Balloon Juice

Underpants Noem (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker| March 3, 20262:00 pm| 96 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics, Open Threads, Republican Stupidity, Assholes, Clown Shoes, General Stupidity

The incompetent twatwaffle Donald Trump appointed to run the sprawling Department of Homeland Security agency appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee. It didn’t go well for her. Here’s a fellow Republican who voted to confirm her:

Tillis to Noem: “A 14 month old dog is basically a teenager in dog years. You decided to kill that dog bc you hadn’t invested the appropriate training, then you have the audacity to write a book & say it’s a leadership lesson! … Those are bad decisions not unlike what happened in Minneapolis”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 3, 2026 at 12:55 PM

Tillis is retiring, so he went full honey badger, later calling for Noem’s resignation and threatening to throw sand in the Senate’s procedural gears if she keeps stonewalling on answers Tillis has demanded about how DHS fucked up investigations in North Carolina.

***

In other news, the demented president embarrassed the country in front of a foreign leader again. In a press avail with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump wrongly claimed his own shitty father was born in Germany.

The odious Fred Trump was actually born in an outer NYC borough. It was Trump’s cathouse-running grandfather Drumpf who was born in Germany and then kicked out for being a draft dodger, after which he made his way to the U.S.

Sounds like Trump would like to tariff Spain into supporting his unpopular war, but oops, SCOTUS:

Trump: “Spain has been terrible. I told Scott to cut off all dealings with Spain. They said we can’t use their bases. We could use their bases if we want. We could just fly in and use it. Nobody is gonna tell us not to use it.”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 3, 2026 at 12:04 PM

But actually, Trump WON on tariffs, actually, despite SCOTUS plastering a big red L on his mottled orange forehead:

Trump: “We won on tariffs, actually. Somebody said, ‘You actually won the case.’ We won on tariffs. You had a decision that was wrong.”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 3, 2026 at 12:11 PM

Oh, and invading Iran is super popular — and gas prices are going to fall back to $1 a gallon real soon, just you wait.

Trump on going to war with Iran: “I have never had more compliments on something I did. So if we have a high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends these prices are gonna drop I believe even lower than before.”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 3, 2026 at 12:09 PM

To sum up, what a pack of whiny-ass, buffoonish and incompetent losers.

Open thread.

Underpants Noem (Open Thread)Post + Comments (96)

Tuesday Morning Open Thread

by Anne Laurie| March 3, 20267:48 am| 260 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republican Stupidity, Trumpery, War

Eclipse of the Blood Moon…

am i planning on staying up until 5 am for the lunar eclipse? yes.
is it worth it for this view? yes.

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— Jasmine 🌌🔭 (@astrojaz.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 3:05 PM

Iraq War Veteran Crow: Trump announced the start of this war with Iran at Mar-a-Lago. He talked about the fact that service members were going to die. Then he literally walked behind the curtains to his private club and he hosted a million dollars a plate dinner and dance party that night.

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— FactPost (@factpostnews.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 5:56 PM

The MarkWayne Indicator strikes again!
(MarkWayne Indicator: If the GOP is shoving Mullin out to defend their latest atrocity… it means nobody with better thinking skills is willing to put themselves in the line of fire.)

— Anne Laurie (@annelaurie.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 6:58 PM

Hunt: “Did the president not run on not starting a war with Iran?”
Sen. Mullin: “He ran on ending wars. He's ended eight of them.”
Hunt: “He started this one.”
Mullin: “This isn’t a war.”

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— The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) March 2, 2026 at 5:13 PM

When you are shoveling that much shit it helps to have a plumber on speed dial.

— Jason Barscheski (@jasonbarscheski.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 8:41 PM

MarkWayne, just following orders…

Very putinesque.

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— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 7:01 PM

My government has a real “we didn’t know starting a war would cause a war“ vibe going on which I realize I should be outraged about in the abstract but find myself mainly nonplussed by at this point.

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— Starfire’s Deranged Neocon Foreign Policy Podcast (@irhottakes.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 3:23 PM

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The gap between how cool he thinks he sounds and how he actually sounds would take light eight centuries to traverse.

