Paul McCartney - Days We Left Behind

Pam's New Career as a Relationship Advisor

 

Don't Be April Fooled: Jonathan the Tortoise is Still Alive

Reports of the death of the world’s oldest living land animal — a nearly 200-year-old tortoise — were greatly exaggerated.  Jonathan (believed to be 193) is still kicking — albeit slowly — on the island of St. Helena.

“It was a hoax,” Anne Dillon, head of communications on the island, said.  “I don’t have all those details, I can just assure you that he is very much alive.”

News of the tortoise’s demise spread rapidly on social media on April Fool’s Day.  A social media  account, falsely claiming to be that of Joe Hollins, a veterinarian who had worked with the reptile on the island west of Africa in the south Atlantic Ocean, said he was heartbroken to announce the death of the “gentle giant” that “outlived empires, wars, and generations of humans.”  The post quickly accumulated over a million views, mostly an outpouring of condolences.  But Hollins later said on Facebook that he didn't have an X account and something more sinister was afoot.  “This  is a hoax — The hoaxer is asking for crypto donations. It’s a con,” Hollins wrote.

Guinness World Records lists Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, as the oldest living land animal and oldest tortoise ever. He was believed to be about 50 years old when he was brought to St. Helena in 1882.  Dillon said the tortoise was still roaming the grounds of the governor’s residence, which was the place Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to following his defeat by the British at Waterloo in 1815.   Bonaparte died there in 1821, about a decade before Jonathan is believed to have taken the first steps in what would become a very long life.

Trump Unwittingly Reveals Plans for Secret Military Bunker

Convicted felon Donald Trump has complained that a “stupid” lawsuit forced him to reveal plans to build a top-secret military base underneath his White House ballroom.  The 79-year-old president was defending his $400 million vanity project while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, after a New York Times article over the weekend exposed the shoddy nature of its construction and design.

While holding comically large placards detailing how the completed ballroom might look, Trump also gave updates on what is being built beneath the area where the White House East Wing once stood.

“The military is building a big complex under the ballroom, which has come out recently because of a stupid lawsuit that was filed,” he said.

“The ballroom essentially becomes a shed [shield] for what’s being built under the military, including from drones, and including from any other thing,” Trump added. “The glass, or the windows, you see the big windows, the glass is extremely thick. It’s high-grade bulletproof glass, so all of the windows are bulletproof.”

The lawsuit Trump referenced was filed in December 2025 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is asking a federal judge to halt construction of the ballroom until it undergoes multiple independent reviews, passes environmental assessments, and receives approval from Congress.

The vanity project is being built as tens of millions of Americans suffer through a cost-of-living crisis exacerbated by Trump’s war on Iran.

On Sunday, the Times reported that multiple experts also condemned the proposed design of the mammoth building, noting that it includes a staircase that doesn’t lead anywhere, columns that will block the view of its windows, and the 90,000-square-foot ballroom that is “unnecessarily” large.

 

Keystone Kash Using FBI resources to Go After Trump's Enemies

Keystone Kash Patel (still stumbling and bumbling at the FBI)  is pressing to release a decade-old investigative file involving Rep. Eric Swalwell and a Chinese intelligence operative, recently dispatching agents in the bureau’s San Francisco office to quickly redact the files before they are released publicly despite no evidence of wrongdoing by Swalwell.  

The potential release is part of the Trump administration’s aggressive push to smear Swalwell, a vocal critic of convicted felon Donald Trump and a leading Democratic candidate for California governor. It is highly unusual for the FBI to release case files tied to a probe that did not result in criminal charges.

As FBI director, Patel has focused on trying to bring a criminal case against the outspoken Democrat, reassigning multiple agents in San Francisco to work on the matter, the current and former officials said. FBI leaders have even discussed sending agents to China to talk to the suspected intelligence operative, believing she could have damaging information about Swalwell.

The Chinese woman at issue is Christine Fang, who reportedly helped with fundraising for Swalwell’s 2014 reelection campaign and even helped place an intern in his congressional office. When federal agents conveyed their concerns about Fang to Swalwell around 2015, he reportedly cut off ties with her and said he helped investigators.  Swalwell was not accused of any wrongdoing when the FBI investigated his relationship with Fang a decade ago. In 2023, the Republican-led House Ethics Committee closed a two-year investigation into the congressman, deciding to “take no further action.” 

Despite that, FBI leaders have recently suggested that the government could try to arrange for Fang to get a U.S. visa in exchange for speaking with FBI agents, according to the three people with knowledge of Patel’s efforts. It would be highly unorthodox to grant a visa to a person suspected of being an intelligence agent for a foreign superpower.   In addition, bringing a known Chinese spy back into the U.S. represents a major security risk.

The push to publicly release the investigative files strongly suggests that the FBI has struggled to so far to build a criminal case against Swalwell. Even if there is no incriminating evidence in the files, an extensive case file could contain revealing and personal details about Swalwell and his campaign operations.

The lengths that Patel’s circle is going to in the bid to pursue a political foe of the president have raised alarms within the bureau, where some officials fear that releasing the files (even with redactions) could compromise law enforcement sources and investigatory methods, making it harder for the FBI to gain trust with potential witnesses.

They also said they feared the repercussions of sending agents to the territory of an adversarial nation to dig up information on a sitting congressman. Such an interview, legal experts said, would be impossible without Chinese interference, and Fang would be considered an unreliable witness.

 

Jailbirdie!

