Recent Posts

German Chancellor Condemns Vance For Backing AfD

The New York Times reports: A day after Mr. Vance stunned the Munich Security Conference by telling German leaders to drop their so-called firewall and allow the hard-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, to enter their federal government, Mr. Scholz accused Mr. Vance of effectively violating a commitment to never again allow Germany to be led by fascists who could …

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Murkowski Bill Bucks Trump On “Mount Denali” Name

Via press release from Sen. Lisa Murkowski: U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today introduced legislation that would officially designate North America’s highest mountain as Denali, the name bestowed by Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascans. The bill would require that any reference in U.S. laws, maps, regulations, or other records refer to the mountain as Denali. “In Alaska, it’s Denali,” Senator Murkowski said. …

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Missouri Sues Starbucks: Staff Isn’t White Enough

The Washington Post reports: Missouri’s attorney general has sued Starbucks, accusing it of engaging in discrimination with its diversity, equity and inclusion policies and alleging that such initiatives have made the coffee giant’s workforce “more female and less white.” The federal lawsuit filed by Andrew Bailey, a Republican, accuses Starbucks of engaging in “systemic racial, sexual, and sexual orientation discrimination” …

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NYT: Trump Wants To Pave Over WH Rose Garden

The New York Times reports: President Trump has been busy upending the federal government, reorienting U.S. foreign policy, threatening trade wars and winning confirmation for his Cabinet choices. But he has managed to find time for a project closer to home: He has told associates that he wants to rip up the grass in the Rose Garden, one of the …

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Funding Cuts And Firings Hobble Bird Flu Response

NBC News reports: As avian flu drives egg prices to record levels and increasingly poses a risk to humans, moves by the White House to cut spending and restrict communications have hobbled public health officials’ response, with the new administration yet to outline a clear strategy on how it plans to stem the spread of the virus. State and local …

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Kennedy Targets Antidepressants In New Statement

Mother Jones reports: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has issued a statement that laid out sweeping plans for his first 100 days in office. Chief among his goals, he wrote, was to combat what he called a “growing health crisis” of chronic disease.  The government, he said, would “assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake …

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Veterans Affairs Sec Bans Pride Flags At All VA Facilities

The Military Times reports: Veterans Affairs officials this week unveiled new rules banning LGBTQ Pride flags and other unofficial banners at department offices and spaces, saying the move will bring “consistency” to agency messaging. VA Secretary Doug Collins said the new policy would limit the display of all flags except for the American flag at all VA facilities. Exceptions include …

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CHATTER AWAY: Overnight Open Thread

Deadline reports: Operation Mincemeat, the hit London musical comedy that begins previews at Broadway‘s John Golden Theatre tomorrow, will have to start performances without the usual marquee lights shining: The LED bulbs are stuck in China, a casualty of the Trump tariff. According to the musical’s spokesperson Rick Miramontez, thousands of ceramic yellow LED bulbs were scheduled to arrive from …

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Amazon Delays AI Alexa Due To “Incorrect Answers”

The Washington Post reports: Amazon plans to unveil a revamped version of its Alexa virtual assistant in New York later this month — the second launch event after a series of delays since the artificial-intelligence-powered upgrade was first announced in September 2023. Amazon staff learned of the new delay, which is due in part to the new version of the …

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