Tuesday, April 21, 2026

…not the hole….

Not what Washington is saying:
Talks with Iran have collapsed before they even began.

Iran says it won’t negotiate while the U.S. naval blockade continues—and as Trump keeps threatening strikes on infrastructure. Meanwhile, Trump says he expects bombing to resume once the ceasefire ends.

U.S. forces reportedly boarded another Iranian-linked vessel, escalating tensions even further.

Now, with the ceasefire deadline approaching, Iran is warning it will retaliate if attacked—and planned talks in Pakistan appear dead.

This situation is spiraling fast.
But that doesn’t mean “the situation is spiraling fast.” Nor that Iran is blowing smoke.

Trump’s idea of negotiation is to bellow loudly while crawfishing quietly and calling it “art” and how he makes “deals.”
Yeah; like that.

Talks are definitely off:
But don’t be surprised if Trump gets them back on again. I suspect the UAE’s very public complaint is being echoed more privately by other countries in the region, and Trump is not anxious to give Iran a reason to strike our allies again. Nor is he really oblivious to the pressure from Europe and elsewhere about the continued closure of the Strait. He wants something from Iran to allow him to lift the blockade, but Iran has no reason to give it to him.  Trump, in his favorite metaphor, is running out of cards.

I fully expect him to lift the naval blockade by Friday, as soon as he can figure out a way to claim success. Probably something like saying he won, Iran is coming back to the negotiations….

I wrote (and published) the above, then saw this:
And remembered it was Tuesday: Trump will end the naval blockade before Iran agrees to anything more than a ceasefire.
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History Is A Flat Circle The Size Of A Dime

 NYTPitchbot drops the mask:

(1/X) People sometimes wonder how things got so crazy in this country. Well, look back at the '90s: for Clinton impeachment, you had Alan Dershowitz on Geraldo arguing against impeachment and Jon Turley arguing for it. All three of course became Trumpers.

On various topics around feminism...
(2/X) the debate was between Camille Paglia and Naomi Wolf. Also both Trumpers now.

An enormous percentage of the self-promoting gasbags of 90s political/"culutural" tv became Trumpers.

There's a reason why things are so fucked up now.

And just to be clear, all of these people were always crazy assholes. They may have positioned themselves as moderate or liberals or whatever but they were always insane assholes. And they dominated a lot of popular discourse.
"Dominated” is a bit extreme. Who remembers Turley anymore? He was a clown then, too. Dershowitz is a joke (he was once, can you believe it, respected). Paglia had a best seller (which wasn’t that good, or insightful), so that was her 15 minutes. I’m surprised she’s still around; but not that she’s a Trumper.

None of those people were even Elizabeth Warren/AOC  adjacent, so their “turn” is no surprise. They were really just reactionary about things the reactionaries were reacting to. Contrarians for the sake of attention. They never dominated popular discourse, any more than Bill Maher ever has. 

Things are so fucked up now because things are always so fucked up “now.” Trump has a pointless war in Iran. Kennedy/LBJ/Nixon had Vietnam; and a draft that only college students could easily avoid. Guess who went to war? Dogs and water cannons and sadists with state authority went after protesters in the streets. He’ll, J. Edgar Hoover was running the FBI and keeping his job by blackmailing any official who dared whisper the question: “Why is he still there?”

A handful of blowhards who would reliably pontificate on TeeVee are the reason we have 2026? Sure; and Trump would have easily won the Vietnam war. Look what he did in Venezuela!

I’ll retire to Bedlam….
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I Hate It When Sen. Foghorn Leghorn Makes Sense

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Well, When You Put It That Way….

Trump said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz situation was "over." It very obviously wasn't.

Trump said Friday that Iran agreed "to never close the Strait of Hormuz again.” The next day, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again.

Trump said yesterday that Vance isn't going to Pakistan for the talks. Officials quickly said Vance is going to Pakistan for the talks.

Trump said this morning that Vance had left and would be there tonight Islamabad time. Officials quickly said Vance is actually leaving tomorrow.

Trump said Iran has no military anymore and that "everything's gone." Iran continues to have a military with destructive capabilities.

Trump said the pope issued a statement saying Iran can have a nuclear weapon. That never happened.

Trump said nobody expected Iran to retaliate against Gulf countries. That was widely expected.

