So… Trump’s Dr. Oz Thinks He Might Boil The Oceans — With A Zippo Lighter?!

We have been barking about this ever since Tangerine 2.0 was inaugurated. You know that rings true. Damn.

And perhaps some out there in my audiences might think I should applaud the fact that finally Oz is coming around — to endorse bio-science, here — after over 900 children are infected in the Carolinas with a dread disease for which there is a perfectly serviceable vaccine… a viral vector we had all but eliminated over three decades ago… but I am just too damn angry to do so, tonight. US kids are getting sick — and at least some may die — due to Trumpian lunacy.

Here is the latest:

…Dr. Oz’s statements come as the country struggles to contain the highly contagious virus, which infected thousands of people in 2025 and appears to be following a similar trajectory this year. The United States is now at risk of losing its elimination status, a designation given to countries that have not had continuous spread of measles for more than a year. Measles has been eliminated in the United States since 2000.

Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, likened Dr. Oz’s comments to taking a garden hose to a forest fire.

“When you cast those kinds of doubts about vaccine safety and effectiveness, one interview on one news show is not going to move the needle,” he said.

Dr. Osterholm argued that Mr. Kennedy began sowing distrust in the vaccine soon after he was confirmed last February. As measles spread through West Texas, he appeared on national television, encouraging vaccination and then, almost in the same breath, raising questions about its safety….

Quite so. Dammit.

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Hinderaker’s Banality: “Epstein Was A ‘Naked Emperor’ — And [Get THIS!] Trump ‘Exposed’ Him!”

These (as puns) work… on many levels. But John made none of them.

John thinks his are deeply insightful, and meaningful… metaphors. They are the worst sort of self-important lying — to cover for a serial sexual predator. And I mean… the Donald, here — not solely Jeffrey Epstein.

Hinderaker — in all [apparent] seriousness — claims it was Trump who first and best revealed… that Epstein wasn’t very… smart.

Uh-huh.

What a great bit of projection. [And it wholly ignores the ~5,000 mentions of Trump in Epstein’s files.] Not a dog that didn’t bark — this is “where there’s smoke — there’s fire“, Johnnie.

And (perhaps, relatedly) earlier today, John bleated some more about the Minneapolis Resistance’s “Operation Dildo“ — so I’ll run that as the top graphic again, here — since all of the above deserves exactly that much [un-]serious attention.

What a crappy liar Hinderaker is.

Out.

[U] More Loony Trumpian Judges — Trying To Prevent The Immigrants’ “Parole Discretion” Congress Expressly Enacted… YAWN. It Will Be Overruled In 2027-28.

In immigration matters, the Congress has expressly provided that Administrations retain discretion, both for operational efficiency, and / or lack of detention capacity, to “parole” non-dangerous people, until their hearing dates arrive. That discretion has existed for decades. But in a collusive State of Florida suit, the federal government now purports (with DeSantis) to PREVENT all immigration authorities in the future — from ever exercising the discretion the Congress wisely bestowed on the FUTURE executive branch heads.

It matters not that the “settlement decree” is limited to 15 years, or 2041. Parties to a private lawsuit cannot take away the Congressional mandate — by colluding together, solely to tie the hands of any future Democratic occupant of 1600 Penn. It simply cannot be done (where did this “judge” get his law degree?!).

Just as in political maps / gerrymandering, the Supremes will invalidate this overreach, probably even before the 2028 election outcomes are known. Update: it turns out that this order says nothing of the sort. It is simply a political manifesto by MAGA-nuts. See my new post, of Tuesday, February 10, 2026 — on it all. End update.

Here’s a right-wing rag’s write up on this chicanery — it is self refuting:

…“[All future US governmental] Defendants agree not to issue any memorandum or otherwise adopt any policy that uses the Secretary of Homeland Security’s parole authority under Section 1182(d)(5) to create a categorical processing pathway for aliens at the border primarily to alleviate concerns over detention capacity or improve the Department of Homeland Security’s operational efficiency, including any memorandum or policy shifting the initiation of removal proceedings from the border to the interior or otherwise postponing the initiation of removal proceedings….”

