shenanigans

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

All six Kalibr missiles were shot down last night, and 31 out of 33 cruise missiles were intercepted, meaning whenever the necessary capabilities are available, our warriors deliver truly high interception rates. That is the only explanation for the problem with ballistic missiles – insufficient number of interceptors. This is especially true for Patriots.

We have proven to all our partners both the need, and more importantly, the possibility of providing greater protection of lives. It is simply nonsensical that, in today’s world, production has still not been scaled up to the level that is actually needed to protect people from ballistic terror. We have long made the case that we are capable of producing such defensive weapons ourselves. If Ukraine were granted U.S. licenses to produce Patriots, our own production would be sufficient both to protect Ukraine and to help partners in need.

We are in contact with everyone around the world who can provide air defense missiles now. This is our top priority.

[Lee Roach @leevalueroach]

Their blog is here where they talk about getting banned for no reason.

https://t.co/3Bp9mOCqd8

[𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 💀 @DeadsoundApp]

In the early ‘70s the Dead’s road crew went from town to town rigging up more than 600 speakers for the Wall of Sound whilst zooted on a buffet of drugs and this never happened

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

It is important that the world does not remain silent about today’s utterly cynical Russian attack against our people. Thank you for your words of condolence and your willingness to help us. Defending against ballistic missiles is impossible without a sufficient number of missiles for Patriot systems. This is our greatest priority right now. We discussed which partners can help and how exactly. We will work on this.

Alex noted the successes of our warriors on the front. Everyone can see how the situation is shifting in Ukraine’s favor and how effective the long-range sanctions are. This is the right kind of pressure on Russia. We are looking for formats to reinvigorate diplomacy. We exchanged views on ideas that could help and coordinated our next steps.

We also discussed our bilateral defense cooperation. We are preparing to conclude important agreements in the near future. Thank you, Alex. Thank you, Finland!

[Nicholas Kristof @NickKristof]

Elon Musk says that no one died because of his demolition of USAID, and that "Kristof is lying through his teeth." So here I invite him to join me on a visit to Africa to see for himself: https://t.co/TVEoFX8gzj

[Jesse Singal @jessesingal]

2/ Oh never mind -- Konstantin just appears to be lying

"What Elon is doing with DOGE is incredible." -Konstantin in March 2025

"I am not able to assess the impact of DOGE to be against or for it." -Konstantin today

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Great catch!

https://t.co/tBV56WBeO2

[Nicholas Kristof @NickKristof]

.@elonmusk says that no one can name a person who died from his aid cuts. In fact, I've met the kids who are dying, and I've talked to the families who lost children. In my columns, I've cited many, many names of people who have died because of Musk's aid cuts. A few examples:
*Yamah Freeman was a 23-year-old woman who died in childbirth because Musk cut funding for the diesel for ambulances in her part of Liberia. She couldn't get to a hospital and died as people were carrying her there. I talked to her parents and sister in their village.
*Gbessey Kiadu, age 1, died of malaria because of his cuts to malaria medication in Liberia. I talked to his mom in her village.
*Ibrahim Koroma, an infant, died of AIDS in Sierra Leone after he interrupted HIV supplies. I talked to health workers who cared for him.
*Achol Deng was an 8-year-old girl with HIV in South Sudan who died when Musk cut funding for the health care worker who provided her medicines. I talked to the healthcare workers.
I could go on and on. In almost every village you go to in South Sudan, Uganda, Liberia, Sierra Leone or other countries I reported in, you find people dying because of aid cuts. I challenge Musk: Come with me on a reporting trip, and we'll talk to these moms and dads, and you'll see the dying children themselves. I think if you see the kids whose lives are at stake, maybe you'll change your mind.

[Jesus Freakin Congress @TheJFreakinC]

🚨BREAKING: In the Chicago suburbs, an ICE agent assaults a teenager for filming his vehicle, and pointing out that it illegally has no license plate.

In the video, a U.S. citizen is peacefully filming an ICE vehicle, that is sitting in a parking lot. He walks to the back of the SUV to document that it has no license plate.

That’s when the ICE agent jumps out, screaming, “Get away from my vehicle!” while aggressively charging toward the teenager.

The teenager immediately backs away, but the ICE agent keeps walking at him, tries to trip the teenager , and continues yelling… even though neither of them are anywhere near the vehicle anymore.

Filming government officials performing their duties, in public, is protected by the First Amendment. That protection doesn’t disappear just because the official doesn’t like being recorded.