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— Philip Bump (@pbump.com) March 2, 2026 at 8:17 AM

Hey is this good

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— Fubar ???? (@captainfubar.bsky.social) March 1, 2026 at 10:10 PM

Under our Constitution, the President does not get to unilaterally declare war. Speaker Johnson should call the House back immediately to vote on the war powers resolution. Trump must stop putting service members in danger until he has laid out the strategy to Americans and Congress has approved.

— Katherine Clark (@whipkclark.bsky.social) March 1, 2026 at 1:07 PM

This is an illegal war that could easily escalate in dangerous and unpredictable ways into a wider regional conflict.
Have we learned absolutely nothing from our decades of endless war and reckless attempts at regime change in the Middle East?

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— Rep. Jim McGovern (@repmcgovern.bsky.social) March 1, 2026 at 6:33 PM

Trump spent a decade selling "America-First" isolationism.
No more endless war, no sending Americans to die in the Middle East, he said.
He lied. Why? Follow the money. He's just another neocon shill for Big Oil & Middle East autocrats. Many of us tried to warn you.

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— Rep. Jim McGovern (@repmcgovern.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 12:02 PM

There’s that number.

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— Malaclypse the Middle (@malaclypse.bsky.social) March 1, 2026 at 6:39 PM

this isn’t an exaggeration, it’s literally word for mangled word

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— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) March 2, 2026 at 1:50 PM

American troops are dying in the Middle East for Trump's illegal war against Iran, but the president is more concerned with promoting his gold-encrusted ballroom.

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— Elizabeth Warren (@warren.senate.gov) March 2, 2026 at 1:32 PM

The American people want affordable health care and cheaper groceries, not another forever war in the Middle East.

— Elizabeth Warren (@warren.senate.gov) March 2, 2026 at 5:01 PM

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia tells Americans to "avoid the Embassy until further notice due to an attack on the facility," and the U.S. State Department orders the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Bahrain and Jordan.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) March 3, 2026 at 12:57 AM

Replacement cost for three F-15Es is in the neighborhood of $300 million for those keeping track

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— Zeddy (@zeddary.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:16 AM

Attacking Iran looks like it will cost US consumers about 40 cents/gallon.

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— George Pearkes (@peark.es) March 2, 2026 at 7:11 AM

H/t YY_Sima Qian:

a thing historians will marvel about when they study this era is the extent to which the "war is a thing that happens to poorer, browner people" class went about systematically dismantling every aspect of the global political order that confined the costs of war to poorer and browner people

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— Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò (@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 10:32 PM

whether war, vaccines, or critical infrastructure there is contingent of the right that seems to believe that their security from the worst things that happen is some kind of metaphysical principle rather than the result of specific historical processes that could've gone otherwise and still could

— Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò (@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 10:37 PM

all seems like fun and games until the measles outbreak, incel mass shooter, or Shahed 136 drone hits your kid's school I guess

— Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò (@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 10:39 PM

And even then…

There’s a movement to draft Barron Trump, but I think a campaign such as this would be more effective if it impacted someone Donald Trump knew personally.

— Frank Conniff (@frankconniff.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 3:41 PM

Tuesday Morning Open ThreadPost + Comments (260)

On The Road – pat – Calendar 2020

by WaterGirl| March 3, 20265:00 am| 13 Comments

This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging

pat

I’ve been putting together calendars every year since 2013. This was put together in 2019, before Covid hit.

January

Bald Eagle in an oak tree next to the Mississippi, near the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN

On The Road – pat – Calendar 2020Post + Comments (13)

Open Thread: Flee While (If) You Still Can

by Anne Laurie| March 3, 20263:54 am| 173 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Republican Politics

THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS THAT AMERICANS LEAVE IMMEDIATELY FROM OVER A DOZEN MIDDLE EASTERN NATIONS DUE TO SAFETY RISKS.

— FinTwitter (@fintwitter.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 4:54 PM

The State Dept urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks.

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— Shipwreck (@shipwreck75.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 4:57 PM

End of the day, even his fellow oligarchs are just NPCs to Dear Leader. But Semafor would like us to remember the real victims here — “Exclusive / Riyadh becomes transit hub for worried rich fleeing Gulf”:

Riyadh has emerged as a key exit route for the super-rich and senior executives stranded in the Gulf looking for a safe passage out of the region.

