All headlines will be either Canadian or Mexican content until further notice.
A couple of people reached out with protest questions. There was some concern about the 50-50-1 movement calling for protests at noon Wednesday at every state capitol. One of the mods of the subreddit where this movement seemed to originate has addressed those issues in a post. Please take a moment to read it if you’re concerned. There are a lot of ways that these protests can go bad, but FWIW, I’ll be at the one in Denver on Wednesday unless my schedule gets messed up.
Here’s a link to Adam’s protest security post, which is well worth a read if you’re considering going to any protest.
Comrade Scott wanted to be sure that everyone knows that he will be at Senator Bennet’s office tomorrow. Here are the details on that event. If you go to the Mobilize.Us page, it automatically geolocates you and gives you a list of the nearest events. There are many of them in the Denver area.
That’s all I have, but reach out if you have something to share that you don’t want to post in the comments: [email protected] or [email protected]
Open thread.
Edit: Oh, and no shock, Trump completely caved to Trudeau, in return for a border security plan that was already in place and a meaningless “Fentanyl Czar” who will either be Justin’s oldest child or a random person picked off of the unemployment line and hidden in an office in Ottawa (probably). I guess 51st state is off the table.
He blinked.
2 days ago Donald demanded our nationhood as the price of peace.
Then we hit with $125bil in counter tariffs and pulled American products off the shelf.
So now he settles for a fentanyl czar.
Canada shows the world how to stand up.
But this is ain't over.
Don't drop your guard.— Charlie Angus (@charlieangus104.bsky.social) February 3, 2025 at 3:24 PM
comrade scotts agenda of rage
It looks like around 40 people are currently signed up for the Bennett/Hick event tomorrow, at least as I type this.
The people organizing it admit it’s very last minute as these things go so are hoping for a decent enough turnout.
My normie wife is going, that’s how hard the events of the past couple of weeks have been hitting.
Scout211
Some tips from the ACLU of SoCal. (Lots of protests today in California as part of the nationwide “day without immigrants” protests).
opiejeanne
I am not going to protest outside of my state’s government capitol building, because it is controlled by Democrats.
I’d protest outside of a Republican congressperson’s office, but my right foot is in an aircast (boot) and hurts if I walk on it too much.
Don’t mind me, I’m high on hydrocodone cough syrup, but in a bad way.
mali muso
Finishing out the workday by making my calls to the offices of my Rep (R) and two senators (D) about the Elon Musk takeover. Spoke to a young man in Representative Ben Cline’s office who did not know what his position on following his oath to protect and defend the constitution (my words) was but ensured me that he would pass along my comments. Left messages for Warner and Kaine saying that it’s time to stop playing nice with their colleagues and to refuse to let anything move in the Senate. If anything, they should be front and center as Virginians are going to be hugely impacted by any meddling with government employees.
Captain C
If you want something Soviet you can always go to the FTFNYT, which has been making its best effort to emulate Pravda for years.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
Part of this effort is to show how at least some of us aren’t “giving up on elected Democrats”, no matter how craptastic they can be at times.
I’ve made it very clear here in the past how I feel about Bennett and Hick, my electoral lot in life involves a lot of nose holding. But, this is a time to convince them to either grow a spine or stiffen what they have significantly, not walk away. We go to war with the Democrats that we have, not the ones we wish we had.
Everybody states that emails do no good, call instead. Showing up at an office takes it even further.
KatKapCC
We’re about 300 miles from the state capitol and neither of us are able enough to make such a trip or sustain a long outdoor on-foot protest, but I have a few friends who are going for it, so I offered to make and pack lunches and such for them.
thruppence
@Scout211: Well. I’m off on Wednesday, in the Denver area, and massively pissed off. We need to make these things much bigger.
oh damn. It’s on Tuesday?
mrmoshpotato
@Scout211: I need clarification on speech that is obscene, but Dump clearly went from being Putin’s bitch to being Musk’s bitch.
Belafon
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: The only Democrat in my chain of representation requires me to time travel to Jan 19th.
lowtechcyclist
@comrade scotts agenda of rage:
Worth keeping that in mind. And with only 47 of them in the Senate, it’s not like we can throw any away casually. We want a majority again someday.
Danielx
General observation: one of the (many) things I detested about Felonious Orange’s first term was the constant daily stress of wondering what the miserable sonofabitch was going to do next. The departure of that stress was something i treasured, god bless Joe Biden.
Stress is back and redoubled which I did not need.
Old School
I wasn’t familiar with the band Stars. The song is catchy.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@thruppence:
It is but there’s a broader, protest rally on the Capitol grounds on Wednesday. Starts at noon.
Me and MM plan on being there. You can always email him to coordinate.
Tim C.
@Danielx: I am not joking here. If your mental health is taking a hit, it’s not your fault. You aren’t weak. Go do what’s available. I started freaking out fully a year ago when the possibility of this was made clear. So I got help, and the anti-depressants (and not drinking anymore) make a huge difference. We need everyone in this fight, that includes anyone reading this.
Fight Nazis.
