QOTD -- First On The List

"...Look, if you’re going to run an investigation, everyone who is a part of the most notorious child sex trafficking ring ever should have to testify — those that knew something and those that were even on the periphery. So, you know, the Clintons are willing to come in — they’re willing to do something that Donald Trump is not willing to do.

"But the guy who’s mentioned in over 5,000 files, the most of anyone, should certainly be the first person on the list, not the one Republicans are trying to cover up." -- Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), on MS NOW's Alex Witt Reports yesterday. Swalwell and his Democratic committee members plan to use the Clintons' appearance to leverage the Malignant Fascist into providing testimony about his decades-long ties with convicted child sex trafficker and "best friend" Jeffrey Epstein.  We don't expect the MF ass- kisser Rep. James Comey (MAGA-KY) to respond to this, and the MF even less.   This comes as news that Members of Congress will be given the opportunity to view unredacted Epstein files that have been released at the "Justice" Department starting on Monday:

"... The review process will take place in person at the DOJ, according to a letter to members of Congress obtained by NBC News. The members will be able to review the material on computers at the DOJ offices but not the physical documents themselves.

"The letter states that members can review the documents in person, provided they give the DOJ 24 hours’ notice. The option at this point is only available to members of Congress — and not their staff. They may take notes but can’t bring in any electronic devices, the letter said.

"The review will only be of the 3 million files currently available to the public, not the extensive trove of more than 6 million documents in total that the DOJ says it has in its possession..."  (our emphasis)

Sounds legit.

The coverup continues.

Sunday Reflection

 

"The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion."

"The sea does not belong to despots. Upon its surface men can still exercise unjust laws, fight, tear one another to pieces, and be carried away with terrestrial horrors. But at thirty feet below its level, their reign ceases, their influence is quenched, and their power disappears."  -- French author (and often considered the father of science fiction) Jules Verne (2/8/1828 - 3/24/1905), from his "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870).  Verne also authored such classics as "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1864), and "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1872).

Verne wrote movingly and respectfully about the Earth's grandeur and about man's relationship with it, good and bad.  In his lifetime, he was rebuffed by established authors and poets, and was snubbed by the Académie Française, but awarded France's Legion of Honour in 1892, its highest civilian order of merit.

 

WaPo's AWOL Publisher Abruptly Resigns

 

Days after massive and potentially fatal layoffs at the Washington Post, its publisher Will Lewis resigned.  Hired by tech oligarch and Trump ass kisser Jeff Bezos two years ago, Lewis was tasked to produce changes to the Post's news coverage and editorial policy, as dictated by the shape-shifting owner Bezos.  From NPR:

"The Washington Post Publisher and Chief Executive Will Lewis announced Saturday evening he would depart after just two years at the paper, a tenure marked by controversy and crisis.

Lewis called his time 'two years of transformation' in his resignation note, but it was defined by turbulence rather than a clear path, and it ended with brutal job cuts. The paper's chief financial officer, Jeff D'Onofrio, will serve as acting CEO.

More than a third of the newsroom was laid off Wednesday after Lewis' promises of radical innovations failed to staunch several years of annual losses in the tens of millions of dollars. At one point, losses hit $100 million, Lewis told staffers in June 2024 during a rocky newsroom all-staff. The session occurred just five months into his time at the Post. Yet it proved to be his final all-staff meeting.

He was effectively AWOL as the paper's scope, ambitions and journalism were radically redefined and constricted. Lewis played no visible role in announcing the layoffs in a mandatory Zoom call for the newsroom on Wednesday. Nor did he publicly address the paper's readers to allay their concerns.

The coup de grâce came just a day later when Lewis was photographed in Northern California walking a red carpet at a Super Bowl event." (our emphasis)

Lewis met the definition of "calling it in" for his absentee management, not bothering to deal with the paper's staff.  Good riddance, but too late for the fired staff.

At this stage, the only way the Post might be salvaged, and even returned to its earlier glory, is to find a buyer(s) that are willing to create a charitable trust for the paper to operate under, much in the way of The Guardian UK is wholly owned by the Scott Trust Limited.  It's a highly unlikely scenario, but what a great clap back it would be for two billionaire philanthropists like Mackenzie Scott (Bezos' ex) and Melinda Gates (Bill Gates' ex) to buy the Post and establish a charitable trust in perpetuity.  Both are worth just shy of $30 billion. They could solicit more participants who support a free press and democratic values and save a major institution. 

BONUS: The Columbia Review of Journalism suggested last fall that Bezos donate the Post to a charitable trust for a tax write off, not that Bezos pays anything more than minimal taxes, Amazon even less. 

