The Biggest Loser

Botch · December 2025

The guy who draws “South Park” is a genius. He predicted early-on that Traitor would take over the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and he looked up all the web domain names (KennedyCenterPerformingArts.com, etc) and bought up all the domain names like “drumpfKennedyCenterPerformingArts.com”, and he now controls them and since its an international register, Traitor can’t do a damn thing about it! This is brilliant!!

https://youtu.be/GJ8yyzUVUic?si=CSEPmGJyuzhfcljK

Actual story starts at about 3:00; Enjoy!

Botch · December 2025

So, when do we start bombing the russians who are killing christians in Ukraine?

Botch · January 4

Conspiracy Theory here.
Remember the formation of the Axis Powers before WWII? hitler would take northern Europe and russia, mussolini would take southern Europe and Africa (can't remember where the Middle East was in those plans) and Hirohito would take the Far East, China and the Pacific rim...

Traitor takes a long prep for a Venezuelan invasion, then after a four-hour phone call with putin, pulls the trigger, and even mentions that Cuba may be in the crosshairs (he also mentions that US boots on Venezuela is a possibility). TSMC is building a huge semiconductor facility in AZ (a worry of the current administration, both rightly and rare).
If the US completely abandons Ukraine, and China invades Taiwan and the US allows it, this year, then I'd say this "theory" has legs: Axis II, where russia controls Europe, China controls the Far East and Africa (don't know where India is in these plans), and vancey-pants controls the western hemisphere.
The world order may be shaken up not like it has since WWII. We live in interesting times.

Canugghead · January 4

Perhaps not that far fetched?

lousubcap · January 4

Always remember-the last person to talk with CHEETO owns the day!

fishlessman · January 4

Going with Putin is over spent to come here. Cuba is a done deal. Iran is scared sheetless. China extends the long game.....we take canada

GrateEggspectations · January 5

fishlessman said:

Going with Putin is over spent to come here. Cuba is a done deal. Iran is scared sheetless. China extends the long game.....we take canada

In the current circumstances, I have no trouble believing it’s a possibility. Probably to stem the tide of all the fentanyl we’re sending South. Has nothing to do with our extensive resources.

Canugghead · January 6

@GrateEggspectations Hope you don't live too close to 22 Sussex Dr. or you guys could be collateral damage

Canugghead · January 6

ooopsy, 24

fishlessman · January 6

GrateEggspectations said:

fishlessman said:

Going with Putin is over spent to come here. Cuba is a done deal. Iran is scared sheetless. China extends the long game.....we take canada

In the current circumstances, I have no trouble believing it’s a possibility. Probably to stem the tide of all the fentanyl we’re sending South. Has nothing to do with our extensive resources.

we just want the christmas trees

lousubcap · January 6

Tuesday (1/6) TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

'A federal appeals court yesterday ruled that the Trump administration could not make drastic cuts to the federal funding supporting much of the country’s medical and scientific research, reaffirming a lower court’s ruling. Zach Montague reports for the New York Times.

197 plaintiffs on Friday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that the suspension of casework by the Homeland Security Department and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is not authorized by immigration or administrative law. Brittany Gibson reports for Axios."

lousubcap · January 9

Friday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"A federal judge yesterday dismissed a lawsuit demanding that the U.S. government conduct emergency rescues of Palestinian Americans and family members who are trapped in Gaza. The judge said that she lacked the power and tools to evaluate “delicate foreign policy decisions” belonging to the government’s Executive branch. Jonathan Stempel reports for Reuters.

Five Democratic-led states yesterday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for freezing $10 billion in funding for child care subsidies, social services, and cash support for low-income families, asking a federal judge to declare the pause illegal and restore the money. Minho Kim reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap · January 10

And this from the oil company meeting today:

Thanks, but maybe no thanks? Donald Trump this week quickly pushed aside alleged drug trafficking in favor of oil revenue as his main reason for launching a surprise attack on Venezuela and renditioning President Nicolas Maduro. The US president has repeatedly pledged that oil majors would be stepping over each other for a piece of the action.

But they aren’t that excited. Trump convened almost 20 industry representatives at the White House Friday, predicting they could come to an agreement “today or very shortly thereafter” to restart operations in the oil-rich country. But the executives expressed caution about reentering the impoverished South American nation, let alone spending the $100 billion it might take to revive its oil production. Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods, for example, said Venezuela is currently “uninvestible.” —David E. Rovella

lousubcap · January 12

Monday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing part of an executive order directing the government to withhold federal election funds to states that do not alter their voting procedures in line with Trump’s demands. Zach Montague reports for the New York Times.