Cities including Abu Dhabi and Dubai have become playgrounds for the wealthy over the past few years, attracted by the year-round sunshine, tax-free lifestyle, and perception of safety. That was shattered over the weekend as Iranian missiles and drones rained down on the two cities, along with Qatar and Bahrain, causing those that could to attempt to flee.

The Saudi capital’s airport is one of the few still operating in the region, forcing executives and their families stranded in other parts of the Gulf to take the long drive in order to catch private jets or commercial planes.

Private security companies have been booking fleets of SUVs to ferry people on the 10-hour drive to Riyadh from Dubai and then charter private planes to take them out of the region, according to people familiar with the matter. They have been evacuating a mix of people, including senior executives at global finance firms and high-net worth individuals in the region for business or holidays, the people said. The rush in demand is sending prices for private jets and SUVs soaring, these people said.

“Saudi Arabia is the only real option for people who want to get out of the region right now,” said Ameerh Naran, chief executive of private jet brokerage Vimana Private; private jets from Riyadh to Europe now cost up to $350,000, he said…

Riyadh’s emergence as a relatively safe spot in the region is a turnaround for the city, which has previously carried a higher risk perception than its neighbors. In prior years, regular rocket attacks by the Houthi militia in Yemen caused frequent closures of airspace. And in previous moments of crises or regional instability, like the Arab Spring or last year’s 12-day war between the US and Iran, the well heeled have typically traveled through other cities. Before that, strict religious rules and the legacy of terror attacks in the early 2000s gave a perception that the kingdom was unsafe.

But with few other options available, Riyadh has seen perceptions change.

“We’ve been approached by a mixture of clients including families, individuals, and corporations that want to get out of the region either because their fear for their safety, or for business reasons they just need to be able to travel,” said Ian McCaul, operations and future plans director at UK-based security firm Alma Risk…

"The trade was not that you were getting exposed to geopolitics when moving to Dubai."

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— Emma Yeomans (@yeomans.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 10:19 AM

From two drones according to the Saudi MOD. It doesn’t sound like major damage but highlights how vulnerable US assets and interests are at the moment.

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— Michael Hanna (@mwhanna.crisisgroup.org) March 2, 2026 at 7:38 PM

lmao even the KSA gets to learn where doing business with trump eventually leads

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— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) March 2, 2026 at 11:08 AM

Open Thread: <em>Flee While (If) You Still Can</em>Post + Comments (173)

War for Ukraine Day 1,467: It’s Been a Month Worth of Mondays on Monday

by Adam L Silverman| March 2, 202610:08 pm| 29 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Military, Open Threads, Russia, Silverman on Security, War, War in Ukraine

Another long horrible day, so I’m just going to work through the basics again.

#closethesky :-)

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:33 AM

It’s funny because it’s true.

Day 1466 of my 3 day war. It’s going so well that all I can send Iran are thoughts & prayers and even the Belgium military are not afraid to board my ships. I didn’t even know they had one!

I remain a master strategist.

— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 2:58 AM

It’s also funny because it’s true.

Ukraine’s Paralympic team has been banned from using their parade uniform, which features a map of Ukraine, at the 2026 Winter Paralympics!

The International Paralympic Committee ruled the uniform “political” and prohibited the team from wearing it.

What a freaking circus!

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 12:05 PM

This is true and it is NOT funny.

President Zelenskyy attended an Iftar dinner and presented Ukrainian Muslim service members with awards. Video below, write up after the jump.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy Took Part in an Iftar and Presented State Awards to Muslim Warriors

2 March 2026 – 21:30

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in an iftar – the evening meal held during the holy month of Ramadan – together with Ukrainian warriors who practice Islam, leaders of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, representatives of the Muslim community and clergy, and heads of foreign diplomatic missions.

The Head of State thanked all the defenders present, their brothers- and sisters-in-arms for defending Ukraine and Ukrainians, strengthening our country, and being part of the shared strength of an independent Ukraine.

The President awarded Ukrainian Muslim warriors the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, V class; the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III class; the Order “For Courage,” III class; and the Order of Danylo Halytskyi, as well as the medals “For Military Service to Ukraine” and “To the Defender of the Motherland.”

“Ukraine has endured in this war and is able to defend itself precisely because it is millions of people who did not break, did not betray Ukraine, and simply did not betray human dignity,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President emphasized that Ukraine defends the interests of the entire Ukrainian people – its citizens of all nationalities and all faiths, from all parts of our large country: from Kyiv to Crimea, from Zakarpattia to the Donetsk region – and will certainly not forget its people in occupation and captivity.

