Panama Canal Officials Respond to Trump’s Threats to Retake It On CNN: ‘We Get To Keep Everything’

Panama Canal Officials Respond to Trump’s Threats to Retake It On CNN: ‘We Get To Keep Everything’

Officials in charge of managing the Panama Canal rebuffed President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to retake control of the vital waterway.

Can someone explain why TikTok is a bigger national security concern than a social media platform run by a South African technofeudal oligarch actively interfering in our elections and sabotaging our national interests here and abroad? - jack-e-smith.bsky.social

The World Is A Safer Place Without Trump

• Burning Teslas, fried battery storage systems in Los Angeles add to toxic mix hindering wildfire cleanup
• Kevin O'Leary Reveals That He's Offering Chinese Company $20 Billion in Cash for TikTok
• With Trump returning to the White House, Brazil displays a judicial path not taken by the US
• Israeli security cabinet approves ceasefire and hostage deal
• Indians lured to Russia are dying on the front lines in Ukraine

Four years ago, in the middle of a pandemic, we needed a leader with the character to put politics aside and do what was right. That’s what Joe Biden did.

 

At a time when our economy was reeling, he drove what would become the world’s strongest recovery – with 17 million new jobs, historic wage gains, and lower health care costs. He passed landmark legislation to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and address the threat of climate change. 

 

I’m grateful to Joe for his leadership, his friendship, and his lifetime of service to this country we love. - Barack Obama

Sounds As Though Greenland Plans To Fight Trump
President-elect Trump’s talk of taking over or acquiring Greenland is highlighting bipartisan talks about the need to increase security around the Arctic island and boost defenses in the region. 

They are literally trying to confirm someone with NAZI TATTOOS as the Secretary of Defense for Trump’s cabinet.  Are people even sane? - Kyla Lacey

Republican Shenanigans

• Peter Doocy Breaks Down White House 'Stagecraft' Designed to 'Minimize' Biden's Mistakes: 'They Would Just Blast Music'
• 'CORRUPTION!' Trump Signals Criminal Investigation With Demand FBI 'Preserve and Retain All Records' of Closed DEI Office
• House Republican Tells Fox News Ousted Intel Chair Is So Angry He's Not Going to Vote For 'Another F*cking Thing'
• 'Can We Not?' Kaitlan Collins Accuses Scott Jennings of Whitewashing Trump's Boycott of Biden Inauguration
• Trump wants one of the agents who covered him after he was shot to lead the Secret Service
• Rumors Swirl About Who Bailed Rudy Giuliani Out at the 11th Hour
• Melania Trump takes a swipe at Obamas over ‘challenging’ transition as Michelle skips inauguration
• Biden Insider Punctures Breezy CNN Morning Crew Chat On Trump ‘Ambassador’ Mel Gibson: ‘He’s Used The N-Word’
• South Dakota tribe lifts Noem banishment from lands

We have 8,400 firefighters working the lines; 16,000 personnel; 2,500 National Guard trying to address the issue of looting; 750 CHP as we speak; we have the EPA starting to do phase 1 of the debris removal... All of that [rightwing disinformation] is a deep distraction. - Gov. Gavin Newsom

You've been carefully trained to overreact to Biden and underreeact to Trump. That kind of thing doesn't happen on accident. - Yurock

Vivek Ramaswamy To Run For Governor of Ohio. LOL.

Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-chair of President-elect Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), plans to run for governor of Ohio, two sources confirmed to The Hill on Friday.

The Ohio governor’s mansion will be up for grabs in 2026, as sitting Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is term-limited.  

Vivek Ramaswamy is as FAKE as the FAKE Dementia drug that he made his billions of US dollars from.  Ohio Voters will not elect him as Governor of Ohio.   The voters in Ohio are very conservative and only vote for white men. - D Patriot

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Rock The Voter News

• Biden sets record by commuting sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted on nonviolent drug charges
• Biden affirms Equal Rights Amendment is part of Constitution
• Fetterman was elected to challenge convention. Now, he’s challenging his fellow Democrats
• Democrats look to inject fresh energy into the LGBTQ+ movement

Putin said to me he wanted to see the Finlandization of Europe. I said I'll tell you what you're going to get, the NATO-ization of Finland. - Joe Biden

Aw, It's Too Cold For Trump On Inauguration Day
The cold weather has thrown President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration into chaos, as it could be moved inside Monday due to temperatures forecast to be below-freezing, according to a report.