 

Ski Flying

 

We've always been fans of the Winter Olympics, and ski jumping has always been near the top of the list of events we like (there's a reason why ABC Sports' old "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" promo line accompanied video of a ski jumper crashing).  This isn't a vid about the Olympics event, but it involves an Olympic medalist and World Cup Champion, Ryōyū Kobayashi, and his team ("Red Bull gives you wings!") building the longest ski jump ever to break the world record in 2024.  As he says, it's not ski jumping, it's ski flying.  Watch and see if he does it.

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge) 

(Dennis Goris, @dennisgoris)

(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)

(Jimmy Margulies, King Features)

(John Cole, politicalcartoons.com)

(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)

(Jeff Koterba, caglecartoons.com)

(Rick McKee, caglecartoons.com)

(Matt Davies, Newsday)

(Matt Wuerker, Politico)

(Milt Priggee, caglecartoons.com)

(Dave Granlund, politicalcartoons.com)

(Christopher Weyant, Boston Globe)

(Vaughan Tomlinson and Matthew Zaremba)

Pic Of The Day -- A Message For ICE From The Olympics

 

British-American Olympic medalist freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy for the win:

Accompanying the photo is Kenworthy's message to Americans to let Congress know that you want them to oppose funding for DHS without meaningful restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol thugs.  We're rooting for a medal for you, Gus!

Oh, and if you couldn't tell, Kenworthy peed the message in the snow.  Silver Spring Bureau Chief Brian, who brought this to our attention, says, "I was particularly impressed with his penismanship!" Hey oh!

Skeets Of The Day

The Epstein - Trump files coverup: co-conspirators list missing -- 

Brand New from Julie K Brown: DOJ's 86-page prosecution memo listing possible co-conspirators in the Epstein case-& the victim's allegations against those possible co-conspirators-disappeared from their website after the Miami Herald questioned them about the list www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...

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— Mona Burns (@monaburns.bsky.social) February 7, 2026 at 10:15 AM

 

The racist Malignant Fascist lies and digs deeper hole about vile Obamas video --

Reporter: The WH says a staffer sent that video. Are you going to fire the staffer? Trump: No. I looked at it. I didn’t see the whole thing. I gave it to the people, they posted it. Reporter: Are you going to apologize? Trump: No, I didn’t make a mistake. It was a take off The Lion King.

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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 9:50 PM

 

The "White House staffer" who posted the disgustingly racist Obama meme:

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— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 2:54 PM

The MF's name is coming off of each building he's desecrated, and his ballroom and arch will be gone --

Trump is obsessed with building monuments to himself. Let's do what we can to help him realize they will be torn down the instant he leaves the Oval Office. All of them. He will be erased. www.thedailybeast.com/the-only-ups...

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— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 7:05 PM

Greedhead and moral eunuch Bezos will be reviled for his role in damaging democracy -- 

 

"In the mirror, Jeff Bezos will see a man who grievously weakened an American institution dedicated to freedom and democracy at a time when those very ideals were under enormous threat."

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— The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) February 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Speaking of moral eunuchs, there'll be no booing of JD Vance on NBC! -- 

NBC editing out the booing of JD Vance is a disgrace. It’s an international event. Americans have the right to know what the world is saying. NBC has bowed down to Trump.

— Steven Beschloss (@stevenbeschloss.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 11:50 PM

The Trump family corruption reaches the U.S. military -- 

Acive duty military are being ordered to buy a ticket to Melania and watch it, whether they want to, or not. www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/mil...

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— Scott Horton (@robertscotthorton.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 11:06 PM

VA Senate President Lucas gives Sen. "Cancun Ted" Cruz a major wedgie -- 

VA Senate president responds to Ted crying about VA’s redistricting, which should add 4 new Dem seats.

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— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) February 7, 2026 at 7:17 AM

A message to MAGAts just now regretting their votes for their cult leader -- 

I wish this woman would tell us how she really feels about MAGA. 😳👇

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— Bill Madden (@maddenifico.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 11:32 PM

 Just wanted to shake paws...  --

Wait for it.. 😂

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— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden.bsky.social) February 7, 2026 at 10:09 AM

 

Trump Pushing Ukraine For "Peace" Deal

 

In the year he's been in office, the unhinged and venal Malignant Fascist (a.k.a. "Agent Krasnov") has been doing a lot of damage to Ukraine's ability to fight off the brutal invasion by Russian war criminal Vladimir Putin.  Lately, through his "negotiators," Moscow-friendly real estate developer friend Steve "Witless" Witkoff and his greedy son-in-law Jared Kushner, he's been pressuring the aggrieved party Ukraine to surrender territory and their sovereignty to the Russian invaders.  Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is indicating that the MF wants a "peace" agreement, i.e. capitulation, by June, as CNN reports:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the United States wants a peace settlement between Ukraine and Russia by early summer, despite repeated rounds of talks failing to reach a breakthrough over the issues of territory and security guarantees.

