Primary Coils

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Less than a month away we should hear the hiss and rattles: March 3rd kicks-off primaries in AK, NC and TX. March 6th in CA, GA and ID. Especially March 10th for GA’s CD-14 Special Election Primary.

Attribution: Control of US elections by Dave Granlund, PoliticalCartoons.com

[Dave Granlunds cartoons have appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek.]

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74 thoughts on “Primary Coils”

  1. will the bigly thumb on the scale and or dirty tricks matter in any of them? in re KY:

    Endorsement war brews among Kentucky Republicans ahead of primary election

    LOUISVILLE — U.S. Rep. Andy Barr endorsed a candidate challenging a fellow Kentucky Republican, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, sparking an endorsement battle ahead of the state’s May primaries.

    On Thursday, Barr, who is running for U.S. Senate, endorsed Ed Gallrein, who President Donald Trump has backed in the 4th Congressional District race in the northern part of the state. The president announced he was backing the Shelbyville Republican last fall after vowing for months to oust Massie from Congress.

    Speaking with reporters after a Louisville stop Friday morning, Barr denied that the president had asked for the endorsement of Gallrein. He added that it was “a decision I made on my own.” Barr said he knew Gallrein before he launched his campaign and believes Gallerin “will not only be a strong advocate for President Trump, and work with me shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, but also that he will be a team player who will focus on voting with Republicans to advance President Trump’s agenda.”
    […]
    An independent poll released Thursday morning showed Barr with a slight lead in the GOP primary, though a significant portion of voters surveyed were still undecided. A second poll later in the day somewhat backed up the candidates’ positions in the race.

    Though Trump has not made an endorsement in the U.S. Senate race, Barr said he believes the president will eventually.

    “Ultimately, I think President Trump recognizes all the things that Kentucky voters are starting to recognize in these polls is that I’m not just talking about it, I’m doing it and supporting him every day,” Barr said.

    Trump has won Kentucky’s electoral votes in every presidential election he’s been on the ballot.

    Kentucky’s primary election is May 19.

  2. more of KY and the elections


    Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear talks to potential election interference by the Trump administration, as well as ICE raids in his state, how tariffs have affected manufacturing, the impact of healthcare cuts, and if he’ll run for president in 2028 all on The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle.

    and more from KY gov Andy

    Democratic Governor of Kentucky and host of Sirius XM’s “Andy Beshear Podcast,” Andy Beshear, sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss the consequences of Trump’s presidency on Kentuckians, including how tariffs have halted jobs while raising costs and the Big Beautiful Bills’ part in ruining rural healthcare. They discuss watching the MAGA fever break in the chronically red state, encouraging Democrats to colloquialize their speech to better connect with constituents, testing the Supreme Court’s strength in the administration by suing the President, and focusing on the “why” Democrats fight, versus what they stand for.

  5. Ivy, the shoulders are old surgeries, 58 & 40 years old – the right is on the short list for revision/replacement – something they call a reverse replacement, which is the most common shoulder replacement technique these days. I’ve had a few friends who’ve had them and your understanding seems to be valid. The hip was a breeze – I drove myself to PT 5 days post surgery, quit using crutches about 10 days PS and drove 4 hours from East Bumfuck to Baltimore for post-surgical follow up 2 weeks PS. (Best med decision I ever made). The knee was a bit more difficult, but I ignored the no driving restriction and it got rid of the bone on bone pain. Saying I’m looking forward to this one would be a bit of an overstatement, but absent any major complications, definitely worth it.

  6. Dumbass’ weaponization of the justice system department – against justice. WaPo

    DOJ seeks to undo Bannon’s conviction for defying Jan. 6 subpoena

    The U.S. attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, said a federal judge should dismiss Bannon’s indictment “in the interests of justice.”

