Extra, Extra
Nuclear Meltdown: “A desultory, grievance-filled speech on what should have been a joyous occasion. The last-minute cancellation of a rare bipartisan bill signing in favor of yet another push for doomed, unpopular legislation. A loud confrontation with members of his own party followed by sneering remarks about some of the nation’s oldest allies. And a nonsensical accusation that, if we have it right, blames the algae-filled Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool not on his rushed renovations but on knife-wielding vandals … and maybe Barack Obama. And that was just yesterday.” Jonathan Lemire and Russell Berman in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Meltdown. (He’s taking the country with him…)
+ Stink Flamingo: “Every day, for nearly a month running, tens of thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets, a peaceful mass movement seeking nothing less than a complete overthrow of the government.” MoJo: How Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Sparked a Movement to Overthrow the Government of Albania. “Their vision of swank resorts in protected areas set off a ‘Flamingo Revolution.'”
+ In the Room Where Shit Happened: John Bolton, former Trump national security adviser, pleads guilty in classified documents case. (According to experts, this case had some merit. Not as much merit as the classified documents case against Trump, but some…)
+ Venezuela Quakes: “Rescue workers are overwhelmed. They are pulling people out with their bare hands.” Thousands are still missing in the search for survivors following Venezuela’s back-to-back earthquakes. Here’s the latest from BBC.
+ Out With the Good: “In recent months, President Trump, upon advice from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, has relieved or forced the retirement of some of the finest officers that have ever served this nation.” William H. McRaven: Americans Deserve Answers From Hegseth.
+ Tricky Dick Measuring Contest: JD Vance, an admirer of Richard Nixon: “If Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story. The idea that it would have taken down a presidency is crazy.”
+ Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Catch me a Catch: “Dropping vaccination rates have caused some infectious diseases to roar back, putting infants, the elderly and immunocompromised people at particular risk, per public health experts. Data reported by the CDC shows that non-medical exemptions for childhood vaccines have reached an all-time high. At the same time, CDC reports show whooping cough and other vaccine-preventable diseases rising — and in the case of measles, growing to outbreaks not seen in decades.” But once-solved diseases are not all that’s in the air. So is love. WaPo (Gift Article): Anti-vaxxers are coupling up on apps for ‘Unjected’ singles. (This could really save Darwin some work…)
