Sunday, June 7, 2026

"The Price Of Corruption" For Working Families

 



This past Wednesday, the American Economic Liberties Project and Groundwork Collaborative released a 10-page report, “The Price of Corruption: How Trump’s Pay-to-Play Administration is Driving Up Costs for Working Families” (pdf), that outlines nine policy areas "that have been warped by Trump's corruption."  It's main purpose is to pinpoint areas for further investigation by Democrats when the new Congress forms in 2027.

The policy areas covered are Health Care, Tariffs, Gas Prices, Energy, Air Travel, Tax Filing, Corporate Misbehavior, Credit Bureaus and Loan Rates, and Digital Assets and Prediction Markets. For a flavor of the contents, here's an excerpt for the last area, Digital Assets and Prediction Markets:

... The Trump family has personally netted at least $1.4 billion from crypto schemes, as this administration pulls away from oversight and enforcement of crypto fraud and prediction market regulations.


● Trump has installed people with crypto conflicts of interest throughout his administration, including by nominating more than 200 appointees who owned crypto assets worth up to $340 million.

 

● Simultaneously, the Department of Justice shut down investigations into crypto companies. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, while serving as deputy and holding at least $485,000 in crypto assets, eliminated the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team.

 

● Additionally, the administration has accelerated the adoption of crypto into critical federal agencies, including when TrumpΚΌs Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte urged mortgage giant Fannie Mae to accept crypto-backed mortgages for the first time ever.

 

● TrumpΚΌs crypto company World Liberty Financial (WLF) relies on Binance, a crypto exchange that admitted to anti-money laundering failures, Iran sanctions violations, and failing to report suspicious transactions linked to terrorist groups like Hamas. Binance has reportedly donated software to help launch WLF, and its founder, Changpeng Zhao, who had been convicted for failure to maintain an effective anti-laundering program, was later pardoned by Trump.

 

● Over the past year, Donald Trump Jr. has served as a strategic advisor to Kalshi and a large investor in Polymarket, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) – the agency overseeing these firms – has acted as their ally, rather than their watchdog. Both firms had actively lobbied TrumpΚΌs CFTC to block states from regulating prediction markets in the same way they regulate gambling companies...

 

As noted, it's a short, outline-format report, so please give it a read.

The media can't or won't focus on this firehose of corruption, but a Democratic Congress can and must. The American public -- especially working families -- needs to have it made clear which party is fighting for their interests and which Epstein class party is feeding at the public trough.

BONUSSimilar takes here.

(Image:  Khoa Tran, Vanity Fair/ Getty Images)


Sunday Reflection

 



"I think you always write what you love. Whether it’s your grandmother or gourmet cooking or mountains and rivers. Sunsets kissing the tallest building or chipmunks scattering off to bed. I like the quiet. And I like the sound of the quiet. I’m a mountain girl. I listen and make lists of what I hear." -- poet Nikki Giovanni (6/7/1943 - 12/9/2024), from "Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid", 2013.   Giovanni was one of the best known African-American poets, who also was an educator and an activist on behalf of women of color and a key figure in the 1960s and 1970s  Black Arts Movement. 

She was honored with the Langston Hughes Medal, multiple NAACP Image awards, Parent's Choice Award, American Library Association's Black Caucus Award, and many more.

(photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

 

Helping Ukraine -- Verified Charities

 



Now more than ever, with Ukraine undergoing the heaviest assaults on its territory in years, we Americans need to show the people of Ukraine that we stand with them, not with the Malignant Fascist's role model war criminal Putin.  Via The Philadelphia Inquirer, this is a (partial) list that we publish periodically of verified charities that have been helping the people of Ukraine, although some information may be outdated and some organizations may be inactive at this time.  Please consider giving: 


World Central Kitchen

What they do:  They have served millions of meals and have teams active in hundreds of cities and towns in Ukraine. They have also built a logistics network of delivery vans, trucks, trains, and warehouses throughout the country, delivering millions of pounds of food to families—sometimes in areas completely cut off due to fighting and near the Russian border.