Woods' Martin County mugshot

Tiger Woods was photographed for the first time after he left jail following his arrest for driving under the influence (DUI).  The 50-year-old pro golfer was involved in a rollover crash near Jupiter Island, Fla., around 1 p.m. local time last Friday.

After the incident, Woods was charged with DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.  The athlete bonded out and was released from custody that same day, and new photographs taken after his release show Woods looking upset as he sat in the passenger seat of a car, exiting the premises of the Martin County jail. 

 

The March 27 crash took place between Woods' Land Rover and a pressure-cleaning truck that was pulling a small trailer, Martin County Sheriff John M. Budensiek said at a press conference that same day.

According to authorities, Woods was alone in his vehicle at the time of the crash. Budensiek said police are “not sure” whether he was wearing a seat belt. 

“Mr. Woods did not appear to be injured at all, and the other individual was not injured,” Budensiek said during the press conference, adding that the athlete was “lethargic on scene because of what he was intoxicated on.”

The police chief also confirmed that Woods “did exhibit signs of impairment," but added that authorities "were not suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case, and that proved to be true at the jail," where he blew "triple zeroes" on the breathalyzer test. (Woods refused to take a urinalysis test at the jail, Budensiek said.) 

The March 27 incident marked another car accident involving Woods. He previously sustained serious injuries in a 2021 crash in Los Angeles that required surgery, and he was also involved in a separate incident in 2009, also near his Florida home.  

Spanish Woman Dies by Euthanasia after Legal Battle with Neglectful Father

The death by euthanasia of a 25-year-old Spanish woman after a protracted legal battle with her father has triggered debate about the role of the state in caring for her and why it took so long to implement her wish to end her life.   Spain is one of a handful of European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, that have passed laws allowing euthanasia to be carried out by physicians. The Catalan regional government had granted Noelia Castillo's request for assisted dying in 2024.

The case has received enormous attention in Spain, with Castillo's father and Christian Lawyers (Abogados Cristianos) attempting to block her death until the last moment. After an 18-month legal battle, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled this week in Noelia Castillo's favor. 

In October 2022, Castillo had thrown herself from the fifth floor of a building. It was then that she became paraplegic and requested euthanasia, a petition that was approved in July 2024 after the Catalan regional government agency determined that she was in an “irreversible” clinical condition causing her “severe dependency, chronic pain, and debilitating suffering.”  The government determined that she had met the requirements set by law and she passed on Thursday evening at a Barcelona hospital.  

It is ironic that Castillo was blocked by the very father who had neglected her during her youth and was the source of much of her anguish. 

Barry Manilow - Sun Shine

Sign of Doom Appears Over Tel Aviv

The skies over Tel Aviv were flooded with a sea of crows on Tuesday, in what many people are saying is a 'harbinger of doom' warning.  Thousands of crows were filmed circling high-rise buildings, including the iconic Azrieli Towers, in dramatic footage that quickly went viral online. 

 Many viewers linked the eerie scene to Israel's ongoing conflict with Iran, claiming the spectacle signaled a looming disaster.  'This is considered by many to be a 'harbinger of doom' as it is often followed by total catastrophe,' one user shared on social media, while others linked it to a biblical prophecy.  They cited the Book of Revelation 19:17, which describes an angel standing in the sun, shouting to birds flying in midair to gather for 'the great supper of God.'

The swirling flock created dark, shifting clouds over the skyline, leaving residents and viewers stunned by the sheer scale of the migration.  While scientists said the dramatic sighting was a routine migration event, many social media users insisted there was something more sinister behind the massive flock. 'This is the worst possible omen at a civilizational level,' one user shared.  'It's still taken seriously back home in England, and the Romans would stop entire wars over this sign.'

In ancient Rome, priests known as augurs closely watched the skies, interpreting the flight patterns and calls of birds as messages from the gods that could influence decisions about war, leadership and major public events.  Large or unusual gatherings of birds were often viewed as ominous warnings of trouble ahead.

More than 2,000 people have been killed across the Middle East as the war enters its fourth week.  Israeli and U.S. strikes inside Iran have left more than 1,200 people dead, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.  At least 1,000 deaths have been reported in Lebanon, while 17 people have been killed in Israel.  The conflict has also claimed the lives of 13 US service members, with two additional troops dying from noncombat causes. 

 

 

Crazy Times Indeed

Sleepy Time for Don

Convicted felon Donald Trump continues to be the subject of speculation around his health and wellbeing online, after having two MRI scans in the space of a year in 2025, being diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency and – in this case – appearing to fall asleep on multiple occasions.

The 79-year-old orange man has, however, addressed the rumors before, speaking during the January 29 cabinet meeting to say that the last meeting – where he appeared to close his eyes – “got pretty boring”.

For reference, here are some of the most recent instances of Trump taking a "spontaneous nap" -- 

April 26, 2025: One of the earliest and most high-profile instances where Trump was accused of falling asleep was at the funeral of Pope Francis. He also faced criticism for going against the Vatican’s dress code and wearing a blue suit and appearing to be on his phone during the event. 

May 13, 2025: While on a tour of the Middle East, touting a new agreement signed with Saudi Arabia in a press conference, Trump appeared to fall asleep, and was subsequently branded “Sleepy Don.”

July 15, 2025: Ironically, despite its name, people pointed out that Trump appeared to fall asleep during the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit.

October 8, 2025: Trump has long been vocal in his opposition to the Antifa movement, but during a round table on this very subject in October, the Republican seemingly struggled to stay awake. 