I'm writing a piece on Trumpite intellectuals making the "spiritual case" for the conquest of Greenland, that it will spur a rebirth of the "pioneering frontier spirit" in America lost in the 1890s. And seeing now they're moving Inaugural inside because it's too cold. So yeah, not so sure abt this. - Josh Marshall

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Business/Tech News

• Trump tasks congressman with writing executive order he could issue to halt offshore wind
• Elon Musk Says SpaceX Starship Rocket Explosion Was Entertaining
• Jury finds CNN defamed Navy veteran with segment on Afghan refugees
• Jared Kushner gets the green light on his $1.4 billion luxury hotel project in Albania
• Apple Suspends AI News Alerts After False BBC Story Claimed Luigi Mangione ‘Shot Himself’
• CNN’s Jim Acosta Rebukes Trump in Defense of Free Press: ‘Not the Enemy of the People — We Are Defenders of the People’

While I agree w/Jim Acosta, the truth is the free press has let the American people down. If the free press had done their job there's no f--king way in hell Trump would be president and America would be days away from becoming a facsimile of 1934 Germany. - Bill Madden

The Demoting Of Decent Journalists Has Begun At CNN

CNN is considering a substantial demotion for one of its highest-rating stars—who also happens to be a longtime antagonist of President-elect Donald Trump.

CNN chief Mark Thompson called Jim Acosta on Wednesday to propose that his show, CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta, be moved from its 10 a.m. ET time slot to midnight, according to the newsletter Status News.

Live your life in such a way that the entire world doesn't burst out laughing when your rocket blows up. - Jeff Tiedrich

Just a thought: Instead of TikTok, how about we ban assault weapons first? - Andrea Junker

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Odd News

• Polar vortex to hit U.S. with life-threatening cold next week: 'No escaping this'
• Parade of planets to feature celestial bodies in alignment
• A Diet Discovery Reveals That Our Ancestors Were Once Vegetarian
• A rare gold medal from the 1904 St. Louis Olympics sells for $545,371 at auction
• Can you read cursive? It's a superpower the National Archives is looking for.

Time To Deflate Photo

"Migrant Mother" is a defining photo from the Great Depression, taken by Dorothea Lange in 1936. It portrays Florence Owens Thompson and her kids, capturing the harsh realities faced by migrant workers. Snapped in Nipomo, California, its publication spurred relief efforts. Today, it's a timeless emblem of struggle and endurance. 

Peace.

Former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will not attend President-elect Donald Trump's traditional inaugural lunch.

Former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will not attend President-elect Donald Trump's traditional inaugural lunch.

Obama received an invitation but declined to attend, according to a source familiar with the matter. Clinton also was invited but does not plan to attend, according to a second source familiar with the matter, while Bush's office said it was not tracking an invitation to the luncheon.

Perfect. Trump didn't show up for Biden's inauguration, let alone the lunch.

The World Is A Safer Place Without Trump

• 'We Need Help!' Local LA News Anchor Slams 'Disgusting' Politicization Of Devastating Fires
• Firefighters make progress on Los Angeles blazes as winds weaken, but forecast shows 'dangerous' conditions next week
• New York sends forest rangers to aid the California wildfires
• NASCAR Driver Garrett Smithley’s Dad Fighting California Wildfires Piloting DC-10 Air Tanker
• Blinken Heckled By Reporters at Gaza Briefing — One Forcibly Dragged Out: 'Why Did You Allow My Friends to Be Massacred?'
• GOP Senator Blasts Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal As Trump Praises It
• 'Media Fantasy!' Iran Rejects NY Times Claim Elon Musk Helped Secure Italian Journalist’s Release
• Economist Editor-in-Chief Warns the 'Trump Doctrine' Could Result in 'Chaos on a Global Scale'