KatKapCC
@mrmoshpotato: He seems to really like being under the thumb of powerful men. Interesting.
sentient ai from the future
@mrmoshpotato: [two spiders-man meme]
musk’s had lots of contact with vlad
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@lowtechcyclist:
I’ve never been a “burn it all down” Democrat but there are very few over the years that I’d never vote for again. But, this is an example of something FDR said about having advisors or Dems ‘bring him along’ to certain positions (I don’t remember the exact quote). Our job now, given that we can’t assemble the pitch fork and torches mobs with tumbrels, is to “bring them along”.
Old School
Canadian tariffs now also paused for 30 days.
The uncertainty is over! Well, I guess not.
mrmoshpotato
@KatKapCC: And sadly didn’t choke on a Big Mac back during the Nixon administration.
Jay
https://nitter.poast.org/YourAnonCentral/status/1886344250352394361#m
Marmot
Hey! Thanks to whoever gave me this link. This site is excellent, and explains how to handle protests, what makes a successful protest, the importance of non-violence, and all sorts of other things—as well as my favorite thing, which is that one-off protests are not that effective.
What’s most effective is campaigns, which are a series of protests or actions that escalate, and which have a specific target and goal for each.
Check it out:
https://choosedemocracy.us
Jay
@Old School:
Canadian response to the “threatened” US Tariffs have not been turned off, and other than Alberta and Saskatchewan, won’t be.
Both BC and Ontario metal producers have already found contracts elsewhere.
As Premier David Eby pointed out,
USMCA is dead as a doornail. There will not be a replacement.
TBone
@Marmot: excellent!
Redshift
@opiejeanne:
You specifically are obviously exempt from any of this because of your current physical condition, but I presume the reason for rallying outside of Democratic state governments is to make clear we want them to do what they can to defend their citizens from the administration’s thuggish actions.
Gloria DryGarden
@thruppence: Wednesday is the state capitol protest. Probably someone else said that.
Redshift
@Jay:
As St. Krugman foretold!
Kelly
Markets didn’t take Trump seriously. SP 500 finished down 0.76% an ordinary daily fluctuation
Marmot
My only concerns with the Wednesday protests have to do with that flyer! (Well, it’s also a one-off with no specific target or goal.)
But can we stop with the ‘70s (60s? Earlier?) raised fist icon and saying “No to …” this and that like more unimaginative Nancies Reagan?
Edit: What were our esteemed commenters concerned about?
JoyceH
@Old School: My concern about this making some face-saving concessions to postpone the tariffs is that you know that now Trump is going to declare victory and swank around about his deal-making prowess. And in the future when Trump goes on an insane rampage, the Republicans will just say no biggie, this is just Trump’s genius at work.
Princess
So Trump caved to Canada and to Mexico for another month, when I guess we’ll do this all over again.
I don’t things will go back to the way they were in Canada though. The government might not impose the retaliatory tariffs and booze might go back in the shelves but I expect lots of Canadians to avoid American products and companies. I wouldn’t want to be trying to sell Teslas here right now.
tobie
Susan Collins has announced she’s supporting Tulsi Gabbard for DNI. I guess we’re stuck with a Putin stooge directing our intelligence services.
zhena gogolia
@tobie: Vomit
Wag
@comrade scotts agenda of rage:
I am planning to join at Senator Bennet‘s office. I agree that it is important to keep their feet to the fire, but based on his questioning of both Kennedy and Gabbard, I think he already has a message.
Scamp Dog
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: If I recall correctly, it was something along the lines of “you’ve convinced me, now make me do it,” the idea being that he wasn’t doing it on his own, showing there was real pressure driving the decision.
Too bad I don’t remember the date or the issue involved. :)
Wag
@mrmoshpotato: In my opinion, there’s no difference between being Putin’s bitch and being Musk’s bitch
Redshift
@JoyceH: Yeah, but foreign leaders have to give the highest consideration to what will be best for their people, so they’re probably not going to go scorched earth if they’re given an out. And they have no control over what lies TCFG will tell about it to claim victory — case in point, if what I read is correct, he actually got nothing from Mexico, because the he was demanding (a certain number of national guard troops at the border) was something they were already doing, because he doesn’t know anything about anything and doesn’t ask because he’s sure he’s a genius.
Gin & Tonic
@tobie:
Five Eyes is dead.
mrmoshpotato
@tobie: Is Vlad going to that asshole’s hire after she fires everyone?
Betty Cracker
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: The fact that electronic communication < calls is a sign of how fucking out of touch the institutions are.
Matt McIrvin
@Princess: Trump said he wants Canada to become the 51st state. (Not even, you know, 13 states, just one state. Not that that detail matters.) You insist on that, imply that you’re going to do what you can to make it happen, and Canadians are your enemy. There’s no going back.
pieceofpeace
In protest, send 1 thing every week…day? to Trump – an eraser; maybe those that go over pencils?
Keep beatin’ that drum….
Miss Bianca
@Princess: I have to confess I’m hoping that Canadian officials are prepared to say, “seriously – we’re not fucking around here. We are ready to pull the trigger on our set of tariffs.”
Matt McIrvin
@Marmot: Oh, the first mentions of it in these comment threads were posts from the “Pantsuit Nation” group (remember them from 2016-17?) in Albuquerque warning people that they didn’t know where these invitations came from and it sounded sus. But it turns out that’s just because it’s being organized on Reddit rather than by some established activist group.
tobie
@Gin & Tonic: Yeah, I wouldn’t be eager to share intelligence with the US any longer. Collins is such a friggin’ toadie. She tries to couch everything as well-considered decision but most of the time it’s just based on her loyalty to the party. Or fear of a primary. Or both.
