It has been exactly a quarter century since the US Supreme Court in Bush V Gore awarded the Presidency to George W. Bush over Al Gore, declaring Bush the winner of the popular vote in the state of Florida, governed by his brother, Jeb Bush, by the grand total of 537 votes out of 6 million votes cast in the Sunshine State, but with Gore winning the national popular vote by about 540,000 votes.
Bush won the Electoral College by 271-266, the second closest electoral vote in American history, after the Presidential Election of 1876, where Rutherford B. Hayes won the Electoral College 185-184, despite losing the popular vote by about 250,000 votes to Samuel Tilden.
Imagine the differences that would have occurred if Al Gore had been President, and most observers would think America would have been better off.
The major issue that arises is whether the September 11 Al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon would have occurred.
Also, how would a President Gore have reacted if such an attack had still taken place, meaning how would we have dealt with the issue of Afghanistan, and what turned out to be a 20 year war?
Also, there would have been an Iraq War which dragged on for years, alongside the Afghanistan War, since the decision to go to war in 2003 was based on false premises?
This is all speculation, a potential novel, as who is in office determines the future in so many ways that one cannot calculate ahead of time, or even for sure, in retrospect!
Rob Reiner and his wife have died. Police are investigating their deaths as a homicide.
https://www.cnn.com/entertainment/live-news/homicide-detectives-investigating-at-address-connected-with-hollywood-director-rob-reiner
People magazine is reporting that they may have been killed by their son.
https://people.com/rob-reiner-wife-michele-were-killed-by-son-sources-11868856
Absolute evil.
Trump Officials Celebrated With Cake After Slashing Aid. Then People Died of Cholera.
https://www.propublica.org/article/usaid-cholera-deaths-trump-humanitarian-aid-cuts-south-sudan
Ukraine gives up joining NATO in bid to shift the dial in Russia peace talks.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/15/ukraine-gives-up-joining-nato-in-bid-to-shift-the-dial-in-peace-talks.html
Australia to tighten gun laws after Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre.
https://apnews.com/article/australia-shooting-bondi-beach-sydney-3be76a51c820d547ee4697bd25c1bafd
We should have done the same in this country…but noooooooo.
U.S. Military Plane and JetBlue Flight Nearly Collided Over Caribbean, Radio Traffic Shows
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/world/americas/jetblue-venezuela-midair-collision-us-air-force.html
Rep. Ilhan Omar says her son was pulled over by ICE agents in Minnesota.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/ilhan-omar-son-pulled-over-ice-agents-minnesota-trump-administration-rcna249183
Harris stepping toward another White House run
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/14/kamala-harris-president-2028
Nancy Pelosi calls female US president in her lifetime unlikely.
“Former House speaker, 85, expects woman to assume Oval Office this generation but concedes she may not live to see it”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/15/nancy-pelosi-female-president
Trump says building DC triumphal arch is domestic policy chief’s ‘primary thing’.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/14/trump-arch-washington-dc-policy-chief
Deranged. Also, the next administration needs to tear that s— down.
Critics ‘Horrified’ By Donald Trump’s 3 Words About Brown University Shooting
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reaction-donald-trump-response-brown-university_n_693fb465e4b0775c5077bcac?origin=home-latest-news-unit
Trump is a f’ing disgrace on every level.
Keystone Kash Suffers New Fiasco in Ivy League Shooter Hunt
https://www.thedailybeast.com/keystone-kash-suffers-new-fiasco-in-ivy-league-shooter-hunt/
Trump offers incendiary political message about Rob Reiner’s death.
https://www.cnn.com/entertainment/live-news/homicide-detectives-investigating-at-address-connected-with-hollywood-director-rob-reiner?post-id=cmj7ahekn00003b6pr8p34qek
Rob Reiner’s son, Nick, has been arrested and is booked on suspicion of murder.
Even MAGA Can’t Stomach Trump’s Vile Rob Reiner Post
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/thomas-massie-mtg-trump-rob-reiner_n_69403560e4b0fa125e7f1a50?origin=home-latest-news-unit
White House Shocks Social Media By Retweeting Trump’s Vile Rob Reiner Post
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/white-house-social-media-retweets-trumps-vile-rob-reiner-post_n_69403c41e4b02a9ef51775d9?origin=home-latest-news-unit
‘Outrageous’: JetBlue pilot describes near-collision with Air Force plane off Venezuela
“The airline pilot told air traffic control in Curaçao that the U.S. military plane was not identifying itself with a transponder.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2025/12/15/jetblue-pilot-avoids-collision-venezuela/
Delayed US employment reports expected to show softening labor market.
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/sustainable-finance-reporting/delayed-us-employment-reports-expected-show-softening-labor-market-2025-12-16/
Poll: Majority plan to spend less on holiday gifts this year amid broader economic concerns.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/economics/poll-majority-plan-spend-less-holiday-gifts-year-broader-economic-conc-rcna249269
Pentagon says it’s “escalating” Kelly review to “official” investigation.
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/16/trump-review-mark-kelly-official-command-investigation-dod
Sen. Mark Kelly stated official U.S. military policy and THE LAW, which is that servicemembers must only follow *legal* orders. Kelly did absolutely NOTHING WRONG.
Pentagon plan calls for major power shifts within U.S. military
“Senior Pentagon officials are preparing a plan to downgrade several of the U.S. military’s major headquarters and shift the balance of power among its top generals, people familiar with the matter said.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/12/15/military-command-plan-caine-hegseth/
Umm…Why?
Trump’s remarks about the murder of Rob Reiner and his wife cast Trump as petty and callous.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/12/rob-reiner-michelle-death-donald-trump/
“Very bad for our country”: Trump doubles down on Rob Reiner attacks.
