Patterico
@patterico.bsky.social
Opinions definitely not those of my employer. Music I wrote: http://is.gd/mangledgrapes My newsletter: http://patterico.substack.com May every day be another wonderful secret.
1. BREAKING via Fox News A new Fox News poll of the Senate and Gubernatorial race paints a startling picture for Republicans. James Talarico leads Ken Paxton 51% to 48% in the U.S. Senate race, even though the poll’s electorate identifies as Republican by a 50% to 40% margin.
(I don't really care about soccer at all but if I can upset some 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Patriots 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 on here for 30 hours or so by cheering on a European country, I think it will be pretty funny.) (Plus I hate corruption.) Go Belgium! 🇧🇪
If you want to know how Trumpists can hoot and cackle over their side “winning” based on corruption, just look at the universal smirking of Americans over the FIFA decision. Go Belgium!
I will now be cheering against the United States in the next World Cup game it plays.
Patriotism feels nice. Saying patriotic things makes you feel good. Much about this country is great. But people who tell you to forget about Trump this weekend are wrong. He has exposed major flaws in our constitutional system, and has revealed the electorate as unserious. /1
Old and busted: there will be at least one vote and very possibly two for the crank position, but that’s it New hotness: there are three votes for the crank position
If it were a trolley problem it would be a no-brainer
The Bulwark@thebulwark.com · last mo."Development aid is not perfect, and reform of the system is needed in many places. But it remains true that over 500,000 children have already died due to USAID cuts."
If Trump announced that actually, the equity stake that the government took in Intel and the revenue sharing deal the government has with NVIDIA will both now revert to him or his sons personally, would anyone be that surprised? Would anyone stop him?
With seven decisions with the *same* 6-3 lineup over the last three days, I really can't wait for all of the hot takes from the folks who keep insisting that #SCOTUS *isn't* defined by its ideological division.
There's no sugar-coating Slaughter. It's an enormously important ruling (far more important than the other three decisions #SCOTUS handed down today). It's a huge win for Trump/the executive. And it's going to have massive ramifications for the functioning of the government long after Trump is gone.
In the Slaughter case today, the S. Ct signals that civil service protections for DOJ and myriad other government agencies are a nullity, in favor of the "vigor" and "secrecy" of presidential power. This decision will have huge consequences for our government and system of checks and balances.
The next president should refuse to turn over the Qatari jet to Donald Trump. He should ensure that the United States retains possession of it, as surrendering it to Trump would be an unconstitutional emolument. Let Trump sue.
My prediction, which is worth what you paid for it: Cook and Slaughter both come out on the penultimate opinion announcement day; TPS and birthright citizenship both come out on the final opinion announcement day. Roberts’s plan: to show on each day that Trump wins 1, loses 1.
@radiofreetom.bsky.social Fella on the plane took off his shoes. We could smell his feet even from several seats away. I asked him politely if he would put his shoes on. He said he it was for comfort and asked what the problem was. I explained, nicely, and he said "fair enough" and put them back on!
@jvl.bsky.social In case you'd not seen this, seems relevant: www.yahoo.com/news/article...
'Yuan, Crypto or Stay Out’ — Iran’s New Toll System Emerges in Hormuz
Iran has reportedly set up an IRGC-controlled toll system in the Strait of Hormuz. Ships are said to pay in Chinese yuan or stablecoins to ...
yahoo.com
Rep. Buddy Carter on a teacher who was killed when ICE got into a high-speed chase with a man who had no criminal record: "She is a victim of Jon Ossoff, Chuck Schumer, and the Democrats ... they've got blood on their hands"
Smart questions by Sen. Paul; yet ICE seems to be violating these 1st A rights repeatedly, with at times deadly consequences.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 6mo agounder questioning by Rand Paul, ICE officials confirm that yelling at officers is not assault and recording officers is not a crime
“I explained to the ICE officers that the war was killing people, that it was violence, terrorism which we had escaped from but one of them began to laugh,” Kulyk told The Daily Beast. “I asked why he was laughing and I was told that he was pro-Russian, wanted Russia to win the war.”
Laughing ICE Goons Seize Dad Who Fled Ukraine War at Walmart
Dmytro Kulyk is facing deportation as refugees become the Trump administration’s latest target.
thedailybeast.com
@kenwhite.bsky.social Thought of you this morning as I appeared in court and the judge began the reading of his memorandum of decision by effusively praising my brief. He said it was well written and addressed every issue thoroughly and in detail. "Uh-oh" I thought. "That's not good!" It wasn't.
“One young girl who kept coming up to me, a little girl who was hugging my leg, asking us to help get her out of there.” - Rep. Joaquin Castro
The Barbed Wire@thebarbedwire.com · 6mo agoNEW: @joaquincastrotx.bsky.social is calling for Dilley Immigration Center to be “shut down immediately.” Dilley released Liam Ramos. But hundreds of children who remain in the facility are facing a measles outbreak. The highly contagious disease can be deadly. thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/02/h...
Regarding the UAE bribing Trump to secure a deal for AI chips that our intelligence worried might flow to China: patterico.com/2026/02/03/y...
“Stop saying mean things about ICE because when you do that, they murder you”
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 6mo agoHoman: "I begged for the last two months on TV for the rhetoric to stop. I said in March -- if the rhetoric doesn't stop, there is gonna be bloodshed. And there has been. I wish I wasn't right. I don't want to see anybody die."
Every time I post about AI unforgivably fucking up very basic facts I get the same response: "it's 'cause you don't use a good AI like I use"
Owen Barcala@obarcala.bsky.social · 6mo agoThis is notable to me because I've heard from some other lawyers that they're not worried about AI hallucinations because they only use the premium Westlaw or Lexis versions. Supposedly, they are limited to the real case databases This clerk used Lexis+ and Lexis Protege and got 8 hallucinations
Law enforcement officers have always been unmasked in this country until ICE started wearing them last year. *That* is the departure from norms. *That* is the step too far.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 6mo agoTillis says he opposes ICE being barred from wearing masks: "I've seen people dox me. I've seen people take pictures and identify law enforcement officers and then put their families at risk. So, I think that's a step too far."
If police being doxed is an issue if people can see their faces, why don’t the many thousands of state/local police officers wear masks? Why do they typically wear their names and badge numbers in a visible location? ICE/BP just wants to hide from misconduct accountability. bsky.app/profile/atru...
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 6mo agoTillis says he opposes ICE being barred from wearing masks: "I've seen people dox me. I've seen people take pictures and identify law enforcement officers and then put their families at risk. So, I think that's a step too far."
Last night Capitol Police said they would work with "federal partners" to ensure the attacker is punished. Seeking federal charges instead of state charges will put the fate of Omar's attacker in the hands of this man. Only state law enforcement is reliable these days.
Kyle Griffin@kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 6mo agoTrump tells ABC News Rep. Ilhan Omar "probably had herself sprayed, knowing her."
