Balloon Juice - Open Threads Archives

Saturday Morning Open Thread

by Anne Laurie| August 23, 20254:27 am| 166 Comments

This post is in: Activist Judges!, Immigration, Open Threads, Republican Politics, Trumpery

A judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot deny funding to Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and 30 other cities and counties because of policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration efforts.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) August 22, 2025 at 9:46 PM

More media outlets have to start pointing out that ‘Trump says’ has the same real-world impact as a toddler announcing he’ll have ice cream and cheezy puffs for dinner: It only happens if the adults let him get away with it. And that goes double for what his little minions announce:

A judge ruled late Friday the Trump administration cannot deny funding to Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and 30 other cities and counties because of policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration efforts.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from cutting off or conditioning the use of federal funds for so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions. His earlier order protected more than a dozen other cities and counties, including San Francisco, Portland and Seattle…

Orrick also blocked the administration from imposing immigration-related conditions on two particular grant programs.

The Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on sanctuary communities as it seeks to make good on President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to remove millions of people in the country illegally…

Orrick, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, said the executive orders and the “executive actions that have parroted them” were an unconstitutional “coercive threat.”

In May, the Department of Homeland Security published a list of more than 500 “sanctuary jurisdictions,” saying each one would receive formal notification that the government had deemed them noncompliant. It also said it would inform them if they were believed to be in violation of any federal criminal statutes.

The list was later removed from the department’s website after critics noted it included localities that have actively supported the administration’s tough immigration policies…

(Also, note that the entire Trump administration is highly incompetent.)

===

Trump is Stockton Rush, the rich dilettante who built the deadly submarine for rich guys. Except the sub is the entire American economy.
And the popping noises you're hearing? Not good…
www.thebulwark.com/p/oceangate-…

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— Adam Keiper (@adamkeiper.com) August 22, 2025 at 9:46 PM

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Jonathan V. Last, at the Bulwark:

… You may remember the OceanGate story from two years ago. The company was founded by a charismatic rich guy named Stockton Rush. He was convinced that he had figured out how to build a cheap commercial submarine. He was warned by experts—over and over—that his designs were dangerous and would fail. He ignored the warnings and sold trips to the Titanic on his little sub, Titan.

“At some point, safety just is pure waste,” Stockton Rush once said. “I mean, if you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed. Don’t get in your car. Don’t do anything.”

In another interview, Rush said, “I’ve broken some rules to make [Titan]. I think I’ve broken them with logic and good engineering behind me. The carbon fiber and titanium, there’s a rule you don’t do that. Well, I did.”

But of course, most rules—especially in engineering—exist for a reason. As the OceanGate sub began operation there were many warning signs that its design was compromised. For instance: Employees reported that when the craft submerged they could hear audible pops, the sound of the carbon fiber in the hull delaminating.

On June 18, 2023, the OceanGate vessel submerged carrying five people. At a depth of 10,978 feet it imploded in a fraction of a second. That rule about not mixing carbon fiber and titanium? It turns out that generations of smart engineers were right and the rich idiot was wrong.

The OceanGate disaster instantly killed Stockton Rush. It also killed some ultrawealthy people who had paid $250,000 each to ride in his death trap and should have known better. But it also killed a 19-year-old kid—the son of one of those wealthy people—who was reportedly “terrified” about getting on the sub but did it to please his father. It is heartbreaking.

Which brings us to the Trump economy.

Every serious economist has warned that Trump’s economic program is dangerous:

Tariffs are harmful to economic growth. Inflation is lurking. The massive expansion of government debt puts pressure on the bond market. Corruption functions as a tax. Screwing around with economic data creates uncertainty and adds risk premiums to transactions. Canceling infrastructure programs out of ideological spite is wasteful.

There’s a rule that functional governments don’t do any of that. Well, Trump did.

And over the last few weeks the sounds we’ve been hearing in the data are the American economy delaminating and heading toward failure…

Saturday Morning Open ThreadPost + Comments (166)

War for Ukraine Day 1,275: Today’s Russian Butcher’s Bill

by Adam L Silverman| August 22, 202510:12 pm| 15 Comments

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

(Image by NEIVANMADE)

It has been a long, frustrating, and exhausting week, so I’m just going to run through the basics again tonight.

Russia bombarded both Kostiantynivka and Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast today.

❗️Over 30 explosions shook Kramatorsk in just over an hour.

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 4:33 PM

Russia hit Kostiantynivka with guided aerial bombs and drones, damaging 21 apartment buildings, private houses, post office, and more.

Casualty figures are still being confirmed.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 6:36 AM

Footage showing the moment when a russian aerial bomb struck a residential building in Kostiantynivka.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 11:53 AM

If russia stops fighting, there will be no war. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine.

(unknown author, whose wisdom needs to be constantly repeated these days).

— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 11:45 AM

The cost:

The WP published a story about a family of five killed by Russia in Kharkiv on August 18. If you read only one article today, please make it this one.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0…

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 9:43 PM

From The Washington Post:

KHARKIV, Ukraine — For his 16th birthday, Artem Morozov wished for just one gift: an end to Russia’s war.