    By Salvador Rizzo and Jeremy Roebuck
    The Justice Department is taking steps to throw out Stephen K. Bannon’s conviction for defying a congressional subpoena about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, its latest shift in a legal position to benefit a close ally of President Donald Trump.
    In a Monday legal filing, the department asked the Supreme Court to send Bannon’s case back to the district court, where the U.S. attorney filed a separate motion seeking to dismiss the charges against him.
    Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche characterized the move, in a statement, as a course correction from “the prior administration’s weaponization of the justice system.”
    Bannon, a top Trump strategist who left the White House in 2017, served four months in federal custody in 2024 after a jury in U.S. District Court in D.C. found him guilty of contempt of Congress for ignoring a subpoena from the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol…

    In a two-page legal filing Monday, the U.S. attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, said a federal judge should dismiss Bannon’s indictment “in the interests of justice.” She was the only prosecutor from her office to sign the government’s filing. She said Bannon does not oppose the request.
    Separately, Solicitor General D. John Sauer urged the Supreme Court’s justices to send his appeal back to the judge overseeing Bannon’s case — Trump appointee Carl J. Nichols — to facilitate the dismissal of charges.
    “The government has determined in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice,” Sauer wrote. He noted that prosecutors may seek to have charges dismissed “even after a jury finds the defendant guilty.”
    …

    Assholes.

  8. HOUSEKEEPING: Silas and I have hopefully finished a major coding project: creating a daily email of our posts to subscribers that automatically pull in images such as PatD’s wonderful cartoons (which dramatically increase open rates and click-throughs to the site).

    When you get these emails, please don’t hesitate to forward them to anyone who might be a fine Trailmixer.

  10. Just in case you might have missed it, the demented, delusional, diseased and senile mangomoron has decided to hold Canada hostage by stating he will not let the new bridge between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, open. Some sort of grift or bribe is necessary to change his mind (or whatever that brown pudding is in there).
    Canada paid for the bridge, no U.S. dollars were involved. But, stupid wants to hold Canada to task for some amount of something. Damned idiot.
    NY Times article, free gift to read.

  14. He can’t stop a bridge. What a nincompoop.
    Guess it will be interesting to see what path the TACO will take.

  18. Craig,

    In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the prophecy that Macbeth shall not be vanquished until “Birnam Wood come to Dunsinane” is fulfilled in Act 5, Scene 4. Malcolm’s army disguises their numbers by carrying branches from Birnam Wood as they march on Dunsinane Hill. This tactical camouflage makes it appear as though the forest is moving, signaling Macbeth’s inevitable defeat.

  20. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/10/trump-epstein-phone-call-florida-police

    Donald Trump slammed Jeffrey Epstein about two decades ago, claiming “everyone has known he’s been doing this”, a former Palm Beach police chief claimed.

    Michael Reiter’s account of a conversation with Trump, contained within the justice department’s release of 3m Epstein files, dramatically contrasts with the US president’s public statements. After Epstein’s arrest in July 2019, Trump said “I had no idea” when asked if he knew about his former friend’s abuse of teenage girls.

    Reiter, who retired in 2009, confirmed to the Miami Herald on Monday that he was the person whose name was redacted from this document. The former investigator recounted this conversation during an October 2019 FBI interview.

    Reiter said this conversation took place in July 2006; around this time, allegations against Epstein were growing. He told the FBI that Trump telephoned him and remarked: “Thank goodness you’re stopping him, everyone has known he’s been doing this.”

    The White House deferred a request for comment to Trump’s justice department. In turn, the justice department said in a statement: “We are not aware of any corroborating evidence that the president contacted law enforcement 20 years ago.”

    At the time of Reiter’s statement, local police had been interviewing numerous minor Epstein victims in 2005 and 2006. The FBI and US attorney’s office in south Florida investigated these claims.

    But the case against Epstein concluded with a shocking sweetheart plea deal in 2008 that allowed him to evade federal prosecution if he admitted to state-level prostitution charges.

