Exploding MAGA bits

If  what people who still support DJT haven't been rattled a wee bit yet, maybe this will jostle the feng shui a smidge. This bit of joy comes from our new US attorney general and rabid loyalist MAGA Ed Martin, a brand new DoJ prosecutor in Washington, DC:

Martin threatened to prosecute anyone who tries to interfere with Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He's the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Martin was appointed as the interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia by DJT on January 20, 2025, just minutes after he was sworn in as president. Martin publicly shared a letter he wrote to Musk on Monday, February 3, 2025, where he stated, "Any threats, confrontations, or other actions in any way that impact their work may break numerous laws," and assured Musk that his office would "pursue any and all legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people."

So, as Musk and DOGE blithely break laws and commit kleptocracy and dictatorship, people who try to stop the illegality will be prosecuted. This is the new normal for federal law enforcement. And anyone in the executive branch who objects WILL BE IMMEDIATELTY FIRED!

☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

Everyone is reporting that just after her swearing in, our brand new US Attorney General Pam Bondi promised directly to DJT, "I will make you proud and I will make this country proud." She did not promise to uphold the rule of law or the constitution. Bondi breaks laws for DJT. The IRS determined that her donation to DJT violated laws against political contributions from nonprofit organizations. DJT was ordered to pay a fine and reimburse the foundation, but neither Bondi nor her PAC were criminally charged. DJT also breaks laws and gets away with it.

PBS reports:

New Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday ordered a review of the federal prosecution of Donald Trump as she unveiled a series of directives designed to overhaul a Justice Department the president claims is biased against conservatives.

Hours after she was sworn in at the White House, Bondi called for the creation of “weaponization working group” that will examine the work of special counsel Jack Smith, who charged Trump in two criminal cases. The group will also review the “pursuit of improper investigative tactics and unethical prosecutions” stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, among other things, according to the memo.

Bondi has said that politics will play no role in her decision-making, but she also refused at her confirmation hearing last month to rule potential investigations into Trump’s adversaries. She also has repeated Trump’s claims that the prosecutions against him amounted to political persecution, telling senators that the Justice Department “had been weaponized for years and years and years, and it’s got to stop.”

Unethical prosecutions? Seriously?? Bondi whining about ethics is the height of hypocrisy. Her track record makes it clear that ethics is not a concern for how she is going to do business. For example, she falsely claimed that DJT had won Pennsylvania despite the fact that nearly 1 million absentee ballots had yet to be counted, and she continued to support that lie even after it was clear Trump had lost the state. She would not even acknowledge that she made that false claim, commenting "I will not be bullied." Also, she defended Trump's baseless claims of "massive fraud" in the 2020 election. She even suggested that DJT's comments were taken out of context when asked about his call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" 11,780 votes.

Ya' gotta hand it to her. She's a shameless liar and hyper-partisan hypocrite without one shred of moral qualm. Not one shred.

This is the new normal for federal law enforcement. Prosecutions will be partisan persecutions and all DJT and MAGA crimes will be ignored. But if the DOJ is pressed too hard for answers after a really whopper MAGA crime, it will be denied, downplayed or otherwise dismissed as inconsequential partisan whining and hypocrisy. Crimes falsely alleged against DJT's hit list will be persecuted. Crimes committed by most of the rest of us will probably mostly be handled more or less as usual. The fair and balanced conclusion:

FOR DJT AND MAGA, THE RULE OF LAW IS DEAD!! GET OVER IT. 

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Disappearing Palestine

The state of Israel was founded on May 14, 1948. The end game in the 77 year Israel-Palestine war is coming into focus. The NYT writes (not paywalled):

Trump’s Gaza Plan Reflects Broader Push for Annexation of Palestinian Land

Right-wing officials in Israel, evangelical Christians in the United States and Trump appointees have become increasingly outspoken in calling for Israel to take more territory

President Trump’s statements on Tuesday about an American takeover of the Gaza Strip and displacing millions of Palestinians were immediately dismissed by many as reckless and half-baked pronouncements, a provocative threat that Mr. Trump was unlikely to enforce.

