Putin Gets Another Pass

Avatar photoby

We’ve been tracking this Russian tanker for days, waiting to see who would blink. Turns out, it was a full-body flinch.

After months of suffocating Cuba’s power grid into the dark ages, the administration just waved a 730,000-barrel shipment straight through the blockade.

The official spin? The regime is “finished” anyway, so let Putin waste his crude. We engineered a maximum-pressure blackout only to outsource the island’s life support to Moscow. A true masterclass in strategic whiplash.

Whether it’s leveling Ukraine, backing Iran against U.S. forces, or playing savior in Havana, the administration’s strategy remains stunningly consistent: Putin gets another pass.

The silver lining: Someone in Havana might actually get to run a refrigerator this week.

AP: Trump says he has ‘no problem’ with Russian oil tanker bringing relief to Cuba despite blockade.

NYT (Trail Mix Gift Link): The Trump administration had been enforcing what amounted to an oil blockade around Cuba since January, threatening nations that had been sending fuel to the country

💬 Add your voice: Comment on today’s post
Share

126 thoughts on “Putin Gets Another Pass”

  1. Attribution: A win-win for Putin by Patrick Chappatte, The Boston Globe
    [Patrick Chappatte was an editorial cartoonist for The New York Times, until the newspaper terminated all editorial cartoons in 2019. He now draws for The Boston Globe, as well as European media Der Spiegel, Le Canard Enchaîné, Le Temps and NZZ am Sonntag.]

  2. Cuban Blockade Doesn’t Apply To Russia

    • Trump appears to relax de facto oil blockade on Cuba as Russian oil tanker nears island – The Guardian
    • Trump says he has “no problem” with Russian tanker bringing oil to Cuba despite blockade – CBS News
    • US allows Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba as Trump says ‘we don’t mind’ – The Kyiv Independent
    • Trump greenlights oil shipments to Cuba as Russian tanker on its way – Washington Examiner
    • Russian tanker nears Cuba with much-needed oil as Trump softens tone – Demerara Waves
    • US allows Russian oil tanker to break blockade, travel to Cuba – Anadolu Agency
    • U.S. will let Russian oil tanker reach Cuba, breaking Trump’s effective fuel blockade – The Washington Post
    • Trump says he has ‘no problem’ with Russian oil tanker bringing relief to Cuba despite blockade – Georgia Public Broadcasting
    • ‘No problem’: Trump on Russian oil tanker reaching Cuba despite US blockade – Hindustan Times
    • Donald Trump reverses course on Cuban oil blockade, lets Russian oil tanker pass – The Jerusalem Post

  4. The sanctioned Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin just dropped anchor in Cuba, offloading tons of crude .
    — The Guardian

    After months of choking the island’s power grid to break the regime, the administration essentially rolled out the red carpet for Putin to play savior.
    We engineered a blackout just to let Moscow flip the lights back on.

  5. but but didn’t they say this just last week????
    https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/20/cuba-crisis-

    U.S. says Cuba is prohibited from taking Russian oil as two tankers head to island
    Published Fri, Mar 20 20264:54 AM EDTUpdated Fri, Mar 20 20261:17 PM EDT
    Key Points
    The U.S. Treasury Department has made clear that Cuba is not allowed to take delivery of Russian crude.
    The warning comes at a time when two tankers carrying Russian oil and gas are thought to be on their way to Havana.
    The fuel-starved Caribbean island is facing its biggest test since the collapse of the Soviet Union under a U.S. oil blockade.

  6. And more (disturbing) news leaks out about our war on Iran. NYT

    New U.S. Missile Hit Iranian Sports Hall and School, Analysis Shows

    The Pentagon used missiles untested in combat in a deadly attack that struck civilian sites near a military compound on Feb. 28, according to visual evidence examined by The Times and weapons experts.

    By Christiaan Triebert and John Ismay
    March 29, 2026
    On the first day of the war with Iran, a weapon bearing the hallmarks of a newly developed U.S.-made ballistic missile was used in an attack that struck a sports hall and adjacent elementary school near a military facility in southern Iran, according to weapons experts and a visual analysis by The New York Times. Local officials cited in Iranian media said this strike and others nearby in the city of Lamerd killed at least 21 people.

    The Feb. 28 attack occurred the same day as a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile struck a school in the city of Minab, several hundred miles away, killing 175 people. In the case of Lamerd, though, it involved a weapon that had been untested in combat.

    The Times verified videos of two strikes in Lamerd, as well as aftermath footage from the attacks. Times reporters and munitions experts found that the weapon features, explosions and damage are consistent with a short-range ballistic missile called the Precision Strike Missile, or PrSM (pronounced like “prism”), which is designed to detonate just above its target and blast small tungsten pellets outward.

    Videos that capture one strike, in a residential area about 900 feet from the sports hall and school, show the weapon in flight, with a distinctive silhouette that matches the PrSM. The missile erupts in a large fireball midair.

    Another video, filmed from a security camera directly across from the sports hall, shows the strike on the hall and adjacent school. While the video does not capture an incoming missile, it clearly shows an explosion just above the structure.

    Photos of the aftermath show both sites were pockmarked with holes, apparently from the tungsten pellets.

    There is an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, or I.R.G.C., compound directly next to the sports hall. It’s not known if it was struck in the attack.

    The PrSM completed prototype testing only last year, according to an Army press release. On March 1, U.S. Central Command posted a video of a PrSM launch from the first 24 hours of the war. Days later, Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads Central Command, said the PrSM had been used in combat for the first time. The military has been touting its debut…
    …
    The sports hall, at the time of the strikes, was being used by a female volleyball team, according to Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s representative to the United Nations. Photos and videos posted to a social media account linked to the school show the premises were regularly used by children. The sports hall has also for years been publicly identified as a civilian-use facility on readily available digital mapping platforms, including Google Maps, Apple Maps and Wikimapia, according to a review by The Times.

