Eschaton

Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Time to embrace Sharia Law.

Happy Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Get happy.

Donald Trump Is The Least Interesting Man In The World

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 19:30:00 +0000

Or at least we all ran out of insightful things to say about him about 9 years ago. We can't always predict his next step, but we know exactly what motivates him.

The truth about all narcissists is that once you get beyond whatever surface charm they have - and like many ageing narcissists, Trump has little of that left - they are extremely boring people.

W. was hardly a deep and complex person, but he had more layers than Trump. No I am not handing it to W. He was a fucking horrible president and I am mad "no one" remembers that. But he wasn't entirely empty.

Michigan Primary Day

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Assuming El-Sayed wins, it's a big moment for the Sensible Centrists. Do they (many) continue their racist campaign against him, or embrace the Vote Blue No Matter Who ethos?

I expect they'll tone it down but spend months doing the "more in sorrow than in anger, I'm here to report that he just won't be able to win the general election with this latest misstep, which I will amplify on every channel..." dance.

You Fucked Up! You Trusted Us!

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Someone forgot to tell Americans that FIFA is clownishly corrupt.

According to four executives at U.S. host city committees, all of whom asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, FIFA management repeatedly assured the cities they would receive the same $1 million contribution towards legacy, despite no public statement ever being made by the organization.
The World Cup host cities in the U.S. were Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Miami and Boston.
The four executives said this promise was made verbally by members of FIFA’s senior management, and reiterated to cities in meetings, but it has not been paid, meaning several cities are now asking FIFA staff for updates on the payments.

Warfighting

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 14:30:00 +0000

People mock Pete Hegseth, but if were are out of missiles then turning the troops into High T Supersoldiers is the best option.

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military's readiness for future conflicts.
The missiles are principally the Army's surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The U.S. has used "virtually all" of these weapons, according to two of the sources.

At Least The War Is Over

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

And I mean it this time!

War talks: President Donald Trump said it’s Iran’s “last chance” to sign a deal with the United States, after again calling off strikes and promising to continue talks. He also claimed talks between the US and Iran would start Monday and that a Strait of Hormuz deal was in place, but Iran has denied any negotiations are ongoing.

Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:47:35 +0000

Taco Tuesday

Happy Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Get happy.

Small Pleasures

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 19:30:00 +0000

The replacements are usually worse, but one small joy we get is Trump humiliating his lickspittles.

President Donald Trump is considering removing Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, over a Justice Department conclusion that problems with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stemmed from a flawed renovation rather than vandalism, two people familiar with his thinking told CNN.

No she doesn't get any credit for doing the right thing here. She had no choice.

On The Trump Train

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 18:30:00 +0000

I can't claim that nobody has benefitted from their relationship with Trump, but many get burned, especially the ones who are confident they won't.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants the Trump administration to help keep him in office and has scheduled private talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio Monday amid growing pressure to resign over his scheme to sell off the World Cup to Josh Kushner’s private equity firm, The Post has learned.
Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed Infantino will hold a call with America’s top diplomat just after 9 a.m. ET.
“He wanted to get online with the secretary and talk about how soccer can be a form of soft power for America,” said one insider briefed on the matter. “But we all know that it is about job protection. It is not about anything else at this point.”

Maybe this will work out for him, but even with the Kusher connection, I suspect Trump has already forgotten him.

I Do Love The Free Market

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Not that the fossil fuel industry has ever been that.

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump again called ‌on oil companies to lower gasoline prices for U.S. consumers on Monday, chiding Chevron (CVX.N), opens new tab Chief Executive Mike Wirth for not crediting his administration's efforts to help the oil industry.
Trump took issue with Wirth a day after the CEO was interviewed on the Fox News program "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo."
"The only thing he conveniently forgot to mention ⁠is that, without the genius, foresight, strength, and stability, of the TRUMP Administration, the Oil Industry, and our Country itself, would be DEAD!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "As an example, they threw Mike and Chevron out of Venezuela, but now they're back, far bigger and stronger than ever before, expecting to make a fortune!"
"That goes for other Oil Companies as well ... and get your consumer (retail!) Oil Prices DOWN, NOW!" Trump wrote.

I hate how expensive things are at the oil station, that place where I buy retail oil.

Mallory

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:30:00 +0000

I'm not surprised that a bunch of celebs from my era are rightwingers, but I am still somewhat surprised by which ones, precisely, go full metal MAGA.