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/15/rob-reiner-trump-death-tds-charlie-kirk
For Trump, EVERYTHING is always about himself. If someone was “good” to him, then the person was great, but if the person was “bad” to him, then Trump’s happy they died, that bad things happened to them, whatever.
Rob Reiner Took Son Nick to Conan O’Brien’s Party to ‘Keep an Eye on Him’ Day Before Alleged Murder
“Sources tell Rolling Stone that Nick exhibited “antisocial behavior” at Conan O’Brien’s Christmas party”
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/rob-reiner-son-nick-holiday-party-alleged-murder-1235484433/
Hahahahahahahahahaha.
Trump administration says White House ballroom construction is a matter of national security.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-ballroom-national-security-de9756118bbfca8f40af9cf89db6af5b
New York Young Republican Club gala draws white nationalist, far-right Germans as elected officials skip out.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/15/new-york-young-republican-gala-frohnmaier-00690510
Hitler Youth, basically.
Trump is having a primetime address tonight.
I definitely won’t be tuning in.
Trump orders ‘total and complete blockade’ of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/16/politics/blockade-venezuela-sanctioned-oil-tankers
Drugs are WMDs in Trump’s undeclared war.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/17/politics/fentanyl-weapons-of-mass-destruction-trump
Sure sounds like Trump is starting a war for absolutely no serious reason.
Second near midair collision reported near Venezuela involving US Air Force tanker.
https://cnn.com/2025/12/16/americas/venezuela-near-collision-intl-latam
Pentagon won’t release full video of Caribbean strike that killed two people, Hegseth says.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/pentagon-wont-release-full-video-caribbean-attack
Trump expands travel ban and restrictions to include an additional 20 countries.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-travel-ban-countries-immigration-visas-border-9dde0aecb3ffe418266700d9eefef937
This is bonkers!
CDC drops hepatitis B shot recommendation for some infants.
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/17/hepatitis-b-vaccines-birth-cdc-recommendation
An insane person is in charge of Trump’s cancel panel.
New Head of Trump’s Cancer Panel Speculated About Links Between Vaccines and Cancer
https://www.wired.com/story/risch-trump-panel-vaccines-turbo-cancer-ivermectin-hcq/
House Republican leaders ditch vote on ACA funding, all but ensuring premiums will rise.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-ditch-vote-obamacare-funding-premiums-rise-2026-rcna249521
Coast Guard enacts policy calling swastikas, nooses ‘potentially divisive’.
A new workplace harassment manual that downgrades the definition of such symbols quietly went into effect this week.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/12/16/coast-guard-swastikas-nooses/
White supremacist administration, as if we’d elected George Wallace or David Duke president.
Takeaways From Susie Wiles’s Candid Interviews Describing Trump World
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/us/politics/susie-wiles-takeaways-trump.html
Out of curiosity, I tuned in to Trump’s speech. He was ranting and raving and telling one lie after another.
Some good words to describe it: unhinged, manic, panic-stricken, desperate, falsehood-filled.
Congress passes $901bn defense bill that includes support for Ukraine and Europe.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/17/defense-bill-congress-ukraine-europe
House Rejects Measure to Bar Strikes Inside Venezuela
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/us/politics/trump-venezuela-house-vote.html
Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/us/politics/trump-immigration-citizenship-denaturalization.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9U8.uetN.C-ZEvcqxzGf8&smid=nytcore-ios-share
Judge lifts Trump administration limits on lawmaker visits to ICE jails.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/17/ice-lawmaker-visits-policy-ruling-00695801
Absolute INSANITY!
National Center for Atmospheric Research to Be Dismantled, Trump Administration Says
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/climate/national-center-for-atmospheric-research-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9U8._w4P.koJmi6jHMhtU&smid=url-share
Trump administration prepares sweeping crackdown on leftist networks.
“The Justice Department’s program to root out violent ‘Antifa’ extremism is raising First Amendment concerns.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/12/18/justice-department-fbi-first-amendment-antifa/
American Academy of Pediatrics loses HHS funding after criticizing RFK Jr.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/17/aap-hhs-funding-rfk/
The revealing pointlessness of Trump’s primetime speech.
https://www.vox.com/politics/472786/trump-primetime-speech-wednesday-inflation-pointless
Trump wants to buy the military’s loyalty. He has authorized bonuses for more than 1 million service members.
https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2025/12/1776-military/685304/
Trump’s Nothingburger National Address Leaves Watchers Baffled
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-oval-office-address_n_69435ccbe4b0bafbdede0482
Doctor Sounds Alarm After Trump, 79, Gives ‘Manic’ Address
https://www.thedailybeast.com/doctor-sounds-alarm-after-trump-79-gives-manic-address/
House passes GOP health care bill without ObamaCare subsidy extension.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5653811-house-gop-health-care-bill/
FBI’s No. 2 confirms he’s moving on.
https://www.ms.now/news/bongino-fbi-leaving
Gavin Newsom Trolls Trump Speech With 1 Word, Repeated Over And Over And Over Again
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-speech-reaction-newsom_n_6943a560e4b0fd459ef010fa?origin=home-latest-news-unit
Lawrence O’Donnell’s comments about the speech…
Kennedy Center board votes to rename it ‘Trump Kennedy Center’
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/18/politics/trump-kennedy-center-name
Trump moves to ban transgender care for minors by targeting hospitals.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/18/health/transgender-care-minors-hhs-cms
Trump’s social media business is merging with a nuclear fusion company.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/18/business/truth-social-trump-tae-technologies-nuclear-fusion
Trump reveals who really set up his ‘bizarre’ primetime address after cameras turned off.
https://www.alternet.org/trump-primetime/
I hope ticket sales at Trump’s version of the Kennedy Center plummet.