This Is Fine

Memor-X

01:11

> Good news: Twitter is collapsing.

And this chart doesn't even show the last two weeks—which have seen the largest exodus in site history.

**There are reports from Newsweek and others that Twitter may merge with Truth Social.**

If that happens, the last collapse of Twitter may happen almost overnight.

Source: bsky.app/profile/sethabramson.bsky.social/post/3lark7en6e222

@User1865345 ^

User1865345

01:51

@Memor-X nice

@BradC absolutely. Totally agree.

@Memor-X Trump announces Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as heads of Department of Government Efficiency

Raw Story: Dem 'shocked' that a 'sycophant' Fox News host now has his 'finger on nuclear weapons'

DB: Trump Makes Fox News Star His Pentagon Chief as MAGA’s White House Makeover Heats Up

Btw is it possible to talk with any of the mods here separately? It would be appreciable.

Memor-X

02:22

@User1865345 that second name. isn't he the one who got rid of the thing that stopped ISPs from rate limiting their composition?

Joe W

02:47

Russian State TV Aired Nude Photos of Melania Trump?

User1865345

12:20

in Agora, 15 secs ago, by User1865345

Special Counsel Jack Smith to Resign Before Trump Takes Office: Reports

@JoeW This is true as per Snopes. Wow.

'Government Efficiency' Department requires two men to run it

►

@Memor-X is it? I have no idea Vivek did something like that.

Daily Beast: The Incredible Suck-Up Tactics Trump’s Cabinet Picks Used to Get Jobs

'Sycophant Olympics': Trump prioritizes pliancy over competence in assembling new Cabinet

►

Ex-Fox Host Flames Former Colleague Pete Hegseth After Trump’s Pentagon Nod

> “From silly diner interviews on Weekend Fox and Friends to Secretary of Defense?“ Carlson wrote on X. ”I never thought I’d say I’m stunned about any pick after the election but nominating Pete Hegseth for this incredibly important role? Yes he’s a veteran … and?"

> Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren wasted no time calling Hegseth unfit for the job.

“A Fox & Friends weekend co-host is not qualified to be the Secretary of Defense,” Warren wrote on X. “I lead the Senate military personnel panel. All three of my brothers served in uniform. I respect every one of our servicemembers. Donald Trump’s pick will make us less safe and must be rejected.”

Btw, it would be helpful for me if anyone tells me what cannot be said here. I was "suspended automatically" and then it was extended by a mod.

Would appreciate that.

Fyi, the bone of contention was that I criticized GOP for their antagonism towards the vulnerable communities. That statement was removed.

Would love to comply with any rules that forbid criticism, usage of particular words etc.

--

Alina Habba Emerges as Frontrunner for Trump’s White House Press Secretary

> Donald Trump’s firebrand lawyer, Alina Habba, has emerged as a frontrunner to be his White House press secretary, it was reported Tuesday—the latest proof his second administration will be stuffed with MAGA loyalists.

Memor-X

13:14

@User1865345 the same seems familiar but yeh can't really remember

User1865345

If I remember correctly, he has business probably related to biotech.

Roivant Sciences

Roivant Sciences Ltd. is an American multinational healthcare company focused on applying technology to drug development and building subsidiary life sciences and health technology companies. It was founded in 2014 by Vivek Ramaswamy and is currently headed by CEO Matt Gline. Roivant maintains its headquarters in New York City as well as major offices in the biotech hubs of Boston and Basel. == History == Vivek Ramaswamy founded Roivant in 2014. Ramaswamy's initial strategy was to in-license drug candidates and create subsidiaries focused on distinct therapeutic areas. This strategy expanded to...

@Memor-X ☝🏻

Other than that, I am not sure.

Memor-X

oh yeh that's right, he was one of the people running against Trump who some people called the Republican Obama

> On February 21, 2023, Ramaswamy declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2024 on Tucker Carlson Tonight.

User1865345

Yes.

