Shades of J.R. and.when the illusion breaks.
Attribution: When the illusion breaks by Dave Whamond, Canada, PoliticalCartoons.com
Dave Whamond’s work has appeared in magazines and newspapers including Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, Readers Digest and many more. He has won 7 Silver Reubens from the National Cartoonists Society and several book awards. Dave has written and/or illustrated over 50 books and his syndicated comic, “Reality Check”, has appeared in newspapers since 1995.
in other news from The Guardian
Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off in court over OpenAI’s founding mission
A lawsuit between two of Silicon Valley’s biggest tycoons goes to trial Monday in California, the culmination of a years-long bitter feud. Elon Musk has accused Sam Altman of betraying the founding agreement of the non-profit they started together, OpenAI, by changing it to a for-profit enterprise.
Musk accuses Altman, OpenAI, its president Greg Brockman, and its major partner Microsoft of breach of contract and unjust enrichment in the lawsuit. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday morning at a federal courthouse in Oakland, with opening arguments from both sides expected later this week. The trial is slated to last two to three weeks. Along with internal communications from Musk and key executives at OpenAI, the trial promises a who’s who of Silicon Valley on the witness stand, including Musk, Altman and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
OpenAI has vehemently denied Musk’s allegations, saying that he agreed in 2017 that establishing a for-profit entity would be a necessary next step for the company and that Musk is “motivated by jealousy” and “regret for walking away”. The company also contests that Musk’s funding was an investment, stating that it was instead a tax deductible donation to the non-profit and does not entitle him to ownership in OpenAI.
The case carries sizable stakes for OpenAI, which is expected to go public later this year at around a $1tn valuation. Musk is seeking a range of remedies that include the removal of Altman and Brockman and more than $134bn in damages, which the tycoon says would be redistributed to OpenAI’s non-profit arm. He also wants to reverse the company’s restructuring as a for-profit entity.
Altman, Musk and several other founders launched OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit organization, with Musk providing about $38m. Altman’s relationship with Musk turned sour around 2017, after the billionaire grew impatient with OpenAI’s progress and made a failed bid to exert more control over the company. He left OpenAI’s board in 2018 and did not offer any more funding.
During OpenAI’s post-Musk years, it launched the wildly successful ChatGPT, raised tens of billions of dollars from Microsoft and grew to be one of the world’s most valuable private companies. Altman became the face of the AI boom. As the startup sought even more investment in 2025, it gained final approval from regulators to restructure its main business into a for-profit corporation, though one technically still overseen by the original non-profit.
Musk’s suit alleges that Altman’s dealmaking and maneuvering of OpenAI break with the fundamental mission of the company as a non-profit to benefit humanity and amount to a breach of contract. The suit also claims Altman and Brockman unjustly enriched themselves through their control of the company.
john with more on the universe elon, sam and others hath wrought
John Oliver discusses AI chatbots, why they’re flirting with users unprompted and encouraging people to open soggy cereal cafes, and how their flaws can be genuinely hazardous to the public.
People are not machines — but your AI co-worker won’t care | Horsey cartoon
However polite the prodding may be, there is no way to permanently please a snoopy machine designed to set ever-higher productivity goals for human workers.
LIVE DIGITAL DINER KITCHEN CLOSED TODAY (Having brunch with our house guest from Brooklyn)
Instead, for the hour at 11am ET I’ve excavated our SHORTS MARATHON, the sharpest cuts and rawest truths from the Digital Diner archives.
🍽️ THE DIGITAL DINER returns live tomorrow for King Charles Goes To Congress: 11-noon ET.
Have a great time Craig,
We had fun in horse farm country yesterday — Middleburg, Virginia:
— Toured the Oakton Plantation and Gardens.
