Across The Universe, Cont.

 

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From NASA/ ESA, April 30, 2026: In this ESA/Hubble Picture of the Month, a spiral galaxy glittering with star clusters is the centre of attention. NGC 3137 is located 53 million light-years away in the constellation Antlia (The Air Pump). As a nearby spiral galaxy, this target offers astronomers an excellent opportunity to study the cycle of stellar birth and death, as well as giving researchers a glimpse of a galactic system similar to our own.

NGC 3137 is of particular interest to astronomers because it travels through space with a group of galaxies that is thought to be similar to the Local Group, the galaxy group that contains the Milky Way. Similar to the Local Group, the NGC 3175 group contains two large spiral galaxies: NGC 3137 and NGC 3175, which Hubble has also observed. In the Local Group, the largest members are the Milky Way galaxy and Andromeda, another spiral galaxy. In addition to two large spiral galaxies, both groups also contain a number of smaller dwarf galaxies, although it’s not yet known how many of these tiny companions the NGC 3175 group has; researchers have found more than 500 dwarf galaxy candidates. By studying this nearby galaxy group, astronomers can learn about the dynamics of our own galactic home.

NGC 3137 is revealed in fantastic detail by Hubble. This image is crafted from observations in six different colour bands, creating a view that highlights several facets of this beautiful spiral. The galaxy’s centre, which is encircled by a network of fine, dusty clouds, hosts a black hole estimated to be 60 million times more massive than the Sun. NGC 3137 is highly inclined from our point of view, giving a unique perspective on its loose, feathery spiral structure. A couple of photobombing Milky Way stars and a smattering of far more distant background galaxies complete the image.

As stunning as each of these features may be, it’s the galaxy’s brilliant star clusters that steal the show. The galaxy is peppered with dense clusters of bright blue stars and glowing red gas clouds, which signal the presence of hot, young stars still encased in their birth nebulae.

Unsurprisingly, these star clusters are exactly what has drawn Hubble’s keen eye. Researchers are using Hubble to carry out an observing programme (#17502; PI: D. Thilker) focusing on star clusters in 55 nearby galaxies. The data collected will help astronomers identify star clusters and the glowing nebulae that surround them, providing a way to measure the ages of stars in galaxies like NGC 3137. These observations give an in-depth view of stellar life in spiral galaxies, from the young stars still in the process of forming to the ancient stellar populations that grew up in the early years of their galactic hosts.

The PHANGS-HST programme for which these observations were taken is part of a larger effort by some of the most powerful observatories on (and around) Earth. Hubble contributes greatly to this massive undertaking, which combines data from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA). Together, Hubble’s powerful optical and ultraviolet capabilities, Webb’s sensitive infrared eyes, and ALMA’s broad network of radio dishes bring us an unmatched view of star formation in the local Universe.

[Image Description: A spiral galaxy seen close up and tilted at an angle, so that its disc fills the view from corner to corner. Its disc is yellow near to the centre and pale blue farther out, showing cooler and hotter stars, respectively. Thin brown clouds of dust, glowing pink spots of star formation, and sparkling blue patches filled with star clusters swirl through the galaxy. Behind it, small orange dots are very distant galaxies.]

Credit:  ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker and the PHANGS-HST Team

Today's Cartoons

 

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(Matt Davies, Newsday)

(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)

(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)

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

(Ed Wexler, caglecartoons.com)

(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

(Dennis Goris, @dennisgoris)

(Garry Trudeau, gocomics.com)

(Michael de Adder, caglecartoons.com, Canada)

(David Rowe, Financial Review, Australia;  context here)

(Steve Sack, stevesack.substack.com)

(Jon Adams, @citycyclops)

Sunday Reflection: Shhh

"Shh. Listen to the sounds that surround you. Notice the pitches, the volume, the timbre, the many lines of counterpoint. As light taught Monet to paint, the earth may be teaching you music." Singer, composer, and activist Pete Seeger, (5/9/1919 - 1/27/2014), from his book "How Can I Keep from Singing" (1981).

