Attribution: TRUMP BALANCES PUTIN AND ZELENSKY by Vladimir Kazanevsky, Ukraine, PoliticalCartoons.com
Vladimir Kazanevsky was born in 1950 in Ukraine. He works as a free-lance cartoonist and writer. Vlad`s art work has been exhibited worlwide, published in many magazines and newspapers and has won about 500 prizes from International cartoon contests in 52 countries.
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Oct 20, 2026 #DailyShow #Paris #Russia
Paris is burning, Trump is back to kissing Putin’s ass, and there’s a new war to blame for bank-breaking gas prices. Jon Stewart examines the headlines, including the protests that literally set Paris on fire while President Macron enjoyed a Celine Dion concert. Plus, American allegiances in the Russia-Ukraine war are called into question as Trump signs a diesel deal worth billions with Putin, and Jon gets some key players on the phone to work out why Ukraine is having trouble accessing Elon Musk’s Starlink cell service.
Editorial The Guardian view on Trump and Putin: Ukraine’s future is not theirs to bargain away
Russia wants America and China to decide Ukraine’s future without Kyiv. Europe must challenge this dangerous return to diplomacy of the strong for the strong
Does Vladimir Putin know exactly how to play Donald Trump? The history of chummy phone calls, high-profile meetings and attempts to bring Russia in from the cold certainly suggests that Moscow’s thuggish ruler has a hold on this American president. If Mr Trump agrees to negotiate Ukraine’s future with Mr Putin and China’s Xi Jinping without Ukraine at the table, he will have handed the Russian leader a victory before talks begin. The message will be that strongmen are ruling the world and determining the fate of weaker nations.
Ukraine has the right to determine its future. That right cannot be waved away by a self-serving Russian proposal, however much it indulges Mr Trump’s belief that world affairs should be settled by powerful men. The scales are falling from European eyes. Trumpian America is raising doubts about whether it will help deter aggression or even honour its Nato commitments. If Washington now rewards Moscow and pressures Ukraine to accept a raw deal, it would be a betrayal. European governments would wonder where America might be in the future when their own security is threatened.
The Wall Street Journal laid out how Mr Putin is hoping to secure a diplomatic prize that dwarfs any US benefits. Mr Trump needs to bring down diesel prices before crucial midterm elections. So the Russian president has offered him a deal that helps the White House claim it is addressing such costs, despite most analysts saying that it won’t. In the same conversation, Mr Putin suggested a summit to end the war in Ukraine that would elevate Moscow and exclude Kyiv. China could also gain recognition as a diplomatic mediator, while Europe would be left out of discussions about ending a war on its continent. Reports suggest that the three leaders could meet at next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China.
American presidential power is meant to be constrained by law and democratic institutions. Mr Trump’s diesel deal appears to violate US law barring imports of Russian energy until Moscow ends its aggression against Ukraine. More Republicans should find the courage to stand up to their bullying president. While doing so, they might also ask why the order to limit a satellite system used by Ukraine for battlefield communications and drone operations reportedly came from the White House. Heated denials from the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, are no substitute for answers.
A transatlantic breakdown in relations between European powers and the US is not inevitable. Mr Trump’s national security strategy last year called Europe “strategically and culturally vital”. But it also demanded that the continent take responsibility for its own defence. European governments must prepare to meet that challenge.
History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Were Mr Trump to embrace Mr Putin’s trilateral summit, it would echo the Three Emperors’ League that brought together Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia in 1873. Germany sought to isolate defeated France and contain Austro-Russian rivalry, while monarchies sought to defend themselves against revolution. The original arrangement quickly unravelled. Revived in 1881, the league collapsed in 1887 as Vienna and Moscow failed to reconcile their Balkan ambitions. Agreement between powerful rulers provides no guarantee of a lasting settlement. Ukraine’s future cannot hang on bargains struck to stroke the egos of powerful men.
Attribution: White House Renovation Features Russian Dome by Jeff Koterba
Oct 20, 2026
Rachel Maddow observes that Donald Trump has become more overt in his support for Russian president Vladimir Putin, including at the expense of ostensible American ally, Ukraine, and talks with Senator Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee about concerns that Donald Trump will use the excuse of “foreign interference” to invalidate the results of the midterm elections.
only 2 more shocking weeks, 14 days of October surprises, to go
Attribution: Election countdown by Dave Whamond, Canada, PoliticalCartoons.com
from NYT Russian Satellite Makes a Menacing Approach to Another Craft in Orbit
By Kenneth Chang Oct. 19, 2026
Over the weekend, a mysterious Russian satellite moved threateningly close to a U.S. commercial radar satellite that provides imagery to the Ukrainian military. Although the Russian craft is now backing off, analysts are left wondering: What was the Russian satellite doing at such close proximity? Was Russia planning to attack the U.S. satellite but reversed course?
