Democratic Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones spoke on the Statehouse floor Thursday, delivering what he called a "public service announcement for the Republican side of the aisle.”  Jones suggested that conservatives who are concerned about the much-anticipated Super Bowl halftime performance by Grammy-winning recording artist Bad Bunny should instead worry about Turning Point’s alternative halftime performer, Kid Rock. “I know some folks can be a little bit triggered by an artist named Bad Bunny, but I want to just make an announcement that, before you rage-tweet, Bad Bunny is from Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico is a part of America,” Jones said. x View this post on Instagram A post shared by Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) “Secondly, I know some of you are gonna be watching the bootleg, Temu version of the halftime show that Turning Point and MAGA’s doing with a man named Kid Rock,” Jones continued. “He has lyrics about liking underage girls, which is called ‘pedophilia.’ And I think we should be a little uncomfortable by that. I know that's very common right now in the White House, but I think that we should not support people who have lyrics about liking underage girls.” At least Jones and other young members of Tennessee’s conservative-controlled legislature give us hope for the future.

Marco Rubio is out of a job. Well, one of them at least. You may have forgotten that, along with being secretary of State, Rubio was also serving as the acting U.S. archivist, which is easy to overlook given that he has, at various times, held eleventy different jobs. But his time as an archivist has come to an end, because his days were literally numbered, as acting positions expire by law after 300 days. This might look like the administration is actually trying to comply with the requirements of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, in stark contrast to the shenanigans it is attempting with U.S. attorneys, but this is more malicious compliance than anything else. Related | Ben there, done that: Trump's latest unqualified hire is a familiar face You see, Trump doesn’t really want anyone heading the National Archives, so it’s no skin off his back to honor the 300-day limit. After taking office, he quickly and arbitrarily fired the actual archivist, Colleen Shogan. Shogun was inevitably going to be in Trump’s crosshairs because Trump remains furious that the National Archives and Records Administration tried to tell him he couldn’t just steal classified documents and stash them in his tacky Mar-a-Lago bathroom. This image, contained in the indictment against  Trump, shows boxes of records stored in a bathroom and shower in the Lake Room at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Putting Rubio in the gig was just a way for Trump to thumb his nose at the whole enterprise. Trump hasn’t nominated anyone to be the archivist, nor is there a deputy archivist. If there were a deputy, that person would likely be a career employee and would automatically become acting archivist upon a vacancy, but we can’t have that. We might end up with some pencil-necked geek who thinks it’s actually important to follow the laws and preserve records.  So instead, Rubio “delegated” his authority to a senior adviser, James Byron, on his way out the door. It is in no way clear that this is legal under the FVRA, but it isn’t like the administration cares. Fun fact: Byron is on leave from the Richard Nixon Foundation, where he basically works to rehabilitate Nixon’s image, a thing that he is so passionate about that he has worked there since taking an internship in 2007, when he was 14. Since then, he’s worked his way up the ladder, becoming CEO in 2022 at 29 years old.  So yes, if you’re doing the math, NARA is now run by a Nixon freak who has only ever had one job. Moreover, his work is on the foundation side, not the library side, so he has literally no relevant experience in managing records. Well, guess he doesn’t really need it in an administration that is making no effort to preserve records.  Head of Office of Management and Budget and Acting Director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Russ Vought Besides no longer pretending to run NARA, Rubio is also no longer the acting head of the United States Agency for International Development, and not just because Trump is shuttering the agency. He was replaced with Russ Vought back in August so Vought could “oversee the closeout.” Vought also has some side hustles. Besides being the head of the Office of Management and Budget, he’s also the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which he is working tirelessly to shut down as well. Never fear, though. Rubio is still the national security adviser. Rubio and Vought aren’t the only administration officials doubling and tripling up on jobs. Scott Bessent is both the Treasury secretary and the acting IRS commissioner, because why not. Frank Bisignano, the head of the Social Security Administration, is also “chief executive officer” of the IRS, which was not a thing until Trump made it up. Oh, and remember when Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was running NASA for a bit? Good times. All of this doesn’t just show that Trump wants his cronies in jobs without putting them through a confirmation process. It also shows his deep disregard for the actual work of government, turning major positions into afterthoughts. This is no way to run a government. 

A cartoon by Pedro Molina. Related | Kennedy Center crumbles under Trump

A daily roundup of the best stories and cartoons by Daily Kos staff and contributors to keep you in the know. 23 years ago: Colin Powell lied to launch a bogus war To think it used to be truly inappropriate to base political actions on lies. Bezos guts the Washington Post—just like Trump wanted We’re witnessing the death of mainstream media institutions. Republicans love Trump's ICE agenda—unless it's in their state The GOP is the party of NIMBY. Cartoon: Peachy fraud Something sure smells in the state of Georgia. ‘I don’t know’: Trump plays dumb on abysmal approval rating When in doubt, make it up. Trump dedicates National Prayer Breakfast to his favorite god—himself When Trump goes off the teleprompter, you truly never know what he’ll say. Trump’s latest US attorney pick is another real winner She’s been practicing law for three years. What could go wrong? Click here to see more cartoons.