Memor-X

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy (; vih-VAYK rah-mə-SWAH-mee; born August 9, 1985) is an American entrepreneur. He founded Roivant Sciences, a pharmaceutical company, in 2014. In February 2023, Ramaswamy declared his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination in the 2024 United States presidential election. He suspended his campaign in January 2024, after finishing fourth in the Iowa caucuses. On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that Ramaswamy and businessman Elon Musk had been tasked to lead the newly proposed Department of Government Efficiency. Ramaswamy was born in Cincinnati...

fuuuuuuuuuuuck

> He also asserted that "big tech" stole the 2020 election and that the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory was "the Democratic Party's platform".

> When asked about some of his past remarks, Ramaswamy frequently denied making the comments or claimed to have been misquoted, even when those denials were belied by recordings, transcripts, or extracts from his writing.

User1865345

@Memor-X what did you think he was? 🙂

Nzall

13:23

I think the guy who abolished the Net Neutrality rules was Ajit Pai. You know, the guy with the giant reeses cup

Memor-X

@User1865345 that was more of a reaction to the conspire theory part on wikipedia

User1865345

@Memor-X oh boy. Then read it. Probably you won't be surprised.

Memor-X

@Nzall don't remember the last bit but now i remember the name Net Neutrality

Nzall

User1865345

Ramaswamy and Musk to lead 'government efficiency' department sparking conflict of interest concerns

Nzall

13:26

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Giant Mug

►

Memor-X

lol. leave it to John Oliver to out do it

User1865345

Dogecoin surges amid Donald Trump’s announcement of Elon Musk joining DOGE

Memor-X

American is fucked

like it's already been said

but

it totally is

Joe W

To be fair that has been true for a very long time now

Just think about what the patriot act really means

User1865345

Again. I won't say anything like that. Already got suspended for criticizing a party. Not anymore. But yes, don't disagree.

Memor-X

13:30

@JoeW yeh but it's probably more so now than back then. like you got atleast 2 people who blatantly lie despite recorded evidence

god know how many more get in at this rate

User1865345

Out of curiosity, did the Trump cronies intentionally make a department's name to have the acronym D.O.G.E for a quick surge in dogecoin values?

Memor-X

@User1865345 no i think that's Space Karen trying to be cool

User1865345

I see

Memor-X

like when Trump won he posted an image doing that stupid "let that sink in" joke again

User1865345

My god. Yes.

Memor-X

13:32

might be funny the first time walking into Twitter HQ with a sink, but you're really being a try hard when you cut and paste yourself from then in another setting to do the same joke

User1865345

Musk already floated the idea of slashing one third of federal government budget.

@Memor-X hmm

Memor-X

and hell i can imagine him doing it again during inauguration

User1865345

Pathetic.

Joe W

@User1865345 Pretty sure that is actually impossible without congress passing a bunch of laws

Memor-X

@User1865345 and a guy on Fox News said it's crap

his example was that if you fired every government worker, you'd only get like 12% of the budget

User1865345

13:34

@JoeW exactly. And that in fact won't sit well with GOP house members.

Memor-X

@JoeW executive order

User1865345

@Memor-X actually that's not possible, I fear.

Memor-X

and you think Trump's going to care what they can and can't do?

User1865345

Now that's the point.

Joe W

@Memor-X Executive orders can't cut parts of the budget that are mandated by laws.

User1865345

13:36

Also he has decided to create a live leadership board showing which department is "wasting" money the most.

Genius.

Memor-X

@JoeW because why? it would violate the law?

like remember, SCOTUS ruled that Trump can break the law so long as it's in the duties of the Presidential Office

Joe W

@Memor-X I mean you could accept the idea that no one is going to stand up and prevent him from breaking the law I guess you could just go with complete doom and gloom

User1865345

Budget is decided by Congress.

Memor-X

and i can get you cutting government spending that be spun as one of his duties

Joe W

@Memor-X That wasn't close to what we are talking about now

User1865345

13:38

There are guardrails which prevent undue interference from the Oval Office.

Joe W

@Memor-X But the spending is still set in stone by law, not by the budget that congress passes. People always seem to forget that a large part of our budget is set by law and not by the yearly budget

User1865345

23 hours ago, by User1865345

Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974

The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93–344, 88 Stat. 297, 2 U.S.C. §§ 601–688) is a United States federal law that governs the role of the Congress in the United States budget process. == The Congressional budget process == Titles I through IX of the law are also known as the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Title II created the Congressional Budget Office. Title III governs the procedures by which Congress annually adopts a budget resolution, a concurrent resolution that is not signed by the President, which sets fiscal policy for the Congress. This budget...