So no, son — your googly eyes will not allow you to rewrite a congressional mandate — and apply it nationwide, just because one state Governor (DeSantis) is willing to try to thwart federal law — and checks and balances.

Onward, resolutely.

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In About Two Days… She Will Dock At The ISS — And “project εpsilon”, An EU Blog — Will Get Underway, To Daily-Document All Nine Months…

This is good space science fun: Sophie Adenot, the ESA astronaut riding along with/on Crew 12, will have her own perspective / blog / pod-casts made available at the “εpsilon” web site (hosted by the ESA):

. . .ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot will launch to the International Space Station no earlier than 12 February 2026 for a mission called εpsilon.

The mission name embodies the essence of small, yet impactful, contributions.

In mathematics, ε denotes a small quantity, much like an astronaut’s role in the vastness of spaceflight.

In astronomy, it represents the fifth-brightest star in a constellation.

Sophie will fly to space with her Crew-12 crewmates on a SpaceX Dragon launching from Florida, USA. The crew of four includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev….

Indeed! We will keep you apprised… fly safely, Sophie — smile.

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Evanston’s “First In The Nation” Reparations Program Continues To Make Payments; The Silly Plaintiffs [Against It] Are Effectively Moth-Balled In Chicago Federal Court…

You will recall that we have been foolowing this narrative arc — since early 2019.

It is working well — and is widely supported by the fine people who live here. [Legal pot / sales taxes fund the payments.] Here’s the latest from the Chicago Tribune:

…Evanston’s Reparations Committee announced Feb. 5 it will issue reparation payments to 44 additional descendants this summer, while providing an update on its DNA Roots Program and exploring a potential tax on Delta-8 THC products in an effort to expand funding.

The Reparations Program, established in 2019 and later approved by City Council in 2021, is the first government-funded initiative in the United States aimed at providing reparations for Black Evanston residents who experienced housing discrimination between 1919 and 1969 and to direct descendants of those residents.

Each of the 44 descendants will receive $25,000 in reparation payments intended for housing expenses, Cynthia Vargas, Evanston’s Communications and Community Engagement Manager, stated in an email to the Tribune.

“Over the next few weeks, residents assigned numbers 127 through 171 will be contacted to let them know their payment is on the way,” Tasheik Kerr, assistant to the city manager, said….

[Separately,] LaKisha David, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, updated the committee on Evanston’s DNA Roots Pilot Program, which offers free DNA testing for African American descendants of [formerly-enslaved persons] to trace back their ancestry and possibly connect them with living relatives in Africa….

I’m increasingly fascinated by the use of sophisticated DNA testing — to aid people, in re-discovering their “roots information” — a spiritual possession that was stolen from them (when their names were discarded, and they were forced onto ships, across the ocean) centuries ago. Excellent progress — for social good — or at least partially remediating… social harms.

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A Look — At What Wall Street Guesses — Will Be Gilead’s Q4 ’25 Results: A Solid Quarter And Year.

I’ll not belabor it, but for Q4, the company may post a slight decline in quarterly earnings — but all of that will very likely be reversed here in 2026. [So that headline… is a bit of a red herring.] Gilead reports tomorrow morning.

[Yep — this is just a quick “power alley” cut and paste job. Heh.] Here’s the latest:

…The consensus EPS Estimate is $1.83 on revenue of $7.68B, which translates to a 1.5% jump compared to the corresponding quarter a year ago.

Seeking Alpha analyst Narek Hovhannisyan expects the company to outperform market expectations, driven by strong demand for its core drugs and controlled costs. Over the last 2 years, GILD has beaten EPS and revenue estimates 88% of the time.

UBS holds an extremely optimistic view of the company for FY26 on expectations of strong HIV PrEP sales from Yeztugo, which, analysts say, are likely to drive revenue and earnings growth and boost confidence in longer-term performance….

Beyond its core business, Gilead has moved into a more measured phase of dealmaking, focusing on strengthening its oncology and immunology pipelines, analysts at Bernstein noted.

“They continue to highlight Cymabay style deals ($4.3B in PBC – liver/inflammation). This scale of deal & spend aligns with investor’s willingness to see Gilead diversify,” UBS analyst Courtney Breen said….