Trump said the only planes the US has really lost in the war have been to friendly fire. He said this at the same event at which he had spoken at length about what happened after Iran shot down a US plane.

Story on the president's ever-growing number of false claims on big and small matters related to the war – and his triumphant claims about supposed Iranian concessions that we just can't assume are based in reality:
OPINION: Imagine it was someone other than President Donald Trump. Suppose a different leader were posting deranged rants in the small hours, insulting the spiritual leader of 1.3 billion Catholics, threatening entire civilizations with annihilation, and comparing himself to God. What would be the reaction?
I’ve gotta say, having lived through Trump and Covid, this all sounds very familiar.
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He’s Done Enough Damage For One Day

It is currently 3.3%. And you’ve won the war with Iran; almost once a week since you started it. And yet…. I guess this is the only way to get Trump on your show.
Trump: "Never allow the Traitor Democrats like Low IQ person Hakeem Jeffries, or Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, or the totally corrupt Fake News Media such as the phony and decaying Wall Street Journal, the Failing New York Times (Subscriptions way down!), or dying '60 Minutes,' to demean or criticize Operation Midnight Hammer, which totally obliterated the Nuclear Dust locations to the point where bloodthirsty Iran has been unable to get to it, or dig it out. Space Force has cameras on every inch of the 3 sites that were so brilliantly hit last June! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT"
So Iran wasn’t two weeks away from a nuclear device? Or they were nowhere near having one? Which is it?
Trump: "The market is up. We're gonna be at 50,000. That's where we were just a little while ago, and when I hit 50,000 on the Dow, I said, 'Well, I hate to do this to everybody, but I'm gonna have to journey down to a place called Iran.' You want to see a bad stock market? Try blowing up the Middle East."
Totally worth it! Amirite? When it hits 50,000 again, what does he blow up next? South America?
KERNEN: Is there some type of currency swap possible with UAE to help if they need it? And do you think there'd be backlash?

TRUMP: It is. It's been a good country, a good ally of ours. It was shocking because we didn't think they'd get hit. I'm surprised, because they are really rich.
Connect that answer to that question, if you can. Trump has no idea what Keenan is talking about. He’s right, it’s not correct. Wait for it....
SORKIN: There's a whole number of very large companies, including Apple and Amazon, that have not sought reimbursements yet for the tariffs. From what I understand, part of the reason is they're worried about offending you.

TRUMP: I think it's brilliant. They got to know me very well. I'm honored.
Does he think the companies getting refunds (which is just a windfall for them) hate America? And Apple and Amazon, who probably don’t want the negative publicity, are “honoring Trump”? How? How the fuck does that work? He’s done enough damage today, Joe.
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Probably Because They Were Completely Unaware Of It

During talks between U.S. and Iranian delegations in Pakistan, the topic of Ukraine unexpectedly came up.

While discussing U.S. guarantees in the event that Iran halts uranium enrichment and abandons the development of nuclear weapons, the Iranian side asked how the United States is fulfilling the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in which it pledged to respect and protect Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The U.S. delegation left the question unanswered.
I mean, the negotiating team is Kushner, Vance, and Witkoff. All of them selected by Trump.

It’s ignorance all the way down.
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Monday, April 20, 2026

All The Way Down

The full investigative power of the federal government can’t find anything, so we’re going to believe the guy who replaces Powell as the Chair? While Powell is still on the Board, and with the entire Board NOT backing up the lies of the new Chairman? A new Chairman who can’t get approved until January, if then?

And now that you’ve let that plan out of the bag, what are the odds Tillis ever changes his mind? Or that any Trump nominee gets approved? Or that you haven’t just triggered very heavy Congressional oversight of any Trump nominee? Especially if that nominee goes on the Board and starts giving Trump the “evidence” Trump wants? That’ll be as transparent as glass. 
Powell can say that and have credibility. The Chairman of the Fed doesn’t replace the entire Board; or command it. She (or he) is the credible spokesperson for the Board. Destroy that, and what do you have?Now, after this silly outburst, the Trump Fed Chair will have zero credibility. Unless he renounces Trump and all his works, for the sake of the U.S. economy. At least.

Fucking with the Chair of the Fed is when you really start meddling with primal forces. Especially if he remains loyal to Trump.

