Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
I'm going to leave now, so my barfing does not disturb other people. "I think I should be where other people are not." ---Hugh Grant as "Charley" in Four Weddings And A Funeral.
Nah, it's the stupidity of fools who think Fox and the Trump gang aren't lying every minute of every day that keeps piling up.
The ACA was a Republican idea in the first place. And then, after it passed thru Congress, the R's did their best to neuter the good that it's done for those with pre-existing conditions -- who used to be shut out of insurance altogether: killing mandatory coverage (hmm, which would have made it just like auto insurance) and allowing states to drop the improved Medicaid coverage.
Trump swore, when the R's were trying to kill off the ACA during his first term, that a much better, less expensive Maga option was right around the corner ... which turned out to be, of course, total bullshit.
Trump swore, when the R's were trying to kill off the ACA during his first term, that a much better, less expensive Maga option was right around the corner ... which turned out to be, of course, total bullshit.
Stack those lies to the ceiling and silence the dissenters. The story of 47.
They need these outrageous stories to be able to not feel betrayed or embarrassed by this unstable individual. Stories about ridiculous things that do not even move the needle for your average citizen. But, it gives them fodder for their rationalizations. They like to locate targets to point fingers at, so they don't have to face the reality of what trump is doing to their lives. In some cases, they may be actually nervous about where this all is heading, so they employ denial to help ease their fears.
One thing for sure, it is going to get much worse for the most vulnerable, before it gets even a little better.
The people across the street just put up a big poster on their fence that says "Make Lying Wrong Again". I'm thinking they probably used it in the No-Kings March.
The people across the street just put up a big poster on their fence that says "Make Lying Wrong Again". I'm thinking they probably used it in the No-Kings March.
No, in Washington State but I imagine there is a lot of the same sentiment in Texas right now. In WA, like OR, we have been targetted for our Blue shores, especially reports of ICE endangering previously calm waves. WA DC not happy with WA State, it seems.
It was not a good week for U.S. cattle ranchers! President Trump's administration plans to quadruple Argentinian beef imports. Lowering U.S. beef prices was the stated goal for the large increase in imports.
"But hiking imports has angered U.S. ranchers, who largely supported Trump in his campaigns for president. They said the government should back U.S. producers and that increased imports threaten their livelihoods."
"Farmers were also angered by Trump's $20 billion currency swap with Argentina while they lost out to the South American nation on soybean sales to China."
It was not a good week for hundreds of thousands of civilian federal workers! President Trump plans to pay federal immigration agents, FBI special agents, U.S. Border Patrol officers, and active-duty military personnel during the government shutdown. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of civilian federal workers are furloughed or are working without pay.
"Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, said more than any other modern president, Trump is using a shutdown to prioritize pay to a subset of workers to advance his agenda [emphasis added]. His attempt to fire workers during a shutdown was also a first, he said."
"'It's like a really fine-tuned partisan response to the shutdown that's different than in previous years,' said Zelizer."
It was not a good week for free-market capitalism! The Trump administration is pursuing investments in quantum-computing companies. The government would become a shareholder in exchange for helping fund promising technology companies. Potential target companies mentioned include: Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, IonQ, Atom Computing, and Quantum Computing Inc.
It may not be a good week for air travelers! "The shutdown has raised fears about staffing shortages in a job that requires long, intense hours and sophisticated training. But concerns about air travel could also help drive Republicans and Democrats to find a way out of the funding impasse, now into its fourth week. Absenteeism and air-travel problems played a central role in bringing about the end of the most recent shutdown, a record monthlong lapse that stretched from 2018 to 2019."
"Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who joined Johnson at his news conference, warned that the strain on the aviation system would hit travelers. 'I can’t guarantee that your flight is going to be on time,' [emphasis added] he said. 'I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s not gonna be canceled' [emphasis added].”
It was not a good week for those who care about justice! Former Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The House Ethics Committee found "substantial evidence" of wrongdoing and voted to expel Mr. Santos from office. It was only the sixth expulsion from the chamber and more than 100 House Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in this vote. Santos, a Trump loyalist, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and began serving his sentence in July. President Trump commuted the sentence for disgraced former Rep. Santos.
"His victims included elderly individuals suffering from cognitive impairment whose credit-card information he stole. None of them have been repaid, according to prosecutors."
Here's another example of why it was not a good week for those who care about justice! President Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon for Changpeng Zhao, the convicted founder of the Binance crytocurrency exchange. Zhao failed to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and Binance paid a $4.3B penalty. According to U.S. authorities, Binance did not report suspicious transactions with organizations including al Qaeda and Hamas and with websites which sold child sexual abuse materials.
