Thurs Blogcast: Josh Hammer on "amnesty"; Suing over tariffs; Wild turkeys

Just One Thing: Trump and humor

Terry Gilliam, the mostly-behind-the-scenes, and only American, member of Monty Python recently gave an interview to The Hollywood Reporter. This was part of it (the first part in bold being the reporter's question and the second part being Gilliam's answer.)

Since you mentioned funny, you have always had a reputation for humor, sarcasm, caricature and all those things, but you have expressed concern in the past that irony was disappearing. How do you feel about the state of humor, or lack thereof, these days?

I think Trump has changed things considerably. He’s turned the world upside down. I don’t know if people are going to be laughing more, but they’re probably less frightened to laugh. There have been woke activists with a very narrow, self-righteous point of view. That’s frightened so many people, and so many people have been very timid about telling jokes, making fun of things, because if you tell a joke, these people say you’re punching down at somebody. No, you’re finding humor in humanity!

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Today's Guests

Josh Hammer is the author of “Israel and Civilization”, senior editor-at-large at Newsweek, and host of the Josh Hammer Show podcast

We'll discuss whether President Trump's suggestion of some sort of work visa for illegal aliens in certain industries is a form of "amnesty" and, if so, whether it's antithetical to what his voters expected from him.

Do the folks who want every illegal alien deported care about this? (I’m not saying they have to care, but I do.) The Economic Drain of Mass Deportation - WSJ

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Andrew Morris is Senior Litigation Counsel at NCLA (New Civil Liberties Alliance). We'll discuss their involvement in one of the cases against the Trump administration's implementation of tariffs.

Andrew Morris - New Civil Liberties Alliance

NCLA Asks Federal Circuit to Find All Emergency Tariffs Unlawful

By the way: Trump threatens Brazil with tariff threats over Bolsonaro, tech

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Other Stuff

Breaking this morning: Secret Service suspended 6 personnel without pay or benefits after Trump assassination attempt - CBS News

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We (Colorado) probably have the worst upper-level state courts in America. This is clearly wrong: Colorado Court of Appeals rules Netflix subscriptions are “Tangible Personal Property” and taxable under Colorado law | News & Events | Clark Hill PLC

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I’m sure you can guess which guy’s style I like better: The Death of the Public Library - by Zac Bissonnette

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Some changes to the taxation of charitable giving under the Big Beautiful Bill: One Big Beautiful Bill: Charitable Giving Impact | Fidelity Charitable

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New Superman movie getting good early reviews (pre-release) but facing backlash from some conservatives after comments from the director. (I mostly think the Fox crew are pandering to the current anti-immigrant mood among some of its viewing audience and reading more into the director's comments than are really there. That said, the director does seem to go out of his way NOT to differentiate between legal and illegal aliens...though I'm not sure why a movie director should have to do so.)

James Gunn Confronts MAGA Outrage Over Saying Superman Is an Immigrant

Superman director's brother slams MAGA critics over immigrant comments | Fox News

Superman First Reviews: A Fun Comic Book Movie with Old-School Charm That Promises a Bright Future for the New DCU | Rotten Tomatoes

The nonsensical complaints for Superman's motto being changed needs to stop : r/CharacterRant

‘Superman’ Film’s Right-Wing Backlash: Director Calls Superhero An Immigrant—And MAGA Erupts

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These are NOT the "magic mushrooms": The murder trial that transfixed Australia.

Woman convicted of 3 murders for poisoning her in-laws with death cap mushrooms | AP News

There are already plans for a book about the trial.

One of several podcasts that were created to cover the case is called “Mushroom Case Daily”: Mushroom Case Daily with Rachael Brown and Kristian Silva and Stephen Stockwell - ABC listen

Erin Patterson Is Found Guilty of Murder in Australia Mushroom Poisoning Case - The New York Times

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It's a good start. (She really is a raging antisemite.) Accountability for the U.N. - WSJ

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I understand a doctor not wanting to answer the second question asked, as a potential violation of doctor-patient confidentiality. But not answering the first one?!? Biden White House doctor pleads Fifth Amendment in House Oversight grilling | Fox News

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Keep an eye on this: Trump edges closer to Russia hawks — but will the move last? | Semafor

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A bunch of stuff I keep trying to get to but run out of time...

The Rise of Influencer Trust - FEE

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Speaking of trust, I have ZERO trust in the federal gov’t’s proclamations about what to eat and it’s only going to get worse with the anti-science RFK’s involvement: U.S. dietary guidelines on a collision course with MAHA

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What about someone with a good but not great skill set who, in past years, would have risen as high as some sort of middle management but not higher? Middle managers in decline as "flattening" spreads, AI advances

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Shocked that it's only 6/10 (with 10 being the worst)...but I also think no other sodas (in the US at least) are worse: Tim Walz and JD Vance both love Diet Mountain Dew. But is it healthy? | Fortune Well

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Seriously, Dragon? Ranked: The World's Most Common Passwords

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This is kinda cool: Dinosaur fossils found beneath Denver science museum - Axios Denver

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Today's Videos

Wait...what?

Who knew garlic was so funny? (This one will brighten your day)