Odds and Ends — 18 October 2025

@preparedwombat 78

1 day ago

oddsandends

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

OpenSea rejects pivot from NFTs, says it’s evolving to ‘trade everything’

FIFA Hit With Swiss Criminal Complaint Over NFT World Cup Ticket Vouchers

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Post-Pandemic COVID-19 linked with high numbers of workforce absences and exits

Politics:

Top Nuclear Weapons Agency to Furlough Most Staff

The Trump administration is planning to furlough the vast majority of the civilian staff at a key agency that helps manage the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile.

Supreme Court to Run Out of Funding Next Week

The Supreme Court is about to run out of money, with federal courts across the country expected to run out by early next week because of the government shutdown.

https://twitter.com/adamscochran/status/1979318628966371402

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1979521444309586177

———— The Trump Shutdown ————

Trump Doesn’t Seem to Care About the Shutdown

…Trump has repurposed money to fund military salaries during the government shutdown. He has pledged to find ways to make sure many in law enforcement get paid. He has used the fiscal impasse to halt funding to Democratic jurisdictions, and is trying to lay off thousands of federal workers.
Government shutdowns are usually resolved only after the pain they inflict on everyday Americans forces elected officials in Washington to come to an agreement. But as the shutdown nears a fourth week, Mr. Trump’s actions have instead reduced the pressure for an immediate resolution and pushed his political opponents to further dig in.

———— George Santos ————

Trump Commutes Sentence of George Santos

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1979312765799141650

https://twitter.com/covie_93/status/1979360871001309413

https://twitter.com/meiselasb/status/1979331835286163889

———— The Epstein Coverup ————

Prince Andrew to Give Up All Titles

Prince Andrew is set to give up all of his titles, including the Duke of York.
The development follows a string of new scandals concerning his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and his relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.

———— Autocracy R Us ————

https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan/status/1978899040105382265
https://twitter.com/HarryPotterMAGE/status/1979162207708488178

https://twitter.com/jmetr22b/status/1979247225034207545

Prosecutor Who Rejected Trump’s Pressure Is Fired

A federal prosecutor who resisted President Trump’s demands to bring charges against Letitia James, the New York state attorney general, was fired along with her deputy on Friday evening.
The dismissal of the prosecutor, Elizabeth Yusi, was the latest fallout from attempts by career Justice Department officials to pump the brakes on Mr. Trump’s wide-ranging efforts to seek retribution against his perceived political opponents.

https://twitter.com/hissgoescobra/status/1979293123785490457

https://twitter.com/blowgently2023/status/1979224788343181795

https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1979183905870692821