You guys really aren’t very good at this, are you?
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Bold Prediction

According to Al Arabiya, Pakistani Prime Minister Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked the U.S. and Iran to extend the nominal ceasefire, set to expire in the next 48 hours, two extra weeks, as both sides find it increasingly hard to find points of convergence that would enable a more long-term ceasefire framework to be implemented. This, as negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, set for the next 24 hours continue to shape out.
Trump will take that option.
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Who Told Us We Needed AI?🤖

I’m pretty sure I know….
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“I Promised Six Weeks To Defeat Iran…”

"...and actually, from the Military standpoint, it was far faster than that.” It will end automatically.
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Say What?

Trump v. WSJ:
The Complaint also alleges that President Trump told Defendants that the Letter was a fake before they ran the Article. President Trump argues that this allegation shows that Defendants acted with serious doubts about the truth of their reporting and, therefore, with actual malice. The Court disagrees. To establish actual malice, “a plaintiff must show the defendant deliberately avoided investigating the veracity of the statement in order to evade learning the truth.” Reed, 2025 WL 1874638, at *3. The Complaint comes nowhere close to this standard. Quite the opposite. The Article explains that, before running the story, Defendants contacted President Trump, Justice Department officials, and the FBI for comment. President Trump responded with his denial, the Justice Department did not respond at all, and the FBI declined to comment. In short, the Complaint and Article confirm that Defendants attempted to investigate. The Article also states that the WSJ reviewed the Letter. [ECF No. 35-2]. Accordingly, President Trump’s conclusory allegation that Defendants had contradictory evidence and failed to investigate is rebutted by the Article and is insufficient to establish actual malice. See Michel, 816 F.3d at 704 (holding that plaintiff did not adequately allege malice where record “indicate[d] that the reporters conducted some outreach and engaged in due diligence”).
I would not call that dispositive (for one thing, it’s a trial court opinion, which doesn’t establish precedent).  But I would cite this as an example of where Patel’s suit is likely headed. With a little help from the Complaint. Because this was in The Atlantic article:
The FBI responded with a statement, attributed to Patel: “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court—bring your checkbook.”
"In short, the Complaint and Article confirm that Defendants attempted to investigate."

I think we’re done, here.
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Attacking People v. Attacking Rrpresentations Of People

So this 👇 is out of line, how? Asking for a friend.
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What Leo Was Getting At

The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!
For the Lord has spoken:
“I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
3 The ox knows its master,
the donkey its owner’s manger,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
4 Woe to the sinful nation,
a people whose guilt is great,
a brood of evildoers,
children given to corruption!
They have forsaken the Lord;
they have spurned the Holy One of Israel
and turned their backs on him.
5 Why should you be beaten anymore?
Why do you persist in rebellion?
Your whole head is injured,
your whole heart afflicted.
6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head
there is no soundness—
only wounds and welts
and open sores,
not cleansed or bandaged
or soothed with olive oil.
7 Your country is desolate,
your cities burned with fire;
your fields are being stripped by foreigners
right before you,
laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.
8 Daughter Zion is left
like a shelter in a vineyard,
like a hut in a cucumber field,
like a city under siege.
9 Unless the Lord Almighty
had left us some survivors,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.
10 Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the instruction of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your
appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. 
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the good things of the land;
20 but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

21 See how the faithful city
has become a prostitute!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,
partners with thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them.
 24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
the Mighty One of Israel, declares:
“Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes
and avenge myself on my enemies.
25 I will turn my hand against you;
I will thoroughly purge away your dross
and remove all your impurities.
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old,
your rulers as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called
the City of Righteousness,
the Faithful City.”
27 Zion will be delivered with justice,
her penitent ones with righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken,
and those who forsake the Lord will perish.
29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks
in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens
that you have chosen.
30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves,
like a garden without water.
31 The mighty man will become tinder
and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
with no one to quench the fire.”

Isaiah 1.

Real wrath of God stuff. And why? Because Israel has turned its back on justice. Not because Israel stopped worshipping God, but because it did not take care of the orphan and the widow and the oppressed. Orphans and widows, here, are both literal, and symbolic: they are people who need help. Justice in the system, the people, the nation, is justice for them. Ignore them, take care of yourself first, and you have blood on your hands. And God does not want your prayers and your rituals and your sacrifices become meaningless. God doesn’t need your prayers and your worship and your praise. What does the Lord require of you? Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.

