... Was Bibi stupid enough to think he could control Trump? ...

Stupid enough, or desperate enough?

PM Netanyahu needed to be re-elected to avoid prosecution (as I understand the situation there).

... it's important to consider that what Israel is demanding of the US is absurd ...

Good point, I cannot disagree.

... Trump had pledged to target the "worst of the worst" criminal offenders. ...

Pres Trump [shamefully] lies a lot and oh too frequently.

But the MAGA cult still seems to stand with him.

The rest of the Country, well ...

More from the article ...

... Instead, Israel's longest-serving prime minister is on a collision course with Trump as the U.S. president seeks to extricate himself from the war, with both men's goals unmet and Israeli military operations tied down in Lebanon.

For now, Israeli officials have been cautious in public for fear of angering their most important ally, known for being prickly towards critics.

But in private conversations, the frustration is clear.

The preliminary agreement is "terrible for Israel," said one senior Israeli official, giving a frank assessment on condition of anonymity. "And there is no one in the Israeli leadership who views it otherwise, from the prime minister to the chief of staff."

Washington says that over the next 60 days, when a ceasefire is in place, it will negotiate full terms that will address U.S. and Israeli concerns, especially over Iran's nuclear programme. ...

@#14 ... Michelle Obama is a lightning rod for MAGA morons and nazis. ...

Yup.

And I have been wondering if that comment was pre-orchestrated by the Trump admin.

@#31

Agreed.

Pres Trump gave up so much, and what did he get in return?

A -not yet finalized- Memorandum of Understanding.

Why does this look not like a surrender on the part of Pres Trump?

@#9

Forgot to add in the title, the article is from November 2025.

@#7 ... Politico has broken the story that Newsom put his chief of staff on leave due to a criminal investigation A YEAR AGO! Never disclosed it. ...

Here's that Politico article (why didn't your current trolling alias even bother to cite it?)

@nbsp

@#13

Yeah, Pres trump seems to be putting the US more and more in debt.

Likely a reason why he instructs Fed Chmn Warsh to drop interest rates.

... The peace deal with Tehran is an Iranian victory. ...

Apropos? Wish I knew.

@#11 ... brokered by the AC ...

AC?

More from the OpEd ...

... Several trends are now converging that threaten to pit tech companies against the general public.

Miniaturization has finally enabled companies to build AI glasses that look and function like normal glasses, but with microphones and cameras. People are increasingly talking to AI, rather than typing. And multimodal input, especially video, is on the rise.

Put all of these trends together and you get a nascent industry pushing toward all-day, everyday AI glasses with cameras -- and a worried public already pushing back at the idea.

Let's look at how we got here.

Meta started it with a surprise hit: its second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which later gained multimodal AI capability. Its Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses add one in-lens screen " but both versions of the glasses have cameras. (The company is working on a third generation that will probably ship next year.)

Google provides the AI and software platform through Android XR and Gemini, partnering with hardware makers to put its AI on other companies' glasses. At Google I/O last month, Google unveiled frames from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker running Android XR with Gemini AI; they're scheduled to launch this fall. Google is working on two types of AI glasses, one with screens and one that is audio-focused. Both types have cameras, though.

Samsung is working to launch AI-powered smart glasses, too, code-named "Jinju." The company offered up details at Google I/O alongside Google. The glasses feature a 12-megapixel camera with autofocus; run on Android XR with Gemini AI; are co-designed with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker; and are slated to launch in July at the Samsung Unpacked event.

(As with Meta and Google, Samsung is working on AI glasses with and without screens, but both of its models have cameras.) ...

... An explosive secret memo last year appears to address concerns among White House officials about a plan to suspend habeas corpus, a fundamental due process right enshrined in the constitution ...

Pres Trump:

The Constitution???

What is that?

The curious part of this for me is that Iran now has, thanks to Pres Trump, a new strategic world-choke-point, i.e., the Strait of Hormuz.

So, why would Iran even need to develop a nuclear weapon when it can so much more easily affect the world via the Strait of Hormuz?

I await the actual wording of the Memorandum of Understanding on Friday to see just how the Strait will be opened.

More from the article ...

... Although most Americans have eschewed seasonal COVID-19 vaccines, the updated shots continue to show significant protection against cardiovascular disease, especially for those over age 75 and those with underlying medical conditions. That's according to a new study that pulled data from more than 1 million patients in a US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system.

The finding builds on previous data showing that the vaccines significantly lower the risk of COVID-19-associated cardiovascular risks, particularly heart attacks and strokes. But it wasn't a given that the benefit would hold up over time"as the virus evolved, the vaccines were updated, population-level immunity increased from previous infection and vaccination, and risk of severe outcomes fell.

The new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that the 2024"2025 COVID-19 vaccine continued to protect against COVID-19-associated "major adverse cardiovascular events" (MACE), which include cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke, and hospitalization for heart failure.

The study included electronic medical record data from 1,039,659 patients in the VA's St. Louis Health Care System. ...

... Bud Light Advertises at Trump's UFC Fights At White House ...

imo, the whole event was put on for two reasons ...

1) Pres Trump's ever-swelling ego.

2) commercial advertisers.

fwiw, FIFA seems to have better control over the advertising. For example, showing the matches at "Miami Stadium" instead of "Hard Rock Stadium." Ditto for Atlanta Stadium, Seattle Stadium, etc.

@#3 ... "$300 billion in reconstruction funds"

Didn't we just spend this much to destroy them?

Madness. ...

I'm not sure "Madness" is the appropriate description.

I'm more in the camp of ~mental deterioration.~

But that's just me.

@#3

I disagree.

Strongly.

At this point I'm waiting to see what caused this disaster.

More from the article ...

... To start the flight sim, navigate to Google Earth, click "Explore Earth" at the top of the screen, and input your desired starting location. Then, under Tools, click "Flight Simulator."

You can soar over Los Angeles, do a barrel roll over Niagara Falls, and explore a 3D model of the Grand Canyon from your virtual cockpit.

One major difference between Google Earth's free flight sim and Microsoft's Flight Simulator is that you can't take off or attempt landings; the former sim is essentially just a new way to view Google Earth's existing satellite imagery 3D maps.

But it's suitable for casual exploration or virtual fly-throughs for content, provided one can fly it. (I found my "plane" quite difficult to control.) For niche users who already enjoy Google Earth, it offers a new way to experience places new and old. ...

... President Donald Trump told the New York Times over the weekend that President Xi Jinping of China and Russian leader Vladimir Putin helped him to secure a peace deal with Iran to end the war. ...

Curious that Pres Trump chose to thank two autocratic dictatorships.

@#13 ... That's because it's not really an agreement. It's more like an agreement to try to make an agreement. We've seen this before several times. ...

yup.

Hearing quite differing takes of the Memo of Understanding from Pres Trump and Iran.

imo, a good overview ...

The reserve is at the point where the salt-deposit walls are starting to cave in.

Inside the massive underground salt caves where the U.S. stashes its oil
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-u-s-stockpiles-oil-in-huge-underground-salt-caverns-
heres-why/

@#8 ... Netanyahu Pays a Political Price for Trump's Iran Deal ...

Pres Trump even seems to be willing to throw PM Netanyahu under the bus to save his own derriere.

More from the cited article ...

... Eight people are feared dead after a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber plane "crashed shortly after take off" from Edwards Air Force Base in southern California, the base said in a statement.

The incident occurred at 11:20 local time (19:20 GMT). The aircraft was on a routine test mission before the crash, which sent a huge plume of black smoke into the air that could be seen for miles. ...

I posted this on a related thread on the back-page ...