@JoeW that's true.

Joe W

cbo.gov/publication/59728

That link gives an idea of what is mandatory and what isn't

User1865345

Guardian: Guardian will no longer post on Elon Musk’s X from its official accounts

Joe W

I am not saying he won't try just that the way the spending is mandated will make it impossible.

User1865345

13:43

@JoeW and that's why he couldn't slash the IRA funding already allocated.

Joe W

@User1865345 Makes you wonder how many are going to run from twitter and truth social now

User1865345

> This is something we have been considering for a while given the often disturbing content promoted or found on the platform, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism

> The US presidential election campaign served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse

@JoeW i am seeing no future for X Or whatever he will call it next.

Memor-X

@JoeW i can see some parts that they could cut in that. it being required by law wouldn't matter since SCOTUS has said the President is immune. so Space Karen can come up, say that Child Nutrition should go, Trump cuts funding and says it's his duties to fix the budget

especially if Space Karen's going to try and get people to vote on what gets axed

Joe W

@Memor-X Sure, there are things that can be cut but no where near the 1/3rd that he is claiming he will do from day one.

My comment wasn't saying he couldn't cut the budget rather the claim of cutting it by 1/3rd was impossible

Heck the military alone makes up 13% or so of the the budget and people make to much off that to get it cut

Memor-X

i wonder how much that could get cut if say someone suggests they could replace most of the military with their robots

User1865345

13:50

It's ironic that they will then be cheering for huge tax cuts for the billionaires including themselves.

-- Some greenwashing summit news:

Campaigners have accused wealthy nations of pushing weak language in climate finance talks at the Cop29 summit to avoid properly funding poorer countries’ adaptations to the climate crisis.

Trump vow to ditch Paris agreement 'of grave concern' to small island states

Nzall

@JoeW I have moved to Bluesky

User1865345

> Last year, National Public Radio [NPR], the non-profit US media organisation, stopped posting on X after the social media platform labelled it as “state-affiliated media”. PBS, a US public TV broadcaster, also suspended its posts for the same reason.

This month, the Berlin film festival said it was quitting X, without citing an official reason, while last month, the North Wales police force said it had stopped using X because it was “no longer consistent with our values”. In August, the Royal National orthopaedic hospital said it was leaving X, citing an “increased volume of hate speech …

Will X turn to some far right forums like 4chan? Maybe.

Memor-X

@JoeW in the past week, heard it's been over a million just to Bluesky

> hello and welcome to the 1M people that have joined Bluesky in the last week!!!

^ bsky.app/profile/bsky.app/post/3larljiybf22v

@User1865345 already starting to be. or atleast minus the "far" but not sure how far right some of the shit has been

people posting and DMing women "your body, my choice"

User1865345

My god.

> Glad to have escaped the nut house and enjoying this instead. Elon who?

One user at Bluesky.

Memor-X

hell, Tate glorified running over women because he believes they no longer have any rights

and you have people posting saying fictional characters would have been MAGA/voted for Trump

someone who yumeships Crow Armbrust from Trails of Cold Steel got a response like that

User1865345

14:00

So cringe, derogatory and yet not surprising.

Guardian opinion: ‘Your body, my choice’: what misogynistic Trump supporters feel about sexual power

Memor-X

obviously they have no idea who Crow is because he wouldn't have voted for Trump, he would have been one of Trump's assassins and not have missed. a statement of fact for anyone who's played the series

User1865345

2 days ago, by User1865345

14 hours ago, by User1865345

@Wipqozn Trump’s win has given angry incels enormous power

@Memor-X women have countered with 4b movement.

Newsweek: What Is 'MATGA?' Anti-Trump Women's Deadly New Trend

> The "Make Aqua Tofana Great Again," or MATGA, movement is a recent online trend in which some women humorously advocate for "reviving" Aqua Tofana—a 17th-century poison used by women to kill and escape their abusive husbands.