Or pay the wages of injustice.

Justice is done to people. Mercy is shown to people. Walking humbly with God means putting people first, by doing justice, by loving mercy. Do this, and you can be the City of Righteousness. Anything less, and you become tinder, and your work a spark.

Dese are de conditions dat prevail.

Isaiah speaks within the terms of the covenant Israel has with God. We can remove that provision, and still see that this truth applies to us. The City of Righteousness is the place of justice, and justice means care for the least among us. It means not having leaders who partner with thieves and who love all bribes and chase after gifts.  We can all see the wisdom in that. The final vision of Isaiah, the apotheosis of this teaching, is an Israel that all the nations will want to learn to emulate. Not by becoming members of the covenant, but by seeing the wisdom of the practical application of justice and mercy applied to the least and the most helpless, which allows us all to live in righteousness.

It is the ultimate inclusion, not exclusion. 
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Sunday, April 19, 2026

The Pope REALLY Needs To Stay Out Of Politics

NEW: The families of more than 100 school children killed in the U.S. bombing of an Iranian school have written a letter of gratitude to Pope Leo XIV.

In it, they thank him for being a champion of peace and a voice for their deceased children.

The White House has yet to apologize for the incident.
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🧐

And they didn’t even have to meet in Islamabad! It’s magic? 🪄
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has stated that no date has been set for the next round of peace negotiations between Iran and the United States, following last weekend’s talks in Islamabad which failed to achieve an agreement, despite claims by U.S. President Donald J. Trump that there would be more direct talks this weekend in Pakistan.

“We are now focusing on finalising ⁠the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to enter into any negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can be a pretext for another round of escalation,” Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum Saturday in Turkey.
Has anyone told Iran?
Iranian state news agency Tasnim has posted a lengthy statement to X describing what Iran sees as continued U.S. preparations to continue the war while publicly stating they are willing to negotiate. The statement goes on to say that Iran is prepared to "abandon restraints" shown in the first phase of the war to unleash "unforgettable hellish hours right from the outset of renewed conflict with America and Israel" while explicitly stating that the Bab al Mandeb Strait, Saudi Aramco facilities, the port of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, and the city of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates will all enter the conflict.
Or Trump saw that already… Regarding the sagacity of the market, I lived through the ‘80’s being told the market was a great, green god whose wisdom was boundless and needed only to be allowed to operate unfettered, because governments were stupid and the people were sheeple whom the market could better care for. And now we have Polymarket for betting on the and market being stupid enough to continuously take Trump’s blather at face value. The people are not sheeple, but all flesh is grass. And a fool and his money are still soon parted. Trump’s announcement is making more sense all the time.
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How “Our BLOCKADE Has Already Closed It!” Is Working Out

So much...winning? Well, that explains that (sort of). But it doesn’t explain this:
WELKER: Why is the US rewarding Russia by extended these sanctions waivers? Russia is working with Iran

MIKE WALTZ: That's oil that was going to market. Now, instead of just going to China, it can go to some of our other allies and partners.

WELKER: It's a reversal of what the Treasury Secretary said on Wednesday
So, in reverse order: a) we’re listening to the bankers, not the people; b) our policy depends on which way the wind blows; c) cheap travel!

Oh, and Trump promising “obliteration,” again.

10 days (by my rough calculation) until Congress has to call it and approve this shit, or order a withdrawal.

57% STRONGLY disapprove of this war.  What will the GOP do…? (Three guesses, first two don’t count.)
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Here Come Da 👩‍⚖️

Good luck with that.
I don’t think the suit survives its first encounter with reality.  Like the WSJ libel suit Trump lost, this is likely to be thrown out before discovery can even get started.

And in libel cases, truth is an absolute defense. There’s also that.
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“Which Is Strange Because Our BLOCKADE Has Already Closed It!”

U.S. President Donald J. Trump states that his representatives will be leaving soon for Islamabad, Pakistan, to attend the second round of peace negotiations with Iran, expected to take place Monday evening, adding that, “We're offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don't, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They'll come down fast, they'll come down easy and, if they don't take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.”
TAPPER: What did you think when President Trump threatened to obliterate the entire Iranian civilization?

