NYT: "Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are essentially boycotting a hearing Republican called to examine former President Biden’s fitness while he was in office and his use of the autopen, a machine that essentially copies a person’s signature and that has been the subject of conservative conspiracy theories. Senators Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and Peter Welch of Vermont walked out of the room after giving their opening statements, in which they denounced the hearing as an overly political distraction from ongoing issues with the Trump presidency.
The hearing’s witnesses are two legal scholars who previously worked in Republican administrations and Sean Spicer, a former Trump press secretary. The scholars have focused on the autopen while Spicer has spent some of his time accusing the news media of not asking questions about Biden’s mental acuity."
I've had more than too much of today already. It's raining and I'm feeling smash-y and like this country has tipped into irredeemable. Hoping a nap helps. Wake me up if there's a death worth celebrating.
The chief talking point for the Republican party is that all Democrats are irredeemably evil. Not wrong but straight up evil. Gutfield earned his pay today. Since the current mayor of New York turned out to be a closet MAGA maybe it time to try a "social justice suicide bomber"
"Still, hope — or perhaps hubris — lingered in my historian’s heart. I truly didn’t realize I was more decoy than foil until I took the oath. After that, it was undeniable: Congress is dominated by deeply unserious people wielding serious power."
I wondered if they had that ridiculous JFK hearing, I'm glad she went. They avoided asking her questions. She's got the facts and the nutball conspiracy theorists hate those.
NYT: The N.A.A.C.P. will not invite President Trump to its national convention, breaking from a 116-year tradition of inviting the president to the marquee event of the largest and oldest U.S. civil rights organization. Derrick Johnson, the organization’s president, said in a statement that the decision was motivated by Mr. Trump’s policies, which he said had set back civil rights.
“I call him ‘Too Late Powell’ because he’s always too late,” Mr. Trump said at the White House on Wednesday, just hours before the Fed announces its latest decision on rates.
“He probably won’t cut today,” Mr. Trump said, adding that the Fed should cut rates by 2.5 percentage points, which would be one of the biggest moves in the central bank’s history. I don’t expect anything, maybe he does a little bit,” he said, noting that central banks in Europe had cut more often.
“Am I allowed to appoint myself to the Fed?” he asked, somewhat facetiously, before repeating that rates should be slashed.
Mr. Trump said the Fed should cut interest rates by as much as 2.5 percentage points and complained that nothing he’d done had swayed the central bank, which has said it needs to know more about the effects of his economic and trade policies before making any big decisions on monetary policy. “I’m nasty. I’m nice. Nothing works. He’s like, just a stupid person,” Mr. Trump said.
Today is malicious compliance day for me at work today. Ask stupid questions, head of marketing, and I am going to give you even dumber answers. But I will include plenty of irrelevant data to back up my useless answers.
"President Trump on new flag poles at the White House: "These are the best poles anywhere in the country, or the world actually." "It is a GIFT from me of something which was always missing from this magnificent place," he wrote on Truth Social, adding: "They are tall, tapered, rust proof, rope inside the pole, and of the highest quality.""" [HuffPost]
"Male privilege is: Women being forced to say 'I have a boyfriend' to stop a man from hitting on them. Because he respects a potentially non-existant man more than he respects the woman in front of him, politely declining his offer of dick."
Ugh, I need my whole, connected to the neighbors', slate, roof replaced. I *hope* the town lets us replace with something cheaper, and that insurance will cover most of it. We don't have the money & I'm not sure we can get the loan.
Your header gif artist is Marie Laurencin, an artist with a fascinating history. I wrote a bit about her here: https://martiniambassador.substack.com/p/marie-laurencin
Also, your meme chat: https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/56e0438c-1c6e-4f52-8f16-e42a052cf384
Marie Laurencin: “As long as I was influenced by great men, I could do nothing.”
That must be why so many women have broken up with me.
Thanks for those. So peaceful!
Being considered an enemy of your own nation because of a marriage seems crazy, until you look around.
Those are lovely, thanks Martini! Beer glasses, onions and dead fish indeed.
Happenings like Section d’Or of Paris, the Algonquin Round Table...
I think society will miss them in this Zoom era. Just not the same.
All the Fancy Ladies!
Beautiful.
Lovely pictures.
trump said he didn't leave the G7?????? but he wasn't there either?????? the reality engine in this simulator needs some tweaking
Maybe he'll say the G7 left him?
NYT: "Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are essentially boycotting a hearing Republican called to examine former President Biden’s fitness while he was in office and his use of the autopen, a machine that essentially copies a person’s signature and that has been the subject of conservative conspiracy theories. Senators Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and Peter Welch of Vermont walked out of the room after giving their opening statements, in which they denounced the hearing as an overly political distraction from ongoing issues with the Trump presidency.