How you can help:  There are many ways to donate to WCK;  see their website.  This is a registered nonprofit, so donations are tax deductible.

🌐 wck.org


Project HOPE

What they do: Founded in 1958, Project HOPE responds to humanitarian emergencies and disasters. Currently, according to the group’s website, the group is aiding those in Ukraine by mobilizing its emergency teams and “sending medical supplies and standing by to provide health screening and care for refugees.”

How you can help: Donate on the group’s website. This group is U.S. registered, so your donation is tax deductible.

🌐 projecthope.org

 

GlobalGiving

What they do: GlobalGiving uses its funding to support local nonprofits working in affected areas. Currently, “GlobalGiving’s local partners in Ukraine are bringing relief to displaced families and people in high-risk areas.” According to the group, your donation will support refugees with food, shelter, and clean water, as well as providing health and psychological support.

How you can help: Donate to the group’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund online. This group is U.S. registered, so your donation is tax deductible.

🌐 globalgiving.org

 

UNICEF USA

What they do: Hundreds of thousands of children have been affected by the conflict so far, and the UNICEF emergency response is working to address their needs by preparing health, hygiene, and emergency education supplies, as well as distributing safe water to affected areas, providing children with psychosocial care, and helping kids separated from their families. 

How you can help: Donate on the UNICEF website. UNICEF USA is U.S. registered, so your donation is tax deductible.

🌐 unicefusa.org

 

International Medical Corps

What they do: International Medical Corps helped Ukrainians during conflict in 1999-2000 by delivering medicine and training more than 500 local doctors and medical staff. In 2014, they partnered with the Ukraine Ministry of Health to support mobile health services and train medical professionals on preventing and controlling infections. As the crisis develops, the International Medical Corps has added mental health counseling to the services available for the community.

How you can help: Donate on the group’s website. Donations to this organization are tax deductible.

🌐 give.internationalmedicalcorps.org

 

United Help Ukraine

What they do: United Help Ukraine receives and distributes food donations and medical supplies to people in Ukraine. The group’s current priorities: Aiding Ukrainian soldiers and their families, helping displaced people from Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, and raising awareness of the current situation.

How you can help: Donate via PayPal, or by check payable to United Help Ukraine, Box 83426, Gaithersburg, Md., 20883. This is a registered nonprofit so all donations are tax deductible.

🌐 facebook.com/UnitedHelpUkraine.org

 

Revived Soldiers Ukraine

What they do: This nonprofit provides medical aid for people affected by military conflict. The group buys medication and medical supplies, helps support army hospitals, and works to improve the living standards for soldiers and their families.

How you can help: Donate directly through the group’s website, through PayPal or Patreon, or make it your preferred Amazon nonprofit, which donates 0.5% of the amount of your Amazon purchases to the group. This group is U.S. registered, so your donation is tax deductible.

🌐 rsukraine.org


Sunflower of Peace

What they do: Sunflower for Peace offers medical assistance to Ukrainian orphans, people displaced by war, and people heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. In February 2022, the group started asking for donations to prepare first aid medical tactical backpacks for paramedics and doctors on the front lines. These kinds of backpacks — usually handled by Marines, special military forces, and military groups — are used to save lives in areas without access to hospitals or emergency care.

How you can help: Donate on Facebook. This group is U.S. registered, so your donation is tax deductible.

🌐 facebook.com/sunflowerofpeace

 

The KYIV Independent

What they do: The KYIV Independent is an independent media outlet reporting in English. The organization has been covering the Russia-Ukraine conflict, doing fact checking, and reporting on human rights. Since the group is not affiliated with any government and reports in English, it is becoming an important window into what’s happening in Ukraine right now.

How you can help: Since its creation in 2021, The KYIV Independent runs mainly on donations. Donate through GoFundMe or Patreon.