And, crucially, what happens next?
“We just don’t know,” said Clayton Swope, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington.
The maneuvers are an escalation of cat-and-mouse games that Russia, the United States and China have been playing with each other in space, mainly involving military spacecraft.
This episode indicates that commercial satellites can be targets as well.
The Russian satellite was one of six that launched on a Soyuz rocket in April. Russia said nothing about the satellites, and, like many presumed military spacecraft, they were given a generic Kosmos designation, with numbers 2609 through 2614.
Beginning on Sept. 30, Kosmos 2612 made a series of maneuvers to approach ICEYE-X36, a radar satellite built by ICEYE, a company headquartered in Finland that provides three-dimensional images of Earth’s surface. ICEYE has a U.S. subsidiary, and ICEYE-X36 is registered as a U.S. satellite.
In August 2022, ICEYE announced it had transferred one of its satellites — it did not say which one — to the Ukrainian government and provided access to its wider constellation of satellites to help Ukraine in its war with Russia. In January of this year, ICEYE announced it had signed a contract that provided Ukraine with expanded access to the space-based data.
“We are aware of the situation and tracking it closely,” ICEYE said in a statement. “Our constellation architecture is designed for continuity and resilience.”
A week ago, Integrity ISR, a company that provides training and consulting on intelligence-gathering, raised the alarm that Kosmos 2612 was almost in the same orbit as the ICEYE satellite, about 335 miles above Earth, trailing by about 300 miles.
By the end of the week, it had closed in within a couple hundred meters, said Adam Marsh, vice president of technical solutions at LeoLabs, a company that tracks objects in orbit.
“It was doing a lot of maneuvers to maintain that position of that close approach,” Mr. Marsh said.
What the Russian spacecraft was doing is a mystery. Depending on how it was outfitted, it could have been gathering imagery or other data about ICEYE. Or it could have been carrying a projectile or other weapon.
Mr. Marsh said the ICEYE satellite did not perform any maneuvers to evade Kosmos 2612, which could have increased the chance of a collision.
Late Sunday, the Russian satellite moved to a slightly higher orbit, slowing its speed. As of Monday afternoon, the distance between the two satellites was over 250 miles and increasing by about 10 miles an hour, LeoLabs data indicated.
Mr. Swope said that perhaps Kosmos 2612 had completed all the tasks that Russia had planned. It’s also possible Russia had a more sinister action in mind, such as attacking and destroying the ICEYE spacecraft, but called it off.
Mr. Swope said it was hard not to see a connection between President Trump’s decision on Friday to waive new sanctions against Russia and the retreat of Kosmos 2612.
“It may be a coincidence, but to me, it feels like there must be some link there,” Mr. Swope said.
He added that the episode fits the pattern of Russia’s sabotage attacks on the ground in Europe, which have included arson and cutting undersea cables.
“To me, this is just one other data point of Russia taking some very hostile action, pushing boundaries, seeing how far they can go,” Mr. Swope said.
Space watchers are now looking for Russia’s next move. Kosmos 2612 could easily close in on ICEYE-X36 again. The other five Kosmos satellites that launched in April could be next to swoop in.
“Usually these events don’t just end on one,” Mr. Marsh said.
Kenneth Chang, a science reporter at The Times, covers NASA and the solar system, and research closer to Earth.
pog, sturge and jamie – more “Val-deri,Val-dera” of your happy wanderer from Atlanta Black Star
Trump Walks Right Past The Beast’s Open Door Toward an Empty Field Before Secret Service Steps In, Sending Viewers Into a Frenzy
Donald Trump went to Georgia hoping to keep voters focused on his midterm message. But footage of his departure soon had viewers focused on something else entirely.
A brief moment near the president’s waiting motorcade drew attention online, with viewers replaying the scene and questioning what had happened.
The 80-year-old president’s Georgia stop was part of a packed campaign blitz aimed at energizing Republican voters ahead of the November elections.
The clip showed Trump walking past his armored limousine, known as “The Beast,” before Secret Service agents appeared to redirect him toward the vehicle. The footage alone did not establish why.
Viewers were quick to question where he was headed. “Where the f—- was he even GOING?” one asked. Another recalled, “He did this in his first term, too. Walked off the plane and went past the car, not noticing it was there.” A third questioned another detail: “Who did he wave at ???”
The scrutiny followed another recent clip from his return to Washington after earlier campaign stops. Cameras captured his measured steps and subdued appearance on the White House lawn, which critics seized on as the look of a defeated man.
His packed schedule included rallies in Alaska, Arizona and Montana over seven days, with two to three flights a day.