Seeger's career spanned decades, from his part in The Weavers ("Good Night Irene") to his seminal role in the folk music revival of the '50s and '60s.  He wrote or co-wrote some of the most cherished songs of the period, including "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?", "Gotta Travel On," and "If I Had A Hammer," as well as his popular adaptations of other songs like "Turn, Turn, Turn," "Guantnamera," "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," and the civil right anthem "We Shall Overcome."  He supported environmental and anti-war causes his entire life, from a leftist perspective, stemming from his union activities from the 1930s and involvement in the Communist Party until 1949.

 

Dementia Don's Further Descent Into Madness, Cont.

 

Here's some of what the super-focused "President of the United States" has posted in the last 24 hours on his failing web site:

Never has the mental instability and puerility of a person occupying the Office of President been on public display so persistently, with the media and even much of the opposition sanewashing this madness.

Climate Change Deniers "Educating" Judges

 

In the coming months and years, if you wonder why more judges are questioning climate science and siding with the fossil fuel industry, ProPublica has a likely reason: 

"For many months, conservative lawmakers and political operatives have been targeting the scientists and lawyers behind the Climate Judiciary Project, a program meant to educate the courts about climate science, alleging that their effort constitutes a conspiracy to influence federal judges and persuade them to rule against the oil industry.

Now, just as congressional investigators are escalating a formal inquiry into the project, a separate program closely aligned with the fossil fuel industry and free-market conservatives is hosting a symposium for 150 judges in Nashville, Tennessee. The program, run by the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, also aims to educate judges, but in a way that prioritizes American business interests and questions climate science. 

The dueling efforts come as a number of significant lawsuits seeking to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate damages are making their way through the courts and as oil-industry-aligned attacks on climate policies, and the legal arguments supporting them, have been sharply increasing."  (our emphasis)

So what this right-wing program is peddling are the same canards that the fossil fuel industry has spread for five decades, despite overwhelming climate data and research that points to a warming of the climate, perhaps now irreversible.  The fact that the program is run by the "Antonin Scalia School of Law", named after the late, far-right Justice, is a sure sign that the judges are going to get pseudoscience from the fossil fuel industry, rather than facts from an independent, science-based group (say the National Academy of Sciences).  In any event, we're certain that the judges attending are sympathetic to the industry and are looking for "alternative facts" from them to use in environmental cases.

 

Bombed Boobs

 

ICYMI, last night's SNL cold open featured a raging Secretary of Defense War Epic Action Films, Whiskey Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost), and a guest appearance by fellow belligerent drunk, FBI Director  Kash "No Credit" Patel (Aziz Ansari). 

 

As a bonus, here's Jost and Michael Che with part of their "Weekend Update" segment, providing quips on much of the asshatery from the past week.

Today's Cartoons

 

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(David Horsey, The Seattle Times)

(Michael de Adder, caglecartoons.com, Canada)

(Jimmy Margulies, King Features)

 (Chris Britt, Creators.com)

(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

(Milt Priggee, caglecartoons.com)

(Bill Day, caglecartoons.com)

(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)

(Martin Rowson, The Guardian, UK)

(Jack Ohman, Tribune Content Agency)

(Randy Bish, @bishtoon)

(David Sipress, @dsipress)

MAGAt Influencer, Jan. 6 Insurrectionists Caught In Human Trafficking Sting

 

No wonder there's such a strong affinity between these slugs and their cult leader:

Florida’s Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd took aim at MAGA influencer and Jan. 6 riot participant Craig Long on Friday after the pro-Trump figure was caught in a human trafficking sting operation.

The sheriff laughed at a press conference that the arrest would provide the influencer with “some content for his social media.”

“Then there's Craig Long we arrested – some of you may recognize him,” Judd said, speaking during a press conference announcing that the sting operation had yielded 266 arrests. 

“He's an influencer, he also owns Craig Long Fitness in Tampa, [Florida] – he was [soliciting]. Did I tell you that he's married? That he's got 125k followers on Instagram, 560k followers on TikTok? Well, I'm gonna give him some content for his social media today.”

According to CBS-affiliate 10 Tampa Bay, Long, 41, was a participant in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and is an influential MAGA influencer and strong supporter of President Donald Trump. He was sentenced to six months in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, but was released after Trump signed a blanket pardon for those who stormed the capitol on his first day back in the White House.

When announcing Long’s arrest, Judd didn’t hold back in criticizing Long for his apparent appreciation for law enforcement.

