Reading

“Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, faced senators at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, where he fielded tough questions from Democrats over his views on women in the military and an allegation of sexual assault.” — CBS News, 1/14/25

As a conservative, I believe Hegseth is the perfect person to address the most pressing issues in the military, because they’re all issues he’s been accused of perpetrating himself.

For years, sexual assault has been a problem in the military. So, who better to address sexual assault than someone who has been accused of sexually assaulting women? When it comes time to brainstorm policies to put in place to prevent sexual violence, Hegseth just has to think, “What would I do in this situation?” and then establish rules that would prevent people like him from doing what he would’ve done.

Source - Patreon

Source - Patreon

Source - Patreon

Australian Broadcasting Commission’s TV presenter Joe O’Brien couldn't keep the smile off his face. He went off-script several times: “Wow!” “So cool to bring you this news” “I’ve got goosebumps.”

JV Last asks us to consider Pete Hegseth as if he wasn’t a red-pilled, alcohol dependent, rapist and instead is a moderate, pure as the driven snow boy scout. And then consider this: Last is right when he says that Hegseth will get this job not in spite of his noxious personal character or total lack of qualifications but because of them. He quotes from this excellent piece on Hegseth by Rebecca Traister: Some Democrats retain the wan hope that they can persuade a Republican or two to actually defeat Hegseth’s nomination, and they worry that coming in ablaze will impede those efforts. Winning, said several staffers from offices less inclined to light Hegseth up, would mean not leaning in on the rape allegations and instead creating space to oppose him on grounds that Republicans can also oppose him on. Instead of giving Fox News the woke-mob martyrdom its audience craves, they say they can highlight his financial mismanagement and lack of relevant experience. That’s where we are now. If anyone raises the prospect of a nominee’s lack of character it actually helps them get confirmed.

He didn’t use his name, though. Some of the moves, such as the parade of CEOs visiting Trump in Florida, the donations, and the effort to do business with people in his inner circle, appear designed to curry favour with a man famous for attacking companies and executives he dislikes. But the election has also accelerated a wider shift back to more conservative social and political stances and an embrace of unfettered capitalism.   Companies are scrapping diversity, equity and inclusion departments, cutting their support for racial diversity charities, and dropping out of climate change groups. They are also scrubbing anything that could be perceived as “woke” from public statements, corporate documents and advertising. The election has empowered some top executives to start speaking out in favour of conservative policies, from tax cuts to traditional gender roles. The article has a ton of examples but this one really got me.

Though only January, Oxford dictionary has already decided that the Gen Beta phrase: ‘Goo Goo Gaga Dada’ will be their word of the year. The move follows last year’s decision to declare the Gen Alpha phrase ‘Brain rot’ the 2024... Read More ›

COLLINS: How's the bad behavior of a senator a defense of someone who wants to run the Pentagon? MULLIN: It's not. What I was trying to get to is if you're capable of doing your job and you're able to still drink on the job or late in the evening, don't tell me that Pete can't pic.twitter.com/KgNhlYJUpc — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 15, 2025 KAITLIN COLLINS: How’s the bad behavior of a senator a defense of someone who wants to run the Pentagon? MARKWAYNE MULLIN: It’s not. What I was trying to get to is, if you’re capable of doing your job and you’re able to still drink on the job or late in the evening, don’t tell me that Pete can’t. In other words, Pete Hegseth is so good he can drink all day and all night and do a great job. This is what we’ve come to.

Los Angeles’ wildfires and an industry-tied insurance regulator may prove a tipping point for the country’s faltering financial safety net.

The Laken Riley Act authorizes state attorneys general to sue federal authorities to force deportations and block visas.

The post Congress Considers Putting Ken Paxton in Charge of Choosing Who to Deport appeared first on The Intercept.

Did you vote for any of these people? Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, according to an official involved with the planning of the event. They will have a prominent spot at the ceremony, seated together on the platform with other notable guests including Trump’s Cabinet nominees and elected officials. That image is going to be iconic. It says everything. By the way, this isn’t just a ceremonial thing for Musk: The New York Times is reporting that Elon Musk is preparing to set up the Department of Government Efficiency in the Eisenhower Building, which is less than a five-minute walk from the White House. It’s still unclear if the billionaire will have complete unfettered access to the West Wing (that requires a “special pass”), but at this point it’s obvious that the CEO—who has billions of dollars in federal and international contracts—will be a full-time cast member in Trump’s second term. It’s still unclear what exactly DOGE will look like in D.C., as it is not an official government department and Musk is not a government employee.

