POKING AROUND 72 HOURS AWAY

From the Department of I Thought These Has-Beens Were Dead: ConvitedFelon34 decided to go star-fucking on Thursday with the only “stars” willing to be seen with him. He announced Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, and Sylvester Stallone will serve has his “Ambassadors to Hollywood”: “They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood BACK - BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE! These very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest. It will be The Golden Age of Hollywood!”

From the Department of Let Them Freeze Their Asses Off: The weather forecast in Washington for ConvictredFelon34's Enshittification next Monday currently calls for temperatures to be 10-23 degrees with a wind chill factor of 0-11 degrees. Tik Tok CEO Shou Chew has been invited to freeze his ass off in the front row behind him on the dais with Fuckerberg, Bezos and Elmo. Update: the weather is so cold in D.C. that the Enshittification is being moved inside. The funeral of democracy will occur in the Rotunda. Karmically, ConvictedFelon34's event will be the coldest since the AmiableDunce’s second inauguration in 1985. I can’t believe it - I hated that bastard, but never ever did I think he was a mortal threat to the Republic.

From the Department of Sonofabitch!: Some rioters charged or convicted in the 2021 attack on the US Capitol are returning to Washington, DC, for ConvictedFelon34's Enshittification, according to court filings in a dozen cases and multiple sources familiar with the matter. Members of the January 6 community have secured official inauguration tickets and are tapping allies in Trump’s orbit to solicit additional tickets. At least one rioter was invited by members of Congress. Most of the defendants coming to DC were only charged with misdemeanors. But others, like William Pope of Kansas, are facing felonies. Pope pleaded not guilty to civil disorder and obstructing an official proceeding, for blocking police from closing off some doors near the Senate. “I think it’ll be a neat and historical moment,” Pope said in an interview with CNN. “In a way, coming full circle. With some appropriate symbolism. There are some other people I know that are going to be there. Some folks from Twitter want to say hello. Hopefully, I’ll run into a few friendly faces.” Suddenly I am glad for the cold - none of these scum or the rest ofthe Trumpscum, will be able to witness the death of democracy. Also what about the parade? Will it be a no-show?

From the Department of Keep On Truckin’ Till You Can’t: The Biden administration, in its last full weekday in office, has announced the next 15 drugs up for Medicare price negotiation. Blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic is on the list. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services negotiated prices for a first batch of drugs last year — something it could only do because of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed in 2022. The 15 new drugs combined with the 10 drugs in the first batch represent about a third of Medicare Part D spending on prescription drugs. The negotiated costs will be made public about a month later, and then they'll take effect in January of 2027.There are some ways the incoming Trump administration could hinder drug price negotiation. It could repeal all or part of the Inflation Reduction Act — where Medicare gets this negotiating power. That's the plan, according to Project 2025. Until a Republican- controlled congress can repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, Project 2025 suggests implementing the existing law in a way that minimizes its effects. (A bill to do just that was offered yesterday by a House Republican)

From the ever-busy Department of Of Course: A co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) will attend the Enshittification, just a month before a federal election in Germany, the party said on Thursday. The invitation to Tino Chrupalla follows an endorsement of the AfD by Co-President Elmo. "Attending the inauguration of President Donald Trump shows once again that we are implementing our interest-led policies," Chrupalla said in a statement.

From the Department of Will He Do the Right Thing: Mitch McConnell's conspicuous silence is starting to spook Tulsi Gabbard's team. They say Gabbard, the nominee for director of national intelligence, can get confirmed even with a "no" vote from McConnell. But his public opposition — if it materializes — could open the door to other GOP defectors. McConnell is studiously avoiding public or private indications that he'll support Trump's nominees, three people familiar with the matter tell Axios. McConnell said on Thursday that he'll support nominees to "senior national security roles whose record and experience will make them immediate assets, not liabilities, in the pursuit of peace through strength." If Democrats have any chance — and it's slim — at helping drag down a Trump nominee, they see Gabbard as the most likely prospect. (Pro tip: don’t hold your breath on this one)

From the Department of Whomp-Whomp: The Bezos Bugle, er, I mean the Washington Post, is changing its slogan from “Democracy dies in darkness” to “Riveting storytelling for all of America.” I think I’ll remember that one for the next time I’m having trouble falling asleep.