“He was a previous felon who straightened up – really, what we want to see in life. Now he's an influencer, he moves in big circles, even with the president. This is a photograph of the president and his son not long ago,” Judd said, holding up what appeared to be a photo of Trump with Long.

“We like the fact that he likes the cops – heck, he liked them so much, he got caught up in a sting and got to be rubbing up and real close with the cops. He appreciates law enforcement – well, there you go, he got arrested in a human trafficking sting – influence that for a while.”  (our emphasis)

That's some pretty good (and fair) trolling there, Sheriff!

They also caught fellow January 6 insurrectionist Ryan Yates in the same sting.  Here's the Sheriff holding up his mug shot:

We'll say it again just for emphasis:  the Malignant Fascist and his most devoted cultists represent the lowest form of humanity -- ignorant, violent, predatory sociopaths.

(Screenshots via Yahoo News)

Skeets Of The Day

 

How true: the Malignant Fascist confirms what we've all known --

Trump says anyone running for president should take a cognitive exam because you could end being stuck with a moron for years. “I mean, you get a guy who gets in there, he's got a good line of crap. He gets in and all of a sudden you're stuck with a man who's a moron”

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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 4:49 PM

 

Imagine bragging about constantly being administered dementia tests

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— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 6:10 PM

The scams and grifting by the MF and his corrupt family. Dems, tie this to struggling middle class --  

Qatar’s gifted ‘Palace in the Sky’ to go with his ballroom, triumphal arch, crypto billions, Middle East resort deals, corrupt pardons to donors, and an endless list of grifts and scams profiting off the presidency. King Donald ain’t worried about the price of groceries or gas.

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— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 4:21 PM

 

Donald Trump has nearly tripled his net worth since being elected president a second time. The Trump family is also taking in billions from foreign governments and profiting off of the presidency itself, violating the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause. trib.al/ongt4fe

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— The New Republic (@newrepublic.com) May 1, 2026 at 9:08 PM

 

Trump’s meme coin is a scam to enrich insiders. A couple dozen “whales” made nearly $2 billion soon after launch in early 2025. Then, the coin crashed and lost over $4 billion for over 2 million retail investors—including many everyday Americans. My @morningjoe-msnow.bsky.social Chart.

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— Steve Rattner (@steverattner.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 10:46 AM

The MF won't stop his blasphemy about being Jesus. Crickets from "Christian" nationalists -- 

In case you’re wondering, this is a real post.

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— Jon Cooper (@joncooper-us.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 5:20 PM

The MF's petulant reaction to criticism from Germany over his Iran disaster -- 

The man doesn't care about anything or anyone except himself. Weakening America along the way, but the cult will remain loyal to him as he cons them out of all their money. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

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— Wajahat Ali (@wajali.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 6:47 PM

 

Trump keeps delivering good news to his handler, Vladimir Putin.

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— Mark Jacob (@markjacob.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 7:19 PM

It's Kentucky Derby day --

 

Racehorse Receives Carrot Every Time He Wins $2 Million For Owner

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— The Onion (@theonion.com) May 1, 2026 at 12:00 PM

 

 

QOTD -- A Corrupt And Broken SCOTUS Eliminates The VRA

 

"... Late Wednesday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court — with three of its six-member conservative majority appointed by a racist president who routinely calls Black and brown members of Congress “low IQ” — grabbed that moral arc and twisted so hard that it broke.

"Its 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais — destined to join Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Korematsu v. United States in the SCOTUS hall of shame — struck down a Louisiana congressional map that created a new Black-voter majority district. The majority opinion by conservative firebrand Samuel Alito tried to argue that they were saving the 1965 VRA by destroying it, that political maps like the ones that currently have 23 Black House members from the former Confederacy are essentially racist — because they discriminate against white people.  [snip]

"If a corrupt and broken Supreme Court insists on playing partisan politics, then we need partisan politicians to bring them to heel. Expand the court to 13 justices, impose term limits, and investigate and impeach any justices who broke the laws about gifts or anything else.

