Thune Just Called Bull on Trump’s Beef Deal
The Senate Majority Leader sides with ranchers over the president. Well, I didn’t expect to see John Thune throw a punch at his own party’s president, but here we are. The Senate Majority Leader just came out against Trump’s plan to flood the U.S. market with Argentine beef. Thune told Semafor “this isn’t the way…
Trump’s NOAA Killed the Billion-Dollar Disaster Database. A Nonprofit Brought It Back.
The Trump administration quietly retired a federal database that tracked billion-dollar weather disasters back in May. The database, maintained by NOAA, documented the most expensive storms, floods, wildfires, and other climate-related events in U.S. history. It was a key tool for researchers, policymakers, and insurance companies trying to understand the growing costs of extreme weather.…
Trump’s $300 Million White House Ballroom Works Out to $3,333 Per Square Foot
I just read a post on FB that got my spidey senses tingling. An architect named Andrew Kerr just laid out why Trump’s White House ballroom project is basically bullshit. And his math checks out. Here’s the deal. Trump’s now saying this 90,000 square foot ballroom will cost $300 million. Do the math on that…
The Shutdown’s Real Purpose Is Gutting Everything You’re Not Watching
The government shutdown standoff is supposedly about health care subsidies. Republicans won’t extend them. Democrats won’t budge. The media frames it as a principled fight over Affordable Care Act funding that helps about 22 million people afford insurance. That’s real, but it’s not the whole story. The subsidy fight is useful cover for gutting everything…
DHS Is Funneling $10 Billion Through the Navy to Build Detention Centers Faster
The Trump administration just found a creative way to spend $10 billion on detention centers while sidestepping those pesky federal procurement rules that slow things down. They’re funneling the money through the Navy to build what CNN calls a sprawling network of migrant detention facilities across the country. Construction on some of these facilities could…
Karoline Leavitt Owes $326,000 in Campaign Debt Including Illegal Contributions
Well, heres a grift you might not have heard about yet. Karoline Leavitt - Trump’s new White House Press Secretary - used to be a congressional candidate in New Hampshire. She ran for the 1st District seat in 2022, lost to Democrat Chris Pappas by eight points, and somehow came out of it owing over…
Google Says Its Quantum Computer Just Smoked a Supercomputer - and Someday Your Password Could Be Next
Alright, buckle up - this one’s long and messy. Google just said their quantum computer solved a problem 13,000 times faster than one of the world’s fastest supercomputers. Unlike their last quantum supremacy claims, Google says this one can actually be checked and is a real step toward real-world uses. They used their Willow chip…
Trump Is Stocking His Election Oversight Team With 2020 Deniers. Fear 2026.
If you’re not already worried about the 2026 Election - you definitely should be. Trump’s out here building his second administration like he’s assembling the Avengers of election denial. The man who spent four years claiming he won an election he clearly lost is now putting those same conspiracy theorists in charge of protecting our…
Coast Guard Gets Luxury Jets in the Middle of a Shutdown
Noem’s DHS signs off on up to $200 million for private aircraft during shutdown The government may have run out of money for paychecks but somehow found up to $200 million for private jets. While the shutdown drags into its third week, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem just approved a sole-source contract for two Gulfstream G700s…
Hegseth’s New Pentagon Press Corps Is Mostly Right-Wing Government Stenographers
The Pentagon just announced its shiny new press corps - and surprise - it’s mostly right-wing outlets that signed up for what amounts to a government-approved stenography program. Last week, dozens of credentialed Pentagon journalists turned in their badges after refusing to sign Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s restrictive new press policy. The policy requires reporters…
Harvard Has $57 Billion and Is Slashing PhD Admissions. Pick a Lane.
The news that Harvard, of all institutions, is slashing PhD admissions due to budget issues is pure absurdity. This is a university sitting on an endowment that just ballooned to nearly 57 billion dollars as of this fiscal year - yes, billion with a b - racking up its best investment returns since 2021 and…
Trump Is Updating Nixon’s Playbook
Trump is pulling a Nixon - but somehow making it worse. The administration is getting ready to overhaul the IRS Criminal Investigation division and install loyalists - and the Wall Street Journal reports a senior IRS official has already drawn up a list of potential targets that includes major Democratic donors.