— Road tripped the Aldie farmland corridor, walked around “downtown” Middleburg (population: 670)
— Stopped at Linda Tripp’s year-round Christmas store
Topped off the day with farm-to-table dining at Goodstone Inn
To get you in the mood for Saturday
Horse Trainer Jockey Odds Trailmix Rider
1. Renegade, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr., 4-1 Jamie
2. Albus, Riley Mott, Manny Franco, 30-1
3. Intrepido, Jeff Mullins, Hector Berrios, 50-1
4. Litmus Test, Bob Baffert, Martin Garcia, 30-1
5. Right to Party, Kenny McPeek, Chris Elliott, 30-1 Pogo
6. Commandment, Brad Cox, Luis Saez, 6-1
7. Danon Bourbon, Manabu Ikezoe, Atsuya Nishimura, 20-1
8. So Happy, Mark Glatt, Mike Smith, 15-1
9. The Puma, Gustavo Delgado, Javier Castellano, 10-1 Renee
10. Wonder Dean, Daisuke Takayanagi, Ryusei Sakai, 30-1
11. Incredibolt, Riley Mott, Jaime Torres, 20-1 Katie
12. Chief Wallabee, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 8-1
13. Silent Tactic, Mark Casse, Cristian Torres, 20-1
14. Potente, Bob Baffert, Juan Hernandez, 20-1 Winterlinde
15. Emerging Market, Chad Brown, Flavien Prat, 15-1
16. Pavlovian, Doug O’Neill, Edwin Maldonado, 30-1 Craig
17. Six Speed, Bhupat Seemar, Brian Hernandez Jr., 50-1
18. Further Ado, Brad Cox, John Velazquez, 6-1
19. Golden Tempo, Cherie DeVaux, Jose Ortiz, 30-1
20. Fulleffort, Brad Cox, Tyler Gaffalione, 20-1
Jamie, please put me on Chief Wallabee to win and The Puma to at least show
PROGRAMMING NOTE: WATCH the Digital Diner highlight reel today at 11-Noon ET on YouTube. WATCH Yesterday’s Replay Here.
What is Actually Clicking: April 27, 2026
These are the stories driving the most traffic right now—not necessarily the stories we think you should read, and not always the most recent.
A roundup by our AI partner Silas (Gemini).
Patd
Got it.
By the way, all 20 of the Derby horses have Secretariat in their genealogy on at least one side. They are all looking for that 22 pound heart.
https://x.com/mtgreenee/status/2048489181781926366
@mtgreenee x.com
Why does every shooter have a manifesto?
Most shooter’s manifestos remain classified so they don’t inspire more would be shooter’s.
Why did they release Cole Allen’s manifesto almost immediately?
2:47 PM • Apr 26, 2026 • 674K Views
*That’s what she said. That’s what I wondered.
The media, even Newsweek, mischaracterized Cole Allen’s manifesto as being filled with of anti-Christian rhetoric. It was not. He was pre-remorseful for what he thought he was about to do, and thanked his family, friends, and church.
This still all lines up a little too well with the ballroom grift.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/trump-admin-gave-17m-no-bid-deal-to-ballroom-contractor/gm-GM8C6E9BC7
President Donald Trump defended his administration’s decision to award Clark Construction a $17.4 million no-bid contract to repair Lafayette Park fountains, following a New York Times investigation alleging inflated costs and unusual procurement methods. Critics, including contracting experts and watchdog groups, argue the use of an “urgency” exception intended for emergencies bypassed legal safeguards and lacked transparency. The controversy adds to broader scrutiny over Trump’s $400 million privately funded White House ballroom project and its anonymous donor structure.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and watchdog group Public Citizen are demanding full disclosure of donors to Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, after a lawsuit forced release of the funding agreement. The contract allows anonymous contributions and exempts the White House from conflict-of-interest review, despite known donors holding major federal contracts. Warren argued the secrecy suggests donors “have something to hide,” while Public Citizen warned of potential pay-to-play risks.
*Not to worry. Now that it’s a ~necessity~ the taxpayers will pay for that stinkin’ ballroom.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/16/politics/white-house-ballroom-national-security-ruling
Judge: Trump can’t claim that entire White House ballroom project is needed for national security
*Oh, but NOW he can.
*Special, convenient, highly suss.
https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/2048247155580969019
*Also, not trusting Kashewnut on the bullet/shell casings they found, because it was all or mostly security firing the shots…except why draw your gun and let the guy run through security before firing?
Jamie, thanks for the Derby lineup and your hard work on our behalf. I will take my chance with So Happy (there’s a sad story behind him.)
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/horses/kentucky-derby/2026/04/27/kentucky-derby-2026-mark-glatt-wife-death-churchill-downs-so-happy-horse-trainer-run-for-the-roses/89468951007/
Oh, and loopy Loomer knew the shooter’s ID before it was released to the public. Now, she probably has a backchannel to the WH…but maybe she knew it was going down. They sure were ready with that speech in 30 minutes. Kinda like the Ai-edited video of tRUMPsky was aired right after the Kirk shooting. Like, right after.
today’s meme…
I will ride the Golden Tempo.
Presto Agitato as it were.
meme #2…
2 Hana’s:
RR’s Meme #2, and Ivy’s why didn’t the mentalist see it coming?
Many Haha’s make for a lighter load.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐑 (Shorts Marathon)🍽️
Watch Our Highlights Reel👇
It’s not about the bunker or the Bald Room.
It’s only about winning.