    After Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in July 2020, Trump was asked whether he expected the fallen British socialite “to turn in powerful men”.

    “I don’t know. I haven’t really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly,” Trump responded.

    “I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach,” he also said. “But I wish her well, whatever it is.”

    These comments also conflict with Reiter’s account. He told FBI agents that Trump described Maxwell as Epstein’s “operative”, and said, “she is evil and to focus on her”, per the FBI report.

    Reiter claimed that Trump told him: “He was around Epstein once when teenagers were present and Trump ‘got the hell out of there’,” the interview summary noted.

    Trump has claimed he booted Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club because the late financier, who died in jail awaiting trial, “stole” staffers, including Virginia Giuffre, who was among the most vocal of the Epstein survivors. Giuffre said that Epstein abused and trafficked her to high-profile men, including the former Prince Andrew. The fallen royal, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has denied misconduct.

    Trump’s relationship has for months proven to be a political landmine for the president. On the campaign trail, he promised to release the Epstein files – a clarion call to conspiracy-minded rightwing supporters.

    The president then waffled on this promise, drawing the ire of backers, and prompting still more outrage after documents emerged showing that he and Epstein had a close relationship prior to their falling out. While Trump ultimately signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandates that his Department of Justice release all investigative documents, he has maintained the issue is a hoax.

  22. A 15-week ‘Walk for Peace’ concludes with Buddhist monks’ arrival in Washington

    A group of Buddhist monks has finally reached Washington, D.C., on foot, completing a 15-week trek from Texas that captivated the country

    neighborhood on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
    By Tiffany Stanley and Deepa Bharath | AP
    WASHINGTON — A group of Buddhist monks reached Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, walking single file across a bridge over the Potomac River to cap a 15-week trek from Texas that has captivated the country.

    The monks in their saffron robes have become fixtures on social media, along with their rescue dog Aloka. After spending Monday night at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, they crossed over the Chain Bridge into the District of Columbia shortly after 8 a.m.

    They walk to advocate for peace . That simple message has resonated across the U.S. as a welcome respite from conflict and political divisions. Thousands gathered along Southern roadsides — often in unusually chilly weather — to watch the monks’ quiet procession that began in late October.

    Large crowds are expected to greet them during their two-day stay in Washington. The Metropolitan Police Department issued a traffic advisory announcing there would be “rolling road closures” along the monks’ route to ensure safety for them and spectators.

    “My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who has taught about mindfulness at stops along the way.

    A respectful silence greets the monks
    Nearly 3,500 people packed American University’s Bender Arena for the monks’ first public stop in Washington. But no raucous sports cheers greeted them: Spectators remained silent as they walked into the arena, as a sign of respect for the monks and their quest for peace.

    Pannakara walked in with Aloka, a celebrity in his own right, who rested on a blanket that organizers had placed on the basketball court.

    The trek has had its perils. In November outside Houston, the monks were walking on the side of a highway when their escort vehicle was hit by a truck. Two monks were injured ; Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan had his leg amputated.

    Phommasan, abbot of a temple in Snellville, Georgia, rejoined the monks in Washington and entered American University’s arena in a wheelchair.

  23. From the grueling 2,300-mile peace walk of Buddhist monks to the “sick f***s” in the unredacted Epstein files, we’re covering the stories the mainstream media is too chicken to message.

    Watch today’s ELEVEN TO NOON:

  26. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-iran-potential-strike_n_697d3984e4b0b1de95c17f56

    The U.S. has amassed forces that Trump calls an “armada” in the region and he is considering possibly striking a wider range of targets than the U.S. did in its attack on Iranian nuclear facilities last summer, a U.S. official and another source familiar with administration conversations told HuffPost. The assault could include political targets, potentially even Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which would likely invite heavy Iranian retaliation and kill future diplomatic prospects.