“We remember all our lands, every community in Ukraine – our East, Donbas, our Crimea. And we will give Russia nothing that is Ukrainian – this is our principled position. And it is not just someone’s position in Ukraine, not just the state’s or only the state’s, but truly the position of millions of people,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that Ukraine’s defense and diplomacy will be able to bring the country closer to real peace and guaranteed security.

“For the thirteenth Ramadan in a row, the Muslim community of Ukraine and the Crimean Tatar people are marking it under difficult conditions – under Russian aggression and Russian strikes. We very much hope that next year Ramadan will be celebrated in peace. And this is what we wish for all peoples who are now in danger – in war,” the President noted.

The Head of State also stressed that it is no coincidence Moscow and the Iranian regime were so close – they are united by a lack of respect for people. That is why, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, it is important to be effective in defending against such regimes so that life prevails.

Leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev added that the indigenous people of Crimea maintain close contacts with Crimean Tatars in the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula, especially activists and members of the Mejlis and regional mejlises.

“According to information we receive from various sources, more than 90 percent – and by other estimates about 95–96 percent – of the indigenous people of Crimea, despite fierce Russian propaganda and punitive measures by the occupiers, remain loyal to their country and continue to pray for the success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Mustafa Dzhemilev said.

First Lady Zelenska took part in the Terminology of Barrier-Free Communication today.

Olena Zelenska Took Part in the Presentation of the State Standard of Barrier-Free Language

2 March 2026 – 19:03

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the presentation of the state standard of barrier-free language “Terminology of Barrier-Free Communication.” Government officials, international experts, educators, and representatives of civil society also attended the event.

The document contains a list of 100 words to be removed from official use. They concern the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities or neurodivergence, veterans, parents with children, and others who face prejudice.

The creation of this standard is part of the “Without Barriers” initiative implemented under the patronage of Olena Zelenska. The document is the result of a year of work by an expert group that included linguists, lawyers, and civil society activists. Experts from the Council of Europe, UNESCO, and the “Recovery for All” (RFA) project also contributed to its development.

“Someone says ‘unemployed’ or ‘homeless,’ and the label sounds final. But if we say ‘a person without a home,’ ‘a person without a job,’ it becomes clear we are speaking about circumstances that can and must change. Language is part of the dignity of both sides: the one who speaks and the one being spoken about. That is why it is time to move away from the seemingly familiar ‘deaf-mute interpreter,’ because in fact it is a ‘sign language interpreter’ – with a focus and respect for the language and those who use it,” the First Lady noted.

The approved terminology will become mandatory for official documentation, legal and academic literature, education, and public administration. The standard is also recommended for use in media and public communications.

The presentation launches an educational and informational program on non-discriminatory language, which will unite state institutions, communities, experts, civil society, the veteran community, and opinion leaders and will be implemented by the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service within the “State Without Barriers” project.

“Language is the very first form of respect and attention. If there is no respect in words, there will be none in actions. And now, by changing vocabulary to barrier-free language, we are not simply formally changing the dictionary: we want to change society’s ‘optics.’ A person and their dignity must always come first – in definitions, in the decisions of every official, of the entire state,” the First Lady emphasized.

Georgia:

Day 460 of daily, uninterrupted, nationwide protests in Georgia. 🇬🇪

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 12:50 PM

Georgia’s democratic opposition parties have formed an alliance, agreeing on a joint strategy to defeat the autocratic regime and restore the country’s Euro-Atlantic course.

They say they will fight “until political prisoners are freed and free, fair elections are secured.”

📷 Publika

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:33 AM

JUST IN: Opposition Alliance launched in Georgia.

Today, Georgian democratic parties form Oppostion Alliance and agree on a joint strategy for victory, we well as rules of cooperation.

1/

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

The Alliance aims to liberate Georgia from the autocratic regime of Bidzina Ivanishvili, to restore the country’s Euro-Atlantic course and, therefore, to save Georgia’s national independence and statehood.

2/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

The member parties of the Alliance are: Ahali, Girchi – More Freedom, Droa, European Georgia, National Democratic Party, United National Movement, Freedom Square, Strategy Agmashenebeli, and the Federalists.

