Ceasefire wobbling?
More on this below, but here's an update from this morning: PM's office claims Hamas backing out of some agreements, delays cabinet vote on deal | The Times of Israel
Hamas attempts to make last minute changes to hostage deal, PMO says - The Jerusalem Post
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Congratulations to Blue Origin and Jeff Bezos
A remarkable achievement even if it took longer than they had hoped (and left them behind Elon Musk's SpaceX.)
They got into orbit on their first try though their effort to land the "first stage" booster to reuse it in the future failed.
Bezos' Blue Origin reaches orbit in first New Glenn launch, misses booster landing | Reuters
Just One Thing: Goodbye and good riddance
Joe Biden gave his farewell address last night. I caught about 1/3 of it. That was enough.
The main point isn't even his senility or incapacity. It's that even, or maybe especially, in his cogent moments his decisions and priorities and values are simply horrendous. It's hard to describe just how terrible a president Joe Biden was. Significantly worse than Jimmy Carter. I mean, at least Jimmy Carter did some good things even if overall he wasn't a success. Biden's failures are legion and significant and it will take quite a lot to overcome them. I'm sure Team Trump will do what they can, but it's a very heavy lift with such a slim House majority and not a big enough Senate majority to frequently overcome a filibuster.
Biden doesn't understand economics or business or foreign policy or anything else that presidents should understand. It's really quite shocking how a guy who ran as a moderate unifier turned into perhaps our most radical president ever (and certainly the most radical since FDR, surpassing, in my view, LBJ) and into an incredible divider. And not by accident.
Seriously, the country can't be rid of him soon enough. It's a shame that he was ever elected. The country is much worse for it. Indeed, the country is much worse for the fact that Joe Biden was ever in government.
Key lines from President Joe Biden’s farewell address | CNN Politics
Really, this is what Biden's speech reminded me of:
Meanwhile, Trump and Biden are both taking credit for the just-announced Israel-Hamas ceasefire
Trump and Biden both claim credit for Gaza ceasefire deal | AP News
(Note the idiotic comment by the AP writer implying that Biden should have blocked weapons sales to Israel.)
And from the conservative Sky News in Australia
Today's Guests
Brad Phifer is Executive Director of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers
Certification for professional dog trainers and behavior consultants
During this National Train Your Dog Month, we'll discuss tips for training dogs of all ages (especially those who got a pup for the holiday season), tips for fixing common behavioral issues, as well as finding a qualified dog trainer in your area.
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Mark Toth is a national security and foreign policy expert who writes for The Hill, the New York Post, and other outlets. We're going to go in depth on a subject that Donald Trump has brought into people's thinking in recent weeks (though it was also something he was thinking about in his first term.)
Trump's Greenland push about growing China threat
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Other Stuff
It's easy enough to say that these folks are missing out on some of the most enjoyable parts of life -- interacting with other humans -- but I think the downside is worse than that. To the extent that American young adults have this problem worse than their age cohort in other nations, I expect this will make Americans less competitive in the global economy. Gen Z is killing office small talk— with 74% of employees struggling to speak to coworkers
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This is the way for a lame duck president to stay very much in control of his party: Trump aims for $500 million war chest in post-election windfall
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An interesting trade: Land swap gives Denver Park Hill Golf Course and new park - Axios Denver
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Thinking some more about why potential "TikTok refugees" seem to be flocking to this particular app...
The Free Press: I Joined TikTok Refugees on RedNote. Here’s What It’s Like.
What is RedNote, the Chinese app that US ‘TikTok refugees’ are flocking to? | CNN Business
Check this out:
This is a video on "RedNote" by an American. I don't know if there's a way to tell just how many views it has, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's half a million by now, like every 15-to-30-year old in China: American refugee 🫡 - Little Red Book
And check out some of the crazy comments!
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The lesson is obvious, but not to Newsom: Newsom Has a Permitting Epiphany - WSJ
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This is a truly insane number: BlackRock Stock Rises as Firm Sets Record for Assets Under Management
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Eagles fans are the worst fans in America. But this guy, given what he does for a living, really takes the grand prize: Internet sleuths found repulsive Eagles fan — and his life might be ruined
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I didn't get to this yesterday. I think the plaintiffs have an argument that isn't insane but also isn't strong enough to win: Porn Sites, Age Verification, and the Supreme Court - WSJ
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I very much doubt that number but the question it raises is legit. Namely, is it a good use of limited resources to detain and deport illegals who commit minor infractions? Laken Riley immigration bill will cost $83B, Democrats project | Semafor
Also, is it reasonable to use resources to detain/deport for being charged or arrested but not convicted? I ask that while fully realizing that we're talking about illegal aliens and they shouldn't be here to begin with. City Council blocks bid to roll back Chicago's protections for undocumented immigrants - CBS Chicago
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Also didn't get to this yesterday...and this story doesn't surprise anybody, I think: Americans Are Tipping Less Than They Have in Years - WSJ
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And this: Four legendary Stephen King books could be worth a small fortune if you have them lying around
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I talked about this yesterday and in my ignorance I assumed that the airbag backpack not deploying meant, especially the way the news article worded it, that the device malfunctioned. But as listeners noted, these things typically require the wearer to pull a cord or trigger, like a rip cord for a parachute, rather than deploying automatically (like some parachutes.)
This was a very experienced back-country skier: Colorado man who died in avalanche near Red Mountain Pass was found by wife after he didn’t check in as planned - The Colorado Sun
I noted this yesterday: "Along with the rescue transceiver he was also wearing an avalanche airbag backpack, but it did not deploy..." Sounds like a big lawsuit by his widow.
How avalanche backpacks work and what to look out for
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I keep not getting to this but it's important to know about. Multiple stories and legal analyses:
FTC's "Click To Cancel" Rule Adds New Requirements to Subscription-Based Services By March 2025🖱️
The New Cancel Culture: The FTC's "Click to Cancel" Rule | Insights | Holland & Knight
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Today's Video
Not quite as realistic as I expected from the article but still you can see that it's not long until robots will replace people as companions in the lives of some. I think it's kinda sad, actually, but I can't say there's zero upside...gotta be honest about that, too.
This $175K Robot Is Almost Human. We Interviewed It at CES 2025 - CNET