It was a week of empty seats, awkward compliments, ugly confrontations and one very determined fly.
By the time the president got back to the White House, he looked tired. Or maybe it was sinking in that the tour hadn’t done much for his party’s midterm hopes.
And based on the reaction to his careful walk across the lawn, his critics weren’t about to give him a break.
Fox News shared footage of Trump arriving aboard Marine One following his campaign stops.
Cameras caught Trump descending the helicopter stairs and crossing the White House grounds. Viewers immediately noticed his measured steps and his somewhat exhausted look.
“When Joe was walking like that, every MAGA account claimed that he was ill and dying,” one X user wrote. Another observed, “He couldn’t walk in a straight line if his life depended on it..dementia.”
One observer noticed, “Barely made it outside the plane. Why didn’t he just use a green screen and fake the crowds, then he wouldn’t have to lie about it like usual?”
One critic was considerably less sympathetic.
“The crowds were pathetic. Trump is tanking!” said one person, taking a jab at Trump’s declining rally crowd.
“No one can claim he walks with the stride of a victor. His body behaves like that of a shamed defeated man. He put his own interests before those of the nation, and look how that turned out for him,” the person wrote.
The footage alone cannot establish whether Trump was tired or experiencing any physical difficulty.
Still, the optics were hardly flattering after a week of embarrassing headlines.
The trouble started Monday in Youngstown, Ohio. The crowds Trump loves to brag about had thinned out. Black tarps covered sections of the 7,000-seat Covelli Center, and other seats sat empty. Reports put turnout at about 3,000.
That’s less than half the roughly 7,000 supporters who packed the same arena in 2017.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins highlighted the empty sections. The images were particularly awkward for a president who regularly boasts about drawing the biggest crowds.
Things got stranger when Trump praised Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Instead of his record, the president focused on Husted’s looks.
“I looked at his a—,” Trump declared. He also discussed Husted’s hands and admired his jawline.
The spectacle took a darker turn when another attendee punched a woman demanding the Epstein files’ release. Trump claimed the protester was paid and told her, “Wow, got to go on a diet, fast.”
The woman was one of three protesters who interrupted the event. Trump repeatedly mocked the hecklers as security removed them. Even a friendly television network couldn’t escape the evening’s embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Trump missed the hecklers mocking his hand gestures right behind him at the podium.
Real America’s Voice cut away from a man criticizing Trump and JD Vance after he revealed he registered as a Republican to vote against MAGA candidates.
Then came Arizona, where Trump found himself battling an opponent that didn’t need a campaign budget, a microphone or a political party.
A fly interrupted his speech in Bullhead City. Trump swatted at the microphone and complained about the unwelcome visitor.
“I hate flies. I don’t like flies,” he declared.
He questioned what had been placed on the microphone to attract insects. Then he sarcastically suggested the crew shouldn’t be paid.
The crowd offered some laughter, but the insect had already stolen the spotlight.
Trump also spent part of his Arizona appearance defending the luxury Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar. He explained that accepting the aircraft was simply good manners.
“When they give you a 747, you say two words: ‘Thank you,’” he told supporters.
In Montana, Trump returned to familiar warnings about Democrats and gun rights. His campaign message competed with another round of headlines about his unusual remarks.
Meanwhile, the internet was still dissecting his return to Washington.
“The crowds were pathetic. Trump is tanking!” another X user wrote. Someone else quipped, “Time to RESIGN!”
The whirlwind tour is done, but Trump’s victory lap never quite showed up on camera.
from the daily beast Trump Plot Deepens After Ultimate Betrayal Is Revealed
By Vic Verbalaitis
Updated Oct 20, 2026 3:22AM EDT Published Oct 19, 2026 11:01PM EDT
President Donald Trump’s latest betrayal of Ukraine could leave the nation defenseless while emboldening Russia to become even more aggressive.
The Trump administration has yet to approve the transfers of vital defensive missiles to Ukraine, endangering millions amid constant bombardments from Russia, The Washington Post reported on Monday.
Some of the transfers of Patriot interceptor missiles from countries friendly to Ukraine must be approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Post reported.
The transfers require American approval because the weapons are manufactured in the U.S. and shipped overseas under an agreement that allows the U.S. to sign off on transfers to other countries.
While the self-styled “Secretary of War” didn’t outright reject them, officials told the outlet he still needs to complete the necessary steps to approve them.
A Ukrainian official told the Post last week that “only a few” Patriot interceptors remain in their arsenal.