'They say they want to get everything done by June,' Zelensky said in remarks published Saturday by the Presidency. 'And they will do everything to end the war. They want a clear schedule of events.'

'If the Russians are really ready to end the war, then it is really important to set a deadline,' he added.

Zelensky said that Washington had proposed that Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet in the United States, probably in Miami, in a week’s time. 'We have confirmed our participation.'” (our emphasis)

An existential problem for Ukraine has been the MF regime's clear tilt toward the Kremlin from the beginning (e.g., the Oval Office ambush of Zelenskyy), as Zelenskyy acknowledged it in an indirect way by referencing the talks Witkoff and Kushner have been having with the Kremlin:

“'The American side says they can guarantee the monitoring,' Zelensky said, referring to the trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi this week.

'There can be no end to the war without security guarantees. This is an absolute certainty.'

He added that there were signs that some bilateral discussions between the US and Russia might impinge on Ukraine. 'Ukraine will not support any such even potential agreements about us that are made without us,' Zelensky asserted." (our emphasis)

Meanwhile, Putin continues to assault Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones, focusing on electrical infrastructure so that the harsh winter has more of an impact on civilians.  In addition, the long-delayed additional sanctions on Russia have not yet and may never materialize, lacking support from the MF.

 

QOTD -- Trump Breaks The Numbness Barrier

 

"It is a singular if highly dubious distinction of Donald Trump’s pungent contribution to the political discourse to have essentially bankrupted the English language’s capacity for outrage.

"So unremitting and extreme have been the avalanche of affronts since Trump descended the golden escalator in Trump Tower in 2015 to declare his presidential candidacy that even his most ardent critics have become desensitized, leading to a level of shock fatigue.

"Yet Trump’s highly racist and offensive late-night Truth Social post depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes broke through the numbness barrier to register on the political Richter scale at a level few of his many previous insults ever achieved.

"That Trump succeeded in surpassing his own previous levels of debased standards was only emphasized by the decision, taken under fire, to delete the post hours after the White House had initially defended it.

"That rare climbdown and the attempts to pin the blame on an anonymous White House staffer are unlikely to prevent the episode from illuminating a topic that much of the media has seemed reluctant to confront head on; that Trump’s behavior, online and in public, has been growing more reckless and raises serious questions about his mental acuity and his fitness for office..." -- Robert Tait, The Guardian, reflecting on the Malignant Fascist's post on his failing social media platform of ugly, racist depictions of President Obama and Michelle Obama -- two people who are infinitely superior to him in every way.  Of course, the MF's lifelong racism is known to anyone with a memory and/or Google.   His racism has often been broadcast in dog whistles, signaling white nationalist sentiments to his racist base while claiming innocence.  But he's recently been broadcasting via bullhorn, less concerned about appearances, so one can assume what Tait does -- that his mental acuity is fading fast.  We also believe that he feels, as the tyrant he is, that he never has to face the electorate again, so he can drop every mask (except the one covering his Epstein depravities).  We have to see if breaking this post's breaking of the "numbness barrier" is a tipping point.

Sichuan's Panda Valley, Ancient Towns, And Scenic Mountains

 

Sichaun is a scenic and culturally significant province, with the rugged Wulong Mountains and powerful rivers, Chengdu's panda sanctuaries, and ancient temples and bustling towns.  We don't think you've ever seen an irrigation system like Dujiangyan's, bordered by the shaded streets of the ancient city of Guanxian. The modern Sanxingdui Museum provides artifacts of a sophisticated Bronze Age civilization that flourished 3,000 years ago.  Night life in Chongquing (Chungking), too, followed by a trip to the Wulong geologic park with spectacular limestone formations and arches (best part of the video for us). There's so much more (food, of course) in this Saturday morning getaway. Watch full screen!

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Mike Smith, Las Vegas Sun)

(Steve Sack, stevesack.substack.com)

(Michael de Adder, Globe and Mail, Toronto)

(Mike Konopacki, The Capital Times, Madison, WI)

(R.J. Matson, CQ/ Roll Call)

(Dave Granlund, politicalcartoons.com)

(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)

(Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency)

(Pierre Ballouhey, caglecartoons.com, France)

(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Banx, @banxcrtoons, UK)

"Melania" Is Not A Documentary!

 

We need to get one more pass at the Bezos bribe bomb called "Melania," especially through the eyes of Stephen Colbert and the super-talented Laura Benanti as the "fil-m" star.  This is from the Wednesday night show, but it's one of the funniest bits with Benanti's impression of the Slovenian immigrant that she's done, so we wanted to make sure we posted it.