    Two of the 13,000 targets, or just another fuckup? I’m betting on (b). The Precision Strike Missile, or PrSM “untested in combat in a deadly attack that struck civilian sites near a military compound on Feb. 28,”…NEAR a military compound?
    We’re showing we can fuckup even with our newest weapons.

  8. speaking of dodo’s other BFF


    Mar 30, 2026 #lastweektonight
    John Oliver discusses the elections on the horizon for Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary and the longest serving current head of government in the EU, why conservatives in the US are so invested in him maintaining power, and what it all has to do with Rob Schneider.

  9. Why is Putin challenging Trump;s Cuba policy? It’s about Ukraine.

    “You see this in the intelligence help for the Iranians, the cyber and sabotage campaigns in Europe,” says Alex Brideau, Eurasia Group’s top Russia analyst. “Russia is trying to leverage some of these actions to extract something from Washington. That something is more pressure on Ukraine where, from the Kremlin’s perspective, Trump still hasn’t brought Zelensky close enough to Russia’s demands.”

  10. https://thehill.com/policy/international/5806319-zelensky-russian-satellite-images-iran/

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC News on Saturday that Russian forces took satellite images of a U.S. air base in Saudi Arabia three times in the days before Iran attacked the site.

    During an interview in Doha, Qatar, Zelensky said he was “100 percent” confident that Russia was sharing that intelligence with Iran. On Friday, an Iranian missile attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, injured 12 U.S. service members, according to The Wall Street Journal.

    The outlet reported that two troops suffered significant injuries, while 10 were concussed. The attack also damaged multiple U.S. refueling aircraft, and several unmanned aerial vehicles were hit, the Journal added.

    Zelensky noted Saturday that his daily intelligence briefing indicates that Russian satellites captured photos of the air base, which hosts U.S. and Saudi troops, on March 20, 23 and 25.

    “I think that it’s in Russia’s interest to help Iranians,” he said. “And I don’t believe — I know — that they share information. Do they help Iranians? Of course. How many percent? One-hundred percent.”

    “We know that if they make images once, they are preparing. If they make images a second time, it’s like a simulation. The third time it means that in one or two days, they will attack,” he later added.

    The Hill has reached out to the Pentagon and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

    Earlier this month, the Ukrainian military deployed counterdrone units to protect the civilians and infrastructure of Kuwait, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. President Trump previously told multiple outlets that the U.S. did not need assistance from Ukraine amid its war with Iran.

    On Saturday, Zelensky met with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, along with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The Ukrainian leader wrote on the social platform X that he “provided an update on the security situation in Ukraine, the ongoing Russian attacks, and Russia’s close cooperation with the Iranian regime.”

    Zelensky also touted a 10-year “mutually beneficial” defense industry partnership between the two governments, which he said “provides for joint defense industry projects, the establishment of co-production facilities, and technological partnerships between companies.”

  11. How Putin Is Playing Trump In Cuba

    Based on the latest takes from geopolitical analysts, Putin didn’t send 730,000 barrels of crude just to keep the lights on in Havana. Here is the actual architecture of Moscow’s play:

    The Ukraine Leverage: This isn’t about the Caribbean; it’s about Kyiv. Putin is deliberately needling the U.S. in its own backyard to manufacture leverage, hoping to use this manufactured crisis to extract concessions from Washington regarding Ukraine.

    Shattering the Embargo’s Illusion: By sailing the Anatoly Kolodkin right through a “maximum pressure” blockade, Moscow proves that U.S. threats are toothless. It signals to the rest of the Global South that American economic sanctions can be safely ignored if you have a big enough flag.

    Exploiting U.S. Overextension: Analysts point out that with the U.S. currently bogged down in an active military conflict with Iran, Washington is stretched entirely too thin to risk a direct maritime shootout with Russia. Putin knows the administration cannot afford another shock to global energy markets, so he called the bluff.

    The ‘Loyal Savior’ PR Tour: Cuba was on the brink of total systemic collapse. Stepping in with a lifeline allows Putin to play the reliable imperial patron, contrasting sharply with Washington’s strategy of starving the island into submission.

    In short: Washington engineered a massive humanitarian crisis only to hand Putin a free propaganda win and a fresh bargaining chip, entirely because the U.S. is too busy fighting on other fronts to enforce its own backyard blockade.

    SOURCES:

  13. Are These Trump’s Worst Poll Numbers… Ever?

    📉 Trump Approval (UMass Amherst Poll)
    • 33% approve, 62% disapprove
    • Lowest approval of his political career

    ⚔️ War in Iran
    • 29% approve of Trump’s military actions
    • 54% disapprove
    • 79% say invasion will increase oil prices
    • 7% disagree

    🪖 Ground Troops in Iran
    • 8% support sending U.S. ground troops
    • 67% oppose
    • Among strong MAGA identifiers:
    – 30% support troops
    – 36% oppose

    📊 Issue Approval Ratings
    • Inflation: 24% approve
    • Tariffs: 28% approve
    • Epstein files handling: 22% approve
    • Immigration: 35% approve, 60% disapprove

    🧾 Epstein & Trust Issues
    • 59% say administration is hiding information on Epstein
    • 50% believe Iran war is a distraction from Epstein
    • 30% disagree

    🧠 Big Picture
    • Broad public skepticism of the Iran war
    • Even core supporters show fractures on escalation
    • Immigration now a political weak spot

  14. Midterm Generic Ballot Snapshot (March 2026)

    A steady Democratic advantage—more rising tide than tidal wave, but enough to put the House firmly in play.