A senior Pentagon official told the Daily Beast in a statement: “There has been no change to Department of War policy regarding intelligence sharing or any capabilities we are enabling Europeans to provide to Ukraine. The Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, through which NATO allies and partners provide commensurate contributions for U.S.-provided defense articles and services, continues unaltered.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
The latest discourtesy comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine thanks to Trump’s frequent condemnations of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In his latest tirade, the 80-year-old president blew up at Zelensky at the White House on Monday, blaming him for the war that Trump’s pal, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, started and repeating his demand that he should be “replaced.”
“He should have had this war settled a long time ago,” Trump said. “If he would have listened to me, he would have made a much better deal a long time ago, and he’d have a million people living from his side.”
He continued, “And to be honest, I think it’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine [for an end to the war] because what’s happened? … A tremendous number of people are dead. They’re losing their male population. Ukraine could have had this thing settled a long time ago if he would have listened to me.”
Zelensky had criticized Trump’s unprecedented waiving of sanctions on Russia, saying that an agreement was “victory” for Putin and that the Russian president was “laughing.”
He wrote on Telegram on Monday that Russia launched an overnight ballistic missile offensive and that there was “no warning from our partners.”
“We have welcomed literally EVERY attempt by our partners to end this war with dignity,” Zelensky wrote, according to the Post. “It is very important to call things by their proper names. We must call the aggressor an aggressor and help Ukraine protect lives. When deliveries of missiles for Ukraine’s air defense are blocked, while Russia receives sanctions relief or delays, this is, unfortunately, a denial of reality on the part of our partners.”
Here is a great cartoon of stupid and his greatest hits.
TMW2026-10-19colorXL
Blue Bronc
Love the cut and paste make your own Trump speech cartoon.
1. Trump wants Zelensky replaced.
2. Zelensky feels betrayed.
3. Republicans just grumble.
Election to control Congress (and Europe?) in two weeks.
FIRST CUP asks: Did America just switch sides in Ukraine? ☕ ->
BB, thanks, that’s particularly worthy of a repost
BTW, that cartoonist, Tom Tomorrow, according to Wiki is:
Dan Perkins (born April 5, 1961), better known by his pen name Tom Tomorrow, is an American editorial cartoonist. His weekly comic strip, This Modern World, which comments on current events, appears regularly in more than 80 newspapers across the United States and Canada as of 2015, as well as in The Nation, The Nib, Truthout, and the Daily Kos, where he was the former comics curator and now is a regular contributor. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Spin, Mother Jones, Esquire, The Economist, Salon, The American Prospect, CREDO Action, and on AlterNet.
Vance just declined to endorse Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection vote coming up Oct. 27. Trump enthusiastically backed Bibi. Vance told Mark Halperin: “The president has the most influential endorsement … So I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.”
Republican campaigns are using AI to create fake images of Democrats, turning lies into attack ads. We watch the fraud, unpack the smears, and ask who thinks voters won’t notice.
👉 WATCH HERE
Our Diner podcast just topped 18,000 subscribers.
Talarico unloads on Elon…
ICE breaking arm of US Citizen just because he was the wrong color with the wrong sort of name.
Hi everyone from Cape Cod Massachusetts. Lots of political signs around here. Lots of No King signs. We are going to one of our favorite bookstores today. Take care!
I enjoy listening to a song writer give his interpretation of a hit song.
A gift from youtube’s algo.
another offering from the Youtube gods’
Congratulations, Craig! That’s awesome. ✔️
I saw a sign finally. Sadly, it was for Lauren Bobo. Weird as well since this is not her district.
Today in the Diner…
Mike Johnson Protects Pete Hegseth | Vivek Ad Backfires
Congressional Democrats keep up the pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson for shutting down the House to protect Pete Hegseth, while Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack on Amy Acton backfires spectacularly.
We are watching Speaker Mike Johnson shut down the House of Representatives and send everyone home just to dodge an impeachment resolution on Pete Hegseth. Accountability is completely off the menu for Republican leadership, even as Hegseth makes secret trips to see Bibi Netanyahu in Israel. Meanwhile down in Texas, lifelong Republicans are jumping ship to support Democrats like James Talarico because they are sick of Ken Paxton treating the state like his personal piggy bank and giving away parkland to Elon Musk.
Then there is Vivek Ramaswamy launching the dirtiest October surprise of the cycle against Ohio candidate Amy Acton. They dragged her estranged mother out for an attack ad, ignoring the horrific backstory that led to their estrangement in the first place. You also have to marvel at Donald Trump promising a massive government bailout for a pharmaceutical plant in Winchester Kentucky while the crowd cheers for the exact socialism they claim to hate.
Finally, the Lincoln Project dropped a brutal ad laying out exactly why Trump kneels to Vladimir Putin, and we dig into the ghosts of his past. Remember Keith Schiller, the bodyguard from that infamous Moscow trip? We connect the dots on how these authoritarian fanboys operate when they think nobody is keeping the receipts.
