. Sadly, any completion of his character ark of developing Christlike love for all humankind will have to occur in the afterlife, of which he was a fervent believer. So let us hope that he is in a better place, and that there is yet hope for redemption in the great beyond. How did Dr. Dobson’s legacy affect you? Did it help you in a time of need? Did it lead to suffering, shame, and repression? Share your stories below to help inform others about the complex legacy of Dr. James Dobson.
Craig – You could start a Substack channel; they have everything: a guy who runs a winery, political folks, astrologers. Dime of them are free, some of them are free for a week, some of them have a free portion and you pay for more details or to interact with the community.
Reddit is funny. One of the responses on the easiest way to move a new load of driveway rock has me laughing days later.
Craig – By the way, you can read about Mark Cuban’s take on BlueSky & how they are letting it die.
“The lack of diversity of thought here is really hurting usage,” Cuban wrote, linking to a Washington Post piece with the headline “BlueSky’s decline stems from never hearing from the other side.”
According to Business Insider, Bluesky had more than 1 million unique users daily on February 28, but that number has dipped by one-third, to roughly 670,000 posters as of June 7 and 8.
*Folks want trolls and/or fascists in their feed?
Ivy – That paragraph about Dobson and child beating points to Doug Wilson, Pete Hegseth’s religious mentor. There was a woman who escaped an evangelical sect of his; ritual beatings of women and children. David Koresh vibes.
Moscow represents “ground zero” for the movement, he explained, because Christ Church is based there and many church families send their children to New St. Andrews College, Wilson’s affiliated institution, even though the church’s influence extends nationally and internationally, including a new church plant in Washington, D.C.
The church’s rapid growth has transformed Moscow’s landscape. Since 2019, Christ Church has doubled in size to about 3,000 congregants in the town of 25,000, a growth spurt driven by families with four to six children on average and what Wilson calls emigration from blue states. The church recently completed a new 1,200-seat church hall on Dominion Avenue, though Wilson says the church has already outgrown it. Construction continues on a new campus for the affiliated Logos School, which serves 750 students, while church members operate multiple businesses throughout downtown Moscow.
“Sons of Patriarchy” / Bell, who launched the podcast nine months ago, described the purpose in visiting Moscow: “We’re the bully of the bullies. We make sure we keep you safe.”
The podcast has launched Outreach Idaho, a support organization that provides resources for church abuse survivors, including legal help, counseling and assistance with moving. The organization has an intake team that responds to people seeking help.
“That’s literally what it’s for. It’s for those who are looking for help,” Bell said. “That’s why we exist as a podcast.”
*All places named Moscow have very bad men there.
Sadly, any completion of his character ark
lol, no pun intended?
Jamie – I thought you were sending for me when you win.
They won’t charge Bolton…..they just want to read his emails.
Now I may be wrong, but I do believe that if you haven’t completed your character ark in this life … well, you’re done, there being no afterlife to in which to work on it.
And the Bolton subpoena is a twofer – a distraction plus a threat.
I just love the little “Incorrect captcha/duplicate comment” two step.
All places named Moscow have very bad men there
That’s some gruesome stuff, BiD.
Been said already but bears repetition: Q-anins were right about the rings of pedophilia, they just went searching in the wrong party.
Glad the laser beam of attention is squarely back on Dodo the Pedo.
So the Blanche/Maxwell tape is out – victims’ names redacted to protect the innocent. WaPo
The Justice Department on Friday released the transcript and audio recording of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s two-day interview last month with Jeffrey Epstein’s imprisoned associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Blanche said in a post on social media that the Justice Department redacted victims’ names, but otherwise did not alter the transcript or recordings.
“The audio is divided into segments to reflect breaks during the interview,” Blanche posted on social media. “Some segments are shorter than others. Shorter segments are a result of audio tests and size limitations per recorded session. Except for the names of victims, every word is included. Nothing removed.”
Maxwell’s attorney had said at the time that Blanche asked her about potentially “100 different people” and “answered every single question.”
The interview was conducted in Tallahassee, not far from where Maxwell was serving a a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. In the days after the interview, Maxwell was transferred to a different prison with less security in Texas.
It is so short I posted the entire news flash. Of course this is just another head fake. Nice try, but screw the get-me-the-hell-out-of-this-place cooperation tape. That’s not what people want t see. Release the 100,000 pages (or whatever) DOJ has that THEY call the Epstein files.
Said Trump: “Some people refer to it as the ‘Trump Kennedy Center,’ but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet. Maybe in a week or so.”
Rebrand of the Kennedy Center will likely coincide with the announcement that Dodo will not be the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
President Trump said Friday he was considering “massive” sanctions and tariffs if Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fail to set up a meeting to discuss peace negotiations.
“I was just sent a picture by someone who wants to be [at FIFA World Cup events] badly,” Trump said, holding up an image that showed the US president’s tie slightly askew.
“OK of me, but nice of him. I thought it was very nice that it was sent to me.”
Trump added of peace talks: “Over the next two weeks we’re going to find out which way it’s going to go — and I better be very happy.”
*If Putin goes to a FIFA match in the US (he can’t go to Canada or Mexico), I hope the ICC has the chance to nab him, or that someone Luigis him.
Trump holds up photo sent to him by Putin: ‘I’m going to sign this for him’
In an unexpected moment during an event about the 2026 World Cup draw, President Donald Trump pulled out a photo of him and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Alaska. Trump said Putin sent the picture and told reporters he planned to sign it for him.
*See video. The loon is looning.
He’s settled 7 wars and 3 “pre-wars” now. Huh?
Must be casual Friday. Nobody is wearing a tie. “On Wednesdays, we wear pink!” -Mean Girls
Inmate at Ghislaine Maxwell’s new jail moved to strict prison after slamming her
Julie Howell was jailed at a low-security prison in Texas, US, until she publically slammed Ghislaine Maxwell – the sex offender was moved into the same jail despite her commiting horrific crimes
An inmate has been booted out of a luxury prison after she slammed a move to place convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell inside the low-security jail.
