Dick Cheney, RIP
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has passed away at the age of 84 from complications of pneumonia along with vascular and cardiac disease. Cheney was an interesting, controversial, and consequential figure in American politics, doing more than maybe any other VP to turn that office into a place where real work got done, rather than just being a ceremonial presence and president-in-waiting.
Statement by President George W. Bush on Dick Cheney | George W. Bush Presidential Center
There's WAY too much to say about Dick Cheney in a few lines in a blog, but I'll mention a few things:
- Unlike these days where voters see political experience as a negative and (except for Joe Biden) seem to be electing folks with little or no experience, Dick Cheney was an exceptionally experienced political hand, having served as White House Chief of Staff (the youngest person ever to do that job), in Congress (including as minority whip), and as Secretary of Defense before becoming VP
- Unlike any other VP you're likely to be able to name, especially in the past generation, Cheney was not interested in running for president
- Cheney, and his daughter Liz, became ferocious critics of Donald Trump after the January 2021 riot at the White House. Cheney did support Trump in the 2016 election, but not aggressively, wondering aloud if Trump was too liberal. (Which was a legit wonder at the time, something that's easy to forget now.) Cheney endorsed and voted for Kamala Harris in 2024. One wonders if Trump will refuse to order flags at federal facilities lowered to half-staff in memory of Dick Cheney
- He was captain of the football team at the University of Wyoming
- He was one of the most forceful supporters of the Iraq war that many people at the time and many more people now believe was a mistake. Cheney also supported aggressive interrogation techniques that some people call torture, along with warrantless surveillance and other massive increases in the police-state power of the federal government.
- Cheney is one of the last highly visible acolytes of "Reagan Republicanism", a thing that I hope (though without much optimism) that the GOP would return to rather than the populist, aggressive religious, fiscally suspect version of today's GOP of which Donald Trump is as much a symptom as a cause.
- As a highly visible supporter of foreign wars and expanded executive power, Cheney departs as probably one of the least popular political figures in recent memory. History will decide whether that's fair.
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Just One Thing: I beg your pardon?
President Trump's interview with Nora O'Donnell (who was much better than usual, maybe feeling some pressure from the naming of Bari Weiss as the head of CBS News) is well worth watching. Lots of interesting stuff in there. Some excellent, some not. But one truly outrageous thing from the interview came from his saying he basically knows nothing about the crypto billionaire he pardoned. Pretty remarkable thing for a guy who constantly (and correctly) criticizes Joe Biden for the autopen pardons.
Here's my Substack note on the topic. Please read and subscribe (for free!) I beg your pardon? - by Ross Kaminsky - The Ross Report
One More Thing: Huge deal in consumer products...would you buy Tylenol?
This is a very interesting decision by Kimberly-Clark. Much cheaper than this deal would have been before the autism stuff. But I wonder if this will end up being like Bayer buying Monsanto even though Monsanto still had significant liability risk due to Roundup.
I note that it’s a stock swap deal and the price of KVUE is trading way under the implied value of the deal, meaning the market thinks there’s a fair chance it won’t happen. The huge plunge in KMB stock price shows that the market thinks that either A) they’re overpaying or B) they’re taking on large unknown risk either of lawsuits or at least lack of growth.
But keep in mind that Kenvue is a LOT more than just Tylenol. Some of their brands include Aveeno and Neutrogena in skin care, Johnson’s baby products, Listerine. Motrin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl, Rogaine, and more.
Kimberly-Clark Strikes $40 Billion Deal for Tylenol Maker Kenvue
Kimberly-Clark bets $40 billion for Kenvue despite Tylenol controversy | Reuters
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Today's Guests
Matthew Mathison is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of MBL Partners with over 25 years of experience in transforming businesses globally. His new book, out now is Leadership Orbit. Matthew also enjoys beekeeping and cheering for Colorado’s sports teams.
Micromanagement doesn’t always look like failure. It looks like high standards. Urgency. Precision.
But when leaders start checking everything and trusting nothing, teams stop thinking for themselves. Culture freezes. Momentum dies.
Matthew Mathison, former CEO and author of Leadership Orbit, says this isn’t about management style. It’s about fear of failure, fear of being blindsided, fear of letting go.
He reframes micromanagement as a warning signal. One that shows up just before the culture starts to slip.
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Mike LeBlanc is co-founder of Foundation Future Industries which makes humanoid robots. This is a great follow-up to the conversation I recently had with author Alex DeMille about the new novel co-authored with his famous dad, Nelson DeMille (who passed away before the book was finished), entitled "The Tin Men" about robot soldiers.