November 6, 2025: At the same event where a White House guest fainted, Trump was seen leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed.

December 2, 2025: As Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed Trump is “the only leader in the world who can help end” the war in Ukraine, the president was seen leaning to one side with his eyes closed, nodding but without opening his eyes when Rubio addressed him as “Mr President” while speaking.

December 4, 2025: Just days later, Trump’s head was seen drooping and he seemed to be struggling to stay awake during a press conference marking the signing of new agreements by leaders from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

December 18, 2025: During an Oval Office event marking Trump signing an executive order to give marijuana a lower drugs classification, the president appeared to drift off while sat at the Resolute Desk.

January 4, 2026: During the press conference on U.S. action in Venezuela, Trump was observed fighting off slumber land while top military official Dan “Raizin” Caine was at the podium.  Trump was seen in the background appearing to be struggling to stay awake, closing his eyes on several occasions. 

January 14, 2026: With Health Secretary RFK and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins standing behind him, Trump appeared to nod off in his Oval Office chair during a White House event focused on the return of whole and two per cent milk to school lunches. 

February 12, 2026: Standing behind Lee Zeldin of the Environmental Protection Agency during a press conference on removing climate regulations, Trump appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open yet again.

February 19, 2026:  The Orange Man appeared to close his eyes during the first meeting of his newly established Board of Peace, with the press office of California governor Gavin Newsom among those poking fun at the Republican. 

March 23, 2026: Trump was in Tennessee attending a round table on the Memphis Safe Task Force when he appeared to struggle to keep his eyes open. 

 

Meanwhile Back at the Office . . .

 

Controversy Reigns After Senegal Stripped of its Africa Cup Title

A night of jubilation in Morocco was ushered in by anger in Senegal after the Confederation that governed football in the continent made the controversial decision to strip the Senegalese national team of their continental football title and hand it to their North African rivals.  Last week (over two months after the final whistle blew at a contentious and acrimonious final in Rabat) came the news that the Africa Cup tournament host Morocco was named the winners of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) had ruled that Senegal had broken the rules by leaving the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision. The match later resumed and Senegal won 1-0 but Caf said that the walkout meant they had forfeited the game.

Moroccans took to the streets to celebrate and local media have shown videos of happy fans driving through Tangier waving the national flag, banging tambourines and honking their horns. Other pictures show triumphant supporters letting off flares.  Moroccan journalist Jalal Bounour said that it was "a sleepless night as fans welcomed the news with great excitement and joy".

There was an overwhelming sense that justice had been done after what Moroccans saw as a violation of the rules.  "I believe this was a sporting injustice, Morocco was certainly wronged and the facts were clear," one man told the BBC in Rabat.  "The entire Moroccan people are out in every city and everywhere, happy with our cup. The cup has returned to us, the cup that was denied to us," a woman, who was wearing the national team's top, told a local sports channel.  "My friend told me that Morocco had won, and I was so happy. I was sleeping at home when I heard this news, and I was so happy. We're so happy now," another man said.

Another fan said the nation was still astonished by the decision: "The team is in shock, I swear I am in shock. Thank God, our cup has returned to us and we are grateful because it was given to us."  The news also dropped like a bombshell in the Senegalese capital, Dakar - but for the opposite reason.  "I'm stunned. Football no longer exists. This is not football. No-one here understands or accepts this decision," a young man, Daouda Seck, told the AFP news agency.  "We're shocked. Corruption has ended up winning."

His views echoed the official response from the Senegalese government which said it would appeal against the decision to take the title away from the national side, adding that the ruling undermined Caf's credibility.  The authorities have also called for an "independent international investigation into suspected corruption within Caf's governing bodies".

"Caf is set to become a laughing stock in the football world, and Africans will be ridiculed for everything that has been said and criticized regarding the organization of this tournament," another Senegal fan told the BBC.  "I think the best team won on the pitch, and that should be respected off it as well, so the rules, the laws of the sport should come into play at that level," Senegalese student Ralf Nonga told AFP.

 

Trump Loses Yet Again in Federal Court

A federal judge has ruled that the Pentagon’s restrictions on news outlets violate the First Amendment and issued an order tossing parts of the Defense Department’s policy.

Judge Paul Friedman, of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, also ordered the Pentagon to restore the press passes of seven journalists for The New York Times, which had brought the suit. The NYT reporters had surrendered their passes last October instead of signing the policy, which empowered the Pentagon to declare journalists “security risks” and revoke their press passes if they engaged in any conduct that the Pentagon believed threatened national security.

In his 40-page ruling, Judge Friedman wrote that the Pentagon’s policy rewarded reporters who were “willing to publish only stories that are favorable to or spoon-fed by department leadership.”

Siding with an argument advanced by The Times, Judge Friedman added that the Pentagon had given itself too much power to enforce its new rules. The policy also violates journalists’ due process rights under the Fifth Amendment, he said, writing that it “provides no way for journalists to know how they may do their jobs without losing their credentials.”

The ruling was a defeat for the Trump administration, which has been engaged in a multifaceted pressure campaign against the news media. ABC News and CBS News’s parent company agreed to multimillion-dollar settlements to resolve suits that President Trump brought against the networks. The ABC late-night star Jimmy Kimmel was temporarily pulled off the air last year after Mr. Trump’s top communications regulator assailed his program and suggested that he might take regulatory action against the broadcaster.