A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from freezing $10 billion in welfare funds planned for five Democratic-led states. Rachel Bluth reports for POLITICO.

A federal judge on Saturday paused a Trump administration policy halting an immigration program that allowed migrants from some Central and South American countries to reunite with their family members in the United States while awaiting visas. The order extends the “family reunification parole” status of immigrants who were set to see it expire on Wednesday. Adam Sella reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap · January 13

Tuesday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"A federal judge yesterday issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration, allowing the Revolution Wind project to resume construction off Rhode Island’s coast. Revolution Wind has "demonstrated likelihood of success on the merits of its underlying claims" and is "likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of an injunction," the judge said. Ben Geman reports for Axios.

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) yesterday filed a lawsuit against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming that Pentagon proceedings to demote Kelly from his retired Navy captain rank violated his free speech rights because he urged U.S. service members to reject unlawful orders. Mike Sarcelle reports for Reuters.

The State of Minnesota and the State of Illinois yesterday filed separate lawsuits against the Trump administration, alleging that the administration is carrying out coercive immigration enforcement campaigns culminating in militarized and unlawful deployments of federal immigration enforcement agents. Illinois asked a judge to block U.S. Customs and Border Protection “from conducting civil immigration enforcement” in the state without “express congressional authorization.” The Minnesota lawsuit asked a judge to block the federal government from “implementing the unprecedented surge in Minnesota.” Mitch Smith reports for the New York Times. "

lousubcap · January 14

Wednesday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

A federal court will hear today Oregon’s motion to dismiss the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking access to the state’s statewide voter registration data, arguing the complaint fails to state a claim. The DOJ sued Oregon and Secretary of State Tobias Read after the state declined to provide an unredacted statewide voter file and instead offered voter data available through public-records channels; DOJ cites the NVRA, HAVA, and the Civil Rights Act of 1960. Oregon voters and a nonprofit group have intervened, warning that turning over unredacted files would expose sensitive personal information.

A federal judge in Boston suggested the Trump administration consider issuing a student visa to resolve what he called a “bureaucratic mess” involving Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, a 19-year-old Babson College student deported to Honduras in violation of a court order. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns raised the visa option at a hearing yesterday after the government acknowledged an ICE officer “made a mistake” and failed to properly flag an order barring Lopez Belloza’s deportation; an assistant U.S. attorney apologized on the government’s behalf. Stearns did not immediately rule on Lopez Belloza’s request for relief, including a motion seeking to hold officials in contempt, but asked what remedy the government proposed given that “we have a real human being here.” Nate Raymond reports for Reuters. "

lousubcap · January 15

Thursday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

District Judge Carl Nichols will issue an oral ruling at 11 a.m. ET today on whether Norwegian developer Equinor can resume work on the Empire Wind project off New York’s coast, after the Trump administration suspended offshore wind construction in federal waters citing national security risks. Nichols said during yesterday’s preliminary injunction hearing, and later confirmed in a minute order, that he would deliver his decision today. Justice Department lawyers argued the halt is justified by classified security concerns and called Equinor’s warnings of severe project harm “speculative,” while Nichols questioned whether the asserted risks apply during construction rather than operations, which are not scheduled to begin until October. Blake Brittain and Nichola Groom report for Reuters; Michael Phillis and Jennifer Mcdermott report for the Associated Press.

A federal judge yesterday temporarily barred the Department of Agriculture from cutting funds used to administer Minnesota’s SNAP program while the state reviews the eligibility of roughly 100,000 households amid fraud allegations. District Judge Laura Provinzino said it was likely unlawful for USDA to impose a 30-day deadline—until January 15—for Minnesota to complete the review. Daniel Wiessner reports for Reuters.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, in a 2–1 decision yesterday, rejected an effort by the California Republican Party and the Justice Department to block California’s new congressional map, dealing a setback to the federal lawsuit challenging the voter-approved boundaries. Writing for the majority, Judge Josephine Staton, an Obama appointee, joined by Judge Wesley Hsu, a Biden appointee, said challengers “failed to show that racial gerrymandering occurred” and found “no basis for issuing a preliminary injunction,” adding that the result “probably seems obvious to anyone who followed the news” in 2025. Judge Kenneth Lee, a Trump appointee, dissented. Lindsey Holden and Josh Gerstein report for POLITICO; Laurel Rosenhall reports for the New York Times.