Leto
@tobie: @zhena gogolia: the official Susan Collins concern wheel was used.
greenergood
Maybe I’m completely off kilter, especially because I’m in Scotland and not the US, but it feels like all the tariff stuff – the posturing and the backing down – are a complete distraction that the MSMedia in the US and abroad can focus on – while Musk and minions strip the US Treasury/FBI/USAID, etc. of any function whatsoever and deliver us into Musk’s incapable chaos …
Starfish (she/her)
@Matt McIrvin: When things are organized through official channels, you get some burdens from the organization like did you get your protest permit? Did you get insurance for your protest?
Things like that.
Someone eventually says, “We are protesting whether your organizational requirements are met or not. We just won’t mention your organization if you keep this up.”
But sometimes, it helps to have the organization’s attorneys on hand in case a bunch of people get arrested.
Matt McIrvin
@Starfish (she/her): And if things go sufficiently south, just being a recognized organization could become dangerous.
trollhattan
Susan Collins Furrow Level report: Freshly disced and rolled.
Anonymous At Work
Jeez, what a coward. I do so hope that the “drug czar” is Doug Ford, to make even more of a joke out of it. If he’s still in prison, doesn’t even have to be let out of prison.
sentient ai from the future
headline writers:
“PayPal Putsch”
you’re welcome
pieceofpeace
@opiejeanne:
It sounds like you’re going through a lot, take care of yourself and stay safe. I’m from PNW, been in CA a long time however.
Let’s not stop kicking the dirt around, however we can and whenever we want!
Steve LaBonne
@Anonymous At Work: Doug is the Ontario Premier. You must be thinking of Rob, who is deceased.
lou
Apparently people are protesting outside Schumer’s Brooklyn home, according to posters on BlueSky. All of his offices’ phones are on voicemail full mode.
Edited to add: Indivisible Brooklyn is leading that charge.
Steve LaBonne
@greenergood: That’s also how it feels to many of us.
tobie
@Leto: Of note is that in Collins’s statement, in which she takes jabs at Democrats for expanding the national intelligence agencies beyond their original scope, she does not once name a single positive reason for voting for Gabbard. Collins caved. Maybe she got flack for her Hegseth vote.
pieceofpeace
@greenergood: So right on! This is what Trump and Reps are good for, but they’re not the architects…
Quinerly
@Matt McIrvin:
Yep….I posted from Pantsuit Nation which is reputable. The Adm of the group was concerned about it.
Jay
@Princess:
On short notice, BC and Ontario companies have found more reliable International customers for their copper, zinc, steel, stainless steel, aluminum and metal ores.
Why would they switch back to an unreliable, unhinged customer who violates critical clauses in MultiParty Trade agreements. Quebec has banned US Companies from contracts with the Quebec Government. Ontario has cancelled Starlink and is looking at barring US Software providers.
USMCA is dead and will not be renegotiated.
Remember how the Brexiteers sad that Brexit was no biggie because a Free Trade Agreement with the US would replace the EU and save Briton’s money?
There never was, nor will there ever be a US/Britain Free Trade Agreement. Dolt 47 is now threatening Britain with 10% tariffs, along with the EU.
There is an infographic I have posted several times,
https://interactives.lowyinstitute.org/features/china-versus-america-on-global-trade/
In 2001, the US was the massively dominant global trading partner, by 2023, it was and still is, China.
And guess what, shooting USAID like a Noem puppy in a gravel pit and bailing on the WHO, just ensures that in the second and 3rd world, China wins.
Apartheid Clyde and Pompeo boasted about cutting off all scholarships for Burmese Students. Funny thing is, those scholarships existed to teach Burmese students in Burma, how to build democracy and civil societies. So China get’s Myanmar too.
It will take a decade or more, (oil, gas, electricity mostly) for Canada to wean itself away from US trade. In Prince George, Squamish and St Jon, LNG plants and Ports are under construction, in BC, for Asia, in NB for Europe. When complete, they will be selling 70% of Canada’s Natural Gas production, off shore, for a much higher price than we get exporting it to the US, and at those volumes, there won’t be any to export to the US.
tobie
@lou: I don’t like Schumer but I’m not sure protesting at his house does anything but encourage Republicans to continue ransacking the Republic because the Dem base is more likely to be outraged at Dems than GOPers. FWIW Schumer, Warren and Wyden gave a blistering press conference today against DOGE and Musk.
Ohio Mom
@greenergood: Yup. I enjoyed watching Canada and Mexico throw down their gauntlets and now I’m enjoying Trump caving but the big thing is Elon let lose in the data banks and the administrative state being dismantled.
That was my message to my Congresscritters this morning, Rein in Musk!
Jay
@Anonymous At Work:
Doug Ford is the current Premier of Ontario.
Rob Ford was his brother with addiction issues, who went to rehab, later dying of cancer, but he never went to jail or was charged with any crime.
Leto
@tobie: she was always going to cave, as she’s a worthless sack of shit. It’s basically the scene from the Dark Knight where Joker is talking about the Chinese crime lord on the tv, saying, “I know a squealer…”
sentient ai from the future
@Leto: she is an enabler. the abuser depends on their enablers. whatever she gets out of it doesnt matter, she is giving permission to the abuser to be abusive.
