Poetic Justice
Buck Banks | Dec. 5, 2025
They say that power naps can be effective,
Especially for a busy chief executive.
So when Dear Leader Dozy Don
Nods out with a blink and a yawn,
It’s OK — when he’s asleep he’s not spewing racist invective.
Verbatim
“There are many items on President Trump’s agenda that are hurting the U.S. economy: the pointless trade wars, the socialization of the private sector, the mass deportations, and much more. … But in the long run, the most damaging policy of all might be one that’s gotten scant attention, at least from non-finance-nerds: Trump’s quest to crush the Federal Reserve. If Trump succeeds, he may doom the United States to high inflation for years, if not decades, to come.”
— Catherine Rampell
“To update Samuel Johnson, these days national security is the last refuge of a scoundrel. According to Donald Trump, anything he doesn’t like is a threat to national security. Question his clearly illegal tariffs? You’re a dark and sinister force trying to undermine America. When the New York Times reported on signs that age may be taking a toll on Trump’s stamina, he denounced the reporting as ‘seditious, maybe even treasonous.’ … But some of America’s allies — and many of us here at home — are becoming increasingly open about saying that the real danger is coming from inside the White House: Trump himself has become the biggest security threat facing the U.S. and, indeed, all the world’s democracies.”
— Paul Krugman
“On paper, President Trump’s speech in Pennsylvania was supposed to be the opening night of a speaking tour on the economy, but spiritually, the rambling set felt more like the kickoff of a past-their-prime band’s farewell tour. … There was no set list, he played the hits when he could, and did crowd work with MAGA’s version of the Parrotheads, decked out in their finest Trump swag after following him around for years.”
— National Journal
Numerati
70%
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 70% of Americans said they believe the Trump administration is hiding information about people tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s victimization of young women.
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$40 million
“The National Rifle Association is burning through its investment portfolio to pay its bills as legal perils increase and revenue from membership dues decline,” NOTUS reports. “In 2024, the 154-year-old gun rights organization liquidated nearly $40 million worth of stock, fixed-income securities and other holdings. By the end of 2024, the NRA’s investment portfolio had shrunk to less than $33 million, down from more than $72 million the year before.”
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$35 million
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration diverted more than $35 million in taxpayer funds — an amount far greater than previously known — as part of a brazen agenda last year to defeat two ballot amendments he staunchly opposed, a Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald investigation has found. Much of the state money was intended to assist needy Floridians, including children. Instead, it paid for political consultants, lawyers and thousands of advertisements that helped DeSantis and his supporters win at the ballot box.
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111
The South Carolina measles outbreak is “accelerating.” At least 111 people have contracted the contagious viral infection in South Carolina since October, and more than 250 people are quarantined, according to the state’s public health department. Officials blamed the outbreak on “lower-than-hoped-for” vaccination rates: Of the 111 cases, 105 were unvaccinated, the health department said. Measles, which is most common among unvaccinated children, was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, but declining vaccination rates have led to outbreaks in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona this year.
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31%
A new AP-NORC poll finds just 31% of U.S. adults now approve of how President Trump is handling the economy. That is down from 40% in March and marks the lowest economic approval he’s registered in an AP-NORC poll in his first or second term. Overall, 36% of Americans approve of the way he’s handling his job as president, which is down slightly from 42% in March.
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