02/25/25

Good morning! It’s Tuesday, February 25th.

It is both Let’s All Eat Right Day and National Chocolate Covered Nut Day.

Why? Because everything in moderation.

And now, the news.

Ukraine-Russian War

-via Washington Post, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and BBC

Starting with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Monday marked three years since Russia’s full-blown assault on the country (though the invasion truly began in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea). And how did the United Stated mark this somber occasion?

By voting against a Ukraine-proposed resolution put to the United Nations, to condemn Russia for its actions in the last three years.

This is just another step in what has been a month and change of Trump shocking the world by moving away from ideological allyship with other counties in the UN, and instead aligning himself, and therefore us, with a dictator.

Who, by the way, Trump wouldn’t even call a dictator. He easily called Ukraine’s Zelensky a dictator last week, but this week, when asked by the press if he would call Russia’s Putin a dictator, he said: "I don't use those words lightly, we'll see how it all works out."

Instead, they put up a US version that calls on both parties to stop fighting briefly, but doesn’t touch on what Russia did. Because of course not!

The US also voted against amendments to that resolution, sponsored by a group European countries including France, that would have added a commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, which is a principle that says, under international law, nation-states should not attempt to promote secessionist movements or border changes in other nation-states. They also can’t impose border change through force. That feels like a good one to support – which of course makes it very obvious about why we’re not doing it.

An expert in United Nations for the International Crisis Group called the split between us and those who we would have otherwise called our allies in Europe: “the biggest split among Western powers at the U.N. since the Iraq War — and probably even more fundamental.”

So that doesn’t sit well.

In a post on his ironically-titled Truth Social, Trump said he talked to France’s Emmanual Macron as others that the United States should take control of a significant amount of Ukraine’s rate earths and minerals as payback, essentially, for the help we sent Ukraine.

Isn’t that cool?

We helped Ukraine, because it was the right thing to do and because we were able. And now we have this new guy in office, and he wants payback for the help, and also says the payback is essential to end the war. Except Ukraine isn’t involved in talks about ending the war, so presumably it’s not going to be advantageous to them at all.

So great. Really safe.

For what it’s worth, Macron said he was meeting with Trump because: "For three years, Ukraine has been fighting with admirable courage against an aggressor - Russia. For sovereignty and freedom. Our support for Ukraine will remain unwavering. I am in Washington to reaffirm this and to move forward with President Donald Trump and our allies.”

Israel-Hamas War

-via AP News

Keeping in international news, on Sunday Israeli tanks moved into the West Bank for the first time in 23 years. This comes after the defense minister said Israeli troops will stay in the West Bank for a year and added that the 40,000 or so Palestinians who left the West Bank, cannot return.

Huh.

Palestinians being told they can no longer go back to their homes. I wonder where Israel found the strength to say that. I wonder which country’s support of this disgusting move would make them feel like they can put it into action.

Abortion in America

-via CBS News

Speaking of things that don’t sit well… the Supreme Court!

Actually this one’s a good one – kind of.

On Monday, the Supreme Court turned away appeals from two abortion rights opponents who were asking the Justices to overturn a decision from 2000 which allowed for buffer zones around abortion clinics. The zones are, of course, needed because the pro-life party and their zealots are so fiercely pro-life that they’re will to put lives in danger while they protest aggressively against the idea of freewill and bodily autonomy.

Now, I say kind of because what would have been cooler is if they heard the case and strengthened the legitimacy of those buffer zones. But beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.

You will be shocked, shocked I tell you, to hear that historic badman Justice Thomas, as well as his little PJ buddy Justice Aleako would have happily heard the cases. He went on to say, in his dissent, that it should be overturned.

Well you won’t get your chance this time, ya creep!

Federal Employees

-via The Guardian

After an email went out over the weekend, telling federal employees that they needed to respond with five things they did the week before or, according to a tweet from Elon Musk, they would be marked as having had resigned… Monday brought a new wave of chaos.

Impressive, when you consider how chaotic things have been since Trump took office.

On Monday, labor unions joined with advocacy groups in asking a federal court to put a stop to this latest move from DOGE to squeeze our government into something small enough to put in Trump’s pocket and then throw away the next time he’s near a trashcan (just kidding… he really doesn’t seem like a guy that throws trash away. Really try and picture it… can’t do it, can you?).

Ironically, federal judges received this email as well.

So far, there has been a ton of pushback. One unnamed defense department official told CNN it was “the silliest thing I’ve seen in 40 years.”

Which I respect but it also makes me think he’s never seen that video of Mike Wazowski falling down at Disney World. That’s silly!

Anyway, ever the sensitive most special employee, Musk responded that “anyone with the attitude of that Pentagon official needs to look for a new job.”

Some departments, including Kash Patel’s FBI (truly a cursed collection of words) have instructed their team to hold on replying. Others, including RFK Jr’s Health and Human Services (again, very very cursed) told employees they must reply.

While Ed Martin, the interim US attorney for DC, went with this approach: “Let me clarify: We will comply with this OPM request whether by replying or deciding not to reply. Please make a good faith effort to reply and list your activities (or not, as you prefer), and I will, as I mentioned, have your back regarding any confusion. We can do this.”

Come on man! You can’t say “let me clarify” before being impossibly confusing!

All of this kind of came to a head on Monday when the Office of Personnel Management reversed course and said answering the email was voluntary and not responding would not lead to being fired.

The Department of Government Efficiency is not super efficient after all!

Guantanamo Plans on Hold

-via CNN

On Monday the Trump administration announced that they are putting their Gitmo dreams of doing war crimes on hold since the facilities don’t meet detention standards (they don’t have air conditioning or electricity).

A source with knowledge of the situation told CNN: “There should have been a greater degree of planning before the execution. Now execution has begun, and everyone is trying to back into planning.”

What a great description of the entire administration.

And that’s it. That’s the news.

I’m proud of people who eat healthy, but then do a sweet treat. Because we contain multitudes.

But more than that, because you also contain multitudes (and are also a sweet treat)… I’m proud of you.