Aqua Tofana, named after its alleged creator Giulia Tofana, was a deadly, undetectable poison used across Italy, gaining notoriety for its stealth and potency.

> The MATGA trend has become synonymous with Tofana, seemingly emerging as a satirical expression of frustration over certain political issues, mainly targeting Trump and men who support conservative policies that affect women.

Vice: Jack White Has Strong Words About ‘Obvious Fascist’ Donald Trump’s 2024 Presidential Win

Common Dreams: No Thanks to These 52 Dems, House Defeats Bill Enabling Trump Assault on Nonprofits

> Legislation that would have handed President-elect Donald Trump sweeping power to investigate and shutter news outlets, government watchdogs, humanitarian organizations, and other nonprofits was defeated in the House of Representatives on Tuesday after a coalition of progressive advocacy groups and lawmakers mobilized against it, warning of the bill's dire implications for the right to dissent.

> But 52 Democratic lawmakers—including Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.)—apparently did not share the grave concerns expressed by the ACLU and other leading rights groups, opting to vote alongside 204 Republicans in favor of the bill.

> One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, joined 144 Democrats in voting no.

The measure ultimately fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to approve legislation under the fast-track procedure used by the bill's supporters, but progressives wasted no time spotlighting the Democrats who supported the measure.

> "If you're looking for a handy list of Democrats who have no fucking clue what is about to hit and need their spines stiffened ASAP, this is a good place to start," wrote Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of the advocacy group Indivisible.

Hill: Ryan Walters on national Bible in schools’ mandate: ‘You have to have it in the classrooms’

User1865345

15:00

Democratic governors launch new organization to fight Trump overreach

> Governors Safeguarding Democracy is a nonpartisan coalition of governors, chaired by Illinois governor JB Pritzker and Colorado governor Jared Polis.

User1865345

15:17

Trump mulling Tulsi Gabbard for top intelligence job

Hannah Vernon

15:28

intelligence lol

User1865345

Dan Coats famously left Trump 1.0 after his long feud with his boss and fear that Putin was blackmailing Trump all along.

Dan Coats

Daniel Ray Coats (born May 16, 1943) is an American politician, attorney, and diplomat. From 2017 to 2019, he served as the Director of National Intelligence in the Trump administration. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Indiana from 1989 to 1999 and again from 2011 to 2017. He was the United States Ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005, and a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1989. Coats served on the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence while in the U.S. Senate. Born in Jackson, Michigan, Coats graduated...

Oh hey @HannahVernon

You might like this substack

Hannah Vernon

@User1865345 waves

User1865345

readtpa.com/…

Hannah Vernon

gingerly opens the page

User1865345

Her latest article: Fine, Let's Talk About Trans Athletes

Hannah Vernon

15:34

thanks for pointing me at that, @user

much appreciated for obvious reasons

User1865345

@HannahVernon I got that in a MSNBC oped.

The Anti-Trans Blame Game: Predictable, Wrong, and Fueling a Dangerous Agenda

@HannahVernon 👍🏻

Hannah Vernon

I tried explaining the danger to a liberal person in Texas who was voting for Ms Stien, but they'd have none of what I was saying, accusing me of be willing to go along with genocide if I voted for Harris. I unfriended them.

this makes me feel immediate admiration for the writer:

> Mainstream media doesn’t tend to pay too much attention to women’s sports. Right-wing media, even less —with a major exception for when there’s a trans person involved, at which point they will then become the world’s biggest proponents of women’s athletics.

Memor-X

to paraphrase John Oliver from this weeks episode

(directed to people who complain about trans-women in sports)

1. there is a decreeing number of trans women in sports
2. there is no evidence to suggest trans girls have any advantage over normal girls because all children vary in athletic ability
3. it's weird you get so obsessed with this
4. there are bigger issues in women sport like the creepy coach who's liking everyone Instagram photos

Hannah Vernon

15:50

One thing I love more than anything else is being politicized in order for others to score points at my expense. Oh, maybe there is one thing, that is being unable to use a bathroom without having to endure the possibility of dire consequences. Luckily, most of that particular brand of stupidity hasn't arrived here just yet.

to be clear, there are plenty of other brands of stupidity here, just not that one.

