Odds and Ends — 18 July 2025

@preparedwombat 78

2 days ago

oddsandends

Our first ripe tomato of the season.

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

Bitcoin golden cross that sparked 2,000% BTC gains is already here

‘Blood Rushing Back’ Into Crypto as XRP, Dogecoin Soar

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Life expectancy didn't return to baseline after COVID pandemic, data suggest

Politics:

Feds Seek One Day Sentence in Breonna Taylor Raid

The Justice Department is asking that a former police officer found guilty of violating the civil rights of Breonna Taylor in 2020 – when she was shot and killed by police in her Louisville home – be sentenced to one day in jail.
The officer, Brett Hankison of Kentucky, was convicted on one count of abusing Taylor’s civil rights last year after firing several shots through Taylor’s bedroom window during a police raid. He is set to be sentenced on Monday.

This is all but telling the judge that if Hankison gets a meaningful sentence, Trump will issue a pardon.

https://twitter.com/EricRSammons/status/1945837948190024189

https://twitter.com/BlisterPearl/status/1946124454444322946

Bolsonaro Is Ordered to Wear Ankle Monitor

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will be required to wear an electronic ankle monitor after police carried out search warrants against him on Friday.
Bolsonaro, who is about to stand trial over an alleged coup attempt, will also face restrictions on social media use.

———— The Epstein Coverup ————

https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1945990177920373225

The WSJ article is also available here.

https://twitter.com/HeerJeet/status/1945991222142566816

https://twitter.com/meiselasb/status/1946006216117047520

https://twitter.com/DavidAFrench/status/1945519156436119769

Fox News Stays Silent

Halfway through her 7 p.m. hour last night, Fox’s Laura Ingraham seemed poised to cover the bombshell reporting from a fellow Murdoch-owned outlet. ‘We have new news coming on about this as well from the Wall Street Journal. A new report tonight, next,’ she said.
But that ‘new report’ never came. Ingraham did not mention the Journal story at all during the rest of her hour; neither did the rest of the Fox primetime lineup.

https://twitter.com/RonWyden/status/1945864024672919592

https://twitter.com/HeathMayo/status/1946058891105620447

What Would William of Ockham Say?

When we need help understanding what Donald Trump’s up to—when we have trouble cutting through all the turmoil, the distractions he creates, the smoke he sends up to obscure the truth—to whom can we turn?
How about the medieval Franciscan friar, William of Ockham? He’s the character who famously laid out the principle, Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem: Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity. It’s known as Occam’s razor. If you’re trying to solve a problem or to understand a phenomenon, consider the simplest or most straightforward explanation.
What’s the simplest explanation for Trump’s refusal to release any information about the Epstein files? What’s the most straightforward explanation for Trump’s far-fetched attempts at deflection? What’s the most likely explanation for his lashing out at supporters who aren’t obeying his instructions to shut up?
It’s that there’s information in those files that Trump doesn’t want to see the light of day.

https://twitter.com/TomJChicago/status/1945816559991091509

https://twitter.com/ZacksJerryRig/status/1945690127709376544

https://twitter.com/acnewsitics/status/1945924689328796051

Looming Epstein Vote Has Republicans Eager to Leave

House Republican leaders are under fierce internal pressure to send members home for the summer amid deepening anxiety over a possible vote on the Jeffrey Epstein controversy.
Many GOP lawmakers fear being cornered by an expected ‘discharge petition’ that would force a House vote on publicizing Epstein-related records. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) launched the effort Tuesday, making it available for signatures and a possible floor vote as soon as next week.

https://twitter.com/MikeNellis/status/1945881462630150486

Majority of Republicans Think Trump is Hiding Something

Close to two-thirds of Republicans think the administration is hiding details on Epstein’s business… Just 17% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the case, a weaker rating than the president received on any other issue.

https://twitter.com/adamscochran/status/1946019525687722006

Yeah, okay, it’s just idle speculation. But it would explain a lot:

https://twitter.com/FordJohnathan5/status/1945549389507817686

———— Autocracy R Us ————

Maurene Comey warns her former colleagues: ‘Fear is the tool of the tyrant’

“If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen. Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought. Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else.”

The Trump Administration’s Absurd Obsession With Secrecy