DL Open Thread: Saturday, July 12, 2025
Y’know, sometimes I put up stuff that I just know will generate conversation. Take yesterday’s Open Thread and Legislative Targets pieces, for example. Granted, I didn’t write anything about Israel’s ongoing killing of kids waiting in line for food, so Puck’s absence was not unexpected. But still, I was certain that some interesting conversation would ensue. Whatsamatter?? Are youse all down in Dewey binge-drinking Orange Crushes (say ‘hi’ to Speaker Pete for me)? Or…have I finally lost our audience?
I can’t go on. I must go on.
This Texas Flood Cover-Up Isn’t Working. ICE Barbie:
Two days after catastrophic floods roared through Central Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not answer nearly two-thirds of calls to its disaster assistance line, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times.
The lack of responsiveness happened because the agency had fired hundreds of contractors at call centers, according to a person briefed on the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal matters.
The agency laid off the contractors on July 5 after their contracts expired and were not extended, according to the documents and the person briefed on the matter. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, who has instituted a new requirement that she personally approve expenses over $100,000, did not renew the contracts until Thursday, five days after the contracts expired. FEMA is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
Oh, and those Kerr County officials?:
Kerr County officials, who have come under increasing scrutiny for their actionsas the Guadalupe River began to flood, eventually sent text-message alerts that morning to residents who had registered to receivethem, according to screenshots of the texts. But The Post’sreview of emergency notifications that night found that even as a federal meteorologist warnedof deteriorating conditions and catastrophic risk, county officials did not activate a more powerful notification tool they had previously used to warn of potential flooding. The National Weather Service sent its own alerts through this system, beginning at 1:14 a.m. on July 4.
For those claiming that ‘now is not the time’ to place blame, yes it is.
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino has told people he is considering resigning amid a major clash between the FBI and Justice Department over the continued fallout from the release of the Jeffrey Epstein memo, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
This comes after a heated confrontation with Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of the case earlier this week.
The infighting over the case came to a head during a Wednesday meeting, which included Bongino, Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, the sources said. Bongino and Patel were confronted about whether they were behind a story that said the FBI wanted more information released but was ultimately stymied by the Department of Justice, they said.
Bongino denied leaking that notion to NewsNation, which published the story, a source familiar with the matter told CNN, though he did not sign on to a statement defending the review included in that article.
The episode comes as many of President Donald Trump’s close advisers, both inside and outside of the White House, have grown increasingly frustrated with Bondi’s handling of the so-called Epstein files, following days of intense criticism from some of the president’s most devoted supporters.
Don’t think there’s any way Trump can/will fire Biondi. She almost certainly knows too much. Although…Dems should keep the story alive. Here’s why:
It’s a wild thing to ponder, but it took until this week for Democrats to realize that the bugbear of “the Epstein files” wasn’t just dumb right-wing nonsense, but something tons of people (even people who aren’t particularly committed to Donald Trump) actually care about.
Do many of them take genuine interest in getting an answer to that question: Are Trump’s minions covering it up, or did they just exploit the sexual abuse of children to help get their guy elected?
Or do they mostly think the whole issue is sordid and beneath them…
To square their objectives, Democrats will have to stop wishing away distractions from their best issues, and start asking whether and how those issues slot into existing online fixations.
The whole article is more thoughtful than this snippet. But, in a blatant attempt to lure readers back, I’ve opted for the salacious.
President Donald Trump’s Jeffrey Epstein problem isn’t going away.
Influential voices on the far right, including some of the president’s biggest MAGA allies, are incensed at his administration for refusing to release more information about the 2019 death of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in prison.
“It’s not just about a pedophile ring and all that, it’s about who governs us, right?” right-wing pundit and former Trump aide Steve Bannon said Friday. “For this to go away, you’re gonna lose 10% of the MAGA movement. If we lose 10% of the MAGA movement right now, we’re going to lose 40 seats in 2026, we’re going to lose the presidency.”
“They’ve disheartened the hardest-core populists,” he added.
I hate to see the hard-core populists disheartened. Don’t you?
Hospitals are particularly at risk due to fuel shortages, the UN said Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Puck’s correct, though–if only these starving infants would stop supporting Hamas, all their problems would disappear. Although, I guess dying is a more efficient way for their problems to disappear.
What do you want to talk about?
Israel has murdered more starving Palestinian civilians lining up for food from its “distribution hubs” (798) than the total number of Israeli civilians (695) killed on 7th October.