Live Chat: https://trailmix.cc/chat
Website: https://trailmix.cc
Alerts: https://trailmix.cc/alerts
00:00 Intro
01:18 Mike Johnson Protects Pete Hegseth
05:15 Ken Paxton Loses Texas Republicans
07:50 Vivek Ramaswamy Targets Amy Acton
14:38 California Ballot Seizure Stunt
29:50 Mike Davis Threatens Elissa Slotkin
38:55 Trump Kentucky Winchester Bailout
42:33 Vladimir Putin and Ukraine Stakes
56:05 Keith Schiller Moscow Trip Secrets
— Human directed and edited. Machine drafted (Gemini Pro).
More details on the Long Beach ICE brutality
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/19/us/ice-hospitalization-us-citizen.html
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/10/20/data-centers-texas-air-quality-report-pollution-health-risks/
Between 2002 and 2024, Texas sharply cut its major air pollutants — particularly from transportation, industry and the power generation sectors — even as the state’s population grew by millions and its economy roughly doubled, according to the report, which used federal and state agencies’ data on air emissions.
At least 288 data center projects are planned across the state, according to a recent Texas Tribune analysis. The scale of the projected data center build-out means that the sector’s future emissions trajectory now depends heavily on how electricity is supplied. According to the report’s modeling, emissions could plausibly range from a marginal increase to a reversal of two decades of progress in reducing air emissions.
By 2031, the report projects that statewide nitrogen oxide emissions could rise 35% — even under a cleaner “net zero” scenario where data centers connect to the grid and deploy wind and solar on site. Under a different scenario where data centers choose traditional on-site natural-gas power sources, those emissions could increase nearly 400%. Such emissions can damage the human respiratory system with long-term exposure, causing chronic lung disease.
*Folks will die of thirst first.
I’m convinced that a big chunk of data center projects are just a land/resource grab.
The disturbing thing about the Tom Tomorrow toon is that when you aggregate the stupid shit he says, (even if some of it was mildly exaggerated) it leads to only one conclusion – the one we have been saying for 10 years now – he’s fucking nutz.
Oh, and Poobah, yes, we have switched ides in Ukraine.
Current actions on Dolly Parton Airport which indicate not likely to be renamed before late 2027 or 2028
• Initial Approval: The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) board voted 6–0 on September 11, 2026, to begin modifying the airport’s name in honor of the late Dolly Parton.
• Final Name & Timeline: A final name, official timeline, and rollout plan have not yet been determined.
• Policy Hurdles: MNAA guidelines historically require an honoree to be deceased for at least two years, which the board must waive or amend to complete the transition ahead of schedule.
So who would like to get together in DC in May of next year? (or suggest an alternate date)
i didn’t switch sides
slava Ukraine
obviously
to anyone with a brain
the oligarchs don’t believe in public resources, they want to own EVERYTHING
I’m not understanding the land grab theory. they could grab the land without building data centers right?
seduce local and state govts with exaggerated promises of economic benefit to secure large swathes of land and associated water rights and then build a fence around it all
Grabbing the land is so they can build data centers on it because the park land is away from population housing. Same for grabbing farm land.
Blue and Anon
The land and pollution issues are exactly why I’m with you on the Data Center creation. I may like what they can do, but until they can do it on a small scale, low light, and recirculated water, they aren’t worth the damage done.
all that to store all the meaningless data that people produce every day that they’ll never look at again
on the cloud!
They’re like hey we invented this new technology that might cure cancer and end world hunger
now make slop and scams with it
“oh by the way it might independently hack into all your systems you out online in the last 20 years”
‘oh maybe we should pump the brakes a little’
“sorry can’t”
‘why not’
“China!”
‘what about Russia?’
“what ABOUT them??”
For me it is instant access to literally all the information in the world. I can’t be against it, just because it is being misused. The potential is there. It has become the victim of greed and lust for power.
it’s not instant access to all the info, they are using it to firewall you from all the information
go ahead and try to search for dissent, see how far you get
look for an old article you remember
you’re hypnotized
it’s not a lens it’s a filter
I wrote this back in June
The Owls Have Entered the AI Debate
More at link
if this needs to explained to allegedly smarter than average people we are fucked
gen A will bear the brunt
and they know it
and they will curse the memories of us
threw it all away for toys because we were bored
Anon
I actually agree with you. Since you are avoiding boredom by grouching on your keyboard, would you care to come up with some solutions or at least ways to ameliorate the worst of the effects?
um
any fucking regulation at all?
how about we start there
I’ll have more brilliant ideas once we cross that bridge
The oligarchs have weakened government so much even that sounds like an absurd suggestion
I know it and you know it
Hillary talks a lot about AI. Maybe new Dem Congress should give her a commission to dig into it.