🌐 kyivindependent.com


The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

What they do
: This group runs an emergency program with $1 million in funding that helps the approximately 300,000 Jewish people in Ukraine. The fellowship has staff and volunteers on the ground in Ukraine, and also funds the country’s Jewish organizations to give Ukrainian Jews the chance to move to Israel. Funds are also used to provide the Ukrainian Jewish community with food, medicine, and heat. This group is U.S. registered, so your donation is tax deductible.

How you can help: Donate online.

🌐 help.ifcj.org

 

Voices of Children

What they do: Voices of Children provides psychological and psychosocial support to children affected by war. Their main focus is on the front lines in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Donations help finance art therapy and mobile psychologists, and help families in need.

How you can help: Donate directly on their website.

🌐 voices.org.ua

 

Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (CARE)

What they do: Created in 1945 to help people overcome the devastation of WWII, CARE’s works to end poverty, and achieve equity and social justice worldwide. In Ukraine, the group is working on providing girls, women, and elderly people with water, food, and hygiene kits. They currently have a Ukraine Crisis Fund specially focused on continuing their work in the country, and providing psychological support, recovery, and cash assistance.

How you can help: Donate using a credit card or through PayPal on their website.

🌐 care.org

 

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

What they do: The Red Cross’s International Committee provides shelter, food, first-aid training, and humanitarian aid around the world. The group has been supporting people in Ukraine for almost a decade and as the crisis continues, they are adding to their help comfort kits for individuals and families in need.

How you can help: Donate to the ICRC on its website.

🌐 icrc.org

 
American Red Cross

What they do: In Ukraine, the American Red Cross is currently helping U.S. military people and families deployed in the region. So far, they have sent 30 staff members to Europe to help U.S. military members in Ukraine connect with their families back home, and are delivering hygiene items and resources to service members and U.S. State Department staff abroad. They can not help Ukraine with blood directly, because it can’t be sent without special request from the U.S Department of State, the United Nation, or other affected Red Cross networks.

How you can help: Donate on their website. They are U.S. registered, so your donation is tax deductible.

🌐 redcross.org


United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC)


What they do: Created in 1944, the UUARC was created to help Ukrainians in refugee camps during WWII relocate to the U.S.. They are currently working in coordination with the Ukrainian Embassy to coordinate medical supplies, food, offering shelter, and taking care of injured people and refugee.

How you can help: Donate on their website or send a check to the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee, Inc. 1206 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111. For medical donations call 215-728-1630. They are U.S. registered, so your donation is tax deductible.

🌐 uuarc.org


American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)

What they do: The JDC has been helping the Jewish community around the world since 1914; for the last 30 years they have focused on helping Ukraine’s Jewish population. They aid elderly Jewish people, children, and families by providing food, medicine, and utilities. At the moment, JDC is preparing to send psychosocial support to Ukraine as mass displacements increase, as well as delivering food packages, and providing online support.

How you can help: Donate on their website. They are U.S. registered, so your donation is tax deductible.

🌐 jdc.org

 

 ____________________

If you are at all concerned about giving to these or any other charities, you can verify their authenticity by going to Charity Navigator, which evaluates charitable organizations.  Thank you!  Slava Ukraini!

 

Saturday, June 6, 2026

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Joe Heller, hellertoon.com)

(Dave Granlund, polticalcartoons.com, Canada)

(Lee Judge, King Features)

(Randy Bish, bishtoons.com)

(Bob Englehart, caglecartoons.com)

(Michael de Adder, caglecartoons.com)

(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)

(Ann Telnaes, anntelnaes.substack.com)

(Dennis Goris, @dennisgoris)

(Chris Britt, Creators.com)

(Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency)

(Tom Toro, @yaleclimateconnections)


Skeets Of The Day

 

Operation Epic Epstein Fury: remember his war  --


Trump wants us to forget that his failed war is still going on. But tens of thousands of service members‘ families aren't forgetting. And those of us who pump our own gas get a regular reminder.

— Mark Jacob (@markjacob.bsky.social) June 6, 2026 at 8:44 AM


With friends like these... --


NBC: “Pentagon increasingly concerned Israel is ramping up its spying on the United States… effort to surveil top officials to get info on the Trump administration’s internal deliberations and decision-making on the conflicts in the Middle East…” www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...