ELISE STEFANIK: He was focusing on the Iranian regime. It brought them to the table. We know he has very strong statements when he comes to his tweets

TAPPER: He said 'the entire civilization will die.' It's interesting that a 20 year old on a college campus yelling 'from the river to the sea' is worthy of condemnation, but a presiden--

STEFANIK: *starts talking over Tapper*
STEFANIK: President Trump didn't call for genocide, Jake. You are putting those words in his mouth

TAPPER: 'Your entire civilization will die'?

STEFANIK: It's the terrorist regime, Jake. He's targeting the terrorist regime

TAPPER: You're changing his words!
Not seeing the difference between bombing Iran “back to the Stone Age,” and doing “what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years,” and destroying the civilization; but I’ll have to leave that to the subtler insights of cable TeeVee talking heads.

Whatever happened to “open the fucking Strait you crazy bastards!”? No longer a viable strategy?
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has stated that no date has been set for the next round of peace negotiations between Iran and the United States, following last weekend’s talks in Islamabad which failed to achieve an agreement, despite claims by U.S. President Donald J. Trump that there would be more direct talks this weekend in Pakistan.

“We are now focusing on finalising ⁠the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to enter into any negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can be a pretext for another round of escalation,” Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum Saturday in Turkey.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance will lead a delegation, which will once again include Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, for another round of direct peace talks with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan on Monday, before the current two-week ceasefire is scheduled to end Tuesday, two U.S. officials tell Axios.
Or, you know, not.
According to ABC News, U.S. Vice President JD Vance will not be leading the diplomatic delegation to Islamabad, despite reports from Axios and several other outlets, with President Trump telling Jonathan Karl that the issue is security, the Secret Service couldn’t do it on 24 hours notice. “It’s only because of security. JD’s great.”
Or, you know, not not. Or, you know, not not not.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance will attend the next round of Iran talks in Pakistan along with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House has told CNN, after President Trump told ABC News that Vance would not be attempting the talks in Islamabad. In response to the conflicting messages over the U.S. delegation, a White House official said: “things changed.”
In a phone interview with morning with Fox News’ Trey Yingst, President Donald J. Trump stated regarding this week’s next round of peace talks with Iran in Islamabad, “If they don't sign this deal, the whole country is going to get blown up,” adding that bridges and power plants will be targeted throughout Iran.
I’m pretty sure the issue here is not “signing the deal,” but both parties keeping to its terms. Blockading the Strait to blockade their blockade is not exactly the terms of the last agreement.
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Something Tells Me This Is All They’ve Got

In case you were confused about what Charlie Kirk stood for. Or you were unclear about Trump’s negotiating “strategy.”

These are people with nothing to offer but ignorance breeding hatred and violence. Like an even stupider version of Nixon’s “madman” theory:
“Aides fielded calls from Republican senators and Christian leaders. They asked, why would he say “Praise be to Allah” on Easter morning? Why would he use the F-word? …

When one adviser later asked him about it, he said he came up with the Allah idea himself. He said he wanted to seem as unstable and insulting as possible, believing it could bring the Iranians to the table.”
He means like this:
Trump: “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years. IT’S TIME FOR THE IRAN KILLING MACHINE TO END! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
One could conclude that the Iranians quite reasonably wanted to negotiate an end to a war they didn’t start, where they have shown they have the world’s economy by the short hairs (and so the world’s hearts and minds will follow). But Donald Trump is a clueless boob. And here we are.

Maybe Congress could decide NOW is a good time to take Trump’s toys away and tell him to stop playing “war.”
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Has The World Said “Thank You”?

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) has announced that beginning in the evening on Saturday, it will be reimposing a total blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, in response to the United States’ refusal to lift its ongoing naval blockade on Iran which it views as a violation of the current ceasefire agreement that is set expired next Tuesday, April 21. The IRGC-N states that all vessels are directed to remain at anchorage in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and that any any vessels will be considered “hostile” and targeted if they approach the Strait of Hormuz.
That’ll show ‘em!
U.S. intelligence and military officials estimate that Iran still maintains about 40% of its pre-war arsenal of long-range attack drones, as well as 60% of its ballistic and cruise missile launchers, with over 100 systems that were buried inside caves and bunkers as a result of U.S. and Israeli strikes having been recovered since the start of the two-week ceasefire on April 8. In addition, some American estimates assess that Iran could reclaim as much as 70% of its pre-war stockpile of missiles, similarly buried in rubble from attacks on its bunkers and depots, officials tell The New York Times.
Or, you know, not. (What are the odds Trump learns about this from the New York Times?) Well, that’s reassuring.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has stated that no date has been set for the next round of peace negotiations between Iran and the United States, following last weekend’s talks in Islamabad which failed to achieve an agreement, despite claims by U.S. President Donald J. Trump that there would be more direct talks this weekend in Pakistan.

