Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, and Debt:
Solana, XRP ETFs may attract billions in new investment — JPMorgan
New Amazon Ransomware Attack—‘Recovery Impossible’ Without Payment
TikTok Calls Elon Musk Acquisition Rumors 'Pure Fiction' Ahead of US Ban
Coronavirus News, Analysis, and Opinion:
The mystery of why Covid-19 seems to be becoming milder
Politics:
Special Counsel Report Says Trump Would Have Been Convicted in Election Case
Jack Smith, the special counsel who indicted President-elect Donald Trump on charges of illegally seeking to cling to power after losing the 2020 election, said in a final report released early Tuesday that the evidence would have been sufficient to convict Mr. Trump in a trial, had his 2024 election victory not made it impossible for the prosecution to continue.
Wrote Smith: “The department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a president is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the government’s proof or the merits of the prosecution, which the office stands fully behind.”
He continued: “Indeed, but for Mr. Trump’s election and imminent return to the presidency, the office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.”
Hamas Expected to Release 33 Hostages
Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages during the first phase of an emerging ceasefire agreement being finalized by negotiators in Doha, the first positive sign in months that a truce in the Israel-Hamas war may be in sight.
Minnesota Democrats to Boycott Start of Session
Minnesota House Democrats were sworn into office Sunday evening in a private ceremony at the Minnesota History Center, a ‘covert’ move that Republicans criticized as illegitimate.
The swearing-in is the latest twist in a contentious run-up to the 2025 legislative session, which House Democrats are promising to boycott for several weeks without a power-sharing agreement with Republicans.
Navigating the Nonsense and Propaganda of Clownish Authoritarianism
I fear that, after so many years of Trumpism shaping American politics and culture, a lot of people have become so inundated with Trump’s bizarre stunts, so accustomed to his outrageous rhetoric, that they might be numb to how dangerous this is – and how much this isn’t just ‘Trump being Trump,’ but the face of a radicalizing Right in charge of the Republican Party.
There is, unfortunately, no law of nature that says democracy can’t be brought down and wars can’t be started by a bunch of clowns if they have enough support from people, parties, and institutions who enable them. It’s all just a farce – until the goons and buffoons are in power. And that’s where we are.
Johnson Confirms Talk of Tying Wildfire Relief to Debt Limit
Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed to reporters Monday there’s “been some discussion” of tying California wildfire aid to a debt limit increase, after GOP members raised the issue with Donald Trump in several meetings at the President-elect’s Florida resort this weekend.
Democrats Blast GOP’s Fire Trade
Democrats are rejecting a tentative pitch by House Republicans to attach wildfire aid to a federal debt limit increase.
GOP lawmakers began floating the idea in meetings this weekend with incoming President Donald Trump. The thinking behind the plan, according to House Republicans, is that they’ll need bipartisan support to raise the cap on federal borrowing authority in the coming months and that including assistance for fire-stricken Southern California would be an incentive for Democrats to help solve one of Trump’s most pressing economic problems this year.
But Democrats are refusing to entertain the deal.
The Political Landscape of a City on Fire
I can report confidently, from multiple sources here on the ground, that most Angelenos would like the social media brigade to shut the fuck up.
Gavin Newsom and California Democrats reach $50M deal to Trump-proof the state
The first-of-its-kind agreement would fund litigation against the incoming White House and protect against a potential mass deportation of immigrants.
Pete Hegseth says US military bases should restore names of Confederate generals
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, has voiced strong opposition to removing the names of Confederate generals from US military bases, repeatedly saying the names should be changed back.
The man has no class. None: Trump Flies Mar-a-Lago Flag at Full Height
U.S. flags at President-elect Donald Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago club are back to flying at full height.
Flags are supposed to fly at half-staff through the end of January out of respect for former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29. A large flag on Trump’s property in Palm Beach was initially lowered to half-staff according to protocol but has since been raised in the days after Carter was buried Thursday in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
Serendipity:
How the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman hid the darkest parts of himself for decades.
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