Julia Varriale

Highly contagious COVID strain detected in CA amid vaccine crackdown A highly contagious new strain of COVID-19 has been detected in California and in other states, a discovery that comes as federal officials announced they will no longer support booster shots for h…

KTLA reports >> Highly contagious COVID strain detected in CA amid vaccine crackdown. ktla.com/news/highly-...

For NYC friends.

Justice Dept. investigating N.Y. attorney general who has targeted Trump The probe of real estate records is the first known criminal investigation of a prosecutor who previously took action against President Donald Trump.

Breaking news: The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into real estate transactions involving New York Attorney General Letitia James — the first known criminal probe of a law enforcement official who took action against President Donald Trump.

Stop what you’re doing & listen to this!

GOP megadonor Ken Griffin just went off on Trump and JD Vance

An important victory!

Federal judge orders Trump administration to rehire all Voice of America and Radio Free Asia staff Last month, the Trump administration placed Voice of America contractors and employees on leave.

A federal judge just ordered the Trump administration to rehire all staff at Voice of America and Radio Free Asia. The goal? To restore news that is accurate, objective, and reliable. Imagine needing a court order just to tell the truth… but here we are!

America's struggling wine industry is getting crushed by global tariffs and Canada's retaliation to them Even if the tariffs were to be reversed tomorrow, one wine business leader said, it'll take "at least a year, if not longer, for my industry to recover.”

America's struggling wine industry is getting crushed by global tariffs and Canada's retaliation to them
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Law Firms Made Deals With Trump. Now He Wants More From Them. To avoid retribution, big firms agreed to provide free legal services for uncontroversial causes. To the White House, that could mean negotiating trade deals — or even defending the president and his…

Of course Trump will demand more from law firms because the extortionist is never done extorting. Their “deals” may require their agreement on pro bono clients, but it will be settled the same way these deals were negotiated. Agree or else.
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/u...

The only reason we ever became concerned with a “trade deficit” was in the 80s when Japanese car companies were eating American companies lunch.

That’s it.

It’s not meant to be an economic strategy.

I have a trade deficit with Applebees but we’re fine

The President’s unprecedented Executive Order yesterday targeting Messrs. Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor for nothing but the exercise of their First Amendment rights is the President’s most constitutionally corrupt Executive Order to date.

Front page of WSJ. Main headline says "Market Carnage Worsens." Right below it is headline saying "Trump Heads to Golf Club Amid Tariff Turmoil."

I often give MSM headline-writers/editors a hard time on framing of political news.

So now a note of compliment to hed-writers + photo and layout editors who put together today's WSJ print front page. (h/t @jorgeguajardo.bsky.social )

If Dickens or Dreiser were writing this, would seem overdone

Should be required.

Yes

Sometimes, with a few posts.

There is only one reason Trump pulled the security off Pompeo and Bolton…to put them in danger for “crossing him.” To send a message to anyone else who would oppose.

Both have active death threats from Iran.

All to intimidate.

This is the opposite of a real man of God. This is evil

Andrew Weissmann on Substack Ensuring officials can’t be compromised by foreign threats isn’t political—it’s fundamental. Skipping robust FBI background checks risks national security and defies bipartisan norms. Here is what I s...

substack.com/@weissmann/n...

Andrew Weissmann on Substack The exhaustion has started again. Waking up to each new abomination. Going lower when you think it’s simply not possible. Eg pulling security protection from Dr Fauci- petty, mean, dangerous and meant...

substack.com/@weissmann/n...

Even older. Was at Babson when the admission office went to computer in the mid-70's. First personal computer was an IBM floppy disc PC purchased in 1981.

Judge Merchan has just granted a request from the DA's office to take additional time before ruling on how SCOTUS' immunity decision impacts the case & sentencing. A difficult moment (among too many recently) for those who believe in the importance of having the rule of law.

Happy to read about the influx of new Bluesky users! ❤️

Today’s Sandbox entry by Sandboxer-in-Chief Rachel Toor makes me wish she were my BFF. 🤣