Category: Uncategorized

“Elect A Clown — Expect A… Circus.” 94th Edition, And Counting.

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The case is being made — even in some reliably very conservative quarters — that Tangerine 2.0 has damaged, perhaps for years — the US’s financial plumbing in a way that Japan’s Yen may now be the true reserve currency, globally. At least until the mad hatter’s tea party ends (Trump leaves office, or dies — whichever shall first occur).

But Paul Krugman’s (yes he’s a liberal) is likely the clearest walk through Tangerine’s present completely irrational mayhem and chaos posturing. Without added ado then, here’s Paul Krugman’s fine piece on these insane and wildly damaging (to America, and Americans) tariff flip-flops:

…Did I see this coming? No, not really. Unlike the sane-washers, I knew that Trump’s policies would be irresponsible and destructive. However, even I didn’t expect him to destroy credibility accumulated over 80 years in less than three months. But he has.

And even if Trump were to backtrack on everything he’s done, we wouldn’t get the lost credibility back. The whole world, sane-washers aside, now knows that America is run by a mad king, surrounded by enablers, who can’t be trusted to behave rationally….

I don’t know how this ends. In fact, I don’t know what policy will be next week. But that’s basically the point….

Yes — the markets hate uncertainty. But they especially loathe “manufactured” or self-inflicted uncertainty.

“Heckuva’ job, there, Trumpie.”

Out.

In The Rhode Island Federal Courts, OMB/DOGE/Musk/Tangerine 2.0… Just. Keep. Losing.

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And the American people, and the social services safety net. . . are the ultimate winners, here. [As a refresher, we have posted about ten items on the progress of this litigation; just search “Rhode Island” in the upper left box.]

Here is that clearly correctly decided seven page order — and a bit of it:

…The Court recently granted the Plaintiff States’ Motion for Enforcement of the Court’s March 6 Preliminary Injunction after finding that Defendant Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) was implementing a manual review process that violated the injunction. See ECF No. 175. The [Trump] Defendants now bring this Motion for Reconsideration of the Court’s Enforcement Order based on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on an emergency stay application in Department of Education v. California, No. 24A910, 2025 WL 1008354 (Apr. 4, 2025) (per curiam).

The [Trump] Defendants assert the ruling in California suggests that “this Court lacks jurisdiction to consider the Plaintiffs’ enforcement motion relating to non payment of various FEMA grants.” ECF No. 176 at 3. Thus, the Defendants ask that the Court withdraw its Enforcement Order or stay the Order pending resolution of their appeal of the underlying Preliminary Injunction….

Recall that the APA’s sovereign immunity waiver does not apply to claims for
“money damages.” 5 U.S.C. § 702. What Bowen affirms is that, even if a court’s enforcement order can be “construed in part as orders for the payment of money by the Federal Government to the State, such payments are not ‘money damages'” precluded under the APA. Bowen, 487 U.S. at 910. The Court’s Enforcement Order — and underlying Preliminary Injunction — do not grant “money damages” because money damages are a remedy at law that “providels] relief that substitutes for that which ought to have been done.” Id. The Court’s orders do not provide monetary relief that is a substitute for the harm the States experience from the categorical funding freeze.

Instead, the Court’s orders provide specific relief, as they “undo the [Agency Defendants’ acts effecting a categorical freeze of federal funds obligated to] the State[s].” Id. That the Court’s orders could give rise to the disbursement of funds to the States does not bar its jurisdiction under the APA-particularly when, as here, such disbursements are a “mere by product” of the Court’s “primary function” of reviewing the Agency Defendants’ “interpretation of federal law” and regulation. Id. Accordingly, Bowen makes clear that the Court has jurisdiction, under the APA, to set aside FEMA’s actions pursuant to its Preliminary Injunction…. [Denied.]

Now you know. Onward, grinning into the warm sunshine — for a bike ride by the clear lake waters… much to be grateful for, with my great, grown daughter in for a month-long visit!

