Thoughts under the stars

🤔

Facing a Serious Political Challenger, Orbán Moves Closer to Naked Authoritarianism His friends get richer, his opponents get spied on, and the propaganda flows freely.

"Orbán’s kleptocratic regime may be nearing a moment of truth. Orbán’s family and allies are so deeply implicated in crimes and corruption that were Fidesz to lose an election they would face a legal reckoning. That makes holding on to power an existential matter."
www.thebulwark.com/p/victor-orb...

Amazing that people are blaming Democrats for this when people like Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, Charlie Kirk, and Tom Cotton were the first to call for an immediate outright ban of Tik Tok two years ago and led the charge on the divestiture bill.

To the government of Denmark: the best thing you can do re: Greenland threats, is to not express fear but anger instead. “Keep threatening and we will deny you access to Greenland.” Trump, like Putin, understands threats and will back down.

A Clear Reminder That Trump Is Horrible Beyond Measure Not that we needed one

A Clear Reminder That Trump Is Horrible Beyond Measure

My Thursday Post:

The dumbest supposed smart guy in the Senate is Kennedy.

What an embarrassment.

TikTok Timeline:

1. Trump calls for immediate ban citing nat sec
2. Rs introduce bill
3. Rs secure Dem support after Biden insists it be softened from ban to divestiture
4. Trump reverses position after meeting with TikTok CEO during campaign
5. Chinese owners refuse to divest
6. People blame Dems

I assume what she means is that it will be compiled at the White House and kept at the FBI. She will just follow orders.

With this Supreme Court in power?

What *wouldn't* I do?

This is indeed a major loss. While Wallsten does not have the famous byline, he is an amazingly respected editor and a mensch who is beloved by his reporters. He’s been described to me like the Jenga piece you don’t pull or it all falls down.

Ingraham: Joining us now, Charlie Kirk

Unknown: Oh shit

*offer doesn’t apply to Capitol Police

Nonprofit Founded by Stacey Abrams Admits Secretly Aiding Her 2018 Campaign The New Georgia Project, whose leaders also included Raphael Warnock, now a senator, admitted violating campaign finance laws. It agreed to a $300,000 penalty.

A nonprofit founded by Stacey Abrams, a Georgia Democrat, admitted on Wednesday that it had violated state law by concealing the fact that it had campaigned for her during her 2018 run for governor. @fahrenthold.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/u...

Only “chubby?” And I haven’t even been working out!

Told ya. They're going after veterans' benefits.

Opinion | Are We Sleepwalking Into Autocracy? What we can learn from countries that have pushed back on threats to democracy.

“Orbán used law as a weapon against democracy. He consolidated power…giving orders directly to the bureaucracy, which he had reconstructed by changing civil service law…Orbán’s was accompanied by aggressive use of libel actions…He packed the courts with loyalists.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/o...

I love with the ACA has done for people with pre-existing conditions. But.

Let's face reality, ACA 2013 was a different world. Since then Insurance Companies have learned how to game the system.

For the subsidized silver/94 and /87 plans, around ~15 % of taxpayer $ stays with ins comps!

My favorite part of Zuckerberg's Joe Rogan interview is when he suggests there is not enough masculine energy at his company, where two out of every three employees is a man.