Balloon Juice - Open Threads Archives

Jay Jones, a former Virginia delegate, wins Democratic nomination for the state’s attorney general.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) June 17, 2025 at 10:09 PM

BREAKING: Judge blocks the Trump administration from limiting passport sex markers for many transgender and nonbinary people.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) June 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is lifting a curfew in downtown Los Angeles.
Her Tuesday announcement comes after she first imposed the curfew in response to protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) June 17, 2025 at 3:07 PM

The “No Kings” protest was a powerful showing of hope and mobilization against President Trump’s attacks on democracy. @jimacosta.bsky.social explains in conversation with Sen. @dougjones.bsky.social:

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— Center for American Progress (@americanprogress.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 5:09 PM

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— George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 (@gtconway.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 8:46 PM

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Take Our WinsPost + Comments (257)

War for Ukraine Day 1,209: The Cost

by Adam L Silverman| June 17, 20259:34 pm| 8 Comments

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

(Image by NEIVANMADE)

Just a quick note on the Iran stuff: I’ve now reviewed all of Trump’s social media posts, plus his off the cuff remarks to the press on Air Force one. My professional assessment is: 🤷🏻‍♂️ and 🤦🏻‍♂️. Based reviewing all the posts and statements we appear to be not at war and at war, not involved in operations against and involved operations against Iran all at the same time. Off the looking glass and through the map.

The cost:

Kyiv:

There are no words for this kind of grief.
A Ukrainian couple watches the ruins of their home in Kyiv — destroyed by a russian drone. Somewhere beneath the rubble lies their son.

Don’t close your eyes! Don’t shut your hearts!

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 1:57 AM

In the heart of a European capital, firefighters pull bodies from the rubble of a building that collapsed after being bombed by a member of the UN Security Council.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 1:41 PM

The body of a 31yo man was recovered from the rubble of the house destroyed by russia in Kyiv today. His parents spent the whole day waiting, hoping he would be rescued. All of us hoped too. This is a nightmare. I wish I could wake up from this horror.

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 2:44 PM

You think, this time they’ll wake up. After this attack. After this child pulled from the rubble. After this mother screaming at the sky. But they don’t. They never do.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 2:46 PM

It’s a quiet betrayal, dressed in loud words of concern. Speeches about peace. Promises to end the war in 24 hours or by next month. Glimpses of hope, dangled in front of us — only to be withdrawn, as if we were plagues to be avoided.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 2:46 PM

Some are asleep in ignorance. Some in indifference. Some wear the rose-tinted glasses of diplomacy. And in that sleep, lives are lost. Lives are taken — by russian missiles, by collapsed buildings, by shattered hearts too tired to keep beating.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 2:46 PM

This war has stolen something from everyone. Some lost their homes. Others, their loved ones. Many lost sleep. Some lost peace. And more and more, people are losing hope.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 2:46 PM

President Zelenskyy did not make an address today as he was at the G-7 today. He was supposed to meet with Trump, but that didn’t happen as the latter left early to head back to DC for meetings regarding the Israel-Iran war of 2025.

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Georgia:

Rustaveli Avenue is blocked for the 202th consecutive night.

#GeorgiaProtests continue in 8 cities across the country.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 1:40 PM

Day 202 of daily, nationwide protests in Georgia. 🇬🇪✊

We end every march chanting ’til the end!, and we mean it.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 2:05 PM

It can all change unexpectedly any day, but these days it seems like Georgia is going through scenario 2👇🏻

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 7:49 AM

1. A relatively quicker victory where the regime’s physical violence is once again unhinged on a mass scale that leads to another round of sharp deterioration on the ground and quick desertion by regime pillars; 2/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM

2. A somewhat slower victory where the regime physical violence is relatively limited and the society goes through a complete cycle of biblical cleansing, with new social contract & paradigms consolidating before the regime is forced to concede, rather than simultaneously with/after our victory; 3/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM

3. A very slow victory with initially largely suppressed street protests that launches a prolonged guerilla societal protest and economic instability due to the regime’s oppressive and economic inability to stabilize itself as a dictatorship. 4/

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM

When we ask for sanctions, we ask to help us avoid whatever costs can be avoided. They cannot win, but they can cause much suffering to Georgians and instability to the wider region.
#GeorgiaProtests 5/5.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM

1/ The Georgian Dream has submitted a bill to its parliament to abolish the National Security Council, according to the Administration.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 6:56 AM

2/ If approved, the Council will be dissolved on September 1, 2025, and its functions transferred to the “Government of Georgia in line with the parliamentary model of governance.”

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 6:56 AM

3/ Established in 2019, the Council is Georgia’s top national security body, composed of permanent and invited members. It met only a few times. Until resigning as GD Interior Minister on May 28, Vakhtang Gomelauri served as its Secretary.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 6:56 AM

4/ The current Council replaced an earlier version that included the President as a permanent member.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 6:56 AM

📢”Without sustained international pressure on both Georgian Dream officials and the leaders of institutions responsible for the media crackdown, independent journalism in #Georgia cannot survive,” – reads the joint statement.

#MediaUnderAttack
#RepressionInGeorgia

📌 ipi.media/georgia-inde…

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) June 17, 2025 at 6:08 AM

The International Press Institute warns that Georgia’s independent media are on the brink of collapse under unprecedented pressure from the GD as journalists face detentions, physical attacks, censorship, arbitrary fines, and legal threats under repressive new laws like the Foreign Agents Act

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 6:20 AM

Bad news also for those Georgian Dream latte-sipping, manicured elite nobodies who’ve been dreaming of the protest and torture of people suddenly undoing itself without any social consequences whatsoever, and them finding themselves as embraced as they were before any of this.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 6:14 AM

This is how the regime court operates in Georgia.

False witness Gogita Kharatishvili, a policeman, was asked to identify Valeri Tetrashvili, a regime prisoner. Without hesitation, he pointed to someone in the chamber.

The tiny, insignificant detail? Valeri wasn’t even present.

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 7:07 AM

Saba Jikia (19) faced 4-7 years in jail in Georgia.

His alleged crime? Kicking an officer during crackdowns.

— The only video doesn’t clearly show the incident.
— The officer who claims to have been hit says he wasn’t injured.

📷 Publika

The video of the actual ‘crime’ in replies.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 3:28 PM

The “Parliamentary commission” that “investigates UNM era crimes” has AGAIN summoned opposition leaders Nika Gvaramia, Mamuka Khazaradze, and Giorgi Gakharia.

Gvaramia is already in pre-trial detention for refusing to show up when he was summoned the previous time…

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 4:06 PM

Oh Canada!

🇨🇦🇺🇦Canada is preparing a military assistance package for Ukraine, valued at 2 billion Canadian dollars (approximately 1.5 billion U.S. dollars).

The assistance package is set to include among other things: Drones, helicopters and ammunition

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 1:49 PM

/2. In addition to direct assistance, Canada will offer Ukraine a $2 billion loan. Notably, the interest on this loan will be covered using revenues generated from frozen Russian assets.

Canada also imposed new sanctions targeting over 200 vessels linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”

— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 1:49 PM

The Gulf of Oman:

Two oil tankers collided and caught fire early June 17 in the Gulf of Oman, just off the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels involved were: Front Eagle
and Adalynn.

The 23-year-old Adalynn has been frequently sighted plowing the route between Russia’s Ust-Luga and India

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 12:08 PM

The US:

The daughter of U.S. President’s special representative Keith Kellogg reacted to the massive Russian attack on Kyiv.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 11:19 AM

(Reuters) – The Trump administration shelved in recent weeks an inter-agency working group it had set up to formulate strategies for pressuring Russia into speeding up peace talks with Ukraine, according to three U.S. officials. www.reuters.com/world/asia-p…

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 6:36 AM

Reuters has the details:

WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) – The Trump administration shelved in recent weeks an inter-agency working group it had set up to formulate strategies for pressuring Russia into speeding up peace talks with Ukraine, according to three U.S. officials.