    *Israel is pushing tRUMP to attack Iran. The propaganda in MAGAtLand is strong, as I’ve heard TWICE that it’s just terrible what IRAN IS DOING TO PROTESTERS, and on another day that they hope tRUMP would attack Iran because of THOSE POOR PROTESTERS.

  27. https://factually.co/fact-checks/politics/is-trump-compromised-by-israel-20b1e8

    A recently declassified FBI memorandum in the Jeffrey Epstein files records a confidential human source (CHS) telling investigators that “Trump has been compromised by Israel,” and links Epstein, Ehud Barak and Jared Kushner to networks of alleged Israeli intelligence influence

    The allegation appears inside a 2020 FBI memo among millions of pages released from the Epstein files, and it is attributed to a “credible” confidential human source who told FBI handlers that Trump “has been compromised by Israel,” described Jared Kushner as the “real brains” behind Trump’s business and presidency, and tied Epstein to Mossad-related activity and to figures such as Ehud Barak and Alan Dershowitz.

    Reporting highlights a set of anecdotes that the CHS used to bolster the allegation: purported Mossad links for Epstein, repeated visits by Ehud Barak to Epstein’s townhouse, a contested Beverly Hills transaction involving Trump real estate, and accusations that Kushner handled opaque foreign money flows and wielded disproportionate influence.

    Those are the pieces the memo strings together, but news accounts stress they remain allegations in the CHS’s telling, not independently verified facts.

  28. Go, Ro Khanna!

    Leslie Wexner – No surprise there. He’s part of Jeffrey Epstein’s origin story.

    https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2026-02-06/epstein-wrote-draft-message-to-les-wexner-about-gang-stuff-and-debts-the-two-owed-each-other

    An undated draft message written by Jeffrey Epstein to Ohio billionaire Les Wexner talks about the two being involved in “gang stuff” and about the debts the convicted sex trafficker and Ohio’s richest man owed each other.

    Another document released by the DOJ is an investigative memo where Les Wexner’s attorneys claimed Epstein stole hundreds of millions of dollars from the billionaire. Les Wexner’s attorneys claimed Epstein paid back $100 million.

    Les Wexner is mentioned in more than 1,000 documents released by the U.S. government.

    Epstein wrote he did nothing but protect Les Wexner’s interests and that the two owe each other great debts, mentioning the two were involved in “gang stuff” for more than 15 years.

    Les Wexner faces a deposition before the U.S. House of Representative on Feb. 18 in Washington D.C. He also faces a subpoena to testify in the lawsuit against Ohio State University by former student athletes who were sexually abused by former OSU team doctor Richard Strauss.

    It isn’t just Strauss and Epstein that Les Wexner has ties to. He also hired former Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, who faced his own sex trafficking and sexual assault allegations in court from models at the clothing company.

    *Ohio State, Gym Jordan

  29. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/feb/10/donald-trump-ice-democrats-shutdown-jeffrey-epstein-canada-live-news-updates

    Khanna named, US businessman Leslie Wexner of Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie & Fitch and Bath & Body Works fame; Emirati businessman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem; and Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, and Nicola Caputo.

    “If we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those three million files,” Khanna said.

    “Why are they protecting these rich and powerful men?
    People I call part of the ‘Epstein class’. Why are we in a country where there is no elite accountability for people who do the most heinous things?”

  30. From the grueling 2,300-mile peace walk of Buddhist monks to the “sick f***s” in the unredacted Epstein files

    Lotta daylight between those two topics.

  31. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/10/uline-maga-billionaires-mexican-labor

    When JD Vance delivered a speech about the US economy late last year at a Uline facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he talked up the Trump administration’s key goals: removing “illegal aliens” from the country, rewarding companies that keep jobs in the US and paying Americans good wages.

    “We’re going to reward companies that build here in America and give good wages to do it,” Vance said.

    The venue was no accident. Uline, a multibillion-dollar privately held office supply company, is owned by Liz and Richard Uihlein, two of the biggest donors to Maga Republicans in the 2024 election.

