I say it in the video dont forget JD Vance has said he doesn’t give a sh— about Ukraine. And both keep mouthing Kremlin talking points while pumping up far right anti democratic actors in Europe.
Zelenskyy is in the US to advance a peace deal. Trump is demanding he hand over some of his country’s natural resources – in rare earth minerals. (I explain why in today’s Substack). But this meeting took bullying to a whole new place. Recall in the past JD Vance maintained that the US shouldn’t care about Ukraines fate. And both he and Trump often repeat Kremlin false talking points about Ukraine.
Feeling weird? Dissociated? Out of it? Apparently that’s a normal stress response. Part of a fight or flight reaction — even if you haven’t personally suffered a loss. It’s of course worse if you have. Does this ring true for you? Therapists have any tips?
Is there a connection between DOGE and Musk, Trump’s obsession with Greenland and Canada, and the war in Ukraine? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
IT COSTS WHAT?! From housing to eggs – prices are skyrocketing again. Brace yourself. Higher tariffs could mean still bigger price hikes. Egg inflation has been a big driver of rising food costs. It accounted for nearly 2/3rds of last month’s food price increase according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Bird flu is largely to blame- fewer chickens means fewer eggs. Drought, high grain prices and interest rates are pushing record-high prices for meat products including ground beef and steak. Housing is another. The latest Consumer Price Index showed shelter inflation — a measure of the average cost of US housing — rose to 4.4% year-over-year in January. It remains a major factor in keeping core inflation high. It’s a lot. In need of some light relief? Swipe to see our favorite inflation memes. Sometimes you’ve just got to laugh
IT COSTS WHAT?! From housing to eggs – prices are skyrocketing again. Brace yourself. Higher tariffs could mean still bigger price hikes. Egg inflation has been a big driver of rising food costs. It accounted for nearly 2/3rds of last month’s food price increase according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Bird flu is largely to blame- fewer chickens means fewer eggs. Drought, high grain prices and interest rates are pushing record-high prices for meat products including ground beef and steak. Housing is another. The latest Consumer Price Index showed shelter inflation — a measure of the average cost of US housing — rose to 4.4% year-over-year in January. It remains a major factor in keeping core inflation high. It’s a lot. In need of some light relief? Swipe to see our favorite inflation memes. Sometimes you’ve just got to laugh
IT COSTS WHAT?! From housing to eggs – prices are skyrocketing again. Brace yourself. Higher tariffs could mean still bigger price hikes. Egg inflation has been a big driver of rising food costs. It accounted for nearly 2/3rds of last month’s food price increase according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Bird flu is largely to blame- fewer chickens means fewer eggs. Drought, high grain prices and interest rates are pushing record-high prices for meat products including ground beef and steak. Housing is another. The latest Consumer Price Index showed shelter inflation — a measure of the average cost of US housing — rose to 4.4% year-over-year in January. It remains a major factor in keeping core inflation high. It’s a lot. In need of some light relief? Swipe to see our favorite inflation memes. Sometimes you’ve just got to laugh
IT COSTS WHAT?! From housing to eggs – prices are skyrocketing again. Brace yourself. Higher tariffs could mean still bigger price hikes. Egg inflation has been a big driver of rising food costs. It accounted for nearly 2/3rds of last month’s food price increase according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Bird flu is largely to blame- fewer chickens means fewer eggs. Drought, high grain prices and interest rates are pushing record-high prices for meat products including ground beef and steak. Housing is another. The latest Consumer Price Index showed shelter inflation — a measure of the average cost of US housing — rose to 4.4% year-over-year in January. It remains a major factor in keeping core inflation high. It’s a lot. In need of some light relief? Swipe to see our favorite inflation memes. Sometimes you’ve just got to laugh
IT COSTS WHAT?! From housing to eggs – prices are skyrocketing again. Brace yourself. Higher tariffs could mean still bigger price hikes. Egg inflation has been a big driver of rising food costs. It accounted for nearly 2/3rds of last month’s food price increase according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Bird flu is largely to blame- fewer chickens means fewer eggs. Drought, high grain prices and interest rates are pushing record-high prices for meat products including ground beef and steak. Housing is another. The latest Consumer Price Index showed shelter inflation — a measure of the average cost of US housing — rose to 4.4% year-over-year in January. It remains a major factor in keeping core inflation high. It’s a lot. In need of some light relief? Swipe to see our favorite inflation memes. Sometimes you’ve just got to laugh