Russia was bombing his northeastern city of Kharkiv daily. His school, with students and staff unable to safely meet in person, had moved online. His stepfather, Ruslan Serga, had risked his life in an assault brigade, demobilizing just before Artem’s baby sister, Mia, was born last year.

The 15-year-old was tired of the war — and all the sadness and fear that came with it.

He told his friends he truly believed it would end by Aug. 15, the day President Donald Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska — and the day Artem turned 16.

Three days later, Russia killed Artem and his entire family.

Five Russian drones crashed into the family’s apartment building at 5 a.m. on Aug. 18, hours before President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European backers met Trump at the White House for talks to end the war.

Artem died on the fifth floor alongside his mother, Tetiana Morozova; stepfather; 1½-year-old sister, Mia Serga; and his grandmother, Halyna Chernyshova, who was visiting to celebrate the boy’s birthday. The attack wiped out three generations of one family in an instant. Two other people in the apartment building also were killed.

“He wished for the war to end by his birthday,” Matviy Hnennyi, 16, Artem’s close friend, said through tears at the family funeral on Thursday. “He always talked about it ending, and I fully trusted and believed him — I, too, thought the war would end.”Russia’s deadly strike on the family — and its timing — reinforced for many Ukrainians the widespread belief that Putin, despite his insistence to Trump that he wants to end the war, remains intent on attacking Ukraine and its people. The apartment building was in an industrial area of Kharkiv.

More at the link.

President Zelenskyy addressed the 8th International Veterans Forum – Ukraine, Veterans, Security – today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

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Speech by the President at the VIII International Veterans Forum “Ukraine. Veterans. Security”

22 August 2025 – 17:47

Glory to Ukraine!

Our dear warriors, our dear veterans!

Everyone who is here in Ukraine, who stands with Ukraine, with our defenders!

I am glad to welcome all of you. And continuing this tradition – the tradition of veterans’ forums on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day – I want to begin this year’s forum with the most important thing: with gratitude and applause for each of you, every single person defending our state, our independence. We remember: an independent Ukraine exists thanks to those who care about what will happen to Ukraine. We thank you all!

And I would also like to express special gratitude today to Mark. It is an honor. I thank you for the fact that the NATO Secretary General is here today with his team and that he supported this proposal. I really wanted you to be present here today at the veterans’ forum. It is an honor for us. Thank you!

Dear attendees!

Many of us, when we were children, heard the word “veteran.” And it was about the people around us – our relatives who went through the war, the Second World War. And these were already elderly people – like my grandfather, who fought against the Nazis. We saw them; we saw how distant the war was. They rarely spoke of the war. But they always remembered those who had gone through that war with them. They were proud that they had protected life. But they never turned it into a cult. And they never imagined that war could return and again become something ordinary for Europe, and that their grandchildren, young generations, would fight again, and they also would be called veterans. And that the same kind of evil would come again, only this time – Rashism. 2014. 2022. For Ukraine, this war is now already longer than the Second World War. And no one yet knows when this war – the War for Ukraine’s Independence – will end. But we are doing everything to ensure that it ends not someday far away, but as soon as possible. This is extremely important. And most importantly, it must end with real security for our children, our grandchildren. But it must also end justly. This is crucial – with respect for Ukraine, for Ukrainians, for all of you, for our warriors, for veterans. I have no doubt that Ukraine will defend its independence. In fact, you have already defended our independence. We have already united all of Europe and many other countries of the world around Ukraine and around such brave people of ours. Now our task is to ensure that our children, our grandchildren, and our future generations of Ukrainians do not have to go through war. The key to this is security guarantees, which we are currently working on together with our partners. Today, Mark is here, and he is a great friend of ours, a great friend of Ukraine, and together with him, with other European leaders, with the United States of America, and with a coalition of our partners – over 30 countries – we are preparing security guarantees, so crucial for Ukraine. I am confident this will happen. And it will be based first and foremost on our strong army, and therefore on your experience, experience of combat results – yours and your brothers-in-arms’, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who are now at the front, on combat missions, or who have already returned from the war with honor.

I do not want to speak now about challenges – you know them – about figures, percentages, statistics. We will hear about these today from our government officials. We will hear proposals, initiatives, and decisions. And this is important. But it is equally important that you know, and that each of you feels, how much all of Ukraine owes you. And that we hope you will continue to stand with Ukraine – to strengthen Ukraine, to work, to preserve for Ukraine and for all our future generations the knowledge that courage truly changes history and protects the right to life for nations. I thank you! And I ask you always to honor the memory of all our men and women who gave their lives for us. I ask you now to observe a minute of silence in their memory.

Thank you.

Glory to Ukraine!

President Zelenskyy also met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte today. Here’s the video of his statement at that meeting followed by the transcript.

Statement by the President of Ukraine Following the Meeting with the NATO Secretary General

22 August 2025 – 15:39

Thank you very much, Mark, my dear friend!

