Year: 2026
RNC Spending Big on Hair and Makeup
$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
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
“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.”
Consumer Confidence Is in the Toilet
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.
In Minneapolis, Murder with Impunity
“Perhaps the most disturbing part of the Trump administration’s immigration operation in Minnesota is not just that agents of the state are killing peacefully protesting citizens on the streets. It’s that they’re doing it with the expectation of impunity, backed by top government officials who are brazenly lying about what happened.”
— David Graham
Homan’s a Bad Omen
Trump told little Greg Bovino to get the heck out of town,
And he’s sending Tom Homan to manage the Minneapolis crackdown.
But if you think ICE thugs have gone too far,
And you’re expecting conciliation from the Border Czar,
Trump’s just ensuring more dangerous behavior by “defining deviancy down.”