We can hope for House and Senate. Then stand as barking watch dogs on them. It’s a tough job and one made harder that most people aren’t paying any attention. Little space such as Trailmix may be howling at the moon made even more odd by doing it with the aid of AI.
It may take a cataclysm of some kind and those are always dangerous when it comes to politics. I’ve been watching politicians pretty closely for a half century and the breed has not improved, but I still have hope for the good ones who show up now and then.
Considering Hillary has always been pretty much right about everything, we should probably listen to her just for the novelty of it all.
MAGA is shrinking. New NBC poll here…
we need the best and brightest crafting regulation for this
instead we have 535 of the biggest assholes this country can produce
system’s broken
hey vote for this giant asshole or we will have an even bigger asshole than that in office
not sustainable
and guess who knows it
the techlords
if inly they had a mind control device hmmmm
Well I do know that doing nothing means nothing will change.
used their social media as a slander machine so that public service is an irrational decision
intimidation via social media was a big component of trump’s power grab
Trump doing his Putin’s Toy cuddle bunny on TV. Of course he had to mention all the rare earth etc. he got for giving money to Ukraine. From Putin he gets nothing but a pat on his pathetic, brain dead head.
More Hillary on the subject.
The French Economic Crisis vs. the U.S.: Should We Worry?
France is burning over a 119% debt-to-GDP ratio. The punchline? Ours is actually worse.
As the French take to the streets over budget cuts and sluggish growth, it is worth looking at the math. Here is why Washington gets away with it, and why we shouldn’t get too comfortable.
Why we aren’t rioting (yet):
The math we’re ignoring:
The only thing separating us from France’s fiscal nightmare is the U.S. dollar’s status as the world reserve currency. It is the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card. But if global investors ever stop buying the official story, the math will catch up with us fast.
Craig
I have a long article on Social Security coming in a few days covering the current condition and the tax cuts, wars, and excess spending covered with loans from the Boomer payments into the fund stolen via IOU securities.
Also has some proposed solutions – none of them easy.
when a useful idiot like Thom Tillis suddenly begins making a lot of sense the instant he decides not to pursue office, you know the system is broken
the corruption is “hyperscaled”, their term
“Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America,” Musk posted on X on Monday. “This will be the first of many.”
…as of Tuesday morning, one share in the company is worth nearly $150…
*Selling out democracy for $150 a vote, filthy technofascist.
Long worth reading. Info on Hegseth, Elon, Trump and Ukrain towars the end.
When I saw that Elon post I wondered how he plans to get the names and addresses of every kid in America. maybe he already has them???
Sign of the times!
bafkreif3hezmkfamd6n44p3oczexww3m3vnnj76lqkasyttca6olnuizvm
Did California Millionaires Just Turn On Their Billionaire Cousins?
More than 40 California multimillionaires signed an open letter this week urging voters to pass Proposition 40, the one-time 5% tax on the wealth of the state’s billionaires. The letter was organized by Patriotic Millionaires and Tax The Ultra Rich Now, and it doesn’t mince words. The signers say they can afford to live anywhere and choose California because they love it. They call the billionaire tax a very sensible solution to a looming healthcare disaster, and they point straight at the roughly 200 billionaires who’ve spent millions trying to kill it. In their words, “It’s past time for billionaires, our thousand millionaire cousins, to do theirs.” Prop 40 would raise tens of billions of dollars, with 90% of the money going to healthcare after Trump’s big ugly bill stripped coverage from more than a million Californians. Here’s the catch. Voters have to vote yes on 40 and no on Propositions 41 and 42, because billionaire money put two spoiler measures on the same ballot. If either one gets more votes than 40, the tax dies. Polling shows support hovering just under 50% When the rich start saying tax us, that’s not charity. That’s democracy starting to claw back what oligarchy took.
Yes, DOGE has all of our info, and as with the tRUMP kids savings funded by the Dells, giving those shares props up the companies.
TOP DEM BACKS TRUMP IMPEACHMENT
Incoming House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith might be the highest ranking Democrat I’ve heard unequivocally sign on to impeachment. Just now on CNN he said beating Trump in the midterms won’t be enough::
EARLY VOTING SURGES 16% OVER 2022
With 14 days until Election Day, nearly 10.9 million Americans have already voted, compared with approximately 9.4 million at the same point in 2022. That’s an increase of nearly 1.5 million votes (16%), compared to the last midterm elections.
The most striking number: In-person early voting is up nearly 33%, compared with about 9% for mail ballots.
Sources: CNN/AP/Catalist (2026); U.S. Elections Project (2022).
EARLY VOTE: DEMOCRATS LEAD IN TWO TRACKERS. REMEMBER 2018?