Dear attendees, our teams, dear journalists,

Today, on the eve of Independence Day, we welcome to Ukraine our friend, our ally – an ally in many senses of the word. Mark has been helping Ukraine, helping our defense and our relations with other partners, throughout all these years, since the beginning of this war, since the start of the full-scale invasion. Both when he was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and now as NATO Secretary General. We deeply appreciate your personal support, Mark, and I am very grateful to you. And today, we discussed primarily what next joint steps of ours can bring greater security to Ukraine and all of Europe, and bring us closer to a real end to the war.

The first point is security guarantees. Together with all our partners, we have reached an important understanding with the United States of America. The United States is ready to be part of the security guarantees for Ukraine, and this is the first time we have secured such readiness. Now, practically every day, negotiations are ongoing on the specific content of the security guarantees for Ukraine – at the level of national security advisors, our military, and diplomats from all teams. Yesterday, there was a call between Ukraine, all of Europe, and the United States. Today, this work will continue. I am grateful to everyone involved in this process. Our shared goal is exactly as it is formulated in the dialogue with partners – Article 5-like guarantees, similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. These are truly effective security guarantees, and that is the outcome we must achieve: a crystal-clear architecture of which countries assist us on the ground, which are responsible for the security of our skies, which guarantee security at sea and support Ukraine. This also involves financing our army – the size and quality of the Ukrainian army that will defend Ukraine. Much of this is based on our cooperation with partners, on our cooperation with NATO, which has already been achieved. The Ukrainian army, and our defense and security infrastructure as a whole, are very strongly integrated into the Alliance’s system. There is also extensive bilateral cooperation with NATO members. We will certainly continue all practical levels of our cooperation with NATO.

The second point is weapons for Ukrainian warriors. The PURL program is already operational. Mark, thank you so much for this initiative – it is a truly powerful one. This program allows us to purchase American weapons with funds provided by our partners. It already includes $1.5 billion from our European partners, and new participants will soon join – we are grateful to each and every one of them. This enables Ukraine to procure from the United States such critically needed items as air defense systems – first and foremost, Patriots, missiles, HIMARS, and other types of weaponry. Mark, once again, thank you for organizing and coordinating this program. It is important that every month adds more funding and efficiency to the program – on average, about $1 billion per month. Mark and I discussed that it could be $1 billion per month, or perhaps around $1.5 billion – this is something we need to work on. We discussed how to engage more countries in the PURL program. Equally critical is ensuring sufficient funding for our domestic drone production programs – this was the second part of our discussion with our teams, focusing exclusively on internal production. Ukraine’s production potential is far greater than our current financial capabilities, and we are working to close this gap. Today, Mark has already seen some of our drones – different models, very effective – and they truly are weapon number one: they hold back the enemy, hold the front line, and reduce the number of Ukrainian losses. This is undoubtedly the most important thing – and it is achieved thanks to drones. The Russians are increasing their use of drones. We can see this. We have everything we need to counter this. Funding is important. In the near future, we must cover this shortfall. We have already spoken openly about this – it’s just over $6 billion – and we are counting heavily on support from our partners.

And the next point is diplomacy. We discussed the key details of our joint efforts aimed at meaningful negotiations to end the war. Mark and I consult frequently – we are constantly in touch – on how best to act, especially in the context of partnership, both our broader partnership and our joint partnership with the United States of America, with President Trump. We had, I believe, a historically important visit to Washington, to the capital. We agreed on security guarantees, which I have already mentioned. We also discussed possible formats for meetings with Russia and its ruler – both a bilateral format and a trilateral one. We have also heard about all this. It is at the leaders’ level that issues must be resolved to end the war. Right now, however, we see that the Russians are doing everything to prevent such meetings from happening. Ukraine, unlike Russia, is not afraid of any meetings with leaders. We are ready to work as productively as possible, and we hope that our partners will help ensure at least a minimally productive position from the Russian side. They must be compelled to engage in diplomacy. Truly strong sanctions are needed if they do not agree to a diplomatic solution to this war. If they do not want to end the war, we are counting heavily on strong packages from our partners. We believe everything must be done to ensure Russia can no longer evade such meetings. We see a strong signal from the United States that they are ready to move forward. Europe and other countries within the Coalition of the Willing are also ready to help – and we are grateful for that. A solid coalition platform has been built – more than 30 countries, including Japan, Canada, and others. It is a pro-Ukrainian coalition – and it is quite large. It is important to implement all of this. It is very difficult, but it is important. That is what we are working on.

Glory to Ukraine!

NATO Secretary General Rutte said security guarantees for Ukraine will not repeat the Budapest Memorandum and will involve the US and NATO. He outlined a two-level plan: a peace deal or ceasefire to strengthen Ukraine’s military, and ongoing talks on possible European troop deployment.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 10:57 AM

Georgia:

🇬🇪Why is Georgian Dream surviving despite mass protests, backlash, and international condemnation?

The answer isn’t repression alone. It’s money.

🧵A thread on how Bidzina Ivanishvili’s fortune and Russian inflows saved his regime – and why it’s still may crack.
1/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

This thread draws on an excellent analysis by Jaba Devdariani
& Tornike Zurabashvili:
“How Money Saved Ivanishvili’s Regime”.

Highly recommended reading ⬇️
2/16
www.politicsgeo.com/article/168

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

In Georgia, politics has always been about democracy and economics.