> Iowa is currently/recently considering bills that would also ban trans students from using restrooms (even single-occupancy restrooms)

User1865345

Oct 17 at 12:39, by User1865345

Jill Stein's Controversial Campaign: Grifter or Savior?

►

You need to understand context. The current state is not suitable for a third party.

Memor-X

like one of the biggest problems that existed in women's athletics wasn't trans-women being in the women's change rooms potentially sexually assaulting woman, it was a single cis man who was found guilty for sexually assaulting at least 265 young women and girls

User1865345

At least they were in Texas which was going red anyway.

But problem arose in placed like Pennsylvania Senate race where Green candidate played a spoiler.

@HannahVernon sad reality

Memor-X

@HannahVernon like in general any restroom?

Hannah Vernon

in Canada, we have two left-leaning federal parties; the Liberals (who are currently tenuously in power) and the New Democratic Party, and a single right-leaning party, the Conservatives. We're going to "go right" shortly simply because there are two left-leaning parties who will split the vote. The largest proportion of society is quite liberal.

User1865345

15:55

@HannahVernon wow.

Hannah Vernon

@Memor-X I imagine it has something like "sex assigned at birth" to "allow" trans women to use the men's room. Like that is an option.

I mean can you imagine being a woman and being forced to use the men's room.

like in Florida, where my sister lives, I cannot visit her by flying down there because if I used the women's bathroom at the airport, I could be arrested, charged, and put in jail. Or if I wanted to go to the beach, I'm prohibited from using the women's changing rooms or bathrooms.

Memor-X

@HannahVernon i could actually, for dumb reasons

Cis Woman Mistaken as Transgender Records Being Berated in Bathroom

Hannah Vernon

that too

User1865345

@HannahVernon terrible.

Hannah Vernon

@Memor-X you know there are always exceptional circumstances and 99.9% of the time you'd be fine doing that, but the point is they trot out the bathroom ban because they just want trans people to go away.

Memor-X

15:59

and that was last year. this year we had the Paris Olympics and people being way too comfortable just yelling at the Olympics that they are 100% sure what a woman is when they don't

Hannah Vernon

exactly, my heart goes out to her, but she put up a good fight.

Memor-X

@HannahVernon oh yeh ofcause. i remember an article where a trans person was forced to use the bathroom of the sex they were assigned at birth....only to be assaulted there too

it was never about using the "correct" bathroom

Hannah Vernon

^^^

Memor-X

Trans Man Advised to Use Women's Restroom Then Beaten Up and Arrested

User1865345

Trump jokes about running again in meeting with House Republicans

Speaking of Texas

Texas Dem Colin Allred uses anti-trans language to attack Ted Cruz: ‘Don’t want boys playing girls’ sports’

Result? Ted Cruz will be the next senator again.

Hannah Vernon

16:03

@User1865345 is it too late now?

User1865345

@HannahVernon hm. I don't know. No one responded.

But

Not of any urgency.

4 hours ago, by User1865345

Btw, it would be helpful for me if anyone tells me what cannot be said here. I was "suspended automatically" and then it was extended by a mod.

4 hours ago, by User1865345

Fyi, the bone of contention was that I criticized GOP for their antagonism towards the vulnerable communities. That statement was removed.

3 hours ago, by User1865345

Would love to comply with any rules that forbid criticism, usage of particular words etc.

Hannah Vernon

ahhh

User1865345

If I can't call a stone a stone, I need to think differently, I guess.

Hannah Vernon

I wish I would have been here to see that. I don't think this room really needs folks being excluded for political opinions in a political room

User1865345

For emphasis again, I have not called out any community derogatorily.

I have expressed my disgust for GOP antagonizing vociferously a vulnerable community for their political gains.

Then the suspension happened. Someone probably flagged it. I don't know how that works.

Finally a mod extended it.

So if there any rules for this room, do let me know. I will comply.

Hannah Vernon

16:10

I've looked at what you said and see nothing all that offensive. Saying Americans are stupid is at least provably half correct. I mean if you consider stupid to be below average intelligence, then half the population qualifies by definition.

@User1865345 I see no rules posted anywhere. From what I saw, you never specifically said anything that terrible.