The Justice Department yesterday asked the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to rehear en banc the panel decision that disqualified Alina Habba from serving as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. In its petition, DOJ argues the panel misread the Federal Vacancies Reform Act by limiting “first assistant” service to someone already in place when the vacancy arose and treating Habba as barred because her nomination was submitted even though it was later withdrawn. The government also disputes the panel’s conclusion that the Attorney General could not delegate prosecutorial authority to her absent valid FVRA acting status, warning the ruling disrupts common vacancy practices and conflicts with other appellate precedent. DOJ says the case is not moot despite Habba’s resignation because she has indicated she intends to return if the decision is reversed."

lousubcap · January 16

Friday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"A federal judge said on Thursday that Trump Cabinet secretaries had conspired to violate the Constitution. “In remarks laced with outrage and disbelief, U.S. District Judge William Young said Donald Trump and top officials have a ‘fearful approach’ to freedom of speech that would seek to ‘exclude from participation everyone who doesn’t agree with them.’” Young was appointed to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan. Joanna Slater reports for the Washington Post.

At a different court hearing, the Trump administration admitted it had made a mistake when it deported Any Lucia López Belloza, 19, a freshman at Babson College, when she was flying home for Thanksgiving. Still, the government has not moved to drop the case, Adam Sella reports for the New York Times.

A federal appeals panel on Thursday reversed a lower court decision that released Mahmoud Khalil from an immigration jail. “In a 2-1 decision, the panel ruled that federal immigration laws require deportation challenges to be made by filing a petition for review of a final order of removal with a federal appeals court — not a lower-level district court.” The Associated Press reports.

The Trump administration was blocked on Thursday from obtaining California voter data. A federal district judge dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit. “A district judge in Oregon also said in court Wednesday that he was tentatively planning to do the same there.” Miles Parks reports for NPR. "

lousubcap · January 20

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

A D.C. federal judge declined to pause the administration’s new seven-day notice requirement for congressional visits to ICE detention facilities, explaining in a Monday order that the policy constitutes a new agency action not covered by her prior ruling and that the lawmakers raised the challenge through the wrong procedural mechanism. Michael Kunzelman reports for the Associated Press.

According to an international coalition of lawyers’ groups, it is now dangerous to be a lawyer in the United States. “The Day of the Endangered Lawyer, an annual event to raise awareness of risks to members of the profession, has in recent years picked Belarus, Iran and Afghanistan as its subject. For 2026, it has chosen the US.” Kaye Wiggins for the Financial Times."

lousubcap · January 22

Thursday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

The Trump administration yesterday withdrew its appeal of a court ruling that blocked its attempt to withhold billions in education funding from schools and colleges with D.E.I programs. Dana Goldstein reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap · January 26

Monday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s push to terminate the legal status of more than 8,400 family members of U.S. citizens and green card holders who moved to the United States from seven Latin American countries. Nate Raymond reports for Reuters. "

lousubcap · January 27

Tuesday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"A federal appeals court yesterday declined to reimpose restrictions on federal agents at protests in Minnesota, refusing the American Civil Liberties Union’s plea to do so in a new filing following this weekend’s fatal shooting. The panel ruled that the limits imposed by a lower court judge earlier this month were too broad and vague. Zach Schonfeld reports for the Hill."

lousubcap · January 28

Wednesday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

The family of two Trinidadian men killed in an Oct. 2025 U.S. missile strike on a small boat off the coast of Venezuela filed a wrongful death suit against the administration. Plaintiffs argue that the strike violated international and federal law against extrajudicial killings and seek compensation for the resulting deaths. Cheyanne M. Daniels reports for POLITICO.

A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the deportation of a 5-year-old boy and his father, who were arrested in a Minneapolis suburb last week. The image of the boy, wearing a Spider-Man backpack and a large winter hat as he was detained by federal agents, quickly became an emblem of the immigration tactics in Minnesota. The judge’s order was brief and did not delve into the details of the case. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap · January 29

Thursday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"The chief federal judge in Minnesota yesterday rescinded an order he had issued on Tuesday summoning ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to appear before him to explain why he should not be held in contempt. In the new ruling, the judge said that contempt proceedings could resume if the violations continue, noting that ICE had violated nearly 100 court orders in the state and had disobeyed more judicial directives in January alone than “some other federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.” Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times.