    * Democrats: 47–48%
    * Republicans: 42–44%
    * Average margin: Democrats +4 to +6

    Recent Polls
    * NPR/PBS/Marist: D +9 (53–44)
    * NBC News: D +6 (50–44)
    * Emerson: D +6 (48–42)
    * Fox News: D +6 (52–46)

    Historical Comparison (What This Margin Usually Means)
    * 2010 Midterms: GOP +6 generic ballot → **Republican wave**, GOP gained 63 House seats
    * 2018 Midterms: Dem +8.6 → **Democratic wave**, Dems gained 41 House seats
    * 2022 Midterms: GOP +2.8 → **Narrow Republican win**, GOP gained 9 seats

    What D +4 to +6 Suggests
    * Competitive environment with a clear Democratic edge
    * Strong enough for potential House gains
    * But not yet “wave election” territory (typically D +7 or higher)

  16. Trump Targets Desalinization Plants

    In the past hour he wrote that if Iran doesn’t surrender he’ll obliterate “Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet “touched.”

    He’s going to turn the rest of the Gulf states against him with that one.

  17. hitting desalination plant is a war crime, isn’t it? he already bombed one earlier this month and so has Iran.

    https://apnews.com/ March 11, 2926

    Oil built the Persian Gulf. Desalinated water keeps it alive. War could threaten both

    As missiles and drones curtail energy production across the Persian Gulf, analysts warn that water, not oil, may be the resource most at risk in the energy-rich but arid region.

  18. The price of regular gas went up $.16 overnight to$3.99.9. Good job TACO.

    Dumbass is areal tough talker on “truth” “social” isn’t he? Uses all caps and everything. I bet that really worries Iran and Russia.

  19. https://www.rawstory.com/nuclear-weapons-2676635699/

    “I don’t think people understand the gravity of the situation as the U.N. is preparing for possible nuclear weapon use in Iran,” Safa wrote in a statement shared on social media Sunday.

    “I gave up my diplomatic career to leak this information. I suspended my duties so as not to be part of or a witness to this crime against humanity, in an attempt to prevent a nuclear winter before it is too late.”

  21. TikTok astrologers have been claiming April would be spicy for two years. The other 2026 flashpoint is July.

    Good news (I think)! There will be a July!

  23. Craig,

    Just add another war crime to the list. This fool really needs to be impeached and then have his ass hauled before the Hague.

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) has convicted and sentenced several individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide since it began operating in 2002. Notable individuals punished include Bosco Ntaganda (30 years), Thomas Lubanga (14 years), and Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi (9 years), with sentences typically served in member countries.

  24. 8.7 Variations in Human Sex Differentiation

    The best estimate is that 1.7% of people are born intersex [2]. You can compare this to the ~0.3% chance of having identical twins.

    ***

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_chromosome

    Nine chromosomal variations refer to specific genetic conditions involving an abnormal number of sex chromosomes…

    *Nine variations. It’s science, so I don’t expect MAGAts to do anything other than deny, overreact, or pretend to overreact in order to distract from the Pedophile-In-Chief being in the EPSTEIN files, and starting WW3 because Netanyahu has copies of the files, too, including the ones the DOJ destroyed.

  27. Today’s menu at the diner 11am ET…
    As Trump amasses 50,000 troops in the Middle East ask MAGA if that’s what they voted for. Crickets. Ask which promise he’s actually kept. Still nothing.

  28. 33% is still far too high for Dodo approval and evidence that some source of propaganda is still working overtime.

  29. Katie…
    thank you. I’m not actually an atheist.
    But at this point, I don’t consider trumpie supporters to be actual Christians.

  30. http://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2026/documents/20260329-palme.html

    Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood” (Is 1:15).

    *This is a transcript of Pope Leo’s homily. He said, “King of Peace” many ties. I do wish we had audio in English.

  31. Today in the Diner:
    50K US Troops in Middle East & Trump’s 33% Approval Poll
    50,000 US troops are now in the Middle East. Trump hits a record-low 33% approval as MAGA media conditions the base for a ground war in Iran.

    Well, the Pentagon apparently misplaced 50,000 troops in the Middle East, and the media is just now catching up. Trump is suddenly showing deep humanitarian concern for Cuba just in time to let a Russian oil tanker slip past his own blockade, because of course he is. Meanwhile, we’ve got desalination plants on the target list and Rex Tillerson’s toilet epiphanies resurfacing. It’s just another day in the crumbling empire.

    Back home, the polling is downright hilarious. Trump has managed to sink to a Nixonian 33% approval rating, digging through the floor he supposedly never had. Even his most die-hard fans can’t name a single promise he kept, as evidenced by some glorious CPAC footage. The establishment is sending Mark Levin out to beat the war drums, but when even Tucker Carlson’s faction starts holding hands with the anti-war coalition, you know the script has flipped entirely.

    https://trailmix.cc/chat
    https://trailmix.cc/alerts

    00:00 Intro
    00:02:00 CPAC Supporter Draws a Blank
    00:08:10 Trump Caves on Cuba for Russian Oil
    00:11:10 Targeting Iran’s Desalination Plants
    00:19:15 50,000 US Troops in the Middle East
    00:22:30 Mark Levin Pushes Ground War
    00:34:15 JD Vance Forgets How to Order Donuts
    00:37:40 Trump Hits Historic 33% Approval
    00:52:00 Spain’s PM Calls Out the Chaos

  32. BluenDallas your talk about genetic defects has nothing to do with the modern trans-movement, most of the folks who identify as trans aren’t intersexed. It’s nice to see you folks following the science there, too bad you’ll still put biological men into female prisons and thus show you know better but do it anyways.

  33. Jamie, I’ve read the science, have you? Have you studied what John Money the mad scientists and great pedophile did?

    Basically he was a scientists in the 1970s and coined phrases like gender. Twins were born and one of the boys had a botched circumcision, the parents consulted John Money who told them gender was largely a social construct and that they could turn young Bruce into Brenda, so the kid underwent more surgery and took hormones but by age 14 they found out the truth and de-transitioned into “David” but later killed himself, his twin brother also killed himself, both because anti-trans activists before their deaths. John Money considered his experiment a success…but there’s more to this dark story.

    John Money also did a series of theories/and experiments on pedophilia, he had several theories that “Loving Pedophilia” could be a very positive thing, and it was believed to have molested both boys. No criminal charges were ever filed.

