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I bet it does.
Federal agent’s tattoo stokes fear
@Scott: Likely a random thought and spur of the moment decision to have something permanently etched onto his body that turns out to be…
ICE arrested several immigrants outside a San Antonio court where they had scheduled hearings. In a video, you can hear one woman plead, “My children are in school!”
This is not an isolated incident. The point seems to be intimidating immigrants out of attending their scheduled court appearances or meetings, to make them easier to deport.
Not necessarily racist …
https://talesofvalhalla.com/blogs/tales-of-valhalla-norse-mythology/the-hidden-meaning-behind-the-valknut-symbol
OTOH, it was part of the Qanon Shaman’s inks.
ICE conducts a paramilitary raid on an Italian restaurant in San Diego. Plus, some reaction from the mayor and the community.
Great. I’ve never felt less safe than I do under this administration, all across the board, not just keeping my cattle healthy.
https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/05/31/flesh-eating-scourge-inches-closer-to-us-border-and-wyoming-cattle/
@Scott: Person Offended By His Own Interpretation of Thing
@Fortune: So I gather that you disagree with the condemnation of Kilmer Garcia to near certain death, in a El Salvador gulag, based upon certain people being offended by their own, similar, interpretation of something?
@Kingdaddy: I live within a couple miles of this, and I can tell you that the ICE terrorists geared up like they were going to war and bravely covered their faces and badge numbers while terrorizing folks who work for a restaurant in a family neighborhood.
And it’s not just any restaurant:
https://buonaforchettasd.com/matteo-for-a-cause/
More and more local police departments are refusing to cooperate with Trump’s Schutzstaffel brigade, as they should do.
About that mental fitness…
https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-amplifies-bonkers-conspiracy-theory-that-biden-was-executed-in-2020-and-replaced-by-clones/
Now, really focus on the fact that America put the fate of the world in his hands.
Miss Loomer reportedly got Edolph’s pick for NASA chief nixed because he’s not trumpy enough. What allure or leverage does she that gives her so much power? Too gross to ponder.
And Squidward Miller is calling Federalist Society judges who rule against the stable genius “communists”. On CNN, no less.
@Mike: Okay, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Seems kind of arcane for a completely random choice, tho.
@becca:
I do wonder why Trump is attacking Biden if Biden’s been dead for five years.
@Daryl: Walk me through your thought process.
@becca: Is this true? Trump reposted something stupid? That’s totally out of line with his character, it must be mental decline!
@becca:
Ah, the first casualty of the DOGE Purge.
Here is something stupid that bugs me. You may think of it as a palate cleanser in between courses of serious thinking. I support a couple of nonprofits like Doctors without Borders and the Humane Society shelter in my town. My name and address has obviously been shopped out to organizations with adjacent interests which is annoying. What really gets my goat is that they send me mail without any identification on the envelope. I toss this without opening. If you run an eleemosynary organization, don’t send out appeals in unlabeled envelopes! To the recycle bin immediately.
@Slugger:
Perhaps they think you’ll be more inclined to open it if you don’t know who sent it. Everybody loves a mystery, or so it’s said.
We all should applaud this. By any measure this is an important and positive result for America.
https://hotair.com/salena-zito/2025/05/31/trump-makes-the-deal-of-a-lifetime-for-us-steel-n3803308
Congratulations Trump.
Ukraine just carried out a drone strike at multiple installations, at least one of which was 5000 km away from Ukraine. The drones were launched from trucks parked near their targets, which eventually self-destructed.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cgrg7kelk45t
Source: https://kyivindependent.com/enemy-bombers-are-burning-en-masse-ukraines-sbu-drones-hit-more-than-40-russian-aircraft/
@Slugger: I like to think that this sort of thing is happening because commercial fundraising through 3rd party contractors has become so ubiquitous that the contractors themselves have decided to use plain paper to speed transitions from one campaign to the next. It’s much more efficient if the machines stuffing the envelopes don’t have to be changed with different envelopes for each campaign.