Hegseth Offers to Connect Breathalyzer to Nuclear Arsenal. - Andy Borowitz

Pete Hegseth Furious That Confirmation Hearing Conflicts with Happy Hour. - Andy Borowitz

Nyet from Netanyahu as He Stops The Hostages' Release
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is tapping the brakes on claims of success by President Biden, President-elect Trump and partners in the Middle East that a ceasefire and hostage release deal has been achieved to pause 15 months of war.

Fact: Netanyahu met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and that's when they agreed to extend the war in Gaza for political gain. - Liam Nissan

Republican Shenanigans

• What The...? Trump Adviser Says Kash Patel Will Take 'Democrats To Pound Town' 
• Dana Perino Savages Biden’s Farewell Address: ‘The Speechwriters Have Already Left the Building’
• Trump Trashes Pence, Cheney, and Other Republicans 'Suffering From Trump Derangement Syndrome'
• Speaker Johnson Removes Intel Committee Chair Over ‘Concerns From Mar-a-Lago’
• Trump Reportedly Now Wants Vivek Ramaswamy To Replace JD Vance In The Senate
• Giuliani reaches tentative settlement with Georgia election workers
• ‘You’re Also a Catholic, Are You Not?’ Marjorie Taylor Greene Badgers Witness With Irrelevant Questions in Committee Hearing
• Michael Flynn files request for Florida Supreme Court to hear defamation lawsuit vs. Rick Wilson

I cannot think of a better metaphor for America right now than the Washington Post's mission statement changing from “Democracy Dies in Darkness” to “Riveting Storytelling for All of America.” - Randi Mayem Singer

What's Next? A Trump Produced Docudrama On Himself?
The Trump-Vance transition team has released new official portraits of Donald Trump and JD Vance. The president-elect’s pose is strikingly similar to his mug shot from when he was charged in Fulton County, Georgia, in 2023.

FUN FACT: Trump is a month and a half behind on his promise to "end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours after I'm elected." - Tea Pain

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Rock The Voter News

• Biden touts record of upholding democracy in farewell speech
• Biden makes last big move to protect US networks from hackers from China and elsewhere
• Democrats press for long-delayed plaque to honor Jan. 6 victims, police heroes
• Longtime House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Joins Michelle Obama in Saying She Will Not Attend Trump's Inauguration

In four days the United States will enter formally into an era of oligarchy without the rule of law.

Americans have been prepared extensively for this transformation: bad education, deliberate ignorance, disinformation and hate propaganda have irrevocably poisoned civil society. - Michael McKay

Republicans: Crashing the economy since Taft
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Treasury Department, billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, warned during his confirmation hearing on Thursday that Americans are “barreling towards an economic crisis at year-end.”

Racing to a financial crisis but we want to pass a trillion dollar billionaire tax cuts

no more talk about debt, budget or inflation, egg prices, gas, or housing

now priority is

billionaire tax cut

deportation

billionaire tax cut

golfing

billionaire tax cut

executive time

billionaire tax cut. - We are in trouble

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Business/Tech News

• State Farm cancels Super Bowl ad as LA wildfires continue
• UnitedHealth, employer of slain exec Brian Thompson, found to have overcharged cancer patients for drugs by over 1,000%
• Trump Eyes Executive Order to 'Save TikTok' From Ban, WaPo Reports
• Sam Harris Says Elon Musk Reneged on $1 Million Bet, Describes Falling Out With Former Friend

A President with absolute immunity to commit crimes and an Attorney General who can't say no.

What could possibly go wrong? - Sen. Adam Schiff

Oo, Oo, Is Mel Gibson Going To Direct A Movie About Trump, With Jon Voight Portraying Trump?
President-elect Donald Trump is hoping to make Hollywood “stronger than ever before” by naming Sylvester Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight as “special ambassadors,” whose goal will be to bring back business lost to “foreign countries.”

