The Political Thread

[Looji Nagata]

American newspaper The Washington Post announces that it will layoff about 300 journalists, roughly one-third of its employees, particularly those who cover sports, local news and world news sections as part of a major restructuring effort.

Washington Post announces sweeping layoffs scaling back news coverage

A former editor describes the massive cuts as one of the "darkest days" in the history of the storied newspaper.

www.bbc.com

"If we are to thrive, not just endure, we must reinvent our journalism and our business model with renewed ambition."

...honestly, in today's age this kinda sounds like any owner who's about to announce they'll put all their eggs in the AI-basket going forward.

 

[Looji Nagata]

• New START, the last treaty on limiting strategic nuclear weapons between Russia and the United States, expires. (BBC News) (swissinfo)
• Russia and the United States agree to re-establish high-level military communication for the first time since it was suspended in 2021 under the Biden administration. (AP)

New Start: US-Russia nuclear weapons treaty due to expire raising fears of arms race

The New Start treaty has limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads for both countries.

www.bbc.com

US and Russia agree to reestablish military dialogue after Ukraine talks

The U.S. and Russia have agreed to reestablish high-level, military-to-military dialogue for the first time in more than four years.

apnews.com

...I'm not sure that "high-level military communication" is what you'd think it would be. At least it wouldn't surprise me, if it's about a variety of things, but not to renew anything regarding limiting nuclear weapons.

 

[Chris]

:

Trump posts racist image showing Obamas as apes, White House defends it

The depiction of the Obamas, posted from Trump's Truth Social account, was included in a video pushing a conspiracy theory about 2020 election voting machines.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Butters]

“He was hacked he didnt mean to but even if he did it was just a joke learn to lighten up they have done much worse”

 

[Chris]

Its always the only people still being racist that seem to think minorities should just "get over it" bc it was so long ago I notice

 

[Butters]

Just saw the whole video and its just dumb as hell. Its playing the song the lion sleeps tonight from lion king and has a bunch of dems and whoopie goldberg for some reason as animals in the jungle and of course trump is the lion.

This is shit like a kid in high school would make and post but here it is our president doing it and it’s not even the first or last time he will.

 

[Chris]

Yeah he also posted that AI video of him taking a giant shit on protestors. The office of president has never been so prestigious

 

[Butters]

Yeah he also posted that AI video of him taking a giant shit on protestors. The office of president has never been so prestigious

Thats what it was! I knew there was the video of him flying a jet and dropping shit but for some reason i couldn’t recall who he was dropping it on. Idk why i couldn’t fathom him having protesters.

He loves his AI videos.

 

[Chris]

"We will fund public services that we're legally required to only if you put the presidents name on them"

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/05/trump-wanted-dulles-airport-and-penn-station-named-after-him-to-release-rail-tunnel-funds-00768242

 

[Barry Poppins]

The Lion Sleeps Tonight is not from the Lion King btw.

 

[Barry Poppins]

It's a 1961 song lmfao

 

[Chris]

The Lion Sleeps Tonight is not from the Lion King btw.

yeah it's from Friends duh

 

[Blazehausen]

Still hard to believe we got this fucking idiot running the country.

 

[Barry Poppins]

Still hard to believe we got this fucking idiot running the country.

A third of the country are ignorant, and another third are just apathetic entirely. Really hard to get people to show up when voting is optional and a good minority just don't give a fuck.

 

[Chris]

I guess we have to stop these dangerous 5 year olds at any cost even when judges tell us to stop. Republicans are fucking pathetic

After leaving detention facility, 5-year-old Liam Ramos now faces DHS' request to expedite deportation proceedings

The next court hearing for Liam and his family is on Friday.

www.kare11.com

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. — Five-year-old Liam Ramos finally returned home to Minnesota this week after he and his father were detained by ICE in Texas on Jan. 20. But now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is requesting the court expedite deportation proceedings in the case of Liam and his family.

A photo of Liam went viral after ICE agents detained him at school pickup at Valley View Elementary School in Columbia Heights. A U.S. District Judge ruled Saturday that Liam and his father should be released from ICE detention, and they returned to Minnesota the next day.

But the legal battle has continued, as Liam's father is seeking asylum. MPR reported that DHS filed the motion to expedite deportation proceedings on Wednesday, and the next court hearing for the family is Friday.

In the Columbia Heights School District, at least three other students have been detained by ICE. Nicole Herje, a school social worker at Valley View Elementary School, said many students and families are scared to leave their homes and school staff is scrambling to keep up with students' needs - from food to emotional support.