@Connor: Well, it sounds good but the deal is still at the concept stage. Like Foxconn and Carrier and the Qatar 747 deals, it may be more publicity than real. We shall see.
So, when a Youtuber you follow diversifies into podcasts, you begin to ask “Is this going to get in the way of my audiobook reading?”
Not if it’s only on Youtube. So, one can hope.
Meantime, on the inaugural ep, Peter and Ben discuss pilot incapacitation. Ata round 25:30 in, they address the idea of reducing the cockpit crew to one pilot. they hit many of the same objections I have (what if the lone pilot’s incapacitated being the foremost), and address their bias (they’re airline pilots).
I suppose eventually automation, with AI r not, may advance to the point where a single pilot is sufficient, but who knows. On the other hand, a bus has one driver who’s as susceptible of incapacitation as a pilot. No idea whether trains have more than one person at the controls; I believe most subway trains have only one.
@becca:
As a self proclaimed soulless technocrat, I resent not being called back to do my duty for my country!
@Jay L Gischer: I hope independent sources prove out this strike. Until then…
Once again I am pointedly not talking about Israeli embassy workers being shot or harassed or whatever, just to annoy Fortune.
@Scott:
It’s being reported by the WaPo, NBC, the BBC, the NYT, and NPR, just to name a few.
@becca: It’s far more likely that Trump is deliberately trolling people than that he believes Joe Biden was executed and replaced by a clone in 2020.
If Biden was a clone in 2020, however, that would likely make him ineligible to be President, and he should have been removed from the ballot… the clone is likely a citizen due to birthright citizenship, however I expect that the clone is not 35 years of age.
This would be the ultimate Democrat Stolen Election Hoax Bigly.
This would, however, explain Biden’s physical decline. If the clone was created using some rapid aging technique, he may have continued to age at an advanced rate. But that just begs the question of why they didn’t just replace the clone as it began to wear out.
@Fortune: Two people. Tattoos open to interpretation. I assume you would have them treated exactly the same?
How would the constitutional age requirements with relativity?
Let’s say Barron Trump travels to a distant star at 0.8c, and then returns 40 years later our time, but having only aged 1 year.* Is he legally 60ish, and eligible for any office, or is he legally 20ish, and ineligible?
If it’s a Buck Rogers situation where he is frozen, does that make a difference?
*: I’m not doing the math. This is likely off.
@CSK: But they seem to be quoting the same Ukrainian sources. What I mean by independent is another country’s intelligent services or reporters. I hope it is all true but just being cautious until verified.
@Scott:
The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that five of its airbases were attacked by Ukrainian drones, but hasn’t specified the number and type of aircraft lost.
@Scott:
It’s far more than a concept, but yes, it’s not final. All the salient points have been addressed. And the only party raising objections, the union leadership, (and that right there tells you the problem with unions) will have to confront their rank and file who are overwhelmingly supportive.
The allocation of the investment among facilities is rational.
The governance issues seem to have been resolved.
This thing should close.
Only worth clicking on if you want to read the closed caption addressing Kristi as “Secretary Gnome.” 🙂
And you guys keep saying AI doesn’t know anything.
@Gustopher: Before I forget about this topic again, is there any news yet on turning the population of Gaza into refugees* so that our President can start breaking ground on the new Trump Gaza Resort?
*I guess that there are other things that Bibi would like to turn the population of Gaza into, but propriety dictates that I should not mention them. (Also, I don’t want to get into a big *defining-by-the-numbers* quarrel with anybody.)
[…]
ETA: “*: I’m not doing the math. This is likely off.”
Not to worry, it’s close enough for the hypothetical you’re suggesting.
@Scott:
To that point, here is some more balanced reporting on Nippon Steel acquiring US Steel.
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/30/trump-us-steel-japan-nippon-steel
The devil is in the details. And chances are when the details come out Conner and HotAir will fail to acknowledge how the promises are not fulfilled.
