President Donald Trump struggled to offer much sympathy for the families of about 100 Americans -- many of them U.S. military veterans -- who have died fighting in Ukraine. read more
Elon Musk said on Tuesday his artificial intelligence startup xAI has bought a third building to expand its infrastructure, aiming to boost training capacity to nearly 2 gigawatts of compute power.
President Donald Trump says he believes the 2026 midterm elections will center on "pricing" as Republicans head into a critical period with control of Congress on the line. read more
Europe's quest for digital sovereignty is hampered by a 90 per cent dependency on US cloud infrastructure ... read more
As Zohran Mamdani prepares to be inaugurated as the city's next mayor, Muslim New Yorkers say his victory represents more than a historic first. read more
@#9
Well, that is quite the interesting link.
If I may cite ...
...
Commander Op At Large CA Gregory K. Bovino
x.com
@CMDROpAtLargeCA
... If you think we're done with Chicago, you'd better check yourself before you wreck yourself.
Don't call it a comeback; we're gonna be here for years. ...
OK, my first question is ...
Is that a real message?
Oh, Cmdr Bovino.
Yeah, he's been in the headlines. And he seems to enjoy that spotlight.
But, seriously, is that how we want our law enforcement officials to act? Striving for social media acclaim, instead of boasting about following the Constitution?
10 things to know about Border Patrol boss Gregory Bovino
www.wbez.org
...
- - - Bovino's great-grandfather was an immigrant from Italy who was in the United States for 15 years when he put in his papers indicating his interest in becoming an American. It was the same month in 1924 that the Border Patrol was established " and the number of Italian arrivals was curtailed.
- - - As the public face of President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign, Bovino has vowed to arrest the "worst of the worst" of immigrants in this country without legal status -- including people who drive under the influence of alcohol. His own father went to prison after killing a 26-year-old woman in a drunk-driving accident in his North Carolina town.
- - - People who knew him growing up remember he was into snakes and knew where to find venomous ones.
- - - His inspiration to become a Border Patrol agent came early. That was when he was 11 and saw the1982 movie "The Border," starring Jack Nicholson. He didn't like that the agents were the bad guys in the movie.
- - - He wasn't a particularly good wrestler at Watauga High School in Boone, N.C. But his teammates voted him "most improved" senior year.
- - - He got a bachelor's degree in natural resource conservation from Western Carolina University and a master's in public administration from Appalachian State University.
- - - In 2020, he became chief of the Border Patrol sector in El Centro, Calif. " one of the agency's nine geographic divisions.
- - - This year, beside Chicago, he has led agents on deportation missions in the country's interior, including Sacramento, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; and New Orleans.
- - - As Trump's man on that mission, Bovino answers directly to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. His title -- a new one -- is commander-at-large.
- - - He's 55 years old -- which puts him two years away from mandatory retirement. No word on what he'll do then.
...
@#233 ... This is a concern of mine ...
A concern of me also.
For example, how many members of Congress may be leaving Congress because of the threats that have been issued against them/
The worst good-paying job in America (November 2025)
www.axios.com
... Death threats and infighting are spurring House Republicans to contemplate whether they want to stay in Congress -- or even leave early. ...
Threats against lawmakers have surged, and after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, members say the atmosphere feels even more volatile.
- - - Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told Axios on Monday the threats have been a factor in members' decision to leave. "It takes a toll on people," he said.
- - - Retiring Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Greene both said the uptick in political violence was part of their decisions to leave Congress.
...
@#5 ... I saw The Clash sing this in '79 ...
Yeah, The Clash is a group I enjoy.
I liked, back in the day, the song "Train In Vain" which was on the vinyl album I bought, but was not listed on the album cover.
Go figure.
Train in Vain
en.wikipedia.org
... "Train in Vain" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released as the third and final single from their third studio album, London Calling (1979).
The song was not originally listed on the album's track listing,[7][8] appearing as a hidden track at the end of the album.
This was because the track was added to the record at the last minute, when the sleeve was already in production. ...
Chinese New Year
en.wikipedia.org
... Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival (see also Names), marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture and was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2024.
Marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring, this festival takes place from Chinese New Year's Eve (the evening preceding the first day of the year) to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year.
The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.[a] ...
Zohran Mamdani will be first mayor to be sworn in on Quran during New York City inauguration
www.foxnews.com
... New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's campaign confirmed on Wednesday he will make a historical move on New Year's Day, using the Quran during his swearing-in ceremony.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old Ugandan-born socialist, will be the first Muslim mayor of New York City and the first mayor to be sworn in using the Quran, the central religious text of Islam.
New York Attorney General Letitia James will host a private midnight ceremony at Old City Hall Station, a historical decommissioned subway station, before he is sworn in during a public inauguration on the steps of City Hall by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Thursday afternoon.
He will use two family Qurans, as well as one that belonged to writer and Puerto Rican activist Arturo Schomburg, who built the foundation for Harlem's Schomburg Center for research in Black culture. ...
U2 - New Year's Day (1983)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
The lyric had its origins in a love song from Bono to his wife, but was subsequently reshaped and inspired by the Polish Solidarity movement.
[Verse 1]
All is quiet on New Year's Day
A world in white gets underway
I want to be with you, be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's Day
On New Year's Day
[Chorus]
I will be with you again
I will be with you again
[Verse 2]
Under a blood red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspaper says, says
[Pre-Chorus]
Say it's true, it's true
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one
[Chorus]
I, I will begin again
I, I will begin again
...
[Verse 3]
And so we're told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage
Though I want to be with you, be with you night and day
Nothing changes New Year's Day
...
... His announcement comes after the US Supreme Court last week rejected his request to allow him to deploy the guard to Chicago to protect ICE agents as part of the administration's ongoing immigration crackdown. ...
Bobby Fuller Four- I Fought the Law (And The Law Won) (1966)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
Popularized by Texas rockers the Bobby Fuller Four in 1965 and covered by countless artists in the decades since, "I Fought the Law" is one of rock's most enduring anti-authority anthems. The song is sung from the perspective of a prison inmate serving time for armed robbery, and while he cops to his crime and accepts his punishment, he offers nothing in the way of apology.
[Verse 1]
I'm breakin' rocks in the hot sun
I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the law won
I needed money 'cause I had none
I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the law won
...
@#227 ... It appears Lisa Demuth has an agenda ...
Ya think?
Then I see this ...
'We're serving the children' | A look inside a Minneapolis child care center accused of fraud in now-viral video
www.kare11.com
... Hasin shared surveillance video of Shirley's visit to the center, saying Shirley was there for only a few minutes. According to Hasin, Shirley arrived a little after noon and was accompanied by masked men driving a vehicle with no license plates.
"A lot of people are not feeling safe," Hasin said. "Some people believe him. The viral video was shared everywhere." ...
According to the state, ABC Learning Center has been open for about six years and is licensed to serve up to 40 children. Hasin said the center operates seven days a week and was open at the time of Shirley's visit two weeks ago.
"The center is running. There are children here. We're serving the children," Hasin said.
"DHS just came three months ago.
They also came yesterday, so this is a regular business that's running."
Hasin said he and other employees have been receiving threatening phone calls from people across the country since the video went viral. ...
@#25 ... Time is going by way too fast for me. ...
Yeah. It seems to me that the older I get, the faster time seems to progress. Wish I knew why. But, there it is.
Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game (1970)
www.youtube.com
genius.com
They don't write lyrics like that anymore...
Happy New Year to you also.