Odds and Ends — 28 April 2026

@preparedwombat 78

about 10 hours ago

oddsandends

Why, yes, I do make a mean jambalaya.

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

Dorsey's Block unveils Bitcoin proof-of-reserves in transparency move

Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted?

New interviews and closely guarded documents shed light on the persistent doubts about the head of OpenAI.

CFTC Backs Prediction Markets in Yet Another Lawsuit Against a State

Flash Fiction:

”Remember Rocko, your first impression is important. Don’t underwhelm those miscreants. Take charge.”

”Don’t worry boss. I’ll have my gun in my hand before I walk in the door. Show them what’s what.”

”That little .22 of yours? You think those wiseguys will piss themselves when they see that toy? Here, take my 45. If you need to start shooting, you’ll want to hurt more than their sense of humor.”

Written for this prompt.

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Universal COVID screening among hospitalized patients has unintended consequences

Iran:

https://twitter.com/vinodsrinivasan/status/2049116476486115749

Vance Doubts the Pentagon’s Depiction of the Iran War

In closed-door meetings, J. D. Vance has repeatedly questioned the Defense Department’s depiction of the war in Iran and whether the Pentagon has understated what appears to be the drastic depletion of U.S. missile stockpiles.

https://twitter.com/JavierBlas/status/2048310496260948246

Politics:

https://twitter.com/pubity/status/2047994026029433116

https://twitter.com/AgoristN/status/2049104824562749825

https://twitter.com/GlennMeder/status/2049088498163216560

The Trump Administration Aims to Penalize Disabled Adults Who Live With Their Families

Political Campaigns Have No Idea What’s About to Hit Them

For better or worse, artificial intelligence is driving a major upheaval in American politics that will alter the substance and the character of campaigns.

https://twitter.com/thetomcelica/status/2048880744676634779
https://twitter.com/Brcremer/status/2048870489398169629

———— White House Correspondents’ Dinner ————

https://twitter.com/Chris_Meloni/status/2048577061892276692

https://twitter.com/SarahIronside6/status/2048733529232626079
https://twitter.com/Strandjunker/status/2048782176208945323

https://twitter.com/iamgabesanchez/status/2049162533664440511

https://twitter.com/FurkanGozukara/status/2048824905169305821

https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/2048909817331220868

https://twitter.com/dcpoll/status/2049161455111430590

https://twitter.com/hashjenni/status/2048896191757459550

———— 8647 ————

James Comey Indicted Again

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Tuesday over a photo of seashells officials said threatened President Donald Trump, marking the administration’s second attempt to prosecute one of his largest political opponents.

https://twitter.com/Logically_JC/status/2049237649412575383

https://twitter.com/DavidShuster/status/2049211609579401366

https://twitter.com/MilesTaylorUSA/status/2049204878220607977

Calling Trump a Tyrant Is Not a Call to Violence

To describe Donald Trump as a corrupt aspiring authoritarian is not to conclude that he should be murdered.
This ought to be a simple point to understand. Yet it is lost on a large swath of the American right…

———— Just Try Calling Him Chuck ————

Charles Urges U.S. to Reject Isolationism

King Charles III called on the U.S. to maintain its leadership role in the world, and to support Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in a remarkably pointed speech for a monarch that urged Americans to resist the pull of isolationism.
Charles used his remarks to a joint session of Congress — the first such address by a British monarch in more than three decades — to argue for preserving the alliance between the UK and US. The king appealed to the shared heritage between the two nations, sprinkling his remarks with references to culture, religion and principles behind America’s decision to declare independence 250 years ago.

https://twitter.com/TimHannan/status/2049220534928392540

https://twitter.com/Mr_Andrew_Fox/status/2049246126130258363

———— The Epstein Coverup ————

https://twitter.com/JohnFugelsang/status/2048777344672846128

———— Autocracy R Us ————

How Trump is moving to control U.S. elections, one state at a time

Reuters uncovered a broader‑than‑previously known Trump administration effort to gain federal control over elections, historically run locally, in at least eight states – using investigations, raids and demands for access to balloting systems and voter ID.

https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/2048821015954764203

Todd Blanche’s Unhinged Midnight Ballroom Motion

After unsuccessfully demanding the National Trust for Historic Preservation drop its lawsuit against Trump’s ballroom, Todd Blanche filed a crazed, hyperbolic late-night rant on the docket.

https://twitter.com/thetomcelica/status/2049232522215629254