On top of the 80,000 people (over 25,000 kids) it’s already butchered.
Think about the type of person who supports this massacre.
Think about the type of person who argues about whether or not it qualifies as genocide.
El Som, If you can’t pull ’em in with a quote from Samuel Beckett then you might have to give up.
Well, I’ve got four comments today, not counting my own.
So, perhaps the Beckett acolytes have returned…
…which reminds me. I remember seeing a Beckett one-act play in a long-ago Arden Play Festival. Three people in urns. Must be this one:
https://elvaq.com/top-stories/2014/10/22/becketts-play-urns-applause/
It was weird. I didn’t like it. Of course, I was probably in junior high at the time.
I’ve seen Endgame. characters pop out of trash bins.
Saw the Caneco clip after I read the spotlight Delaware article. Remind me to not get on the wrong side of that young man….
Delaware is not ready for Caneco style but that’s just tough shit!! Go for it Kev!
When did being in your 40s become young?
I’m not a huge supporter of Poore’s politics as I understand them to be, but there’s something about this guy that doesn’t give me any more confidence. I sort of understood him to be a Republican or at least Republican lite. See: Nathan fielder. Not surprising for that area he lives in I guess but still I’m not seeing any evidence at all that he’s a better choice. If people want to take on Poore that’s their right but I’m not getting excited about any alternative to anyone unless there’s actually a marked difference. Disclaimer: I don’t live anywhere close to their district so what I think doesn’t much matter.
The difference, IMO, is that, from the time she got into office, she was working for herself and not her constituents. She secured that bullshit ‘Executive Director’ of Jobs For Delaware Graduates almost immediately, which secured more jobs for political hangers-on than it ever did for, you know, kids who needed jobs.
Her hands were also really soiled from running interference, along with her PAL Val, for the blatantly unethical ‘Underground City At Fort DuPont’. A total money pit.
Caneco is a straight-shooter who, at worst, is a legit ‘good government’ elected official.
Lol Caneco is WFP; he’s in no way a Republican, Republican lite, or anything like the pro-genocide, anti-tenant, anti-1A Nathan Field.
I think no one bit on the target list because it’s nothing new – you’ve said all of that already. No one was surprised or learned anything.
Well, don’t think I ever mentioned Williams or Speaker Mimi as targets before.
But, you’re right, I’d already registered my disgust with their mean girls games.
Is the comparison to Nathan field because he’s a white guy? Like how lazy can we be as democrats? I mean I was skeptical a little bit at first but Caneco calls people out all the time. No comparison to Field
Nothing to do with him being a white guy? Sort of a strange thing to assume immediately. It never crossed my mind, but your personal assumptions about race are for you to explore. But to the extent I know a lot of vaguely moderate / conservative neo republicans then yes many of them do happen to be white guys. Shocking I know.
Maybe the guy is fine. I don’t know and I don’t really care. But if this is how his supporters are going to respond to questions and slight criticism then that’s a real ref flag to me.
Best of luck to all. Seems like these primaries are going to be a mess.
‘Seems like these primaries are going to be a mess.’
And:
“Disclaimer: I don’t live anywhere close to their district so what I think doesn’t much matter.”
Respectfully, doesn’t sound like you know what the fuck you’re talking about. Have you paid attention to the primaries during the last 3 or 4 primary seasons? A lot has happened, most of it good, in my opinion.
You literally just said you are judging the guy because he’s a white guy. Read what you wrote. Hmmm wonder why Democrats can’t win elections these days.
Nathan Field is my Council person and I know Kevin. There is Zero political similarity between these two. Not in style or substance Field is a passive aggressive elitist who is in lock step with Carney and BPiG. Kevin is decidedly progressive and not shy!
Texas has a $28 Billion Rainy Day Fund but failed to save the young women or put in place the sirens and other help. I beg to differ with Rep. Williams having too much power. She pushed the Inspector General Bill over the top from the inside. She deserves to stick around for her efforts especially with that Bill hanging around since 2007 dying in a senator’s desk drawer. That bill was blocked by Carney and his henchmen and the women ganged up and got it passed after he went to Wilmington to get his 5th taxpayer pension. Just a little inside baseball.
Just one thing–I don’t buy it. I need more than your word for it.
Besides, tell all the kids who won’t eat lunch thanks to her why she’s worth keeping around.