.@RepChipRoy what are you doing about it? We hear about mosques in your state more than any other, besides Michigan. We don’t need to hear your impassioned interview appearances about it; we need you guys to DO something.
You guys run the US government.
DO something. https://t.co/ZdZpKRAs2D
— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) August 3, 2026

This Looks Like A Job For The 101st Fighting Keyboarders

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:30:00 +0000

There are some very creative conservatives on the internet!

The request from a senior officer at the US military command carrying out President Donald Trump’s war with Iran came in an email: We need ideas.

“We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” an officer in US Central Command’s intelligence branch wrote in a message sent Wednesday to a broad group of military analysts, according to a source familiar with the message. A second source also said that a senior US military officer sent the message last week soliciting new ideas for how to deal with Iran.

Many of them have spent decades fantasizing about how to torture Muslims! Some probably already have hundreds of blog posts with relevant suggestions!

Please, Sir, Show Us Mercy

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Stock market opening time.

In his latest comments, Trump said Iran and US partners Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had urged him to hold off on the strikes.

“When the allies asked to call it off, you’ve got to sort of say, ‘Well, let’s see.’ And the reason they ask is they think there’s a deal,” he said.

“There’s a deal on [the Strait of] Hormuz, and then there will be a deal on the nuclear, or you might call it the denuclearisation of Iran.”

He said Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had also urged against the strikes, warning of possible unintended consequences.

Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Malicious Monday

Sunday Happy Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 21:00:00 +0000

The weekend is almost over.

At Least Get Better At Stitching Up Elections

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 18:35:41 +0000

If I were upset about primary successes of The Left, I'd be mad at the Professional Democrats in charge of making that not happen.

For months, Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York had made their unofficial backing of Stevens clear, inviting her to donor events and directing other support her way. Gillibrand even went so far as suggesting to several donors, ominously, that McMorrow had been a member of the Democratic Socialists of America – even though McMorrow isn’t.

Another Deal

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 15:48:42 +0000

I bet this is the one!

President Donald Trump said Saturday night that the US is canceling a planned attack on Iran, citing progress in talks.
Trump said the US “is locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” but that he agreed to requests by Iran and other Middle Eastern countries “to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

"Conventional Wisdom"

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 13:30:00 +0000

I think this "conventional wisdom" was always self-serving nonsense designed to please the donor class, and the broader class of people served by their donations.

NEW: Polling of 18 Cook-rated toss-up districts shatters conventional wisdom about how to win in a swing district.

Independents *and* moderates want outsider candidates who will stand up to the political establishment.

The middle of the road is where you get run over. pic.twitter.com/oVQl3SypV8
— Ravi Mangla (@ravi_mangla) July 31, 2026

These people win in wave elections - Rahm Emanuel is a genius! - and then lose when the wave goes out.

Most candidate recruitment focuses on this type, so they are most of the wins! (And then losses).

Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Sunday funday

Happy Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Get happy

I Can't Believe They Were Lying About That

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 18:12:00 +0000

No worries, journalists, you can still trust them presumptively next time.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has dropped its case against a former Olympic canoeist charged in connection with damage to the Reflecting Pool, acknowledging their allegations against David “Davey” Hearn don’t hold water.
In a filing Friday afternoon, a supervisor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which is headed by Jeanine Pirro, wrote that officials obtained information that undermined “the evidentiary basis for the indictment” against Hearn.

I know we have the problem of 'which scandal to choose' but every American should know Davey Hearn's name and hear about this for the next 15 years. Using the DOJ to go after private citizens for Trump's bullshit is actually a big deal.

That And Putting Tits On Garfield

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Even if this was clever trick to avoid talking to your children and encourage lifetime solipsism was actually a good idea, this is the best these guys can come up with. Universities are shutting down their humanities departments and K-12 schools are thinking they need to "teach AI" (nobody knows what that means) for this.

cool use case of chatgpt work i heard last night:

connect your family calendars and explain your kids' interests.

every morning for the drive to school, have it make a podcast that talks about one kid's soccer game that afternoon, one kid's upcoming birthday, some news, etc.
— Sam Altman (@sama) July 31, 2026

This Woman At The Bar Is Desperate To Go Home With Me

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:18:00 +0000

Yet she will not talk to me? "Strange"