नमस्ते

Johnson Wants His MAGAts To Hold Up On Labeling Him “Antifa” — Because His FB Contains MAGA/Anti-Biden Memes. Wise.

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Mr. Balmer is pretty clearly mentally ill — and even more clearly… evil (he should be held fully responsible for his acts of domestic terrorism).

Afterall, anyone who would firebomb a Jewish Governor’s Passover Dinner, in the mansion… is certainly evil — and likely deranged.

Here’s the AP, this morning, with additional gloss:

…Balmer’s mother told The Associated Press on Monday that she had tried in recent days to get him assistance for mental health issues, but “nobody would help.” She said her son had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The AP was not able to verify that information.

“He wasn’t taking his medicine, and that’s all I want to say,” Christie Balmer said, speaking at the family home in Harrisburg….

But the more-disgusting elements of MAGA hastily sought to paint him as a BLM or Antifa activist.

These things, he plainly is/was not.

He hadn’t posted in the last two years, but his 2020-22 era posts on FB were decidedly aimed at anger toward Mr. Biden.

So — MAGAts, please sit down and shut it.

Onward.

“Leads To”, Hinderaker?! What a Dipshit. Racist Dipshit.

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Hinderaker must be unaware that the phrase “leads to” implies… causality.

What an ass, even if he is not aware.

But I am virtually certain that (even in his decrepit, demented state) he knows saying “multiculturalism leads to mass rape“… is simply throwing firebombs — for the sake of throwing them.

Again — what an embittered old fart he is. He’s reaching way back, to more than a decade old (2014) largely false and discredited narratives, and in England, no less — all for no discernible reason.

I’ll leave it there — as it merits no additional thought — from anyone.

But I guess John is casting about — for anything, to take the focus off of Tangerine 2.0 having once again caused a market crash tomorrow morning. That’s YOUR “serious” guy, John — some “very stable genius” — or. not. so. much.

Out.

Sunday Night’s (Mostly Non-) Update: Garcia v. Noem (USDC, MMD)

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No surprise; Kristi Noem wants everything stopped… because the president of El Salvador is meeting with Trump on Monday. And so, she refuses to give any additional updates on Mr. Garcia’s status, or on the terms of the contract that the United States has with El Salvador to hold detainees for the US.

However, she all but admits that that contract exists. We will eventually see it — if she doesn’t release him.

Now, as I said previously, this is not a diplomatic matter at all; this is simply a matter of giving clear instructions under a written contract. Here’s the latest shifting sand from Noem, but I won’t quote it. I will only quote what Mr. Garcia’s lawyers asked for last night:

…President Trump confirmed that the United States has the power to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s release from prison and return to the United States: “If the Supreme Court said, ‘Bring somebody back,’ I would do that…. I respect the Supreme Court.”

Of course, that is precisely what the Supreme Court did when it ruled that this Court’s injunction “properly requires the Government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” Noem et al. v. Abrego Garcia et al., 604 U.S. ____, 2025 WL 1077101, at *1 (Apr. 10, 2025). The Government should be required to comply with the Supreme Court’s order that it “ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,” by taking all available steps to release and return Abrego Garcia to Maryland….

Onward, resolutely. For the first time tonight, these Noemites make a claim that in 2019, while Trump was in office the first time, some immigration judge changed Mr. Garcia status. But she offered no evidence of that supposed fact… nor what specifically was changed, and how Mr. Garcia was made aware of it. [Yes, I am more than a little skeptical that those events didn’t happen at all, but they’ve been “papered” — after the fact — by people loyal to Noem and/or Trump.]

But as I say, that could not have happened to allow his deportation without a full due process hearing — here in 2025. That hearing never occurred — everyone concedes that. He needs to return to the United States.

नमस्ते

Of Course, Jack Dorsey Is (Mostly) Just Looking To Be… Provocative. To Stir The Pot. But Too Many Morons Reside On X-itter Now… They Think He’s Serious.

