Open Thread for Nov. 6, 2017

People who want marijuana legalized for recreational use often talk up its tax advantages, but they’re seldom realistic about it. Consider this Los Angeles Times article about the coming tax increases a reality check on what will happen when full legalization arrives in California in January. Not only will the taxes raise the price for medical users, a medical cultivator/retailer in Los Angeles predicted the tax hike is “just going to help the illicit market thrive.”

What kind of hairballs have Republicans vomited into all those local offices they keep winning? The kind that thinks abortion shouldn’t be legal because “labor force shortages are tied to population declines.” This is why the “anti-abortion” movement needs rebranding as the “forced birth” movement.

The highlight of Orange Baldy’s East Asia tour might be his plea to Japanese automakers to “Try building your cars in the United States instead of shipping them over. That’s not too much to ask. Is that rude to ask?” Now he’ll probably claim credit for the fact that Japanese companies have been building cars in the U.S. since 1980.

There’s lots more going on, especially in the Mueller Speculation Sweepstakes, where speculators have ramped up the game of Who’s Next, with Flynn and Kushner the favorites.

Add anything else you find interesting.