Julie Howell, who is serving her one-year sentence for theft, was suddenly transferred to a high-security facility with violent inmates. Whilst Maxwell was housed at Federal Prison Camp, Bryan in Texas, which is thought to be less strict.
The site even includes play time with puppy sessions, as part of a programme to train dogs to become service animals. Howell called out the decision to house sex trafficker, Maxwell, in the same facility due to her heinous crimes. She feared that her presence would put other inmates in danger and branded the choice as “disgusting”.
She earlier told The Telegraph: “This facility is supposed to house non-violent offenders. Human trafficking is a violent crime.” Howell further explained that she only spoke out because her family member was a victim of sex trafficking.
Howell, 44, added: “We have heard there are threats against her life and many of us are worried about our own safety because she’s here.” Following her outburst, Howell’s lawyer said prison warden Dr. Tanisha Hall called her into her office.
Lawyer Patrick McClain repeated what the warden allegedly told Howell and said: “You’ve ruined my weekend.” The warden reportedly said her phone was “blowing up” following the outburst. She has since been moved to a Federal Detention Centre in Houston where the inmates are considered more aggressive.
McClain told Daily Mail: “Julie has been punished for crossing the system and speaking her mind openly. President Trump has talked about wanting to punish and put in jail his political opponents. I have no reason to believe that the president knows who Julie Howell is, but by speaking her mind she has angered his administration and has suffered the consequences.”
I’m trying a different version of chicken salad. I had a chicken breast I baked with a bit of spice mix for sandwiches yesterday, usually the second day it is a combination dog treats and sandwich meat. the third day it is all dog treats. My usual salad has chopped chicken breast with celery, onion , sweet pickles and mayo. Today it was stuff from the garden. Chicken with onion, pepper, tomato and mayo. It tasted good.
Jack
That statement from Jared Polis, governor of Colorado, sounds like he made input into it. It fails to mention that Jared is Gay, Dobson did attacks on him when he was a upcoming young legislator. Dobson even did attacks on me, minor compared to his usual rants. Dobson did not have redeeming qualities for the late Twentieth Century and early Twenty First Century. He would have fit in the Middle Ages somewhere.
I was with Equality Colorado in the first decade of the Twenty First Century. We did LGBTQ legislative support and lobbying in the Colorado legislature, and with other legislatures as agreed on. Dobson’s people knew me very well. We fought their attempts at turning Colorado into the Hell hole that is the christian fascists we see today. We would sit in hearings, avoiding each other. They were rumoured to try to have me arrested for using the womens restrooms. The Dems gave me the code to the legislators restrooms. They were very unhappy as Dems passed pro LGBTQ legislation.
Jared has always been center Dem, but lately he has been straying over to right of center Dem.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard members patrolling the streets of Washington, DC, to begin carrying their service weapons as they fulfill President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown in the nation’s capital, according to a US defense official.
*Using troops against civilians. How do we ever get Orange Adolf, JD, or anyone to ever leave?
Federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital will no longer bring felony charges against people for possessing rifles or shotguns in the District of Columbia, according to a new policy adopted by the leader of the nation’s largest U.S. attorney’s office.
The new policy also coves large-capacity magazines, but it does not apply to handguns.
“We will continue to seize all illegal and unlicensed firearms, and to vigorously prosecute all crimes connected with them,” Pirro said, adding that she and Trump “are committed to prosecuting gun crime.”
…new listing at USAJobs — the official jobs board for the U.S. government. It says the Department of Homeland Security is creating something called the ICE/CBP “Volunteer Force” which is open to all civilian DOD employees.
It’s unclear from the description. But this doesn’t really sound like “volunteering.” More like you keep drawing your DOD salary but you go work for ICE for six months. And the listing title describes as a “DOD Detail” which would be that sort of temporary reassignment.
Late Update: From what I can understand, the job listing has been up for almost two weeks. But it only seems to have gotten attention today when the Pentagon sent out an official email to its employees encouraging them to apply. Since posting, I noticed that 404 Media has also published a story on this now. I suspect we both heard about it from sources who learned about it from the DOD internal email. The timing of both of our stories makes that almost certain. This page suggests the DHS “volunteer force” was created as early as February of this year, though a version of it may have existed earlier. As a tell of the state of organization, the email you’re instructed to use to apply is a FEMA email address.
The Department of Defense asks its civilian workers to apply for a “volunteer force” to support ICE that may involve working under “austere conditions.
The application page says the employees would be working largely in support roles at “facilities along the U.S. border or ICE and CBP facilities throughout the interior of the United States … Locations will extend to other geographic areas according to the need. Conditions at some locations could be austere. Deployment locations are based on need and are not negotiable.”
Washington is sending three amphibious assault vessels carrying a 2,200-strong Marine expeditionary force to Venezuela, anonymous US officials told the Miami Herald yesterday. They are to join a group of three US guided missile destroyers that reportedly arrived off the Venezuelan coast yesterday.
This shatters the flimsy pretext the Trump administration had earlier advanced to justify sending the three destroyers—namely, the claim that they would prevent ships in the area from trafficking drugs from Venezuela to the United States. The US Marine Corps is not an anti-narcotics police unit. The US government is clearly threatening to invade Venezuela as part of a decades-long regime change operation targeting that oil-rich country.
As US destroyers closed in on Venezuela’s coast on Thursday, China condemned Washington’s military build-up and warned against foreign interference, backing Nicolas Maduro in a showdown that is drawing in powers far beyond the Caribbean.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China opposed “any move that violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and a country’s sovereignty and security”.
She added that Beijing rejected “the interference of external forces in Venezuela’s internal affairs under any pretext” and urged the United States to “do more things conducive to peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region”.
Blue.
I’ll let you know if we win the $700 mil tomorrow night.
Jack,
My chicken salad gets the usual celery & onions, but then I go tropical with pineapple chunks, coconut and sliced almonds – mayo with a touch of brown mustard.
Blue Bronc, I’m glad to know you survived that.
I feel better off with Polis as my governor than I did with Kay Ivey.