3/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

The Opposition Alliance agreed that there’s an ongoing existential struggle over Georgia’s historical and civilizational choice, which will decide which side of the “Iron Curtain” the Georgian people will find themselves on for the next decades.

4/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

The strategic goal of the Opposition Alliance is to mobilize the vast majority of society for peaceful protest and dismantling the regime.

The main principles of the agreement are:

5/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

• Unity without uniformity: the parties maintain their ideological identity, but agree on a unified communication and protest strategy;

• Democratic alternative: the Alliance agrees that only a democratic alternative focused on the interests of citizens will defeat the autocratic regime;

6/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

• Ways to achieve the goal: expand the protest, strengthen international pressure and offer a democratic, credible alternative to the Georgian people;

7/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

• Code of conduct and responsibility: the most important part of the document is the code of conduct, which regulates the rules of cooperation between the signatory parties to ensure strong unity;

8/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

The parties recognize each other as equal partners and agree that coordinated action to achieve a common goal is a strategic necessity.

The Opposition Alliance swears to fight until the end — until the release of political prisoners and the achievement of free and fair elections.

9/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

The Alliance representatives state that doors are open for other parties as well, including Lelo, which has been preferring an individual approach.

10/10.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:40 AM

Moldova:

OTD in 1992 the Transnistra War started. “Pro Russian” forces were forced to have a ceasefire to stop NATO continuing its move eastward that hadn’t started yet.

We’ve occupied a part of Moldova ever since. Your inaction was noted..

— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 3:12 AM

By end of 2002 all Russian soldiers were supposed to have been removed. They have not been.

But you can believe our promises about Ukraine now.

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— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 3:12 AM

It was in Moldova that Girkin/Strelkov got his start leading a company of Black Sea Cossacks. The Donbas operations in 2013 leading to the little green men and initial invasion of 2014 were patterned after what the Russians did in Moldova.

Hungary:

A Reality Check for Orbán about The “Druzhba” Pipeline Strike❕️

Hungary remains “skeptical” about the damage dealt to the Druzhba pipeline during the Russian strike on January 27.

1/n

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

However, Bloomberg has released satellite imagery that tells a different story: the main reservoir at the Brody Pumping Station is empty. Pumping is currently impossible due to equipment failure and the extreme risk of leaks.

2/n

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

This material is for Orbán, who seem to be playing dumb.

The Timeline of the Attack 🔽

The Strike: On the morning of January 28, a fire was reported at the Brody facility following a Russian strike. The State Emergency Service confirmed an infrastructure hit,

3/n

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

and local residents were warned to stay indoors and close their windows due to toxic air pollution.

The Target: Russian drones targeted the main reservoir at Brody. This is the largest oil storage tank in Europe, measuring 75 meters in diameter. inferno took 10 days to extinguish.

4/n

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

Not a Secret: Even Kremlin propaganda outlets reported on it. “Tsargrad TV” ran news segments about a fire near Lviv that burned for three days. If Orbán wanted the truth, they could have found it in the news weeks ago. Even if they prefer to get their news from Russian propaganda sources.

5/n

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

The Emergency Response 🔽

Draining Under Fire: In the heat of the drone attack, an emergency decision was made to drain the oil while the reservoir was still burning. There was a massive risk of the structure collapsing, which would have caused a catastrophic spill.

6/n

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

The Cost of Prevention: Pumping out scalding fuel caused an emergency shutdown of the pumping units, but it prevented a total environmental disaster. Had the fuel stayed, the fire would have raged for another 10 days.

7/n

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

Heroism on the Ground: “Employees risked their lives during the ongoing attack to empty the tank via pipeline. Had it ruptured, it would have been the largest environmental disaster in the region’s history,” said Koretskyi.

8/n

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

The Damage Assessment 🔽

Beyond the main reservoir, the strike destroyed transformers, electrical cabling, and critical leak-detection systems. Damage assessments are ongoing. Satellite data from NASA FIRMS (tracks thermal signatures) confirmed the fire on Jan 28. A Planet Labs img from Feb 21

9/n

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

published by Bloomberg, clearly shows the empty, snow-covered reservoir.

A proposal was floated for a “fact-finding mission” to Ukraine. Orbán enthusiastically supported the idea, insisting that Hungarian and Slovak representatives be included.