Ivanishvili reshaped the system: not just a political boss balancing elites, but a Russia created billionaire oligarch with his own stake in the economy.
3/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

His wealth insulated him from electoral pressure. When Georgian Dream risked losing in 2018 and 2020, Ivanishvili simply poured in millions to flip the results.

He became the “lender of last resort” for regime survival.
4/16

— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

But Georgia wasn’t just a profit play.

For Ivanishvili, controlling the state meant a sovereign shield for his assets. That shield became essential after his battles with Credit Suisse and paranoia about Western “conspiracies.”
5/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Then came Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

While the Georgian people stood with Kyiv, Georgian Dream stood with Moscow – not out of ideology, but for profit.
6/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Georgia also became a sanctions gray zone:
🔹Car re-exports jumped from $0.5B (2021) to $2.4B (2024).
🔹Evidence of dual-use electronics transiting to Russia.
🔹Russian oil imports doubled, possibly resold to Europe.

Profit > principle.
8/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Ivanishvili turned this windfall into a political weapon.

Social spending soared: debt forgiveness, salary hikes, welfare for nearly 1/5 of voters.
During elections citizens were warned: vote against GD, lose your benefits.
9/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Meanwhile, the EU’s interest in the Middle Corridor and energy projects emboldened GD.

Leaders claimed: “Europe needs Georgia as much as Georgia needs Europe.”
The regime felt untouchable.
10/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Flush with cash, GD cracked down harder:
🔹Laws strangling foreign-funded NGOs & media.
🔹Massive fines on protesters.
🔹Business elites keep quiet, fearing losses.

Pro-democracy forces were pushed to the brink.
11/16
www.transparency.org/en/press/dem…

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

But repression didn’t kill resistance.

Protests widened cracks inside GD, triggered defections, and exposed Ivanishvili’s vulnerabilities.
He rushed to repatriate assets under sanction threats – tying his fate even closer to Georgia🇬🇪.
12/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Now the model is hitting limits:
🔹Russian inflows are dwindling.
🔹Internal purges expose fractures.
🔹Without natural resources or charisma, a personalized autocracy looks fragile.
13/16
civil.ge/archives/692…

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Here lies a paradox:

Because Ivanishvili’s system is so dependent on money flows and his personal fortune, targeted Western sanctions could have an outsized impact.
14/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

The key targets are clear:

🔹Ivanishvili himself and his overseas assets.
🔹His inner circle of business allies who profit from state contracts.
🔹Banks and companies in Georgia tied to sanctions evasion.
🔹Corrupt judges

Squeeze these, and the regime’s lifeline breaks.
15/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Georgia’s people still demand democracy, rule of law, and Europe.

That’s the regime’s deepest fear – and the West’s greatest responsibility.

☕️ If you enjoy my threads, please consider supporting my work at buymeacoffee.com/terjehelland.
🙏
16/16

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— Terje Helland (@terjehelland.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM

22 Georgian online media outlets have united in this fight, and you can all support them:

From Abroad: www.gofundme.com/f/help-media…

Campaign: sinatle.media

Donation from Georgia:

TBC Bank: #GE76TB7548536080100013

Bank of Georgia: #GE06BG0000000609779465

Recipient: “ხალხის წყარო”

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 3:23 PM

🔴Prisoner of conscience Archil Museliantsi, who was arrested in connection with pro-European rallies and has reported police abuse and a forced confession, was sentenced to four years in prison. The decision was handed down by Judge Giorgi Arevadze.

#GeorgiaProtests
#RepressionInGeorgia

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) August 22, 2025 at 8:44 AM

29-year-old Archil Museliani was just sentenced to 4 years in Georgia for allegedly burning a power cable, causing just ₾534 (~$200) in damage. The case rests on an edited video where no crime is visible, plus a dubious pinky print his lawyer says was likely fabricated.

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— Rusudan Djakeli (@rusudandjakeli.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 6:01 AM

This is something I post little about because it’s impossible to know much, but I’ll remind you that the Georgian Dream is also in the middle of insane mafia clashes where Russia is also a major factor. So far, it does not seem like it’s going well for Ivanishvili.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 5:16 PM

Poland:

🤌 🇵🇱

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 7:52 AM

The US:

Trump, while showing off a photo of himself with Putin: …He (Putin) has been very respectful of me and our country…

Reporter: Have you spoke to Vladimir Putin about the fact that a big US factory was hit in an airstrike in Ukraine? What’s your reaction to that?

Trump: I am not happy about it…

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 2:09 PM

Trump: “I was just sent a picture from somebody who wants to be there very badly. He’s been very respectful of me and our country but not so respectful of others. But he’ll — I’m gonna sign this for him. But I was sent one. That’s a man named Vladimir Putin, who I believe will be coming.”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:34 PM

Back to Ukraine.

1/ Georgia’s MIA announced on August 22 that 65 Ukrainian citizens who had been stranded at the Dariali border checkpoint for more than two months had been returned to Ukraine.