As for Dobson, a person of deep conviction can also be a person of deepest delusion.
I’ve been a fan of Jared’s mom since before he was born.
do you still have the link for the Dr. Seuss branded ostrich hat, Stur-people?
just kidding, thank you for them, sincerely. Keep it up.
…just a little gallows humor 😒
Ignorance is strength
War is peace
Freedom is slavery
I make chik’n salad with Quorn diced chik’n. Put it in a spinach tortilla wrap with onion sprouts & cashews. Mwah!
Craig – I enjoyed have the live feed link on the page.
It’s good having an alternative Jared.
Trump’s fines got slashed — but don’t buy the spin. The fraud ruling still stands.
Yep BiD that live link was an experiment on the fly during our chat today. I’d like to schedule a livestream like that for tomorrow 2pm ET. So much to talk about, tough to get to it all.
The link about Adolf having a super-loony moment, fawning over Putin (he wants to sign it for him?) in one breath and taking credit for the resolution of many wars & pre-wars…he’s deteriorating quickly. I know that brings the universally-despised JD into office, but outliving the tyrant should provide some relief, even if brief.
I hate that he’ll get a state funeral, but there will be partying throughout the land.
Dobson eulogies are like John the Baptist. Prefiguring the Big Beautiful Obituary.
Friday massacre has started rather odd and boring. First Bolton being accused of being a traitor. No evidence, but I am sure krasnov ordered that something be found. I do not care for Bolton, he is a right wing shoe pounder, but he is as honest in his beliefs as any Dem is in ours. Bolton is not a traitor, he saw the true traitor is krasnov.
Next up, they (former) Kennedy Center dance director and staff have been fired. sfb wants something like a television dance contest show. No more ballet or other stuff he does not like. Just like everything else, what mangomoron touches dies.
It is only 1800 EDT here in the D.C. war zone, so expect something really stinky. Maybe a phony transcript of what is supposed to be Maxine exhonorating the convicted sex abuser sfb. But, that is so far out no one would believe it if it happened.
🎤 OPEN MIC DUPONT CIRCLE — Live from DC
Tomorrow at 2:00 PM ET we’re back in the circle — zero teleprompters, all voices welcome.
Join the chat HERE
👀 Watch the livestream here →
News showing a starving child in Gaza with his aunt who was covered head to toe & the house MAGAt doesn’t know what to believe, because why isn’t the woman more gaunt?
Adults have more fat and muscle to fight with than a kid & she’s covered so you can’t tell.
They wanted to argue the point & suggested it’s a lie that a lot of folks are starving.
FDT and BiBi
Israel is admitting they are starving the Gazans, that’s what a “blockade” is- where does this person get their information?
they are just arguing with you to argue with you
I dare you to ask them where they think the Gazans are getting food
Social networking startup Bluesky has made the decision to block access to its service in the state of Mississippi, rather than comply with a new age assurance law.
Mississippi’s HB 1126 requires platforms to introduce age verification for all users before they can access social networks like Bluesky. On Thursday, U.S. Supreme Court justices decided to block an emergency appeal that would have prevented the law from going into effect as the legal challenges it faces played out in the courts.
As a result, Bluesky had to decide what it would do about compliance.
Instead of requiring age verification before users could access age-restricted content, this law requires age verification of all users. That means Bluesky would have to verify every user’s age and obtain parental consent for anyone under 18. The company notes that the potential penalties for noncompliance are hefty, too — up to $10,000 per user.
Bluesky also stresses that the law goes beyond child safety, as intended, and would create “significant barriers that limit free speech and disproportionately harm smaller platforms and emerging technologies.”
To comply, Bluesky would have to collect and store sensitive information from all its users, in addition to the detailed tracking of minors. This is different from how it’s expected to comply with other age verification laws, like the U.K.’s Online Safety Act (OSA), which only requires age checks for certain content and features.
Mississippi’s law blocks anyone from using the site unless they provide their personal and sensitive information.
t is almost 30 years since her father, the press baron Robert Maxwell, fell to his death from his £15m yacht, Lady Ghislaine, off the Canary Islands, aged 68. Even now there is talk of suicide, or murder – perhaps by Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service.
Apart from Mirror Group Newspapers and the New York Daily News, his many businesses included Oxford United and Derby County football clubs. He rose from impoverishment as a Czechoslovakian refugee to become a decorated war hero, a businessman, a Labour MP and then a media mogul, amassing private jets, helicopters and Rolls-Royces en route.
Maxwell, one of seven children of Jewish parents, was born Ján Ludvík Hoch in the Czechoslovakian mountain village of Slatinské Doly, now part of Ukraine and known as Solotvyno. He claimed not to have had a pair of shoes until he was seven.
He escaped Nazi occupation by fleeing to France as a teenager, but lost his parents, four siblings and most of his extended family in the Holocaust. After joining the Czechoslovak army in exile, he was evacuated to Britain and joined the British army under the name Ivan du Maurier, apparently after a cigarette brand. He fought in Normandy, met his wife – a student at the Sorbonne – and won the Military Cross for heroism on the Dutch-German border; the decoration was pinned to his chest by Field Marshal Montgomery.
Throughout his life, he was a good friend to Israel, investing heavily in publishing, pharmaceutical and computer firms in the country. He met accusations he was an Israeli spy with furious denials and legal threats. Such speculation was fanned again after his death, when he was accorded almost a state funeral in Israel, attended by the prime minister, Yitzhak Shamir, and the president, Chaim Herzog, and buried in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Conspiracy theorists have claimed that Mossad killed him because Israel refused him a loan and he threatened to retaliate.
His death on 5 November 1991 shocked the country. Shock turned to anger within weeks when a £460m hole was discovered in the pension funds of his companies. A borrower of unimaginable scale, he had illegally raided the funds to prop up his empire, which was on the brink of collapse. Headlines such as The Man Who Saved the Mirror were swiftly replaced by Maxwell: The Robber.
For Oxford-educated Ghislaine, the youngest of his nine children, Maxwell’s money had provided status and a ticket to the elite. She was dispatched to New York initially as a meeter-and-greeter, to pave her father’s way when he bought the Daily News.