    But when it comes to immigration, Uline’s employment practices over the last several years provide an alternative picture of how the US economy works in the real world.

    For years, the Guardian reported in an investigation first published in December 2024, Uline relied on what it called a “shuttle program”, a scheme in which Uline brought workers from Mexico to staff warehouses in Florida, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania for weeks and even months at a time, using visas that are meant for workers who are being trained – not working regular full-time jobs.

    Now, for the first time, a former Uline employee named Christian Valenzuela, 42, has come forward to share his experience in the shuttle program, including stints in Allentown, where Vance spoke in December.

  32. Pog – And the mainstream media doesn’t cover either of them to any extent.

    C
    BS

    Always
    Being
    Complicit

    Now
    Being
    Complicit

  34. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/10/eu-moves-closer-to-creating-offshore-centres-for-migrants-and-asylum-seekers

    The EU has moved closer to creating offshore centres for migrants and asylum seekers, after centre-right and far-right MEPs united for tougher migration policies.

    MEPs voted for legal changes that will give authorities more options to deport asylum seekers, including sending people to countries they have never been to.

    Under the new rules, expected to apply from June, a person seeking asylum can be deported to a country outside the EU, even if they have only passed through it, or to a place to which they have no link, as long as a European government has signed an agreement with the receiving state.

    The vote effectively underwrites Italy’s deal with Albania and the Dutch government’s agreement with Uganda on the deportation of people whose asylum claims in the Netherlands have been turned down.

    *JFC!

  35. In this part in New Jersey it’s against the law to pump your own gas.

    Ain’t that kinda nice?

    It’s like some intelligent soul had the bright idea—“Hey……thousands of people would be employed—overnight.”

  36. Under the column “I’ve got a picture for that”
    My neighbor Ed and I helped out the local Buddhists by removing gang tags from their stone walls. Here we are pictured with Thich Hoa Doa. Thich meaning Venerable and Hoa Dao is her Buddhist name. She is a Ty Kheo Ni of a Vietnamese Buddhist order. In a Buddhist context, a Tỳ kheo ni is a woman who has taken full monastic vows and lives by the Vinaya (monastic code of conduct). Not a Nun, that would be Christian. Just like the Gentlemen who walked from Texas to D.C. are Ty Kheo, not monks. Monks are Christian.

  37. “If you don’t want to be called a fascist regime or secret police… stop acting like one.” 🏛️🔥
    Rep. Dan Goldman delivers a blunt reality check to the ICE Director in this high-tension moment.

  38. Khanna reads names on House floor:

    Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze, Leonic Leonov, Nicola Caputo, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO of Dubai Ports World. And billionaire businessman Leslie Wexner, who was labeled as a ‘co-conspirator,’ by the FBI.”

    Khanna said. “Now my question is: Why did it take Thomas Massie and me going to the Justice Department to get these six men’s identities to become public? And if we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those three million files.”
    https://newrepublic.com/post/206411/ro-khanna-reads-redacted-names-epstein-files-house-floor

  41. Cities are pushing back against the N&zi concentration camps in the US. The “not in my backyard” gene is pretty strong, even in the racist xenophobes.

  42. MAP: All 23 industrial warehouses ICE wants to turn into detention ‘death camps’

    COURIER has independently verified the location of 23 mass detention campsites that have been surveyed by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Of those locations, leases for five have been secured, while opposition from local communities has killed or stalled deals at five others.

    In an apparent attempt to avoid public outcry and scrutiny, ICE has sought to secure these leases in private, ignoring potential health and safety violations and catching local elected officials off guard. In an effort to provide transparency into this process, we have published a searchable map showing each proposed site, its current status, and the level of public response.

  48. The centerpiece of the federal government’s case for mass deportations is that enforcement targets “the worst of the worst” – a rogue’s gallery of violent criminals in the U.S. illegally. But official data and individual stories show many if not most of the people swept up don’t fit that definition.