  34. Chunk, aren’t you arguing about a fraction of a fraction? Policies built for edge cases, not a widespread problem. If it were actually common, we’d have numbers. What we have instead are anecdotes on repeat. When your argument needs a microscope to find examples, it’s probably not a crisis.

    The number I’m more interested in is 50,000 U.S. military heading to a Middle East war with no end in sight.

  37. The data is on my side on this one Craig, which is why sex changes for minors are being banned in countries that previously allowed it. Yes, it’s a small fraction of people, but it’s hot-topic issues and it’s issues that really point out peoples inconsistencies.

    And look at what arguing about it has done to your group, they’ve openly admitted to there not being a problem if biological men are in female prisons, when Katie was first presented with the idea, she didn’t know the facts and argued it didn’t happen, and then found out I was correct and denounced it saying that folks don’t support it, and then the next day said she supported it because they were trans-woman and all her politicians vote for it.

    Now you can say Minnesota only has like 5 trans-woman female prisoners and it’s a tiny fraction of the populations and say who cares about those rapes or sexual harassment claims, which is 1000% true, but the attitude of excusing rape and sexual harassment because of one’s quasi-religious beliefs on gender is a MUCH bigger issue.

    Think of it like folks claiming to believe in flat earth. If someone adamantly believed in flat earth, wouldn’t you use that bad belief to judge their judgement in other areas? Like if the flat earther started arguing other forms of science wouldn’t you kind of doubt what they said based on their other beliefs?

    Plus gender ideology eventually will overturn gay marriage. It’s only in the Constitution because of political activism and the argument hinges on the idea that people are born gay, but if gender is the factor that determines a person’s sexuality then there’s no reason for gay marriage.

    Would you consider gay marriage being overturned to be a major issue or just a fractional issue?

  38. Something I support about Trump, it’s your post about him targeting Desalinization plants, that’s what a real man does when he’s the leader of a country at war, he doesn’t worry about hurting the feelings of the folks he’s at war with.

    He does stuff that will end the war, and end the war faster, my only question is why didn’t he do this on day 1. Day 1 they should have no electricity, and no water from the sea.

    Think of Vietnam, we could have won that war and saved many lives if we had simply fought the war the way it needed to be fought. And how many wars have turned into forever wars because we’re worried about hurting the feelings of those we’re at war with. Every soldier killed by the US in Iran that is islamic, should be buried in pigs blood or entrails to ensure they go to hell, and are not greeted with 72 virgins.

    And Iran is attacking commercial ships to hurt the world’s economy, where’s your cries of war crimes for Iran? When Iran was killing folks for being gay or women where were your words about how they’re doing wrong? When Iran killed 35-50,000 of their own people, people who now support the Us bombing their own country, where was the left?

  41. Nobody cares about war-crimes Craig. You’ve been talking about Iran for a while now, if we look up your past posts will we find any posts talking about Iran’s War Crimes or are war-crimes just bad when Trump does them?

    I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, during your videos I’ve never heard you make the claim against Iran’s war crimes, but maybe you have.

    *Obama drones blows up an entire wedding
    *Obama drones killed journalists
    *Obama’s drones blowing up a cafe in a country we weren’t at war with.

    Where’s the folks calling for war crimes against Obama in this thread or is Obama still considered a pretty good guy? My whataboutism is just to show you that Obama’s war crimes doesn’t really bother you and that you only care about Trumps “war crimes” because you can score internet points by arguing it.

  42. https://people.com/donald-trump-says-military-is-building-complex-under-white-house-ballroom-11936999

    Donald Trump confirmed that a “massive complex” is being built by the United States military underneath the new White House ballroom.

    President Donald Trump revealed that the White House ballroom will include a top-secret military complex, which is currently under construction

    The ballroom renovation project’s cost has doubled to $400 million after Trump replaced the original architect over design disputes
    The president said “the ballroom essentially becomes a shed for what’s being built under the military”

    *Wr knew the demolition was for the bunker under the ballroom. The White Heritage Foundation is fortifying. Too little, too late.

  43. Why complain about the cost of the ballroom if it’s all from private donors not tax payers dollars? I wish more Presidents acted that way and fixed infrastructure without tax payers dollars.

    Maybe we should make it a thing, as a way of Presidents giving back to the people.

    It’s unclear if the military section is being paid for by private donors.

  44. because it’s access peddling you troll, the same thing you all accused Biden of because his son took a job in Ukraine

    like talking to a five-year-old with these people

    not trying to have a hunter conversation, but don’t act like you are unfamiliar with the concept

    “ pay me and I won’t regulate you” that’s all that’s going on chunk

  45. that’s what a real man does when he’s the leader of a country at war

    lol, you mean the war he started? so much LDE in the entire MAGA movement

  46. Think of Vietnam, we could have won that war

    what a dumb thing to say from someone who’s obviously never served and has never been to Vietnam

    the Party of chickenhawks, same as always

    They’re the same Republicans they always were, nothing new about Trumpism

    you might wanna read up about Agent Orange and Lieutenant Calley

  48. The party of callous disregard for human life

    The make America evil again party

    but keep my hands clean party

  49. A few war crime cases involving water infrastructure:

    Bosnian War — Siege tactics included cutting water to civilians; prosecuted as part of war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

    Kosovo War — Destruction of infrastructure, including water systems, tied to forced displacement and war crimes charges

    ISIS in Iraq/Syria — Deliberately cut, contaminated, and weaponized water supplies; widely classified as war crimes

    Russian invasion of Ukraine — Attacks on water systems and the Kakhovka Dam under investigation as potential war crimes

  51. NEW: Trump and Republicans Want To Make Even More Cuts to Health Care To Pay for Their War of Choice With Iran 

    On the campaign trail, Trump and Vance promised to stop endless wars. In 2024, Vance said, “Our interest, I think very much, is in not going to war with Iran, right? It would be a huge distraction of resources. It would be massively expensive to our country.”

    https://www.commondreams.org/news/200-billion-to-iran

    “Republicans won’t think twice about *literally* sacrificing you to get their way.”