The ruling against the Pentagon followed a similarly stark decision this month from a federal judge to restore the operations of Voice of America, a government-funded news organization that Mr. Trump had ordered shuttered a year ago in an executive order.

A spokesman for The Times said Judge Friedman’s ruling “reaffirms the right of The Times and other independent media to continue to ask questions on the public’s behalf,” adding that “Americans deserve visibility into how their government is being run, and the actions the military is taking in their name and with their tax dollars.”

 

Twenty One Pilots - Drag Path

Taliban Allows Men to Beat Wives as Long as They Don’t Break Bones

Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have issued a draconian decree that makes sodomy punishable by death and allows men to beat their wives so long as they don’t break bones or leave visible, lasting wounds.

Human rights campaigners have decried the move as “devastating” and warned that women’s recourse to justice would be further curtailed.  “The men have the right to rule completely the women,” rights activist Mahbouba Seraj told CNN from Kabul. “His word is the word of law – that’s it.” 

The decree was issued last month but has only recently come to international attention after it was leaked to the Afghan rights group Rawadari, which published it in the original Pashto. The Afghanistan Analysts Network then translated the document into English.  The punishments outlined in the decree have already been widespread throughout the country, but this is the first time that they have been so clearly codified since the United States and its allies withdrew from the country in August 2021, allowing the Taliban to return to power.  The Taliban insists that all its rulings are in line with Islamic Sharia law and have religious legitimacy.

The punishment for animal abuse is more severe. The decree says that anyone who forces animals like dogs or cockerels to fight should be sentenced to five months in prison. The decree also permits a father to punish their child for, among another things, failing to pray. The punishment for a teacher who so severely beats a student that a bone is broken is to be removed from their job.

Given that women in Afghanistan are prohibited from leaving the home without a male guardian, activists say the new law will prevent women from seeking justice even in cases of severe physical violence. Afghanistan’s Sharia Law also dictates that a woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man.

Women have seen their rights steadily degraded since the Taliban returned to power. Women are banned from almost all work outside the home. UNICEF estimates that more than two million girls and women have been shut out of education by the Taliban’s ban on them attending secondary school and university.  The UN’s top human rights official, Volker Türk, told the Human Rights Council that the decree was “legitimizing violence against women and children, and characterized Afghanistan as a graveyard for human rights. “Afghanistan’s women and girls face extreme gender-based discrimination and oppression that amounts to persecution,” Türk said. “The system of segregation is reminiscent of apartheid, based on gender rather than race.”

 

For Real

 

Happy St. Pat's Day!

 

Market Prospects

 

Alarming Rise of Kidnapping of Foreigners in Western Region of Africa

When Marin Petrović arrived in Mali in early September last year, he was elated.  Petrović enjoyed the sights and sounds of Bamako's markets, busy roads, schools, and even sampled some local beers, according to a social media post.

"The next day I set off for Mopti, known for its 100-year-old mud mosque," he continued, referring to the Grand Mosque of Mopti, a 15-meter tall architectural feat made from mud bricks. But before Petrović could continue his dream of exploring Mali's ancient treasures, his trip took an unexpected turn.

"An armed attack takes place on the road between Bla and San," he said in the same Instagram post.  "Six motorbikes with two long-bearded terrorists, each armed with Kalashnikovs, surround the vehicle and drag me into the bushes, along non-existent paths through the undergrowth, through swamps, far from the main road… I was kidnapped by al-Qaeda jihadists!!!"  Petrović had become the latest victim of a concerning trend for foreign travelers and expatriate workers in West Africa's Sahel region.

U.S. Government is Accelerating Coral Reef Collapse

Widely referred to as the “tip of the spear” in the American arsenal, Guam—which is smaller than New York City but home to a military community of nearly 23,000—is a dichotomy of majestic nature and military might.  But the real powerhouse of the Pacific exists not on land but just below the water’s surface in its biological resilience, which is now threatened by the Pentagon’s quest for strategic deterrence. The weapons that miss their target on the testing range will soon find a different one, sinking down to the most diverse coral reef of any U.S. jurisdiction. A battle between the two is now emerging.

The U.S. government is accelerating coral reef collapse around Guam, alleges a team of international researchers in a letter released this month in Science. They warn administration pressures to prioritize national security—through dredging projects, increased military infrastructure and live firing ranges—will cause harm to endangered habitats.

Additionally, a fundamental misunderstanding of coral taxonomy in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is exacerbating the ecological harm to fisheries and reefs. Without intervention, these Pacific habitats now risk the same “functional extinction” experienced in Florida.

The Summer Set - America!

Draft-Dodging Son of Netanyahu Safe in the U.S.

Photo: Yair Netanyahu's Instagram

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu's son is avoiding military service in sunny Miami while his war-criminal father wreaks havoc in the Middle east.  The 34-year-old is reportedly engaged in "non-profit charity work" in Florida, while approximately 360,000 reserve soldiers have been mobilized to join the Israeli army against the war in Iran, temporarily abandoning their other responsibilities.

Questions are emerging about why he hasn't joined his fellow countrymen.  The situation has also sparked fury among Israeli soldiers who feel Yair should be contributing to the war effort.  One soldier stationed on Israel's northern front told The Times in London: "Yair is enjoying his life at Miami Beach whilst I'm on the front lines. 

"It's us who are leaving our work, our families, our kids, to protect our families back home and the country, not the people who are responsible for this situation.

"Our brothers, our fathers, sons, are all going to the front line, but Yair is still not here. It does not help build trust in the leadership of the country."

