Flingjore
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I'm Jay Keller. Ombudsman. News Editor. Rhetoric. Rugby. Kindness. No political parties. Literature, physics, & history. Art. Poised. Colorado, USA. NAFO
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Flingjore
@flingjore.com
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Trump is trying to change how the midterm elections are conducted
Many of these endeavors go far beyond typical political persuasion, challenging long-established democratic norms.
www.washingtonpost.com
Redrawing maps is just the start. Trump’s push to ban machines and purge rolls signals a year of lame-brained chaos. It’s a strategy of throwing executive tantrums at state laws, ensuring 2026 becomes a long, exhausting slog where administrative competence must battle conspiracy-fueled nonsense.
Amway loses a $3B fight as Mexico reclaims its farm via a 1939 decree. The lesson? Sovereignty bites harder than trade treaties. The tribunal’s punt on a USMCA technicality exposes a risk for multinationals: NAFTA’s "zombie" protections won't save legacy assets from domestic populism.
Amway loses $3 billion dispute after Mexico seized its 692-acre organic farm
An international tribunal dismissed Amway’s case after Mexico granted the company’s El Petacal farm to communal landowners citing a 1939 resolution.
www.mlive.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:29 AM
Amway loses a $3B fight as Mexico reclaims its farm via a 1939 decree. The lesson? Sovereignty bites harder than trade treaties. The tribunal’s punt on a USMCA technicality exposes a risk for multinationals: NAFTA’s "zombie" protections won't save legacy assets from domestic populism.
Reposted by Flingjore
Redrawing maps is just the start. Trump’s push to ban machines and purge rolls signals a year of lame-brained chaos. It’s a strategy of throwing executive tantrums at state laws, ensuring 2026 becomes a long, exhausting slog where administrative competence must battle conspiracy-fueled nonsense.
Trump is trying to change how the midterm elections are conducted
Many of these endeavors go far beyond typical political persuasion, challenging long-established democratic norms.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:05 AM
Redrawing maps is just the start. Trump’s push to ban machines and purge rolls signals a year of lame-brained chaos. It’s a strategy of throwing executive tantrums at state laws, ensuring 2026 becomes a long, exhausting slog where administrative competence must battle conspiracy-fueled nonsense.
Reposted by Flingjore
Does rhetoric outpace reality on Iran? Trump’s "big price" for Tehran hits a logistical wall: US armada is parked in the Caribbean. A strategic overstretch. With interceptors low and carriers gone, a strike would gamble exposing 10,000 troops to retaliation without a shield.
Trump faces limited set of military options on Iran
Many of the troops and ships once at the president’s disposal have shifted to the Caribbean.
www.politico.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Does rhetoric outpace reality on Iran? Trump’s "big price" for Tehran hits a logistical wall: US armada is parked in the Caribbean. A strategic overstretch. With interceptors low and carriers gone, a strike would gamble exposing 10,000 troops to retaliation without a shield.
China’s record $1.2 trillion surplus signals that tariffs act less like a dam and more like a detour. While Washington squeezes, Beijing pivots to the Global South. The cash flows; only the shipping labels change. The data shows decoupling isn't destruction—it's just a geographical reshuffle.
China had record $1.2 trillion trade surplus in 2025
China’s government says that the country's trade surplus surged to a record of almost $1.2 trillion last year as exports picked up in December.
apnews.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:59 AM
China’s record $1.2 trillion surplus signals that tariffs act less like a dam and more like a detour. While Washington squeezes, Beijing pivots to the Global South. The cash flows; only the shipping labels change. The data shows decoupling isn't destruction—it's just a geographical reshuffle.
Washington hands Taipei a paradox: Abrams tanks too heavy for island bridges and a $21 billion backlog of invisible F-16s. It’s expensive symbolism masking a tactical void. We’re arming a porcupine with quills it can’t use or hasn’t received. Deterrence demands capability, not just contracts.
How Much Equipment Did the U.S. Deliver to the Republic of China Armed Forces in 2025?
The United States in 2025 continued large scale deliveries of military equipment to modernise the inventories of the Republic of China Armed Forces, following a policy
militarywatchmagazine.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:51 AM
Washington hands Taipei a paradox: Abrams tanks too heavy for island bridges and a $21 billion backlog of invisible F-16s. It’s expensive symbolism masking a tactical void. We’re arming a porcupine with quills it can’t use or hasn’t received. Deterrence demands capability, not just contracts.
Congress is asleep at the wheel and the Supreme Court slashed the tires. By systematically dismantling the machinery of lawmaking from voting rights to agency authority, justices do not act as referees. They reshape the game to ensure legislative paralysis. It’s a monopoly of one.