10/n

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

By all means, go! In Ukraine, the facts fall from the sky every day in the form of Russian missiles and drones. Come and see for yourself, coward.

Bloomberg material: bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

11/end

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:40 AM

France:

France is increasing its nuclear arsenal, – Macron

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— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:17 AM

🇫🇷🇩🇪🇬🇧 France, Germany, and the United Kingdom will jointly work on developing long-range missiles, – Macron.

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— Maria Drutska (@mariadrutska.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 11:27 AM

Back to Ukraine.

Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi reported that over the past three months, Russia has lost nearly 93,000 soldiers and a vast amount of equipment. Furthermore, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have regained control over more territory than the enemy managed to seize.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 10:10 AM

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone operators are intercepting Shahed kamikaze drones using STING systems produced by @wildhornets.bsky.social

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:41 AM

⚡️⚡️Ukraine’s General Staff claims regarding overnight strikes on enemy facilities:

▪️ Crimea: Long-range space communications center (Vityne) and “Podlyot-K1” radar near Vynohradne reportedly hit on the night of March 2

▪️ Luhansk region: “Kasta-2E2” (Liubyme) and “Yastreb A-V” (Topoli) radars struck

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 7:31 AM

The moment of the shooting down of the Russian Shahed by the gunner of a Ukrainian “anti-drone” Yak-52 aircraft.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 2:40 AM

According to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Russia is already deploying the new “Izdeliye-30” subsonic missile against Ukraine.

war-sanctions.gur.gov.ua/en/page-prod…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:47 AM

Specifications: range – approximately 1,500 km, warhead – up to 800 kg, speed – 600-800 km/h. It is reported that the missile is less vulnerable to electronic warfare and is considered a more cost-effective alternative to the Kh-101 for Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:47 AM

Kharkiv:

From 4:25 local time in Ukraine/9:25 PM EST:

More explosions in Kharkiv ‼️ air defense is active.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 9:13 PM

Russia struck an apartment building in Kharkiv with a Molniya drone.

A 12-year-old boy suffered a concussion, and a 10-year-old girl and a woman were treated for acute stress reaction.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 12:23 PM

Pokrovsk:

In the Pokrovsk community of Dnipropetrovsk region, a 55‑year‑old man was killed in Russian attack.

Rescuers pulled him from the rubble of a destroyed house. Two private homes were completely destroyed, and four more were damaged.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 7:48 AM

I’m pretty sure Pokrovsk is in Donetsk Oblast, but given how many place names get repeated in different parts of Ukraine, I would not be surprised if there’s also a Pokrovsk in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Or if it crosses the border between Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

Chernihiv Oblast:

In the Chernihiv region, a woman born in 1937 was killed in a Russian attack.
During the night, a Russian drone struck a residential building in one of the villages of the Koriukiv district.

Why, just why? Poor elderly lady.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 7:52 AM

Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast:

This morning, Russian forces struck Kramatorsk – three people were killed, local authorities report‼️

Journalist Serhiy Horbatenko shows the aftermath of the attack. Reports suggest the city was shelled with artillery.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 7:58 AM

Druzhkivka, Donetsk Oblast:

Two people were killed and 11 injured in a russian strike on Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region, reported regional governor Filashkin‼️

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 8:03 AM

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast:

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a russian drone struck a commuter train while it was in motion. One person was killed and seven others injured, Deputy Prime Minister Kuleba reported‼️

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 8:26 AM

Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russia:

The USF, in coordination with the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine, destroyed a Russian “Kasta” radar system on March 1 in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 4:02 AM

Not so Russian occupied Luhansk Oblast:

Meanwhile, nine settlements in the Oleksandrivsk direction have already been liberated by Air Assault Forces units.
The video has subtitles.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 3:35 PM

The Komi Republic, Russia:

Today in the Komi Republic of Russia, in the city of Ukhta, a fire broke out at the Ukhta Oil Refinery that belongs to Lukoil.