An officer also can’t lawfully use physical force simply because someone is filming them. Using force, to stop someone from recording, is a violation of that person’s constitutional rights.

And let’s not ignore the reason the ICE agent got out of his car in the first place...

Illinois law requires vehicles, driven on public roads, to display valid registration plates. This ICE vehicle is not following that law.

So, if your first instinct, when someone records your conduct, is to assault them… you’re proving exactly why the public is recording in the first place.

[Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump]

What a rotten deal we made with Iran. We get nothing (except laughter at our stupidity). They get everything, including delay and big cash!

[Team Ossoff @TeamOssoff]

Ossoff: Last September, the President of Kazakhstan calls Donald Trump and says he wants to grant tungsten mining rights to an American company. And the very next month, Eric and Don Jr. get a stake in the American company pursuing the mining deal.

Six days later, six days after Prince Eric and Prince Don get their stake, Kazakhstan announces this company will get, “The largest known undeveloped tungsten resource in the world.” A few more weeks go by, and then the U.S. government, run by their father, sets aside 1.6 billion of your tax dollars to fund and finance their mining project. In Kazakhstan.

All this while you pay more for gas, for groceries, for health care, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

We have intel indicating that Russia is preparing a new massive attack. Please pay attention to air raid alerts and stay safe.

Air defense and the continued need to help Ukraine protect its skies are our key priorities. I am grateful to every partner, every leader, and every country that is ready to help and that implements our arrangements in full.

The PURL initiative must work. This concerns both the United States and Europe. We are pooling funds from our European partners and other friends to purchase missiles, including for Patriot systems. Sufficient supplies depend on America, and we hope that Ukraine will be heard.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

This week, I prepared a special letter addressed to the President of the United States and to Congress. And yesterday, the letter was officially delivered to the institutions in Washington. It is quite rare for the leader of another state to address both the President and Congress of the United States simultaneously with a letter. But the situation now requires action, swift and effective action.

It is important that America hear Ukraine. We understand that much of the world’s attention is currently focused on the war in Iran. But the war here in Europe must also be brought to an end – a very bloody war that is already in its fifth year at full scale.

The sooner we are able to provide greater protection against ballistic threats, the sooner we will be able to make diplomacy work. As long as Russia continues to rely on missiles, its interest in diplomacy is not real. We must correct this. And we can do so only together with America.

Ukraine is grateful to America for all its support. And Ukraine will be even more grateful for a dignified peace and guaranteed security. All of this is possible – if there is sufficient determination.

[Team Talarico @TeamTalaricoHQ]

This is Ken Paxton's mugshot.

He was indicted on 3 felony counts for investment fraud.

He was reported to the FBI by his own staff for bribery.

He was impeached by his own party for corruption.

Now he’s the Republican nominee for US Senate in Texas.

Together we will stop him.

[BrickCenter @BrickCenter_]

This OKC edit is crazy 😭

[Mike Levin @MikeLevin]

This New York Times piece is worth your time. Here’s what is happening, as simply as I can put it.

Back in January, Trump sued the IRS, an agency he controls, demanding $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns a number of years ago.

IRS lawyers did their jobs. They wrote a memo laying out the defenses that could beat the suit, including the fact that Trump filed too late. His own lawyer was in court when the leaker pleaded guilty in October 2023, more than two years before Trump sued.

The Justice Department never showed up to court. Never argued back. Never used the defenses sitting on their desk.

The judge got suspicious and ordered both sides to explain whether they were actually opposing each other or just colluding. The day before that brief was due, Trump dropped the suit.

Same day, his Justice Department announced a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded “anti-weaponization fund.” 

Trump gets a formal apology. The IRS agrees to drop any audits of him and his family, even though a 2024 Times report found a loss in an ongoing audit could cost him over $100 million.

The acting Attorney General, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, picks the five commissioners who decide who gets paid. Trump can fire any of them. Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are not ruled out.

This is the most corrupt thing I’ve ever seen from an American president.

Where in the hell are my Republican colleagues?

https://t.co/La0nlLuz1r

[Derek Thompson @DKThomp]

Within one 24 hour period, Trump:

- got out of a $100 million IRS fine
- secured "immunity" from all future tax investigations for his family and friends
- created a $1.8 billion slush fund for lawbreaking supporters
- was reported for likely insider trading worth nearly $1 billion

All of the obvious things to say about this are true. It's bad. Nobody even tries to defend it. The closest thing to a defense you get is something about how "but Democrats suck" and "woke was also bad," which is not a defense, but rather a kind of moral blank check made out to the administration to give them the right to do anything.

