Buck Banks, Author at Pensito

Some say it’s totally lacking in plot, action or drama,
Others say it’s a sure-fire cure for chronic insomnia.
Its director’s a cad,
And Donald will be mad,
When no one pays to see his wife’s fake movie, “Melania.“

S.C. Measles Outbreak Continues to Grow

January 29, 2026 Buck Banks

600

“The South Carolina measles outbreak has surpassed the recorded case count in Texas’ 2025 outbreak, as health officials have logged almost 600 new cases in just over a month,” the AP reports.

RNC Spending Big on Hair and Makeup

January 28, 2026 Buck Banks

$59,000

“In an ever image-obsessed Washington, the Republican National Committee is spending tens of thousands of dollars lately on professional hair and makeup services,” NOTUS reports. “Between April and November, the RNC spent more than $59,000 on ‘media preparation,’ paid to a pair of makeup artists.”

Voters Want Democrats to Play ‘Hardball’ with ICE

January 28, 2026 Buck Banks

58%

A new polling memo urges Senate Democrats to “play hardball” ahead of a looming partial government shutdown and use their “leverage to reform ICE,” Politico reports. The polling found that 58% of likely midterm voters want ICE to be reined in. More voters prefer reforming ICE than the number who prefer eliminating the agency entirely by 30% to 19%.

Neil Young Gives Greenlanders Access to His Music and Video Catalog

January 28, 2026 Buck Banks

“I hope my music and music films will ease some of the unwarranted stress and threats you are experiencing from our unpopular and hopefully temporary government,” said Neil Young, according to the Associated Press. “It is my sincere wish for you to be able to enjoy all of my music in your beautiful Greenland home, in its highest quality.”

Tweet

House Democrats Ready to Impeach Noem

January 28, 2026 Buck Banks

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way.“

— Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) signaling that House Democratic leadership supports impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following two deadly shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Consumer Confidence Is in the Toilet

January 28, 2026 Buck Banks

84.5

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® fell by 9.7 points in January to 84.5 (1985=100), from an upwardly revised 94.2 in December. A 5.1-point upward revision to December’s reading of the Index resulted in a slight increase last month, reversing the initially reported decline. However, January’s preliminary results showed confidence resumed declining after a one-month uptick. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—dropped by 9.9 points to 113.7 in January. The Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—fell by 9.5 points to 65.1, well below the threshold of 80 that usually signals a recession ahead. The cutoff for preliminary results was January 16, 2026.

Author: Buck Banks

Troop Deployments to U.S. Cities Cost a Half-Billion

$496 billion

“The Trump administration’s deployment of troops to six different U.S. cities last year cost roughly $496 million through the end of December,” CBS News reports.

Generic Ballot Has Dems Up by 6 Points

52%

Big Majorities Agree: Money in Politics Is Not Free Speech

81%

‘Slow, Stiff and Painfully Dull’

S.C. Measles Outbreak Continues to Grow

600

“The South Carolina measles outbreak has surpassed the recorded case count in Texas’ 2025 outbreak, as health officials have logged almost 600 new cases in just over a month,” the AP reports.

RNC Spending Big on Hair and Makeup

$59,000

Voters Want Democrats to Play ‘Hardball’ with ICE

58%

Neil Young Gives Greenlanders Access to His Music and Video Catalog

House Democrats Ready to Impeach Noem

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way.“

— Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) signaling that House Democratic leadership supports impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following two deadly shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Consumer Confidence Is in the Toilet

84.5

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“One woman at a rally in New Jersey told me last week that she was ‘nauseously optimistic.’ That may capture a lot of people’s last-minute jitters.”

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), quoted by Axios, on what Democrats feel ahead of the midterm elections.

“I think Congress made a mistake not protesting turning the Rose Garden into what looks like the entrance to Liberace’s bathroom.”

— Former President Bill Clinton, quoted by The Wrap.

“Boy, they are scraping the bottom of the barrel. It feels like a real desperation play to me, because it has got zero basis in the law.”

— Republican election law expert Ben Ginsberg, quoted by Politico, on the Trump administration’s effort to invalidate Alaska’s election results.

Numerati

3,824

$1.4 billion

-35 points

31%

63% to 38%

KFF Poll: “With the 2026 midterm campaigns in full swing and early voting about to begin, there is a wide enthusiasm gap between partisan voters, with Democratic voters 25 percentage points more likely than Republican voters to say they are ‘more motivated’ than usual to vote (63% vs. 38%).”