“We are now focusing on finalising ⁠the framework of understanding between two sides. We don't want to enter into any negotiation or meeting which is doomed to fail and which can be a pretext for another round of escalation,” Khatibzadeh told reporters on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum Saturday in Turkey.
Trump will respond by posting a picture of an escalator. Can we add them yet?
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Saturday, April 18, 2026

🤑

So Ka$h is, or is not, going to sue The Atlantic? Because a libel suit is predicated on the idea that the plaintiff DOES care about what was written about them. And this pretty much guarantees a rapid dismissal of any libel suit.

Did Ka$h hear from his lawyer, or did he decide he didn’t want to pay the legal fees? Or that he wasn’t libeled?

Yeah, I know: We also all know this: Yes, discovery will be very entertaining.

It’ll never come to that.
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“Out”

In related news:
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Matthew 25; Or Jeremiah 22: Or….

Actually, the measure of our success is how we treat the poorest and most vulnerable families and individuals. I respectfully disagree. Arguing against corruption is certainly good: But the U.S. isn’t nearly as impoverished as Hungary, and Trump has neither been in power for 16 years nor had the power Orban had. He hasn’t done nearly as much to America as Orban did to Hungary and yet, after only 16 months, Trump is one of the least popular presidents in history. So Democrats should talk about what they’re going to do for America, not what they’re going to do to Trump. The latter appeals to chattering heads on the internet, the same people who wonder why the Pope won’t at least respond to Trump.  On the other hand: Iran closes the Strait and Trump heads for the golf course. Talk about that, but not for long. Talk about how Congress will stop Trump’s foreign adventurism when Democrats are in power. And remember that all politics is STILL local.

And what excites Twitter doesn’t necessarily win elections.
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What The Pope Is Doing

"There's been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself," Leo said.

"Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said."
I wouldn’t say the Pope is defending his remarks. He’s removing the context Trump falsely created for them. 
Leo emphasized the remarks predated Trump's attacks. "My remarks were written two weeks ago, long before Trump's criticisms began," he explained, undercutting Trump's narrative that the Pope was specifically targeting him.

"And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all," Leo said, making clear he views the controversy as a distraction.

Looking forward, the Pope signaled his priorities lie elsewhere. "I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa."
Politicians and public figures are free to ignore the Pope. And for all the criticism of the media you find on the Intertoobs, this is the one you seldom see: the political press seeing everything in terms of racehorse politics. Pope Leo didn’t offer comments on what Trump said; he’s responding to the press here. The “certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects.” Because what the Pope has said that has gotten so much attention is what Xianity calls the prophetic. Not prophetic in the Nostradamus sense, but in the sense some call “speaking truth to power.” Like Jeremiah did:

Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.

14 He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.

15 “Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him.

16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 22:13-16

Pope Leo is prophesying like that. If you take it as political, well, maybe it is. If you take it as aimed at you; then, maybe it is. But consider it’s something else, entirely.
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Busy?

Playing golf all weekend and staying up all night writing tweet storms, while getting all your information as POTUS from cable TeeVee and social media, is not the same thing as being “busy.”

That seems more like manic behavior related to organic brain dysfunction.
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Well, That Is What Trump Said

It’s just not what happened.

Did Trump lie?

Is Trump that ill-informed?

Or that oblivious to reality?

At this point, what’s the difference? How is one condition worse than the other?
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“One Gigantic War Crime”

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Biden Can’t Do That!

Yes, I seriously doubt Biden can sign Trump’s name.

Biden also can’t completely fuck up the ceasefire he just claimed victory over.
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So Iran Does Have Cards

U.S. President Donald J. Trump said in a phone interview this morning with CBS News that Iran has “agreed to everything,” and will work with the United States to remove its buried stockpile of highly-enriched uranium, though he insisted that U.S. troops would not be deployed onto the ground in Iran.