At the same time, his comments are the latest example of how government officials on the right in both the United States and Israel now speak publicly about a shared goal: the takeover of Palestinian land.

The question of whether the West Bank and the Gaza Strip — territories captured and occupied by Israel in 1967 — might become the foundation of a future Palestinian state has been at the center of decades of failed diplomacy, bedeviling American presidents, Palestinian leaders and Israeli prime ministers.

Days after Mr. Trump’s election, Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister, whom Mr. Netanyahu has given broad authority over the West Bank, said Mr. Trump’s return to the White House meant that “the year 2025 will, with God’s help, be the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” using the biblical name for the territory that makes up the West Bank.

On his first day in office, Mr. Trump signed an executive order reversing the Biden administration’s sanctions against a group of Israeli settlers responsible for violence and land grabs against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Israeli annexation of the West Bank is a goal shared by both ultranationalists in Israel and many evangelical Christians, including Mr. Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, who see the conflict in the Middle East — and the power struggle over the land itself — as a sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Mr. Huckabee has said that “there’s no such thing as a West Bank.” He said that Israeli settlements in the territory, which are considered illegal under international law, are not settlements but “neighborhoods.”

“There’s no such thing as an occupation,” he said during a visit to the West Bank in 2017.

So there we have it foreign policy fans. Israel policy based on encouraging the second coming of Christ to pave the way for the rapture, or at least a huge war in the region. The idea of Palestinian statehood is dead. It arguably it has been dead at least since May 14, 1948. Or, maybe it died on November 2, 1917, day the British government issued The Balfour Declaration. The Balfour Declaration sowed the seeds of the Arab-Israeli conflict by promising a national home for Jews. At the time, the population was majority Arab. Depending on how one defines war in this context, that would make it a 118 year war!! [1] 

Note the population shift in 1947-1948. What do you think happened then? Lots of Arabs went on extended vacation?

Footnote:

1. Or, maybe the war started with Theodor Herzl's publication of "The Jewish State" in 1896, which provided a formal recognition and energized the Zionist cause. That would make it a 129 year war!!

The rapture, a religious vision

The rapture, a secular vision

Science: A proposed theory to unify classical and quantum physics

This has the feel of something that could be a very big deal in science. The Brighter Side News reports:

For over a century, quantum mechanics and Einstein’s general relativity have stood as the cornerstones of modern physics, yet their unification remains one of science’s greatest challenges.

Now, researchers at University College London (UCL) have introduced a groundbreaking theory that challenges conventional approaches to this problem.

Quantum gravity seeks to bridge the gap between the microscopic world, where quantum mechanics governs particle behavior, and the macroscopic realm, where gravity shapes spacetime.

Traditionally, physicists have assumed that Einstein’s theory must be modified to fit within the quantum framework. However, UCL researchers propose a striking alternative: a "postquantum theory of classical gravity" that reexamines the fundamental relationship between these two domains.

This latest proposal challenges conventional wisdom, suggesting that instead of forcing gravity into a quantum framework, researchers should explore a new perspective—one where classical gravity interacts with quantum systems in ways previously unexplored. The implications of this theory could reshape our understanding of the universe, offering a fresh path toward reconciling two of physics' most successful yet conflicting models.

Enter Professor Jonathan Oppenheim and his team at UCL, who have challenged the status quo with their groundbreaking theory. In two parallel papers published simultaneously, they propose a novel perspective that suggests spacetime may remain classical and unaffected by quantum mechanics.

This theory, as described in a paper published in Physical Review X (PRX), refrains from modifying spacetime itself and instead modifies quantum theory.

