Blog: If I understand this

“He controls 1.4 billion people with an iron fist. I mean, he’s a brilliant guy, whether you like it or not.” — President Donald Trump in October 2024, praising Chinese President Xi Jinping

Goes right along with his praise for Kim Un, Putin, Erdogan, Bolsonaro, etc.  And don’t forget that his first wife said Trump liked to read Hitler’s speeches.  He also told a general that “Hitler did some good things for Germany.”

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Republicans win:  Predictions of a mass exodus from Obamacare are coming true

The GOP is directly responsible for millions of Americans becoming unable to afford health insurance.  – How proud they must all be!  And SNAP?  Wow, what success!  Damn those poor kids wanting both health care and food!

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From CBS News:  As Republicans seek to retain control of the U.S. House, leaders of both parties nationwide have sought to redraw their congressional maps to net more seats for their parties.  — This is what the Supreme Court has wrought. Remember that our Constitution says to do this every ten years, after the census!

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From MSNOW:  Chris Hayes says Trump’s IRS lawsuit settlement could be “the greatest heist in American history.” “A direct transfer of billions of your taxpayer dollars to Donald Trump—all dressed up as a ‘settlement’ of a lawsuit in which he is both the plaintiff and the defendant,” says Hayes. May 13, 2026

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Psychiatrist:  Laryngitis? Sorry, I’m not that kind of doctor.

Patient on couch:  No, doc, I said I feel like a little horse.

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From Factcheck.org:  The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $900 billion over a decade. But in a series of congressional hearings last month, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. misleadingly claimed that “there are no cuts to Medicaid” as a result of that 2025 law.

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Did Trump talk to Putin again?  This: The Pentagon has abruptly scrapped plans to deploy a brigade of 4,200 U.S. troops, which make up one of the Army’s frontline tank formations, to Poland, according to five U.S. officials. The move would cut the American combat power in Poland by nearly half. 

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The U. of Arkansas stopped its tennis program.  They are seeking alumni money to restart it.  To compare — Arkansas spent $2.35 million on the tennis teams in fiscal 2025, which is about what a top school spends in name, image and likeness payments for one top football or basketball recruit.  Still think the NIL money is good for colleges?  How about for non-football or non-basketball athletes?  Or, could some of that alumni money have gone to academics?  Scholarships for poor students?  Library?  Computer Lab?

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The gold Trump statue he has erected on a golf course in Miami is twenty-two feet high, with the usual fist!  As a TV newsperson likes to say, “What if Obama did that?”

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Trivia:  What would one dollar buy in 1940?

Four movie tickets.

Twenty Hershey bars.

Six gallons of gasoline.

Four pounds of coffee.

Three dozen eggs.

Or, all of the above for five bucks.

Conversely, there was a minimum wage in 1940 (that started in 1938) – it was 30 cents an hour.

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I remember being a kid in the 1950’s and candy bars were still a nickel.  Comic books I think went to 10 cents during my youth.

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Headline on MSNOW: ‘Just ain’t fair’: America’s farmers are going bankrupt — and blaming Trump — Are farmers starting to “get it?”

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Q. What did Trump accomplish in China?

A.  Nothing

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From VoteVets: On January 6th, Donald Trump purchased up to $1,000,000 of stock in Nvidia. One week later, Trump’s Commerce Department approved sales of some of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips to China — arguably our chief geopolitical opponent. Then, on February 10th, Donald Trump purchased as much as $5,000,000 in Nvidia stock a week before they announced a partnership with Meta.

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Cartoon:

A couple is sitting on a hill on a clear, starry night, stars everywhere.

He:  You know, looking at all this makes me feel insignificant.

She:  Sorry, did you say something?

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A new hustle:  The Justice Department on Monday announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund to compensate President Donald Trump’s allies who claim they were unfairly targeted by the previous administration.  Odd number, eh?

It’s an unprecedented move that would allow the president’s administration to pay his supporters from a government agency he controls with taxpayer money.  Minutes after Trump’s legal team notified the court he’s dropping the case on Monday, nearly 100 House Democrats submitted a “friend-of-the-court” brief accusing Trump of “blatant self-dealing.”

There has never been such an example of a president stealing the people’s money.

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From the Borowitz Report (political satire if you dunno):

Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia inked an agreement to jointly own Donald J. Trump.

According to sources familiar with the deal, the two leaders crafted a timeshare arrangement under which each will have the right to use Trump when the other is not. Putin and Xi scooped up Trump at a bargain price since they acquired him in distressed or “as is” condition, sources said.  Both presidents were reportedly offered joint ownership of Eric Trump but passed.

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No surprise here (except that he was fired):  A Phoenix-area police official was fired last week after videos showed him appearing intent on stoking violence while off duty at a high school rally against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The story of Dusten Mullen, who had served as a sergeant for the Chandler Police Department, pairs well with other stories of MAGA provocateurs at ICE protests. KNXV-TV in Phoenix

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Trumpers think this is a good idea? 

The EPA proposed repealing limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water.

The risk: If finalized, the plan would end Biden-era restrictions of four toxic PFAS compounds. PFAS have been linked to cancer, immune system problems and infertility.

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A reminder for late night TV viewers:

Stephen Colbert’s last show is this Thursday evening. CBS refused to renew his contract, and you know exactly why: He mocked and criticized Trump.

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From MSNOW:
Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in American history. 

Just this week, we found out that in the first quarter of the year, Trump made more than 3,700 financial trades, worth tens of millions of dollars. That averages out to 59 trades a day and nine trades per hour.  The conflicts of interest and personal corruption are simply astonishing.

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What is it with old guys and long, scruffy beards? Seen David Lettermen lately?  Do they think that’s a good look?  Gave up?  Don’t care?

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Trump likes to brag about giving to charity, but:

During Trump’s 2016 campaign, he routinely boasted that he had given more than $102 million to charity in the previous five years. The Washington Post, however, took a closer look and found: “Not a single one of those donations was actually a personal gift of Trump’s own money.”  Rather, the future president relied on the Trump Foundation, which he ultimately had to shut down because of its misuse of funds. Or, skimming money, like with a casino.

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Enough from me today, but remember kids — If you’re being followed, don’t go home.

Take care,

Kevin