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Intellectual exercises such as these, based on posers like this… are useful to challenge outmoded ideas — if nothing else. The proponent rarely seriously believes the proposition will be adopted, without vast modifications. And true, patent trolls are a problem — as is the evergreening of pharma patents. But it is all a lil’ rich, to hear Jack — sitting on tens of billions of dollars, from his own IP being out-licensed, to only now abolish the system… solely because it is getting in the way of his stealing other people’s ideas… to make ever more… billions.

How unfair it must be — how put upon, he must feel — to have to pay other smart people for ideas he wants to just slap on his own lunchbox, and sell it himself. Geez!

Here’s just a bit of the largely inspid discussion that ensued, when Elon Musk chimed in, in support of Dorsey:

…Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter (now X) and Square (now Block), sparked a weekend’s worth of debate around intellectual property, patents, and copyright, with a characteristically terse post declaring, “delete all IP law.”

X’s current owner Elon Musk quickly replied, “I agree.”

It’s not clear what exactly brought these comments on, but they come at a time when AI companies including OpenAI (which Musk co-founded, competes with, and is challenging in court) are facing numerous lawsuits alleging that they’ve violated copyright to train their models.

Indeed, tech evangelist and investor Chris Messina alluded to this while writing that Dorsey “has a point,” because, “Automated IP fines/3-strike rules for AI infringement may become the substitute for putting poor people in jail for cannabis possession….”

That’s just… stupid. And these bros think that the only IP that matters is in software and systems. They utterly miss that the drugs that keep them, and their parents… alive… cost tens of billions to develop — and no one will do that work, with the urgency we now need, and see — at least — without a solid profit incentive. And without IP law, there could be no real promise of… profits.

Here endeth the lesson, for Jack — and Elmo. Cheers!

नमस्ते

Power Alley: I Will No Longer Do Yearly Trend Reports, On Merck CEO Compensation… It Is ALL Ridiculous — But Now “Normal” In The USA…

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I just can’t waste energy on something that will never become rational, again. Pharma CEOs do very complicated, life-saving work — true. They manage immense complexity, and often conflicting regulatory environments, dotting the globe. And they make tons of money for shareholders — paying out hefty dividends for decades on end. So yes, they should be well paid. But $20 million a year means about $100 million in just five years. That is silly. Same way paying a baseball player $100 million on a five year contract is… silly.

There is no sense in which any of these people are objectively “worth the money“. But that ship has sailed. It is now what the “market will bear” pricing.

Said another way, I can’t boil the ocean away, with my Zippo lighter (as I don’t even own one, anyway!). So, here’s FiercePharma, on it all — for my last look at his pay, in all likelihood:

…Merck has handed out another hefty raise to CEO Rob Davis, boosting his compensation by 13% to $23.2 million in 2024, according to the company’s 2025 proxy statement.

Since taking the reins from former helmsman Ken Frazier, Davis has seen his pay scale up quickly, from $13.7 million in 2021 to $18.6 million in 2022 and $20.3 million in 2023.

The compensation package for Davis measures up to those for other U.S. pharma honchos last year such as Eli Lilly’s David Ricks ($29.2 million), Pfizer’s Albert Bourla, Ph.D., ($24.6 million), Johnson & Johnson’s Joaquin Duato ($24.3 million) and Gilead Sciences’ Daniel O’Day ($23.7 million)….

What I will still rail on and on about… will be these nutty crypto-CEOs — running vastly money losing operations, to essentially switch on a warehouse full of high end processor cores, and then wait around in the lunchroom, for them to find Bitcoin block mining rewards. That is a moron’s job — but Riot CEO Les paid himself in 2024 (wait for it!) over $83.5 million to do that silly job.

As I’ve said before, he made in 2024, about $9 million MORE than the CEO of Apple — Tim Cook. Cook runs a $2 trillion enterprise, that is wildly profitable, for decades now — globe wide. This Les guy sits in dusty West Texas, and comes in in the morning to throw on a circuit breaker. That’s it. Damn.

That is just stoopid — with two o’s. Onward.