An experiment in which heavy "particles" (illustrated as the moon), cause an interference pattern (a quantum effect), while also bending spacetime. The hanging pendulums depict the measurement of spacetime

The core tenet of this theory is that spacetime remains classical, not subject to the constraints of quantum theory. Instead, quantum theory is tweaked to account for intrinsic unpredictability mediated by spacetime. The consequence? Spacetime experiences random and violent fluctuations that exceed the expectations set by quantum theory. These fluctuations, if measured precisely enough, render the apparent weight of objects unpredictable.

TRANSLETED INTO ENGLISH

Until now, physicists including Einstein tried to unify classical and quantum physics by trying to fit  classical with quantum physics. That failed. This new theory reverses it. It proposes two possibilities. One is that classical physics (Einstein's relativity and spacetime) is not quantum at all, but instead quantum phenomena arise from properties inherent in spacetime. Here, quantum theory gets modified to account for a proposed intrinsic unpredictability in spacetime. The hypothesis is that spacetime is subject to random and "violent" fluctuations, which are more than quantum physics predicts. 

Researchers propose testing this first theory by detecting changes in the mass of an object over time due to fluctuations in spacetime. The theory precisely predicts exact changes in mass that would be expected. If the measurements of a chosen mass are fluctuations less than those required for mathematical consistency with the new theory, that would contradict the new theory. But if the predicted changes in mass are observed, that would constitute strong evidence that this hypothesis is correct.

A second theory is a hybrid model that postulates that classical spacetime interacts with quantum fields. To test that possibility, researchers propose using gravity to see if it influences quantum entanglement of subatomic particles, atoms, or more likely large masses like 1 mg. If spacetime is classical, entanglement would behave in a quantum way, but if spacetime is quantum, entanglement would behave as it has been observed until now. The new variable here is looking for effects of gravity on quantum entanglement. That has never been done before.

Researchers estimate that it will take about 20 years to test these hypotheses. The reason is that new, far more accurate technology to measure time and gravity strength are needed. The most accurate atomic clock available now can measure increments of time in increments of 8.1 x 10^-19 seconds, an accuracy level of 1 sec. in 30 billion years. That is not nearly accurate enough. Also, current devices to detect gravity fields are not sensitive enough. Gravity field detectors will require developing something like quantum gravity gradiometers using cold atom interferometry. That technology might potentially measure Earth's gravitational field with enough precision to do the experiment.

In addition, ways to prepare and maintain quantum states of heavy objects, like a milligram mass, in superposition or entanglement is necessary. This would require (i) cooling systems to near absolute zero to minimize thermal noise and decoherence, and (ii) isolating the instrument from environmental disturbances such as electromagnetic fields, thermal fluctuations, and mechanical vibrations. That probably would require ultra-high vacuum conditions and advanced vibration and radiation isolation techniques. Some of this might require doing experiments in a quiet place in space, like L2 where the James Webb Space Telescope is currently parked and doing its experiments. 

Exploding MAGA bits 💣

It just keeps getting weirder and weirder. And scarier.

The NYT reports: Trump Brazenly Defies Laws in Escalating Executive Power Grab -- Three weeks into his second term, hand-wringing about norms seems quaint. .... “We are well past euphemism about ‘pushing the limits,’ ‘stretching the envelope’ and the like,” said Peter M. Shane, who is a legal scholar in residence at New York University and the author of a casebook on separation-of-powers law. The array of legal constraints Mr. Trump has violated, Mr. Shane added, amounts to “programmatic sabotage and rampant lawlessness.” Trump has effectively nullified laws, such as by ordering the Justice Department to refrain from enforcing a ban on the wildly popular app TikTok and by blocking migrants from invoking a statute allowing them to request asylum. He moved to effectively shutter a federal agency Congress created and tried to freeze congressionally approved spending, including most foreign aid. He summarily fired prosecutors, inspectors general and board members of independent agencies in defiance of legal rules against arbitrary removal.

Comments: Wheeee!