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— Scott Horton (@robertscotthorton.bsky.social) June 6, 2026 at 8:24 AM


Albanian officials investigating "Javanka" development deal.  Kill it -- 


ICYMI a must read: www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/pressure-w...

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— Scott Dworkin (@dworkin.bsky.social) June 6, 2026 at 9:07 AM


U.S. cattle industry about to get screwed due to the Malignant Fascist's recklessness -- 


“Screwworm monitoring among foreign aid programs killed by Trump” - Agri Pulse, March 2025

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— PatriotTakes πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ (@patriottakes.bsky.social) June 6, 2026 at 9:25 AM


The MF's war on science, cont'd.  Diabetes edition -- 

 

Science, canceled. Diabetes researchers ejected from conference after criticizing White House www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/...

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— Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis (@jeffjarvis.bsky.social) June 6, 2026 at 8:12 AM


Things that go "boom" in criminal Russia.  Slava Ukraini -- 


Ust-Labinsk oil depot close up 🀩πŸ”₯

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) June 6, 2026 at 6:22 AM


The January 6 thug insurrectionists pardoned by the MF to commit more crimes -- 


Read @lukebroadwater.bsky.social's @nytimes.com coverage of @lawfaremedia.org's Jan. 6 clemency study here: www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/u...

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— Tyler McBrien (@tylermcbrien.com) June 4, 2026 at 1:37 PM


Take the MF's disgraced and criminal name off of the Kennedy Center --


Scott MacFarlane at the Kennedy Center: There are cameras nearby, ready for the moment they literally chisel Trump’s name off.

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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) June 5, 2026 at 6:21 PM


Obit news from the Onion -- 

 



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— The Onion (@theonion.com) June 5, 2026 at 7:00 PM

 

 

 

QOTD -- The Unstable Shitposter In The Room

 

"... Legacy media might wish to avoid taking the apparently bold moral position that the US president shouldn’t behave like a crazy person, but in the process they’re ignoring the bombshell story that the sitting one is deranged.

"The social media screeds and public meltdowns don’t simply demonstrate Trump’s low character. They show a president who’s mentally and morally incapable of effective leadership. In a sane world, every manic posting spree would generate wall-to-wall coverage demanding his resignation or forced removal from office.

"Yet, instead, the press seemingly covers the president as though he’s two distinct personas — the petty, bigoted shitposter and an otherwise normal if slightly unconventional commander in chief. But the sad reality is that the unstable shitposter is the only Trump, and unfortunately, that’s the one who’s in the room where the 'dealmaking' happens..." -- Stephen Robinson, in the Public Notice substack, asking "Why Does The Media Ignore Trump's Madness?"  Robinson provides plenty of examples (they're as plentiful as the stars in the sky) of the Malignant Fascist's madness that are being dutifully sanewashed, poo-pooed, or ignored by the media, which largely seems to go with the MAGAt Republican framing that there's a competent, sane Malignant Fascist underneath the moron shitposting at 3 a.m.  

BONUSThey were warned and still have said nothing.


Report: Trump's WH Enforcer Leaving

 


There are reports that the mentally ill and vindictive Malignant Fascist's icy chief of staff Susie Wiles has decided to leave her position after the MF named zealot follower and hatchet man Bill Pulte to be acting Director of National Intelligence (and apparently over feeding the MF the notorious Jesus meme).  Wiles reportedly was strongly opposed to the totally unfit Pulte being in the highly sensitive position if only temporarily (210 days for someone acting in that job).  Raw Story reports (via the Daily Mail):

"Wiles is preparing to quit because she was 'vehemently' opposed to the promotion of Bill Pulte from the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to the role of acting Director of National Intelligence, three White House insiders told the Daily Mail.

She perceived it as an 'insult' when Trump followed through on the Pulte promotion, and Trump had already been starting to 'resent' her opposition, the Mail reported. [snip]

She's plotting an exit strategy as she's also dealing with health problems, according to the Mail.