🔥😎

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 7:29 AM

🔥🛢️Just now. Russian Lukoil oil refinery in Ukhta, 1700km from the frontline, is under drone attack! Oil refinery in Ukhta has the capacity of 4,2mln tons per year.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 2:25 AM

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

Yesterday, drones operated by the SSU, struck infrastructure at the port of Novorossiysk. Reportedly this objects were targeted:

• Russian naval vessels,
• a 30N6E2 radar of the S-300PMU-2,
• a Pantsir-S2,
• six of seven oil loading berths at the Sheskharis oil terminal.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 7:24 AM

P.S: Hopefully soon we will see some confirmations and aftermath of this large scale attack.

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 7:24 AM

Fascist Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, which was completely forced out of its base in Sevastopol in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Crimea in 2024, is no longer safe even in its base in Novorossiysk in SW fascist Russia.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 6:56 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron skeets or videos today.

Here is some adjacent material.

🤩💐 Oh, my mommy! It’s March 1st! Spring has finally arrived! The calendar doesn’t lie, and the calendar is serious!
It’s time to buy some new jewelry! Kitty Bulochka is on duty at the Soborka and will advise you on the best options! 😻
Odesa 🇺🇦

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— Vitalis Viva (@vitalisviva.bsky.social) March 1, 2026 at 7:16 AM

Open thread!

War for Ukraine Day 1,467: It’s Been a Month Worth of Mondays on MondayPost + Comments (29)

Monday Night Open Thread

by John Cole| March 2, 20269:01 pm| 78 Comments

This post is in: John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"

A lovely day here, got a swim in, then headed off to an urgent care clinic because I have been having this nagging ear issue where it isn’t painful but itchy and just felt “sensitive” so I started using those swimmers ears drops and things just got progressively worse so I decided to go get it checked out. I spent entirely too much damned time online and on the phone the last 36 hours with my health insurance provider to try to figure out where the hell I could go that I just went to one of those pay as you go clinics. It was La Clinica Familia and it was weird having all the signs be in spanish but the staff was great and fast, I paid cash, saw a doctor who somehow got my medical history from my provider here and got diagnosed with really bad swimmer’s ear and was given some special drops that cost 20 bucks at walgreens. It was the most normal doctor’s interaction I have had in decades. I didn’t have to schedule something in two days to see a doctor, I just walked in, said “this ear sucks,” gave them some money, left with a paper prescription and receipt. I wasn’t even trusting walgreens with their digital fuckery and three day waits. I walked right up to the counter and five minutes later, had it. Why is it not always like this. Also all the nurses were latina and adorable.

Let’s check in on the headlines:

Several of the FBI agents and personnel fired last week for their work on Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s investigation into President Trump’s retention of documents at Mar-a-Lago were members of a counterintelligence squad that focused on media leaks, global espionage, and threats that included those involving the Iranian regime, several sources familiar with the dismissals told the Sun.

The ouster of at least a dozen staffers from a counterintelligence unit, known as CI-12, which operates out of the Washington Field Office, was ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, according to four former officials familiar with the dismissals. The dismissals came just days before the start of Operation Epic Fury and, separately, a deadly mass shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas, by a man reportedly wearing a sweatshirt that said, “Property of Allah,” beneath which was a T-shirt that was “emblazoned with a design similar to the Iranian flag,” CBS News reported Monday.

CI-12 focuses on media leaks, global espionage, and international threats against America emanating from countries such as Cuba and Iran, former FBI officials tell the Sun. More broadly, CI squads are the lead domestic teams for investigating insider threats and foreign intelligence activity on American soil.

That’s ok, I am sure it will not be a real problem, after all, we can hang our faith on the remaining counterterrorism folks:

Moving right along

***

This is disgusting:

After graduating college, he persuaded friends and family to lend him $12,500 in seed money for what became Ameritrade, the investing firm that would go on to disrupt the Wall Street trading establishment and put Mr. Ricketts on a path to riches. By 2015, his wealth had grown to $1 billion, and even that stunning figure now feels like a quaint memory, as the powerful elixir of rising stocks and falling taxes that has minted new billionaires across the country has catapulted Mr. Ricketts’s personal net worth to $8 billion.

Along the way, Mr. Ricketts found new community in and around Jackson, Wyo., a playground for the rich. For some things, he has been celebrated: He has donated to research on conservation of red squirrels and American beavers. He contributed $1 million to building a hospital. He has taken pride in building a herd of white bison.

