Odds and Ends — 16 December 2024

@preparedwombat 77

6 days ago

oddsandends

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, and Debt:

Bitcoin Tops $106K as New Accounting Rule Takes Effect

Bitcoin Bull MicroStrategy Joins Nasdaq 100

BTC price 'base case' now $140K

Coronavirus News, Analysis, and Opinion:

He refused the COVID vaccine. He exiled himself from baseball. Was it worth it?

Politics:

https://twitter.com/ruthbenghiat/status/1868119815153500534
https://twitter.com/DaveMinCA/status/1868108464108736909
https://twitter.com/ATabarrok/status/1868304683460137014

Trump Threatens More Lawsuits Over Critical Coverage

The small flurry of threatened defamation lawsuits is the latest sign that the incoming Trump administration appears poised to do what it can to crack down on unfavorable media coverage. Before and after the election, Mr. Trump and his allies have discussed subpoenaing news organizations, prosecuting journalists and their sources, revoking networks’ broadcast licenses and eliminating funding for public radio and television.
Actual or threatened libel lawsuits are another weapon at their disposal — and they are being deployed even before Mr. Trump moves back into the White House.

https://twitter.com/SundaeDivine/status/1868147745783246920

Trump Isn’t Budging on Tariffs

Trump’s tariff threats have triggered a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to soften or alter the president-elect’s plans. But the effort faces a potentially insurmountable roadblock: Trump isn’t budging.
So far, executives are facing setbacks as they canvass Trump’s aides for advice on how to influence the president-elect’s next steps. Trump is largely acting on his own, leaving his incoming team of advisers with few opportunities to shape his thinking. His recent late-night social-media statements about tariffs have come with little warning even to some of his closest allies, according to people familiar with the matter.

https://twitter.com/BlackLanterrn/status/1867997890154471657

Harris Debates a Run for California Governor

Top aides and people close to Kamala Harris have divided over whether she should head home to run for California governor in 2026 — and it all comes down to whether they believe she could win the Democratic nomination for president in an expected competitive primary in 2028.
Some believe a repeat run, after quickly improving her reputation and raising more than $1 billion over her surprise 100-day race, should be hers for the taking. Others worry that in a longer campaign, against some of the other major Democratic contenders who already sat out 2024 in deference first to Joe Biden and then to her, Harris might fizzle out and follow her loss to Donald Trump with the humiliation of being rejected by her own party.

https://twitter.com/ArtCandee/status/1868014233251647767

How Fast Can Trump Enact His 2025 Agenda?

Unlike in his first term, Donald Trump seems determined to hit the ground running when he takes office again on January 20, 2025. He clearly believes his narrow win over Kamala Harris and the congressional trifecta the Republican Party won by the smallest possible margin give him an unconditional popular mandate to do whatever he wants. And so far, Republican lawmakers have demonstrated little interest in pushing back on the president-elect’s extreme policy plans and rogue gallery of Cabinet nominees.
But there’s only so much that can be done in a day, even when you’re president, and Congress has its own priorities. So how quickly can Trump and his Republican allies enact his agenda?

https://twitter.com/lesleyabravanel/status/1867967011101573410

The Battle for Ukraine Is a War of Demography