'She is getting cancer treatment and is completely drained,' a White House insider told the Mail. 'Now Trump is taking more and more control of the White House."' (our emphasis)

Her departure is reportedly being timed to follow the mid-term elections, where the House and possibly the Senate are projected to flip, making the last two years of the demented MF's chaotic fascistic regime more difficult and dangerous, not only for sycophantic staff there, but far more importantly the nation.

(photo: That look of disbelief)

 

World's Longest Glass Water Slide

 

Take a 2-mile ride down a glass water slide in Hangzhou, China, the longest such slide in the world according to Guinness World Records.  Features an occasional giant finger and a giant swing.  Not for the faint of heart!

Friday, June 5, 2026

Albanians Say No To "Javanka" Project

 



The pristine Adriatic Sea coastline of Albania is being targeted for a $4 billion resort development by corrupt grifters Jared Kushner and the Malignant Fascist's lusted-after daughter Ivanka.  The problem is the people of Albania are in growing opposition to it, specifically because it would severely impact a wildlife refuge for migrating birds.  From the Associated Press:

"A massive coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, is facing growing resistance from protesters in Albania.

Police fired water cannon and clashed with protesters on Wednesday in the latest demonstration in the capital, Tirana.

The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would be transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership.

But the venture, spanning an abandoned island and a nearby stretch of seafront on Albania’s southern coast, has drawn opposition from environmental campaigners and critics of long-time Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The luxury project has two components: a coastal development in the Narta Lagoon area, which is a wildlife reserve, and a smaller resort on the nearby uninhabited island of Sazan, a communist-era military base.

The planned development of hotels, apartments, villas and a marina is linked to Kushner and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump. [snip]

The development is planned within a nature reserve and one of Albania’s most valuable biodiversity areas, a key stopover for migratory birds along the Adriatic coast." (our emphasis)

We're certain that the thought of damaging a wildlife refuge didn't cross the grifting, greedy minds of Jared and Ivanka, who discovered the land while vacationing on a boat.  The project is the focus of protests not only in Albania but elsewhere in Europe:

"Protesters have carried cardboard cut-outs of pink flamingos, one of the protected migratory bird species, at rallies in Tirana.

Since late May, excavators and other heavy machinery have entered the area, opening access routes, digging into the sand, clearing land among pine trees and installing fencing.

Environmental groups from Albania and elsewhere in Europe condemned the work, with one prominent local group charging that long-protected habitats are being 'irreversibly destroyed.'” (our emphasis)

Their destructive grifting, in large part from money they've extorted from authoritarian regimes like Saudi Arabia and the UAE to win the MF's favor, has gone global, grabbing whatever they can while the MF remains in power and able to to strong arm countries who won't cooperate.  Albania needs to stop them from ravaging the delicate environmental refuge along the Adriatic coast. 

(photo: Massive protests in Tirana, Albania. AFP via  Getty Images)

BONUS: Here's what the opposition looks like: 

Albania is erupting for the second consecutive day in angry mass protests against the Kushner land seizure deal worth $4 billion.

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— Hoodlum πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ (@nothoodlum.bsky.social) June 5, 2026 at 2:36 PM

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Ruben Bolling, gocomics.com)

(Pat Bagley, The Salt Lake Tribune)


(Drew Sheneman, Tribune Content Agency)

(Robert Ariail, Spartanburg Herald-Journal, SC))

(Paul Duginski, caglecartoons.com)


(Kevin Kallaugher, The Economist, UK)

(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

(Phil Hands, Wisconsin State Journal)

(Matt Wuerker, Politico)

(Matt Davies, Newsday)

(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)

(Dan Misdea, The New Yorker)


Skeets Of The Day

 

Operation Epic Epstein Fury / 100 days and counting --

 

The conflict marks its 100th day on Sunday.

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— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla.bsky.social) June 5, 2026 at 7:50 AM

 

Push came to shove and they folded like the cheap suits they are --

 

When push comes to shove… You know what will happen.