No Nym
@Ohio Mom: It has been my experience that blowhards and bullies back down when people stand up to them. Big Orange checks both boxes, so this was predictable. It is just noise and distraction. The thing I find more concerning is how little is being said about the unprecedented data hack being run by President Musk and his little coterie of frat boys. That is the real crime in progress.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@tobie:
Personally, I think this news conference is a welcome step in the right direction. People on Bsky though, as I read last night, thought that Dem Senators should’ve been physically blocking the doorways to Treasury, etc until they got arrested to raise awareness
Anyway
@lou: BS. Where is the protest at Squeaker johnson’s house? Is there a protest at Felon Musk’s house? Agree with the Scottish poster that the (potential) looting of the treasury is not getting enough attention.
Quinerly
St. Louis, Missouri’s Ed Martin….pure evil. Big Stop the Steal atty. And atty for several J6 defendants. (And, I’ll add my guess from what I know of him in St. Louis….possible Opus Dei)
Now Acting US Attorney for DC
“I recognize that some of the staff at DOGE has been targeted publicly,” Martin said. “At this time, I ask that you utilize me and myself staff to assist in protecting the DOGE work and the DOGE workers. Any threats, confrontations, or other actions in any way that impact their work may break numerous laws.”
And
“Let me assure you of this: we will pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people,” Martin’s letter said.
He also took a swipe at the Biden administration, saying his office “will not act like the previous administration who looked the other way as the Antifa and [Black Lives Matter] rioters as well as thugs with guns trashed our capital city.”
Bloomberg and Newsweek reporting
https://www.newsweek.com/us-attorney-elon-musk-doge-threats-2025438
Scout211
I’m beginning to think that Musk is a domestic terrorist.
Scout211
@Quinerly: Yeah, I posted that downstairs. He carefully does not mention what numerous laws may be broken. Like I said downstairs, they apparently are secret laws known only to him.
Jay
As we learned from Dolt 45 and other issues, US “Institutions” are not up to the challenge of President Musk and Vice President Dolt 47 and their 2025 wrecking crew, and that many of them are compromised and complicit.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Quinerly:
Who does this Martin asshole think he is? How dare he defend unelected people who are destroying our government
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Jay:
You don’t have to put them in scare quotes
NutmegAgain
@trollhattan: She totes earns her own Scottish insult name–I suggest “feckless c*nt”.
sab
@Jay: When you posted about a call-up to Seaforth Brigade last night, was that for real or a snark?
I have a Canadian niece-in-law with dual nationality kids. She served in the Canadian Army. Is this now an issue, her being called up?
Quinerly
@Scout211:
I had Nicole Wallace’s show on speaker/background while making my soup. Don’t know who the guy was but one of these guys who has “studied” Musk for years. Her show had excellent guests today. I want to go back and listen to the Ben Rhodes segment again.
Anyway this guy who has studied Musk says Musk lives by internet meme and on line influencers. Said Musk follows about 1000 people. What I took away from what I was hearing while chopping mushrooms is Musk is listening to suggestions on line put up by who he follows. This is now the second “delete” I have read about today where someone suggested something on line to him. The other is the Bill Kristol story I linked to earlier.
Musk is taking his cues from who he follows on X.
Jay
Look on the bright side, the next time you are short at the end of the month, remember any Tom, Dick or Harry can walk into the US Treasury and help themselves. Just use the secret code words, “Musk” and DOGE.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Scout211:
The IRS Free File site is still up
Don’t know if this means anything. There better be lawsuits to stop this lawless thug
Chief Oshkosh
@greenergood:
As David Byrne says “You got it. You got it.”
sab
My accounting firm got swamped the first year of Covid when all the free local services shut down. So the next year we really hiked our fees to drive everyone away because we were still swamped.
Getting tax prep done will be a challenge this year for Trump voters.
Yutsano will hate me, but I always file handwritten on paper. Takes me hours to do a fairly simple return, but I refuse to pay hundreds of dollars for a program to do stuff I already know how to do.
ETA The hours to do is the documenting through worksheets I copy to show where my numbers come from. Just cranking the numbers is easy. Proving them in case anyone asks three years from now is what takes time
ETA Trump voters are mostly in the under 50 k income so rjey are the guys most served by the free IRS packages.
Jay
@sab:
It’s for real.
Her being called up will depend on when she had her last training, her rank and MOS, and the manpower state of her Regiment.
We are being called up because the Seaforths have been operating for over a decade with a single Company on the books, not 4.
It’s a 6 month training program to get us old timers up to speed.
For example, the Rocky Mountain Rangers inactive Reserves are not being called up, because the RMR is at full strength and then some.
tobie
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Yeah, not getting into the facility and then being arrested for blocking it is a sign of strength that will make Musk and Trump quake in their boots. Good grief…all this shit dropped on the weekend and I wished Dems had shouted bloody murder but today they did and the press ignored them first at USAID and then at the press conference on the Treasury. Know your god-damned enemies.
Jay
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Musk says a lot of BS on the Dead Bird Site, little of what he says happens.
But it may mean it’s now on the DOGE Muskrat’s to do list.