Thats why he needs to lose.
meme #3…
Ivy & Sturgeon have mounted their horses.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/latest-news-live-updates_n_69e5ebb9e4b0b6f552bad166/liveblog_69eedd29e4b0f3a433cbb534
WHCD Event Didn’t Have Highest Level Of Security: Washington Post
Although some of the highest-ranking members of the administration were in attendance on Saturday, the White House Correspondents Association Dinner had a lower level of security than other events with top officials present, The Washington Post reported, citing anonymous officials familiar with the plan for the gathering.
To better coordinate security, events like the State of the Union are typically designated by the Homeland Security Secretary as a “National Special Security Event.” The dinner on Saturday did not have that designation, the publication noted, despite President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and multiple Cabinet members attending it.
*POTUS, VP, SOTH, and a bunch of incompetent cabinet members at one event, while the country is at war, and the regime has lax security to allow someone to just bolt through. Weird. Was Saturday night Chuck Grassley’s big chance?
TRUMP QUOTES INCITING VIOLENCE:
– “Vermin” (referring to “Radical Left Thugs”)
– “The Enemy Within” (naming specific domestic rivals)
– “Party of Satan” (framing Democrats as “Evil”)
– “Enemy of the People” (labeling the media)
– “Treason” (accusing former officials of capital c
rimes)
https://trumptimer.us/term-countdown/
Don’t forget that tRUMPsky posted that he was glad Robert Muller was dead.
I don’t know if I will feel “glad” when the Dodo becomes extinct, but I will likely feel relieved.
Remember, Dodo is throwing red meat to his hungry pack and they are eating it up. If there was another way of keeping them at bay, he would do it, however, this is what they want.
@realDonald Trump
Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP
3/21/26, 12:26 PM
***
@realDonald Trump
A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!
***
Let’s both “both sides” this, because tRUMPsky is the one who infected the well. The infection spread, but he is patient zero.
The King las landed…
When that one’s gone all the rest of them will say, “One monkey don’t stop no show.”
HA!
for the next time you hear Trump Derangement Syndrome…
US ad for ‘eyes and ears’ abroad featuring Big Ben stirs diplomatic unease
UK diplomat says implication of foreign service ad could be that US is ‘watching carefully’ over Britain
A US state department post recruiting Americans to be its “eyes and ears” abroad – and featuring a picture of London – suggests “unease” in ties, say US and UK diplomats.
In an advertisement for the foreign service over the weekend, the state department invited Americans to “navigate great-power rivalries, defuse global crises, and protect Americans and their interests across the globe”.
That ad, featuring an American flag against a dark, grainy image of Big Ben, “sounds awfully spooky, like they’re recruiting for the CIA and not the state department”, said a former UK diplomat. [continues]
The total amount paid by financial institutions, royals, and close associates of Jeffrey Epstein to keep their involvement in his international sex trafficking empire out of civil court has now surpassed $1 billion. At the same time, the Trump administration continues to insist there is no evidence to warrant any criminal investigation.
British Royal Family: $16 Million
Giuffre v. Prince Andrew: Virginia Giuffre, groomed by Epstein as a minor at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in 2000, received an estimated $16 million in 2022 from disgraced former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and his family. Giuffre filed her lawsuit in 2019, after New York passed a law allowing victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue in civil court over criminal acts even after the statute of limitations had expired.
Deutsche Bank: $251 Million
JPMorgan: $365 Million
Leon Black: $62.5 Million
Bank of America: $72.5 Million
Epstein Estate: $335 Million
Equivocate much?
Did the suspect shoot the agent?
“it appears”
“we believe”
“we want to get that right”
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8gWNhkD/
We want to be sure we tell you the right lie.
That’s our story and we’re not necessarily sticking to it.
isn’t it funny how quickly they could tell us the suspect gave $25 to Kamala Harris but still can’t say for certain who shot who?
What provokes violence is not calling out a fascist. It’s BEING a fascist.
Get a thicker skin, Mr. & Mrs. Can’t Take a Joke. You’re a pair of bottom scrapers.
I still want to know why the suspect was on the ground without a shirt on.
Janine Pirro (or was it Todd Blanche) said the firearm the suspect discharged was the shotgun he was carrying. Unless the agent was hit with a shotgun blast, the suspect didn’t shoot him. Pretty sure it wouldn’t take a too highly firearms expert to tell the difference between the two.
Blanche talked about how the security measures worked as intended. I’m skeptical that the security measures were set up so that a guy with a shotgun could run through the magnetometer and fire a shot at a Secret Service agent, run past and have five shots from the agent be fired at him, all missing, and somehow end up on the floor with minor injuries. Sounds like a pretty poorly designed security plan. If the ONLY goal is to keep a guy on the second floor from making it past a bunch of Secret Service and other various LE agents to the first floor (or third – I’m not clear on that fact), I guess it worked. (However, I doubt that was the design of the plan). Better lucky than good I suppose.