To understand Maxwell, says Julia Langdon, the political editor of the Mirror under him for five years, “you have to think of him as a multipersonality. He was the City magnate, the bully, the aspirant politician, the Jewish daddy.” Langdon travelled the world with him and found him fascinating. “He was very bombastic, very prone to flattery, very vain. My first reaction when he died was that I could not think of anyone less likely to commit suicide. I think he fell.”
“Here was a man, totally found out, not able to escape and not able to bluster. And he would have been in the dock. But he might have taken some very interesting people down with him. In that respect, it’s shades of Epstein.”
@GovPressOffice
WOW! FOX NEWS CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT ME (GAVIN C. NEWSOM), AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR!!!
TONIGHT THEIR ENTIRE PRIMETIME LINEUP WAS ABOUT ME! JESSE WATTERS KEPT CALLING ME “DADDY” (VERY WEIRD, NOT INTERESTED, BUT THANK YOU!).
SEAN HANNITY (VERY NICE GUY) NEARLY CRIED BECAUSE I WON’T TAKE HIS “ADVICE.” SORRY SEAN!!!! THEN THEY DRAGGED OUT THE B-TEAM OF DUMB DUMBS: “MEATBALL RON,” TOMI “TOILET” LAHREN, AND TEDDY
“CANCUN” CRUZ (HE EVEN FLEW BACK SPECIAL FROM MEXICO!) ALL WHINING ABOUT ME, GCN! THEY HAD TO “PLAY THE MUSIC” TO SHUT TED UP ABOUT MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR (I GET IT! SO JEALOUS!).
TOTAL DISASTER. MAGA HATES ME BECAUSE THEY HATE YOU. THEY HATE THAT CALIFORNIA IS THE 4TH BIGGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD.
*Etc., etc., et cetera
Sturg – The library in TX had a huge book of Dr. Seuss’s political stuff. I had forgotten about that. Doubtful this library system will have it, but it’s worth a try. It didn’t mean much to me thirty years ago. Different times.
Up to 1,700 National Guardsmen are set to mobilize in 19 states in the coming weeks to assist the Department of Homeland Security with President Trump’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and crime, Pentagon officials confirmed to FOX News.
Documents obtained by FOX News show planning for activations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming – with status effective from August through mid-November. Texas is projected to host the most significant Guard presence.
Under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, use of the military for civilian law enforcement is limited – but the National Guardsmen will be mobilizing under Title 32 Section 502F authority, to which Posse Comitatus does not apply. At the request of DHS, in July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved hundreds of additional forces for DHS-ICE Interior Enforcement support, and switched existing approvals from Title 10 to Title 32 status.
Bid, whaddabunchabullshit. ( Not referring to what you said)
NEW THREAD by our fearless leader
Comments are closed.
Join the Trail Mix
Get an alert when Craig goes live, and the link when our Open Thread heats up.
After years of dominating the headlines, Trump now faces major hurdles on all sides:
• Explosive scandals refuse to die down, reviving questions about his past connections and campaign promises.
• The Republican Party is locked in public infighting, struggling to find unity as cracks deepen between its factions.
• Even parts of Trump’s once-loyal base are starting to lose faith, shaken by ongoing controversies and a growing sense of fatigue.
most memorable is the last line at 2:45 minutes: “the final act is underway…the laughter, bitter as it is, may yet be the only appropriate response.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signs legislation to put congressional maps favoring Democrats on the November ballot: “I remind you all the time, it’s not the rule of law. It’s the rule of Don, and we’re standing up to that … They fired the first shot in Texas.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/21/trump-alligator-alcatraz-judge-ruling
https://www.newsweek.com/john-bolton-fbi-raid-home-live-updates-2117655
FBI agents entered Bolton’s Bethesda, Maryland home at 7 a.m. Friday, as part of a classified records probe.
Bolton has not been detained or charged, according to sources familiar with the matter.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X shortly after the raid: “NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission”.
Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser for 17 months and later became a vocal critic of the president.
He previously faced scrutiny over his 2020 memoir, which officials alleged contained classified material; the Justice Department dropped its lawsuit in 2021.
The comments came as Bolton’s memoir, The Room Where It Happened, was released despite efforts by the Department of Justice to block its publication. A federal judge allowed the book to proceed, acknowledging national security concerns but noting its widespread pre-release circulation.
Bolton denied violating the Presidential Records Act, arguing the notes were not official records and that others followed similar procedures. At the time, the DOJ filed a civil suit seeking to prevent Bolton from profiting from the book, which reportedly earned him a $2 million advance.
The memoir includes explosive allegations about then-President Donald Trump, including claims of soliciting election help from China and leveraging military aid to pressure Ukraine.
Trump revoked Bolton’s security clearance and protection earlier this year upon returning to office.
*“NO ONE,” Kash? OK, then.
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton criticized ongoing diplomatic efforts between Russia and Ukraine in a tweet this morning ahead of the announcement of his arrest, asserting that Moscow’s core objective remains unchanged: absorbing Ukraine into a revived Russian empire.
“Russia has not changed its goal,” Bolton wrote on X. “Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede territory it already holds and the remainder of Donetsk, which it has been unable to conquer. Zelensky will never do so.”
Bolton added, “Meetings will continue because Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize,” he added, “but I don’t see these talks making any progress.”
*IMO, Putin plans to take back Alaska, too.
Yesterday on Dupont Open Mic our Florida friends reported disturbing news about the Pulse Nightclub Memorial.
Today at Noon ET pull up a chair: Chat Studio
The irony practically screams for attention.
Bolton raid just more distraction from Epstein, Russia, Economy, National Guard in DC, Election tampering etc. ….. Trump just wants people to look elsewhere but he’s running out of ways to distract from all the garbage.
I would really like to get into a discussion about this Bolton raid in chat today. Where does he live.?Maybe I’ll go there.
today’s meme…
meme #2…
Bolton’s home is in Bethesda, Maryland.