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 6:28 AM

2/ According to Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, they will first travel through Moldova before reaching their homeland.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 6:28 AM

3/ The group, deported from Russia, had been stuck in the Dariali Checkpoint since early June in dire conditions.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 6:28 AM

4/ Nearly 90 people were forced to share 24 beds in windowless, damp basements, with limited time outside under police escort. Food and medicine were provided by Volunteers Tbilisi and the Red Cross, though one person attempted suicide amid the hardship.

— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 6:28 AM

Ukrainian security guarantees.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 12:38 PM

/2. FP-5 “Flamingo” missile.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 4:10 AM

Coming to military targets in Russia soon.

Ukraine’s massive Flamingo cruise missile is larger (12-14 meters) than a US Tomahawk (6.4 meters), with a longer range and carrying a heavier warhead (1 ton+ vs. 450kg.) It is also cheaper, with mass production in the thousands annually planned.

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— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 3:06 AM

The differences reflect differing roles – Flamingo is a ground-launched strategic weapon, while Tomahawk is an air or sea launched power-projection weapon for precision strikes.

— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 3:11 AM

Russian Shahed drones with PTM-3 anti-tank mines under the wings in the camera of @wildhornets.bsky.social STING Anti-Shahed.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 10:34 AM

Kharkiv:

Childhood next to Russia.
Kharkiv 📍

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 1:34 PM

Russian occupied Donetsk:

Ukrainian missile and artillery units destroyed a Russian Rubikon drone command post and a large ammunition depot in occupied Donetsk region, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 10:09 AM

The Pokrovsk front:

Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance destroyed a Russian Grad MLRS on the Pokrovsk front, ArmyInform reports. Footage shows a powerful detonation after the strike by pilots from the Chervona Kalyna brigade and supporting units.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 4:47 AM

The southern Slobozhanskyi front:

Aerial reconnaissance from Ukraine’s 4th Border Detachment destroyed 10 enemy targets on the Southern Slobozhanskyi front, including 5 vehicles, a shelter, and 4 UAV launch positions.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 4:08 AM

Kherson Oblast:

💥 The soldiers of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine destroyed a Russian boat in the Kherson region using precision weapons.

It is reported that as a result of the strike, all five members of the Russian crew had been eliminated.

militarnyi.com/en/news/defe…

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— Militarnyi (@militarnyi.com) August 21, 2025 at 4:30 AM

This was the bayraktar strike I included at the end of last night’s post.

From Militarynyi:

The soldiers of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine destroyed a Russian boat in the Kherson region using precision weapons.

The press service of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported on this and published the corresponding video.

On August 20th, 2025, as a result of an operation by Ukrainian intelligence officers in the Black Sea near the temporarily occupied Zaliznyi Port in the Kherson region, an air-launched missile destroyed a boat of the Russian invaders.

It is reported that as a result of the strike, all five members of the Russian crew had been eliminated

“A precision destructive missile strike on an enemy target in the Black Sea was made possible thanks to laser designation from the drone, which also recorded the successful destruction of the military boat with the Muscovites,” the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine said.

The released footage shows a munition approaching the enemy boat, followed by a powerful explosion.

Most likely, the strike was carried out by a Bayraktar TB2 attack drone, as indicated by the distinctive interface.

Krasnodar Krai, Russia:

A Ukrainian sea drone operated by HUR detonated in Novorossiysk Bay, killing five elite Russian naval divers, the Ukrainian intelligence agency reports. The explosion happened after Russian forces tried to recover the drifting drone, which had lost connection due to EW.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 3:55 AM

From United24 Media:

Five elite Russian naval divers were killed in Novorossiysk Bay after attempting to examine a Ukrainian sea drone that detonated during recovery efforts, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported on August 22.

Novorossiysk serves as the main base for the remnants of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet following repeated Ukrainian strikes on Sevastopol.

“Summer thunder in Novorossiysk—during a Defense Intelligence operation in the Black Sea, one of Ukraine’s strike sea drones reached Novorossiysk Bay, where the aggressor state Russia keeps what’s left of its large Black Sea Fleet vessels,” the HUR said in a statement.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the drone lost contact with its operators due to Russian electronic warfare systems and began drifting.

After some time, local Russian commanders ordered the unmanned vessel lifted from the bay for examination.

“To carry out the task, a group of five elite naval reconnaissance divers from Russia’s so-called PDSS unit [anti-sabotage underwater forces and assets] were deployed. These are highly trained combat divers whose preparation requires significant financial resources and time, and who are equipped with the best gear available,” the HUR noted.

While manipulating the Ukrainian Magura V5 sea drone, it exploded—killing all five Russian divers instantly.

HUR further reported growing anger among Russian naval personnel in Novorossiysk over what they described as a senseless “meat order” from commanders that led to the loss of an elite team.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov confirmed that two Russian Su-30SM fighter jets were shot down over the Black Sea using AIM-9 air-to-air missiles launched from Magura-class unmanned surface vessels.

Bryansk Oblast, Russia:

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Russian oil deliveries to Hungary have been halted again after another attack on the Druzhba pipeline, calling it a threat to the country’s energy security and the third such disruption in a short time.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 3:46 AM

Earlier, reporting another strike on the oil pumping station, Robert “Magyar” wrote in Hungarian: “Ruszkik haza!” — meaning “Russians, go home!”