IT COSTS WHAT?! From housing to eggs – prices are skyrocketing again. Brace yourself. Higher tariffs could mean still bigger price hikes. Egg inflation has been a big driver of rising food costs. It accounted for nearly 2/3rds of last month’s food price increase according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Bird flu is largely to blame- fewer chickens means fewer eggs. Drought, high grain prices and interest rates are pushing record-high prices for meat products including ground beef and steak. Housing is another. The latest Consumer Price Index showed shelter inflation — a measure of the average cost of US housing — rose to 4.4% year-over-year in January. It remains a major factor in keeping core inflation high. It’s a lot. In need of some light relief? Swipe to see our favorite inflation memes. Sometimes you’ve just got to laugh
This is such a clear example of the saying a lie travels further than the truth. But that’s not a reflection of human nature. It’s a product of the algorithm that pushes panicking rage baiting content to far far far more people than factual news. So when META says they’re ending fact checking – that’s just part of the problem here. (They barely did fact checking anyway.) There is so much misinformation about the fires. Lots of you ask me – do these people think their info is accurate or are they spreading it maliciously? I don’t know this guy so I can’t speak to his state of mind but this is a full on lie that will panic people, make them feel abandoned by their government – and it serves two purposes: to try to undercut California’s democratic officials and environmental standards based on lies (there are plenty of legit reasons to take issue with the official response to the wildfires). AND to gain this guy followers. He’s no better than a scammer who manipulates fire victims for his own gain. If videos like this keep getting more support than factual videos, where will you turn for factual information? (And is this how social media dies?). Share your thoughts in comments. And thank you @jamiepatricof for flagging this for me!! #deadinternetthheory #scammers
LOS ANGELES ON FIRE The National Weather Service is warning of Particularly Dangerous Conditions – their highest level alert – Tuesday into Wednesday. I explain what’s coming and what firefighters achieved over the weekend. What are your thoughts and questions?
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One unvaccinated school-aged child has died in the Texas measles outbreak. It comes as US Health Secretary RFK Jr played down the seriousness of the outbreak at a Cabinet meeting today. He said the health department is watching it closely but outbreaks weren’t “unusual”. RFK JR said two people have died – health officials in impacted states say they are aware of only one death. There are 124 reported cases in the outbreak – most in west Texas but nine cases now also in a neighboring New Mexico county. In 2024, the US had 285 measles cases. The Washington Post reports the case tally in Texas for the first two months of this year has eclipsed the annual US case count for each year between 2020 and 2023, according to CDC data. RFK Jr said around 20 patients are in hospital mainly for quarantine. Fact check: the state health department says patients are not being quarantined in hospital and are there for supportive medical care. RFK Jr is well known for his controversial stance on vaccines. He was heavily criticized for his visit to Samoa in 2019, where he was blamed for spreading disinformation on vaccines. Four months later a deadly measles outbreak in the country claimed the lives of at least 83 people, mostly babies. He promised at his senate confirmation hearing he wouldn’t change the nation’s vaccine schedule. But just this month, AP News reported his vow to HHS agency workers that he would investigate the childhood vaccine schedule that prevents measles, polio and other diseases.
For decades, The Washington Post has been known for holding power to account. From publishing the pentagon papers and exposing the Watergate break in in the Nixon presidency. Jeff Bezos, its current owner, seems to be turning the page Bezos. exerting more control over The Washington Post opinion section, sent a memo to staff this morning and said on X that views opposing free markets and personal liberties mentioned will be “left to be published by others.” Bezos asked opinion editor David Shipley if he wanted to stay — and if the answer wasn’t “hell yes” it had to be “no.” Shipley decided to step down. CEO Will Lewis told staff the changes are “not about siding with any political party,” but rather are being “crystal clear” as to what the newspaper stands for. But make no mistake, this is a rightward shift for The Post’s opinion section. The NY Times notes it echoes the informal tagline of the Wall Street Journal’s conservative opinion pages – free markets, free people. The move has been criticized by Democrat Rep. Don Beyer who asked Bezos to remember his words when he bought the paper in 2013: “The values of The Post do not need changing. The duty of the paper is to the readers, not the owners.”