The restoration of the Pulse crosswalk.
Florida locals defy Ron DeSantis by restoring Pulse rainbow crosswalk
“Where does he live.?Maybe I’ll go there.”
craig, take a look at MSNBC. their favorite shot this morning seems to be his front porch with address clearly in view. too bad because this unfortunately means magaT harassment/violence to follow.
This is a great response. Fighting back with chalk!
Bethesda out of my range. I get lost every time I go to Maryland
Craig, here’s what they’ve been showing
9e7b371677b89f7d61ee090321308753
Right here on Connecticut avenue in front of the Mayflower hotel. Isn’t that the English language Communist China Party newspaper?
Site of Harry Truman’s inaugural.
Jamie,
Nail, hammer, head. And the news channels are all over it.
Yep Skep — Today just happens to be the day some Epstein files supposedly getting released to House Oversight
The problem with chalk is that it is not permanent, where as paint is.
But good to see some nonviolent creative push back.
Jack
Yes but more likely to get arrested if they use paint. Maybe
Bolton raid is about intimidating trump critics, full stop
Nah, chalk is the way to go, don’t give trump thugs an excuse to beat your head in
The Civil War has begun and it gets worse before it gets better
it can’t happen here, but it has and is
Craig
which makes DeSantis have somebody guarding the cross walk 24/7, at taxpayer expense.
A lot of good opportunities in that visual too.
Anon and you think “defacing public properties” with chalk will get you fewer blows to your head ? Optimistic? Just a bit?
But what next? How do you leverage this to hurt the bigots?
Is this cross walk fully maintained by the state or does the city have some control. If the later press them for a permit to block the street and repaint the cross walk. Do this until Desantis calls out the national guard. Then take lots of pictures, Old women and little kids.
Jack
I am at the circle ready to chat in 5 minutes. Join me:
yes
Anon is an optimist?
Who would have thunk it. ;-0
Jack
HA!
I’m just good at not getting my head beat in
it’s touch-and-go sometimes
We’re live in YouTube now
Jared Polis (Governor of Colorado) posted the following on his personal FB:
And further…
And speaking as Governor…
Craig – You could start a Substack channel; they have everything: a guy who runs a winery, political folks, astrologers. Dime of them are free, some of them are free for a week, some of them have a free portion and you pay for more details or to interact with the community.
Reddit is funny. One of the responses on the easiest way to move a new load of driveway rock has me laughing days later.
Craig – By the way, you can read about Mark Cuban’s take on BlueSky & how they are letting it die.
https://www.mensjournal.com/news/mark-cuban-makes-his-opinion-on-bluesky-extremely-clear
“The lack of diversity of thought here is really hurting usage,” Cuban wrote, linking to a Washington Post piece with the headline “BlueSky’s decline stems from never hearing from the other side.”
According to Business Insider, Bluesky had more than 1 million unique users daily on February 28, but that number has dipped by one-third, to roughly 670,000 posters as of June 7 and 8.
*Folks want trolls and/or fascists in their feed?
Ivy – That paragraph about Dobson and child beating points to Doug Wilson, Pete Hegseth’s religious mentor. There was a woman who escaped an evangelical sect of his; ritual beatings of women and children. David Koresh vibes.
Moscow represents “ground zero” for the movement, he explained, because Christ Church is based there and many church families send their children to New St. Andrews College, Wilson’s affiliated institution, even though the church’s influence extends nationally and internationally, including a new church plant in Washington, D.C.
The church’s rapid growth has transformed Moscow’s landscape. Since 2019, Christ Church has doubled in size to about 3,000 congregants in the town of 25,000, a growth spurt driven by families with four to six children on average and what Wilson calls emigration from blue states. The church recently completed a new 1,200-seat church hall on Dominion Avenue, though Wilson says the church has already outgrown it. Construction continues on a new campus for the affiliated Logos School, which serves 750 students, while church members operate multiple businesses throughout downtown Moscow.
“Sons of Patriarchy” / Bell, who launched the podcast nine months ago, described the purpose in visiting Moscow: “We’re the bully of the bullies. We make sure we keep you safe.”
The podcast has launched Outreach Idaho, a support organization that provides resources for church abuse survivors, including legal help, counseling and assistance with moving. The organization has an intake team that responds to people seeking help.
“That’s literally what it’s for. It’s for those who are looking for help,” Bell said. “That’s why we exist as a podcast.”
*All places named Moscow have very bad men there.
lol, no pun intended?
Jamie – I thought you were sending for me when you win.
They won’t charge Bolton…..they just want to read his emails.
Bush better watch out.
Maybe there will be a stroke of luck.
YES!
Another lie revealed.
Trump’s claim about a $600 billion ‘gift’ from the European Union quietly falls apart
Ghislaine is hardly the judge of what is appropriate.
Vote of No Confidence in Federal Government
The link to vote if you like is at the bottom of the Reich article.
https://open.substack.com/pub/robertreich/p/vote-of-no-confidence-in-our-current?r=59ruip&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Now I may be wrong, but I do believe that if you haven’t completed your character ark in this life … well, you’re done, there being no afterlife to in which to work on it.
And the Bolton subpoena is a twofer – a distraction plus a threat.
I just love the little “Incorrect captcha/duplicate comment” two step.
That’s some gruesome stuff, BiD.
Been said already but bears repetition: Q-anins were right about the rings of pedophilia, they just went searching in the wrong party.
Glad the laser beam of attention is squarely back on Dodo the Pedo.
So the Blanche/Maxwell tape is out – victims’ names redacted to protect the innocent. WaPo
It is so short I posted the entire news flash. Of course this is just another head fake. Nice try, but screw the get-me-the-hell-out-of-this-place cooperation tape. That’s not what people want t see. Release the 100,000 pages (or whatever) DOJ has that THEY call the Epstein files.
Rebrand of the Kennedy Center will likely coincide with the announcement that Dodo will not be the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
https://nypost.com/2025/08/22/us-news/trump-shows-off-photo-putin-mailed-him-from-alaska-summit/
President Trump said Friday he was considering “massive” sanctions and tariffs if Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fail to set up a meeting to discuss peace negotiations.
