As much as the Trump regime is about anything it, it is about the further concentration of wealth and power in this country. The smarter oligarchs know enough history to know why this is a bad idea. But a lot of them aren't actually that smart--they just think they are.

Sigh. In my darkest most conspiracy-theory moments, I've wondered if the intent is to kill off old people since the elderly are an economic burden and don't buy as much. A dead senior is one who gets neither SSI nor Medicare. A senior with a destroyed 401K is one back in the workforce.

Protesters at the #PaloAlto #Tesla dealership. Lots of locals, saw a neighbor. The anger runs deep and wide. #HandsOff #HandsOff2025 #FiftyFiftyOne

The lack of coverage is in line, alas, with the failure to cover Trump honestly during the election--it speaks to a profound moral cowardice. In the long term, it's foolish--Trumpism is centered around one very old man. There is no heir. The cowardice will be remembered.

The world's richest man as cautionary tale.

After I do my morning doom scrolling, I cheer myself by checking #TSLA stock. Market cap now around $746 billion. If it drops to $554 billion, Elon loses his richest man title. Let's keep it going folks. #Tesla closed at $240 today, but JP Morgan set a price target of $120.

They're trying the Chick-fil-A approach, but a lot more MAGA can afford chicken nuggets than an EV.

Here is a DOGE mailing list. Thanks to all who forwarded this to us.

I hate using Dump's name, but I'll make an exception for this. Trumpcession it is.

This is a remarkable bit of history and worth reading if you're wondering how to fight back and if it's even possible.

Some truly good news--renewables are getting closer to where we need them to be.

Yep, he has the mindset of a two-year-old. What's mine is mine. What's yours is mine. Same with Elon. Years of boundary settting ahead.

Suggestion to Americans: If you used a current bank account with funds on a recent tax return, it may be wise to contact your bank and request a change. Account and routing numbers are accessible, and Elon Musk’s staff have access to this information. Stay safe and protect your assets.

This is what we need--a realization on the red side that this kind of dismantling is dangerous and not good for 99 percent of us.

As usual, it's all smoke and mirrors. Dump isn't a well man. He's the angry puppet of Musk, Thiel and co.

Why were they given the keys to the Treasury? And what are we going to do about it?

Worth keeping in mind, given signs that drug prices are going to skyrocket.

And Drumpf's approval ratings are already underwater. I think this must be a record. People didn't like those pardons. Wonder how they'll feel about the upcoming inflation and corruption? No one should be surprised by any of this. He told you who he was. #Trump www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

Learned that you can limit your #Facebook feed to "friends" under the controls on the right. But it may be too late for #Meta. I wouldn't bother with FB if I didn't already have the account. I've dumped #Threads and have minimal engagement with #Instagram. I want #socialmedia, but it needs to work.

Slowly continuing my former bird app account reduction. Now just a handful of follows remain. While it's not quite as lively here, the transition has been pretty smooth and accounts continue to come over--now I just need #NationalParkService and #HarryEnten to arrive. And a FB alternative.

Excellent commentary here on #birthrightcitizenship here and also #executiveorders here.

Fed up with Meta? Avoiding Instagram or Facebook isn’t enough to stop Meta from harvesting and profiting from your private information. Here’s how to limit Meta’s ability to monetize your personal data.

The Right Wing demonizes California for two big reasons--1. They see charismatic Gavin Newson as a threat and 2. their policies have exacerbated global warming and the LA fires are very much the result of climate change--there's been no rain in eight months. paulkrugman.substack.com?utm_source=n...

In 2020, we mapped out the danger zones that will close in on Americans over the next 30 years — combining climate data with wildfire projections by US Forest Service researchers. See what changes are in store for your county. By @shaw.al , @abrahm.bsky.social & Jeremy W. Goldsmith

Politics aside, I'm finding Facebook less and less functional. Don't need promoted posts on space when I'm trying to see if LA friends are okay. But what's the alternative?

I actually consider weirdly good news. It's clear Trump has dementia and he's not in the early stages. This says to me that Bannon and co. don't have a Trump replacement and their movement needs a Trump.

Bluesky app usage went up 295% in November, according to data from @davidfcarr.com/Similarweb. Gains were relatively small for X and Threads.

Too many people still think they'll be the exception, the special one. All they end up doing is reinforcing a hierarchy where they're considered second class (non?)citizens. As for the oligarchs on top--you don't stay on top if the mountain beneath you crumbles.

As I note in this piece, we've actually seen this weird mishmash of ridiculously wealthy businessmen and dipshits whose main qualification is loyalty to the president about a hundred years ago. It was the Cabinet of Warren G. Harding and, hoo boy, did that not turn out well.

Dems faced a difficult election cycle, but we should be proud! Felon is under 50% of the popular vote, not a mandate ranking 44th out of 51 elections since 1824! In 2016, Ds had majorities in 29 state legislatures & 6 Dem trifectas. Going into 2025, Ds have 40+ state leg majorities & 15 trifectas!

The NYT Editorial Board continues to delude itself that it still has moral authority. #Biden pardon #NewYorkTimes

This map shows where the world's carbon emissions come from - population centers, flight paths, shipping lanes and high production areas. www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/mapped-ca...