Hello, I’d like to report a murder. While the plot has been in place for some time, the actual killing just took place today in Washington, DC. I’m reporting the homicide here, in this independent media source, because I’m not at all sure that the Washington paper of record still has anyone on the murder beat. Across local, international, and sports desks, the Washington Post is laying off more than 300 journalists. According to the NYT, “The cuts are a sign that Jeff Bezos, who became one of the world’s richest people by selling things on the internet, has not yet figured out how to build and maintain a profitable publication on the internet.” This point of view assumes that Bezos’ goal in owning the Post was to build a profitable publication on the internet. But it’s been a long time since we’ve seen any signs the Amazonian billionaire’s prime concern was associated with such trifles as achieving a rounding error-sized profit in a vanity project which, at $250 million, cost him roughly half as much as his yacht (which also doesn’t turn a profit). No, this was never about turning bauble into bling. It was about power and access, and sometimes those are best achieved through failure. What could make the current administration happier than the demise of the paper that exposed Watergate? Hence, the decision to go postal on the Post. As Ian Bremmer succinctly explains: “The Washington Post is a political access play for Bezos, it’s not about supporting independent media or promoting democracy. This should have been clear to all for years now. But it’s impossible to ignore today.” Under Bezos’ watch, the Post adopted the tagline, Democracy Dies in Darkness. By now, we all know better. It gets bludgeoned to death in the cold light of day. 2Clown with Crown Wants Frown Upside Down“’I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,’ Mr. Trump said in a sarcastic tone, while sitting at the Resolute Desk. ‘I’ve known you for 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face ... You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth ... You are so bad. You know, you are the worst reporter. No wonder. CNN has no ratings because of people like you.’” In keeping with his quiet piggy tradition of misogynistically debasing the office and the country, Trump Scolded CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for ‘Not Smiling’ (while she was asking a question about Epstein’s victims). On one side of the desk, politicians stood by silently as Trump personally attacked Kaitlin Collins. On the other side of the desk, her colleagues did the same. A country doesn’t fall this far this fast without teamwork. 3Old Man and the Sea Change“Sixteen years ago, at age 66, López García first tried running a mile. He’d recently retired after spending his entire working life as a car mechanic in Toledo, Spain. In all those years, he’d never trained as an athlete or exercised much at all. He couldn’t finish that first mile. He could barely start it.” Well, he improved. A lot. Now, he’s a world-record holding ultramarathoner. He can probably teach us a lot more about health and longevity than the longevity bros selling their supplements on social media. WaPo(Gift Article): At 82, he’s as fit as a 20-year-old. His body holds clues to healthy aging. 4Baby Sitcom“Laughter does more than increase pleasurable social contact; infant laughter, especially when it occurs in response to humor, signals a cognitive achievement. When an infant laughs at Dad wearing a spoon as a mustache, it reveals the baby’s knowledge about spoons and mustaches, as well as about the person wearing it.” NYT (Gift Article): The Evolutionary Brilliance of the Baby Giggle. (At this point, it’s pretty refreshing to see news coverage of babyish behavior that’s actually coming from babies...) 5Extra, ExtraPulling Out: “The Trump administration will withdraw 700 federal immigration agents from Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday. The move comes weeks after agents killed two U.S. citizens, sparking protests across the country.” (A drawdown is good, but there will still be more than 2,000 agents left in a city with 600 police officers. And this move follows two killings captured on video...) 6Bottom of the News“Down the block of working-class homes, more than a dozen chairs of various shapes and vintages were securing their own rectangle of space: a sturdy dining room chair, an office chair on a swivel, two bar stools, a wrought-iron patio love seat, an orange plastic lawn chair. In Pittsburgh, it’s parking chair season.” WSJ (Gift Article): Whatever You Do, Don’t Mess With Pittsburgh’s Parking Chairs.
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Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Prime Suspect
Good For The Gander
Today, the Supreme Court told California that it could use its new congressional voting maps, which create more leans-Democratic districts. It drew them last year after voters passed Proposition 50, which they did in response to rank political gerrymandering in Texas. The Texas gerrymander happened in response because Donald Trump demanded that his party create more Republican seats in the House of Representatives ahead of the midterm elections. Texas Governor Greg Abbot was quick to salute and get it done. The California Democratic Party explained the whole mess like this: “Proposition 50 is a direct response to a Republican power grab orchestrated by President Trump and state leaders in Texas, who redrew Congressional district lines to gain five more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Proposition 50 proposes new lines for many of California’s 52 congressional districts, which would negate the five Republican seats drawn by Texas.” The Supreme Court, at first seemingly with distaste and increasingly in the last few years with more abandon has adopted the view that political gerrymanders can stand. It’s reasoning is that while racial gerrymanders violate the Constitution and are illegal, the Court lacks jurisdiction to invalidate purely political ones. That’s the principle they seem to have applied with today’s one-sentence decision.
The Court’s unsigned order reads, “The application for writ of injunction pending appeal presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court is denied.” The plaintiff, California Assembly member David Tangipais sought an injunction to prevent the new maps from going into effect after the lower court permitted them to go forward. The Court told him no. Even though this is another shadow docket decision about an injunction, not a substantive decision about the merits of the case following full briefing and oral argument, it’s likely to stand, at least for this next election. California’s primaries are held in June, and it’s impractical for the Court to upset the state of play after candidates have qualified and ballots are being printed. There is also the so called-Purcell principle, that prohibits election changing decisions made too close to the start of elections. Instead, the Court will permit both Texas, which acted like a sword here, and California, which played the role of a shield, to maintain an uneasy political equilibrium. Although we don’t know what the vote on the Court was beyond the fact that at least five Justices voted for this result, no Justice wrote in dissent. What was good for the goose in Texas has now been approved for the California gander. But this is about more that tit for tat. The real story is the origin of the gerrymander race to the bottom with Donald Trump’s demand that Republicans hold onto a Republican majority in the House with unprecedented midterm redistricting plans, based on nothing other than raw partisan politics. Trump believes politicians can choose their voters, and that they can deny voters the ability to decide who to elect. We can’t lose sight of that just because California blocked this particular effort. This is about Donald Trump, who is determined to hold onto power, no matter what voters want. Make sure you’re prepared to have that conversation if a friend or family member approaches you with outrage about what California is “getting away with.” This is about Donald Trump and his efforts to prevent us from having free and fair elections. We’re in this together, Joyce You're currently a free subscriber to Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance . For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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Trumpism = sabotage, plunder, and betrayal ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ...