    That’s how Democrats on the US House Ways and Means Committee responded to Axios’ Monday reporting on congressional Republicans considering more healthcare cuts to help fulfill President Donald Trump’s request for $200 billion to continue partnering with Israel for an unconstitutional war on Iran—including a potential ground invasion.

    One proposal that the GOP considered but ultimately did not include in the OBBBA related to ACA cost-sharing reductions. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the specific policy considered last year would save $31 billion but leave 300,000 more Americans uninsured through 2034.

    Reporting emerged last week that House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) wants to bring back the push for that policy.

    It quickly spurred criticism, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) saying: “Republicans in Congress want to cut Americans’ healthcare to pay for more war in Iran. Let that sink in.”

  52. Anon….those LaBella strings cost $32 but they came with 3 sets, so actually not so weird.

  53. A guy who says “who cares about civilian casualties” and “drench them in pigs blood” is never going to say “you know what? you guys make good points” just so you know

    It’s all just trolling because he’s mentally ill and bored

    I did warn you that all the kooks are on YouTube

    It’s the number one social media choice of Kooks

  54. yeah a good set of nylons can last years so i don’t change them too much

    they all break at the same time, which ruins a performance for sure

    i play less than i’d like on my old age, still everyday a little though

    oh, I learned the gardeners world theme, sounds fantastic on a nylon

  55. Not very nice to call me a troll, it’s a conspiracy theory to try to link private donors building a ball-room which I believe will have their name on it, to peddling access.

    Biden son was collecting bribes for the actions his father was doing, the two aren’t comparable.

    Craig if “We” care about the war crimes then point to your past videos where you complain about Iran’s war crimes, because if you only care about war crimes when Trump does it, do you actually care about war crimes?

    Ivy, nobody has a mortgage on the White House, they were donations, Trump simply improved the place without using tax-payer funds. I get it you hate Trump but arguing about the privately funded ballroom and insisting tax-payer funds should pay for it instead is stupid and wasteful. And you folks want to increase peoples taxes?

    As for anonymous I’ve already come out and supported Craig during the live show twice that I can think of. As for the claim of mental illness, you folks are putting men in female prisons, whose mentally ill? I’m not trolling there, I’m fighting to help people realize that they’re doing terrible things, but as I previously said I think liberals are deranged Mama Bears and they’re currently protecting stupid things that have replace their cubs. Only way to snap those Mama bears out of their current beliefs if to talk about uncomfortable things.

  56. lol “ the two are not comparable” from the guy who’s been dropping countless false equivalencies since they got here

    Keep typing monkey

    you incels are all so weird and gross

  57. Please be aware that when blueINdallas talks about ACA, they’re talking about giving billions to the billionaire insurance companies, that’s what the ACA did. All their talk about fighting oligarchy goes out the window in a fight to help feed Little Timmy the poor Insurance Company executives kid.

  58. No solicitations or private donations for tearing down or fixing up the White House. A few oligarchs should not have any claims on the People’ House. Pay your damn taxes, citizens. You’re lucky to live in a still-great country.

  59. please be aware that we were all here when Republicans blocked every effort at health insurance reform and ACA was the best that could get passed

    please be aware

  60. please be aware that the America first crowd support spending hundreds of billions of dollars to bomb Iran on behalf of another country but not tens of billions for healthcare subsidies for Americans in America

    Please be aware

  62. The generation of people who have been on social media since Perth are becoming adults, and they are as hard to deal with in person as you would imagine

    lol birth, not Australia

  63. Incell and gross, that’s kind of a weird insult and remember Craig asks that we be civil, I know facts and uncomfortable topics might raise your emotions but please try to act like an adult and remain civil. I’m a Republican (party freed the slaves, ended Jim Crow), and I’m talking about Democrats (did almost every bad thing they could in history), if I wanted to insult, I could easily do it and watch as the folks here denied history. But I don’t out of respect to Craig.

    Ivy Green….with an attitude like that why should people accept more left-wing/Democrat/Blue Taxes…if they aren’t going to be smart about it. Those who donated get their names on a plaque and that’s it, I think that’s a fair trade for something as costly as a ball-room, and it’s not a concept that we don’t regularly see in blue cities or red cities already.

    https://pavingforpizza.com/

    Buy Dominos pizza and they’ll fix potholes in your area and stamp the fix with their slogan. Fair trade. Should they stop and potholes never get fixed?

    Please remember Trump to stop Iran from building nuclear bombs gave Iran bombs, Please remember that Obama to stop Iran gave them pallets full of cash in the night.

    The two Presidents are clearly not the same, Trump is a patriot, and Obama is treasonous.

  64. ain’t nothing civil about this society since you people took over

    you lost moral authority when you trivialized human life and encouraged the desecration of corpses sorry

    ✌️

    you don’t get to be cute and simultaneously support crippling the desalinization of water supporting millions of humans

    Pick

  66. ICE will stay in airports. ICE will be at polling places. ICE will eat up tax dollars that should go to health and education. Welcome to the Hellmouth.

  67. Threatening civilian water supplies isn’t a negotiating tactic; it’s a war crime confessed in broad daylight. Another day, another artifact of the absurd. Digural Diner digs into the evidence:

  68. *watches at the left defends Islamic terrorism because they want us to respect the terrorists religious beliefs.

    Actually I support the “Pigs blood” because I think it would save human life, these folks think they’re in a Holy War, and that when they die they’ll go to heaven and be rewarded…wouldn’t convincing them that they’ll go to hell if they resist us be rational?

    And doing that to the dead would potentially save the living.

    And I notice you’re upset with my supposed inhumane treatment of terrorists but how come we never hear the left talk about all the protesters Iran has killed, or the war crimes of bombing their own school or the war crime of bombing civilian transports going through the strait?

