James Hill

Trump fires labor statistics boss hours after the release of weak jobs report The president implied that the BLS commissioner, longtime federal employee Erika McEntarfer, manipulated the data "for political purposes."

This is the tantrum of a child. One can easily imagine the red-faced desk pounding which ensued when he was told of today's jobs report.

The rich are different because of the way we’ve been shaped by all the things that come with wealth: entitlement, impunity, narcissism, isolation, inability to share power, unwillingness to take criticism, to name a few.

https://trib.al/Ep5QHmT

65 Percent of People Taken by ICE Had No Convictions, 93 Percent No Violent Convictions ICE’s deportation agenda is not what is being advertised to the American public. ICE is not interested in prioritizing public safety, yet it constantly pretends that anyone who objects to its tactics ...

From the Cato Institute; this one is worth reading.

Topline: "nonpublic data from ICE indicate that the government is primarily detaining individuals with no criminal convictions of any kind."

Don't let their lies dominate the narrative.

www.cato.org/blog/65-peop...

Two egomaniacal billionaires tweeting insults at each other like middle schoolers. Is this "a day which will live in ignominy," or do either of these two even have any shame?

This thread gets it exactly right. Thank you @chrislhayes.bsky.social

Cyber Monday: Artificial intelligence and religion Pastors are embracing A-I to write sermons and more. But can a chatbot offer salvation? We explore what happens when AI meets faith

This was a fascinating listen.

Episcopal Church refuses to resettle white Afrikaners, ends partnership with US government (RNS) — 'In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step,' the p...

Good for the Episcopal Church.

Food taken from the hungry, while tax cuts are given to the wealthy. It’s perverse.

DOGE’s Only Public Ledger Is Riddled With Mistakes The figures from Elon Musk’s team of outsiders represent billions in government cuts. They are also full of accounting errors, outdated data and other miscalculations.

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/u...

Helpful information

The great irony about MAGA’s fixation on DEI is that Trump is actively lowering the standards to serve in government and filling his cabinet with some of the most unqualified people in history to ever hold these positions.

Cruelty is the point.

I’d be glad to be added.

While I agree with the negative environmental impact, air travel is far safer than automobile travel, statistically speaking. Automobile deaths rarely make the national or international news.

School 'Fine,' U.S. Teens Report WASHINGTON, DC–According to results of a survey released Monday by the Department Of Education, most U.S. teenagers characterize their education as "fine."

My anecdotal experience supports this.

The new Bonhoeffer movie isn’t just bad. It’s dangerous. By egregiously misreading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s moral crisis, it primes viewers for...

This is a great article and worth your time. The movie it discusses is not.

Tony Campolo, sociologist and famed Red Letter Christian, has died (RNS) — Known as a powerful evangelist and social justice preacher, Campolo had long advocated that Christian faith can transform the world — and people’s everyday lives.

Sad to hear. The definition of living one’s faith.

Democracy Is Not Over Americans who care about democracy have every right to feel appalled and frightened. But then they have work to do.

www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

(cont.) Nothing is inevitable, and democracy will not fall overnight," writes Tom Nichols, in The Atlantic.

(cont.) in court, in Congress, in statehouses around the nation, and in the public arena. America is a federal republic, and the states—at least those in the union that will still care about democracy—have ways to protect their citizens from a rogue president. (cont.)

"Paradoxically, however, Trump’s reckless venality is a reason for hope. Trump has the soul of a fascist but the mind of a disordered child. He will likely be surrounded by terrible but incompetent people. All of them can be beaten: (cont.)

Kind of proud of this one

💀

This is beyond embarrassing for United. I hope it stays in the media spotlight until they demonstrate significant changes in policy.

'We're inside the 10-yard line': Secretary of state on an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal Antony Blinken talks speaks on everything from the prospect of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, to the war in Ukraine and what the U.S. is doing to bring home Americans detained in Russia.

If so, this is some much needed good news.

The Five Sweetest Swings of All Time And they’re probably not going to be the five you're expecting…

I imagine it will shock none of you to hear that, once again, I’ve started something new over on JoeBlogs. This week I’m introducing G.O.A.T., starting with the 5 sweetest swings of all time.