After The American Age. Tabs, Wed., Jan. 21, 2026

Morning news roundup and things to read!

Good morning good morning. Here’s what we’re reading!

This is all very dangerous, thank you, the president being an actually insane person! (Paul Waldman) We can all see he’s lost his goddamn mind, and those of us with parents with Alzheimer’s can see it be best. (Paul Krugman)

More on the Peace President and Greenland. (Nicholas Grossman at Arc Digital)

What comes after the American Age is maybe not that fun actually (and is A LOT of war)! (The Bulwark)

DOJ just subpoenain’ whether Walz, Frey, the mayor of St. Paul, Keith Ellison, and others did CONSPIRACY to stop ICE from dragging that old man US citizen out into the snow in his skivvies. I wish they had! (AP) Some of the neighbors Marisa Kabas spoke to about that man were actually grateful that the ICE goons brought him home, eventually, instead of just leaving him miles away in his Crocs and boxers, in the snow, because that’s what we’ve come to. (The Handbasket)

I really wish Democrats would stop putting this on the ICE goons’ lack of training. Sure, some of them get 47 days. But better training won’t stop any of this. This is legit what they’re trained to do. Andrea Pitzer goes deep on the concentration camps. (Degenerate Art)

ICE detainees may not have been getting medical care since October? (Popular Info)

The Republicans quiet-quitting the party. (Amanda Marcotte at Salon)

Judge piiiiiissssssed.

The Court recognizes that Ms. Halligan lacks the prosecutorial experience that has long been the norm for those nominated to the position of United States Attorney in this District. Consequently, and in light of her inexperience, the Court grants Ms. Halligan the benefit of the doubt and refrains from referring her for further investigation and disciplinary action regarding her misrepresentations to this Court at this time. However, this Memorandum Order provides notice that, should Ms. Halligan persist in ignoring Judge Currie’s Orders and this Memorandum Order in any matter before the undersigned, the Court will initiate disciplinary proceedings against Ms. Halligan and any other signatory to an offending pleading pursuant to Federal Rule of Disciplinary Enforcement V(A).

(Ruling)

You know how the Right is always like scoff scoff scoff look at this EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS (not eight billion dollars) we just spent on studying gay loons! Well it turns out studying gay loons leads to huge scientific developments. Apropos of which, here’s 2025’s Golden Goose Awards! (Golden Goose Awards)

Leopard eats Sen. Bill Cassidy’s face. (The Bulwark)

The Department of Education is investigating a Maine school district for letting a trans girl cheer … on a co-ed cheer squad. (Erin in the Morning)

Well, that’s good though! I don’t know what other insane bullshit is in all these mini-appropriations, but Democrats did manage to strip out every anti-trans rider in them. (We should absolutely be shutting down the government again while we’re invading all these American cities. But. Anyway.) (Erin in the Morning)

I dunno, might actually be time to Buy Gold? (CNBC)

NYT op-ed board has actually been on a furious roll lately. Here they lay out his $1.4 billion (that we know of, so far) crypto grift. (Gift link NYT)

Rest in peace to Dr. Gladys West, a Black lady mathematician who made GPS happen. She was 95. (The Zebra)

Tina Peters, the former county clerk who’s now in prison for fucking with the machines on Trump’s behalf, got in a prison fight. Readers with a long memory will remember she tried to kick a cop while being served her arrest warrant, so I’m just going to assume she’s the instigator here. (9News)

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