User1865345

I have not said it in a derogatory way, again. But again, without any context, it might look rude.

@HannahVernon 🙂

Hannah Vernon

Stack Exchange chat though does have a system in place where every chat mod who happens to be online when a message is flagged will see that message. They are given the ability to handle flags any way they want without ever knowing anything about the room where the flag originated.

User1865345

I see. Thanks. But it still felt counterintuitive for what I said and those warranted suspensions finally to be extended by a mod.

Hannah Vernon

so you may get Christo-Fascists seeing a flag about "American Idiots" banning folks out right without taking the time to think it through.

User1865345

True

Memor-X

16:17

and when they start mass flagging from a room because they only discovered it from a flag, that's when we get a flood of new users looking to see what the hell is going on

User1865345

Thanks for noticing the message @HannahVernon. Appreciate it. 👍🏻

Hannah Vernon

I'd vociferously argue for your right to freely call bigotted groups bigots, FYI. If others in the room see's a new mod coming into the room, feel free to @ me.

@User1865345 you're welcome

User1865345

🙏🏻

BTW, one should listen to this:

Patrick Harvie grills John Swinney on Scotland's relationship to Donald Trump

►

He didn't care for diplomatic norms. He said a stone a stone.

Hannah Vernon

I think I saw that the other day, but will watch again.

User1865345

👍🏻👍🏻

Kris Kristofferson Doesn't Mince Words About America's BIGGEST Failures

►

Kristofferson died this year.

Hannah Vernon

16:19

@User1865345 yeah if I could vote for him, I would all day

User1865345

Absolutely.

Justin Trudeau can't read the room... | This Hour Has 22 Minutes

►

Hannah Vernon

@User1865345 More "entertainers" should be like Kris

@User1865345 as a Canadian, I certainly find that funny, and at the same time very prescient.

User1865345

@HannahVernon i would be honest. My current affairs knowledge re Canada is slim. @Fredy31 made me aware of the current scenario.

22 mins skits are quite funny and target both Trudeau and PP.

@HannahVernon he was exceptional and was one of the few.

Hannah Vernon

Trudeau has actually been really great for Canada. He'll be voted out if an election is called before Trump has had a chance to really show his hand. Even then, I think the Liberal party will not win since there are so many "American Idiots" in Canada, too.

User1865345

I mean yes, today's artists are also articulate about what they stand for. But I feel somewhat and somewhere disconnected.

Hannah Vernon

16:30

PP will be a real disaster for the country.

User1865345

Take for Taylor Swift. I mean I lover her songs. She endorsed Kamala. All good. But still I don't feel the connection.

Artists like Kristofferson actually understood the structural hollowness of the nation.

Trump announces his new running mate... Pierre Poilievre!

►

@HannahVernon so who plays the spoiler there? I mean who are the Greens there?

Daily Beast: Trump Plans Squad to Fire the Generals He Hates

Hannah Vernon

we have the Green Party here too. They are tiny and inconsequential compared to the Liberal Party and the NDPs.

the Liberals and NDP should combine forces then they'd practically never lose.

User1865345

@HannahVernon ohh. I see.

@HannahVernon can they make alliance?

Hill: Trump, Biden pledge peaceful transition in Oval Office meeting: ‘Politics is tough’

Hannah Vernon

yes, in fact that is how they are in power now. The Liberals won more seats than any other single party, but not enough for a majority. They have to rely on the NDP (and the bloc quebecois) to remain in power. The NDP leader has said they will, at some point in the near future, vote against the Liberals, forcing an election

User1865345

Ahh. Understood.

> politics is tough, and it’s, many cases, not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today, and I appreciate very much a transition that’s so smooth, it’ll be as smooth as it can get. And I very much appreciate that, Joe.

- Donald

Politico: Dems torn over transgender issue: Centrists worry that party is ‘reading the public wrong’

> “A left-winger from Massachusetts shouldn’t be whip,” griped a purple-district Democrat, granted anonymity to speak frankly, referring to Minority Whip Katherine Clark.

