Odds and Ends — 12 August 2026

@preparedwombat 79

about 15 hours ago

oddsandends

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:

Fidelity files with SEC to add staking to Ethereum ETF

SpaceXAI Wants Grok Bot to Do Your Job—But It Needs Access to Your Accounts

The ingredients are coming together for a US financial crisis

https://youtube.com/shorts/Usgd6lK7ZFs?is=EBg9Iycv6TM-RLyd

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Why MAGA Is So Obsessed with Fauci

So what explains the rage directed at one of the most distinguished scientists of his generation? Some of it is the result of an era in which a major political party—in this case, the Republican Party—has become deranged and captive to conspiratorial thinking. It draws energy from the dark passions.
Many people within the party, especially within its leadership and the right-wing ecosystem, delight in destroying institutions and individuals. Fauci has a target on his back because during the pandemic, he refused to live in the Twilight Zone. He called out those who did. And for MAGA world, that is unforgivable.

https://x.com/atrupar/status/2087292418018120155

Trump Compares Common Vaccine to a Nuclear Weapon

President Donald Trump compared the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine to a nuclear bomb being set off inside a kid’s body during a Tuesday interview.

https://x.com/BillBramhall/status/2087234434739081335

Iran:

Is Anyone in Iran Willing to Accept Trump’s Surrender?

The Iranians, emboldened as they are, don’t seem willing to take yes for an answer.

USS Abraham Lincoln sailors tried to jump overboard amid extended deployment

https://x.com/420GHz/status/2087002060944240778

Politics:

Some Republicans Are Finally Realizing They Wrecked the Middle Class

If recent comments from JD Vance and others are any guide, the future of GOP economic policy is going to be strange.

A Candidate Named ‘Count Binface’ Is the Most Normal Part of This Pivotal UK Election

The Architecture of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may be adding a new item to their arsenal by next spring: gloves that emit electric shocks to control combative individuals.

Trump Goes Over Jeanine Pirro’s Head on Reflecting Pool Lawsuit

Donald Trump simply cannot accept that his Reflecting Pool lawsuits were a total bust.

https://x.com/tedlieu/status/2087362152848052485

Surprise! Todd Blanche Immediately Breaks His Promises to GOP Senators

Hours after being sworn in as attorney general, Blanche gave Donald Trump even more protections.

Trump signals openness to unconstitutional plot to take over elections

https://x.com/BlackKnight10k/status/2087226425082278321

https://x.com/mehdirhasan/status/2087365298387124689

———— Blatant In-Your-Face Corruption ————

Dr. Phil and a Texas Oil Firm Go to Greenland With a Suspicious Agenda. Signs Point to Trump’s Imperialist Visions.

———— Putin&Krasnov vs. Ukraine ————

Russia May Escalate Sabotage in Baltic States, Poland

Russia may escalate attacks against the Baltic States and Poland, a European intelligence official said, amid rising concern that Moscow wants to further intimidate nations supporting Ukraine.
There are indications that Russian intelligence and security services are looking at so-called hybrid warfare operations, which could include infrastructure sabotage or false-flag attacks.

https://x.com/RVAwonk/status/2087230797765836801