“I was just sent a picture by someone who wants to be [at FIFA World Cup events] badly,” Trump said, holding up an image that showed the US president’s tie slightly askew.
“OK of me, but nice of him. I thought it was very nice that it was sent to me.”
Trump added of peace talks: “Over the next two weeks we’re going to find out which way it’s going to go — and I better be very happy.”
*If Putin goes to a FIFA match in the US (he can’t go to Canada or Mexico), I hope the ICC has the chance to nab him, or that someone Luigis him.
https://apnews.com/video/trump-holds-up-photo-sent-to-him-by-putin-as-he-expresses-frustration-over-war-in-ukraine-fd270cf3ee7d446da2ef6be0c6787a76
Trump holds up photo sent to him by Putin: ‘I’m going to sign this for him’
In an unexpected moment during an event about the 2026 World Cup draw, President Donald Trump pulled out a photo of him and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Alaska. Trump said Putin sent the picture and told reporters he planned to sign it for him.
*See video. The loon is looning.
He’s settled 7 wars and 3 “pre-wars” now. Huh?
Must be casual Friday. Nobody is wearing a tie. “On Wednesdays, we wear pink!” -Mean Girls
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/inmate-ghislaine-maxwells-new-jail-35775602
Inmate at Ghislaine Maxwell’s new jail moved to strict prison after slamming her
Julie Howell was jailed at a low-security prison in Texas, US, until she publically slammed Ghislaine Maxwell – the sex offender was moved into the same jail despite her commiting horrific crimes
An inmate has been booted out of a luxury prison after she slammed a move to place convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell inside the low-security jail.
Julie Howell, who is serving her one-year sentence for theft, was suddenly transferred to a high-security facility with violent inmates. Whilst Maxwell was housed at Federal Prison Camp, Bryan in Texas, which is thought to be less strict.
The site even includes play time with puppy sessions, as part of a programme to train dogs to become service animals. Howell called out the decision to house sex trafficker, Maxwell, in the same facility due to her heinous crimes. She feared that her presence would put other inmates in danger and branded the choice as “disgusting”.
She earlier told The Telegraph: “This facility is supposed to house non-violent offenders. Human trafficking is a violent crime.” Howell further explained that she only spoke out because her family member was a victim of sex trafficking.
Howell, 44, added: “We have heard there are threats against her life and many of us are worried about our own safety because she’s here.” Following her outburst, Howell’s lawyer said prison warden Dr. Tanisha Hall called her into her office.
Lawyer Patrick McClain repeated what the warden allegedly told Howell and said: “You’ve ruined my weekend.” The warden reportedly said her phone was “blowing up” following the outburst. She has since been moved to a Federal Detention Centre in Houston where the inmates are considered more aggressive.
McClain told Daily Mail: “Julie has been punished for crossing the system and speaking her mind openly. President Trump has talked about wanting to punish and put in jail his political opponents. I have no reason to believe that the president knows who Julie Howell is, but by speaking her mind she has angered his administration and has suffered the consequences.”
I’m trying a different version of chicken salad. I had a chicken breast I baked with a bit of spice mix for sandwiches yesterday, usually the second day it is a combination dog treats and sandwich meat. the third day it is all dog treats. My usual salad has chopped chicken breast with celery, onion , sweet pickles and mayo. Today it was stuff from the garden. Chicken with onion, pepper, tomato and mayo. It tasted good.
Jack
That statement from Jared Polis, governor of Colorado, sounds like he made input into it. It fails to mention that Jared is Gay, Dobson did attacks on him when he was a upcoming young legislator. Dobson even did attacks on me, minor compared to his usual rants. Dobson did not have redeeming qualities for the late Twentieth Century and early Twenty First Century. He would have fit in the Middle Ages somewhere.
I was with Equality Colorado in the first decade of the Twenty First Century. We did LGBTQ legislative support and lobbying in the Colorado legislature, and with other legislatures as agreed on. Dobson’s people knew me very well. We fought their attempts at turning Colorado into the Hell hole that is the christian fascists we see today. We would sit in hearings, avoiding each other. They were rumoured to try to have me arrested for using the womens restrooms. The Dems gave me the code to the legislators restrooms. They were very unhappy as Dems passed pro LGBTQ legislation.
Jared has always been center Dem, but lately he has been straying over to right of center Dem.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/22/politics/hegseth-orders-national-guard-troops-dc-carry-weapons
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered National Guard members patrolling the streets of Washington, DC, to begin carrying their service weapons as they fulfill President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown in the nation’s capital, according to a US defense official.
*Using troops against civilians. How do we ever get Orange Adolf, JD, or anyone to ever leave?
https://apnews.com/article/jeanine-pirro-rifles-shotguns-trump-6b642047d933171e9af544e096c1ed15
Federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital will no longer bring felony charges against people for possessing rifles or shotguns in the District of Columbia, according to a new policy adopted by the leader of the nation’s largest U.S. attorney’s office.
The new policy also coves large-capacity magazines, but it does not apply to handguns.
“We will continue to seize all illegal and unlicensed firearms, and to vigorously prosecute all crimes connected with them,” Pirro said, adding that she and Trump “are committed to prosecuting gun crime.”
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/ice-cannabilizing-dod
…new listing at USAJobs — the official jobs board for the U.S. government. It says the Department of Homeland Security is creating something called the ICE/CBP “Volunteer Force” which is open to all civilian DOD employees.
It’s unclear from the description. But this doesn’t really sound like “volunteering.” More like you keep drawing your DOD salary but you go work for ICE for six months. And the listing title describes as a “DOD Detail” which would be that sort of temporary reassignment.
Late Update: From what I can understand, the job listing has been up for almost two weeks. But it only seems to have gotten attention today when the Pentagon sent out an official email to its employees encouraging them to apply. Since posting, I noticed that 404 Media has also published a story on this now. I suspect we both heard about it from sources who learned about it from the DOD internal email. The timing of both of our stories makes that almost certain. This page suggests the DHS “volunteer force” was created as early as February of this year, though a version of it may have existed earlier. As a tell of the state of organization, the email you’re instructed to use to apply is a FEMA email address.