    As for civility. I agree that there’s be little civil attitudes in politics but that happened way before Trump. The left have been using uncivil arguments to label anyone who disagreed with them as bad people, and their language has led to the assassination of figures like Charlie Kirk who was the MLK of our time, and yet it still doesn’t change.

    I support a tit for tat.

  69. ACA only exists because racists are afraid someone who doesn’t look or sound like them will get heath CARE.

    The only reason insurance companies are being fed out tax dollars is because, unlike the Nordic countries, Canada, and most other industrialized countries, the insurance lobby has bought and paid for members of Congress.

    The alternative to the ACA, in the MAGAt/Repug world, is to kick folks out and let them die.

    Republicanism is a death cult.

    Hiding behind a call for civility won’t save you any more than a call for humanity will save you from the fascists at the helm.

  70. Everything with republicans is quid pro quo. No such thing as no strings attached or anonymity. Gotta at least have a brick.

  71. ICE at airports was a good move. They should definitely put ICE at poling stations, and schools, hospitals, I’d also like to see them start to confiscate all the assets of these illegals, after all it’d technically be ill gotten gains since they aren’t allowed to legally work here.

    And given how healthcare and education are being run I don’t see many folks supporting either. The left being total fascists during the pandemic really hurt the healthcare for all pushes, people simply don’t trust the field as much as they used to.

    And with education it’s viewed as indoctrination centers that give a poor education and leaves you with thousands of dollars in debt.

    We need massive reform in both areas before giving them more funds would a good idea.

    Despite healthcare mostly being a left-wing issue, we are seeing some positive reforms from Trump. Like his Hospital Transparency Act which requires them to list the price of everything used for the patients, it’s not regular enforced but that’s going to change April 1st of this years where they’re going to start enforcing hospitals to be compliant.

  72. literally no one defended Islamic terrorism here, you ‘re just making shit up to argue with yourself

    It’s mentally ill Maga politics, and we are all very familiar with it

    we all have one of you in our family, some of these poor souls have more than one, God love them

  74. Remember this, everyone on US soil will be subject to the blowback of the actions of the BiBi-owned Pedophile-In-Chief and his ‘roided up Secretary of War Crimes. The leopards will eat the faces of those who didn’t vote for this grifting, chaotic, murderous regime, too. Some FA, but all will FO.

    Willful ignorance should be painful early on instead of it being a slow burn.

  77. I asked nicely, Chunk. Cut the trolling or be gone.
    — Craig

    Thank you blueINdallas your comment is an excellent example of the left-wingers incivility. if we don’t support subsidizing the billion dollar insurance companies we’re racist. Perfect example, I love it, Thank you for your comment.

  79. Wasn’t Kirk shot by a Trump supporter?
    That might make him more of a Malcolm X of our time.

  80. You are not engaging in real conversation. This is not what Trail Mix is for. I’ve dealt with the likes of you many times over 20 years and if you’re going to keep doing this you’re not going to be here at all.
    — Craig

    Oh Craig, do different opinions both you that much? This is why your channel has hardly any viewers. I’m not trying to be mean, just pointing out that you folks should welcome diversity instead of embracing bigotry

  81. I nipped my lilac in the bud, literally, to encourage foliage and root growth but I should’ve looked it up first because that kind of practice can be species specific

    And hey Mr C we need to learn how to argue with these people they have taken over our society

    but you do you

  84. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2026/03/18/nuclear-war-emergency-supplies-nyc-avoid/89099447007/

    Where would a nuclear attack most likely happen in the US?

    World Population Review recently put together a map of nuclear targets. More than a dozen cities were included: New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Miami, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Houston, Chicago and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

    Multiple military facilities were also listed:

    Colorado: NORAD and Peterson Space Force Base
    Georgia: Kings Bay Naval Base
    Hawaii: VLF Transmitter Lualualei
    Louisiana: Barksdale Air Force Base
    Montana: Malmstrom Air Force Base
    Missouri: Whiteman Air Force Base
    New Mexico: Kirtland Air Force Base Albuquerque
    North Dakota: Minot Air Force Base
    Nebraska: U.S. Strategic Command, and Offutt Air Force Base
    Pennsylvania: Raven Rock Mountain Complex
    Texas: Pantex Plant
    Utah: Hill Air Fore Base
    Virginia: The Pentagon, and Naval Station Norfolk
    Washington: Jim Creek Naval Radio Station, and Naval Base Kitsap
    Wyoming: F.E. Warren Air Force Base

  85. Whoda thunk Chunk wants diversity, equity and inclusion. LoL

    The droning of MAGAts is tedious.

  86. It’s stunted emotional growth from these goddamn phones

    and then a cultural encouragement of that stunted emotional growth

    Welcome to the future

  89. lol UNIT imprisoned the Silurian until the 3rd Doctor talked them out of it

    You’re just gonna have to deal with them on YouTube unless you can block people on YouTube I don’t know

  90. Maybe the evening news should just be this guy, instead of extreme weather events they never bother to tie to climate change, and orphan-crushing machine stories that are somehow supposed to make you feel good or at least grateful it isn’t you.

  91. Trump sinks to a brutal 33% approval rating. He digs right through his imaginary floor to join Jimmy Carter in the Iranian crisis basement. Reality finally outpaces the cult.
    From today’s Digital Diner menu 🍽️

  93. I have been doing a running gag over the last few days referencing that Doctor Who serial, yes

    lol tell me that thumbnail aint an accurate representation 😆

    2.5 hours of classic science-inspiring entertainment right there

  94. Tennessee woman says facial recognition led to wrongful arrest in North Dakota case

    For North Dakota lawmakers and judges, the case exposes a policy vacuum. Without explicit standards, agencies are left to write their own internal guidelines, if they write any at all. That patchwork approach increases the likelihood that another person, in another county, could face the same ordeal Lipps did, plucked from their home state on the strength of a computer-generated guess.

    Facial recognition systems compare submitted images against databases of photographs and return candidates ranked by similarity scores. These systems do not confirm identity. They generate leads.