Ivy, don’t worry, I’m not burdened by religious guilt so I’ll feed glad for both of us when this DoDo goes extinct.
Whelp, ABC Evening News is spinning a narrative that doesn’t match up with videos that many of us saw, nor reputably-sourced articles about various things that show otherwise. Interesting, that some info on Cole Allen has been scrubbed today.
Kimmel should tape a phone interview with Amanda Ungaro. The Worst Couple will shut the heck up right up. Epstein and Butler intel are like garlic to those vampires.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) backed President Donald Trump’s push for a White House ballroom after a shooting disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night.
*The EPSTEIN Ballroom. Never let them call it anything else.
Oh, Friday is Mayday.
Please keep this fight in mind. Republicans took away the ban on mining in the Boundary Waters. That’s the start of the Mississippi River and a natural wonder. It will affect water ways and wildlife through Minnesota. Protests are happening still on Ice and now to save the Boundary Waters.
Oh, and regular gasoline jumped $.25 today
*Veterans going over the videos and info from Saturday night’s ~event~ hosted by Jolly Good Ginger.
No socially media on the 1st, either. Just go dark and let your footprint disappear in all ways for one day.
Is it enough? No.
A year ago, it might have been enough to bend corporate will, but now it will take longer.
Feel free to call Congress: 202-224-3121
Tomorrow’s starter at the diner…
King Charles is here, trying to ease a strained alliance. Between Iran, Ukraine, and the Epstein shadow, the timing couldn’t possibly be worse.Tuesday, he addresses Congress.
Nothing screams leadership quite like leveraging a near-tragedy to pitch an inferior event space. (His ballroom would be less than half the size needed for the WHCA). But his groupies blindly quack the talking point on command.
Jake Lang was charged again! Not gonna lie, I love what Ramsey County (St. Paul) is doing!
Hmmm, emergency or ego? I’ll take 2 for $1000, Alex.
Posted tonight. He’s preparing the way, he’s going to try to cancel the midterms by executive order.
Hi Jamie and everyone – Please put me down for Further Ado in the Derby…thx!
monday
gardening
tuesday
gardening
just dropped off all the extra tomato plants i started at different neighbors like a frickin’ tomato fairy 😇
Good luck trying to find the lesser of 2 Evils in Vance vs Hagseth.
Theoretically it should be possible, but I’m thinking its more like the conundrum of a sticky wicket on the horns of a dilemma.
i’ve never seen a shapeshifter like JD
Dregseth (c) is more vicious
I have a feeling that Vance is about 18 giant steps ahead of Heg, mainly because Hegseth is so monumentally stupid and a thoroughly damaged human.
Damaged people damage people.
Vance is damaged but he ain’t stupid. Not too smart but not stupid. He acts like a guy who knows his boss is about to get fired and has all the pieces ready to fall into place.
He’s a varmint.
Hegseth is a pickle. Once you’re a pickle, you can’t be a cucumber again.
i’m sure JD does what Thielcorp tells him to do
Dave B
Further Ado is one of my favorites that I’m including in Exacta & Trifecta bets on Derby Day.
one is worse than the next, there are no serious or principled people among them
Oh yeah…I keep forgetting Thiel.or Teel, or whatever…..rhymes with steak.
they wanted Rome
they got it
better them than me
NEW THREAD
Cancel midterms? That won’t end well. As the song goes, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” Once folks have nothing left to lose, there will be ongoing strikes/boycotts/protests/riots like this country hasn’t seen in decades…or maybe centuries.
Mother Nature may cancel Adolf before then, but we are still saddled with the techbro fascists and (White) Heritage Foundation Christo-fascists.
JD is a shapeshifting weasel, but he’s Peter’s pet…although I can see him biting his owner once he’s installed.
The safer way for them to go is to steal the midterms but just by a little.
ps – If those pictures of the afterparty on Saturday didn’t tell you the attempt was a hoax. They were all smiling like they had just snuck a cookie out of the jar right in front of mommy without her knowing.
pps – The guy was affiliated with NASA/JPL so not just “a teacher from Torrence.” A scientist.
Conspiracy theory for the day: The scientists who just walked away with a gun, and those unalived even when they specifically said they weren’t suicidal, were they part of a program that was able to activate them (for lack of a better word) to do themselves in.. or something else.
I mean, the manifesto was ready to go (normally, they don’t release those, but this came out immediately) AND it highlighted the lack of security which is what Adolf needed to pocket the ballroom donations and sell this as a necessity that taxpayers would need to fund. It’s all too convenient.
Fun fact: The “donations” for the ballroom from lawsuit winnings has gone missing. The legal entity over Adolf’s lie-bury has dissolved and we don’t know what happened to the money…except I think we probably do.