Odds and Ends — 15 June 2025

about 18 hours ago

Sign seen at the No Kings protest in Minnetonka, MN. I haven’t seen any crowd estimates but I’m guessing 500+ with not a uniformed police officer in sight.

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

Owning One Bitcoin Is the New American Dream, Says Bitwise Portfolio Manager

Vietnam legalizes crypto under new digital technology law

IBM’s New Quantum Roadmap Brings the Bitcoin Threat Closer

Coronavirus and Public Health:

RFK Jr. sent Congress 'medical disinformation' to defend COVID vaccine schedule change

Covid vaccination protects against severe kidney damage, study suggests

Politics:

https://twitter.com/TheTNHoller/status/1933901490814341129
https://twitter.com/davethul/status/1933910804350583100
https://twitter.com/lizcollin/status/1934106848975581515

Israel urges U.S. to join war with Iran to eliminate nuclear program

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1934229520053338325

https://twitter.com/MeidasTouch/status/1934011360754761925

Trump Considers Adding 36 Countries to Travel Ban

The United States is considering restricting entry to citizens of an additional 36 countries in what would be a significant expansion of the travel ban announced by the Trump administration early this month.
Among the new list of countries that could face visa bans or other restrictions are 25 African nations, including significant U.S. partners such as Egypt and Djibouti, plus countries in the Caribbean, Central Asia and several Pacific Island nations.

———— Autocracy R Us ————

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1933994103072755838

Trump Accidentally Reveals a Dark MAGA Truth—and Hands Dems an Opening

A little-noticed letter from vulnerable House Republicans acknowledges the flaw at the heart of Trump’s mass deportations.

https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1933762602683019735

———— Putin&Krasnov vs. Ukraine ————

https://twitter.com/rshereme/status/1933946822944239924

Trump Says He Decides What ‘America First’ Means

The president told me he was optimistic about ending foreign wars—then he ended our conversation to take a call from Putin.

https://twitter.com/AmoneyResists/status/1933999790871675129
https://twitter.com/RickPetree/status/1934084905484374506

———— Hegseth on the Rocks ————

https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1933972818070536691

———— Mors Imperii ————

https://twitter.com/dougblandry/status/1934052056878243848
https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1934067953156190623

Eight Chaotic Days Shake Trump’s Grip on Presidency

…Trump began the week of his 79th birthday reeling from his explosive public breakup with Elon Musk.
He ended it with tanks in the capital, Marines in Los Angeles, a Democratic senator dragged away in handcuffs, thousands of protests planned nationwide, and a new war in the Middle East.
In a year already brimming with ‘holy shit’ moments, the past eight days have brought unprecedented new intensity, stakes and challenges to Trump’s presidency.

https://twitter.com/cturnbull1968/status/1934079760541372675

https://twitter.com/DoctorHenryCT/status/1933877018388509180