Now you know — onward, into the chilly glass canyons — to find excellent bespoke chocolate delights. Smile.

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Note To Those Powerline & Ringside Boys: The Five Year Old Bad Bunny Gave His Grammy To…Was Not Liam Ramos!

These idiots won’t get the message. Nor will these ones.

But the rest of us thinking Americans will.

A five-year-old was kidnapped and taken to a prison in West Texas more than 1,200 miles from his home.

Two weeks later, a United States District Court judge ordered him immediately released under habeas corpus.

This evening — on national television, and broadcast and watched around the world, Benito “Bad Bunny” handed an actor portraying Liam the Grammy he won for album of the year, last Sunday night… it was a metaphor for Noem’s malign lunacy.

So, that’s what the racists missed.

That’s America! That’s… all of us — of good will.

Suck it, Donald Trump.

[Noem is still trying to find an admin. law judge to remove Liam and his father — so on the advice of counsel, they are staying out of sight, in hiding — until they can get a firm continuance of the latest Noemite proceedings.]

[NSFW!] In Which… Hinderaker Is AFRAID — Of… Dildos?! [Updated, For Better Graphic!]

This afternoon, Hinderaker would tell us that the throwing of six inch rubber dildos at slow rolling SUVs… is an imagined life-threatening event — to his buddies / ICE agents. No — John, it is a clever protest.

Maybe only to John — is it threatening — and maybe to his raging homophobia / sexual insecurity / or whatever largely self-invented psycho-sexual malady it is… he is suffering from.

Out.

I promise something more substantive, tomorrow after the Super Bowl…

“Get some, Bad Bunny!”

Updated Schedule, On Mr. Khalil’s NJ Habeas Case — Noem Is NOT Allowed To Move To Remove Him.

Mr. Khalil remains free — but even after appeals that did not break her way, Kristi Noem is still trying to find an immigration court “judge” (i.e., not an Article III independent judicial officer — just an administration employee) to declare that he may be removed from the US, despite papers preventing the same.

Here’s the latest, after the Third Cir. opinion — on what’s due up, next in the real US District Courts:

…Immigration Proceedings:

Following the Third Circuit’s January 15 panel decision, the BIA issued a notice stating that a briefing schedule would be set “forthwith.” 1 Ex. B. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Khalil filed a notice requesting that the BIA defer setting a briefing schedule until January 20 to allow the parties an opportunity to meet and confer. Ex. C. On January 16, the BIA issued two briefing schedules. The first ordered sequential briefing, allotting twenty-one days for Mr. Khalil’s opening brief and twenty-one days for the government’s opposition. Ex. D. Later that day, the BIA issued a second revised schedule requiring simultaneous briefing by both parties — due within twenty-one days of the Third Circuit’s panel decision — by February 6, 2026. Ex. E. 2. The parties then conferred and filed a joint motion seeking a revised briefing schedule consistent with their agreement before this Court at the November 14, 2025, conference. Ex. F; see ECF 413, Tr. 4:1-5:3. On January 31, 2026, the BIA granted the joint motion and issued a third revised briefing schedule. Ex. G. Under the current BIA schedule, Petitioner’s opening brief is due March 2, 2026, and the government’s opposition brief is due March 23, 2026….

Shared Understanding Of The Status Quo Following The Third Circuit Panel Decision:

Petitioner intends to file a petition seeking rehearing or rehearing en banc of the Third Circuit panel decision. See Khalil v. Trump, 3d Cir. No. 25-2162, ECF 135. The parties share the understanding that the district court’s existing orders — including the bail order prohibiting detention (ECF No. 316), the preliminary injunction orders (ECF Nos. 214, 272, 299, 355), and the All Writs Act order staying removal (ECF No. 81) — remain in effect, including during the pendency of en banc proceedings, unless and until the Third Circuit mandate issues. The government has further confirmed its understanding that these district court orders remain in effect unless and until the Third Circuit mandate issues, even if the BIA were to issue a final order of removal.

Dated: February 4, 2026….

Now you know — and we do feel for Lindsey Vonn — at 41, that was probably her last shot at it. But she went out, doing what she loves to do. We will keep a good thought that she will be up on two legs, and healthy — in about a year.

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