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— Bill Grueskin (@bgrueskin.bsky.social) June 5, 2026 at 7:08 AM

 

Meanwhile Susan Collins continues to vote to fund President Stephen Miller’s brutal authoritarian regime. #mepolitics #mesenate

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— Murshed Zaheed (@murshedz.bsky.social) June 5, 2026 at 7:39 AM

 

Alt hed: Republicans allow Trump to steal $2B from taxpayers to pay insurrectionists while ALSO providing $70B to pay brownshirts.

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— emptywheel (@emptywheel.bsky.social) June 5, 2026 at 5:09 AM

 

Trump's hatchet man Pulte --

 

As a reminder, it was a scandal when DNI Tulsi Gabbard meddled with Georgia's ballots and it's a scandal that he's suggesting this in advance. That's not remotely part of the job description.

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— Kevin M. Kruse (@kevinmkruse.bsky.social) June 4, 2026 at 7:12 PM

 

The.  Most.  Corrupt.  Regime.  Ever. --

 

Ballroom donors won $50B in contracts after giving to Trump project, watchdog group finds www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

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— Herb Scribner (@herbscribner.bsky.social) June 5, 2026 at 7:01 AM

 

JD Vance and Stephen Miller have decided that fake stories of "immigrant fraud" are the future of MAGA. It's an especially rich move when they work for the biggest fraudster of all. They are functionally admitting this is about race, not crime. www.salon.com/2026/06/05/j...

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— Amanda Marcotte (@amandamarcotte.bsky.social) June 5, 2026 at 7:06 AM

 

Standing up to the Jim Crow states --


Derrick Coleman declined his Mobile Sports Hall of Fame induction, saying he could not accept the honor while Black voters face diminished representation under newly approved congressional maps. “We cannot settle for silence,” Coleman said.

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— leftylady.bsky.social (@leftylady.bsky.social) June 4, 2026 at 10:36 AM

 

"Serious psychic injury" for Trump πŸ˜πŸ‘ -- 


this will cause Trump serious psychic injury, as it should www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/0...

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— John Harwood (@johnjharwood.bsky.social) June 4, 2026 at 5:43 PM

 

 Someone please put Grandpa Cankles to bed ... --

 

I love how no one has the little bit of courage to tell him “sir, it looks bad when you’re drifting off on live TV” All terrified of becoming his latest fall guy 🀷🏻‍♂️🀦🏻‍♂️

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— Dimitri Drekonja, MD, MS (@dimitridrekonja.bsky.social) June 4, 2026 at 6:04 PM

 

... before he has another insane outburst --

 

Trump attacking Kaitlan Collins: CNN's a very corrupt organization, with a corrupt reporter standing right there, never smiles. Young, beautiful woman, never smiles. I never see a smile on her face. I see her standing with such hatred in her eyes.

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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) June 3, 2026 at 4:22 PM

 

On the money! πŸ˜‚ (Happy Friday!) -- 




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— George Conway ⚖️πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ (@gtconway.bsky.social) June 4, 2026 at 9:51 PM

 

 

Weekend Music Twofer

 

Happy 87th birthday tomorrow to Gary U.S. Bonds, of murky triple-tracked vocals fame on compelling dance tunes like "School Is Out," "New Orleans," and the two songs we're sharing today, 1961's "Quarter To Three," and 1962's "Dear Lady Twist."  The saxophonist in Bonds' recordings is Gene Barge (a.k.a., "Daddy G") leader of "The Church Street Five" group which is referenced in Bonds' "Quarter To Three," as is "Daddy G" in The Dovell's "Bristol Stomp." Bonds made a bit of a comeback in the 80's with the help of admirer Bruce Springsteen, who knows a good thing when he hears it.  Hope you enjoy.

Trump: Pulte Won't Get DNI Job Permanently

 

Following a revolt of MAGAt Senators, the deranged and vindictive Malignant Fascist declared that he wouldn't nominate his unfit hatchet man Bill Pulte to be permanent Director of National Intelligence.  However, Pulte will remain as acting DNI until a nominee for the position is confirmed by the Senate, with plenty of time to conduct the MF's retribution campaign in his acting position. From NBC News:

"President Donald Trump said Thursday that his newly appointed acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, will not take up the position permanently.

Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, two days after appointing Pulte to the acting role, a move that prompted pushback from members of his own party.

'It’s an acting position. It’s not permanent,' Trump said. 'I don’t think he’d want to be permanent.'

Republicans criticized Pulte’s appointment to lead the nation’s spy agencies, citing his lack of national security and intelligence experience. [snip]

Still, the president said that Pulte, a Trump loyalist who had used his position as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to launch investigations into Trump’s perceived political foes, 'may find out some things about the rigged elections” while he serves as director of national intelligence.'" (our emphasis)

Former Senate majority leader and human - turtle hybrid, the cynical Sen. Mitch McConnell noted that the position requires a person with extensive national security experience, which Pulte lacks:

“Very few Senate-confirmable positions come with statutory eligibility requirements. There are good reasons why the Director of National Intelligence is one of them. Anyone performing this role of such immense public trust must have the extensive national security experience required by statute, and no nominee who falls short of this requirement will earn my vote.”

It's clear that the MF has no concern about someone with national security experience.  It's likely that the MF will drag out his "search" for a permanent DNI, while the fanatically loyal Pulte remains acting and picks up the "rigged elections" canard that his disgraced predecessor Tulsi "Kremlin's Girl" Gabbard pursued in places like the Fulton Co., Georgia, board of elections.  The Federal Vacancies Reform Act allows an acting political appointee to serve in a position requiring Senate approval for up to 210 days.


The Thug Slush Fund That Won't Die

 



Senate Republicans wanted to have it both ways yesterday in a marathon of votes on funding for an immigration "enforcement" bill.  That's because it's a party of fascist weasels:

Senate Republicans have defeated the first attempts to kill President Donald Trump’s rioter slush fund with legislation.

The Senate voted against several proposals targeting the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” before passing a $70 billion bill to fund Trump’s immigration crackdown early Friday.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said he’s not surprised Republicans aren’t taking any action against the controversial settlement fund.

“There’s only one rule here: In the end, he gets anything he wants,” Murphy told HuffPost, referring to Trump.

For a few hours on Thursday, it looked like Senate Republicans might actually vote for a motion by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to send an immigration funding bill back to a committee with instructions to outlaw the slush fund.

What was the fig leaf the Republicans used to remove funding for the MF's golden ballroom/bunker, but not outlaw the slush fund? 

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the settlement last month, then this week said the administration was actually “not moving forward with the fund” thanks in large part to backlash from Republican lawmakers. Blanche’s statement, uttered during a committee hearing, was all Republican senators needed to restart their immigration bill. Even though the president himself this week seemed to think the fund is still alive, some senators used Blanche’s statement to brush off questions.

“It’s a moot point,” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) told HuffPost. “There is no fund.”

Everyone knows you can always take Epstein class consigliere Blanche's word to the bank (where he's keeping the Epstein-Trump files in a vault!). 

What's important is that the cult leader still thinks there's a fund, and there's a $5 billion slush fund in the $70 billion bill that the MF's DHS loyal marionette "Markwaynes World" Mullin controls "at his discretion," so let's see if this turns out to be a cynical workaround to reward insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol and police.

The bill now goes to the even more craven and cultish House.

151 days until the mid-term elections.

(Photo:  hold on, boys, the check may still be coming! / (Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press)

 

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Steve Greenberg, steve@greenberg-art.com)

(Matt Davies, Newsday)

(Matt Wuerker, Politico)

(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)

(Clay Jones, claytoonz.substack.com)

(Steve Sack, stevesack.substack.com)

(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)

(Bill Day, caglecartoons.com; context here)

(Dave Whamond, caglecartoons.com, Canada)

(Gary Markstein, Creators.com)

(Tim Campbell, Tribune Content Agency)

(Matt Reuter, The New Yorker)