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 3:46 AM

Rostov Oblast, Russia:

Novoshakhtinsk, Rostov region, russia.
Second day on 🔥

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 1:31 PM

Russian Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery still on fire on the second day after the attack

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 1:32 AM

Satellite images show the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery after last night’s drone strike, according to Ukrainian OSINT analysts Dnipro Ostint. The plant is a major fuel supplier for Russian occupation forces.

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 10:19 AM

If it burns for six more days Ukraine gets a new holiday!

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

There are no new Patron skeets or videos today. Here is some adjacent material.

Because of russian invasion, many animals have been left homeless. Some have found shelter with Ukrainian defenders❤️

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— UNITED24 (@u24.gov.ua) August 17, 2025 at 12:03 PM

Open thread!

War for Ukraine Day 1,275: Today’s Russian Butcher’s BillPost + Comments (15)

More Trumpery Open Thread: World Cup Fellow Grifters Edition

by Anne Laurie| August 22, 20255:23 pm| 92 Comments

This post is in: Grifters Gonna Grift, Open Threads, Trumpery, World Cup, Lock Him Up...Lock Them All Up

Continued from last ~~rock~~ post…

Trump: "On December 5 of this year, the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw will take place at the Kennedy Center. Some people refer to it as the Trump Kennedy Center, but we're not prepared to do that quite yet. Maybe in a week or so."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:07 PM

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FIFA is one of the most corrupt organizations on Earth. It’s why, no matter how justified, they won’t remove the US as co-host of the 2026 World Cup.

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— Joel Mendelson (@jpmendelson.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 1:13 PM

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Trump on the Oval Office: "You see the way this is looking. I can't tell you how much that gold costs. A lot of money. This beautiful office needed it."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:13 PM

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One funding source for all that ‘beautiful gold’?

anyone who thought biden’s age was a serious issue should be at DEFCON1 watching this

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— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) August 22, 2025 at 2:11 PM

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show full post on front page

Trump on the World Cup: "We gave a little to Canada. See how nice I am? And we gave a little to Mexico."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM

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Infantino to Trump: "Since you are a winner, of course you can touch it."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:16 PM

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Easy to talk tough from a secure location, surrounded by ‘friends’ and sycophants…

Trump on DC: "We haven't had to bring in the regular military, which we're willing to do if we have to. And after we do this, we'll go to another location and we'll make it safe also … Chicago is a mess. And we'll straighten that one out probably next"

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:21 PM

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Try the veal, and don’t forget to tip your ~~waiter~~ president…

Infantino responds to Trump's fascist rant about deploying the military to American cities by presenting him with first row tickets to the World Cup final

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:27 PM

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I wondered why ICE Barbie was hanging around in the background…

Kristi Noem: "Mr president, millions of people will come to this country, and we'll make sure they get their travel documents, their visas."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:29 PM

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SURPRISE! Big reveal:

Trump: "I was just sent a picture from somebody who wants to be there very badly. He's been very respectful of me and our country but not so respectful of others. But he'll — I'm gonna sign this for him. But I was sent one. That's a man named Vladimir Putin, who I believe will be coming."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:34 PM

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Friendly reminder that Russia has been banned from the upcoming World Cup for its war of aggression with Ukraine.

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— Shea (@sheacarlson.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 2:02 PM

(Beginning to wonder if this will be the first World Cup cancelled since World War II… )

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asked about Jay Powell, Trump's brain flits from the stock market to the US military to Afghanistan to Putin to Biden — all within a minute. He never answers the question about Powell.

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:56 PM

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South Park is doing a great job covering how Trump is a thin-skinned narcissist. He is a giant toddler who wants people to send him gold-colored toys to satisfy his pick-me energy. The next episode should be about him demanding that all countries in the 2026 World Cup support his puppeteer, Putin.

— Naotoshi Maeda (@naotoshimaeda.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 3:20 PM

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I second this emotion:

That was one of the most batshit press conferences of Trump's public life. He brandished a photo of Putin and promised to deploy the US military to occupy Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. A sane country would be moving toward impeachment and removal right now.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 1:57 PM

More Trumpery Open Thread: World Cup Fellow Grifters EditionPost + Comments (92)

Open Thread: Trump Is All Over the Media Today

by Anne Laurie| August 22, 20254:29 pm| 80 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Republican Venality, Trumpery, Lock Him Up...Lock Them All Up

Seriously, though— what kind of cartoon villain would actually wear a hat like that?

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— Trey Callaway (@treycallaway.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 10:46 AM

From the clips I’ve seen (as always, great respect to Aaron Rupar), Trump looks like… well, if your granpa looked like that, you’d be checking with his home health aides to make sure he was taking his medications. Wan, haggard, shrunken within his never-well-fitting suit, without the usual attention to his makeup and hair styling.

First media hit was to claim credit, or at least avoid blame, for the dawn raid on John Bolton’s house.

Mafia boss mode:

Trump on John Bolton: "He's not a smart guy. But he could be a very unpatriotic guy. We're gonna find out."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 10:21 AM

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Contradicting himself — of course I knew! I know everything!

One week ago this man had the military roll out a red carpet for Vladimir Putin.