"Radical steps? You bet, but the alternative is allowing a kangaroo court to finish the job of dismantling the American Experiment, of turning a dream that became a lie into something worse. We can’t bend the arc of the moral universe until we grab it back from the people who stole it." -- Will Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer, from a must-read op "SCOTUS Gutting 1965 Voting Rights Act is a Wake-up Call From a Dream."  If we don't get Democrats back into power with the guts, aggressiveness, and vision to do what Bunch calls for, we will lose what's left of our democracy (and it will be gone if the only party standing up for it refuses to take the "radical steps" needed).  While they're at it, we also need a thorough-going reform of the judicial system, including eliminating the ability to shop for judges and streamlining appeals so that justice isn't delayed and justice isn't denied (see Trump, Donald).

Amazon's "The Apprentice" Reboot? More Bribery

 

It was reported earlier this week in the Wall Street Journal that Amazon, under its leader Jeff "Bribeos" Bezos, was considering a reboot of "The Apprentice," the unhinged Malignant Fascist's reality TV show that boosted his bank account years ago.  The kicker is that oily rage spewer Donald Trump, Jr., is under consideration for the top role by Amazon.  Now, Amazon is saying that the reboot is not in "active development," a slippery way of saying the skunk got out of the bag too soon. From Forbes.com:

"A possible 'Apprentice' reboot would mark another investment by Amazon into the Trump family after the company shelled out a reported $75 million to produce, market and distribute 'Melania,' a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, which hit theaters in January. Amazon won the rights to the project at an auction, where it reportedly outbid competitors by a significant margin. Amazon has defended its investment into the 'Melania' movie, previously telling multiple outlets it 'licensed the film for one reason and one reason only — because we think customers are going to love it.' A large portion of Amazon’s bid reportedly went to Melania Trump herself, whom the Wall Street Journal reported earned more than 70% of the $40 million Amazon spent at auction."  (our emphasis)

Amazon has extensive business with the Federal Government, including Amazon Web Services for AI, secure data storage, cloud storage and other services.  Amazon needs the vindictive and volatile MF to give it preference in Government contracts and in regulatory matters, and Bribeos is not shy about funneling money to (i.e., bribing) the MF and his corrupt family to secure that relationship. 

 

Canyonlands Silent Hiking

 

Join Harman Hoek as he takes a 5-day hike through the magnificent Canyonlands National Park in Utah.  (As with most of these silent hiking adventures, there's paid advertisement.)  Hoek describes the adventure:

In July 2025, I set out on a five-day solo backpacking trip in Canyonlands National Park, exploring the Needles District in the middle of summer. This is not the usual time people hike here. Because of the extreme heat, I didn’t see another person for five days straight. 

During the trip I explored some of the most iconic places in the area, including Druid Arch, Chesler Park, Devil’s Kitchen, Cyclone Canyon, and the Confluence Overlook. 

Hiking here felt like walking on a different planet. The rock formations aren’t just geology - they feel like buildings. Towering walls line the sides of narrow corridors like streets, while the pinnacles rise up like massive cathedrals. At times it felt like walking through an otherworldly city with its own unique architecture. It’s unlike any place I’ve hiked before. In the mountains you can usually see far ahead and expect what is coming. But here, the route constantly reveals itself like a mystery. This was probably one of the three most fun trips I have ever done. Exploring these canyons is endlessly fascinating, and every step feels like discovering something new. The landscape only truly reveals itself when you move through it.

Beautiful video of stunning, unforgiving landscapes.  Watch full screen.

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Dave Granlund, politicalcartoons.com)

(Christopher Weyant, Boston Globe)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Jimmy Margulies, King Features)

(Jonathan Brown, caglecartoons.com)

(Dave Brown, The Independent, UK)

(Phil Hands, Wisconsin State Journal)

(Osmani Simanca, caglecartoons.com, Brazil)

(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)

(Drew Sheneman, Tribune Content Agency)

(Sean Delonas, caglecartoons.com)

(Dave Whamond, caglecartoons.com, Canada)

(Barry Blitt, The New Yorker)

(Paul Noth, @paulnoth)

QOTD: "Fuck You For Doing That"

 

In an interview with Vox.com, Maine journalist Alex Seitz-Wald notes how negatively the voters there reacted to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the DSCC trying to force Gov. Janet Mills on them from Washington, with their disturbing lack of awareness and heavy-handedness, which contributed to candidate Graham Platner's rise:

"Maine is definitely a state that has a chip on its shoulder. Every summer, we get wealthy people from New York and Boston and DC and everywhere who come in, and then they leave. That’s the background music of this kind of resentment of outsiders telling us what to do.