Meanwhile, Back at the Office . . .

 

Texas Town Revolts Against Kirk Memorial

Locals filled a recent Bastrop County commissioners meeting to push back against a proposal to memorialize bigoted far-right pundit Charlie Kirk.   

After County Commissioner David Glass proposed a “Charlie Kirk Corridor” in the up-and-coming tech hub neighboring Austin, over a hundred people aired their grievances until the motion was inevitably tabled.  "I'm going to take a breath and have some more conversations with my constituents," Glass told the Austin American-Statesman. It’s unclear why Glass would be vying for a Kirk memorial in his county, of all places, but the area isn’t a nobody on the map. Bastrop County is home to about 115,000 residents—as well as many of billionaire Elon Musk’s corporations.

Though Bastrop County used to be a quieter area, it has shot up in growth since Musk packed up what was once known as Twitter from its home in California and relocated it to the little-known area. Now, Bastrop and nearby counties and towns are home to X, Starlink, and the Boring Company, Musk’s environmentally stained tunneling outfit.   The unstable Tesla CEO built residential and commercial areas for his employees throughout the area. Residents now have Musk’s company towns. They even have Ad Astra, Musk’s attempted Montessori-style school that seems to be operating today as a “licensed child care program” for roughly 10 children under the age of 5, according to The New York Times. 

 

You Don't Say

 

Another Salvo in the War of Hate

Transgender people living in Kansas have been ordered to hand back their driver’s licenses if they do not reflect their assigned-sex-at-birth, under a new law.  Residents received letters informing them that the controversial House Substitute for Senate Bill 244 would take effect immediately.

The letter, seen by Erin In The Morning, a website dedicated to covering issues impacting transgender people, says that drivers will be issued a new license upon handing in their old one.

“Please note that the Legislature did not include a grace period for updating credentials,” the letter reads. “That means that once the law is officially enacted, your current credentials will be invalid immediately, and you may be subject to additional penalties if you are operating a vehicle without a valid credential.”  The legislation was vetoed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, earlier this month, but was then overwritten by a Republican supermajority in the state legislature.

However, the rapid enactment of the new law has left transgender residents across the state scrambling to get the correct identification.  Iridescent Riffel, a transgender woman who commutes to work, says that she is now worried about getting into her car.  “I don’t want to get a misdemeanor just trying to go to work,” she told The Kansas City Star. “I’m salaried. I’m not working hourly, and not everyone has that same privilege as me.”

SB 244 also requires transgender Kansans to use bathrooms and multi-occupancy private spaces in accordance with their sex assigned at birth, while in government buildings.  The bill allows private citizens to take legal action against someone if they suspect them of not using the bathroom that is in accordance with their assigned sex at birth. If successful, someone who files a complaint against a transgender person in a public bathroom could stand to gain $1,000.

Anyone found to have used a bathroom not in accordance with their assigned sex at birth will be given a written warning on their first offense. On their second offense, they will receive a $1,000 fine. A third offense carries a $ 1,000 fine and a six-month prison sentence. Another change enforced by the sweeping bill relates to the term “gender,” which has now been defined as a person’s “biological sex at birth.”

As the law continues to be rolled out, Democratic Representative Abi Boatman has slammed the new legislation.  “The persecution is the point,” Boatman told The Kansas City Star.

Kelley Robinson, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, also accused Kansas’s lawmakers of choosing “politics over people.” “Forcing people into the wrong bathrooms, stripping them of accurate IDs, and allowing government-sanctioned harassment doesn’t make anyone safer - it targets transgender Kansans for no reason and will undoubtedly impact many others who are targeted with animus whether or not they are transgender,” Robinson said in a press release.

Governor Kelly vetoed SB 244 earlier this month, describing it as poorly drafted legislation.  “Not only will this bill keep brothers from visiting sisters’ dorms and husbands from wives’ shared hospital rooms, it will cost Kansas taxpayers millions of dollars to comply with this very vague legislation,” she added. 

 

Like any Fascist, Trump Is Trying to Criminalize Protesting

The Trump administration believes you don't have the right to record Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in public. This stance is both factually wrong and an attempt to chill free speech by conflating it with violence.

At a July 2025 press conference in Tampa, Florida, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said, "Violence is anything that threatens them and their safety, so it is doxing them, it's videotaping them where they're at when they're out on operations, encouraging other people to come and to throw things, rocks, bottles."

In September 2025, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin called "videotaping ICE law enforcement and posting photos and videos of them online" a form of doxing. She added, "We will prosecute those who illegally harass ICE agents to the fullest extent of the law."

These aren't idle threats. The Trump administration strong-armed Apple into removing an app from its mobile store that tracked ICE activity and threatened criminal investigations into its creators.

The most aggressive application of this policy has come in Chicago under "Operation Midway Blitz," where ICE officers have relentlessly targeted protesters, reporters, and clergy engaged in protected First Amendment activity. In October, a group of journalists and protesters filed a lawsuit alleging "a
pattern of extreme brutality in a concerted and ongoing effort to silence the press
 and civilians."

In court filings, the plaintiffs stated that federal officials' own testimony illustrated their point. For example, when ICE field director Russell Hott was asked if he agreed "that it's unconstitutional to arrest people for being opposed to Midway Blitz," he answered "No."  "Similarly, [U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Greg] Bovino testified that he has instructed his officers to arrest protesters who make hyperbolic comments in the heat of political demonstrations, even though such statements—which do not constitute true threats—are protected speech," the motion argued.