    CBS News reported Monday that less than 14% of the roughly 400,000 immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in President Donald Trump’s first year back in office had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security document. Offenses in that category include homicide, robbery, kidnapping, sexual assault, arson and assault.

    While nearly 60% of people ICE arrested over the past year had criminal charges or convictions, CBS said, most were not for violent crimes.

    About 40% of ICE arrestees last year had no criminal record at all, the network reported. They faced civil immigration offenses that are typically handled by civil courts, not their criminal equivalents.

    The White House’s Rapid Response social media account reacted angrily to the report, saying the news media “seems to think that illegal alien drug traffickers, drunk drivers, burglars, and those with weapons charges – whom they classify as ‘nonviolent’ offenders – should be left alone, allowed to roam freely within the United States. Not under this administration.”

    Decision Points flagged in June 2025 that there was an emerging gap between the administration’s “worst of the worst” language and a growing body of anecdotes that undermined the government’s self-proclaimed focus on hardened criminals.

    We also pointed to data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, which monitors these kinds of numbers closely. Their calculations show an even lower volume of hardened criminals: As of January 25, 74.2% of ICE detainees had no criminal conviction, according to TRAC.

    “Many of those convicted committed only minor offenses, including traffic violations,” TRAC says.

    The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank which has been sharply critical of Trump’s deportation policy, has repeatedly published data that supports similar conclusions.

    This debate is as much about politics as it is about policy. The deadly shootings of two civilians in Minneapolis this year at the hands of federal agents has brought renewed scrutiny (and criticism and protests) of tactics used by ICE and border patrol agents, leading to a debate in Congress over whether to rein in those agencies.

    But it’s a midterm election year, with control of the House and Senate at stake. So expect these dueling narratives to last through November.

    A Detained Irishman
    The Irish Times reported Monday that an Irishman who says he has a valid U.S. work permit and is married to an American woman has been held by ICE since his arrest on Sept. 9, 2025.

    ICE contended in court that he signed documents agreeing to be deported. The man, a green card applicant, denied it. A federal judge “noted numerous irregularities on ICE’s court documents, (but) ultimately sided with the agency,” the newspaper said.

    Seamus Culleton came to the United States in 2009 as a tourist under the Visa Waiver Program, which permitted him to stay 90 days. The judge found that, under the VWP, he could only legally challenge his removal by seeking asylum, which he does not want to do.

    “Therefore, Culleton is subject to a final administrative order of removal.”

    A Grilling on the Hill
    On Tuesday, Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, and Rodney Scott, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee and refused to answer some of the most pointed questions posed to them, the New York Times reported.

    Lyons refused to apologize for senior officials like homeland security adviser Stephen Miller racing to describe Renee Good and Alex Pretti – the two civilians shot dead by federal agents in Minneapolis – as domestic terrorists.

    The two officials also refused to say whether Good and Pretti deserved to die. They said they could not comment on ongoing investigations – a limitation that apparently did not extend to other officials publicly claiming Good and Pretti deliberately visited violence on federal agents.

    Scott wouldn’t say how many ICE or CBP agents have been disciplined for misconduct.

    Homan’s Hopes
    In an interview for a forthcoming book by NBC’s homeland security correspondent, “border czar” Tom Homan warned that the administration should stick to a strategy of targeting immigrants who have committed crimes beyond coming to the U.S. illegally or overstaying visas.

    “I think the vast majority of the American people think criminal illegal aliens need to leave. And if we stick to that prioritization, I think we keep the faith of the American people,” Homan said in June, as CBP was undertaking its first large-scale raids in Los Angeles.

    Conversely, Homan said he was worried about arresting migrants legally seeking asylum in the U.S.

    “I think the more stories like that, people are going to question what we’re doing more,” Homan said.