A federal judge yesterday evening issued a temporary restraining order, directing federal agents to stop detaining and deporting refugees in Minnesota who were lawfully admitted to the United States, and to immediately release those currently held for re-examination of their cases. Miriam Jordan reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap · January 30

Friday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

A federal appeals court yesterday upheld a lower court ruling that the Trump administration lacked the statutory authority to vacate and terminate the Temporary Protected Status designation for Venezuelan and Haitian migrants. Jazmine Ulloa reports for the New York Times.

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit last week seeking $941,114 plus interest from Marta Alicia Ramirez Veliz for allegedly failing to leave the United States for more than three years after the Justice Department appeals panel ruled against her immigration case. Josh Gerstein reports for POLITICO.

Trump filed a lawsuit yesterday against the Internal Revenue Service for the unauthorized disclosure of his tax returns during his first term, seeking at least $10 billion in damages. Andrew Duehren and Chris Cameron report for the New York Times. (And we, the taxpayers are on the hook for any settlement...).

lousubcap · February 2

Monday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"A federal judge on Saturday denied a request by the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to temporarily block a surge of federal immigration agents. “There is evidence that ICE and CBP agents have engaged in racial profiling, excessive use of force, and other harmful actions,” the judge said. However, she found that the state officials’ arguments that the state was being punished or treated unfairly by the federal government were insufficient to justify blocking the surge altogether. Josh Gerstein, Kyle Cheney, and Gregory Svirnovskiy report for POLITICO.

A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for over 5,000 Ethiopians, giving the legal challenge more time to be heard. Nate Raymond reports for Reuters."

lousubcap · February 3

The Dear Leader and the Kennedy Center-

Exit Stage Right

(Eric Lee / The New York Times / Redux)

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One year ago, President Trump conducted a hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center, the venerable Washington, D.C., performing-arts institution. The president said he had never attended a show there, but he was confident that he alone knew what the center needed.

Last night, Trump delivered an implicit admission of defeat, announcing that the center will close on July 4 for two years. Trump brought the same theory to the Kennedy Center that he does to most of his moves: He believes that he knows better than the experts, and that a “silent majority”actually supports his disruptions. That certainty seems to have led him to a bad bet here.

“I have determined that The Trump Kennedy Center, if temporarily closed for Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding, can be, without question, the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!”

If you’ve been paying attention, this explanation will be perplexing. In October, Trump posted that “Many major improvements” were under way at the center—including, bafflingly, the addition of marble armrests on chairs—but that “We are remaining fully open during construction, renovation, and beautification.” (For the record, the Kennedy Center underwent a $250 million expansion just seven years ago.)

In December, when Trump added his name to the building’s facade—in violation of statute and grammar—he boasted, “We saved the building. The building was in such bad shape, both physically, financially and every other way. And now it’s very solid, very strong.” Just a month ago he added, “A year ago it was in a state of financial and physical collapse. Wait until you see it a year from now!!! Like our Country, itself, it will rise from the ashes.”

Now Trump is saying that a year from now the center will be closed and dark. Trump’s contradictory statements and the absence of an independent board or any notification to Congress make these claims of a building in need of repair unverifiable at best, and most likely nonsense. (He also hasn’t said anything about how he would pay for this renovation.) A more plausible reason for the closing is that under Trump, the Kennedy Center can’t hold on to staff, artists, or audiences.

When Trump took over, he fired Deborah Rutter, the respected programmer who was the center’s president, and replaced her with Richard Grenell, a political bagman who had previously been deployed as acting director of national intelligence, ambassador to Germany, and envoy to Venezuela, but who had no arts experience. (To be fair, he had little or no qualifications for most of those jobs.) Other staff haven’t stuck around either. “Almost every head of programming has resigned or been dismissed,” The Washington Post notes.

The latest of these was Kevin Couch, the new head of programming, who quit less than two weeks after his hiring was announced. One can imagine the job would be no picnic. In recent weeks, the composer Philip Glass yanked a new symphony commissioned by the center. The opera singer Renée Fleming also canceled two performances. The Washington National Opera announced that it was departing the center. The jazz musician Chuck Redd canceled a long-running Christmas Eve concert. Grenell’s threat to sue Redd for $1 million is unlikely to make artists more eager to book shows.

Grenell has accused artists of politicizing the center. “The left is boycotting the Arts because Trump is supporting the Arts,” he posted on X. “The Arts are for everyone—and the Left is mad about it.” But this statement has it all backwards. Trump grabbed unprecedented presidential control and politicized his own involvement in the arts, promising to use his leadership of the Kennedy Center to vanquish leftist culture. One artist who chose to play, the folk guitarist Yasmin Williams, said that an organized groupattended and heckled her.

