Idiocracy

Jeffrey Goldberg writes for The Atlantic: The world found out shortly before 2 p.m. eastern time on March 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen. I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted …

NBC News reports: On Wednesday, a woman gave birth in a Lubbock, Texas, hospital in the middle of a deadly and fast-growing measles outbreak. Doctors didn’t realize until the young mother had been admitted and in labor that she was infected with the measles. By that time, other new moms, newborn babies and their families at University Medical Center Children’s …

Bloomberg Government reports: The Justice Department officially will stop buying paper straws for its buildings and operations, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced. Justice is ending “the procurement and provision” of paper straws throughout the department and plans to scrap any policies “designed to disfavor plastic straws,” according to the March 11 memo sent to employees and obtained by Bloomberg Government.  …

“We can have a fashion show with Valentino, the top designer in the world, in honor of Jacqueline Kennedy. That would be very glamorous. You can seat a couple thousand people for a gala, who pay $200 a ticket, and people will go, and the center will make money. “We can franchise the Kennedy Center’s name in Europe and Asia …

“I have chickens in my backyard and yesterday I went out – they just started laying – and yesterday I got five eggs. Is part of the solution more small farms, because when avian flu hits, you have these giant industrial farms? I don’t think the eggs are as good anyway.  Isn’t part of it just investing in smaller farms, …

The Guardian reports: While Texas grapples with its worst measles outbreak in decades, its Republican lieutenant governor has moved for the state’s restaurants and groceries to change the name of the “New York strip” steak cut to the “Texas strip” in what he evidently hopes is a blow to liberals. Dan Patrick announced on Friday on social media that he …

Ars Technica reports: A Texas health authority is warning against “measles parties” as the outbreak in West Texas grew to at least 146 cases, with 20 hospitalized and one unvaccinated school-age child dead. In a press briefing hosted by the city of Lubbock, Texas, Ron Cook, chief health officer at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, offered …

The Texas Tribune reports: Texas is facing its worst measles outbreak in decades, as cases have jumped from two to 146 in just one month. A child is dead, 20 more are hospitalized and the worst is likely still ahead, public health experts say. But neither Gov. Greg Abbott nor lawmakers from the hardest hit areas have addressed the outbreak …

ABC News reports: FBI Director Kash Patel, whose proclaimed plans to overhaul the nation’s premier law enforcement agency have rattled many within the bureau, has proposed enhancing the FBI’s ranks with help from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the martial-arts entertainment giant whose wealthy CEO, Dana White, helped boost Trump’s reelection. On a teleconference Wednesday with the heads of the FBI’s …

From the MAGA evangelical site Charisma News: God is still in the business of doing miracles today. At Bethel Church, the supernatural is not only embraced but often experienced in profound and awe-inspiring ways. One of the most fascinating phenomena to capture attention is the appearance of a “glory cloud”—a swirling mist filled with gold dust that has been witnessed …

Rolling Stone reports: On Tuesday afternoon, Musk, who did qualify for a private pilot certificate in 2002, seemed baffled by some of the basics of air travel. In a post on X — the misinformation-heavy social media site Musk shaped from the remains of Twitter, after buying the platform for $44 billion in 2022 — supply chain company CEO Ryan …

Law & Crime reports: A 23-year-old “online content creator” in New Hampshire is facing a felony charge of criminal mischief for allegedly contaminating food products at a grocery store “with her urine” and filming it for social media. Kelli Tedford, 23, is accused of making “disturbing videos” of her pee antics on Feb. 10 and posting them to an undisclosed …

NBC News reports: The United States Department of Agriculture on Tuesday said that, over the weekend, it accidentally fired agency employees who are working on the federal government’s response to the H5N1 avian flu outbreak. In a statement, the agency said it is trying to quickly reverse the firings. The error is the latest in the Trump administration’s efforts to …

Sen. Bill Cassidy today links to this Fox News report: An outbreak of measles in the South Plains of Texas is continuing to grow, with the number of cases doubling in less than a week. At least 48 cases were identified with symptom onset within the last three weeks, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. More than …

CNN reports: The Trump administration has started firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration probationary employees who maintain critical air traffic control infrastructure, according to their union. An exact number of firings is not yet known, but the head of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO, said that “several hundred” workers started getting firing notices on Friday — and that they …

CNN reports: Trump administration officials fired more than 300 staffers Thursday night at the National Nuclear Security Administration — the agency tasked with managing the nation’s nuclear stockpile — as part of broader Energy Department layoffs. Sources told CNN the officials did not seem to know this agency oversees America’s nuclear weapons. The agency began rescinding the terminations Friday morning. …

404 Media reports: The doge.gov website that was spun up to track Elon Musk’s cuts to the federal government is insecure and pulls from a database that can be edited by anyone, according to two separate people who found the vulnerability and shared it with 404 Media. One coder added at least two database entries that are visible on the …

Ars Technica reports: As of mid-day February 7, the outbreak total reached nine confirmed measles cases in the South Plains Public Health District (SPPHD) that includes Gaines County, according to Zach Holbrooks, Executive Director for SSPHD. In an interview with Ars, Holbrooks reported that there were three additional probable cases that are linked to the confirmed cases. Gaines County has …

Wired reports: A number of federal employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US federal agency that monitors and models the oceans and atmosphere for the purpose of predicting changes in climate and weather, have received orders to temporarily cease communicating with foreign nationals, including those working directly with the US government, WIRED has learned. An internal …

The New York Daily News reports: A woman was killed when her speeding Tesla crashed, overturned, and caught fire on Manhattan’s FDR Drive early Tuesday, police said. The woman was zipping uptown when she lost control of the Tesla and struck a guardrail near E. 70th St. on the Upper East Side at about 2:45 a.m., cops said. The Tesla …