U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis issued a preliminary injunction against DHS in early November 2025, saying the government's conduct "shocked the conscience."  Ellis found much of the officials' testimony not credible. Bovino, for instance, testified that he never used force against a protester he was filmed tackling, and in another instance, Ellis said, he lied about being hit with a rock before firing tear gas at demonstrators. Nor did evidence support the government's claims that federal officers issued warnings before firing less-than-lethal projectiles at those protesters.  "Describing rapid response networks and neighborhood moms as professional agitators shows just how out of touch these agents are, and how extreme their views are," said Ellis.

Cato Institute senior fellow Walter Olson points out that, "While the Supreme Court itself hasn't yet faced the issue squarely, the seven federal circuits that have done so…all agree that the First Amendment protects the right to record police performing their duties in public."  Likewise, federal circuits have upheld the right to use vulgar language to oppose police without fear of retaliation, and to warn others of nearby police checkpoints or speed traps.

Recording government agents is one of the few tools citizens have to hold state power accountable. Any attempt to redefine observation as "violence" is not only unconstitutional—it's authoritarian gaslighting. When a government fears cameras more than crimes, it isn't protecting the rule of law. It's protecting itself.

 

Foo Fighters - Your Favorite Toy

So True!

 

Crazy Pete Doesn't Like Rules of Engagement

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared particularly unhinged during the first official news briefing about President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran. Hegseth praised Israel, the U.S.’s military partner in the Iran strikes, for joining in what he described as “unleashing the most lethal and precise air power campaign in history.” 

Hegseth said that the campaign was being carried out “all on our terms, with maximum authorities. No stupid rules of engagement, no nation-building quagmire, no democracy-building exercise, no politically correct wars.” 

It was unclear what "politically correct wars” Hegseth is talking about. Maybe that one against Nazi Germany? Despite his bluster, Hegseth seemed rankled by the suggestion that we are now involved in a regime change.   "This is not Iraq,” he said. “This is not endless." 

His remarks, like most everything in the Trump administration, were not in sync with President Donald Trump’s own boasts to Fox News anchor Bret Baier. Trump claimed that U.S. and Israeli forces targeted an Iranian leadership meeting and took out “49 leaders.” 

Hegseth also bristled at questions about the timeline for U.S. involvement, calling them “gotcha-type” questions, though he also warned that the Trump-initiated conflict “will include casualties. War is hell and always will be”

In case anyone forgot-- last June, Hegseth claimed Iran’s nuclear program—one ostensible reason for this latest strike—was “devastated” by prior U.S. strikes.  

 

 

Release all the Epstein Files Now!

There are fresh reports that q secret storage locker rented by Jeffrey Epstein contained computers, video tapes, sex-slave manuals and photographs of naked women. The Telegraph revealed that Epstein paid private detectives to remove items from his Florida property in an apparent attempt to hide them from investigators ahead of a police raid in 2005.  These were kept at a nearby storage facility in Palm Beach for several years while police investigated the pedophile.

The unit was rented on Epstein’s behalf by the Riley Kiraly detective agency and was one of at least six storage lockers leased by the late financier over a 16-year period.  An inventory of the secret Palm Beach lock-up showed that the stashed items included three computers, 29 address books and a three-page list of masseuses in Florida.  The hidden storage unit also contained nude photographs, believed to be of Epstein’s victims, as well as dozens of pornographic magazines, VHS tapes and DVDs eroticizing teenagers.  An 8mm video cassette tape was also locked away in the storage unit, apparently containing footage of someone in the shower and a woman in lingerie, as well as a 2005 calendar, greeting cards, letters and laboratory results.

The New York Times has also now reported that the vast trove of documents released by the Justice Department from its investigations into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein failed to include some key materials related to a woman who made an accusation against President Trump.  The materials are F.B.I. memos summarizing interviews the bureau did in connection to claims made in 2019 by a woman who came forward after Mr. Epstein’s arrest to say she had been sexually assaulted by both Mr. Trump and the financier decades earlier, when she was a minor.

The existence of the memos was revealed in an index listing the investigative materials related to her account, which was publicly released. According to that index, the F.B.I. conducted four interviews in connection with her claims and wrote summaries about each one. But only one summary of the four interviews, which describes her accusations against Mr. Epstein, was released by the Justice Department. The other three are missing.  The public files also do not include the underlying interview notes, which the index also indicates are part of the file.

 

Season 2 Can't Come Fast Enough!

 

Sports Always Seem to Turn the GOP Into Sore Losers

Oliver Willis of the Daily Kos opined last week on how the Olympics almost always seem to turn conservatives into sore losers.  Convicted felon Donald Trump himself started digging his own hole in this regard when he attacked Team USA skier Hunter Hess as a “loser” for speaking out about the toxicity of Trump’s presidency.  Snowboarder Chloe Kim later backed up Hess and told reporters,“Obviously, my parents being immigrants, this one definitely hits pretty close to home. I think in moments like these it is important for us to unite and stand up for one another.” Kim called on athletes to “lead with love and compassion” as their home country is roiled by violent and lawless mass deportation efforts.

Trump and other Republicans’ objections to athletes voicing their beliefs highlight conservatives’ lack of understanding about the Olympics. The games are about respectful athletic competition, global unity, and mutual respect. In contrast, the right’s world view—especially under Trump—is of an archaic past where domination, not cooperation, is the default.

If at First You Don't Succeed . . .