Trump: When I was president, I demanded that this guy, the governor, accept the water coming from the north, from way up in Canada. And, you know, the north, it flows down through right through Los Angeles. I mean, massive millions and millions of gallons of water a week,… pic.twitter.com/rnfbadSlkk — Acyn (@Acyn) January 14, 2025 Here’s the whole clip: When I was president, I demanded that this guy, the governor, accept the water coming from the north, from way up in Canada. And, you know, the north, it flows down through right through Los Angeles. I mean, massive millions and millions of gallons of water a week, probably, I think, even a day. Massive amounts coming out from the mountains, from the melts. And even without it, even during the summer, it’s a natural flow of water. They would have had so much water they wouldn’t have known what to do with it. You would have never had the fires. People would have been able to sprinkle their lawns and everything else. You know, the problem is it’s so dry. It was always so dry there. And it’s just it’s just a mess. They could have maintained their forests. He’s brain damaged.

One of the most important tasks of social sciences is to explain the events, processes, and structures that take place and act in society. However, the researcher cannot stop at this. As a consequence of the relations and connections that the researcher finds, a will and demand arise for critical reflection on the findings. To […]

As I gaze upon the ruins of what was once my home city, where I grew up and built a life full of love, laughter, and fond memories, I could feel sad. But I cannot help but smile, for we have finally conquered wokeness.

There was a time when every “blue” joke would yield a reprimand from HR. Now, no one would dare to stop me from screening Blazing Saddles in my office’s conference room, if there were any electricity to run the television. In fact, there are no HR rules at all, I have no job, the company no longer exists, and the entire building is occupied by warlords.

These days, no one asks me about pronouns; they’re too busy searching for potable water. The victor of the Fourth Great Water War has yet to be determined, but what is certain is that we have decisively defeated the DEI scolds who were incessantly telling us the “right” words to say.

The US is exploiting a privileged position in our society with formalised access to powerful means for shaping Australians’ attitudes to security. It purports to be ally and friend, but where’s the respect? We should talk about a malignant influence on Australia’s security which has long been harboured unquestioned – so-called independent think tanks. Unquestioned Continue reading »

Just thought you needed to see that he’s as deranged as ever.

Pete Hegseth is up first As Congress begins confirmation hearings today for Donald Trump’s candidates for key federal posts, I offer simple questions Democrats should ask each. When Donald Trump nominated you, did you consider saying no because you felt unqualified for the job? If not, why not? If yes, why did you accept anyway? Hell, I’m no more qualified for these posts that Trump’s “look good on TV” nominees.

Former spooks are back on the airwaves, using old tactics to justify new conflicts in the Middle East .

The post Sarah Adams and the Return of the Iraq War Playbook appeared first on MintPress News.

The unlikely connection between podcast studios, Renaissance libraries and man-caves.

A primary responsibility of the government is, of course, to keep us safe. Given that obligation, you might think that the Washington establishment would be hard at work trying to prevent the ultimate catastrophe — a nuclear war. But you would be wrong. A small, hardworking contingent of elected officials is indeed trying to roll back the nuclear arms race and make it harder for such world-ending weaponry ever to be used again, including stalwarts like Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Representative John Garamendi (D-CA), and other members of the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group. But they face ever stiffer headwinds from a resurgent network of nuclear hawks who want to build more kinds of nuclear weapons and... Read more

Source: Angling Toward Armageddon appeared first on TomDispatch.com.

As Louisiana Sinks Slowly Into The Sea House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) of Louisiana said Monday “there should probably be conditions” on any federal aid package to help California recover from the devastation wrought by apocalyptic wildfires. Scripps News Service: Johnson criticized the response of California’s state government, claiming it amounted to dereliction of duty. “Obviously, there has been water resource management, forest management, mistakes, all sorts of problems, and it does come down to leadership, and it appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty, and in many respects,” he said. “So, that’s something that has to be factored in.” Mr. Speaker, as Arlo Guthrie once said to the sergeant, “you got a lot a damn gall” to talk about California’s water resource management, unspecified “problems,” and dereliction of duty. Large portions of Louisiana parishes, particularly around New Orleans, obviously lie below sea level. Much of your state’s coastline is slowly sinking into the sea.

“Mark Zuckerberg lamented the rise of ‘culturally neutered’ companies that have sought to distance themselves from ‘masculine energy,’ adding that it’s good if a culture ‘celebrates the aggression a bit more.’” — Financial Review

HR now stands for “Hims Repository.”

Intra-office communication shall address recipient with one of the following: Bro, Bro-han, Brocephus, Brocifer, Dawg, or Bro-Dawg

Fluoride in the office water has been replaced with a compound of Red Bull and beef jerky.

All job candidates must show proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Hot or Not.

Press releases containing the typo “pubic relations” will no longer be corrected.

Beginning Monday, all transphobic posts on Facebook and Instagram will be “pre-liked.”

Twenty percent of all cans of complimentary seltzer and sparkling water will be aggressively shaken, ensuring they will explode in the opener’s face.

Exclusive: Cross-party group meant to help restore trust in politics has so far refused to hold any of its sessions in public

Despite decades of inaction we can avert the climate Hellocene and restore the atmosphere to keep our world habitable

- by Rob Jackson

Read at Aeon