Odds and Ends — 15 August 2025
I’m watching Band of Brothers for the third (fourth?) time. If you’ve never seen it, do yourself a favor.
Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:
Czech police arrest darknet founder in $45M Bitcoin donation case
Czech police have reportedly arrested darknet founder Tomas Jirikovsky in a $45 million Bitcoin bribery case tied to former Justice Minister Pavel Blazek’s resignation.
https://twitter.com/FinanceLancelot/status/1956062862054490501
$941M in Crypto Liquidations as BTC, ETH, DOGE Retreat From Highs
Coronavirus and Public Health:
Why RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine Campaign Is Working
The Trump administration’s COVID-revenge campaign has laid the groundwork for Kennedy’s larger agenda.
Politics:
Trump Claims He’s Fixed Social Security
…Donald Trump marked the 90th anniversary of Social Security on Thursday with an Oval Office signing of a proclamation that the safety net was ‘more resilient than ever before,’ thanks to him. He claimed improvements to the program’s customer service. He also misleadingly declared that he had checked off his campaign promise to eliminate taxes on benefits for seniors.
But Social Security is barreling toward insolvency faster than before because of Trump’s tax bill and immigration policies.
An influential group of House Republicans has invited a chief architect of the hard-right push for deep Medicaid spending cuts to brief congressional aides Thursday as GOP leaders quietly map out a possible second party-line reconciliation package.
https://twitter.com/JamesSurowiecki/status/1955983516321153362
Trump’s Golden Dome Still Shrouded in Mystery, Even for Its Builders
The companies expected to create President Donald Trump’s ‘Golden Dome for America’ know the objective: to protect the US from missiles and airborne threats. They know it means billions of dollars’ worth of contracts.
But they don’t know much about what, exactly, they are expected to do — and at an event last week, the government officials who might tell them weren’t even allowed to mention the project by name.
———— The Epstein Coverup ————
Republicans Have Created a Legal Nightmare for Themselves on Epstein
https://twitter.com/MeachamDr/status/1955705267854700580
Lawrence O’Donnell: Epstein scandal poses a serious threat to Trump’s power over his base
———— The District ————
https://twitter.com/AnthonyMKreis/status/1955807102762430781
DC attorney general sues Trump administration over police takeover
DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration over its moves to take over the city’s police department and appoint an emergency commissioner, the latest sign of pushback from district officials against the federal takeover.
https://twitter.com/billybinion/status/1955992773858832712
https://twitter.com/JoyceWhiteVance/status/1956158940808425521
https://twitter.com/billybinion/status/1956195499146399870
https://twitter.com/Mollyploofkins/status/1955941177363972252
———— Autocracy R Us ————
https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1956111573887672560
Trump’s Revenge Campaign Has a Weakness
Prosecuting his enemies is turning out to be more difficult than he’d hoped—at least for now.
———— In Your Face Corruption————
Trump Has a ‘Loyalty Rating’ for Companies
The West Wing has created a scorecard that rates 553 companies and trade associations on how hard they worked to support and promote President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’
Trump works transactionally, and companies have rushed to pay demonstrative homage. Now, senior aides will have data to consult when considering corporate requests.
The unusual spreadsheet fits this administration’s proclivity for micromanaging companies and administering loyalty tests.
————Stark. Raving. Mad. ————
Trump Called Norway Official to Ask for Nobel Prize
Donald Trump called Norway’s finance minister last month to discuss tariffs, he also told him he wanted the Nobel Peace Prize.
From a local newspaper report: “Out of the blue, while Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg was walking down the street in Oslo, Donald Trump called. He wanted the Nobel Prize — and to discuss tariffs.”
———— Putin&Krasnov vs. Ukraine ————
https://twitter.com/YourAnonCentral/status/1955565622324306161
https://twitter.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1956121174296887649
https://twitter.com/LetsArmUKR/status/1956079751040286879
https://twitter.com/PaulleyTicks/status/1956175769237119367
———— Smoot-Hawley 2.0 ————
https://twitter.com/middleageriot/status/1956044448221028460
———— Mors Imperii ————
https://twitter.com/Strandjunker/status/1956084072842977409
UCLA’s legal win over Trump could prompt different strategy in similar cases
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