How would you feel if I started adding small updates during the day? There are times when I feel that by the time morning comes around, stories such as the Delta plane that flipped over on a Toronto runway are old news. Yes, we’re glad that none of the 80 passengers on board were killed, but when we look at the number of airplane accidents in the past three weeks, we kinda have to worry about our air space. I know that, personally, I’m not going anywhere. But then, I never do, so there’s that.
Did you know that the US has drones flying secret missions over Mexico? I guess it’s not too much of a secret if the NYTimes is carrying the news that the CIA is expanding the program. Supposedly, the flights are searching for fentanyl labs. Fentanyl has been a problem in the US for a few years now and there’s no sign that law enforcement is getting any closer to having a handle on the issue. Most of the supply comes from outside the US, making it as much of a border issue as immigration.
Speaking of immigration, hundreds of immigrants are stuck in Panama. The White House has asked the Panamanian government to hold them there because they can’t easily be sent back to their home countries. Of course, with this many upset people from various countries crowded into the same place, the chances that it will blow up in our faces are significant. The mass deportation policy remains one of questionable legality, but no one is stopping it and this administration has no issue with breaking the law. Human rights are in tatters.
This one from the “Florida Man” file has me rolling my eyes hard this morning. A Jewish man mistook two Israeli tourists for Palestinians and opened fire on them in Miami. The AP version of this story leaves the fact that this was a Jew-on-Jew crime (how rare is that?) out of its headline. There’s all kinds of subtext to be read here, namely that the war that has now surpassed 500 days is one of the most ridiculous to ever be fought. Religious mythology leads people to do stupid things, though, especially in Florida. I swear there’s something in the water down there besides radioactive crocodiles.
Tom Homan, the White House’s ‘border czar’ (they really need to stop using the word czar) verbally attacked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) over her many activities letting immigrants in her district know what to do in case ICE shows up. The information is completely legal and helps calm nerves in neighborhoods with high immigrant populations. You know AOC didn’t take Homan’s criticism lightly. “This is why you fight these cowards. The moment you stand up to them, they crumble,” she wrote. “Homan has nothing. The Fourth Amendment is clear and I am well within my duties to educate people of their rights. He can threaten me with jail & call names all he wants. He’s got nothing else.” Yet more proof that this administration is hell-bent on ignoring the Constitution.
Politico’s Europe office is raising an uncomfortable question: Are LGBTQIA+ individuals safe anywhere? As right-wing organizations have made LGBTQIA+ rights a frequent target, violence has increased and many protections previously in place have been removed. This isn’t just a US thing, it’s a global problem. As this issue hits especially close to home, I’m not afraid to tell you that we’re more than mildly concerned. Just know that we will find a way to protect those living in our home. I’m pricing shotguns.
Are we setting up a death watch for the Pope? That’s how it feels with the latest announcement that the religious leader has a ‘complex’ respiratory infection. The Pope is 88. The risks of any infection at his age are high. Given the way the universe has been treating the world this year, nothing is going to surprise me here.
It’s not 8:00 EST yet, which means the president likely isn’t awake. There are a number of known issues on the horizon today, including whether DOGE gets access to IRS data. The talks in Saudi Arabia have now concluded. I guess they all needed a nap after lunch.
I’m not going to promise any updates later because the past two days my body has not allowed me much time to be awake. But I have a bad feeling about what’s coming this week, and I’m not talking about the weather.
Between The Cracks
How would you feel if I started adding small updates during the day? There are times when I feel that by the time morning comes around, stories such as the Delta plane that flipped over on a Toronto runway are old news. Yes, we’re glad that none of the 80 passengers on board were killed, but when we look at the number of airplane accidents in the past three weeks, we kinda have to worry about our air space. I know that, personally, I’m not going anywhere. But then, I never do, so there’s that.
