Who was it? Leanna S Wen? Or someone else?

I Told You So: Empires, Afghanistan, and the Limits of Control I sometimes detest being correct, because it is always about something just awful, and not just “in the moment” but in the future. .

History really is a bitch. From Soviet census analysis to Afghanistan to Iran, the same structural pattern repeats—institutions and overreach eventually collide with reality.

At some point, even compliant systems say: stop.

That moment may be closer than people think.

There is no good faith in these charges. The entire point is to bankrupt the target. See “Frank Figliuzzi” and “Kash Patel” for details. The suit was dismissed, but Figliuzzi is still on the hook for legal fees.

RFK JR says if a child (or an adult) dies from a vaccine preventable ailment (like measles) it’s defective DNA; from there to “shouldn’t be permitted to breed” to “should be allowed to die” in progress. Google “Dan Patrick” and “duty to die” or “Nazi Eugenics” for details.

I wrote about a parallel is journalism. The newly Trump aligned journalistic ecosystem *mostly* still doesn’t publish outright falsehoods (FOX news excluded). It operates by standing mute, and just not publishing the truth.

Now available from the CDC.

Wow, back to basics. I live in Virginia and needed a back to basics/back of the Highlights for Children giggle this morning! Thank you.

Yes, that's the whole idea!

Graphic of VA State Senator Louise Lucas saying "You all started it, and we f---ing finished it."

Any further questions? LOL bluevirginia.us/2026/04/live...

Image of Virginia State Senate President Louise Lucas with a uotation “You all started it, and we f—-ing finished it.”

To Elon Musk, Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, all the racists, rapists, child molesters, tax cheats, grifters, war criminals, and steroid bulked up masked monsters: any questions?

There will be much work for a Democratic Congress to do, but part of it must eventually include prosecuting Elon Musk and his incel hackers. What they did—including stealing and selling our Social Security data—was illegal.

Not even the investors, though they don’t understand quite yet. It’s measured by how well it benefits Donald Trump. Once honorable, they no longer merit any benefit of the doubt. They are complicit. And today, we can add the WHCA to the list.

They should be ashamed. /end

Success is no longer measured by by Peabodies or Pulltzers, but by how they contribute to the system by supporting whatever benefits it in general. Not the people. Not the country.

occasionally reporting, generally not lying, but hiding much.
They exist as cogs in larger corporate ecosystem—one which depends on the carefully curried favor with this administration to get them their tax cuts, their space contracts, to cover up their crimes and worse.

Understand the new normal. CBS, 60 Minutes, Fox, my once beloved Washington Post (paid subscriber since 1971), LA Times—none of them practice journalism, the kind imagined by the founders and specifically protected by the 1st amendment. They are at best stenographers,

I am astounded what remains of the Washington Post dared to investigate and report, much less publish this. Good on them. Obviously there are still a few honest journalists left.

This will engender questions, in Congress. A lot of them come January 2027. And will NOT not make Jeff Bezos happy.

a close up of a pink flower with a green stem on a black background ALT: a close up of a pink flower with a green stem on a black background

My potted pink peony is budded out but not close to opening. We had a frost last night, so I constructed a protective shroud out of a double layer recycle bag, strapping tape, and stakes. Soon I’ll have flowers.

Absolutely galling. Many of us had family/friends, some who volunteered and others drafted to fight that filthy war who died in the jungle.

Meanwhile, Trump had his own “Vietnam”: avoiding venereal disease. Thus his preference for females on the “younger side.”

I wonder how many he infected.

That won’t change when the Democrats are in charge; new “fake journalism” will 1st do ALL in its power to keep Trump and all their benefits intact. Once he’s gone, most of the money will flow in a different direction, but the business has forever lost the presumption of honesty. Or integrity.

60 Minutes, CBS, soon CNN and WaPo may not openly lie, but they filter out what conflicts with that agenda. W/Trump in power, they all skews right.

Finally others are seeing it: this isn’t traditional 1st Amendment journalism. It’s part of a corporate ecosystem built to promote, protect, and enrich its owners. Old truth telling journalism didn’t die; it was murdered. MORE

It’s Election Day, Virginia! Get out and vote YES to level the playing field.

Polls are open until 7 PM. Find your polling information at iwillvote.com.

Be careful when people say “clean energy”—ask what they actually mean, and who they really represent. Some push to loosen permitting rules while branding oil, gas, or nuclear as “clean.” Promises don’t always match outcomes. They lie. Remember Three Mile Island when evaluating claims.

Today, as much as ever:

The Machinery of Minimization: How the Epstein Cover-Up Began Long Before Washington From Palm Beach to Dubai, the Epstein elite remainprotected by politically connected friends remain and a failed free press

The Epstein elite feel safe as a predator in a room full cowards: the molesters, traffickers, enablers—none of them expects to be held to account. And with just one exception, so far only one has.

What If They Deleted All The Files? Can They? The truth will outlive the bonfires—and the operatives who light them. Finding all the Epstein files won’t be easy, but it certainly is possible. All we have to do is follow the breadcrumbs.

Leaks come from inside, still employed, lying low, trying to survive. They need paychecks to keep eating but see what’s going on, are enraged, have good memories, and keep records. Lots of records. With backups. It’s the nature of the beast. I ought to know. I used to be one of them.

What If They Deleted All The Files? Can They? The truth will outlive the bonfires—and the operatives who light them. Finding all the Epstein files won’t be easy, but it certainly is possible. All we have to do is follow the breadcrumbs.

No matter how hard they try, they cannot delete the information completely. An essay on government record keeping.

Governor Tim Walz — "We are sick of this. A weak, reckless, Idiotic president just threw us into a war nobody asked for. No threat existed. No objectives were set. No exit plan exists. This is pure fascism." #cdnpoli

Interesting. Might be a legit “take his money and run” while the running is good. Timmy is in big as a Trump sucking sycophant. And it might just blow up in Apple’s face.

The beauty part? The lions, having feasted on the blood of all decent Americans, having breakfasted on the souls of their supporters, are now turning on one another.

They are both awful people. They’re also both Republicans. MAGA Mike must be gritting teeth until they hurt.

A Dem gets sworn in, shaving the GOP majority yet—and now Cory Mills is reportedly moving to expel Nancy Mace. Mills WILL go; Mace MIGHT go, and MAGA Mike will be down 2 more.

#FAFO The lions, done devouring the decent, breakfasted on their supporters, and now turn on their own kind.

Joyous.