*Terrible timeline.
https://www.404media.co/pentagon-asks-its-civilian-employees-if-they-want-to-work-for-ice/
The Department of Defense asks its civilian workers to apply for a “volunteer force” to support ICE that may involve working under “austere conditions.
The application page says the employees would be working largely in support roles at “facilities along the U.S. border or ICE and CBP facilities throughout the interior of the United States … Locations will extend to other geographic areas according to the need. Conditions at some locations could be austere. Deployment locations are based on need and are not negotiable.”
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/08/22/axjw-a22.html
Washington is sending three amphibious assault vessels carrying a 2,200-strong Marine expeditionary force to Venezuela, anonymous US officials told the Miami Herald yesterday. They are to join a group of three US guided missile destroyers that reportedly arrived off the Venezuelan coast yesterday.
This shatters the flimsy pretext the Trump administration had earlier advanced to justify sending the three destroyers—namely, the claim that they would prevent ships in the area from trafficking drugs from Venezuela to the United States. The US Marine Corps is not an anti-narcotics police unit. The US government is clearly threatening to invade Venezuela as part of a decades-long regime change operation targeting that oil-rich country.
***
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/china-warns-us-over-military-093000025.html
As US destroyers closed in on Venezuela’s coast on Thursday, China condemned Washington’s military build-up and warned against foreign interference, backing Nicolas Maduro in a showdown that is drawing in powers far beyond the Caribbean.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China opposed “any move that violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and a country’s sovereignty and security”.
She added that Beijing rejected “the interference of external forces in Venezuela’s internal affairs under any pretext” and urged the United States to “do more things conducive to peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region”.
Blue.
I’ll let you know if we win the $700 mil tomorrow night.
Jack,
My chicken salad gets the usual celery & onions, but then I go tropical with pineapple chunks, coconut and sliced almonds – mayo with a touch of brown mustard.
Blue Bronc, I’m glad to know you survived that.
I feel better off with Polis as my governor than I did with Kay Ivey.
As for Dobson, a person of deep conviction can also be a person of deepest delusion.
I’ve been a fan of Jared’s mom since before he was born.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Polis_Schutz
…some particularly terrifying links, today, BiD
Thank you for them? i think?
do you still have the link for the Dr. Seuss branded ostrich hat, Stur-people?
just kidding, thank you for them, sincerely. Keep it up.
…just a little gallows humor 😒
Ignorance is strength
War is peace
Freedom is slavery
I make chik’n salad with Quorn diced chik’n. Put it in a spinach tortilla wrap with onion sprouts & cashews. Mwah!
Craig – I enjoyed have the live feed link on the page.
It’s good having an alternative Jared.
Trump’s fines got slashed — but don’t buy the spin. The fraud ruling still stands.
Yep BiD that live link was an experiment on the fly during our chat today. I’d like to schedule a livestream like that for tomorrow 2pm ET. So much to talk about, tough to get to it all.
The link about Adolf having a super-loony moment, fawning over Putin (he wants to sign it for him?) in one breath and taking credit for the resolution of many wars & pre-wars…he’s deteriorating quickly. I know that brings the universally-despised JD into office, but outliving the tyrant should provide some relief, even if brief.
I hate that he’ll get a state funeral, but there will be partying throughout the land.
Dobson eulogies are like John the Baptist. Prefiguring the Big Beautiful Obituary.
Friday massacre has started rather odd and boring. First Bolton being accused of being a traitor. No evidence, but I am sure krasnov ordered that something be found. I do not care for Bolton, he is a right wing shoe pounder, but he is as honest in his beliefs as any Dem is in ours. Bolton is not a traitor, he saw the true traitor is krasnov.
Next up, they (former) Kennedy Center dance director and staff have been fired. sfb wants something like a television dance contest show. No more ballet or other stuff he does not like. Just like everything else, what mangomoron touches dies.
It is only 1800 EDT here in the D.C. war zone, so expect something really stinky. Maybe a phony transcript of what is supposed to be Maxine exhonorating the convicted sex abuser sfb. But, that is so far out no one would believe it if it happened.
🎤 OPEN MIC DUPONT CIRCLE — Live from DC
Tomorrow at 2:00 PM ET we’re back in the circle — zero teleprompters, all voices welcome.
Join the chat HERE
👀 Watch the livestream here →
https://youtube.com/live/dlzclQ91K6k
A travesty of a mockery of a sham.
News showing a starving child in Gaza with his aunt who was covered head to toe & the house MAGAt doesn’t know what to believe, because why isn’t the woman more gaunt?
Adults have more fat and muscle to fight with than a kid & she’s covered so you can’t tell.
They wanted to argue the point & suggested it’s a lie that a lot of folks are starving.
FDT and BiBi
Israel is admitting they are starving the Gazans, that’s what a “blockade” is- where does this person get their information?
they are just arguing with you to argue with you
I dare you to ask them where they think the Gazans are getting food
https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/22/bluesky-blocks-service-in-mississippi-over-age-assurance-law/
Social networking startup Bluesky has made the decision to block access to its service in the state of Mississippi, rather than comply with a new age assurance law.
Mississippi’s HB 1126 requires platforms to introduce age verification for all users before they can access social networks like Bluesky. On Thursday, U.S. Supreme Court justices decided to block an emergency appeal that would have prevented the law from going into effect as the legal challenges it faces played out in the courts.
As a result, Bluesky had to decide what it would do about compliance.
Instead of requiring age verification before users could access age-restricted content, this law requires age verification of all users. That means Bluesky would have to verify every user’s age and obtain parental consent for anyone under 18. The company notes that the potential penalties for noncompliance are hefty, too — up to $10,000 per user.
Bluesky also stresses that the law goes beyond child safety, as intended, and would create “significant barriers that limit free speech and disproportionately harm smaller platforms and emerging technologies.”