But lately some of his neighbors have come up against the raw power of Mr. Ricketts’s financial muscle. Many of them fought against a plan he advanced a few years ago to turn his ranch into a resort for wealthy tourists, proposing to bypass regulations that limit construction during the brutal winter months to protect local wildlife.

This gilded age will end like they all do, but you really need to do yourself a favor and read the entire thing. It’s a long read for today’s age but worth it.

I still have no idea what is going on really in Iran or what the plan is and I keep typing Iraq because of muscle memory and I am so sick of this shit. That’s my Iran update.

Like I said, I am under the weather and having some anxiety, so I will talk to you all later.

Monday Night Open ThreadPost + Comments (78)

Trumpery Open Thread: Iran Does Not Have Nukes

by Anne Laurie| March 2, 20266:14 pm| 152 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Rofer on Nuclear Issues

If Trump hadn’t torn up the Iran deal, those 6 American soldiers would still be alive

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— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 4:46 PM

Time to say it again!

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— Cheryl Rofer (@cherylrofer.bsky.social) March 1, 2026 at 7:11 PM

Former front-pager Cheryl Rofer, now posting at Lawyers, Guns & Money:

It’s time to say it again: It’s highly doubtful that the Iranians were pursuing a nuclear weapon. And they certainly don’t have any.

Donald Trump says that (one of the purposes/ the purpose) of his attack on Iran is to make sure they never get a nuclear weapon. He has also tried to look reasonable by saying “All they have to do is say they will not build a nuclear weapon.”

Iran has done that second thing already, by ratifying the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. When North Korea decided to build nuclear weapons, they withdrew from the treaty. Iran has threatened to withdraw, but they haven’t. This is a signal of their intention not to build nuclear weapons.

Trump’s insistence seems more like that of a middle-school boy sitting on another, hollering “Say uncle.” Big strong ayatollahs must come to Trump with tears in their eyes and say it.

Iran had a nuclear weapons program up until 2003 and then gave it up. Iran has said that. Western intelligence services have said that…

All along, there have been factions within Iran that wanted a bomb, mainly in the IRGC. But Ayatollah Khamanei has said several times that nuclear weapons are forbidden by Islam, another expression of that statement Donald Trump says he wants.

I have seen reports that the current negotiators, whose expertise is in real estate, not nuclear issues, may have misunderstood Iran’s recent offers and seemed not to know what the IAEA was. It’s a subject for specialists, which is why specialists were included in the 2014-2015 negotiations.

Iran hasn’t been working toward a bomb. They have played a negotiation based on an understanding that a bomb could be one outcome of their work. The subtlety of that produced the JCPOA. It doesn’t work with a regime whose basic mode of operation is that of gangsters.

what in the world

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— Mike Black (@mikeblack114.bsky.social) March 1, 2026 at 7:44 PM

this is also true for 90% of the military's understanding of military affairs tbh

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— thinkingbayonet.bsky.social (@thinkingbayonet.bsky.social) March 1, 2026 at 9:06 PM

Probably not related, but it has been noted today that The World’s Most Dangerous Cranky Grandpa has a new health issue. If the neck rash is shingles, I understand that they are very painful & liable to make victims (more) cranky. How fortunate that Trump has the best medical care available to him!

whoa — this is new. Trump has a significant rash-like injury on his neck today in addition to his disfigured hand
(Saul Loeb/Getty)

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 2, 2026 at 12:47 PM

Trumpery Open Thread: Iran Does Not Have NukesPost + Comments (152)

EmbraceYourInnerCrone on Tuesday Morning Open Thread (Mar 3, 2026 @ 3:54pm)

Gretchen on Underpants Noem (Open Thread) (Mar 3, 2026 @ 3:54pm)

Archon on Underpants Noem (Open Thread) (Mar 3, 2026 @ 3:54pm)

trollhattan on Underpants Noem (Open Thread) (Mar 3, 2026 @ 3:49pm)

JaySinWA on Underpants Noem (Open Thread) (Mar 3, 2026 @ 3:44pm)

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you do not.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Welcome to day five of every-bit-as-bad-as-you-thought-it-would-be.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

There are times when telling just part of the truth is effectively a lie.

Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Every decision we make has lots of baggage with it, known or unknown.

Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

The willow is too close to the house.

This really is a full service blog.

We will not go back.

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

Not rolling over. fuck you, make me.

The only way through is to slog through the muck one step at at time.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.