How the Supreme Court Broke Congress
In the name of protecting the balance of powers, the Court is radically refashioning that balance.
www.theatlantic.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Congress is asleep at the wheel and the Supreme Court slashed the tires. By systematically dismantling the machinery of lawmaking from voting rights to agency authority, justices do not act as referees. They reshape the game to ensure legislative paralysis. It’s a monopoly of one.
VIDEO: Justice Jackson exposes a legal Catch-22: state argues laws survive general challenges because they work mostly, yet denies individuals relief because perfection isn't required. She reveals "tough luck" jurisprudence where rights vanish in the gap between abstract rules and real-world harms.
'I'm Still Struggling To Understand': Ketanji Brown Jackson Grills Lawyer On Trans Athlete Case
During oral arguments for Little v. Hecox on Tuesday, Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked an attorney about trans athletes.Stay ConnectedForbes Bre...
youtu.be
January 14, 2026 at 1:32 AM
VIDEO: Justice Jackson exposes a legal Catch-22: state argues laws survive general challenges because they work mostly, yet denies individuals relief because perfection isn't required. She reveals "tough luck" jurisprudence where rights vanish in the gap between abstract rules and real-world harms.
Trump’s "help is on the way" pledge to Iran shifts Washington from negotiation to intervention. It offers hope to protesters but gives Tehran a foreign plot scapegoat to justify further repression. Vague promises of rescue amidst a crackdown serve less as a lifeline and more as an accelerant.
'Keep protesting, help is on the way,' Trump tells Iranians
Trump's remarks came as the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said over 2,000 people had been killed in anti-government protests.
www.euronews.com
January 14, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Trump’s "help is on the way" pledge to Iran shifts Washington from negotiation to intervention. It offers hope to protesters but gives Tehran a foreign plot scapegoat to justify further repression. Vague promises of rescue amidst a crackdown serve less as a lifeline and more as an accelerant.
Horseshoe politics hits the pantry. As RFK Jr. decentralizes regulation, California and West Virginia find rare unity banning food dyes. It signals a volatile shift where statehouses, not the FDA, dictate the menu, forcing Big Food to reform voluntarily or face a chaotic regulatory patchwork.
RFK Jr.'s MAHA movement has picked up steam in statehouses. Here's what to expect in 2026.
"Make America Healthy Again" policies driven by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have made major strides in state legislatures, with food additives among the most common targets.
www.cbsnews.com
January 14, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Horseshoe politics hits the pantry. As RFK Jr. decentralizes regulation, California and West Virginia find rare unity banning food dyes. It signals a volatile shift where statehouses, not the FDA, dictate the menu, forcing Big Food to reform voluntarily or face a chaotic regulatory patchwork.
Does rhetoric outpace reality on Iran? Trump’s "big price" for Tehran hits a logistical wall: US armada is parked in the Caribbean. A strategic overstretch. With interceptors low and carriers gone, a strike would gamble exposing 10,000 troops to retaliation without a shield.
Trump faces limited set of military options on Iran
Many of the troops and ships once at the president’s disposal have shifted to the Caribbean.
www.politico.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Does rhetoric outpace reality on Iran? Trump’s "big price" for Tehran hits a logistical wall: US armada is parked in the Caribbean. A strategic overstretch. With interceptors low and carriers gone, a strike would gamble exposing 10,000 troops to retaliation without a shield.
DOJ’s refusal to probe the Minnesota ICE shooting signals a seismic shift: the federal watchdog is officially off duty. With mass resignations following, this isn’t just personnel turnover—it’s a doctrine change. Under this administration, federal immunity now trumps federal scrutiny.
Justice Department sees no basis for civil rights probe in Minnesota ICE shooting, official says
A top Justice Department official says there is not currently any basis to open a criminal civil rights investigation into the killing of a woman by a U.S.
apnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:21 PM
DOJ’s refusal to probe the Minnesota ICE shooting signals a seismic shift: the federal watchdog is officially off duty. With mass resignations following, this isn’t just personnel turnover—it’s a doctrine change. Under this administration, federal immunity now trumps federal scrutiny.
Sixteen years for $12,000 is a dismal exchange rate for treason. Jinchao Wei’s sentencing exposes a glaring vulnerability: Beijing mines social media for lonely personnel to gain cheap insider access. It means OpSec is now a battle of digital hygiene; a DM breaches a hull faster than a torpedo.