Baud
Via Reddit
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@tobie:
The rationale of the people advocating Dems do that is that it would raise awareness of what Musk is doing and show that they are fighting. It would be hard for media to ignore the spectacle of Dem Senators being refused access for oversight and then arrested
Sure Lurkalot
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: I called and left a voice mail message for Bennet and also sent a written message via his website, both last Wednesday. Both messages were to thank him for his grilling of RFK Jr. and asked him to reject every one of Trump’s nominees as unqualified and mendacious.
I received a response TO BOTH on Thursday.
One response was boilerplate “your call is very important to us” but the other one specifically addressed Trump’s executive branch nominees and quoted Article II Section 2 of the Constitution regarding Advice and Consent and other steps of the nomination process. In short, he said he was committed to “a thorough and fair process” and ended with:
I give him an A for Speedy Responses and an F for his reponse to his stances on the nomination process.
All the hope in the universe will not create truthtellers out of liars or transparency from obfuscation. Despite speaking truth to power in his takedown of JFK Jr., Bennet seems to be saying he will continue to respect norms and standards while the Trump administration and the nominees take a dump on them.
Steven Holmes
Future March 2nd NYT headline: “Trump uses awesome bargaining powers to get Canadians to put gravy on fries, liberals owned”
Quinerly
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Hi there! Hope your day is going pretty good. Was catching up on old threads last night. Hang in there. I appreciate your comments. I know you get frustrated.
What I would suggest is Google Ed Martin. You will get a feel for him based on stuff readily available. He went to law school where I went. I was many years ahead of him, though. Don’t know him personally but I know him by reputation and have attended a few of the same events where he was. He got his legal start with the Archdiocese. I would say that he is a zealot/true believer. He has gone after birth control and Plan B. He clerked for a judge who sits on the 8th Circuit and worked for the largest law firm in St. Louis (Bryan Cave). Martin is smart. Never underestimate him. He was closely tied to local Missouri politicians.
He ran in my old district for the House. Russ Carnahan defeated him. I think he was going to run for Senate years ago but Todd Akin ran. (Remember that guy?).
Anyway, take a spin around the internet and read up on him. We are going to be hearing a lot about him and from him. Trump will keep him close. US Attorney for DC is a very powerful position.
sab
@Jay: She served in Ontario. Probably okay because of manpower.
Quinerly
@Scout211:
Do not underestimate Ed Martin. See my comment to Goku and on other threads.
Darkrose
@tobie: So much for giving Republicans space to vote no on some nominees.
sab
I am old enough to have heard of/ been warned about McCarthy Era during Vietnam protests by my Republican anti-war parents.
I don’t want to discourage protests and other action, but people need to remember that there are hostile bad people in the government who are now watching.
There is also a president who would love to declare martial law.
There is a reason Black Lives Matter shut itself down when the violent fascists moved in. BLM people knew what they were doing.
sab
@Darkrose: Same for Jon Husted. We in Ohio voted for Trump so he will cheerfully approve all his appointees.
Grrr.
Glory b
@Scamp Dog: Eh, that might have worked in an era without social media, but not now.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Darkrose:
Seriously. That didn’t work with Hegseth, who is one of the worst, most unqualified of the nominees and that includes people like RFK Jr. It didn’t get Dems anything and now they look complicit.
sentient ai from the future
@sab: if Five Eyes cuts us off and/because we have incompetent ideologues at the head of our intel services, any garden variety harebrained terrorist attack will be plenty of excuse, and those are going to be much more likely. inevitable, really.
there’s no upside to not-protesting. you have nothing to lose but your chains.
opiejeanne
@Redshift: Thanks, and I already know what my state government is doing, or trying to do to shield those who need it. (The drugs are finally wearing off). We have a great group in power right now and the usually conservative Seattle Times has been pretty good about keeping us up to date, and not catering to Putin.
I also got emails from my two D senators about their plans.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Quinerly:
Thank you for the kind words and info, Quinerly. I look into Martin
sab
@sentient ai from the future: I will think about that.
I am less worried about terrorist attacks (who would bother when we are screwing ouselves so badly) as about our government going all martial law. We know Trump is itching to do this.
KatKapCC
@sab: Seriously. I feel like Isis would look at us and be like “……nah, they’re already going through some things”.
sab
@sentient ai from the future: Five Eyes will cut us off. They have no choice.
sab
Still hoping Noah the cat is doing okay.
Quinerly
White Supremacist being elevated at the State Department.
Darren Beattie, a former Donald Trump speechwriter who was fired in 2018 after CNN revealed he spoke at a conference attended by White nationalists, has been elevated to Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, a key role that is responsible for helping shape US messaging abroad related to counterterrorism and violent extremism.
Beastie is known for saying “Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work. Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.”
And he has praised Dr. James Watson, the founder of modern genetics who later suggested Black people were less intelligent than White people, as the “greatest living American scientist.” Beattie repeatedly said Black lawmakers, policymakers, and groups need to “learn” their place and take “a knee to MAGA.”
CNN and MSNBC reporting
sab
I was supposed to cook an actual dinner tonight but got too involved here so it’s leftover excellent spaghetti for dinner.
We brought our new Honda Civic EV home. I am terrified to even try to drive it.
We promised our FIT to stepdaughter, but she doesn’t seem enthused. I fucking love my FIT. Giving it to a reluctant recipient really irks me. So I will hold on to it through tax season. She has done badly by other cars we gave her.