“No. No troops,” Trump said. “We'll go down and get it with them, and then we'll take it. We'll be getting it together because by that time, we'll have an agreement and there's no need for fighting when there's an agreement. Nice right? That's better. We would have done it the other way if we had to.” The President then stated that the material would be brought back to the U.S. once it was recovered, “Our people, together with the Iranians, are going to work together to go get it. And then we'll take it to the United States.”
Yeah, that didn’t happen. The “agreed to everything” part, I mean. Especially the part most important to the world:
Iran's joint military command said on Saturday that "control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces." It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.
Trump is still trying to preach “unconditional surrender,” when no such thing has happened. And Congress still refuses to declare the entire affair a violation of the War Powers Act, and insist it is now over (which, it seems, might actually solve the problem). 

And this is not exactly breaking news. This is from 15 hours ago:
SNAFU.

FUBAR.
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About Kash Patel Suing The Atlantic For Slander

EXCLUSIVE @TheAtlantic On multiple occasions Patel’s security detail had difficulty waking him because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to info supplied to DOJ and White House officials. A request for “breaching equipment”was made because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors.
The FBI responded with a statement, attributed to Patel: “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court—bring your checkbook.”
Anybody recall the WSJ recently winning a slander suit  because the article included evidence they had contacted the subject for comment before going to press? That was a crucial element which defeated the “actual malice” claim of…Donald Trump.

The quote above is from The Atlantic article.  I’d also point out:
But Patel, according to multiple current officials, as well as former officials who have stayed close to him, is deeply concerned that his job is in jeopardy. He has good reasons to think so—including some having to do with what with described to me as bouts of excessive drinking. My colleague Ashley Parker and I reported earlier this month that Patel was among the officials expected to be fired after Attorney General Pam Bondi’s ouster, on April 2. “We’re all just waiting for the word” that Patel is officially out of the top job, an FBI official told me this week, and a former official told my colleague Jonathan Lemire that Patel was “rightly paranoid.” Senior members of the Trump administration are already discussing who might replace him, according to an administration official and two people close to the White House who were familiar with the conversations.
Patel’s FBI has made his drinking the only issue in that article, even though: Yes, the whole world saw Patel partying like a drunken frat boy. But it’s Patel who is calling attention to his drinking.  The article is about Patel’s standing in the Administration. It opens with an anecdote about Parel freaking out so badly about his job security that 
News of his emotional outburst ricocheted through the bureau, prompting chatter among officials and, in some corners of the building, expressions of relief. The White House fielded calls from the bureau and from members of Congress asking who was now in charge of the FBI.
Clearly a lot of people already think the knives are out for Patel. There’s no actual malice in reporting that.
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Wide Open

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Friday, April 17, 2026

Tedious Dribble

Many of whom left again. He won’t pass shit between now and November. Congress won’t stay in session long enough, and when they do, even Republicans are voting against him. They’re up for reelection; he’s not. 🤷‍♂️ You are absolutely the only person who thinks so. Which has to another sign of dementia. And if we wait to see prices fat, we’ll all die of old age. If you’re a white nationalist, I guess. Like you did for Venezuela? And Iran? And the global and national economy? God help us. You can quit anytime. None dare... ... call it... ... dementia. Now that Israel’s destroyed it, does he think he’s going to build a resort there, too? Transaction? And the Strait was open for business, until your blunt ignorance and war lust crashed the world economy. You get the blame for that, not the credit for getting Iran to relent. Which, apparently, it hasn’t:
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced a loosening of restrictions set on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz in response to the ceasefire in Lebanon, with the following rules now in effect:

1. Civilian vessels are permitted to transit solely through Iran's designated route.

2. Transit of military vessels through the strait remains prohibited.

3. All transits require permission from the IRGC Navy.

4. This transit is in accordance with the agreement for the period of silence on the battlefield and follows the implementation of the Lebanon ceasefire.
Trump insists this is not going on: Because, as usual, he’s right on top of the situation.
Trump: We had some pretty good news 20 minutes ago.

Reporter: What was the good news?

Trump: Having to do with Iran.

Reporter: Can you tell us anything about it?

Trump: No. I just think it's something that should happen. It's something that only makes sense to happen and I think it will. We'll see what happens, but I think it will.
What an empty vessel.
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