Former Navy sailor sentenced to 16 years for selling information about ships to Chinese intelligence
A former U.S. Navy sailor convicted of selling ship manuals to an intelligence officer working for China has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison.
apnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:31 PM
Sixteen years for $12,000 is a dismal exchange rate for treason. Jinchao Wei’s sentencing exposes a glaring vulnerability: Beijing mines social media for lonely personnel to gain cheap insider access. It means OpSec is now a battle of digital hygiene; a DM breaches a hull faster than a torpedo.
Aldi’s 180-store blitz acts less like a business win and more like an economic diagnosis. As inflation lingers and political price-fixing promises stall, the American consumer is officially trading down. Change signals that austerity isn't just a phase — it’s the new market reality.
Bargain grocer Aldi seizes the moment in an era of higher prices
The discount grocery chain Aldi is expanding rapidly and plans to open more than 180 U.S. stores this year as more Americans skip nights out at restaurants and cook at home due to anxiety over the nation’s economy.
apnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Aldi’s 180-store blitz acts less like a business win and more like an economic diagnosis. As inflation lingers and political price-fixing promises stall, the American consumer is officially trading down. Change signals that austerity isn't just a phase — it’s the new market reality.
Pirro sidelines DOJ brass to hunt Powell, proving she operates on her own frequency. Trump plays spectator, but the message lands: The Fed is no longer sacrosanct. This is more than a subpoena; it’s a stress test for institutional resilience where political theater eclipses legal protocol.
Jeanine Pirro Is Going After Powell, Heedless of Backlash
Pirro bypasses her bosses to turn the Fed into a crime scene, proving the DOJ org chart is now merely a suggestion. This isn't just a subpoena; it’s a warning shot that technocratic independence is dead. When a prosecutor ignores the AG to hunt the Chairman, instability becomes the status quo.
www.bloomberg.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Pirro sidelines DOJ brass to hunt Powell, proving she operates on her own frequency. Trump plays spectator, but the message lands: The Fed is no longer sacrosanct. This is more than a subpoena; it’s a stress test for institutional resilience where political theater eclipses legal protocol.
SCOTUS signals a new rulebook. Likely upholding state bans, the court repurposes Title IX from an equity tool to a biological gatekeeper. The pivot is stark: "Fairness" now requires exclusion. For trans athletes, the federal bench is looking less like a referee and more like a wall.
Supreme Court seems likely to uphold state bans on transgender athletes in girls and women's sports
The Supreme Court seems likely to uphold state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams.
apnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:12 PM
SCOTUS signals a new rulebook. Likely upholding state bans, the court repurposes Title IX from an equity tool to a biological gatekeeper. The pivot is stark: "Fairness" now requires exclusion. For trans athletes, the federal bench is looking less like a referee and more like a wall.
administration blinks on Title X, restoring funds to dodge a court loss. It suggests the freeze lacked legal merit, yet the delay successfully bled clinics dry. With the March for Life nearing, handing cash to Planned Parenthood creates a politically awkward subplot for the White House.
Lawsuit dismissed after Trump admin quietly restored tens of millions to Planned Parenthood
Progressive groups dropped their case against HHS over the withheld family planning funds, but other challenges continue.
www.politico.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:34 PM
administration blinks on Title X, restoring funds to dodge a court loss. It suggests the freeze lacked legal merit, yet the delay successfully bled clinics dry. With the March for Life nearing, handing cash to Planned Parenthood creates a politically awkward subplot for the White House.
Experts warn the DOJ probe risks treating the US economy like an emerging market. Independent monetary policy anchors the dollar; attacking it erodes safe haven status investors rely on. Wall Street's fear isn’t just about rates: Losing rule of law that stabilizes global finance is a nonstarter.
Here's what smart people in economics and business are saying about the DOJ's Fed probe
Powell described the move as a part of a broader effort to pressure the central bank on monetary policy.
www.businessinsider.com
January 13, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Experts warn the DOJ probe risks treating the US economy like an emerging market. Independent monetary policy anchors the dollar; attacking it erodes safe haven status investors rely on. Wall Street's fear isn’t just about rates: Losing rule of law that stabilizes global finance is a nonstarter.
Smithsonian’s independence faces a $1 billion stress test. By conditioning funds on ideology, the administration turns the semiquincentennial into a loyalty check. It signals curatorial autonomy is now a luxury, and historical narrative is just another lever of executive power.
White House says Smithsonian must submit thousands of documents today
The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is one of eight Smithsonian organizations that the White House stipulated must conduct a "comprehensive internal review" for "improper ideology."
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
www.npr.org
January 13, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Smithsonian’s independence faces a $1 billion stress test. By conditioning funds on ideology, the administration turns the semiquincentennial into a loyalty check. It signals curatorial autonomy is now a luxury, and historical narrative is just another lever of executive power.