For decades, The Washington Post has been known for holding power to account. From publishing the pentagon papers and exposing the Watergate break in in the Nixon presidency. Jeff Bezos, its current owner, seems to be turning the page Bezos. exerting more control over The Washington Post opinion section, sent a memo to staff this morning and said on X that views opposing free markets and personal liberties mentioned will be “left to be published by others.” Bezos asked opinion editor David Shipley if he wanted to stay — and if the answer wasn’t “hell yes” it had to be “no.” Shipley decided to step down. CEO Will Lewis told staff the changes are “not about siding with any political party,” but rather are being “crystal clear” as to what the newspaper stands for. But make no mistake, this is a rightward shift for The Post’s opinion section. The NY Times notes it echoes the informal tagline of the Wall Street Journal’s conservative opinion pages – free markets, free people. The move has been criticized by Democrat Rep. Don Beyer who asked Bezos to remember his words when he bought the paper in 2013: “The values of The Post do not need changing. The duty of the paper is to the readers, not the owners.”
For decades, The Washington Post has been known for holding power to account. From publishing the pentagon papers and exposing the Watergate break in in the Nixon presidency. Jeff Bezos, its current owner, seems to be turning the page Bezos. exerting more control over The Washington Post opinion section, sent a memo to staff this morning and said on X that views opposing free markets and personal liberties mentioned will be “left to be published by others.” Bezos asked opinion editor David Shipley if he wanted to stay — and if the answer wasn’t “hell yes” it had to be “no.” Shipley decided to step down. CEO Will Lewis told staff the changes are “not about siding with any political party,” but rather are being “crystal clear” as to what the newspaper stands for. But make no mistake, this is a rightward shift for The Post’s opinion section. The NY Times notes it echoes the informal tagline of the Wall Street Journal’s conservative opinion pages – free markets, free people. The move has been criticized by Democrat Rep. Don Beyer who asked Bezos to remember his words when he bought the paper in 2013: “The values of The Post do not need changing. The duty of the paper is to the readers, not the owners.”
This is uncommon Trump starts his first cabinet meeting by quickly giving the platform to Musk. He introduced himself as “tech support,” told reporters DOGE will fire federal workers whose jobs are not needed or who are bad at their jobs, and will cutting its way to saving $4 billion a day through September. Note DOGE has updated its claims to release some of the biggest savings it said it had achieved. Meantime they have been cutting staff at agencies that regulate musk’s business, giving new and bigger contracts to musks businesses and we don’t know what Musk is doing with all that data he is now accessing. Also worth noting, the Trump admin told the courts that Musk doesn’t run or work for DOGE. Sure doesn’t sound like that…
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, social media influencers charged with human trafficking (and in one case rape) have landed in the US. They had been held in Romania but theirtravel ban was lifted. The pair were arrested in 2022 for allegedly forming a criminal gang for human trafficking. Andrew Tate is also charged with rape and both face allegations of money laundering. A trial had been given the green light last year but with no start date – it was later ruled a trial couldn’t go ahead but the case wasn’t closed. The brothers have dual US-British citizenship. They landed in Florida’s Fort Lauderdale today. Governor Ron DeSantis said they’re not welcome: “Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct.” Andrew Tate — a self-described misogynist — told reporters on arrival he and his brother were “largely misunderstood” and the accusations were a conspiracy against him Why were the brothers allowed to leave Romania? The FT reports that the Trump administration pushed Romanian authorities to return their passports and let them leave. If there was a deal, we don’t yet know what Romania got in return. Romanian officialsls say there was no pressure. The Tates are expected to return to Romania for court proceedings.
