Odds and Ends — 8 October 2025

The Trump administration’s strategy to swiftly roll out mass layoffs of federal workers during the government shutdown has shifted in recent days, as an increasing number of Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials acknowledge the potential political perils of the move.

Democrats Call Trump’s Bluff on Back Pay

Members of Congress in both parties bristled Tuesday at a White House memo arguing that federal workers who have been furloughed as part of the government shutdown are not necessarily entitled to back pay.
The threat has had little apparent impact with its intended target — congressional Democrats — who expressed confidence that President Trump would ultimately lose any legal fight to deny shutdown pay.
Said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD): “The law is simply not on the side of Trump’s threats to withhold pay from federal employees that he somehow disfavors.”

Things are very bad. People should be far more alarmed than they are. And we are only about 9 months into this…
From Vice President Vance down to the local party activist, I think large swaths of the GOP want a Red Caesar: a leader who uses the power of the state to punish cultural enemies and silence dissent…

https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1975604880380199273

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims agent said, 'Do something bitch' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney alleged.

https://twitter.com/jaredlholt/status/1975331184704950753

Trump Is Destroying One of America’s Oldest Traditions

America has always had a strong aversion to seeing the military on the country’s streets. That is not stopping the current president.

https://twitter.com/newtwit87654321/status/1975664240200720885

ICE “Accidentally” Tear Gases Chicago Police During Clash With Protesters

https://twitter.com/MilesTaylorUSA/status/1975531198974964095

Trump Blasts Democrats as ‘Insurrectionists’

https://twitter.com/JoyceWhiteVance/status/1975597271648702482

———— Blatant In-Your-Face Corruption ————

https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/1974997293234352415

———— Putin&Krasnov vs. Ukraine ————

https://twitter.com/jurgen_nauditt/status/1975181590520123461

'Not in Poland's interest,' to hand over Ukrainian in Nord Stream probe, Tusk says

https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1975652936299549163

How Ukraine Turned The Tables On Russia

Russia assumed time was on its side, but a new Ukrainian strategy is yielding surprising results.

———— Smoot-Hawley 2.0 ————

https://twitter.com/karlykingsley/status/1975562491594932224

Soybean Farmers Panic Over the Loss of Chinese Buyers

American soybean farmers are in panic mode as they harvest what is expected to be a bumper crop without their biggest customer: China.

———— Melon Husk ————

https://twitter.com/propublica/status/1975395676558098613

———— Mors Imperii ————

Trump Canceled 94 Million Pounds of Food Aid. Here’s What Never Arrived.

https://twitter.com/DecodingFoxNews/status/1975312742191144976

Serendipity:

https://twitter.com/vincempls/status/1975918209300881416

OFCOL: Conservatives Take Aim at ‘One Battle After Another’: “Year’s Most Irresponsible Movie”

While Paul Thomas Anderson's film is being heralded as a masterpiece by many, some conservatives accuse it of potentially inspiring left-wing violence.

William T. Vollmann: Thomas Pynchon’s world of shadows