Scott Adams, whose popular comic strip “Dilbert” captured the frustration of beleaguered, white-collar cubicle workers and satirized the ridiculousness of modern office culture until he was abruptly dropped from syndication in 2023 for racist remarks, has died. He was 68.
Scott Adams, whose comic strip 'Dilbert' ridiculed white-collar office life, dies at 68
Scott Adams, creator of the comic strip “Dilbert,” has died at 68. His ex-wife Shelly Miles announced his death on Tuesday.
apnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Scott Adams, whose popular comic strip “Dilbert” captured the frustration of beleaguered, white-collar cubicle workers and satirized the ridiculousness of modern office culture until he was abruptly dropped from syndication in 2023 for racist remarks, has died. He was 68.
"Legally Invalid": Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton refuse to comply with House GOP subpoenas regarding the Jeffrey Epstein probe. Defiance triggers imminent contempt proceedings which would normally escalate a high-stakes constitutional clash over congressional oversight power.
Clintons refuse to testify in House Epstein investigation as Republicans threaten contempt charges
Former president Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton say they will refuse to comply with a congressional subpoena for them to testify in an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
apnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:19 PM
"Legally Invalid": Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton refuse to comply with House GOP subpoenas regarding the Jeffrey Epstein probe. Defiance triggers imminent contempt proceedings which would normally escalate a high-stakes constitutional clash over congressional oversight power.
US designates Muslim Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations. Officials cite alleged Hamas support, a move that strains ties with Turkey and Qatar while empowering immigration authorities to deny asylum claims more broadly.
Trump administration labels 3 Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations
President Donald Trump's administration has made good on its pledge to label three Middle Eastern branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, imposing sanctions on them.
apnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:12 PM
US designates Muslim Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations. Officials cite alleged Hamas support, a move that strains ties with Turkey and Qatar while empowering immigration authorities to deny asylum claims more broadly.
Republicans bet the House on a Jan. 22 public showdown with Jack Smith. After private depositions failed to dent the former special counsel, this pivot signals a risky strategy: handing Smith a national mic to detail “criminal schemes” in hopes of landing a political blow for the White House.
Former special counsel Jack Smith to testify publicly about Trump probes
The House Judiciary Committee hearing, scheduled for Jan. 22, comes after an eight-hour closed-door deposition before the same Republican-led panel.
www.nbcnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Republicans bet the House on a Jan. 22 public showdown with Jack Smith. After private depositions failed to dent the former special counsel, this pivot signals a risky strategy: handing Smith a national mic to detail “criminal schemes” in hopes of landing a political blow for the White House.
Republicans bet the House on a Jan. 22 public showdown with Jack Smith. After private depositions failed to dent the former special counsel, this pivot signals a risky strategy: handing Smith a national mic to detail “criminal schemes” in hopes of landing a political blow for the White House.
Former special counsel Jack Smith to testify publicly about Trump probes
The House Judiciary Committee hearing, scheduled for Jan. 22, comes after an eight-hour closed-door deposition before the same Republican-led panel.
www.nbcnews.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Republicans bet the House on a Jan. 22 public showdown with Jack Smith. After private depositions failed to dent the former special counsel, this pivot signals a risky strategy: handing Smith a national mic to detail “criminal schemes” in hopes of landing a political blow for the White House.
Sen. Tim Scott plays the quiet game while the Fed burns. Scott's silence on Powell probe exposes a new reality: You can’t protect central bank independence and run the Senate GOP campaign arm. He chooses political survival again, leaving the Banking Committee paralyzed and markets rattled.
Tim Scott keeps quiet as Fed independence comes under threat
The Senate Banking chair has not weighed in as a hearing he led with Jerome Powell comes under DOJ scrutiny.
www.politico.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:08 PM
Sen. Tim Scott plays the quiet game while the Fed burns. Scott's silence on Powell probe exposes a new reality: You can’t protect central bank independence and run the Senate GOP campaign arm. He chooses political survival again, leaving the Banking Committee paralyzed and markets rattled.
Trump’s "fraud" offensive weaponizes federal funds, freezing billions to some states in calculated starvation strategy. This isn't oversight; it’s fiscal warfare. By turning governance into a hostage negotiation, the White House forces opposition strongholds to burn capital defending their ledgers.
‘Brace for impact’: Trump turns fraud into new weapon against blue states
The president is capitalizing on an issue that has proven potent in Minnesota.
www.politico.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:05 PM
Trump’s "fraud" offensive weaponizes federal funds, freezing billions to some states in calculated starvation strategy. This isn't oversight; it’s fiscal warfare. By turning governance into a hostage negotiation, the White House forces opposition strongholds to burn capital defending their ledgers.