Two major early-voting trackers show substantially more Democratic-affiliated voters than Republicans so far in 2026.
NBC/TargetSmart (Oct. 15):
Democrats 54% | Republicans 30% | Other 16%
University of Florida Election Lab (Oct. 20):
Democrats 48.0% | Republicans 29.1% | Unaffiliated/Minor Parties 22.9%
That’s a Democratic advantage of 24 percentage points in TargetSmart’s national modeled data and 18.9 points among voters with reported party registration in UF’s data. The two sources cover different populations.
Remember 2018? At roughly the same point before Election Day, NBC/TargetSmart reported Republican-affiliated early voters outnumbering Democrats in seven of eight closely watched states. Democrats led only in Nevada among those eight.
Yet Democrats went on to gain a net 40 House seats and take control of the chamber.
The lesson: Early-vote party affiliation is not an election result. The composition of the electorate can change considerably as voting continues, and party registration doesn’t tell us which candidates people selected.
Sources: NBC/TargetSmart; University of Florida Election Lab; 2018 House election results.
https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/local/kansas-senate-debate-scheduled/
Our parent company, Nexstar Media Group, announced that its television stations serving the state of Kansas—which includes KSN 16 —will air a live, multi-market telecast of a debate between Republican incumbent Roger Marshall and his Democrat challenger, the Reverend Adam Hamilton.
NATIONAL DEMS INVEST IN MISSISSIPPI SENATE
Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC announced today it will spend $1.2 million on television advertising for Scott Colom against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. — apnews.com
In Mississippi’s inexpensive media market, $1.2 million buys a meaningful closing presence. It also marks a strategic expansion by Democrats into a race where recent polling reportedly has Hyde-Smith ahead by only single digits. The investment does not make Mississippi a toss-up, but it moves the contest beyond long-shot status and gives Colom national backing through Election Day.
I’m looking forward to election night!!! Much enthusiasm by Democrats here in Oregon…
Speak of the devil, the SSA just sent an email trying to buy votes of parents:
“Today, nearly 70 million Trump Accounts are open for all American children. Parents and legal guardians simply need to claim their child’s Trump Account through the official Trump Accounts app, available to download for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Once activated, the account can receive funds from family, friends, and employers, as well as gifts from generous donors. Tens of millions of accounts already have money contributed by donors in them, just waiting to be claimed.
At Social Security, we are informing families about how they can activate their child’s Trump Account-many accounts with money already in them.
We are also communicating with parents of newborns about the one-time $1,000 contribution from the U.S. Treasury, available to children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028.
Trump Accounts are one of the most significant investments in the next generation of Americans in our nation’s history, by giving every American child a stake in our country’s success and a strong financial foundation for the future.”
I took my ballot to my neighborhood grocery drop box on Sunday…Monday received text it had been accepted and being prepared for counting process…We have had the mail/drop-off system since 1998…Very easy, safe, and popular!!!..:
Cook just moved both Mississippi and South Carolina Senate races one notch toward Democrats.
But they moved Minnesota Senate a notch toward Republicans. ugh!
Hello OregonD! Always a pleasure to see you in the hood. Come visit us on podcast sometime — trailmix.cc/chat
https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-whistleblower-vance-cc7c155c06cbab74d423911c36f5ac78
Trump and Vance announce $25M whistleblower program to encourage public to report alleged fraud
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday announced a $25 million program to encourage the public to blow the whistle on suspected fraud in the U.S. government as they ramp up efforts to end the abuse of federal programs and dollars.
The White House said that under the Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program, anyone who submits a tip that leads to a fraud conviction or a significant federal enforcement action is eligible to receive up to $30,000, and that the Justice Department will administer the program.
*Do we have to split $30,000 between the millions of us pointing the tRUMPco fraud?
During the announcement, Trump said payments will amount to a 1% commission on the amount of fraud the tip helps uncover. Trump also said he will decide who gets reward money in cases where more than one person claims to have provided the tip.
“I will be the arbitrator of all of these decisions,” Trump in the Oval Office with Vance and other administration officials standing behind him. “It’ll be a binding arbitration.”
*Nevermind.
Oregon
I did the same. Just checked with the Secretary of State site, put in my name: Received and Accepted for counting. Love the WA system. No long distances. No confusion of place. No long lines. Fill it out. Put it in a neighborhood box.
Santa Claus Buys Votes? ➡️
Mike Rogers’ wife, dressed like Mrs. Claus, hands out gas cards while pushing votes. Democracy meets the pump.
🍽️ From today’s Digital Diner menu
Is a $10 gas card buying a vote or a slap in the face?