A new survey released on Thursday proves what many had long suspected: X, the social media network owned by far-right billionaire Elon Musk, is trapped in an ideological bubble far removed from the rest of the world. The poll from The Argument, which was fielded between Jan. 26-27, found that among an array of news platforms, it was only among X users that President Donald Trump has a net-positive approval rating. Fifty-four percent of X users either strongly or somewhat approve of Trump, with 45% disapproving. That stands in strong contrast to his level of support among all registered voters: 42% approve, 57% disapprove. Trump is also viewed negatively by the audiences on several other major online platforms. For instance, Trump has a 46% approval rating among Facebook users, 39% among Instagram users, 35% with TikTok users, and an anemic 29% among Reddit users.  x Datawrapper Content Perhaps even more damning than the level of Trump support on X is how positively Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seen by users of the service. The Argument’s data shows that ICE was backed by 45% of X users, while the agency was at 35% among voters at large. The data verifies the effect of drastic changes made at X following Musk’s 2022 purchase of the company, previously known as Twitter. Musk manipulated many of the rules governing hateful and bigoted content, and he restored previously suspended accounts for figures like Trump and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The result was a significant increase in posts supporting racism, misogyny, religious discrimination, and misinformation—in other words, the perfect venue for Trump, who has supported those values during his time as a public figure. Pop singer Sabrina Carpenter, shown last September. The Trump administration has been feeding this bigoted audience the hateful content it craves. In one widely reported episode, singer Sabrina Carpenter called out ICE for using her song “Juno” over footage of agents handcuffing and tackling immigrants in an X post. “this video is evil and disgusting. Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” Carpenter wrote. Similarly, the White House and the Department of Homeland Security have used official X accounts to promote language and terminology associated with the white supremacist movement. At the same time that X has been operating as a pro-Trump/bigot feedback loop, the site has also reportedly been used in concert with the Musk-owned chatbot Grok to create and disseminate nonconsensual sexual imagery, including images of underage children. Governments around the world have condemned the practice, and official action has been taken in France, leading to a recent police raid. But the Trump administration and their Republican allies in Congress have not said much about it. After all, why would they do anything to anger the man who created their echo chamber and funds so much of their campaigns?

Jelly Roll's refusal to take a stand on ICE at the Grammys has sparked a backlash

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Former Uralkali CEO Vladislav Baumgertner was found dead at a British military base in Cyprus after going missing in early January Read Full Article at RT.com

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants is among the available new titles.

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Scientists say a jet from a previously studied supermassive black hole has grown brighter, becoming one of the most energetic events in the universe.

Past anecdotal observations have hinted that great apes play pretend. But now, experimental research shows that our closest living relatives can keep track of imaginary objects.

The alarming spread of spotted lanternflies across the U.S. has been made possible by cities acting as evolutionary incubators, fine-tuning the insects and enabling them to thrive.

An infection with Epstein-Barr virus is a nonevent for most people. But for a subset, the virus can contribute to chronic conditions and cancer, and genes may play a role in that risk.

A powerful, image stabilized binocular that provides exceptional reach and high-quality optics, but is let down slightly by its rubberized coating and non-waterproofness.

85-year-old actor Ian McKellen let his hair and beard grow out to play the ionic role of Shakespeare’s Falstaff — after the final performance, he finally stepped out of character and back to himself.

In this LensCulture interview, Torrance York reflects on how photography became a tool for understanding, acceptance, and connection after her Parkinson’s diagnosis.

The scale of that whale! Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Bruno Pontiroli Tests the Boundaries of Familiarity in His Uncanny Wildlife Paintings appeared first on Colossal.

«A photograph is only a small piece in the jigsaw that makes up the big picture, but sometimes it is these small pieces that open our eyes.» Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article ‘Where the World is Melting’ Documents Communities Amid Indelible Changes in the Arctic appeared first on Colossal.

Cast your vote for your favorite photo until March 18. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Vote for the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award appeared first on Colossal.

An exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg surveys the artist's eight-decade career. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article A Major Survey in Paris Chronicles Leonora Carrington’s Esoteric Surrealism appeared first on Colossal.

Here's everything we need to know about Shohei Ohtani's plans to play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic with Japan.

Matthew Stafford has won his first MVP.

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NASCAR is back, and the season got its unofficial start with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. The event was delayed several days due to historic snowfall, and ended up racing through rain and sleet as Mother Nature continued to throw curveballs at NASCAR.But in the end, we saw something that's only ever happened twice before -- a driver won the Clash before actually winning a ...Keep reading