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— Elizabeth N. Saunders (@profsaunders.bsky.social) August 22, 2025 at 11:01 AM

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Donald Trump had classified docs in the shitter at his private club and his paying customers may have been using them to wipe their asses, so no, his administration does not have a good faith interest in the sanctity of sensitive government secrets

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 12:22 PM

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Raskin: "This episode is disturbing and it seems to confirm Bolton's own prediction that if Donald Trump got back into office, his administration would be consumed with vengeance and retribution against his perceived political enemies."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 22, 2025 at 12:29 PM

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show full post on front page

Open Thread: Trump Is All Over the Media TodayPost + Comments (80)

Interesting Read: Is Massachusetts Districting the Future?

by Anne Laurie| August 22, 202511:28 am| 139 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Politics

New on The New York Times : “Trump Says Massachusetts’ All-Blue Map Is Unfair. Is He Right?”

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— Interactive Journalism (@interactives.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 12:20 PM

While all the NYTimes‘ sympathies are with the GOP, the article makes it clear TFG’s accusation is just more of the same bullsh*t. I personally hope, as with same-sex marriage, we Massholes are the harbingers of a better future. It’s complicated, so here’s a gift link:

… Last year, Mr. Trump won 36 percent of the state’s vote, but neither he nor Republican House candidates managed to win even one of nine congressional districts. The state’s map plan has been ranked as “more skewed” than 95 percent of plans nationwide by PlanScore, a nonprofit group that is advised by legal scholars, political scientists and mapping experts.

It certainly sounds unfair, but is it a gerrymander? That’s not so simple.

While it might seem reasonable to expect that Republicans would win three or four seats with more than a third of the presidential vote, it’s really not obvious that Republicans should win a single district in Massachusetts, let alone three.

The problem is geography — or more specifically, the geographic distribution of a party’s voters across the state. For better or worse, congressional districts represent the voters of the different geographic areas of a state; they don’t directly represent a state’s voters. There is no guarantee that the state’s population as a whole will be well represented by the winners of each of a state’s geographic areas. This is at the heart of why it can be hard to detect — let alone prohibit — partisan gerrymandering.

Imagine, for instance, a state that votes 60-40 for one party, with every neighborhood voting 60-40. If so, it is impossible to draw a district for the minority party: While there are plenty of minority party voters, there’s no area that can be drawn to represent that party’s voters.

Massachusetts poses a similar version of this problem. Mr. Trump won a respectable 36 percent of the vote, but he didn’t win areas containing anywhere near 36 percent of the state’s population. Instead, he won areas containing only about 15 percent of the state’s population…

The relatively small number of Trump-voting towns and neighborhoods makes it much harder to draw a Trump district than it might initially seem. Each district in Massachusetts must represent one-ninth of the state’s population; for one of them to back Mr. Trump, much of the state’s Trump-voting area would need to be drawn into one district. But these Trump neighborhoods are scattered through the state and they didn’t usually back him by a wide margin.

If you took any person in Massachusetts and formed a district around the 780,000 people who lived closest to that person, every one of those districts would have voted for Kamala Harris…

My prejudiced TL;DR — Repubs have a chokehold on isolated, ill-educated voters. My pious hope is that we can reduce the percentage of such voters to the point where underpopulated red states no longer have a ‘heckler’s veto’ on the rest of us.

Interesting Read: Is Massachusetts Districting the Future?Post + Comments (139)

Odds & Ends (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker| August 22, 202510:40 am| 51 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics, Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Politics, Assholes, General Stupidity

In a post yesterday, we discussed the letter hundreds of Health & Human Services employees sent to RFK Jr. Their ask was pretty simple; they want the wizened ball-sack to stop lying about their work and thus putting targets on their backs.

What I neglected to note is that you can sign the letter to show your support for our embattled public health workers. Here’s a link.

***

In other news, FL Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to be a fucking tool. (Orlando Sentinel)

Workers under cover of night removed a rainbow crosswalk outside of the former Pulse nightclub in Orlando, one of the most significant sites in Florida for the LGBTQ community, apparently as part of state and federal transportation officials’ aim to wipe “political banners” from public roadways.

Florida officials who have targeted such crossings in other communities have not directly acknowledged responsibility for removing this one. But local leaders had no doubt about the perpetrators, even though the state’s campaign had previously been carried out through public exhortations and directives, not clandestine repaintings…

FDOT didn’t return requests from the Orlando Sentinel for comment.

The governor’s office directed the Sentinel to a post on DeSantis’ X account, which was a response to a tweet about the Orlando crosswalk’s removal. DeSantis stated, “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.”

Never mind the fact that DeSantis routinely spends millions of taxpayer dollars and “commandeers” state assets for performative political trollery. The rainbow crosswalk honored the 49 people murdered in a nearby nightclub because of who they were.

The deranged killer snuffed out their lives, and now DeSantis erased a public tribute to their memory. I hope the Floridians who voted for this shit get the undercarriages of their pick-ups bashed all to hell from the potholes the state neglects while FDOT polices crosswalk color schemes.

