Just One Thing: Trump's picks so far
Strong foreign policy team, bad SecDef choice
The first days of the Donald Trump pre-presidency are very interesting and very different from last time. Not just the casual vibe at Mar a Lago but particularly his rapid roll-out of some key administration team members, starting with foreign policy, and with names that people have heard of and who seem selected to reassure voters and the world that, on the one hand, this will be FAR from a Biden-Harris foreign policy and, on the other hand, the people in charge will be smart, experienced, and, while not typical establishment folks, also not radicals. So far, so good on foreign policy. But yesterday Trump announced Fox News host and Army veteran Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense. I know Trump loves TV people but Hegseth doesn’t have the relevant experience nor credibility. I recognize and honor his service, including in combat, and his intelligence (Princeton undergrad, Harvard for masters degree), and I love his antipathy toward wokeness in the military, but I don't think he's a good choice here.
The use of recess appointments is already an issue in the Senate election (today, probably) of the next Majority Leader, with Mitch McConnell stepping down from that role. Trump and MAGA want Rick Scott. I think he's OK but it's critical that the Leader be committed to the Constitution and preserving separation of powers and not turn the Senate into a servant of the Executive Branch. I fear that Rick Scott will be too much of a laydown for Trump and not protect the Senate and for that reason I prefer John Thune, not that I care a lot about this choice. Many in MAGA are saying Thune isn't conservative enough and the ratings of just one organization are being used online to show that even though ratings by other groups show Thune to be a normal conservative Republican...which he is. Recess appointments could short-circuit Senate opposition to Trump nominees: ANALYSIS - ABC News
Senate Republicans to elect new leader as Trump looms over contest - CBS News
I'll be VERY interested to see who Trump picks for Treasury and Justice.
Unsurprisingly, Trump wants loyalty as much as competency but actually I think he's getting quite a bit of both so far. The media, of course, will focus on the loyalty rather than the competency: The takeaway from Trump's whirlwind nomination announcements - POLITICO
Trump picks Kristi Noem to serve as his Homeland Security secretary | CNN Politics
Oh, and this, with the name DOGE, that must have Elon Musk laughing so hard: Musk and Ramaswamy to run the Department of Government Efficiency
Today's Guest
Jennifer Erickson is a Senior Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists and an expert on the American organ donation system. Jennifer Erickson - Federation of American Scientists
We'll discuss this: The Government Monopoly on Donated Kidneys Is Killing Americans
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Other Stuff
Trump and Biden to meet today. Ukraine will be a big topic: Biden to lobby Trump not to abandon Ukraine during upcoming meeting | Fox News
Sir Keir Starmer plots to thwart Donald Trump on Ukraine
On the one hand, this seems correct to me. On the other hand, I can imagine this particular Supreme Court overturning the judge: Judge blocks Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms
This is what happens when you destroy a brand: CNN To Reportedly Lay Off 'Hundreds of Employees' And Some 'Top Stars' As Ratings Tank | OutKick
And...wow: Comcast to Put MSNBC and Oprah Founded Oxygen Networks Up For Sale in Cable TV Sell Off
I'll try to get Gov Polis on to talk about this: Democrats create Governors Safeguarding Democracy to mount Trump resistance - Axios Denver
Governors Uniting to Strengthen Democracy
Chalk one up for AI: Judge dismisses news outlets’ lawsuit against OpenAI
Didn't work any better than $20 million for Jon Bon Jovi and Katy Pery concerts: Kamala Harris' campaign gave $500K to Al Sharpton's civil rights group before sit-down
Sometimes it’s felt like we’re not too far from this. But I think Trump’s election shows that we’re moving away from it now. But Britain is in trouble: My visit from police on Remembrance Sunday is living proof of our two-tier justice system
A good example of the kind of thing that white progressive elites think that they can buy minority group votes with when it’s really the opposite, like “Latinx”: Voters in California city reject measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local races
Californians show rare wisdom here too: Oakland mayor and county’s district attorney ousted in historic recall
And in Washington State, voters there get it right despite the dullards in Seattle: Their Democracy - Doomberg
Washington Initiative 2066, Natural Gas Policies Measure (2024) - Ballotpedia
Speaking of energy decisions: Shell Wins Appeal in Critical Dutch Climate Case | Energy Intelligence
This needs to change: Appeals court clarifies limits of service animal questioning | Courts | coloradopolitics.com
(Complex story but basically courts are ruling that federal law prevents asking more than a couple of VERY basic questions regarding whether a claimed "service animal" is actually one. And they're probably right based on the current law, so the law needs to be changed.)
The enemy: US consumer protection agency bans employee mobile calls amid Chinese hack fears | CSO Online
Do you like this idea? Australia plans a social media ban for children under 16 | AP News
(Remember, this is the same country that fines citizens who don't vote...)
How many times will Biden do illegal things after courts tell him he can't? (He does this repeatedly with student loans as well as immigration): Court Shoots Down Biden Admin’s Mass Amnesty Order For Hundreds Of Thousands Of Illegal Migrants |
Interesting…I wonder if this is TX Democrats moving to a blue state as CO Republicans go the others way: More people moved to Colorado from Texas than any other state in 2023 | FOX31 Denver
Quite a story: Colorado sheriff who froze to death to be honored at D.C. memorial
Dragon wanted me to share this with you: Danny DeVito breaks top 10 of world's sexiest bald men for 2024: study
Some things I didn't get to yesterday:
It’s easy to root against a place that elects such bad politicians and keeps making the same mistakes, but I love Denver and it’s the most important city in Colorado. I love it but I don’t like it very much right now, and I think lots of others feel the same…including tourists, and that’s what needs to change: Downtown Denver's weak recovery costing city millions in tax revenues
I used to say, “parents don’t let your kids go to Columbia or Harvard”. Now it’s almost any so-called good school except for Hillsdale. Classes canceled at Harvard, Penn, Columbia over Trump win: 'As a queer, immigrant woman of color,' 'I cannot go' 'about my day' | Blaze Media
As usual, the story ended up not being what many people, including yours truly, thought the story would be: AP VoteCast takeaways: Gender voting gap was unremarkable compared with recent history | AP News
Gotta be pretty darned disgruntled to do something like this. I mean, clearly he was willing to hurt innocent people: Former Disney employee accused of hacking menu system and changing peanut allergy information - CBS News
Here's the actual Criminal Complaint
Today's Videos
It was hilarious and instantly viral but after hearing him talk I feel some empathy for the dude
I don't usually put political stuff here but this is good:
A message to women...from a woman