  49. “U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics,” Trump wrote. “If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it. Very hard to root for someone like this.”

    who the fuck voted for this disgusting son of a harpy

    (a willful misrepresentation of Hess’ remarks ofc)

  50. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch the replay of today’s live chat on the Epstein Class meltdown, Monks peace walking DC, and one of our overseas chatters introduces the awesome Leprechaun Special Forces.

    The Bright Side: February 10, 2026

    1. Wildlife: After a miraculous months-long rehabilitation in Cape Town, a once-neglected pony named Snowflake has finally been adopted into a loving permanent home. Good Things Guy
    2. Environment: A massive 40-tonne underwater sculpture titled “Ocean Gaia” was unveiled off the coast of Japan, designed to act as a sanctuary for coral and marine life. Positive News
    3. Community: Philadelphia leaders officially launched the sixth annual “Driving Hunger Away During Ramadan” initiative, preparing thousands of wholesome meals for neighbors in need. PA Senate Democrats
    4. Heroes: A local Good Samaritan at Brenton-on-Sea is being hailed as a hero after successfully rescuing two elderly swimmers from a dangerous rip current. Good Things Guy
    5. Weird: Winter Olympic fans in Italy are currently in a “frenzied” hunt for plushies of the stoat mascots Milo and Tina, which have completely sold out across Milan and Cortina. Click2Houston

    A roundup by our AI partner Silas (Gemini) about optimism, progress, and things right in the world.

  52. lol
    Pod Dave gets the point i was making, today’s episode entitled: “MAGA: Defenders of the Epstein Class”

  53. *Is Seamus Culleton the ICE N&zi’s token white person

    ill bet he posted something they didnt like, or said the wrong thing to a Karen

  54. Ron Filipkowski‬

    Now we learn the billionaire owner of a bridge that will compete w/the new Canada-MI bridge met with Lutnick right before Trump issued his threat to shut down the new bridge. The Trump admin is a lawless mafia gangster extortion racket existing to enrich oligarchs at our expense.

  55. Top 100 Irish Girls Names and Their Meanings

    Search assist-

    Common Irish Names and Their Pronunciations

    Girls’ Names
    NAME PRONUNCIATION MEANING
    Aoife EE-fa Beauty
    Caoimhe KEE-va / KWEE-va Gentle, beautiful, precious
    Ciara KEE-ar-a / KEE-ra Dark (implying dark features)
    Maeve MAYV She who intoxicates
    Niamh NEE-av / NEEV Radiance, brightness
    Saoirse SEER-sha / SAIR-sha Freedom, liberty
    Sinead shi-NAYD God is gracious

    Boys’ Names
    NAME PRONUNCIATION MEANING
    Cian KEE-an / KEEN Ancient, enduring
    Cillian KIL-ee-an Little church
    Daithi DAH-hee Swift, nimble
    Eoin O-in God is gracious
    Oisin UH-sheen / O-sheen Little deer
    Seamus SHAY-mus Supplanter (equivalent of James)
    Sean SHAWN God is gracious

  57. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/governors-meeting-republicans-invited-trump-karoline-leavitts-b2917809.html

    The National Governors Association (NGA) has canceled a planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month, after the White House reportedly excluded Democratic governors. Chairman Kevin Stitt confirmed the decision on Monday, according to a source familiar with the matter.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded on Tuesday, asserting that the president “can invite whomever he wants to dinner and events here at the White House.” She added: “He welcomes all those who received an invitation to come and if they don’t want to, that’s their loss.”

    *Junior High + the mafia = tRUMPsky regime

    Any Governor who does go should take a POC as their plus one; integrate the thing.

    In February, 2025, the Republican Senators were called to a dinner at MAL. Oh, to be a fly in that soup. Promises? Threats? Probably both.