Also from the article:
Really didn’t have Connor, as a self proclaimed get the government out of business guy, supporting nationalization of private companies. But 2025 and having no real ideology or intellectual core than pwning the libz is one hell of a combination.
@Connor:
From your very own source:
While I understand why you want to believe unions to be the foundation of all economic woes for the
owners of capitalfuture of production in Murka, it would help your credibility if your own source would back up your contention.And BTW, is this the Nippon Steel buyout deal that Republicans had been decrying as an assault on Murkan industry, or is that some other Nippon Steel buyout deal? Yeah, yeah, I know; the thing that matters is which party’s initial comes after the name of the President. Still in all, I hope this works out. Trump’s track record on follow through is a little spotty. But now that you’ve run your victory lap, who cares about the actual results, n’est pas? (That’s the code of the vulture capitalist, right?)
@Gustopher: all true, but to me it’s more evidence of his total lack of appropriate behavior. I know maga go gaga when he shitposts this crazy, but the rational world is reminded we gave him the nuclear codes.
@Matt Bernius:
Okay. IT IS that deal. Thanks, Matt!
@Connor: It does sound like a good deal.
But it is worth noting that it is a deal he had to be talked into. Via Politico: Inside the GOP pressure campaign to flip Trump on Nippon Steel.
@Connor:
@Scott:
@Matt Bernius:
And in the same announcement, introduces 50% tariifs on steel imports, including (if it follows the formula of previous tariff announcements) of steel products.
Thus utterly f@cking the UK/US trade agreement of last month.
How on earth can any trade agreement with the US be regarded as being in good faith after this?
I am, to put it mildly, NOT AMUSED.
Nor, I suspect, is His Majesty’s Government.
Or the entire British political/business establishment.
@Matt Bernius: Industrial policy is only bad if non-Republicans do it, it would seem.
@Scott:
@Mike:
I have two tattoos. One I’m mildly embarrassed about and one that fucking rules.
The mildly embarrassing one was one I got on the spur of the moment, with very little thought other than “where’s a real painful spot”. It was the 90’s and I was dumb. At least it’s on my back and I don’t have to see it.
The one that fucking rules is a 6 inch twerking Rainbow Brite. That one fills me with joy every day.
@JohnSF:
Oh I dunno, I’m pretty sure the Tory clown car is busy huffing paint and fighting at my Tesco as a way to figure out what they think. That’s a whole group of lunatic morons.
@Steven L. Taylor:
For the record, it does sound like a win. Though…
@JohnSF:
Details man. Details.
@Beth:
Lol.
True enough; and goes double for Reform.
Yet another reason why so many sane middle-class (in the Brit sense) centre and “slightly right-of centre” types are defecting to the LibDem camp.
The dimwit Tory party and MP’s are so eaten up by fear of Reform and overly online addiction to US “culture war” they seem unable to process how vulnerable they are to getting scalped by the LibDems in their “heartlands”.
See eg Oxfordshire: in 1983 solid Tory.
Now not a single Conservative MP: 2 Labour, 5 LibDem.
I’m tempted to bet on a Lab/LibDem coalition after the next election.
And a damn good thing that would be, too.
@Matt Bernius: Typical of most Trump administration “deals”. In the Ukraine rare-earths treaty it’s largely in reference to a “limited partnership agreement” -which does not as yet exist.
If you’ll give me a nickel for every press release which doesn’t mention that I’ll give you an ten dollar bill for every one that does.
@Just nutha ignint cracker:
Yes, but it wouldn’t be kosher…sorry but I couldn’t resist. No no no, don’t get up, I’ll see myself out.
@JohnSF:
While presuming you meant “Lib/LibDem” , I’m enjoying the thought of the coalition led by a friendly Labrador.
No really, I’m leaving now.
ETA
H/t to Cracker for pointing out that Lab/LibDem is likely involving Labor. Darn, I was hoping for a saner ticket. Seriously, who wouldn’t vote for a good Labrador?