As I’m typing (6:52 AM EST), the Russia/US talks in Saudi Arabia are on a lunch break. The fact that neither Ukraine nor any representative of the EU is included, has both groups feeling like they’ve been placed at the kids’ table. In yesterday’s meeting in Paris, EU leaders worried that they’re going to be caught picking up the bill, or worse having to do the cleanup. The US is acting more like an adversary than an ally toward Europe and decades of defense spending cuts put the continent in a vulnerable position. What’s not helping: Russian propaganda undercutting support for Ukraine. As right-wing groups grow, misinformation is as much a problem across Europe as it is in the US.
Did you know that the US has drones flying secret missions over Mexico? I guess it’s not too much of a secret if the NYTimes is carrying the news that the CIA is expanding the program. Supposedly, the flights are searching for fentanyl labs. Fentanyl has been a problem in the US for a few years now and there’s no sign that law enforcement is getting any closer to having a handle on the issue. Most of the supply comes from outside the US, making it as much of a border issue as immigration.
Speaking of immigration, hundreds of immigrants are stuck in Panama. The White House has asked the Panamanian government to hold them there because they can’t easily be sent back to their home countries. Of course, with this many upset people from various countries crowded into the same place, the chances that it will blow up in our faces are significant. The mass deportation policy remains one of questionable legality, but no one is stopping it and this administration has no issue with breaking the law. Human rights are in tatters.
This one from the “Florida Man” file has me rolling my eyes hard this morning. A Jewish man mistook two Israeli tourists for Palestinians and opened fire on them in Miami. The AP version of this story leaves the fact that this was a Jew-on-Jew crime (how rare is that?) out of its headline. There’s all kinds of subtext to be read here, namely that the war that has now surpassed 500 days is one of the most ridiculous to ever be fought. Religious mythology leads people to do stupid things, though, especially in Florida. I swear there’s something in the water down there besides radioactive crocodiles.
Tom Homan, the White House’s ‘border czar’ (they really need to stop using the word czar) verbally attacked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) over her many activities letting immigrants in her district know what to do in case ICE shows up. The information is completely legal and helps calm nerves in neighborhoods with high immigrant populations. You know AOC didn’t take Homan’s criticism lightly. “This is why you fight these cowards. The moment you stand up to them, they crumble,” she wrote. “Homan has nothing. The Fourth Amendment is clear and I am well within my duties to educate people of their rights. He can threaten me with jail & call names all he wants. He’s got nothing else.” Yet more proof that this administration is hell-bent on ignoring the Constitution.
Politico’s Europe office is raising an uncomfortable question: Are LGBTQIA+ individuals safe anywhere? As right-wing organizations have made LGBTQIA+ rights a frequent target, violence has increased and many protections previously in place have been removed. This isn’t just a US thing, it’s a global problem. As this issue hits especially close to home, I’m not afraid to tell you that we’re more than mildly concerned. Just know that we will find a way to protect those living in our home. I’m pricing shotguns.
Apparently, a 2.4 magnitude earthquake just hit Portugal. The headline just hit, so I apologize for not having more information.
A British couple who were detained in Iran while on a round-the-world motorcycle trip have been charged with espionage, according to the Iranian judiciary news agency. This comes as tensions between Iran and Israel continue to intensify. So yeah, this is totally a political move on Iran’s part. They’re looking for leverage against whatever Netanyahu might try to through at them. Maybe this isn’t a particularly good time to do any globe-trotting.
Are we setting up a death watch for the Pope? That’s how it feels with the latest announcement that the religious leader has a ‘complex’ respiratory infection. The Pope is 88. The risks of any infection at his age are high. Given the way the universe has been treating the world this year, nothing is going to surprise me here.
It’s not 8:00 EST yet, which means the president likely isn’t awake. There are a number of known issues on the horizon today, including whether DOGE gets access to IRS data. The talks in Saudi Arabia have now concluded. I guess they all needed a nap after lunch.
I’m not going to promise any updates later because the past two days my body has not allowed me much time to be awake. But I have a bad feeling about what’s coming this week, and I’m not talking about the weather.
Stay warm, friends.
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