***

Another of DeSantis’s performative trolling projects made the news when a judge ordered the authorities to stop transporting detainees to the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” facility in the Everglades and shut it down within 60 days:

MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Thursday halting further expansion and ordering the winding down of an immigration detention center built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” that advocates said violated environmental laws.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams’ injunction formalized a temporary halt she had ordered two weeks ago as witnesses continued to testify in a multiday hearing to determine whether construction should end until the ultimate resolution of the case.

The state of Florida filed a notice of appeal Thursday night, shortly after the ruling was issued.

I expect the state will shop around for a friendly judge who will reverse the ruling, but anything that throws sand in the gears is good news.

***

Despite the grotesque efforts of certain hacks to “well, actually” the starvation in Gaza, there is a human-caused famine in the region, according to the UN outfit that measures such things: (Times)

Gaza City and the surrounding territory are officially suffering from famine, a global group of experts announced on Friday, nearly two years into an unrelenting war in which Israel has blocked most food and other aid from entering the Gaza Strip.

The group, which the United Nations and aid agencies rely on to monitor and classify global hunger crises, said that at least half a million people in Gaza Governorate were facing the most severe conditions it measures: starvation, acute malnutrition and death.

With rare exceptions, the rest of Gaza’s total population of two million people was also struggling with severe hunger, according to the group, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, which is made up of food insecurity experts who monitor world hunger.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are protesting to end the Netanyahu government’s war, but once an authoritarian government is entrenched, it’s difficult to dislodge. There’s a lesson for Americans there.

Open thread.

Odds & Ends (Open Thread)Post + Comments (51)

Friday Morning Open Thread

by Anne Laurie| August 22, 20256:46 am| 220 Comments

This post is in: Kamala Harris in Action, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat

Warren: "That's Trump's approach — bend down to Trump, Trump will then tell everyone what reality is. That's what authoritarians do, but in a democracy we don't have to put up with it. We have our voices, we have our votes … 2026 could be pretty exciting — a chance to take back our democracy."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 21, 2025 at 10:06 PM

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Elizabeth Warren: "The one thing I want to remind everyone is when Democrats get in power again — and we will — we've got to change the rules. We've got to change the rules on the impact of money in politics and we've got to pass the voting rights act again and make sure there is true protection."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 21, 2025 at 9:56 PM

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Warren: "We can't live in a world anymore where we pretend that everybody is playing by the same set of rules … Republicans are determined to rig every rule they can, to break laws in order to seize power and to hang on to it. As Democrats, we have a responsibility to fight back & fight back hard"

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) August 21, 2025 at 9:54 PM

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BREAKING: California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation setting a November election on the U.S. House map designed to boost Democrats.

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— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) August 21, 2025 at 7:24 PM

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Illinois is launching a first-of-its-kind legal hotline for LGBTQ+ individuals — Illinois Pride Connect.
As the only state in the nation that will provide free legal advice to protect the LGBTQ+ community, we'll help fight ignorance with information and cruelty with compassion.

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— Governor JB Pritzker (@govpritzker.illinois.gov) August 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM

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Harris to embark on tour to promote memoir about presidential campaign, via @amyBwang www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202…

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— P.J. Joshi (@pjoshidc.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 1:31 PM

… Harris announced last month that she will not run for California governor, keeping the door open for another possible presidential campaign in 2028. The tour could provide a test for whether audiences are eager to hear more from Harris — and whether she wants to jump back into a “system” that she describes as broken…

The tour is set to kick off in New York on Sept. 24, the day the book will be published, and continue on with most stops in large cities. Harris will also travel to two international cities — London and Toronto — and visit a handful of smaller cities including Durham, North Carolina. A few of the stops will be in states President Donald Trump won by large margins, including Texas, Alabama and Tennessee…

Tickets for the book tour will go on sale Friday, according to book publisher Simon & Schuster. Harris has billed “107 days” as a behind-the-scenes look at the whirlwind, 107-day presidential campaign she undertook after President Joe Biden stepped out of the race.

“It was intense, high stakes, and deeply personal — for me, and for so many of you. Since leaving office, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on those days … in essence, writing a journal that is this book,” Harris said in a video posted last month to her social media accounts.

MVP Kamala Harris’ book tour dates have been announced!
Buy the tickets here: www.ticketmaster.com/kamala-harri…

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— best of kamala harris (@archivekamala.bsky.social) August 21, 2025 at 11:30 AM

Friday Morning Open ThreadPost + Comments (220)

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

When I was faster i was always behind.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Second rate reporter says what?

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

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

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

The way to stop violence is to stop manufacturing the hatred that fuels it.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

I would try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

Dear legacy media: you are not here to influence outcomes and policies you find desirable.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

Saturday Morning Open Thread

War for Ukraine Day 1,275: Today’s Russian Butcher’s Bill

Speech by the President at the VIII International Veterans Forum “Ukraine. Veterans. Security”

Statement by the President of Ukraine Following the Meeting with the NATO Secretary General

More Trumpery Open Thread: World Cup Fellow Grifters Edition

Open Thread: Trump Is All Over the Media Today

Interesting Read: Is Massachusetts Districting the Future?

Odds & Ends (Open Thread)

Friday Morning Open Thread