Convicted felon Donal Trump is trying yet again.  In the midst of diplomatic talks ( ), the Trump administration (in cahoots with Israel) launched an attack on cities across Iran.  The major assault threatened a broader regional conflict, with President Trump vowing to devastate the country’s military, eliminate its nuclear program and bring about a change in its government. Iran and the United States had been engaged a series of indirect talks over Tehran’s nuclear program in recent weeks but failed to reach a compromise that could have staved off American strikes. The most recent talks were held on Thursday when senior U.S. and Iranian officials gathered for a seemingly decisive round of negotiations in Switzerland.  Regarding those talks, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi said that the most recent round of negotiations ended with an agreement on a “set of guiding principles.” 

Waves of large explosions shook the Iranian capital, Tehran, starting around 9 a.m. local time (1 a.m. EST) and witnesses described chaos in the streets as people rushed to seek shelter, find loved ones or flee the city. Israel admitted that it had, in part, targeted a gathering of senior Iranian officials in the opening strikes. 

As they made their public case for another American military campaign against Iran, President Trump and his aides asserted that Iran had restarted its nuclear program, had enough available nuclear material to build a bomb within days and was developing long-range missiles that will soon be capable of hitting the United States.

All three of these claims are either false or unproven.  American and European government officials, international weapons monitoring groups and reports from American intelligence agencies give a far different picture of the urgency of the Iran threat. Iran has taken steps to dig out the nuclear facilities hit during strikes last June, and it has resumed work at some sites long known to American spy agencies. But the officials said that there isn’t evidence that Iran has made active efforts to resume enriching uranium or trying to build a mechanism to detonate a bomb.  The stockpiles of uranium that Iran has already enriched remain buried after last year’s strikes, making it nearly impossible for Iran to build a bomb “within days.”  Even though Iran has a large arsenal of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting Israel and American military bases in the Middle East, American intelligence agencies believe Iran is probably years away from having missiles that can hit the United States.   

The U.S. Agency for Global Media said it had “significantly expanded” Voice of America’s Persian-language service in recent months and was broadcasting Trump’s speech announcing today’s attack “to the brave people of Iran across every available platform, including satellite.”  The U.S. government’s overall messaging to the Iranian people was muddled. There was no additional information on how Iranian soldiers and police officers were supposed to carry out Trump’s demand that they surrender. And it was unclear how deeply Voice of America and other U.S.-funded media would be able to cover the war in the wake of last year’s extensive cuts. 

Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, said there were currently no back-channel negotiations taking place in an effort to end the war with the United States and Israel. “If the Americans want to talk to us, they know how they can contact me,” Araghchi said in an interview on NBC News.  Araghchi added that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, and Masoud Pezeshkian, the president, were still alive “as far as I know.” When asked about President Trump’s call for Iranians to overthrow the government, Araghchi dismissively labeled it: “Mission Impossible.” 

Analysts warned that the fighting could easily devolve into a protracted war with no clear exit. Many world leaders urged restraint, although Canada and Australia backed the American campaign against Iran.  The Pumpkin Putin suggested that the conflict might end with Iranians rising up against their own authoritarian government after the American assault. “It will be yours to take,” Trump said, speaking to the Iranian public. “This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

 

Mumford & Sons - The Banjo Song

BBC and BAFTA in Hot Water Over Their Bigotry

At the BAFTA Awards over the weekend, one of the nominated movies was a biographical film of John Davidson, who suffers from Tourette's syndrome. Tourette's is a disorder characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal tic.  Approximately10-15% of people with Tourette's experience vocal tics like coprolalia, which is the involuntary, uncontrollable outburst of obscene words or socially inappropriate phrases.  There is no cure for Tourette's, there is no single most effective medication, and no one medication effectively treats all symptoms.   

Naturally enough, John Davidson himself attended the awards ceremony and could be heard shouting various expletives, due to his Tourette’s.  When "Sinners" stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo took the stage to present an award, Davidson shouted out the "n-word" which was picked up by nearby audience microphones and was also heard on the broadcast, which was on a 2-hour delay.  25 minutes later, Davidson left the auditorium.  

The BAFTA organization was aware that Davidson was going to attend the ceremony and later admitted that they met to discuss what might happen were he to swear during the broadcast. Despite these efforts (if we are to believe they took place) they took no precautions to seat Davidson away from live microphones that could pick up his outbursts.  The ceremony was on a 2-hour broadcast delay, and the BBC had ample opportunity to "bleep" out the racial slur.  After the ceremony was broadcast, it was made available for streaming for 15 hours before public outrage forced the BBC to take it down.  To make matters worse for the BBC, they did take advantage of the 2-hour delay to edit out award winner Akinola Davies Jr.'s  mention of "free Palestine" in his acceptance speech.

The fallout has been major.  The BBC has been widely criticized for leaving up a version of the ceremony on its streaming platform (in which the racial slur was audible) for over 15 hours before it was taken down. The broadcaster has also been criticized for failing to edit out the racial slur, while it did edit Davies Jr.’s speech, including a part where he says “free Palestine.”

British actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù shared a lengthy statement on social media, criticizing what he described as the “institutional racism” behind the BBC’s decision to edit Davies Jr.’s BAFTA speech but not Davidson’s involuntary slur.  

“On a night of incredible joy and celebration, not only of our film but many other wonderful artists, especially black artists, this is the biggest talking point walking away from the evening,” Dìrísù wrote in the statement. “I didn’t want to fuel the discourse about it, but like Vinícius Júnior, racism, bigotry, and injustice have to be exposed and shouted from the rooftops.”  (last week, Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior reported racist abuse during a game against Portuguese team Benfica). 

