U.S. retail sales increased less than expected in September, suggesting consumer fatigue amid higher prices because of tariffs, though the moderation did not dampen economists' expectations for solid economic growth in the third quarter. read more
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning for the U.S. military to cut ties with Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts, according to a draft memo to Congress reviewed by NPR. read more
CISA has warned that state-backed snoops and cyber-mercenaries are actively abusing commercial spyware to break into Signal and WhatsApp accounts ... read more
Last Thursday in Montgomery, the Alabama Public Library Service board voted to move any book that discusses "being transgender" out of children's and teen sections and into the adult stacks -- "weeded out of the collection or relocated," as the new language crisply puts it.
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams is weighing new appointments to the Rent Guidelines Board in an effort to block Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's pledged rent freeze. But finding candidates willing to take the post -- and face the wrath of tenant groups -- could be a tall order.
@#10
To wit ...
Tracking the presidency - 310 days into Donald Trump's term
www.economist.com
... The president's net approval rating is -19%,
down 1.4 points since last week.
38% approve, 57% disapprove, 4% not sure ...
...
Once the honeymoon is over, presidents tend to lose popularity quickly. But no recent president has fallen so low so quickly as Donald Trump.
At the start of his second term public opinion was nearly evenly divided between those who approved of the president and those who did not.
Things have since changed -- his net approval is now lower than at any point in his first term.
Rather than rebounding after the end of America's longest ever government shutdown, Mr Trump's popularity has continued to sink. ...
Saw this ...
The big sticking point in the White House's health care proposal
www.politico.com
... The White House's silence on how its health care plan deals with abortion is causing a headache for Republicans on Capitol Hill.
For many GOP members, an expansion of abortion restrictions in Obamacare is a must-have.
But the White House's decision to leave the issue out of its tentative framework caught Republicans off guard, leaving them in the dark about whether the president would ultimately stake out a position publicly, according to two aides granted anonymity to disclose private discussions. ...
Fears of Worldwide Popcorn Shortage As Musk, Trump Spat Kicks Off (June 2025)
theshovel.com.au
... Popcorn supply chains have been stretched to breaking point after billions of people across the globe settled in to watch Donald Trump and Elon Musk spectacularly fall-out.
"We've been swamped," popcorn supplier Jose Martinez explained. "When Trump threatened to pull Musk's Government contracts, we received a flurry of orders. Then Musk said he would decommission the Dragon spacecraft and I was cleared out of remaining supplies immediately. There simply isn't enough popcorn in the world to meet the demand at the moment".
Families across the world said they have changed plans this weekend to watch the fight unfold. "When Trump threatened to pull Musk's government contracts I ordered two jumbo popcorns. Then Musk responded by claiming Trump was part of the Epstein files. I increased my order to eight boxes," one man explained. ...
Another view ...
Top Trump aide Steve Witkoff coached Russians how to win over US president with flattery during Ukraine peace talks: report
nypost.com
... A leaked phone call revealed a top aide of President Trump helped coach the Russians on how to win the commander in chief over with flattery while navigating negotiations on a Ukraine peace deal, according to a report.
The call between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov, the top foreign policy aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Oct. 14, discussed the possibility of Putin and Trump hopping on a phone call to discuss a peace plan, according to the transcript of a recording obtained by Bloomberg. ...
... Dean Obeidallah: The best part of the Trump-Zohran meeting was what happened immediately afterwards! ...
Nah, the best part is how Pres Trump seemed to have turned against his MAGA supporters.
Trump backs Cuomo for New York City mayor and threatens to cut funding if Mamdani wins (November 4, 2025)
www.bbc.com
... "Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job," Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday evening. "He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!"
The president earlier said he would be reluctant to send more than "the very minimum" level of federal funding to his hometown of New York if Mamdani was elected.
This echoed comments he made in a television interview on Sunday, during which he referred to Mamdani as a communist -- a label that Mamdani rejects.
"It's gonna be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York," Trump said in the interview. "Because if you have a communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there". ...
... and then ...
Trump's wild Mamdani flip -- the insults that came before the love fest
www.foxnews.com
... From "nut job" to "communist lunatic," Trump over the past year has lobbed a series of attacks against Mamdani " targeting his appearance and intellect.
"He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he's not very smart," Trump said in a social media post in June after Mamdani became the Democratic candidate for mayor.
Trump once threatened to arrest Mamdani if he refused to comply with federal immigration officials. The comment came after Mamdani said in June that he would stop "masked" U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials from "deporting our neighbors."
Oval Office meeting between Trump and Mamdani
"Well, then we'll have to arrest him," Trump told reporters at the White House July 1. "Look, we don't need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I'm going to be watching over them very carefully on behalf of the nation. We send him money. We send him all the things that he needs to run a government." ...
...
However, the two appeared to forge a new path for their relationship as they found common ground on affordability issues and improving conditions in New York. Trump admitted that the two had more in common than he thought -- despite their different views -- and that he would be "cheering" for Mamdani as he leads the city.
"I expect to be helping him, not hurting him -- a big help," Trump said Friday. ...
... Usage of TikTok and Instagram Reels is damaging cognitive performance ...
imo, TikTok usage can be considered an addiction.
It seems to be coming the new opiate for the masses.
TikTok Addiction
www.addictioncenter.com
... The signs of a TikTok addiction include spending excessive time on the app, being unaware of how long you have been scrolling, and feeling irritable or stressed when unable to use the platform. A TikTok addiction can significantly interfere with a person's daily life. ...
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