The effort, which was established earlier in the spring, lost steam in May as it became increasingly clear to participants that U.S. President Donald Trump was not interested in adopting a more confrontational stance toward Moscow, said the officials.

Despite pledging during his campaign to end the war in Ukraine on the first day of his presidency, Trump in recent months has grown increasingly frustrated that his push has yielded no breakthroughs. He has begun saying that the United States may abandon its efforts to broker peace altogether.

In light of that threat, the working group’s task seemed increasingly irrelevant, added those officials, who requested anonymity to describe sensitive internal discussions.

“It lost steam toward the end because the president wasn’t there. Instead of doing more, maybe he wanted to do less,” one of the officials said.

The death of the working group, the existence of which has not been previously reported, is likely to deepen European allies’ concerns over Trump’s at-times conciliatory tone toward Russia and his reluctance to express full-throated support for Ukraine ahead of a pivotal summit of NATO allies later this month.

Three Tech Questions Open Thread

by WaterGirl| June 17, 20255:55 pm| 43 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

I have 3 Mac questions / problems / issues that have come up this week and I haven’t had luck with quick searches.

You may have your own questions, too! Or maybe you have more time than I do at the moment?

One.
I got a notice on Sunday that a new iPhone had been added to my account. (Actually, I got that notice on all my laptops, iPads, etc.) Except I didn’t add a phone and I didn’t turn on either of my old phones. Any thoughts?

Two.
Yesterday, less than a day later, my MacBook Air suddenly started chiming on the quarter hours. I did not install anything or change anything.

*solved by Another Scott! “Thanks, I think I found the culprit. It’s an e-card with a Christmas theme containing a solitaire game I like to play. I don’t know why the chimes suddenly started after months of using the app, but quitting it and restarting seems to have fixed it. Thanks for your help!”

Three.
I think I must make some unconscious movement on my laptop with my left hand – that causes a list of emojis to come up. But I have tried all sorts of shit, FN, cal, option and command combinations, and I can’t bring it up on demand. A quick google makes it sound like it’s something that just happens, for no reason? But that makes no sense, and it’s always when I’m moving my thumb or something, probably soothing myself while reading all the bad news. :-) A colleague that I was on a bunch of University committees with one day told me that he knew I wasn’t impressed by the candidate we were interviewing because I was rubbing my hand on the soft scarf I was wearing – he said it was the same self-soothing that his baby did with his blankie when he got tired.

*solved by Earl! “oh, and cmd-ctrl-space makes the emoji picker come up if your cursor is in any type of textbox.”

Open thread.

Three Tech Questions Open ThreadPost + Comments (43)

Comrade Scott – NO KINGS – Denver, CO

by WaterGirl| June 17, 20253:48 pm| 37 Comments

This post is in: No Kings Protests June 14, 2025, Open Threads, Political Action

If you weren’t marching, it was celebratory defiance. Big crowd.

If you were marching, it was all Palestine-all-the-time. Same person at every Denver rally other than the AOC/Sanders rally is basically hijacked by the pro-Palestine crowd. Heh heh, I talked with people on the march who all were saying the same thing. We’re all there for a shit load of reasons but you’d never know it when marching.

Diverse crowd in terms of white and Hispanic on the Capitol grounds and the parcel across the street. Lots of groups with tents, lots of people, again, very celebratory in 96 degree heat and full sun.

Anyway, here’s my photos if you want em. I’ll admit, that last one, carried by a woman, makes no damn sense.