But what I'm most curious about is whether this sort of lurid corruption creates a countermovement that successfully returns government to rule of law or whether it's establishing a norm of executive imperialism that every future administration will use to achieve its ends, which can always be justified by the moral blank check of "the other side is worse, so let us do whatever we want."

[Olena Halushka @OlenaHalushka]

It was a heavy attack. I'm still shaking, even though we spent the entire time in the shelter. russians erased a block of a residential building in Kyiv, w people still trapped under the rubble.

I can't comprehend how anyone living safely in the free world could support this.

[Real Estate Lawyer @SinaiLawFirm]

Do you want to know why rent is so expensive in LA? Why the application process takes so long? Why landlords want so much info from you? Here is a recent story:

A family was referred to me for their eviction case. They were heading to a jury trial in one month and didn't have a lawyer, yet.

They did all the paperwork and filing themselves, in-house to save on legal fees. And surprisingly, they did a great job. They filed the paperwork with LAHD. Gave proper notice to the tenants.

I reviewed their paperwork and it was better quality than 90% of other eviction lawyers. I didn't see any viable way to dismiss the case on a technicality.

As long as they were properly represented in trial, the family was going to win the eviction. They did everything by the book. Followed all the local rules. Gave all the necessary notices.

The family told me the judge ordered the parties to mediate at the first court appearance. The family attended the mediation in court without a lawyer. The tenant was provided a lawyer by the city, for free. At the mediation the lawyer for the tenants offered this settlement:

1. 4 months to vacate the property
2. Cash to leave, paid upfront
3. Waiver of all owed rent
4. Sealed record

They rejected the offer, of course. Why would they accept this?

The family then asked me a great question. "What is our best case scenario with you in trial?"

Based on my review, I gave them my most realistic estimate of the best case scenario in trial:

1. Both parties announce ready at the next trial date (1 month away) and trial takes 3 days. We win the trial.
2. Sheriff locks out the tenant 75 days after the trial.
3. about 110 days to possession.
4. Gave them an estimate cost for fees/prep time.
5. No viable collection of back rent, tenants had no assets.

Obviously, this was the best case scenario. It could be worse. Trial can be delayed. While I was confident we are going to win, juries are unpredictable.

This is where we had a surreal moment of collective clarity. The settlement offer they rejected is basically their best case scenario if they win the trial.

This was not a coincidence. The attorney for the tenants asked for pretty much the same amount I quoted them for my fees.

The lawyer for the tenants knew the family had to hire a lawyer for a jury trial. The lawyer knows it takes the sheriff 2-3 months to lockout after a judgment. The lawyer knows it's hard (and expensive) to collect against tenants with no assets.

State and local government created a system in which cases take forever to litigate, eviction laws are extremely complex and technical, easy to dismiss cases, only one side has to pay a lawyer, and worst of all, possession enforcement takes 60-90 days instead of 5. And it's all getting worse.

The leverage for the tenants is systemic. It's by design. Why would the tenants make any other offer? The landlords are left with no real options but a shitty settlement.

There are no real choice. Even when you do everything right, you still lose.

Tenants don't pay rent during evictions. They had no viable way to win the trial. There were no habitability issues. The landlords posted all the notices. Never raised the rent. Didn't retaliate. The landlords did everything right. And the tenants still win.

The mother looked at me and asked "our base case in trial is the same as the shitty settlement offer? Are you telling me we should have taken the offer we rejected?"

I didn't know how to respond.

[Michael Weiss @michaeldweiss]

People easily forget what Robert Mueller was tasked with investigating: evidence of conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

In the course of that investigation, a dozen GRU officers attached to Unit 26165 were indicted, as were Yevgeny Prigozhin, two of his shell companies, and a dozen of his troll farm employees. The charges leveled against these Russians were conspiracy to commit offenses against, or defraud, the United States, identity theft, money laundering and wire and bank fraud.

The Mueller investigation wasn't, properly speaking, a counterintelligence investigation.

That work fell to the Republican-led Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), which released its conclusions in five different volumes beginning in July 2019, far more comprehensive and detailed than the Mueller Report, although they individually and collectively garnered a fraction of the attention.

"No probe into this matter has been more exhaustive," said the acting SSCI head in August 2020, when the fifth and final volume was released. He was right and deserves a lot of credit in getting to the bottom of Russian active measures and election interference in the 2016 presidential contest.

His name was Marco Rubio.