@Matt Bernius: Sounds being the operative word in this case.
@JohnSF: Weirdly, day to day chaos might force businesses to focus on longer term strategies, since juicing this quarter’s numbers is pretty much impossible.
Of course, the long term strategy is likely to be “shift to trading with countries with stable tariffs, regulations, and economy,” which won’t be good for the US, but may be great for everyone else.
@Gustopher:
“Oh, you mean we have a stable market of 450 million people and a $20 trillion GDP right next door? And maybe we should focus on them, not on the loons in office in DC? Are you SURE?”
Sooner or later even the idiot Tories may be able to process these pernicious realities.
@Connor:
You mean this? Trump pledges to BLOCK US/Nippon Steel deal
Or maybe this…? Trump repeats vow to block Nippon Steel bed for US Steel
TACO
Trump can’t keep his word on anything. For this, you give him credit? Says alot about you.
I need to tweak the potato croquette recipe. I think I used enough cheese, but I need a better binding agent. One egg doesn’t do it.
@Flat Earth Luddite:
My vote is safe for the Retriever Party!
Ned for PM!
Investigation Reveals That State-Funded School Vouchers Were Used for Over 8,400 Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld Tickets!
State-funded vouchers given to the families of students granted school choice scholarships can be used to purchase some unexpected items, including theme park tickets.
If course, 55″ TV’s, Nintendo consoles, and the like are also educational. But at least water parks aren’t included (cue sigh of relief).
https://search.app/AGxUu
I’m shocked, shocked I say!!!
@Kathy:
I suspect you need to add more than one egg. OTOH, I’ve never had the patience to make potato croquettes. I usually end up with mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream (or gravy) and a protein and veggie side.
@Flat Earth Luddite:
I need to read up on the properties of mashed potatoes. This time, I mashed potatoes manually rather than using dehydrated potato flakes, but also omitted butter and milk. Maybe the last was a mistake. If so, I can go back to using flakes (far less work involved).
And maybe they need two eggs..
@Matt Bernius: It is just telling that a likely good outcome is something he had to be talked into rather than, you know, arting the deal.
TACO does fit here, as others have noted.
@Just nutha ignint cracker:
Its the national organization, not the locals. You aren’t even trying.
@Steven L. Taylor:
He had to be talked into/negotiate the terms. That’s how these things are done. There were governance issues to be hammered out, and allocation of funds, even the basic structure. Not a buyout (stock purchase) but a capital investment with attendant benefits for Nippon.
Its clear from some of the comments in the thread there is little to no dealmaking experience in change of control or substantial capital infusion type transactions. But plenty of peanut gallery stuff…..
@Connor: In 2023 Nippon offered $14.9 billion. The article claims they offered $14billion in this deal so not clear to me how this aid a better deal. It offers no comparisons between the offer in 2023 and the cited deal. So it’s not clear to me that anything better was negotiated but I do think we can give Trump credit for reversing his position and allowing this to go through.
Steve
@Kathy: There are lots of good YouTubes of professional chefs making mashed potatoes. I make large batches for our church fairly often and at home too. Use half and half instead of milk and be generous with the butter. (The Michelin rated places use ungodly amounts of butter and cream instead of half and half.) Getting the salt right is key and I prefer lots of pepper. I have changed technique in the last few years and I now bake rather than boil the potatoes before mashing. It’s less work and you avoid adding extra water.
Steve
@Connor: I think you are missing the TACO of it all.
@Steven L. Taylor:
Nope. He’s not missing it. He’s willfully choosing to ignore it, as it underscores one fundamental weakness in Trump that the entire world sees. He can’t keep his word… on anything.
@Connor:
The tired appeal to having special experience and everyone else knowing nothing.
BTW, claiming that Trump has a particularly good history of negotiating deals at this international level is again a look. Again shall we talk about Foxcon?
But you do you as always.