Comrade Scott – NO KINGS – Denver, COPost + Comments (37)

Blowed Up (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker| June 17, 202511:53 am| 177 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity, Clown Shoes, General Stupidity

Mike Huckabee, who is apparently Trump’s ambassador to Israel (somehow I’d repressed that memory?), gargled Trump’s balls so hard in a text message that Dumbfuck Hitler felt moved to share it with the world via his janky social media platform. Auto Draft 138

I mean, gross and all that, but it’s not like we haven’t heard this North Korea-style fluffing from all of Trump’s minions, so normally I wouldn’t bother sharing it. But this jumped out at me: “Truman in 1945.”

What notable thing happened that year? Oh yeah, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And Huckabee is an End Times-believing evangelical fanatic surrounded by a wide variety of zealots in a regional tinderbox where bombs are flying everywhere.

To recap, a deranged Bible-humper with a fully engorged Rapture-boner is fawning over the demented authoritarian who has the nuclear codes and urging him to listen to Huckabee’s imaginary sky daddy. Like Han Solo, I’ve got a bad feeling about this…

Open thread.

Blowed Up (Open Thread)Post + Comments (177)

Qualified Good News Open Thread: A Court Win for NIH Grant Funding

by Rose Judson| June 17, 20253:05 am| 34 Comments

This post is in: DOGESHIT, Open Threads, Science & Technology, The Horrors

“Qualified” good news in that there will be appeals, of course, but still, this is hopeful. From Reuters, with bold text by me:

BOSTON, June 16 (Reuters) – A federal judge in Boston on Monday said the termination of National Institutes of Health grants for research on diversity-related topics by President Donald Trump‘s administration was “void and illegal,” and accused the government of discriminating against racial minorities and LGBT people.

U.S. District Judge William Young during a non-jury trial said the NIH violated federal law by arbitrarily canceling more than $1 billion in research grants because of their perceived connection to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Young said he was reinstating grants that had been awarded to organizations and Democratic-led states that sued over the terminations. And the judge indicated that as the case proceeds he could issue a more sweeping decision.

“This represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community,” said Young, an appointee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan. “Any discrimination by our government is so wrong that it requires the court to enjoin it and at an appropriate time, I’m going to do it.”

Referring to the termination of grants for research related to issues involving racial minorities, the judge said he had in four decades on the bench “never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable.”

“You are bearing down on people of color because of their color,” the judge said, referring to Trump’s administration. “The Constitution will not permit that.”

I’m glad they keep losing in court. If you’ve forgotten what’s at stake here — it’s impossible to keep up with the lawlessness and the lawsuits — ProPublica put together a long story last week talking to the scientists impacted by NIH grant cuts. Some of these research projects are done for even if the funding eventually gets restored, because they involve perishable samples or other time-limited factors, like, you know, active clinical trials involving cancer patients. But hopefully some can be saved.

Open thread.

(Also, hello, I am back from the Podcast Hole. Thanks to everyone who protested over the weekend.)

Qualified Good News Open Thread: A Court Win for NIH Grant FundingPost + Comments (34)

Geminid on Late Night Open Thread: Compare & Contrast (Jun 21, 2025 @ 12:44pm)

trollhattan on Saturday Morning Open Thread (Jun 21, 2025 @ 12:43pm)

trollhattan on Saturday Morning Open Thread (Jun 21, 2025 @ 12:40pm)

zhena gogolia on Saturday Morning Open Thread (Jun 21, 2025 @ 12:36pm)

schrodingers_cat on Saturday Morning Open Thread (Jun 21, 2025 @ 12:36pm)

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

White supremacy is terrorism.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

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

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

People are weird.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.

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

If you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it is privilege.

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

We will not go back.

Republicans in disarray!

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

Next Steps After No Kings? Just Action from Each of Us Every Single Day

A New Conversation With Senator Chris Van Hollen (Video), More Bad Polling For Trump, Next Steps After No Kings Day by Simon Rosenberg

How important are phone calls to Senators and House members?

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Take Our Wins

War for Ukraine Day 1,209: The Cost

Three Tech Questions Open Thread

Comrade Scott – NO KINGS – Denver, CO

Blowed Up (Open Thread)

Qualified Good News Open Thread: A Court Win for NIH Grant Funding