AI-powered soldiers: Are humanoid robots the future of intelligent warfare?
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Other Stuff
How is this possible in the United States, and what do we do about it? Colorado SNAP recipients flood local food banks | FOX31 Denver
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There are elections across Colorado today, and in other states as well.
If you haven’t voted in Colorado yet, vote NO on LL and MM and on Referendum 310 in Denver, and check Mandy’s blog note yesterday for advice on who to vote for in some major school board races. In Aurora, vote for Danielle Jurinsky! Other suggestions for Aurora council members, depending on where in the city you live, can be found by scrolling down Danielle's webpage here: Danielle For Aurora | Support Progress in Aurora
LL and MM are basically raising taxes AGAIN on people who earn over $300,000 to pay for "free" lunch for middle-class and rich kids. The program is running out of money because so many kids want the "free" lunch. (Remember, low-income kids already got free lunch, and sometimes free breakfast.) Time to stop the insanity.
Ref 310 is about overturning the Denver ban on flavored tobacco products including vape fluid. For a variety of reasons I'm against the ban. (None of the reasons involves me or anyone I know personally using any of those products.) A NO vote is a vote to overturn the ban. Meanwhile, NYC busybody billionaire Michael Bloomberg is dumping LOTS of money into this election to try to save the ban. I have no prediction on the outcome.
Michael Bloomberg gives more big money for Denver flavored tobacco ban
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Actually, this is from Mandy's blog (which you should read every weekday):
HEY, ABOUT THOSE SCHOOL BOARD RACES
RE: JEFFCO SCHOOL BOARD RACE: Lots of you asking who I like in this race and Dougco, so here you go: This board needs to be flipped, please vote for Denine Echevarria (she's a left winger but hopefully reasonable), Samuel Myrant, and Gloria "Terri" Gascon for JeffCo Schools.
RE: DOUGCO SCHOOLS RACE: I would love to see Vail, Kramer, Gambill, and Smith elected.
RE: DENVER SCHOOL BOARD RACE: All of these candidates lean left on some things, but that's Denver. I'd support Alex Magaña, Mariana del Hierro, Caron Blanke, and Timiya Jackson.
RE: CHERRY CREEK SCHOOL DISTRICT This district desperately needs help and you should vote for Amanda Thayer and Tatyana Sturm.
I will add: For Aurora Public Schools, vote for Nino Pepper
Lots of people waiting until last minute to vote (or maybe they just won't vote). Could make reporting take longer than usual.
Colorado's early vote muted in 2025 election - Axios Denver
Yes, please: Nancy Pelosi says she'll decide on retirement after Tuesday's election - Washington Times
Other elections:
In New Jersey, I think the Republican has a chance even though he's obviously an underdog. I don't understand why (at the time of this writing) he's only trading at 14%.
NJ governor: Polymarket | New Jersey Governor Election Winner 2025
In Virginia, the Republican basically has no chance. I don't think she's an awesome candidate even though I want to love a black female conservative. The Democrat, Abigail Spanberger, is so much worse than you'd think a former CIA employee would be. Spineless and far more liberal than she pretends.
And in that state's attorney general race, it's between the incumbent Republican, Jason Miyares, and Democratic challenger Jay Jones who sent a state legislative colleague text messages daydreaming about killing a Republican member of the legislature and apparently fantasizing about the other legislator's children dying in their mother's arms. Shockingly, two polls in a row show the Democrat with the lead although betting odds still have the Republican winning the race.
VA: Polymarket | Virginia Governor Election Winner
Polymarket: Virginia Attorney General Election Winner
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In California, Gov Gavin Newsom pushed Proposition 50 which would override the state constitution to allow partisan redrawing of congressional districts to offset the pro-Republican redistricting taking place in Texas. It's a massive race to the bottom and terrible for the whole country. The campaign for Prop 50 has been entirely nationalized, by which I mean there is no talk about what it means for California, only talk about how it represents fighting Trump. And it's very likely to pass despite former Gov Arnold Schwarznegger coming out against it.
CA: California election: Democrats ahead in Proposition 50 polling
California redistricting referendum passes?
