That's a whole lot of words to say that he went to deliver friendly advice and share intelligence with his Russian counterpart. A little different than the tough-guy persona that the few previous CIA directors that visited Russia went to portray. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/u...

C.I.A. Chief Delivered Bleak Assessment of Russia’s War in Secretive Moscow Visit (Gift Article)

C.I.A. analysts have questioned whether President Vladimir V. Putin’s advisers have given him honest assessments of the conflict.

nytimes.com

There are a lot of people in public service these days who would take great offense to being called a public "servant".

They treat us like we're idiots and lie right to our faces. .... And unfortunately for us, a lot of Americans are.

I'm just so confused by all of this "prediction market" stuff. You know it's betting, I know it's betting, THEY know it's betting... So why is it not regulated under gambling laws like literally every other form of betting. A pig with lipstick is still a pig. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/t...

Prediction Markets and States Clashed, Setting Off a Furious Political Battle (Gift Article)

A legal dispute over the future of Kalshi, Polymarket and others has drawn in the Trump administration, the president’s son and nearly every state attorney general.

nytimes.com

Finally some sanity in the NYT Opinion column. I'm glad at least French is acknowledging, and bringing receipts to show that "Woke 1" isn't what needs to be reflected on awful -- the anti-woke backlash was far beyond the pale to the other extreme. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/o...

Opinion | There Is a Sickness Worse Than Wokeness (Gift Article)

The anti-woke movement’s “cure” was more intolerance and more repression.

nytimes.com

Tim Curry was not the 80-year-old Home Alone 2 cast member we were asking for.

Meta posted a net profit of $60.46 billion on total annual revenue of $200.97 billion in 2025. This is just a cost of doing business for them. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/t...

Meta to Pay Up to $17.1 Billion in Landmark Settlement Over Social Media Addiction Claims (Gift Article)

The social media giant settled with 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, and agreed to make major changes to its products over claims its platforms endangered children.

nytimes.com

On a related note, I watched "An Inconvenient Truth" last weekend. Interesting to reflect on 20 years later. It's almost like the scientists knew what they were talking about when they tried to warn us. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/w...

Deadly Nepal Flood May Have Been Caused by ‘Ice Avalanche,’ Scientists Say (Gift Article)

An initial assessment of satellite imagery suggests an “ice avalanche” from a high-altitude glacier sent a giant cascade into the valley below.

nytimes.com

So about that cheaper "ground beef" that the regime announced it will be importing..... www.nytimes.com/2026/08/20/u...

Under Trump, Protected Wild Horses Are Going to Slaughter (Gift Article)

A legal loophole allows the government to sell mustangs on the cheap, stripping them of protections and clearing their path to destruction.

nytimes.com

"The beef will be imported with 'no out of quota tariff' and sold 25 percent below the current market price" Undercutting American farmers. Very "America First". www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/b...

Trump Announces Move to Lift Ground Beef Tariffs in Bid to Lower Prices (Gift Article)

The move prompted blowback from cattle ranchers and Republicans who represent them.

nytimes.com

No doubt in my mind that they will slow-roll a decision about the ballroom until it's done. Then it'll be "well it's illegal, but it's already done so there's nothing that can be done but say 'tsk, tsk'"

When people take longer to slow roll through a stop sign vs just coming to an actual stop.... 🙄

Quick question. What countries does the US consider to be allies in 2026? We're actively going after the ICC now and, given other recent events, it seems like a very short list of: 1) Israel 2) ..... North Korea? (Should go without saying that if we've threatened someone, they aren't an ally)

I've seen enough videos recently of jackasses in military hardware doing jackass things to make a fair assumption that their actions probably directly of led to this crash and wildfire. Does Kid Rock have a home in the area that they were doing a low flyby on? www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

2 dead after Army Apache helicopter from Fort Hood crashes in Texas

Two soldiers were killed when a Fort Hood-based Army Apache helicopter crashed near Salado, Texas, sparking a grass fire and some evacuations.

usatoday.com

Absolutely flies in the face of the traditional Use of Force Continuum.

404 Media@404media.co · 3w ago

NEW: ICE plans to spend tens of millions of dollars on buying specialized gloves that pulse with electrical energy, which make it easier for agents to subdue people. 404 Media read the manual that says the gloves may even contribute to “sudden death.”

Remember when Republicans said that 9 months was too close to an election to nominate a Supreme Court justice? Yet less than 3 months is plenty of time for them to overhaul the entire voting system?

Why does every “news” organization feel the need to misrepresent old photos of the dead Senator as current images of him being reanimated ? www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/u...

Mitch McConnell Discharged From Rehabilitation Facility

The Kentucky Republican has been absent from Congress for nearly two months after a health episode. He said he would continue recovering from home.

nytimes.com

We've had so much luck with regime changes. The next one is due to work though.

#ThisIsAmerica www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/u...

Drought and Aging Pipes Plunge Puerto Rico Into Another Water Crisis (Gift Article)

Starting on Friday, the island’s water authority is scheduled to shut off water for rotating 48-hour periods in parts of San Juan and surrounding areas.

nytimes.com

It's so tiring dealing with how f**king dumb and disingenuous they are.

They do know that COVID wasn't just an American thing right? ... Right?

... Not very secret, is it? www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/u...

C.I.A. Sets Up Secret Cuba Task Force as Trump Pressures Havana (Gift Article)

The task force will allow the spy agency to quickly direct more financial, human and technical resources at the island, with the goal of creating fissures among the Cuban political elite.

nytimes.com

A face that screams "Yeah I committed fraud, and I'll fuckin do it again."

Team Talarico@teamtalaricohq.bsky.social · 4w ago

11 years ago today, Ken Paxton surrendered at the Collin County Jail on felony securities fraud charges. This is his mugshot.

FYI: Blanche rescinded the ORDER establishing the slush fund, not the underlying “settlement.” The settlement says any changes must be agreed to by ALL parties, not just Todd. This “rescission” isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.

CARTOON OF THE DAY (if you know who made this let us know)

As if Todd Blanche has never been caught lying before? But I'm sure he's super-duper serious about this and won't walk it back the second he's confirmed. 🙄 www.nytimes.com/live/2026/08...

Trump Administration Live Updates: Blanche’s Pledge to Kill Fund Has Loopholes

nytimes.com

BREAKING NEWS: Octogenarian who has never listened to the experts is refusing to listen to experts. More at 11.

The administration is currently floating the idea of knocking out energy targets in Iran, but to wrap the bombing up before the stock market opens on Monday. These are not serious people.

So then, what would you say you do here? Publicly announcing that he does not want to do his job. Sounds like government waste, fraud, and abuse to me. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/b...

Warsh Considers Reducing Frequency of Fed Policy Meetings (Gift Article)

The Federal Reserve has met at least eight times a year for decades. Reducing the number of meetings would represent the biggest change by Kevin M. Warsh since he became chairman.

nytimes.com