Dìrísù continued: “That the BBC found wonderfully creative ways to censor Akinola’s beautiful speech about inclusivity and justice and freedom, but were comfortable and actively made the decision to broadcast a message of hate and intolerance shows where its priorities lie.” 

Dìrísù added he is not “ignorant” to how “institutionally racist the UK, the industry, or the BBC are and continues to prove themselves to be.” But he said the actions still hurt when “it’s thrown in your face in front of the world.” 

The Gangs of London actor ended his statement by commending Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, whom he described as “gracious, dignified, and defiant.”  Dìrísù said he is looking forward to a [BBC] apology and repercussion, but he wasn't holding his breath.  Neither am I, frankly.

 

A Real Disaster

 

Meanwhile, Back at the Office . . .

Taxpayers Pay for Keystone Kash Boondoggle in Milan

FBI Spokesman Ben Williamson spent days trying to discredit reports by MS NOW’s Ken Dilanian and others who reported Patel would be attending the Winter Olympics in Milan.  “Your rag outlet wrote that [Patel] went to hang out at the Olympics on the taxpayer dime – even when provided information that your theory was false. When you’re ready to correct that let me know. Won’t hold my breath,” Williamson posted on social media in response to a reporter.

But social media junkie Keystone Kash himself made a liar out of the FBI spokesman, when he posted pictures of himself in Milan, pathetically celebrating with the USA men's hockey team.  Even Steve Baker, reporter for the pro-Trump outlet The Blaze called out Patel’s spokesman, writing, “Ummm…what was that you said, @_WilliamsonBen?”

Reporters and social media users immediately began calling out Patel's "meetings with law enforcement" as the lamest of cover stories, and immediately began asking how much taxpayer money was spent on the boondoggle. Patel is not related to anyone on the team, and is not a donor or supporter of USA Hockey organization.  It is believed that he used his political position to force his way into the locker room.

Plenty of critics piled on to accuse the FBI director of wasting taxpayer money when they felt Patel should have been solving crimes in the U.S. The FBI’s highest profile case currently is weeks-old disappearance of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy.  During Patel's shenanigans, a would-be assailant was shot dead on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.  At the same time, global tensions are increasing because Trump has been threatening military action against Iran. Such an attack could lead to violence against U.S. citizens via retaliation in the form of terrorism or other means.  On top of all that, Americans living in Mexico were being warned by the federal government to shelter in place in response to increased drug gang violence after the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel was killed by the Mexican army. 

But Keystone Kash has to get in his party time!  Patel has previously come under fire for using the FBI’s private jet to attend a wrestling event, and to see his country singer girlfriend perform at State College, PA. Patel also provided her with government security.  To make things worse for "KK" Patel, critics dug up a 2023 quote from the pint-sized showboat, who (at the time) criticized the FBI Director's use of jets: “I’m just saying [FBI Director] Chris Wray doesn’t need a government funded G5 jet to go to vacations. Maybe we ground that plane. $15,000 every time it takes off. Just a thought.”

Observers point out that the office of the FBI Director carries symbolic weight and that perception shapes how power is received. The FBI director does not operate as a personality. And yet Patel seems more committed to acting like a wannabe Instagram influencer than the nation’s top cop. 

 

Trump Shows Off His Grade-School United Nations

President Donald Trump held his first meeting of his “Board of Peace” this week, and the event was most notable for the absence of major world powers and highlighted Trump’s inability to lead on the global stage.

The group of world leaders included figures who have been close to Trump, including Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán and Argentina’s Javier Milei—who Trump has spent billions bailing out.  More importantly, major world powers like the United Kingdom, France, and Norway were absent. Additionally, the Vatican did not attend Trump’s event. Cardinal Pietro Parolin of the Vatican said in remarks on Tuesday that the main issue the “Board of Peace” had ostensibly assembled to discuss, the future of Gaza, was an issue for the United Nations.  “One concern is that at the international level it should above all be the UN that manages these crisis situations. This is one of the points on which we have insisted,” Parolin said.  The world leaders that did choose to attend were forced to stand around with Trump for a photo op accompanied by music from Guns N’ Roses.

Contrary to the event's objective for world peace, Trump threatened military action against Iran in his remarks, noting, “You’re going to be finding out probably over the next 10 days.”  Trump also forgot the names of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in his remarks, flogged his wife’s poorly reviewed movie, and once again complained about not winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump named himself chairman for life of the “Board of Peace” but failed to outline who would lead the organization after his term as president is over. Also member states are given a three-year membership (for free), but are encouraged to contribute $1 billion within the first year for permanent membership. Details are of course unclear on where that money would go and Trump has a long history of corruption and financial impropriety.

Currently the “Board of Peace” is housed in the former location of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a building which Trump illegally had renamed after himself (as he did with the Kennedy Center.) And despite the fate of Gaza purportedly being central to the board, it has no Palestinian representation. 

In reality, the “Board of Peace” is widely regarded as a vehicle for Trump to avoid the United Nations, where he has consistently given poorly received speeches that failed to rally international support to his positions. Trump’s most notable U.N.-related moments have had more to do with ranting about malfunctioning escalators than achieving international cooperation.  Trump cannot even work productively alongside regional partners like Canada and Mexico—but he thinks his pathetic “Board of Peace” can supplant the U.N. Fat chance!