Given the hollowing out of the schedule and Trump’s unpopularity in Washington, ticket and subscription-package sales have fallen steeply. The Washington Post found that since September, “43 percent of tickets remained unsold for the typical production. That means that, at most, 57 percent of tickets were sold for the typical production.” (Some of those tickets may have been given for free.) For comparison, 93 percent of tickets were sold or given for free in fall 2024. One of Grenell’s dictates was that the center would book only shows that broke even or were profitable, yet instead the center is driving patrons away. CNN reports that the Kennedy Center wasn’t even able to book performances for next season. Closing the doors for two years just makes official what was already happening.

Trump believed that if he grabbed the Kennedy Center’s reins and started booking shows that conformed to his taste—and to that of some of his friends and MAGA fans—the venue would be wildly popular. It turns out, though, that a 79-year-old New York–born billionaire whose tastes run to gilded accents and kitschy musicals isn’t a good proxy for either the general population or arts patrons in Washington. As my colleague Spencer Kornhaber recently wrote, Trump’s term dawned with expectations of a huge cultural shift. Instead, popular culture has remained stubbornly indifferent to MAGA aesthetics.

Trump keeps making a version of this error. His first term was a series of overreaches, all confidently executed in the belief that the silent majority would back him. Instead, he lost in 2020. His second-term win renewed his overconfidence. Now he believes that because many Americans wanted tighter border security, they will also support violent crackdowns in the streets of American cities; instead, his immigration approval keeps sinking. He believes that because he won the election in part on his promises to fix the economy, Americans are willing to tolerate high inflation; instead, polls show that voters’ confidence in the future is declining.

The closure of the center also fits into another pattern: As I wrote last week, Trump has proved adept at destroying things but shows little interest in building them back up. Trump’s previous predictions for the Kennedy Center haven’t borne out, so some skepticism is warranted now. Even if the physical overhaul succeeds, the center will still have the same problems of audience, artists, and staff when it’s done—only in a gaudier space. In effect, Trump appears to have graffitied his name on an empty shell. “I am doing the same thing to the United States of America, but only on a ‘slightly’ larger scale!” he wrote in an October post about the center’s makeover. This time around, his harshest critics might be the first ones to agree.

lousubcap · February 3

Tuesday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

A federal judge yesterday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status for more than 350,000 Haitians.Miriam Jordan reports for the New York Times.

A federal judge yesterday issued a temporary restraining order, ruling that the Homeland Security Department likely broke the law when it barred members of Congress from visiting immigrant detention facilities without a week’s notice. The judge found that the policy continued to violate a part of the law that provides annual appropriations to fund DHS and prohibits those funds from being used to limit congressional oversight. Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein report for POLITICO; Zach Montague reports for the New York Times.

A federal judge yesterday said that he would lift a restraining order granted last week to safeguard crucial evidence in the killing of Alex Pretti. The judge said, “Though the record is not one-sided, the greater weight of the evidence shows Defendants are not likely to destroy or improperly alter evidence related to Mr. Pretti’s shooting during the life of this case, and other relevant considerations do not on balance favor a continuing preservation order.” Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report for POLITICO. "

lousubcap · February 4

Wednesday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

A federal judge yesterday ordered federal agents to refrain from using chemical or projectile munitions for at least 14 days “at or in the vicinity of” the ICE office in Portland’s South Waterfront neighbourhood. Kelly Kasulis Cho reports for the Washington Post.

New York and New Jersey yesterday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking an emergency court order to force the restoration of funding for the $16 billion Hudson River tunnel before construction is set to halt on Friday. David Shepardson reports for Reuters. "

lousubcap · February 5

Thursday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"The Supreme Court rejected an emergency request from the California Republican Party and the Trump administration to block California’s new congressional map. “Donald Trump said he was ‘entitled’ to five more Congressional seats in Texas,” Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) said on social media. “He started this redistricting war. He lost, and he’ll lose again in November.” Lindsey Holden and Josh Gerstein report for POLITICO.

A federal judge yesterday issued a preliminary injunction blocking federal immigration agents in Oregon from arresting people without warrants unless there is a likelihood of escape. ABC News reports.

Educators in Minnesota yesterday filed a lawsuit seeking to stop federal agents from conducting immigration enforcement near schools and bus stops. Sarah Mervosh reports for the New York Times.

Fulton County in Georgia yesterday filed a sealed motion seeking the return of ballots and other election materials from the 2020 presidential contest that the FBI seized last week. Nick Corasaniti and Richard Fausset report for the New York Times. "

The Biggest Loser

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