"During his second term, Trump has made sweeping use of his clemency powers and Zhao's is the latest in a series of pardons that Trump has granted to crypto executives and entrepreneurs, as well as others convicted of white-collar crimes."
"The crypto sector poured money into Trump's 2024 presidential campaign [emphasis added], during which the Republican candidate promised to end what he called a crackdown by the Biden administration on the industry."
"Since he returned to office, Trump's family has reaped millions of dollars from a variety of crypto ventures [emphasis added] - moves criticized by political rivals and ethics experts citing the potential for conflicts of interest. The White House has denied those claims and on Thursday Leavitt said it carefully examined all pardons."
"The crypto sector poured money into Trump's 2024 presidential campaign [emphasis added]...
Now let's be fair and even-handed here... you seem to be suggesting that Trump can be bought off with money (large amounts of). Even if that's true, he'll put it to good use in draining the swamp. What more could he do to help?
I would never suggest that Trump can be bought off with large sums of money. I'm sure Karoline Leavitt and her de facto MFO surrogate, FD1000, could provide vivid interpretations for the following sets of events which presumably are not correlated.
• Elon Musk's political contributions and subsequent appointment as head of DOGE
• Linda McMahon's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Secretary of Education
• Scott Bessent's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Secretary of the Treasury
• Chris Wright's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Secretary of Energy
• Cody Campbell's political contributions and subsequent seat on Presidential Council
• Josh Lobel's political contributions and subsequent seat on Intelligence Advisory Board
• Bill Pulte's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Director of the FHFA
• Kelly Loeffler's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Administrator of the SBA
• Howard Lutnick's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Secretary of Commerce
• Anjani Sinha's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to Singapore
• Warren Stephen's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to the U.K.
• Charles Kushner's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to France and Monaco
• Benjamin Leon's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to Spain
• Tom Barrack's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to Turkey
• Paul Walczak's political contributions and subsequent pardon
• Imaad Zuberi's political contributions and subsequent commutation
• Trevor Milton's political contributions and subsequent pardon
• Justin Sun's investments in Trump-backed crypto ventures and subsequent stay of SEC enforcement
• Robinhood's inaugural fund donation and subsequent SEC investigation being dropped
• Gemini's political contributions and subsequent SEC investigation being dropped
• Pilgrim's Pride's inaugural fund donation and subsequent NYSE listing
• Paramount's settlement of frivolous lawsuit and subsequent FCC merger approval
• ABC's settlement of frivolous lawsuit to gain Trump's favor and prevent blowback to its brands
• Galaxy Digital's inaugural fund donation and subsequent SEC reorganization approval
• U.A.E. investments in Trump family crypto and subsequent access to American-made A.I. computing chips
• Qatar's Air Force One "gift" and subsequent Trump business deal
Comments
Nah, it's the stupidity of fools who think Fox and the Trump gang aren't lying every minute of every day that keeps piling up.
The ACA was a Republican idea in the first place. And then, after it passed thru Congress, the R's did their best to neuter the good that it's done for those with pre-existing conditions -- who used to be shut out of insurance altogether: killing mandatory coverage (hmm, which would have made it just like auto insurance) and allowing states to drop the improved Medicaid coverage.
Trump swore, when the R's were trying to kill off the ACA during his first term, that a much better, less expensive Maga option was right around the corner ... which turned out to be, of course, total bullshit.
One thing for sure, it is going to get much worse for the most vulnerable, before it gets even a little better.
"Does this ass make my country look small?"
President Trump's administration plans to quadruple Argentinian beef imports.
Lowering U.S. beef prices was the stated goal for the large increase in imports.
"But hiking imports has angered U.S. ranchers, who largely supported Trump in his campaigns for president.
They said the government should back U.S. producers and that increased imports threaten their livelihoods."
"Farmers were also angered by Trump's $20 billion currency swap with Argentina
while they lost out to the South American nation on soybean sales to China."
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-quadrupling-argentina-beef-tariff-rate-quota-80000-metric-tons-2025-10-23/
President Trump plans to pay federal immigration agents, FBI special agents, U.S. Border Patrol officers,
and active-duty military personnel during the government shutdown.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of civilian federal workers are furloughed or are working without pay.
"Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University,
said more than any other modern president, Trump is using a shutdown
to prioritize pay to a subset of workers to advance his agenda [emphasis added].
His attempt to fire workers during a shutdown was also a first, he said."
"'It's like a really fine-tuned partisan response to the shutdown that's different than in previous years,'
said Zelizer."
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trumps-shutdown-pay-plan-prioritizes-security-personnel-over-civilian-workers-2025-10-23/
The Trump administration is pursuing investments in quantum-computing companies.
The government would become a shareholder in exchange for helping fund promising technology companies.
