China hawks in the United States have made what amounted to a Faustian pact with President Donald Trump. Anxious that Beijing's power was surpassing Washington's and critical of Democrats such as former President Joe Biden for failing to turn it back, Trump seemed to be the best option for a more robust approach to China.
Then new owners jacked up the rent by 365%. Residents of senior living facilities typically expect to live out their remaining years when they buy into a community. But a new dynamic in the industry is altering the deals these residents agreed to.
The United States's Afghan allies are the victims of strategic narcissism. read more
Newsmax stock (NMAX) soared as high as 173% Tuesday, extending its massive 735% gain on Monday following the conservative cable news outlet's IPO.
What could possibly go wrong? The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is starting to put together a team to migrate the Social Security Administration's (SSA) computer systems entirely off one of its oldest programming languages in a matter of months, potentially putting the integrity of the system -- and the benefits on which tens of millions of Americans rely -- at risk. read more
fwiw, local news ...
Hooters restaurant files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, leaving only one still open in CT
www.ctinsider.com
... Casual dining chain Hooters filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday and put forth a plan in which two of its franchisees would acquire select locations around the country to keep some restaurants open.
The bankruptcy filing in a federal court in Texas ends weeks of speculation regarding Hooters financial future. The chain closed about 40 restaurants last year, including a location in Manchester.
That closing left the Hooters on the Berlin Turnpike in Wethersfield as the chain's only remaining location in Connecticut. Hooters, which first opened in Cleawater, Florida in 1983, is best known for its chicken wings and scantily-clad waitresses.
The company is owned by Nord Bay Capital, a private equity firm that acquired Hooters in 2019. It's divided into two holding companies with different headquarters: Hooters of America LLC is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, while Hooters Inc. is headquartered in Clearwater, Florida. ,,,
Susan Crawford wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race, defying Elon Musk
www.nbcnews.com
OK, at this point, I have to ask ...
How long will Pres Trump keep Mr Musk around as co-president, now that Mr Musk seems to be toxic?
@#21 ... Henry Kissinger " 'It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal.' ...
Did Kissinger say it's 'dangerous to be America's enemy' but 'fatal' to be its friend?
www.snopes.com
... In the weeks following U.S. President Donald Trump's second inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, users on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube shared a quote about the purported dangers of existing as an enemy or friend of the U.S., attributing the remark to the German-born American political scientist and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
The full quote was, "The word will go out to the nations of the world that it may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." ...
The attribution to Kissinger originated with the conservative editor, author and United Nations delegate William F. Buckley Jr., who said Kissinger made the comment during a November 1968 phone call between the pair.
No audio recording of the phone call existed. Despite there being no way to definitively confirm that Kissinger expressed the thought using that exact phrasing during the phone call, all available historical evidence pointed to him as likely the person who originated the words. Decades-old newspaper articles " including a 1974 piece that Buckley, who died at the age of 82 in 2008, authored " attributed the quote to Kissinger. Kissinger, who died in 2023, never refuted the attribution.
A representative for Kissinger's official website did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Until then, Snopes is withholding a definitive truth rating. ...
... changing consumer tastes ...
I was curious about that. But the article makes no further mention of it that I could see.
I found this ...
Florida's orange juice industry faces decline amid consumer shifts, climate challenges
www.fox35orlando.com
... Orange juice consumption has plummeted over 50% since 2000, with Florida's orange crop facing a 30% decline for the 2024-2025 season, new data shows.
What we know:
Orange juice, once a staple in American households, is experiencing a significant decline in popularity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts Florida's orange crop for the 2024-2025 season will be the lowest since before World War II, with a 30% drop from the previous year. Despite this, some citrus prices at grocery stores have started to drop, indicating that market forces may be helping ease pressure on the industry.
What we don't know:
It is unclear how the industry's long-term future will unfold, especially with the continued threats of climate change and the spread of citrus greening. The exact impact of declining demand and external factors on individual growers, such as those in Florida versus other regions, remains uncertain.
The backstory:
The decline in orange juice consumption has been ongoing for decades, with research showing more than a 50% decrease in consumption since 2000. The industry has been heavily impacted by several challenges, including hurricanes, trade wars, and the widespread citrus greening disease, which has significantly harmed crops. The financial difficulties of iconic juice brands like Tropicana highlight the broader challenges faced by the industry. ...
The The - This Is the Day (1983)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
[Verse 1]
Well you didn't wake up this morning
'Cause you didn't go to bed
You were watching the whites of your eyes turn red
The calendar on your wall
Is ticking the days off
You've been reading some old letters
You smile and think how much you've changed
All the money in the world
Couldn't buy back those days
[Chorus]
You pull back the curtains
And the sun burns into your eyes
You watch a plane flying
Across the clear blue sky
This is the day
Your life will surely change
This is the day
When things fall into place
[Verse 2]
You could've done anything
If you'd wanted
And all your friends and family
Think that you're lucky
But the side of you they'll never see
Is when you're left alone with the memories
That hold your life together like
Glue
...
... Unprecedented turnout led to ballot shortages in Wisconsin's largest city Tuesday as voters cast ballots in "historic" numbers to decide a Supreme Court race pitting one candidate backed by President Donald Trump against another aligned with Democrats. ...
Excellent about the historically high turn-out.
From the cited article ...
... Early voting was more than 50% ahead of levels seen in the state's Supreme Court race two years ago, when majority control was also at stake. ...
My first question was ... were the voters able to vote?
I found this ...
Milwaukee voters urged to stay in line amid ballot shortages
www.wisn.com
... Milwaukee election officials report ballot shortages at 7 polling locations during spring election but urge voters to stay in line, promising everyone a chance to vote by 8 p.m ...
Hopefully, the election officials will be able to provide water for those waiting in line.
Oh, wait ...
Wow, "it" seems not to be limited to Wisconsin ...
Mike Johnson scraps his whole week after brutal defeat
www.axios.com