The hearing’s witnesses are two legal scholars who previously worked in Republican administrations and Sean Spicer, a former Trump press secretary. The scholars have focused on the autopen while Spicer has spent some of his time accusing the news media of not asking questions about Biden’s mental acuity."
Gotta have my Tab's and Coffee in the morning ☕💯👍
https://www.reddit.com/r/This_is_fascism/s/8eOMVHOK3J
I've had more than too much of today already. It's raining and I'm feeling smash-y and like this country has tipped into irredeemable. Hoping a nap helps. Wake me up if there's a death worth celebrating.
The chief talking point for the Republican party is that all Democrats are irredeemably evil. Not wrong but straight up evil. Gutfield earned his pay today. Since the current mayor of New York turned out to be a closet MAGA maybe it time to try a "social justice suicide bomber"
"Still, hope — or perhaps hubris — lingered in my historian’s heart. I truly didn’t realize I was more decoy than foil until I took the oath. After that, it was undeniable: Congress is dominated by deeply unserious people wielding serious power."
I wondered if they had that ridiculous JFK hearing, I'm glad she went. They avoided asking her questions. She's got the facts and the nutball conspiracy theorists hate those.
NYT: The N.A.A.C.P. will not invite President Trump to its national convention, breaking from a 116-year tradition of inviting the president to the marquee event of the largest and oldest U.S. civil rights organization. Derrick Johnson, the organization’s president, said in a statement that the decision was motivated by Mr. Trump’s policies, which he said had set back civil rights.
They invited him before?
He was invited in 2017 as a matter of protocol and he didn't go
That doesn't mean he won't whine and complain
I mean - he wasn't having people who look like attendees snatched off the street the last time he was in office
But does that bar have to be that low? It's not like he's ever invited President Derrick anywhere
😑
Apparently. The NYT reports: "He has never attended the convention while serving as president" (and I would guess never at any other time).
https://www.wonkette.com/p/what-public-officials-is-ice-detaining/comment/127095783
The NAACP said it also will not invite Vice President JD Vance to its national convention July 12-16 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
NYT:
“I call him ‘Too Late Powell’ because he’s always too late,” Mr. Trump said at the White House on Wednesday, just hours before the Fed announces its latest decision on rates.
“He probably won’t cut today,” Mr. Trump said, adding that the Fed should cut rates by 2.5 percentage points, which would be one of the biggest moves in the central bank’s history. I don’t expect anything, maybe he does a little bit,” he said, noting that central banks in Europe had cut more often.
“Am I allowed to appoint myself to the Fed?” he asked, somewhat facetiously, before repeating that rates should be slashed.
Mr. Trump said the Fed should cut interest rates by as much as 2.5 percentage points and complained that nothing he’d done had swayed the central bank, which has said it needs to know more about the effects of his economic and trade policies before making any big decisions on monetary policy. “I’m nasty. I’m nice. Nothing works. He’s like, just a stupid person,” Mr. Trump said.
“What is wrong with Too Late Powell? Not fair to America, which is ready to blossom? Just let it all happen, it will be a beautiful thing!” [NYT}
Today is malicious compliance day for me at work today. Ask stupid questions, head of marketing, and I am going to give you even dumber answers. But I will include plenty of irrelevant data to back up my useless answers.
Fuck yeah! Get granular with it.
The injunction regarding the State Department's bigoted passport policy for trans people was good news. In bad news, SCOTUS has upheld a Tennessee law banning certain medical treatments for transgender minors (https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/18/us/supreme-court-transgender-care?unlocked_article_code=1.P08.xuH5.JJMCZpe5dj6_&smid=url-share). Justice Sotomayor read her dissent from the bench.
"President Trump on new flag poles at the White House: "These are the best poles anywhere in the country, or the world actually." "It is a GIFT from me of something which was always missing from this magnificent place," he wrote on Truth Social, adding: "They are tall, tapered, rust proof, rope inside the pole, and of the highest quality.""" [HuffPost]
Wow /s. Now I'm impressed. (Zzzzzz)
I hope the workers squash Chiquita. Unpeel? Not sure. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!
Spotted in my substack feed, and ... wow.
"Male privilege is: Women being forced to say 'I have a boyfriend' to stop a man from hitting on them. Because he respects a potentially non-existant man more than he respects the woman in front of him, politely declining his offer of dick."
Been there.
https://substack.com/@jessicatierney3/note/c-126543804?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=mwtl3
Fave T-shirt recently: A young gothy woman's shirt reads, in a fun sparkly font: "I Hope Your Abuser Dies".
Ugh, I need my whole, connected to the neighbors', slate, roof replaced. I *hope* the town lets us replace with something cheaper, and that insurance will cover most of it. We don't have the money & I'm not sure we can get the loan.
They have some really slatey-looking asphalt shingles, but they are rather pricey, too.