WHEN THE NEW GOVERNMENT COMES IN, IT SHOULD DEMAND THAT FRANCE PAY REPARATIONS:
France helped to install Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 after hosting him in Neauphle-le-Château, from where he coordinated the Iranian Revolution. France even chartered an Air France flight for him to Tehran in 1979.
Now, France is offering to negotiate a peace deal to help… pic.twitter.com/sbUdFjeCXL
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) June 19, 2025
KIMBERLEY STRASSEL: The GOP Tax-Bill Endgame: Don’t let the dire reporting fool you. Republicans are closing in on a legislative win. “The evidence that Republicans are close to sealing their tax-and-spending-cut megabill? The number of members claiming they are a ‘no.’ The Senate Finance Committee’s Monday release of its portion of the reconciliation bill was the final piece of the negotiation puzzle—all major positions are now staked. With Republicans intent on settling final intraparty disputes via a Senate product, members know now is the moment to make a last push for priorities. So don’t mistake the meaning of those “no” threats. The press will delight this coming week in claiming they represent deep division and imminent collapse. Consider them instead negotiating positions, members’ last efforts to notch their respective wins. And even these demands are somewhat on the edges. Sources report that most House and Senate Republicans are generally comfortable with the broad planks of the bill. The horse trading instead centers on more granular policy questions.”
Plus: “Here is a Democratic trend to watch: Prominent liberal politicians impeding federal agents who are attempting to arrest migrants, public displays of obstruction that are gaining steam. Though whether this is the “new look” Democrats want to present when it comes to the immigration issue is highly debatable.”
I FIND YOUR TERMS ACCEPTABLE: Rock Singer Declares: ‘If You Voted for Trump, Do Not Come To My Shows.’
HMM: Starship destroyed in test stand explosion. “SpaceX provided no other details about the explosion. It took place as Ship 36 was being prepared for a static-fire test. However, the explosion occurred before the vehicle ignited its Raptor engines.”
UPDATE:
Just a scratch
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2025
This aged so well 😂😂https://t.co/kUGxZBPctN
— Space Sudoer (@spacesudoer) June 19, 2025
IF THE INTIFADA IS GLOBAL THEN HE’S A LEGIT MILITARY TARGET FOR ISRAELI DRONES: Holocaust Museum Condemns NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani for Defending ‘Globalize the Intifada.’
ICYMI:
we're finding out how many licks it takes to get to the bottom of a self-licking ice cream cone… https://t.co/brDAMR0fdu
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) June 18, 2025
A FIELD THAT’S DUE FOR MAJOR CHANGES: A New Hope For Middle Eastern Studies. “It would be nice to have academic departments of Middle Eastern studies to turn to for understanding these days, but too many have traded scholarship for anti-Israel politics. No wonder most are now ignored, other than for their role in the self-immolation of U.S. universities since Oct. 7, 2023.”
For over half a century, “Middle Eastern Studies” has been driven by the Arab-Israeli conflict. Now Israel and the Arabs are on increasingly friendly terms, and Israel is on its way to being a normal country in the Middle East. I’m not sure the departments can adapt to this new world, but if they can’t they should be scrapped.
MICHAEL WALSH: In Praise of Instability.
UPDATE: Link was bad before. Fixed now. Sorry!
OPEN THREAD: Hump Day.
RIGHT?
It’s so weird being Iranian right now, scrolling through my feed and seeing all my fellow Iranians praying for freedom, and seeing every white leftist & terror sympathizer praying the oppressor wins… “for humanity.”
— Elica Le Bon الیکا ل بن (@elicalebon) June 17, 2025
WELL, THAT WOULD BE GOOD: Parkinson’s Discovery Suggests We Could Have an FDA-Approved Treatment Already. “Researchers have discovered how a surface protein on brain cells, called Aplp1, can play a role in spreading material responsible for Parkinson’s disease from cell to cell in the brain. Promisingly, an FDA-approved cancer drug that targets another protein – Lag3 – which interacts with Aplp1 – was found to block this process in mice. This suggests a potential treatment for Parkinson’s may already exist.”
LOL:
we're finding out how many licks it takes to get to the bottom of a self-licking ice cream cone… https://t.co/brDAMR0fdu
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) June 18, 2025
THEY SHOULD BE ORGANIZING VOLUNTEER COMPANIES TO HELP PROMOTE THEIR DEPORTATION PROGRAM: Why Aren’t Western Europe’s Biggest Countries Organizing Volunteer Companies For Ukraine? A Question That Needs To Be Asked.
IF THEIR ARGUMENTS WERE GOOD, WOULD THEY HAVE TO LIE SO MUCH? Things Get Messy Fast When You Dig Into the Number Behind the Gun Control Industry’s Favorite Talking Points.
COLOR ME UNSURPRISED: Longer walks linked to lower risk of chronic low back pain.
REMEMBERING KNOXVILLE’S OWN Sam & Andy’s Restaurant. The original, like pretty much every landmark on the Cumberland Avenue “strip” by the university, is long gone. There’s one out in Farragut that’s very good, but not quite as good as the original.
Some background on steamed deli sandwiches, a Knoxville tradition.
Related item here. And yes, J.C. Holdway is great, probably the best restaurant in town.
THIS MAY OFFER A CLUE:
My friend. Have you read fiction books marketed to middle age women?
— Ælþemplær (@Aelthemplaer) June 17, 2025
I WAS TOLD BY THE EXPERTS THAT IT WAS COMPLETELY SAFE: Cannabis use linked to doubled risk of cardiovascular disease death.
I USED TO BE DEPRESSED BUT NOW I JUST WONDER WHY MY MOP IS TALKING TO ME: Psychedelics may help cancer patients with depression.
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