To comply, Bluesky would have to collect and store sensitive information from all its users, in addition to the detailed tracking of minors. This is different from how it’s expected to comply with other age verification laws, like the U.K.’s Online Safety Act (OSA), which only requires age checks for certain content and features.
Mississippi’s law blocks anyone from using the site unless they provide their personal and sensitive information.
Tomorrow I shall be riding the Elbe choo choo and visiting Mt. Ranier.
https://mtrainierrailroad.com/
Somebody needs to keep Craig company.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19843094/
***
From 2019:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/22/the-murky-life-and-death-of-robert-maxwell-and-how-it-shaped-his-daughter-ghislaine
t is almost 30 years since her father, the press baron Robert Maxwell, fell to his death from his £15m yacht, Lady Ghislaine, off the Canary Islands, aged 68. Even now there is talk of suicide, or murder – perhaps by Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service.
Apart from Mirror Group Newspapers and the New York Daily News, his many businesses included Oxford United and Derby County football clubs. He rose from impoverishment as a Czechoslovakian refugee to become a decorated war hero, a businessman, a Labour MP and then a media mogul, amassing private jets, helicopters and Rolls-Royces en route.
Maxwell, one of seven children of Jewish parents, was born Ján Ludvík Hoch in the Czechoslovakian mountain village of Slatinské Doly, now part of Ukraine and known as Solotvyno. He claimed not to have had a pair of shoes until he was seven.
He escaped Nazi occupation by fleeing to France as a teenager, but lost his parents, four siblings and most of his extended family in the Holocaust. After joining the Czechoslovak army in exile, he was evacuated to Britain and joined the British army under the name Ivan du Maurier, apparently after a cigarette brand. He fought in Normandy, met his wife – a student at the Sorbonne – and won the Military Cross for heroism on the Dutch-German border; the decoration was pinned to his chest by Field Marshal Montgomery.
Throughout his life, he was a good friend to Israel, investing heavily in publishing, pharmaceutical and computer firms in the country. He met accusations he was an Israeli spy with furious denials and legal threats. Such speculation was fanned again after his death, when he was accorded almost a state funeral in Israel, attended by the prime minister, Yitzhak Shamir, and the president, Chaim Herzog, and buried in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Conspiracy theorists have claimed that Mossad killed him because Israel refused him a loan and he threatened to retaliate.
His death on 5 November 1991 shocked the country. Shock turned to anger within weeks when a £460m hole was discovered in the pension funds of his companies. A borrower of unimaginable scale, he had illegally raided the funds to prop up his empire, which was on the brink of collapse. Headlines such as The Man Who Saved the Mirror were swiftly replaced by Maxwell: The Robber.
For Oxford-educated Ghislaine, the youngest of his nine children, Maxwell’s money had provided status and a ticket to the elite. She was dispatched to New York initially as a meeter-and-greeter, to pave her father’s way when he bought the Daily News.
To understand Maxwell, says Julia Langdon, the political editor of the Mirror under him for five years, “you have to think of him as a multipersonality. He was the City magnate, the bully, the aspirant politician, the Jewish daddy.” Langdon travelled the world with him and found him fascinating. “He was very bombastic, very prone to flattery, very vain. My first reaction when he died was that I could not think of anyone less likely to commit suicide. I think he fell.”
“Here was a man, totally found out, not able to escape and not able to bluster. And he would have been in the dock. But he might have taken some very interesting people down with him. In that respect, it’s shades of Epstein.”
Oh, how fun. I love trains.
Next visit. Ran out of time on this one.
dipshit ain’t looking so hot, explains his musings on heaven
Not sure what I found the other day, but did find dis today what bout dem ostrich hat.
https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/20775/bb26288266/
Get ready for President Peter Principle
ooh hopefully they are on sale for labor day
@GovPressOffice
WOW! FOX NEWS CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT ME (GAVIN C. NEWSOM), AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR!!!
TONIGHT THEIR ENTIRE PRIMETIME LINEUP WAS ABOUT ME! JESSE WATTERS KEPT CALLING ME “DADDY” (VERY WEIRD, NOT INTERESTED, BUT THANK YOU!).
SEAN HANNITY (VERY NICE GUY) NEARLY CRIED BECAUSE I WON’T TAKE HIS “ADVICE.” SORRY SEAN!!!! THEN THEY DRAGGED OUT THE B-TEAM OF DUMB DUMBS: “MEATBALL RON,” TOMI “TOILET” LAHREN, AND TEDDY
“CANCUN” CRUZ (HE EVEN FLEW BACK SPECIAL FROM MEXICO!) ALL WHINING ABOUT ME, GCN! THEY HAD TO “PLAY THE MUSIC” TO SHUT TED UP ABOUT MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR (I GET IT! SO JEALOUS!).
TOTAL DISASTER. MAGA HATES ME BECAUSE THEY HATE YOU. THEY HATE THAT CALIFORNIA IS THE 4TH BIGGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD.
*Etc., etc., et cetera
Sturg – The library in TX had a huge book of Dr. Seuss’s political stuff. I had forgotten about that. Doubtful this library system will have it, but it’s worth a try. It didn’t mean much to me thirty years ago. Different times.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/national-guard-mobilizing-in-19-states-amid-immigration-crime-crackdown/ar-AA1L3tSd
Up to 1,700 National Guardsmen are set to mobilize in 19 states in the coming weeks to assist the Department of Homeland Security with President Trump’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and crime, Pentagon officials confirmed to FOX News.
Documents obtained by FOX News show planning for activations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wyoming – with status effective from August through mid-November. Texas is projected to host the most significant Guard presence.
Under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, use of the military for civilian law enforcement is limited – but the National Guardsmen will be mobilizing under Title 32 Section 502F authority, to which Posse Comitatus does not apply. At the request of DHS, in July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved hundreds of additional forces for DHS-ICE Interior Enforcement support, and switched existing approvals from Title 10 to Title 32 status.
Bid, whaddabunchabullshit. ( Not referring to what you said)
NEW THREAD by our fearless leader