The NYT reports: With Gaza Plan, an Unbound Trump Pushes an Improbable Idea -- President Trump basked as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel praised his “willingness to think outside the box.” But when it came to Gaza, Mr. Trump’s thinking on Tuesday was so far outside the box that it was not clear he even knew there was a box. Mr. Trump’s announcement that he intends to seize control of Gaza, displace the Palestinian population and turn the coastal enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East” was the kind of thing he might have said to get a rise on “The Howard Stern Show” a decade or two ago. Provocative, intriguing, outlandish, outrageous — and not at all presidential. .... Never mind that resettling two million Palestinians would be a gargantuan logistical and financial challenge, not to mention politically explosive. Never mind that it would surely require many thousands of U.S. troops and possibly trigger more violent conflict.

 

Comments: Great, we have an unbound president who doesn’t know there is a box to think outside of. Quick! Somebody get Jared Kushner on the klaxon. We gotta tell him DJT is opening up a huuuge development opportunity on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea! All high end resorts and no Palestinians!

Palestinian reaction

The NYT opines: What Is ‘State Capture’? A Warning for Americans. -- But the cumulative effect of these stories offers at best a complicated answer to what should be an uncomplicated question: Who exactly is running the federal government? It’s troubling enough not to be able to answer emphatically with “democratically elected leaders.” Even more troubling is the possibility that the actual answer is Mr. Musk — the world’s richest man — and other unaccountable, unelected, unconfirmed allies cozy with the president. Political economists have a name for that: state capture. State capture occurs when wealthy private interests influence a government to such a degree that they can freely direct policy decisions and public funds for their own benefit or for the benefit of their ideological fellow travelers (or both).

Comments: Wikipedia says that state capture is a type of systemic political corruption by private interests. Germaine says that says that state capture is one form of kleptocracy. Wheeeeee!! (insert poopstorm image here)

The NYT snarks: Jimmy Kimmel Wants Canada to Save Us, Eh? --  Kimmel is all for making Canada the 51st state: “If Canada also had 54 electoral votes, forget MAGA — our next president will be a kindhearted lesbian moose.”

Comments: Makes sense to me.

Kindhearted gay Canadian moose

TNR reports about some blowback coming to red states: Trump’s Plan to Gut Education Department Will Hit Red States Hardest -- The draft order will direct the department to slash spending and slash staff, according to The Washington Post. Such an aggressive decision on such a large scale would have sweeping consequences. “The Dept of Education provides crucial funding for low-income public schools—eliminating it would result in the loss of 6% of teachers’ jobs nationwide,” former adviser for Barack Obama, Steven Rattner, wrote on X.

Slate: Elon Musk’s Power Grab Is Lawless, Dangerous, and—Yes—a Coup -- If this were happening in any other country, we’d be calling it a coup -- The federal government is currently under relentless and unlawful assault by a man no one elected to lead it. With Donald Trump’s blessing and enabling, Elon Musk and his confederates have laid siege to the executive branch in an onslaught whose appalling and far-reaching consequences have barely begun to be reported, much less understood. .... Musk’s actions since Jan. 20 are so extreme that any summary runs the risk of sounding alarmist. This is not overstatement or embellishment: Although the billionaire purports to exercise executive authority, he does not appear to hold any formal office, serving in the ill-defined role of “special government employee.”

And it just goes on and on and on like this. 

Illegal access to data by Musk and his young DOGE minions?

Musk's minions

(Musk is vexed 🤨, irate even 😠, that they have been 

outed -- he didn't want us to know who these fine young people are)

Akash Bobba – A 22-year-old Indian-American engineer, Akash graduated from the Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology program at UC Berkeley. He has interned at Meta and Palantir and is currently part of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Luke Farritor – 21 years old. An American software engineer, Luke gained recognition for using artificial intelligence to decipher ancient Herculaneum scrolls, earning a $700,000 prize. He interned at SpaceX and is now a member of DOGE.