नमस्ते

Bill Otis Does Us A “Backhanded” Favor: He Clearly Describes… Tangerine 2.0

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On his way to a silly and unduly longish burp (complaining about composting measures in NYC), Bill opens by telling the truth about the reprobate in chief:

…[W]ith Donald Trump’s bullying and bumbling into unforced errors that will overshadow and besmirch the worthwhile parts of his agenda, and thus will be used to impeach it and [sic — words missing?] (probably literally) him (since assassination hasn’t worked, yet), it’s getting harder to remember why 77,000,000 people or so voted for him; I doubt they were rooting for a crash in their 401(k) plans….

That is all of his that is remotely worth quoting.

That’s the post.

Out — to ride bikes by the lake.

This Is Confirmation, In Real Time — Of Why He Went Through Six Bankruptcies. Damn.

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So… he’s only now figuring out what happens to the US economy if he personally causes a new iPhone to cost over $3,500 (from ~$900, last week)?

We see he has rolled back his tariffs on all the components of the iPhone that are made in China. Which is to say… he’s rolled back tariffs on all pricey Apple products, a wide array of computer chips, and many consumer electronics goods — not even three days after they took effect. Again.

If there is one thing the markets hate, it is undue uncertainty. And that’s his first, middle and last name.

For people who’ve watched Wall Street for decades, it’s been clear that Donald Trump really knows very little about the capital markets, and about what actually drives the US economy. Even so, I’ll admit to being surprised that his malignancy and idiocy have so rapidly resulted in the real probability that he will be the first president ever to have created a recession in his first three months in office — when handed a growing economy.

The break-neck speed with which he has deeply rattled the markets, and caused what may well be an “uncertainty” recession — with his tariff flip-flops, is genuinely surprising to me.

Thus, this, from above the fold, in the capitalists’ paper of record:

…Economic Outlook Dives Just Three Months Into Trump’s Term

The probability of a recession has leapt while the growth outlook has slumped, a survey of economists has found…

I had thought it would be mid-summer or beyond, before his whole chaotic world would begin to collapse in on itself. But between his on and off feuding with Elon Musk, and the regular GOP becoming completely exasperated with his illiteracy… It seems the wheels are already falling off.

नमस्ते

Mr. Garcia’s Counsel Seeks Contempt — As Early As Monday Night, April 14 — For Defying Court Orders, By Noem, Rubio & Trump

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For its part, the government would say only (in its required sworn report, on the docket tonight) that he is alive, and secured in the anti-terrorism jail in El Salvador — with the claim that he is held under the Salvadorans’ “sovereign” authority. [That obviously, is complete bunk — just ask… Trump (see below in — blue).] The Noem-ites said nothing — about steps being taken (even though they were ordered to do so) to get him home, essentially immediately.

So, Mr. Garcia’s lawyers just moved (on a Saturday), for a show cause hearing, for contempt — since Tangerine 2.0 still pretends he cannot read the plain English ruling of the US Supreme Court. In sum, he “blinks at reality“. Judge Xinis is likely headed to holding a contempt hearing next week — and whichever lawyer who has the misfortune of appearing for Noem next week… may go into the can. At least for 24-to-48 hours. Wow. Here’s that latest very muscular motion for relief, from these great lawyers for Mr. Abrego Garcia:

…Yesterday, President Trump confirmed that the United States has the power to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s release from prison and return to the United States: “If the Supreme Court said, ‘Bring somebody back,’ I would do that… I respect the Supreme Court.”

Of course, that is precisely what the Supreme Court did when it ruled that this Court’s injunction “properly requires the Government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” Noem et al. v. Abrego Garcia et al., 604 U.S. ____, 2025 WL 1077101, at *1 (Apr. 10, 2025). The Government should be required to comply with the Supreme Court’s order that it “ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,” by taking all available steps to release and return Abrego Garcia to Maryland….

This is going to end badly for Kristi Noem — and Tangerine, if he doesn’t step to it — and get our guy home. Bank on that. Another written report is due by 5 PM EDT, onto the public federal docket, tomorrow — Sunday — from Noem’s lawyers. Onward.

नमस्ते