New York City seems on the verge of election a communist anti-Semite as mayor of the city with more Jews than any other place in the world than Israel. Yes, New York City has more Jews than any country except Israel. If Mamdani wins, I will do my best, unless required by my job or my family, not to visit New York while he's in office. If it plays out the way it looks right now (and I'm not saying a Cuomo surprise win is impossible, though it seems unlikely), a lot of folks will wonder if it would have been different if the Republican, Curtis Sliwa, had dropped out of the race and endorsed Cuomo. I also note that Cuomo is a TERRIBLE candidate. What is it about our big cities and our nation that so often the top candidates are both bad choices? For New York not to have a better answer against Mamdani than a guy who killed senior citizens by requiring nursing homes to take COVID patients back in, and who had to resign over sexual harassment, well, those voters deserve every bad thing that happens to them. It's a bummer, because NYC really is one of the greatest cities in the world. My parents are from there, I was born there and returned there for college, my sister lives there now. But if they elect Mamdani (and my sister definitely won't vote for him), then let 'em rot.
Look at this leftist supporter of terrorism: Mamdani Unvarnished: Watch What He Said About Israel Before He Ran For Mayor :: The Investigative Project on Terrorism
NYC: Polymarket | New York City Mayoral Election
In Pennsylvania, there are retention elections for three Democratic justices on the State Supreme Court. I suspect they'll all survive but it's still interesting. And I should add that it's possible they don't survive in that you could see highly motivated people vote against them an unmotivated people simply not vote. (Still, I'd bet a little that they're safe.)
Pennsylvania Supreme Court election puts Democrats and Republicans on alert | AP News
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Dems are really annoying with their blaming House Republicans for the government shutdown. These people voted to close the government and now they're complaining about Republicans? Who do they think they're fooling? Well, it's probably working with their own base, sadly.
Note the stuff about Brittany Pettersen: These Colorado members of Congress will forgo pay during government shutdown
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This is the coolest thing I've seen in a while (because I'm a nerd)
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Mike Johnston is right on this, obviously: Denver mayor on $19,000 Denver International Airport plane tickets: "I have not ever paid that much" Maybe now he can also recognize the overspending on homelessness and how that, also obviously, turned Denver into a magnet for the homeless.
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Note for diabetics: Walmart to sell Abbott Lingo OTC glucose monitor in retail first
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Maybe not the best security? Assassin Guns Down Mexican Mayor Who Pleaded for Hard Line Against Cartels
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If you think the "mainstream media" is bad in America, try the BBC. The very worst of left-wing bubbles protected by government funding (far beyond anything PBS used to get.)
It's not part of this story but I note that the BBC is the world's worst "mainstream news" outlet when it comes to "climate change." They find a way to blame climate change for almost every bad thing that happens anyway. It's beyond frustrating; it's inane and it's wildly anti-science. But that's how cults are.
Anyway, this is about politics, not science. And while the BBC might not have much influence in the US, still it deserves to be castigated and absolutely must be reformed.
Exclusive: BBC ‘doctored’ Trump speech, internal report reveals
Nine ways the BBC misled viewers over Trump
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I don’t actually believe them that they don’t intend to fire people but I could be wrong. I also hate the use of the word “compute” as a noun much the way I dislike the use of “effort” as a verb.
Walmart makes AI push: ChatGPT shopping, worker retraining ahead, CEO says
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Baby steps: Key metric for downtown Denver's recovery had its best month yet
And I still wonder what’s the cart and what’s the horse (or whether it’s more of a virtuous cycle) as far as getting more people back into downtown offices and getting more businesses having success on 16th Street. (Please don’t call it 16th Street Mall anymore!)
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Here's a fun story. The transformation from being a country almost entirely of farmers to a country with very few farmers is an important economic lesson. Keep it in mind whenever someone tries to scare you with stories of massive (and semi-permanent) unemployment caused by technological change.
The biggest careers that have now vanished, according to data - The Washington Post
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I don’t always say this but I don’t think I’d give the Dems an inch.
House Democrats and Republicans float plan to end shutdown
There is ONE way in which this might be a good play for Republicans: Give the temporary extension (knowing that Dems will try to extend it again later) and then let the public find out that the vast majority of the impending Obamacare premium increase happen anyway because it’s mostly not due to expiring subsidies. This isn’t enough for me to support this, but it would be an upside if it happens. It’s time for Americans to finally figure out that nothing is more expensive than free or cheap health insurance. The problem is that American will look for a solution in bigger government, not more freedom.
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I have no idea what to think of this. I can't imagine the American public (and not just the MAGA base) being OK with even one American soldier being wounded or killed as part of this sort of operation: U.S. seeks UN approval for Gaza security force with two-year mandate
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Offered without comment: Top Israeli army lawyer is behind bars over leak of prison surveillance video | AP News
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Today's Videos
A breathtakingly beautiful walk
I don't know if this is real or AI but I sure hope it's real. That's the greatest watchcat ever...