Jay
@sentient ai from the future:
The US is part of the 5 Eyes program.
A key part of the 5 Eye’s program is that Brit’s can’t monitor British Communications with out a warrant, but the Canadians can. Etc. Round round it goes.
So what will happen is rather than open and direct communications from the other 4 partners, to the US, everything will be filtered, edited, key aspects will be omitted, so that what ever get’s communicated, will not, no matter how badly compromised the US IC is, will not leak anything compromising to ops and actions.
So the value of shared intel to the US will be severely degraded.
Baud
@Quinerly:
Biden should have used that as his campaign slogan.
sab
Cleaned up a lot of front yard dog poop today during our brief thaw.
Dog hates walks. Weird to me but her puppyhood was abusively stressful. All she wants is safe spaces. Walks aren’t that.
Everyone has a different past.
kalakal
@sentient ai from the future:
“Market Kapp Putsch”
Quinerly
@Baud:
Trump would have sued him for stealing his slogan. I think we can be honest….that’s what Trump ran on.
Dorothy A. Winsor
I get the impression that Musk sent Trump off to play a few rounds of Tariff Wars, keeping him busy with one of his favorite toys while Musk ran riot.
TBone
@sab: Noah The Love Cat had a great day today! He is now resting up in the middle of my bed after a big supper. I had to get out from under his Paw of Ownership gingerly, so as not to disturb him after he had such a lovely day with us all (hubby, me and his sister Katrina). One of today’s many highlights was him perching himself on three different window sills until he was satisfied with the view. Hubby danced and shouted to him from the front lawn when he settled in front of our big picture windows this afternoon! I’ll be curling up next to him again soon but must stay awake for his nighttime tube feeding so here I am off and on!
Steve LaBonne
@Dorothy A. Winsor: I don’t think so. I think Trump is happy for Musk to do the dirty work while he stays at one remove and Musk is happy to take the heat because he’s getting his heart’s desire. They’re using each other.
sab
@TBone: I so much love the vision of an owner frolicking outside while an inside cat was entertained,
Lily
@TBone: such good news !
MagdaInBlack
@TBone: Good news!
I needed some. TY
Scout211
Oh, I do not. I was just riffing off of his utterly ridiculous statement to the media.
TBone
@sab: you can do eet! Just drive it in your own driveway or a quiet side street spot until you get comfy in it. Does it have The New Car Smell?
Ahhhhhh (I’ve never had a brand new car but I still know that smell!)
TBone
@MagdaInBlack: we are elated, even if this is temporary, the time together that was deemed impossible by the vet is PRICELESS! Today was his scheduled day for the home euthanasia vet and he said NOPE.
When hubby awoke this morning very early, before me, he said Noah was strutting around like nothing had ever happened! He could barely contain his glee enough to let me sleep a bit longer today.
Being a chonky boy, Noah has a distinctve strut – he’s not truly fat, just big boned tomcat style. When he runs, it is a very hilarious galumph!
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Quinerly:
Tell us when you find any, Beastie
Old School
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Steve LaBonne:
Can Musk be stopped with court orders? This has to be blatantly illegal
TBone
@sab:
@Lily:
Hubby is a really great Cat Dad. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t throw him back on the Reject pile.
PersistentIllusion
@Sure Lurkalot: Bennet’s never been a bold voice for anything that wasn’t Anschutz-related. He’s also gotten his last dime from me. Quisling, rising to the fore.
Another Scott
Meanwhile, speaking of
fentanolfentanyl, …It also notes that 82.1% of those sentenced were men.
Seems like there’s a big problem with American men.
Hmm….
[eta:] Via Ken White (Popehat)
Best wishes,
Scott.
TBone
@Another Scott: that’s why I frequently rely on fuckitol instead.
MagdaInBlack
@TBone: I have a working theory that goes something like: men who don’t like women, also don’t like cats. Cats expect good manners and they won’t put up with your shit….and so on
( I’m sure I will be told the exception that proves the rule)
frosty
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Who’s going to enforce the court order? US Marshalls? The enforcement arm of the judiciary?
They’re part of the DOJ, working for the Attorney General who works for Trump now. Not independent any more
At least we’ll have a court order for the history books.
sab
@TBone: Don’t ditch him. You will never find another.
Marc
@sab: Honda Civic EV
Do you mean a Honda Civic Hybrid? I’d buy a Honda Civic EV tomorrow if they actually made one.
Quinerly
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Federal Employee Unions filed a suit today.
Bessent, Treasury Department and Bureau of the Fiscal Service named in this suit.
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/04/treasury-sued-doge-sensitive-information-musk-trump
Another Scott
@Scamp Dog:
Harry Belafonte said he heard the story (about FDR and A. Philip Randolph) direct from Eleanor Roosevelt (4:03).
(DissentMagazine.org says (unsurprisingly) there’s no contemporary documentation that FDR said such a thing. (Why would there be?))
Best wishes,
Scott.
ColoradoGuy
@sab: The new Civic should feel pretty “normal”, particularly if it is a hybrid. The only thing you have to get used to is the eerie silence when you’re at a traffic light.
TBone
@sab: don’t I know it! He had a “rough patch” (behavioral/addiction issue) a little while after our first couple of dates and I almost let him get away! SO glad I reconsidered.