  58. Governor Andy Beshear from KY was in The View yesterday. Tear ICE down to the studs and rebuild it.

    I’m feeling a shift in the force this afternoon. Unsettling.

    https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/09/andy-beshear-ice-kristi-noem-abc-the-view-kentucky-governor/88590600007/

    Gov. Andy Beshear called for the withdrawal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents “from every city and every community that they’re in” during a Feb. 9 appearance on ABC’s “The View.”

    “This organization has to be reformed from the top down,” Beshear said about the agency. “(Department of Homeland Security) Secretary (Kristi) Noem needs to be fired and every agent needs to be retrained.”

  63. https://x.com/The_Witten/status/2019588729443348941

    @The_Witten
    So… This is the list of folks that have resigned recently due to the latest Epstein drop:

    Brad Karp — Chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison (major U.S. law firm)

    Peter Mandelson — British politician, peer in the House of Lords, former Labour Party member and ex-U.S. ambassador

    Miroslav Lajčák — National security adviser to the Prime Minister of Slovakia (previously UN General Assembly president)

    David A. Ross — Chair of the MFA Art Practice program at the School of Visual Arts in New York (former director of the Whitney Museum of American Art)

    Joanna Rubinstein — President and chair of Sweden for UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency fundraising foundation)

    Peter Attia — Chief science officer at David Protein (longevity expert and author)

    *Resigning, hopefully, isn’t the end of the consequences for them. Full investigations and appropriate consequences, fingers crossed.

  66. ooh yay, a 24 hour continuous blooming flower meditative video

    yes i really do put this stuff on my tv

    and yes it does mitigate anxiety in a similar way that news programming amplifies anxiety

  68. So many knew about this stuff, maybe not everything, but even one instance is enough to go to the police and never interact with the predators, again.

  70. icymi

    In July 2025, Donald Trump stated that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein “stole” young women, including Virginia Giuffre, who worked at the spa at his Mar-a-Lago club.
    Here are the key details surrounding these comments:
    The Claim: Trump claimed he broke off his friendship with Epstein because Epstein was poaching employees from Mar-a-Lago.
    Regarding Giuffre: When asked specifically if Virginia Giuffre was one of them, Trump replied, “I think she worked at the spa… He stole her”.
    Context of Employment: Giuffre had previously stated in court proceedings that she met Ghislaine Maxwell while working as a teenager at the Mar-a-Lago spa, which led to her being recruited into Epstein’s trafficking ring.
    Reaction from Family: Virginia Giuffre’s family expressed shock and anger at Trump’s comments, stating it was “shocking” to hear him describe her as property that was “stolen”. They questioned if this meant Trump was aware of the criminal actions at the time.
    Timeline Complication: Reports noted that despite claiming to have cut ties over this, Trump continued to speak favorably of Epstein for years after Giuffre was recruited, and Epstein remained on the Mar-a-Lago membership rolls until 2007.

  71. A “Million” Times
    Raskin word-searches “Trump” in unredacted files.

    President Donald Trump’s name appears in the Epstein files more than a million times, according to a top Democrat who reviewed the Justice Department’s unredacted version of the documents.

    Congressman Jamie Raskin, the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, made the jaw-dropping revelation after examining some of the Epstein files that the department blacked out when it released its latest tranche of documents earlier this month.

    https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/trump-epstein-files-jamie-raskin-unredacted

  72. Representatives coming out of the SCIF have said it’s absolutely awful. They should tell more of it on the House floor, since they can’t take anything out of the SCIF.

    The media in the US is so censored.

  73. https://calltoactivism.substack.com/

    “Rep. Ro Khanna says that back in March, Donald Trump ordered the FBI to scrub the Epstein files before DOJ ever saw them.

    But tonight, we have new clarity on what was redacted.
    Not just names.
    Not just contact information.

    Survivor testimony.

    The statements where victims detailed the horrific abuse they endured – and identified the men responsible.

    Khanna says the FBI redacted FBI 302 reports – the documents that contain those survivor accounts.

    And they did it before the Department of Justice ever reviewed the evidence.”

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