Everything is dumb and terrible, and it's gonna be dumb and terrible for a while. It’s important to do what you can to make it less dumb and terrible, and it's important to find a way make some contentment for yourself in spite of everything being dumb and terrible. - Joe Katz

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Odd News

• Two lunar landers are on the way to the Moon after SpaceX’s double moonshot
• For Possibly The First Time Ever, A Meteorite Was Captured Hitting The Ground On Video And Audio
•  Early Humans Adapted To Extreme Deserts More Than A Million Years Ago
• Octopus Arms Are Controlled by a Nervous System That's Like No Other
• Rice fields turned into art in northern Thailand
• Massive new bug species found — and it's so horrifying, it's been named after Darth Vader

Time To Deflate Photo

 The Wuppertal suspension railway is an elevated railway in Wuppertal, Germany that opened in 1901.

Peace.

'Is That a Joke?' Biden Retorts When Asked If He or Trump Deserve Credit for Ceasefire Deal

'Is That a Joke?' Biden Retorts When Asked If He or Trump Deserve Credit for Ceasefire Deal
President Joe Biden delivered remarks from the White House Wednesday afternoon regarding the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in which he thanked President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration for working as “one team,” but also made it clear that he felt he deserves the bulk of the credit for the agreement.

I support a cease fire in Palestine.  I support Palestinian nationhood.  I support holding Israel accountable for war crimes.

But I DO NOT support any of those things MORE than I support saving MY country & this democracy! - Pam Keith

The World Is A Safer Place Without Trump

• Israel and Hamas Agree to Ceasefire and Hostage Release, Officials Say
• Trump: My presidential win led to Israel-Hamas ceasefire
• Israel supplied Iran with centrifuge platforms containing explosives, top official acknowledges
• US ramps up Russia sanctions, targeting Moscow’s business partners
• Half in US say Greenland takeover a bad idea: Survey
• Gavin Newsom Pleads For Trump To Tour Wildfires With Him In Psaki Interview: 'You Will Be Elevated, Mr. President'
• 'Free Luigi!' Bill Burr Blasts CNN and Fox News Focusing On 'Looting' And Not Insurance Payout Shortfall After LA Wildfires

Gov. Newsom: What's not helpful or beneficial is these wild eyed fantasies that somehow there's a magical spigot in California that just can be turned on. And all of a sudden there will be rain or water flowing everywhere. It's not helpful.. amplified by Elon Musk

The Fires Continue...😓

Fires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 25 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and charred more than 60 square miles. The largest by far — the Palisades and Eaton wildfires — continue to burn out of control, officials said.

The National Weather Service L.A. office says winds "underperformed" Tuesday, but one more winds "enhancement" could sweep in on Wednesday. It kept a rare "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Red Flag Warning in effect for 3 a.m. local time until 3 p.m. "We are not out of the woods yet," the office said about the latest winds worries.

Dear Canada, please send an arctic blast to Washington DC on Jan. 20. Bitter cold with enough wind to blow his hair around. Thank you. - eastendjoe

Republican Shenanigans

• 'Disturbing!' Senate Democrat Floored By Trump AG Pick Pam Bondi's Long, Awkward Silence When Asked Who Won in 2020
• Musk may get office space in Eisenhower building: NYT
• Energy Secretary Pick, Chris Wright, Has Been an Evangelist for Fossil Fuels
• Pam Bondi claims justice department ‘targeted’ Trump but says she won’t pursue ‘political’ prosecutions – US politics live
• ‘He’s Extremely Sophisticated’: Marc Andreessen Heaps Praise on ‘World-Class’ Communicator Trump
• Newsmax Host Says 2028 Olympics Should Be Moved Out of Los Angeles ‘To a Red City’ Where ‘Things Are Gonna Be Run Properly’
• Tommy Tuberville Says He Hasn’t Seen Anyone Drunk in the Senate After Colleague Accuses Senators of Drinking on the Job

So why did the FBI refuse to do a thorough background check on Hegseth? They didn't interview most of his colleagues who had spoken out, nor did they interview the women who accused him? Are they obeying in advance? Or just all in on Team Trump? - URockLive1

Sounds Like A Drunk Defending A Drunk...
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) offered an unusual defense of Pete Hegseth, whom President-elect Donald Trump has nominated as Secretary of Defense...During the hearing, Mullin defended Hegseth by claiming unnamed senators “have shown up drunk to vote at night.”...“I was in that room today,” she noted...how is the bad behavior of a sitting senator a defense of someone who wants to run the Pentagon?”