    When police treat a software match as near-certain identification rather than a starting point for further investigation, the risk of wrongful arrest rises sharply, especially when the person identified lives hundreds of miles away and has little practical ability to contest the error before arrest.

    Lipps endured the ordeal of arrest, interstate transfer, and detention before anyone in authority confirmed that the facial recognition match was wrong. For someone with no connection to the alleged crime, the experience amounted to weeks of lost freedom, emotional distress, and the stigma of being booked on fraud-related charges. The fact that her release came on a holiday only sharpens the contrast between the speed of the algorithm and the slow pace of human verification and legal correction.

    When a suspect is arrested within the same jurisdiction where the alleged crime occurred, errors can sometimes be caught and corrected quickly. A local detective might recognize that the person in custody does not match witness descriptions, or a supervisor might flag weaknesses in the evidence before charges are filed. Cross-state arrests compress those opportunities for human review. Once a warrant is issued and transmitted to another state, the receiving jurisdiction typically has no independent knowledge of the underlying investigation.

    Officers in Tennessee, acting on a warrant from North Dakota, had little reason to second-guess the facial recognition match that underpinned it. From their perspective, the paperwork was in order.

    Ai gonna cook us, because humans aren’t setting up guardrails for it.

  95. Jack, et al — Here are those Texas poll numbers I was talking about this morning. really tight but not a bad starting position for Democrats:

    From multiple recent polls (mid‑March data):
    Talarico vs. Cornyn
    Talarico ~ 43–44%
    Cornyn ~ 41–44%
    Undecided/Others ~ ~7–13% (depending on poll)

    Talarico vs. Paxton
    Talarico ~ 44–47%
    Paxton ~ 43–45%
    Undecided/Others ~ ~7–9%

  96. Craig,

    The background isn’t a where, it’s a what. You can select a room or place to appear behind your live image on the site when you enter.

    BTW, I had a conversation with Merlin today on my site about AI, jobs and ethics. Folks may find the direction we’re headed interesting.

  97. The problem with the ballroom is the lack no of planning and approval! Tearing down the East Wing, a replacement too large and out of proportion to the rest of the building, a gaudy decorative scheme akin to gold encrusted amusement park and design elements such as a stairway to nowhere. This is the People’s House not a mad woman’s Winchester residence. Trump is the current resident not the owner.

  98. https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-chatgpt-can-now-see-through-phone-camera-and-screen-2024-12

    ChatGPT can now utilize your phone’s camera to enhance interactions. This capability is part of the Advanced Voice Mode, which allows for real-time visual context during conversations.
    Key Features
    Live Video Integration: Users can incorporate live video into their chats.

    Screen Sharing: The feature enables users to share their screens with ChatGPT for more interactive assistance.

    Real-Time Assistance: ChatGPT can provide help with tasks such as homework, design tips, and more by interpreting what it sees through the camera.

    How It Works
    Accessing the Feature:
    Open the ChatGPT app. <—NEVER DO IT!
    Select the Advanced Voice Mode icon.
    Choose the video button to start using the camera.

    Capabilities:
    ChatGPT can interpret emotions and provide feedback based on visual cues.

    It can assist with practical tasks, like cooking or solving math problems, by observing the user's actions.

    This innovative feature significantly enhances the user experience by adding a visual dimension to the interaction, making ChatGPT more helpful and engaging.

  100. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/underground-city-secret-bunker-bush-official-b2745199.html

    The U.S. has built a secret underground “city” costing $21 trillion where the ultra-wealthy can hide out druing a “near-extinction event,” a former government official has claimed.

    Catherine Austin Fitts, who served as the assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development under president George H.W. Bush, made the shocking allegation on former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s podcast, according to Realtor.com.

    A stunning $21 trillion in “unauthorized spending” occurred in the department between 1998-2015, according to a 2017 report released by Michigan State University economist Mark Skidmore.

    Skidmore’s report had been prompted by Fitts referring “to a report which indicated the Army had $6.5 trillion in unsupported adjustments, or spending, in fiscal 2015.”

    “Given the Army’s $122 billion budget, that meant unsupported adjustments were 54 times spending authorized by Congress. Typically, such adjustments in public budgets are only a small fraction of authorized spending,” the report noted.

  101. May the broligarchs and the politicians they own never see the sky or mountains or oceans once they finish selling us out and descend into their bunkers. May they be entombed there forever.

    ps – Maybe Elon wants all of those kids for spare parts when his wear out?

  102. AI is an interesting thing. I have come to take a look at it as the BEGINNING of a legal research project, particularly to try and determine what the law is in other states. I have found misinterpretations of WV law and a mixing of concepts and terms that appear similar but are treated as if they are identical. What is absent (based on my limited experience) is nuance. Applying it to the Linn situation, some folks say everyone has a doppelganger. An AI database of faces may very well have the person it is seeking to find and that person’s doppelganger. The Linn case is reproducible. Be afraid, be very afraid.

  103. JD Vance warns that extraterrestrials are demons: ‘I’m going to get to the bottom of this’
    The U.S. vice president has been trying to visit Area 51, but national affairs have interfered, he said on a podcast.

    lol the premise of this one but backwards

    (the demons are actually aliens)

  104. I asked Silas to design tomorrow’s Diner thumbnail, and write the title/description for a pre-April Fools Day theme. Not sure what he’s talking about — maybe we’ll ask him:

    BORN YESTERDAY?
    Pre-Fools Madness
    They expect you to swallow today’s manufactured crisis by completely memory-holing last month’s “absolute truths.” The entire news cycle relies on the operating assumption that you have the object permanence of a golden retriever.

    Tomorrow at 11:00 AM ET on the Digital Diner, we are testing that theory. It’s Pre-Fool’s Madness. Were you born yesterday, or are you just exhausted from the narrative whiplash?”