Potential target companies mentioned include: Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, IonQ, Atom Computing, and Quantum Computing Inc.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/trump-administration-in-talks-to-take-equity-stakes-in-quantum-computing-firms/ar-AA1P03w0
State Capitalism
"The shutdown has raised fears about staffing shortages in a job that requires long, intense hours
and sophisticated training. But concerns about air travel could also help drive Republicans and Democrats
to find a way out of the funding impasse, now into its fourth week.
Absenteeism and air-travel problems played a central role in bringing about the end
of the most recent shutdown, a record monthlong lapse that stretched from 2018 to 2019."
"Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who joined Johnson at his news conference, warned that the strain
on the aviation system would hit travelers. 'I can’t guarantee that your flight is going to be on time,'
[emphasis added] he said.
'I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s not gonna be canceled' [emphasis added].”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/republicans-warn-shutdown-will-hit-air-traffic-controllers-soon/ar-AA1P3SEG
Former Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The House Ethics Committee found "substantial evidence" of wrongdoing
and voted to expel Mr. Santos from office. It was only the sixth expulsion from the chamber
and more than 100 House Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in this vote.
Santos, a Trump loyalist, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison
and began serving his sentence in July.
President Trump commuted the sentence for disgraced former Rep. Santos.
"His victims included elderly individuals suffering from cognitive impairment whose credit-card information
he stole. None of them have been repaid, according to prosecutors."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-commutes-sentence-of-former-congressman-george-santos/ar-AA1OH3EA
President Trump granted a full and unconditional pardon for Changpeng Zhao,
the convicted founder of the Binance crytocurrency exchange.
Zhao failed to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and Binance paid a $4.3B penalty.
According to U.S. authorities, Binance did not report suspicious transactions with organizations
including al Qaeda and Hamas and with websites which sold child sexual abuse materials.
"During his second term, Trump has made sweeping use of his clemency powers
and Zhao's is the latest in a series of pardons that Trump has granted to crypto executives
and entrepreneurs, as well as others convicted of white-collar crimes."
"The crypto sector poured money into Trump's 2024 presidential campaign [emphasis added],
during which the Republican candidate promised to end what he called a crackdown
by the Biden administration on the industry."
"Since he returned to office, Trump's family has reaped millions of dollars from a variety of crypto ventures [emphasis added] - moves criticized by political rivals and ethics experts citing the potential
for conflicts of interest. The White House has denied those claims and on Thursday Leavitt said it
carefully examined all pardons."
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-pardons-convicted-binance-founder-zhao-white-house-says-2025-10-23/
Now let's be fair and even-handed here... you seem to be suggesting that Trump can be bought off with money (large amounts of). Even if that's true, he'll put it to good use in draining the swamp. What more could he do to help?
I would never suggest that Trump can be bought off with large sums of money.
I'm sure Karoline Leavitt and her de facto MFO surrogate, FD1000, could provide
vivid interpretations for the following sets of events which presumably are not correlated.
• Elon Musk's political contributions and subsequent appointment as head of DOGE
• Linda McMahon's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Secretary of Education
• Scott Bessent's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Secretary of the Treasury
• Chris Wright's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Secretary of Energy
• Cody Campbell's political contributions and subsequent seat on Presidential Council
• Josh Lobel's political contributions and subsequent seat on Intelligence Advisory Board
• Bill Pulte's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Director of the FHFA
• Kelly Loeffler's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Administrator of the SBA
• Howard Lutnick's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Secretary of Commerce
• Anjani Sinha's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to Singapore
• Warren Stephen's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to the U.K.
• Charles Kushner's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to France and Monaco
• Benjamin Leon's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to Spain
• Tom Barrack's political contributions and subsequent appointment as Ambassador to Turkey
• Paul Walczak's political contributions and subsequent pardon
• Imaad Zuberi's political contributions and subsequent commutation
• Trevor Milton's political contributions and subsequent pardon
• Justin Sun's investments in Trump-backed crypto ventures and subsequent stay of SEC enforcement
• Robinhood's inaugural fund donation and subsequent SEC investigation being dropped
• Gemini's political contributions and subsequent SEC investigation being dropped
• Pilgrim's Pride's inaugural fund donation and subsequent NYSE listing
• Paramount's settlement of frivolous lawsuit and subsequent FCC merger approval
• ABC's settlement of frivolous lawsuit to gain Trump's favor and prevent blowback to its brands
• Galaxy Digital's inaugural fund donation and subsequent SEC reorganization approval
• U.A.E. investments in Trump family crypto and subsequent access to American-made A.I. computing chips
• Qatar's Air Force One "gift" and subsequent Trump business deal
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OJ
You're very welcome, sir!