From the Department of He *Needed* Killin’!: US judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled on Thursday, months after the US supreme court rebuked an earlier version of the lawsuit over a legal technicality, allowing the attorneys general of Idaho, Kansas and Missouri to continue a lawsuit that aims to restrict nationwide access to abortion pills can proceed. The case that takes aim at the FDA’s regulation of mifepristone, The case could have sweeping implications for the availability of abortion across the country, as medication abortions account for more than two-thirds of all US abortions. The original version of the case, which was brought by a group of anti-abortion activists, sought to roll back the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone – a request Kacsmaryk granted but was later paused by an appeals court. In later litigation, the activists asked courts to reverse more recent FDA rule-making around mifepristone, such as a policy that permits providers to dispense the drug through telehealth. Last year, the US supreme court ruled that the anti-abortion activists behind the case lacked the necessary standing to sue. Although the activists dismissed their case, Idaho, Kansas and Missouri attorneys general filed a 199-page complaint arguing for their right to take up the case in the activists’ stead. It is not yet clear whether ConvfictedFelon34’s Department of (In)Justice will continue to defend the FDA’s current regulation of mifepristone. Project 2025 urged the FDA to roll back its approval of mifepristone on its own.

From the Department of What The Fuck Did You Expect?: Treasury Secretary pick Scott Bessent, a billionaire who has been accused of evading taxes, says that “the most important economic issue of the day” is extending ConvictedFelon34's tax cuts for the ultra rich. When asked about whether he would renew Trump’s tax breaks for billionaires and corporations, he called them the most important economic issue today. “Today I believe that President Trump has a generational opportunity to unleash a new economic golden age that will create more jobs, wealth, and prosperity for all Americans. We must make permanent the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. If we do not fix these tax cuts, if we do not renew and extend, then we will be facing an economic calamity, and as always, with financial instability that falls on the middle and working class.” Bessent also told Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that he is against raising the $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage. “I believe that the minimum wage is more of a statewide and regional issue.” It has been 16 years since the national minimum wage was increased. The minimum wage in South Carolina, Bessent’s home state, is $7.25. Sen. Elizabeth Warren summed it up to The New York Times, “Bessent has spent his life helping the rich get richer.” Bessent is an investor, political donor, and a hedge fund manager. He is a MAGA darling, and is expected to be confirmed by the Senate.

From the Department of The Cretin News Network In Action: Oliver Darcy is reporting that CNN anchor and actual journalist Jim Acosta is being booted from his morning slot and moved to the midnight to 2 a.m. slot. The head of CNN, Mark Thompson, is doing this to win favor with Trump who hates Acosta because he tells the truth. Acosta’s show is one of the better rated programs on CNN.

From the Department of Too Little Too Late: President Joe Biden announced Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered a ratified addition to the U.S. Constitution, making a symbolic statement that’s unlikely to alter a decades-long push for gender equality.“It is long past time to recognize the will of the American people. In keeping with my oath and duty to Constitution and country, I affirm what I believe and what three-fourths of the states have ratified: the 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex.” The statement, coming days before he is replaced by Republican Donald Trump, will probably not have any impact. Presidents do not have any role in the amendment process. The leader of the National Archives had previously said that the amendment cannot be certified because it wasn’t ratified before a deadline set by Congress. Biden could have directed the National Archives to publish the ERA, which would have made it officially part of the Constitution. Of course, that would have been contested in court, and we don’t really have to guess how the Unsupreme Court of Traitors would have decided things.

Here’s the only good news we can end on, coming from the Department of Wow!: The biggest names in pop, rock and country are coming together to raise funds for victims of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires and assist with the recovery. A benefit concert, FireAid, will take place on Jan. 30 on two stages, one at Intuit Dome and the other at The Kia Forum, organizers announced on Thursday. More than 15 music acts have been announced so far, including Billie Eilish and Finneas, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gracie Abrams, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Jelly Roll, Joni Mitchell, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Baby, P!nk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rod Stewart, Sting, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, Tate McRae, and performing together for the first time, Dave Matthews and John Mayer.Additional artists will be announced in the coming days. Proceeds will be directed to a new nonprofit that supports displaced families, helps rebuild infrastructure, and improves fire prevention technologies and strategies to ensure Los Angeles is better prepared for wildfires in the future. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, January 22, at noon Pacific. FireAid will be broadcast and streamed live on Apple Music and the Apple TV app, Max, iHeartRadio, KTLA+, Netflix/Tudom, Paramount+, Prime Video and the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, SiriusXM, exclusively on “LIFE with John Mayer,” Spotify, SoundCloud, Veeps, and YouTube, and at select AMC Theatre locations in 70 US markets.

2025 is definitely not going to be an easy year. That’s Another Fine Mess faces increased costs while working to face up to what’s happening. Your decision to become a Paid Subscriber would really help, and I’d appreciate it very much. Only $7/month or $70/year.

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