He trained up, straightened up, and started flying right with a little discipline, lots of homemade food, and love after those missteps!
TBone
@MagdaInBlack: your theory is spot on, in my considerable experience.
The other way I knew he was a great guy is that he called his mother every day. Not in a needy way at all, in an I love you and want to be sure you have anything you need today way.
Jay
@MagdaInBlack:
I think I am the exception.
Cappy chose me as the new boy, Popo was aloof until I grew him pansy’s, then he would tolerate me manhandling him, Zoe hated everybody, (longhaired tortoise) of a friends who was a homestay with us for while, but I forcibly got her matts out, once that horror was over, she would actually come to me for grooming, Bitsy tolerated manhandling, except I was the one who clipped her nails, which she hated, I am surprise I am still alive, so vile were her threats against my life, Jelly hated being picked up an scooched, but hate turned into disdain.
T always said, give them their space, I never did.
Geminid
So the 8pm CBS Radio news led off with the story of Musk’s minions taking over the Treasury Department’s data facilities. They said a reporter asked Trump about it at an Oval Office press conference this evening. Trump answered:
This sounded very reassuring!
Jackie
This makes me happy! I’ve been a Mallory McMorrow fan since she ripped into a GQP state senator accusing her of being Woke. “I am a straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom” who wants “every kid to feel seen, heard and supported — not marginalized and targeted because they are not straight, white and Christian.”
TBone
@Geminid: holy fuck
MagdaInBlack
@Jay: So I’m clear on this: you like cats, they don’t like you?
Or you don’t like cats?
KatKapCC
@Geminid: Sure, I believe him. Thousands wouldn’t.
TBone
@MagdaInBlack: sonofabitch I almost touched it first hahahaha.
Jay
@MagdaInBlack:
I don’t have schooching, snuggling, petting boundaries with cats, dogs, pretty much any kind of pet or farm animal. Even if they don’t know me at all.
I do have with people.
TBone
Oops, I went astray for a moment and found out that Alex Jones opened his gaping, bloodstained maw to brag about getting unbidden classified or sensitive information from President Tusk and is crowing specifics about the revenge tour to anyone who will listen. Not linking to that festering pile of rotten feces. Story by John Amato at crooksandliars.
That gob needs a fist.
raven
In 1995 The Canadian Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Association was created to
recognize the efforts of those Canadians
who chose to serve with the United States
Forces during the Vietnam War.
Between 1959 and 1975 approximately
40,000 Canadians did embark on a journey
that would forever change their lives.
Some never returned.
Today we exist to promote awareness,
support veterans, and to honour
and remember those that lost their lives
while serving in Vietnam.
http://www.canadiansinvietnam.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIOUJpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHS2CgYUvVKxcCtO-IoQYwf8QysrTcMyAyarEzLlly6TvdU-qZu_c0VwL5w_aem_S9-mrZ-2-gR1Yj16otxdZw
Geminid
@TBone: Trump’s having trouble vocalizing. Now he scheduled for a “working meeting” with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow. That will kill a lot more brain cells.
Then Trump and Melania are supposed to host Netanyahu and Lady MacBibi for a private White House dinner. That’s one dinner party l’ll be glad to miss!
sab
@Marc: You are right. It’s a hybrid.
Mr. Bemused Senior
@KatKapCC: what is it? I daren’t look.
NotMax
@Geminid
McRibs all around!
//
Leto
@raven:
Veteran’s Affairs Canada
I don’t know who our allies will be in the future.
Kayla Rudbek
@mali muso: Kaine finally sent me one follow up email after I sent three. He and Warner need to get out of their cozy chairs and start standing up for national security and their constituents. If we have free elections by the time they’re up, I will vote for their opponents in the primaries and encourage all my Virginia relatives and friends to do the same.
Sally
@sab: I am sure Dr. Silverman knows better than I, but the Five Eyes reducing, or censoring, info to the US is far more serious for the other four than for the US IC. US IC is by far the biggest collector of intelligence. The 800 lb gorilla in the room, so to speak. It will make the world a more dangerous place, though, no doubt about it. As these rogue actors will reduce, distort, comms with the other four eyes. Ratcliff, Gabbard, will be a disaster for international co-operation.
KatKapCC
@Mr. Bemused Senior: I’m just responding to a comment.
Sally
@Quinerly: Does this mean we no longer speak to the EU? Through Kaja Kallas?
Quinerly
“Approximately 20 members of Elon Musk’s staff have begun working within the Education Department. They have gained access to multiple sensitive internal systems, including a financial aid dataset containing the personal information of millions of students enrolled in the federal student aid program.”
Alt National Park Service FB posting
Old School
@Mr. Bemused Senior:
Alex Jones didn’t say. Just said he’d received information about the deep state.
Geminid
@Sally: I think the idea is to confine relations to bilateral ones between the US and individual EU countries. If the EU has something to say collectively, Marco Rubio is supposed to stick his fingers in his ears and go, “La la la, I can’t hear you.”
Leto
@Quinerly: they’re also going to comb through the citizenship status for the parents of the students, as well as students themselves.
Whelp.
Jay
@Sally:
WMD in Iraq,
Flynn “Facts”,
ruZZian “escalation” in Ukraine, just to name a few.
