Eschaton

Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Wandering Wednesday.

Tuesday Night

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Rock on.

Happy Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Get happy

The Unshitting

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:30:00 +0000

A problem is that Trump's desires are basically: everyone says he won, and then everyone shuts up about Iran so he can talk about his ballroom more (roughly). I don't think these demands can be met by reality.

Action, Reaction

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000

There are good and extremely obvious reasons for not breaking laws and taboos about targeting civilian infrastructure. Ah, well nevertheless.

April 7 (Reuters) - Iran on Tuesday attacked a petrochemical complex in Saudi ⁠Arabia's Jubail industrial city, located in the Eastern province, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said.

It doesn't take a supergenius military expert to see that those laws/taboos actually favor "us" by delegitimizing acts that we would call terrorism if we weren't doing them ourselves.

Probably will anyway, of course.

How Am I Doing

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:30:00 +0000

I missed this a few days ago.

NPR has learned that hundreds of sailors were evacuated back to the United States from their base in Bahrain after the base was attacked by Iranian missiles and drones. In addition to the base in Bahrain, NPR has learned that there have been evacuations at other U.S. military bases in the region, though the exact details are unknown at this point.

Zito Special - Iranians Welcome A Sweet Nuclear Death Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:30:00 +0000

This paragraph was briefly in a BBC report about Iran before people pointed out how insane (and probably fake) it was.

Radin, also in his 20s and living in Tehran, said: "About them hitting energy infrastructure, using an atomic bomb, or levelling Iran. My honest reaction is that I'm OK with all of these.

Now it says:

Radin, also in his 20s and living in Tehran, said: "If attacking targets in the country brings down the Islamic Republic, I'm fine with that. Because if the Islamic Republic survives this war, it will stay forever."

The current version is here.

Doing vox pops down at the Ye Olde Pickle Factory, where they all agree being nuked by Donald Trump would be preferable to one more minute of existence.

For posterity, the reporter is Ghoncheh Habibiazad.

...finally added a note

I Gaze Upon The World With A Degree Of Ironic Detachment

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:33:00 +0000

Only way to survive.

Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Taco Tuesday?

Happy Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Get happy

Perfect Timing for the WHCA

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:00:00 +0000

(Kyle is an MSNOW guy)

Credit Where Due

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Normal editor must have been out for Easter.

It is the headline on at the top of the front page of the print edition. Not just online.

Oh No

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:30:00 +0000

Not our big beautiful data centers.

Iran threatens ‘complete and utter annihilation’ of OpenAI's $30B Stargate AI data center in Abu Dhabi — regime posts video with satellite imagery of ChatGPT-maker's premier 1GW data center

One Quick Trick

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Regularly, Trump berates journalists for the question that they asked. Usually, though not always, it's a woman journalist that he is berating. There is one simple thing that her colleagues can do in response, both to show solidarity and to pursue a line of questioning that Trump doesn't want: just repeat the question.

It doesn't even require being especially savvy. Just repeat the fucking question.

I long ago stopped feeling any need to defend "journalism" because elite political journalists fail to show even minimal solidarity for their colleagues or even to stick up for themselves.

This isn't new. Most of the gang would get mad at anyone being slightly aggressive during the Bush years, too.

Ruined the nice camaraderie they all had. Made things very uncomfortable! They were all good friends, after all. All on the same side, fighting the war on terra together.

Sure, whatever.

On a Saturday evening in late April, the ballroom of the Washington Hilton will feature the annual tradition of reporters dressing up in tuxedos and gowns to mingle, network, and celebrate their profession. But this year, when Donald Trump looks out into the crowd, he might spot some of those attending the White House Correspondents’ Association’s gala sporting unusual accessories: pocket squares and pins with the words of the First Amendment, in a subversive gesture supporting press freedom, reflecting the news media’s consciousness of the perilous moment it’s in, and why.

...

Whether items like pocket squares, tote bags, and phone wallets bearing the text “Congress shall make no law abridging the Freedom of Speech or of the Press”—a hand-drawn design by CNN’s Jake Tapper—rise to the occasion while rubbing elbows with a president who regularly labels journalists “enemies of the people,” will surely be debated. But the effort speaks to the elephant in the room: this is no ordinary WHCD, given the Trump administration’s overt attempts to discredit and undermine the press.

A "hand-drawn design by CNN’s Jake Tapper!" Take that, Donald!

Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Mild Monday

Sunday Evening

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 22:55:00 +0000

Anything can happen

Also, The Iraq War Was Good

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 19:30:00 +0000

Bret Stephens, March 12.

There was a poll years ago showing support for bombing Agrabah which "we" all laughed at, but what they didn't tell you was that support jumped to 80% when only columnists and cable news contributors were included.

Doesn't Matter

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000

I used to scan the Washington Post columnists every day, not because I necessarily cared what the columnists had to say directly, but because they were influential even when (especially when) they were talking nonsense.

Nobody cares anymore.

Huh

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Today Is The Day Donald Trump Became President

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:16:00 +0000

Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Sunday funday

Speculation Intensifies

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 20:54:00 +0000

Who knows.

The White House declared a press “lid” at 11:08 AM as President Donald Trump stayed inside with a schedule consisting of “Executive Time” — but no sign of a public briefing on bombshell war developments.

Afternoon

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 18:14:30 +0000

Enjoy

Meritocracy

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Great stuff.

A correction will appear in tomorrow's print edition: "A headline with an article on Friday about President Trump’s threats to leave NATO misstated the full name of the body. It is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, not the North American Treaty Organization."
— NYTimes Communications (@nytimespr.bsky.social) April 3, 2026 at 8:08 PM

I gotta admit the man occasionally has a point.

If I Fire Everybody Competent That Will Make Me Look Better

noreply@blogger.com (Atrios) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 13:30:00 +0000

Cunning plan.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s “paranoia” about Army Secretary Dan Driscoll taking his job fueled the firing of the Army’s top general, current and former administration officials tell The Post — as a top contender emerges to replace Driscoll if he’s canned next.

Hegseth on Thursday demanded the resignation of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George — Driscoll’s top aide — in the middle of the Iran war for reasons that were not publicly stated.

“This is all driven by the insecurity and paranoia that Pete has developed since Signalgate. Unfortunately, it is stoked by some of his closest aides who should be trying to calm the waters,” an official said, referring to Hegseth’s March 2025 group chat with national security officials that inadvertently included a reporter.

It's all a bit funny, but a cornered drunk rabid raccoon having the controls of the boom boom machines isn't entirely funny.