Skeets Of The Day

 

The Epstein-Trump files coverup / it bears  repeating --

 

Why has the DOJ deleted 234 mentions of Trump’s name in the Epstein files?

— JoJoFromJerz (@jojofromjerz.bsky.social) February 3, 2026 at 10:35 PM

 

Trump the unhinged,  vile racist --

 

Pro tip to House reporters: Print this out and have with you BEFORE you interview Mike Johnson later today.

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— Missing The Point (@missingthept.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 6:11 AM

 

Perfect combo here.

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— Kevin M. Kruse (@kevinmkruse.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 7:39 AM

 

Trump's narcissistic extortion operation --

 

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— Governor Newsom Press Office (@govpressoffice.gov.ca.gov) February 6, 2026 at 12:47 AM

 

Dems should be explicit that when they retake Congress and the White House they will be stripping his name off of everything. The ego damage would be significant

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— AkivaMCohen (@akivamcohen.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 9:03 PM

 

Trump's domestic terrorist organizations at work --

 

Just another example of how ICE is protecting all of us and keeping us safe, with their armed goons out there literally kicking puppies.

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— Kevin M. Kruse (@kevinmkruse.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 7:46 AM

 

They're trying to tell us that they always get what they want. That there is nothing so hideous that they won't do it, even if it's kidnap a five year old child and then, when they lose, really try even harder to make him suffer more. Fuck them.

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— Courtney Milan (@courtneymilan.com) February 5, 2026 at 10:53 PM

 

TEXAS — “Get out of my house!! U.S. and they’re inside my house with no warrant. They broke a window.” Trump’s ICE goons terrorize a citizen family, including attacking a man when he closes the door as they leave. Terrorizing families. www.instagram.com/reel/DUZl6RO...

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— The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 11:03 PM

 

Bitcoin bust  --

 

🙄

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— Adam Shapiro (@adamshap.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 5:13 PM

 

Man Who Lost Everything In Crypto Just Wishes Several Thousand More People Had Warned Him https://theonion.com/man-who-lost-everything-in-crypto-just-wishes-several-t-1848764551/

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— The Onion (@theonion.com) February 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM

 

What MAGAts voted for --

 

Trump is spending over a billion dollars to tear down, build and/or remodel the WH, a ballroom, a triumphal arch, the Kennedy Center, and several DC golf courses, while spending most of his non-golfing time on interior decorating. MAGA: This is what I voted for! He loves us!

— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 8:35 AM

 

By contrast, a normal man (Happy Friday!) --

 

There's exactly one normal man left on planet Earth.

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— Tim Onion (@bencollins.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 12:12 AM

 

 

Weekend Music

 

On this day in 1958, George Harrison joined The Quarrymen, a skiffle/ rock band that was a precursor to The Beatles and was fronted by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  The rest, as they say, is history. It was hard choosing, but we're featuring three of our favorite Harrison compositions for The Beatles (of course, he went on to write many classics as a solo artist):  "If I Needed Someone" ("Rubber Soul" album), "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" ("White" album), and finally "Here Comes The Sun" ("Abbey Road" album) to play us out on a joyous note for the weekend.

Russian Intelligence Official Severely Wounded

 

It's been reported that a top Russian military intelligence official has been shot and severely wounded in Moscow. Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, the deputy head of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service, was shot in a residential building earlier today.  A close ally of Russian war criminal Putin, he's responsible for criminal activities aimed not only at Ukraine but at the U.S. and its allies:

"Alekseyev has been transferred to a city hospital, the Investigative Committee statement said. He is in intensive care and in a serious condition following the shooting, according to Russian state media.

Alekseyev, 64, is the first deputy head of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate, the GRU. The Russian general was one of several GRU officials sanctioned by the United States in 2016 for wide-ranging malicious cyber activity directed at undermining US democratic processes.

He was also sanctioned by the European Union in January 2019 following a nerve agent attack in Salisbury, England, which the British government said was carried out by GRU agents to poison a former Russian spy. The EU sanctions describe Alekseyev as 'responsible for the possession, transport and use in Salisbury… of the toxic nerve agent ‘Novichok’ by officers from the GRU,' along with sanctioned Russian military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov.'"  (our emphasis)

While Russian officials have blamed Ukraine for the assault on Alekseyev, Ukraine has not commented on it thus far. If Ukraine were responsible, it would be another coup for their clandestine service, the SBU.

Russia has lost a reported 19 generals since their invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many near war zones, but occasionally through attacks deep within Russia.  Since their brutal invasion, Russia's losses are estimated to be 1.2 million killed, wounded or missing, with some 325,000 killed. 

(photo: Poisoner extraordinaire Alekseyev. East 2 West)