Ethan Shaotran – 20 years old. There is no publicly available information about an individual named Ethan Shaotran.

Edward Coristine – 19 years old. Edward appears to have recently graduated from high school and was enrolled at Northeastern University. He interned at Neuralink and is currently listed as an "expert" at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), reporting directly to the chief of staff.

Gauthier Cole Killian – 24 years old. Also known as Cole Killian, he attended McGill University and worked as an engineer at Jump Trading. He is currently listed as a volunteer with DOGE.

Gavin Kliger – 23 years old. Gavin attended UC Berkeley until 2020 and worked for the AI company Databricks. He is listed as a special adviser to the director of the federal OMP for information technology.

*****************************************************

Elon Musk and his DOGE minions are aggressively demanding, and have obtained, access to sensitive federal data, including data about treasury department payments. Vast amounts of highly sensitive data are at stake. They have accessed sensitive Treasury data, including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems. This access was granted without congressional approval, full background checks, or proper security clearances. Reuters reports that the Treasury Department confirmed that Musk and his team from DOGE have "read-only access" to its payment system. The system includes sensitive data related to Social Security and Medicare customer payments. Lawsuits have been filed to stop Musk's access to government computer systems, arguing unauthorized access to sensitive information about Americans, including personal details like addresses and Social Security numbers.

Federal law at 18 USC §1030(a)(2) and (a)(3): Fraud and related activity in connection with computers, controls who has access to federal computers with federal data. Section (a)(2) criminalizes unauthorized access to obtain information from any department or agency of the United States or from any protected computer. Section (a)(3) criminalizes intentionally accessing a nonpublic computer of a department or agency of the United States without authorization, where such conduct affects the use of the computer by or for the government. The penalties for violations under section (a)(2) are specified in subsection (c)(2) of the statute. For a first-time offense, the penalty is a fine under Title 18 or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. If the offense involves an attempt to commit an offense punishable under this subparagraph or if the defendant has a prior conviction under this section, the penalty increases to a fine under Title 18 or imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both. To be convicted under section (a)(2), the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant (i) knowingly accessed a computer, (ii) did not have authorization or exceeded authorization, and (iii) intended to obtain information from the computer.

Those lawsuits are going to be very interesting to follow. Trump judges will have to figure some way to decide that Musk and his young minions did have authorized access. From what I can tell, Trump's authorization of Musk and DOGE alone is not sufficient to legalize the data access. While a president has broad executive powers, the law does not provide an exception for presidential authorization. In addition, Musk's access to sensitive data potentially violates other federal statutes, including the Privacy Act of 1974, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, and strict taxpayer privacy provisions under the Internal Revenue Code. These laws impose strict controls on access to personal and financial data, and presidential authorization does not override these legal protections. 

To protect Musk and his young minions from criminal culpability, Trump judges would need to say that DJT's authorization implicitly authorizes access to the data. I guess that's how this will probably resolve some day when the case gets to the USSC, maybe in 2027. By then all the damage will have been done.

In related free, wild and butt naked MAGA weirdness, one source reports about how Republicans in congress see all this: Republican Senators Say They’re Fine Handing Their Power to Elon Musk -- Musk’s actions may be unconstitutional but “nobody should bellyache about that,” Sen. Thom Tillis said -- “He’s doing exactly what he should be doing,” Florida Sen. Rick Scott said Monday night. “He’s going through every agency and looking at how to make sure the money’s spent right.”

Musk is just making sure the money is spent right? Two US senators saying this in public?? Really??? 

Well there we have it. The MAGA GOP is just fine with abdicating power and allowing illegality. Presumably that is because the pesky law gets in the way of MAGA's kleptocratic authoritarianism. Or, is that just Germaine's standard over the top, hypersensitive hyperbole, unwarranted alarmism, or whatever?

Q: How much worse does MAGA need to act before most sleepwalking people start waking up, or will they just keep on sleepwalking?