People really resented the sense that Chuck Schumer, the Washington Democrats, the people from away, were forcing Janet Mills upon them. I picked up a lot of that really early on. They just kind of anointed her as the candidate and then said, shut up and get behind her. So, more than the 'establishment' or policy, it was just the sense that people who know nothing about Maine are trying to tell us what to do — and fuck you for doing that."

It's not likely that Schumer will learn from this, that the staid, "safe" route is not always the best, and above all to wait and to gauge voter sentiment before backing a candidate. It's best that when a new Congress is seated in January that Schumer be replaced as the new leader, whether for the majority or the minority.

BONUS: Some Senate Dems are unhappy with Schumer's interference in Maine, as well as in Dem primaries in Michigan and Minnesota. They want him to back off.

 

Skeets Of The Day

 

The Epstein Files coverup / Bondi folds --

After avoiding us for weeks, it only took 45 minutes for Pam Bondi to schedule her hearing in front of our Committee, once we filed contempt charges. She's going to face some tough questions. We're fighting for survivors, and we're not going to stop until we get justice.

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— Rep. Robert Garcia (@robertgarcia.house.gov) April 30, 2026 at 11:09 AM

 

Racist SCOTUS' gutting the Voting Rights Act --

 

Just a reminder that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was called, "An act to enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States."

— Larry Glickman (@larryglickman.bsky.social) April 29, 2026 at 3:40 PM

 

That’s quite a chart www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

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— Aarón Cantú (@aaroncantu.bsky.social) April 30, 2026 at 9:26 PM

 

Things suck. But, the second civil rights movement is going to be fought with a much larger porportion of the population in support of it, and with a citizenry that thinks nostalgically about the relative prosperity and strength of the United States during its era as a multicultural democracy.

— Alex Wild (@alexwild.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 7:59 AM

 

... and a response --

 

NEWS --> Dem can redraw anywhere from 10 to 22 additional House seats for the party in time for the 2028 elections if they aggressively redistrict in 7 key states, a new Fair Fight Action analysis finds. This would neutralize GOP's post-SCOTUS advantage. New piece: newrepublic.com/article/2098...

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— Greg Sargent (@gregsargent.bsky.social) May 1, 2026 at 7:00 AM

 

Trump's Golden Ballroom/ bunker --

Americans reject Trump's White House ballroom by a 2-to-1 margin, according to a WaPo-ABC-Ipsos poll. 56% oppose the ballroom. 28% support the project.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) April 30, 2026 at 7:50 PM

 

The ongoing corruption of the Trump Crime Family --

 

The most corrupt family in American history. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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— The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) April 30, 2026 at 11:13 PM

 

Suddenly Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumber just can’t stop making big bucks off shrewd investments in companies making a fortune off connections to the government. They are experts in every industry now.

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— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) April 30, 2026 at 7:13 PM

 

Summarizing Trump's white nationalist, racist right --

 

Historians will note this is exactly what millions of Americans wanted, no matter the consequences: to retaliate against the country for electing a Black President by putting a huge racist in the White House who would constantly refer to every Black person he doesn't like as "low IQ."

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— Max Kennerly (@maxkennerly.bsky.social) April 30, 2026 at 6:20 PM

 

Nothing summarizes the modern right better than this

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— AdotSad (@adotsad.bsky.social) April 30, 2026 at 5:36 PM

 

May Day, 2026 --

 

TODAY: Americans are walking out of school and work to wield our power as workers, consumers, and students. Join us for the nationwide day of economic disruption: survey.alchemer.com/s3/8705046/i... Find one of the more than 3,000 events planned for May Day: www.mobilize.us/mayday/map/?... #MayDay

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— Indivisible ❌👑 (@indivisible.org) May 1, 2026 at 8:16 AM

 

The Epstein Files, in a nut seashell (Happy Friday!) --

 

#Epstein #EpsteinFiles #Epstein #EpsteinFiles #Epstein #EpsteinFiles

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— HyperboLEE (@hyperbolee.bsky.social) April 29, 2026 at 1:01 PM