Princess of Wales in Remission Kate Middleton announced that she is in remission from cancer. “It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.” She announced the news on instagram where she thanked the doctors who treated her at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. “My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside William and me as we have navigated everything.” She also announced a new role as the Joint Patron of the Royal Marsden and says she hopes to support “groundbreaking research and clinical excellent as well as promoting patient and family wellbeing.” @princeandprincessofwales #princessofwales #katemiddleton #cancer #remission
What to Say to Someone Who Lost their Home in the LA Fires: Some of you have asked me what’s the right thing to say. You told me there’s lots of info about what NOT to say. But how do you find the right words? I turned to my best source for information on mental health, well being and positive communication. That’s @drsamanthaboardman . She offers helpful advice here. #wildfires #mentalhealth #palisades #altadena #eaton #home #house #loss #askanexpert
A surprise victory for Speaker Johnson and President Trump, tonight. A divided GOP house conference looked past their differences and united to pass a massive budget bill that would be Trump’s first major piece of legislation this term. Called a “big beautiful bill” by President Trump, the measure would preserve the 2017 tax cuts, lower the corporate tax rate, end taxes on tips and social security benefits – totalling $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over a decade. To pay for some of this the bill also requires $2 trillion in spending cuts – which is expected to drive steep cuts (almost $900 billion) in popular and vital Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIPS). Many GOP members in swing districts objected to the bill, fearful that a vote to cut Medicaid could cost them their seat. The measure also allows for more drilling for energy reserves, more defense spending, and more spending on immigration enforcement. It would raise the debt limit by $4 trillion avoiding a debt limit showdown later in the year. None of this is a done deal. First, this bill is merely a framework – a list of “wants.” The Senate passed a different, more narrow bill and the two will have to be reconciled into one bill. This means committees will now fill in details. And the combined bill will be brought to another vote. If Republicans lack the votes to pass that combined bill, the government could shut down in March. In this case they could require Democratic support to pass a measure. For now the GOP is united. Johnson and Trump overcame objections from GOP fiscal hawks who object to the bill’s impact on the deficit. And from moderates who object to cuts in health care programs for Americans. The vote was 217 to 215, with one Republican voting “no” along with all Democrats. This is one major step forward for the Trump agenda, but it faces many hurdles before it becomes law. What strikes you about this legislation?
An alarming step in Trump’s immigration crackdown. The Wall Street Journal reports the administration has plans to set up a registry for undocumented immigrants. Documents show failure to register could mean a $5,000 fine or up to six months in prison. It’s a move towards criminalizing being in the US illegally, whereas it’s usually treated as a civil offense. People aged 14 and older would be required to submit their personal information, including fingerprints and home addresses, according to WSJ. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on the policy, “aliens in this country illegally face a choice, they can return home and follow the legal process to come to the United States or they can deal with the consequences of continuing to violate our laws”. The website could be live within the week, undocumented immigrants then have 30 days to register. It’s not the first time the US has had an immigrant registry. WSJ reports in 1940, immigrants had to register annually at local post offices in an attempt to catch communists. It was no longer used by the 1960s. President George W. Bush created a registry after 9/11 where men and boys from predominantly Muslim countries had to submit photos and fingerprints to the government. The WSJ says tens of thousands were arrested or deported as a result.
State Farm, California’s largest insurer, will slightly reverse course and continue offering coverage for some people impacted by the Los Angeles County wildfires. This change applies to homeowners, rental property owners and residential community associations. “We have paused the notification process on homeowner non-renewals in the areas affected by the fires. Homeowner policies impacted by the fires that were on the books on Jan 7, will have an option to renew with State Farm for another policy term,” the company said in a press release. This seems to mean that if you were not notified of a non-renewal from State Farm on Jan. 7 or the days since, you will be able to renew coverage for one more policy term. According to the LA Times, “The figure includes roughly 70%, or 1,100, of the 1,626 residential policies still in place in Pacific Palisades’ primary 90272 ZIP Code — and thousands more in the neighborhood and elsewhere in the county.” This marks a significant shift from State Farm’s previous stance, as the company had announced plans in March to drop approximately 72,000 property insurance policies in California and had stopped accepting new applications in the state in 2023. So far, no other insurers have announced similar plans to offer renewals to policyholders impacted by the wildfires. If you believe this renewal opportunity applies to you, reach out to State Farm and share with others who may be impacted. If you have any additional information or personal experiences, let us know in the comments. #lafires #insurance #statefarm #california #fire #palisades