This ought to be a game changer that guarantees Acton victory…
Ramaswamy confirms ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother is from his campaign
Acton’s brother Philip Stearns calls the spot a ‘disgusting attack’ and says it exploits the childhood abuse Amy Acton endured — ABC NEWS
not national news now eh
great job NBC
https://www.newsweek.com/amy-acton-mother-liar-ad-ohio-governor-polls-12592639
Acton’s mother (who looks and sounds like a crazy, old MAGAt, IMO) seems intent on deflecting from whatever harm she caused/allowed to Amy and her brother. This is terribly triggering for a lot of folks. Hope this absolutely cooks Vivek’s chances. Disgusting.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/twisted-maga-ad-using-amy-actons-mom-backfires-epically-on-vivek-ramaswamy
Acton’s campaign hit back with a damning statement from her brother Philip Stearns.
“It’s not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at twelve years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point,” he said.
“After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died,” Stearns added. “This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core – a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants.”
*If they won’t believe Amy, maybe they’ll believe a man.
A Billionaire Wanted a Trump Pardon. His Family Gave Alina Habba a $50 Million Deal.
Julio Herrera Velutini, a prominent Venezuelan, was seeking clemency. He got it not long after his daughter gave Ms. Habba, a lawyer close to President Trump, an extraordinarily lucrative job.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/20/us/politics/julio-herrera-pardon-alina-habba.html?emc=edit_na_20261020&nl=breaking-news&segment_id=228430
$50 mil to the fashionista idiot lawyer, wow
crime pays
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/texasregion/2026/10/18/utsa-accident-air-force-member-dies-in-fall-alamodome-san-antonio/92317384007/
A member of a U.S. Air Force rappel team died after falling from the rafters in the Alamodome during a pregame military demonstration before the UTSA game against Navy.
The accident occurred during a “Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans” event on Saturday, Oct. 17, before the football game between the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners against the Navy Midshipmen.
The game was momentarily delayed as medical aid was provided and the injured service member was placed on a stretcher and taken away in a cart.
*And the band played on…
The service member died at a hospital after the fall that occurred in a skills demonstration, the San Antonio Express-News reported on Sunday, Oct. 18. The service mem
https://www.rawstory.com/hegseth-2678101915/
Jackie Singh, an Iraq War veteran and investigative journalist who ran security for President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, blamed the Pentagon’s leadership.
“He died. Thanks @PeteHegseth @SecWar for yet another pointless and tragic recruiting spectacle,” Singh wrote on X.
Chris D. Jackson, a Democratic party chair and political strategist, wrote before the death was confirmed that the military’s appearances at sporting events had gone too far. “This ridiculous military showboating at football games needs to STOP,” Jackson wrote. “Now a man could lose his life, all because some Hegseth-like official apparently thought putting on a macho spectacle for people who came to watch FOOTBALL was a brilliant idea. These men are human beings, NOT props for someone’s political theater,” he added. “Absolutely sickening.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/shock-past-of-trump-goon-alina-habbas-new-young-husband-turhan-mildon-exposed
Alina Habba, 42, tied the knot last month with Turhan Mildon, 29…
Mildon, a Turkish businessman, has vast interests in Venezuela and deep connections to allies of the Latin American country’s former despot Nicolas Maduro, The New York Times now reports.
Mildon had already secured lucrative deals with Maduro’s government, with Saab, who oversaw Venezuela’s industrial sector, awarding him a contract to operate state-owned cement factories in March 2025. He similarly took over a shrimp export business the regime had confiscated from an entrepreneur jailed after being accused of financing the country’s opposition, nominally supported by the Trump administration.
*MARRIED TO THE MOB
https://nypost.com/2026/10/19/us-news/ric-grenell-offered-alina-habbas-turkish-billionaire-husband-access-to-trump-for-6m-kennedy-center-donation-that-vanished-texts-allege/
Ric Grenell offered Alina Habba’s Turkish billionaire husband access to Trump for $6M Kennedy Center donation that vanished, texts allege
The $5.6 million donation allegedly was to be taken from a larger $17.6 million wire transfer from Mildon to the defense software company Texas Armament & Technology.
Mildon has provided the White House with financial records for a May 29, 2025, wire transfer to the Texas company for $17.6 million. However, Axios reported the money came not from Mildon, but from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s “Ministère des Finances.”
The business deal involved the central African nation, both Axios and the New York Times reported Monday, though neither outlet specified the nature of the venture in the vast country, where Mildon said in 2024 he operated limestone quarries and copper, cobalt and gold mines.
Remember the creepy, 20-something who went from grocery store clerk to head of national security? Kinda looks like this greaser Hababa married. Also, kinda like Danny DeVito in Matilda…or any caricature of a used car salesman.
Ha! Does he see his reflection & think it’s another parakeet?
NEW THREAD