We have fulfilled our ancestral tradition of Chinese food and a Xmas (eve) movie

Germany’s far-right AfD accused of gathering information for the Kremlin www.politico.eu/article/germ...

One of my favorite theaters!

The 1985 Tender is the Night mini series on Prime is so good, feels so much like the book

Full house at Signature Theater for Fiddler on the Roof

So last night as I was wondering why Pam Bondi diverted almost 200 National Security attorneys who should be chasing hackers and spies to redact the Epstein files, I remembered that John Eisenberg, who heads it, is the guy who altered the Trump-Zelenskyy transcript.

In YouGov polling this week, less than half of Republicans said they strongly approved of Trump. www.ms.now/opinion/poll...

Thanks @baygrl.bsky.social 😍

Seems bad www.cnbc.com/2025/12/17/m...

Democrat Eric Swalwell is retiring from Congress to run for California governor. That leaves an open House seat next year. This is the guy you want to fill it. I've known Matt for nearly 20 years and he'll make a great congressman.

Jake Sherman just now: Nerves in the House are VERY raw right now. One House Republican to me just now about the discharge: “If this isn’t an indictment of the Speaker, I don’t know what is. He has failed this institution and his members.”

Would be good news for everyone else

Sen. Chris Murphy said Hegseth + Rubio admitted to senators yesterday that no fentanyl is coming out of Venezuela -- despite Trump’s misleading efforts to tie the country to the deadly drug so he can justify bombing boats. The boats have cocaine, bound for Europe. www.huffpost.com/entry/chris-...

This is the ultimate shipwreck book, and I strongly encourage you to read it! www.davidgrann.com/book/the-wag...

Dead Wake about the Lusitania sinking is a fantastic book if that's what you're referencing.

Issac's Storm is a good read, especially if you're in South Texas during hurricane season.

Agree. But there are exceptions to every rule… E.g., [good to see you on here again, btw]

Erik Larson :) He’s amazing! I just finished the audiobook In the Kingdom of Ice and it was spectacular. A lot of my patrons are loving The Gales of November.

It’s half of my library’s new nonfiction section right now! It’s having a moment for sure!

No, Audible, a Marriage at sea is like fhe last thing I would ever want to listen to

New: US negotiators say Trump willing to seek Senate ratification for Ukraine security guarantees open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

Essential reading via @gregsargent.bsky.social newrepublic.com/article/2041... Side note on Greg's gripping opening anecdote about Miller's family: in 2016 I saw Miller open a Trump rally in Johnstown, PA, boasting about their successful business there, portraying them as the "good" immigrants.

The audiobook of Kiran Desai’s The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is so so good. Completely immersive

🧵Trump and his Admin must wake up everyday and think about the next insane thing they can do and indeed do it! ⬇️

New: Zelenskyy presses U.S. for stronger security guarantees open.substack.com/pub/diplomat...

Another example of defiance as Trump enters his weak lame duck era

Yes. propaganda is powerful. They believe incredible lies.

Details on the Trump Ukraine peace plan in this Ukrainian media report zn.ua/eng/trumps-n...

AP: “Only 31% of U.S. adults now approve of how Trump is handling the economy, the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center …finds. That is down from 40% in March & marks the lowest economic approval he’s registered in an AP-NORC poll in his first or second term.” apnews.com/article/trum...

Troop pay, Ukraine and social issues - US House passes massive 2026 defense bill reut.rs/3MvXQt1

If anyone wants my opinion, I am done with winter

“Democrat Eileen Higgins defeated Trump-backed opponent Emilio González in Tuesday night’s runoff for Miami mayor, with the former Miami-Dade commissioner leading the former city manager with nearly 60% of the vote.” www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...

RESULTS: Democrat Tim Keller has won reelection as mayor of Albuquerque. He defeats a former Republican sheriff, who took issue with Keller's executive order that limited collaboration with ICE. And that's not all: Liberal faction seizes majority a city council.

Here is a true story. During Trump’s first term, The Post got a tip that his doctor — the guy with the long hair who signed that first “healthiest guy ever” letter — wanted to spill the beans. He lived in Westchester, up near where I lived at the time. So I was tasked with talking to him. 1/

Whispering in Trump’s ear to mandate Comic Sans across all branches of government www.huffpost.com/entry/rubio-...

“Democrats end 30-year losing streak in Miami as Trump-backed candidate falls short Higgins rides affordability push to Miami mayor’s office” #BlueWave #electDemocrats www.foxnews.com/politics/dem...

it's stunning that the pentagon asked this question, obviously, but it's also interesting that the lawyers at state were actually listened to

mood

Notes from a Florida man. ↘️

President Donald Trump's administration on Monday withdrew for now sweeping changes it recently announced to a $3 billion grant program providing services for homeless people, in response to lawsuits by states, cities and nonprofit groups.

We probably need a different word than conservatives?? Since there seems to be an advocacy here for major changes // Supreme Court conservatives poised to back Trump in FTC firing case - www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

wow

My second time fronting the @zeteo.com FIRST DRAFT newsletter, by @mehdirhasan.bsky.social @petertwinklage.bsky.social and co. This morning’s edition is about how: you are not crazy, you are not alone, no matter what happened last year, he’s insanely unpopular… zeteo.com/p/gop-freaks...

Democratic candidate projected to have won Miami mayor race

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked members of his political party to prepare legislation to hold elections despite the country’s war with Russia, he said. It will be contingent on the United States and Europe providing security guarantees.

She's young . Here's my lab looking at me see

This is what I keep wondering.

Cities and states are choosing to tolerate masked, barely-literate bandits terrorizing their communities. They don't have to.

"Trump hung up on a ProPublica reporter after being asked whether his Florida mortgages were similar to those of others he had accused of fraud." 👀 www.propublica.org/article/trum...

#Kyiv welcomes the Peace Light of Bethlehem! Plast has brought the Bethlehem Light of Peace to Kyiv — continuing a tradition of nearly 40 years!