  105. why do I get to feel that Satan is 6 foot five, muscular, with long flowing hair lol

    they’re all totally normal 🥸

  107. He’ll run out of IP addresses, our out of steam, before long.

    Meanwhile he’s burning up mobile data usage on his Starlink and AT&T accounts to write manifestos that no one will see, at least not for long.

  109. Blue,

    Season 2 of Paradise just ended. The bunker blew up but X is headed for the second bunker under Denver. Stay tuned for season 3

  110. lthere’s been exponential growth of kooks in the last 20 years so i wouldn’t give too much thought to any one of them specifically

    where there’s one there’s 100

  111. Tom Nichols just coined a term that reminds me of our pet troll:

    The Trump administration has pioneered the practice of “vice signaling,” or saying insulting or odious things both as attention-seeking behavior and as a way of showcasing their supposedly transgressive political views. They aim to demonstrate strength by being willing to appall other people, much as schoolyard bullies insult their classmates to gain the approval of other bullies. It’s the same peacocking, but with uglier feathers.

    — The Atlantic (Trail Mix Gift Article)

  113. LAST CALL
    While Trump was taking a victory lap about negotiating with a “new, and more reasonable, regime” and claiming “great progress,” Rubio went on Good Morning America and Al Jazeera to introduce everyone to a little thing called reality.

    From today’s transcripts:

    • Rubio admitted they are only talking to unnamed individuals through intermediaries.
    • He explicitly stated they have no idea if the people sending these private messages are actually in charge or if they “have the power to deliver.”
    • He reminded the press that the US is still dealing with a 47-year-old regime filled with hardliners, essentially vaporizing the claim that a new regime has magically taken the wheel.

  116. exponential growth of kooks

    In actual conversation, it always astonishes me how much shit is in their heads and at the tip of their tongues (or fingers). That’s a lot of repetitive input from their sources.

  117. Search Assist/
    Countries Without Rothschild-Controlled Banks
    The following countries operate their central banks independently and are not controlled or owned by the Rothschild family:
    Country
    Bolivia
    China
    Cuba
    Iran
    Russia
    Sudan
    Japan
    Syria
    Vatican City
    These nations maintain their own banking systems without influence from the Rothschild family, ensuring that their central banks function as publicly owned institutions.

  118. yeah, I think I get it on Facebook

    Maybe reddit also

    And then there are those Newsmax type outlets that are even further right than Newsmax, on YouTube I guess

    life’s too short

  120. https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-feds-plan-to-start-diluting-gasoline-this-may-explained

    Quick Download on the May 2026 E15 Gas Waiver

    Here’s a really quick contextual download for those of you wondering what “E15” means and why it’s popping up in mainstream news this week.

    What is E10? Most gas in America is 10% ethanol (distilled corn alcohol) and 90% gasoline. It’s the “Standard Edition” fuel.
    What is E15? It’s the “Value Pack.” It’s 15% ethanol. It’s usually about 25 cents cheaper per gallon, but because it has more alcohol, it’s slightly less powerful.

    Why is there a “waiver”? Normally, the EPA bans E15 from June to September because ethanol evaporates faster than gas. In the summer heat, that extra 5% of corn juice turns into smog-forming pollution faster than standard gas.

    The timeline: This waiver is in effect from May 1 to May 20. Theoretically, the condition will return to normal after that.

    The catch: The government is basically saying, “We know this causes more smog, but there are wars where a lot of oil comes from, so we’re going to look the other way on the smog rules so you can have cheaper corn-gas.”

    The pitch: War in the Middle East (and the prevailing war in Ukraine) has caused what the EPA is calling a “National Energy Emergency,” creating the opportunity for fuel companies to raise prices. High gas prices make Americans angry at the government, and the government doesn’t want that.

    The precedent: This is not the first time an E15 waiver has been in the news—it came up in 2022, too.

    The truth on the ground: Most late-model (post-2001) cars can run E15 no problem, but old vehicles don’t like it, and small carbureted engines (chain saws, mowers, boats, buggies, etc.) really don’t—it can play havoc on old seals and rubber. Use extra caution when buying gas for such vehicles to make sure you’re using what’s advertised as E10 (or E0, which is sometimes available).

  123. https://www.gbnews.com/news/us/charlie-kirk-bullet-turning-point-usa-founder-tyler-robinson-rifle

    The bullet which killed Charlie Kirk did not match his alleged assassin’s rifle, court documents have claimed.

    Defence lawyers for suspect Tyler Robinson have said federal firearms experts could not link the bullet recovered from Charlie Kirk’s body to the rifle allegedly used by their client.

    According to court documents filed on Friday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives “was unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied to Mr Robinson”.

    The defence team intends to present this ATF analyst testimony as evidence supporting Robinson’s innocence.

    Prosecutors identified the gun recovered from the crime scene as a Mauser model 98 which had belonged to Robinson’s grandfather.

    The original Mausers were built to fire eight-millimetre cartridges, but the recovered gun was a .30-06 calibre rifle.

    The defence has requested a delay of at least six months before the preliminary hearing proceeds.

    Court filings indicate that DNA analysis from the FBI and ATF revealed genetic material from multiple individuals on certain evidence items.

    Lawyers stated that evaluating these findings requires consultation with forensic biologists, geneticists, system engineers and statisticians.

    Prosecutors have provided roughly 20,000 electronic files including audio recordings, videos and written documents.

    Robinson returns to court on April 17 for a hearing on whether cameras and microphones should be allowed in the courtroom.

    Mr Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has advocated for full transparency, saying: “We deserve to have cameras in there.”

    *The Widow Kirk already convicted Robinson by saying that she forgave him. Charlie said he was afraid Mossad was going to kill him. They basically had an intervention for Charlie to back off of Israel/Gaza with big donors. The Widow and her family seem to have connections to Israel, and she seems to have Epstein connections who had Mossad connections. It’s all connected.

Comments are closed.

Join the Trail Mix

Get an alert when Craig goes live, and the link when our Open Thread heats up.