> Meanwhile, progressives are stewing at what they see as the willingness of centrists to blame their political woes on a minority group. Many in the party are loath to lean too far into a social issue that often trips up lawmakers, but they don’t want to forsake key parts of the Democratic base either.

> “There is no poll result that could make me turn on marginalized people,” said progressive Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.).

> “What I challenge us to do is find maybe better or different ways to protect folks, and better and different ways to lift up the messaging that we need that resonates with the people who need to hear and understand this message. But throwing anybody in our coalition under the bus just simply cannot be the answer.”

Meanwhile

> The group of about a dozen moderates are particularly peeved about House leadership’s handling of GOP-pushed votes on transgender issues over the past two years, saying leaders should not have whipped against GOP-led measures like legislation banning school athletic programs from allowing transgender athletes in sports.

Finally

> Many liberals have blamed their election losses on deeper problems, like Kamala Harris’ shortened campaign and struggles to differentiate herself from President Joe Biden, as well as the demoralization of the Democratic base.

> They also cited advice her campaign received to adopt “Republican-lite” positions, according to preliminary analysis and talking points prepared by progressive staff obtained by POLITICO.

> “Harris was counseled to position herself closely with conservatives in the political establishment and a wing of the billionaire class, with limited effectiveness. Harris campaigned four times in October with Liz Cheney, more than with any other ally. She appeared with Mark Cuban more than UAW’s Shawn Fain,” the memo stated.

> “We did not offer a meaningful contrast to Republicans celebrating billionaires and corporations — instead, the Republican-lite advice yielded no electoral benefits.”

User1865345

17:01

Some romantic news, I guess:

Secret Service Agent Used Obama’s Hawaii House for Frisky Meet-Up With Lover

Not that we needed our version of QAnon 😭

‘BlueAnon’ Conspiracies Grip Dems After Trump’s Election Sweep

Hannah Vernon

17:51

> These institutions are not just succumbing to authoritarianism, they are advancing it.

America had a good run.

User1865345

20:38

@HannahVernon 😩

Nzall

So the GOP won the house as well

Nothing can stop the ~~slow~~ rapid descent of the US into fascist dictatorship

User1865345

@Nzall not so easy, actually. They didn't win supermajority in Congress. So at least some form of leverage for dems.

finding something in the ashes...

Hannah Vernon

and don't forget the progress-smashing fillibuster lol

User1865345

Exactly. GOP doesn't have enough seats in Senate to break filibuster.

Contradictory it might be, filibuster could save the last remnants of democracy.

Hill: Thune elected Senate majority leader

Wow. Against what MAGA anointed? Donald chose Rick Scott. But actually it doesn't matter.

Trump picks far-right Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general

To refresh who he is:

Marjorie Taylor Greene hurls 'pro-pedophile' charges at fellow Republicans as her ally Matt Gaetz is under investigation for alleged sex with a minor

Hannah Vernon

21:00

that's quality people right there

which is sarcasm, for those who can't see the expression on my face.

User1865345

When competence and qualifications take backseat.

Hannah Vernon

@Nzall fixed it for you. Strikethrough is accomplished with three dashes, as in ---word---

chat markdown is painful - hopefully one day they rectify that

User1865345

Daily Beast: Crusader Tattoos, Adultery and Pitching Soap: Trump Pentagon Pick’s Pete Hegseth’s Secrets

Dude didn't wash his hands for over a decade (he himself proudly proclaimed reasoning that germs are invisible and doesn't believe in invisible things).

His memorable quote:

> The dumbest phrase on planet Earth in the military is, ‘Our diversity is our strength.

Hannah Vernon

@User1865345 so he's an atheist? Or are invisible friends in the sky ok?

just making sure I'm up to speed

User1865345

> Hegseth’s being revolves around three foundations he deems vital: faith, family, and freedom.

GOP's three Fs.

Attorney general-nominee Gaetz remains under ethics committee investigation over sexual misconduct

The man himself is a sexual predator and he was elected. So yeah, it doesn't matter.

Memor-X

23:00

@User1865345 the President Elect is a Convicted Felon. they took that low bar and yeeted it

saw someone joke saying that people should now no longer have to be upfront about criminal convictions when applying for a job because why would it matter if a cinvicted felon can take the top job

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