Under Gabbard, 90% of US 5Eyes shared intelligence will just go directly into the round file. The other 4 members can watch Putin’s speeches in real time.
Quinerly
Trump administration has scrubbed information about HIPAA protections for reproductive rights from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website. They’ve also erased guidance on pharmacies’ obligation not to discriminate against patients seeking reproductive health care.
“And while we knew that HHS was deleting pages containing the word ‘abortion,’ this latest scrub is something more—a worrying road map of policies to come.
The deletions discovered by Abortion, Every Day indicate that it’s likely the White House will roll back privacy protections for reproductive health data, making it easier for law enforcement, prosecutors, and attorneys general to access women’s abortion records.”
More at the link. Jessica Valenti is my go to on choice issues. Email newsletter everyday.
obviously, this is all about “bounty hunting” abortion zealots/zealot prosecutors.
https://jessica.substack.com/p/hipaa-hss-deleted-trump
Geminid
@Kayla Rudbek: I don’t think Tim Kaine will run again when his term’s up in 2030. He wasn’t sure he would this last time. But Governor Spanberger will be term limited so she’ll probably take his place.
I’m hoping Mark Warner retires when his term ends in 2028. That would open a path for Rep. Jennifer McClellan to become Virginia’s first woman Senator. I believe McClellan would be Virginia’s first Black Senator as well.
Quinerly
@Leto:
For sure.
Sally
@Geminid: It was snark, not speaking to her because she is a woman and the spokesperson, and Beatty has said only white men should manage these things. No talks with the little lady.
Sorry, I’m in a mood.
Mr. Bemused Senior
@KatKapCC: you wrote,
I thought I recognized Patrick Cargill’s voice (in Help!). So I was quoting.
Geminid
@Sally: My comment wasn’t snark. I read about this plan to downgrade relations with the EU a few days ago.
Quinerly
@Sally:
All cool. It took me a minute. Then I realized you were being snarky.
charon
@sab:
I just download the blank forms as pdf files from the IRS website and enter the information to the forms on the computer, then print out the completed form. That is much less messy then filling out paper blank forms by hand
That way, I can keep electronic copies of the return on the computer, backed up to a thumb drive.
Avalune
@sab: My family will have to pry my fitty out of my cold dead hands. 😑
Quinerly
Well, here’s a thought…..will Apple and big tech save us?
“America’s bureaucratic machinery now runs through Elon Musk’s smartphone. A man-child who tweets about dogecoin controls $6 trillion in government payments, holding enough control over government operations to reward allies, punish competitors, and reshape federal policy to benefit his own enterprises. If you had ‘the world’s richest shitposter has quietly become America’s shadow government chief’ on your bingo card, congratulations. You’ve won the stupidest prize.”
And
“The era of careful corporate influence in Washington died the moment Musk’s team gained access to Treasury payment systems.
Big Tech faces a new reality: their most powerful competitor has become their regulator, with access to their government contracts, spending patterns, and federal relationships.”
https://www.theindex.media/elon-musk-is-an-existential-threat-to-big-tech/
sentient ai from the future
so this Dept of Ed data breach directly affects me, as i have a genuinely staggering amount of student loans that i defaulted on and only got back into good graces with biden’s SAVE plan.
anyone know a good federal lawyer specializing in FERPA et al? i want to go after this motherfucker.
sentient ai from the future
eh, i guess i’m going to go to my congressfolks’ offices tomorrow anyway, i will ask then about e.g. assistance with a FOIA to see which of his henchteens violated ferpa
Quinerly
Meet who Little Marco has put in charge of USAID.
“Peter Marocco was also allegedly photographed and filmed inside the Capitol building during the January 6 riots, according to volunteer activists who have posted a widely cited investigation. Marocco has not been charged with a crime.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/01/peter-marocco-trump-usaid
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/usaid-personnel-told-stay-away-headquarters-elon-musks-shutdown-commen-rcna190405
Quinerly
@sentient ai from the future:
I know absolutely nothing about this area of law. I did a Google search. Came up with this. I assume there will be 1000’s in your position. Some heavy hitter firm will coordinate litigation.
Keep us updated if you want to.
https://www.duffylawct.com/school-record-privacy-lawyers/
sentient ai from the future
@Quinerly: i’ll call them tomorrow. jovan is purportedly a “Special government employee” but to be that you need to file some fucking disclosures, and we can be damn sure that wasnt done for him or for any of his script kiddie proteges.
Matt McIrvin
Most people still have no idea what’s happened to them. Most of the federal government has just been eliminated but we’re kind of running off the edge of the cliff like Wile E. Coyote before he looks down.
Wait till people actually find out that Elon Musk “deleted” IRS free file.
sentient ai from the future
@Matt McIrvin: yeah, so many competing outrages, but that one is pretty up there. i’ve used it for like the last 10 years, though one year i did send in a paper copy because i got an extension…using free file.
DISRUPTOVATION!
Quinerly
@sentient ai from the future:
Good luck. I guarantee you there will be some heavy hitters (law firms) all over this. Take care.
Divadias
https://riotmedicine.net/downloads
If you plan to protest (and continue to protest), I suggest this reading material. Things go sideways.
Anyway
Are there any protests in red states? Anybody protesting in TX, NC, Ohio, the south? Are all the protests in the blue states — targeting Dem governors?