“The truth is the average enlisted soldier, marine, airman would be judged harshly if they committed adultery, which is a violation of the uniform code of military justice, if they were drinking on the job, if they were lying to their subordinates or superiors, so this really cuts to the question of character,” says infantry vet Paul Rieckhoff .

So, to summarize: If a man cheats, Carrie Underwood will take a baseball bat to his car. But if a man cheats and rapes, she’ll sing at his inauguration. - Jen

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When they go low, first we try going high. Then we skip the second inauguration. Thank you Michelle Obama. I wish your husband would join you. - Joan Walsh

Rock The Voter News

• Biden to deliver farewell address
• Biden to lift Cuba's designation as terror sponsor
• Biden Leaving Office With Dismal Approval Rating — But It’s Still Better Than Trump’s
• Jeffries? Newsom? AOC? No consensus, but Democrats want a new generation - Poll
• Whitmer to call for compromise between GOP ‘friends’ and ‘fellow Democrats’

FOX News: For Feudal Lords, and the Serfs that love them. - John Fugelsang

Unlike Republicans, Democrats Aren't As Loyal

...In her interview with the Post, the First Lady reflected bitterly on Pelosi’s betrayal.

“Let’s just say I was disappointed with how it unfolded,” said Biden about her husband’s sidelining. “I learned a lot about human nature.”

Asked specifically about Pelosi, Biden said “I’ve been thinking a lot about relationships.”

“It’s been on my mind a lot lately, and-” she continued. “We were friends for 50 years. It was disappointing.”

Maybe we should fly our flags at half staff for the next 4 years? - Heidisplace2

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Business/Tech News

• TikTok Plans Immediate US Shutdown on Sunday
• Hundreds Of Washington Post Staffers Sign Letter to Jeff Bezos — Pleading With Him to Restore 'Trust That Has Been Lost'
• The ‘StopAntisemitism’ Account Loses It Over Airport Worker's Keffiyeh: ‘This Poses a Safety Concern’
• Coca-Cola CEO Awards Trump ‘First Ever Presidential Commemorative’ Diet Coke
• Elon Musk Says His Boring Company Could Dig The $20 Trillion Tunnel Connecting America With Europe For '1000X Less Money'

Straight up oligarchy.

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg will all attend Trump’s inauguration—and will be seated on the platform with cabinet officials and elected lawmakers.

The next four years will be a massive grift for the wealthiest people in the world. - Sawyer Hackett

Can Trump Save Musk From The SEC?

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against tech billionaire Elon Musk, accusing him of failing to disclose his ownership of Twitter stock in a timely manner in early 2022.

According to the SEC, the omission allowed Musk to save “by at least $150 million” on shares he purchased after surpassing the 5 percent ownership threshold.

Want to hear a sick joke?

Just two men are responsible for the two presidential terms of Donald Trump.

Jim Comey and Merrick Garland.

I'm here all week. Try the veal. - Seth Abramson

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Odd News

• China plans to build enormous solar array in space — and it could collect more energy in a year than 'all the oil on Earth'
• NASA lab and historic observatory narrowly escape LA fire damage
• University of Oregon researchers discover massive aquifer under central Oregon Cascades
• UK pizzeria reignites pineapple debate with $120 charge
• Gen Z shockingly admits they don't know how to change a lightbulb in startling new poll

Time To Deflate Photo

Lomanstraat, Amsterdam, where city planning is delightful.

Peace.