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Real Benisons
@realbenisons.bsky.social
reading the morning newspaper is a realistic benediction of the day--Hegel
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Carney: "American hegemony in particular helped provide public goods, a stable financial system... this bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition... recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as a weapon. Tariffs as leverage ... "
January 20, 2026 at 3:50 PM
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JUST IN: Federal judges Virginia are seeking applicants to succeed Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney, whose 120-day appointment expires today, they say. www.vaed.uscourts.gov/sites/vaed/f...
January 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM
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The tsar's advisers whisper evil into his ear. All would be well, if only the tsar knew.
Tillis: "To be clear -- I'm not critical of the president. I'm critical of the bad advice he's getting on Greenland."
January 20, 2026 at 1:19 PM
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Federal immigration agents forced open a door and detained a U.S. citizen in his Minnesota home at gunpoint without a warrant, then led him out onto the streets in his underwear in subfreezing conditions, according to his family and videos reviewed by The Associated Press.
US citizen says ICE removed him from his Minnesota home in his underwear after warrantless search
Federal immigration agents have detained a U.S. citizen in Minnesota at gunpoint without a warrant. That's according to ChongLy “Scott” Thao, who says agents forced open his door, entered with guns drawn and led him outside in his underwear in freezing conditions.
bit.ly
January 20, 2026 at 1:40 PM
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Trump reaching new lows: only 37% approval & 71% of adults say the country is out of control.

-27 points underwater on inflation
-10 points underwater on immigration
-7 points underwater on handling crime

Plus, only 9% support using military force to seize Greenland.
January 20, 2026 at 3:23 PM
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The New York Times decided to put on a hotdog suit again this morning.
January 20, 2026 at 1:51 PM
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Finnish President Stubb:

none of Russian strategic goals have succeeded

Putin wanted to take over Ukraine; he made Ukraine European.

He wanted to split NATO; he actually got two additional members, Sweden and Finland.

He wanted to split the transatlantic partnership; well, some might say there
January 20, 2026 at 3:19 PM
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As I wrote in my @theverge.com piece on gov't weaponization of content moderation to remove avenues to capture/archive footage of ICE, some DHS/DOJ actions can best be understood through the lens of narrative war, where non-approved footage isn't just irksome but a competitor in narrative-building
January 20, 2026 at 3:12 PM
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“Signature” policy has nothing to do with it.
Bessent on tariffs: "I think it's very unlikely that the Supreme Court is going to strike down a president's signature economic policy. It didn't with the ACA, also known as Obamacare."
January 20, 2026 at 2:41 PM
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Macron: "What we need is more Chinese foreign direct investment in Europe in some key sectors to contribute to our growth."
January 20, 2026 at 2:59 PM
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Olson (1965)
January 20, 2026 at 2:59 PM
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This is nuts.

World leaders are trying to do diplomacy. Trump is screenshotting and posting private messages from heads of state like it’s a gossip session.
January 20, 2026 at 1:32 PM
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Narrator: The US shut down nearly all its bases in Greenland long ago and abandoned the Island.
Donald Trump has a total of 5 years to rebuild and repopulate those bases, and has failed to do so.
BARTIROMO: How do you justify taking over a country when Denmark & Greenland have said they're not interested?

BESSENT: Maria, the president has a very strong view on Western Hemisphere security & believes US should not outsource our natl security, He believes Greenland is essential for Golden Dome
January 20, 2026 at 2:30 PM
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the general sense is that a lot of officials want someone, anyone to stop trump but no one wants to be the first one to move or have to make any tough, short-term sacrifices for long-term gain
January 20, 2026 at 2:23 PM
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Its like gramsci said the monster struggles to be born, haunting europe as a spectre
waking up to the Belgian PM quoting Gramsci at Davos re: Trump www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
January 20, 2026 at 1:58 PM
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A Minnesota man says he felt fear, shame and desperation a day after ICE officers broke down his door with guns drawn, handcuffed him and dragged him into the snow wearing shorts and sandals.
January 20, 2026 at 1:40 PM
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I’m seeking photos and videos of drones used by ICE, like these. Please send any you have my way - trying to better understand the patterns.
There are numerous reports across the Twin Cities on ICE monitoring pages of drones circling apartment buildings. What valid law enforcement reason could there be for this?
January 20, 2026 at 4:39 AM
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I am building an essential 90,000 square foot ballroom and soliciting billion dollar membership fees for my new alternative UN while I shake down Venezuela for cash I will hide in Qatar and I am debating whether I should collapse NATO by stealing the world’s biggest island.
as it always is, part of the trump problem is that describing his behavior in plain language makes you sound like you should be on a 72 hour hold
January 20, 2026 at 1:49 AM
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Honestly this isn't even a new problem! In 2012 Obama had focus groups where the participants REFUSED TO BELIEVE Paul Ryan's plans for Social Security & Medicare were real!
as it always is, part of the trump problem is that describing his behavior in plain language makes you sound like you should be on a 72 hour hold
January 20, 2026 at 3:29 AM
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"I uh, un-recommend Best Bus." Stay safe, @musicologyduck.bsky.social!
January 20, 2026 at 2:56 AM
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John Birch Society having a totally normal moment.
January 20, 2026 at 3:27 AM
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“But what deeply troubles me now is that for all the steps we've taken toward integration, I've come to believe that we are integrating into a burning house." 

Dr. King said this famous quote on March 27th, 1968, mere days before his murder. But the context around the quote is interesting...
January 20, 2026 at 3:40 AM
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At about the 35-second mark the officer says "IF YOU FUCKING MOVE I'LL FUCKING TASE YOU," followed immediately by "GET OUT OF THE FUCKING CAR RIGHT NOW."

Which contradictory order are you supposed to follow, knowing that either could get you tased? Or worse?

bsky.app/profile/petr...
'"YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK"', has a WHOLE new meaning under #Trumpism. 🗽
January 19, 2026 at 9:08 PM
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He and others in public health “get kind of pissed off when we see people like RFK referred to as a ‘vaccine skeptic,’” Valeika said. Skepticism is a…world view of testing and challenging assumptions. He’s already made up his mind. He’s an anti-vax conspiracy theorist. There’s no doubt about that.”
Opinion: Measles outbreak one more sign of the slide into irresponsible ignorance • Asheville Watchdog
I don’t often agree with U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina who’s recently been quite vocal in his criticism of some Trump Administration policies. But when Tillis said in a floor...
avlwatchdog.org
January 19, 2026 at 2:07 PM
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I've long wondered how NYMag's investigation managed to miss the extremely severe malfeasance their former star reporter committed on behalf of the child murder guy. The scandalously dismaying answer apparently is "they found out and they didn't care." www.telos.news/p/part-9-cov...
January 19, 2026 at 8:53 PM