Dr. Rainbow's Expert Opinion: It's Not You, It's Him

Be sure to stick around for the song after the Ground News promotion — you won't regret it! We cats PURR.

Cat In The Car

By Sniffles

The McCord Stewart Museum has a terrific exhibit on Montreal street photography right now. "Pounding the Pavement" looks at city street scenes through more than 400 images, by both photojournalists and professionals, dating from the 19th century to today.

There's this weird shot from 1982 (no, we can't explain it, and neither can the McCord) — and there are interesting photos of historical events, from the false-alarm V-E Day celebrations in 1945 (they had heard news of Germany's surrender a day earlier than it actually happened) to the massive "Non" demonstrations against Quebec independence 50 years later. (The 1995 separatist referendum failed by a whisker.)

What dawned on us when we were touring the exhibit today was that street photography might just be obsolete. After all, aside from news coverage — photos of parades, rallies, pro-Palestinian demonstrations, and the like — what kind of street scenes could photographers capture in 2025? Everybody would just be walking around with their heads down, looking at their phones. Are we right, or are we right? We cats HISS.

(IMAGE: Bertrand Carrière, Stanley Street, Montreal, from the series Chronique nocturne, 1982)

Luko Nails It, Too

 

Naomi Nails It

 

Happy Victoria Day!

Gosh, it's nice to be in Canada right now. Everything's more pleasant here. (Except for Leafs and Jets fans, of course.) We cats PURR.

(IMAGE: Brittlestar, taking his own advice and wearing something fun.)

Hang In There, Joe

By Hubie and Bertie

Some innocent soul on Bluesky tonight said that Jake Tapper should cancel his anti-Biden book tour now that the former President has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. HA! Are you kidding?!?!?!? Jake Tapper is thrilled. Now, every story about Biden's prostate health can include a handy reference to Tapper's stupid book. Ka-ching for Jake! This is what journalism has sunk to.

Here's what we're thinking tonight. In September 2016, Benedict Donald promised to release his full medical records. We're all still waiting. Why aren't reporters constantly asking about that? Trump is continuing to say and do bizarre things — walking unsteadily, posting odd screeds on social media, acting like "groceries" is a new concept — and the press gives him a pass. But Dark Brandon has to prove every second of every day that he's mentally and physically competent. We'll never understand it.

Biden and Harris were a terrific team, and they did great things for our country. They rescued the US from Trump's COVID depression, created millions of jobs, gave thousands student debt relief, brought us $35 insulin, championed clean energy, put Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Supreme Court, and — to the delight of our net worth — presided over a booming stock market. Thanks to them, we were proud to be Americans again. We cats salute the old dude from Delaware who made us feel that way, and we send him all our love and support. And we PURR.

No More Nottoway

By Miss Kubelik

We cats are not generally in favor of historic places burning down, but we're willing to make an exception in this case.

Louisiana's Nottoway Resort, the largest antebellum plantation in the South, was destroyed on Thursday. Since it was marketed as a wedding and special-event venue with nary a mention of the suffering that enslaved people endured there, we're not crying salty tears over its obliteration. In fact, considering how much hostility the current Republican Administration shows toward Americans of color, it's easy to be sympathetic to all the local folks who posed for gleeful selfies with the burning plantation house.

Our country is so hell-bent on going to right-wing hell today that the loss of Nottoway, believe it or not, makes us cats grin. We don't actually love it. But this particular bit of karma makes us PURR.

"I Will Not Yield To Disrespectful Men"

By Zamboni

We've probably said this before, but when Bernie Bro-ette Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was elected to Congress in 2018, our first thought was, "OMG, she's going to be a pain in the ass."

Boy, were we wrong. Totally wrong. AOC is so, so impressive.

From the moment of her arrival in 2019, she learned the rules of the House, worked with then-Speaker Pelosi and her fellow Democrats across the ideological spectrum, refused to take any bait from clowns like Marjorie Taylor Greene, and, without a lot of fanfare, went to work. Any time the spotlight was on her, it was usually because others shone it her way and not because she gratuitously sought it.

She's also grabbed headlines because she's particularly brilliant in Committee. (Like this example from yesterday.)

And there's an even happier ending: AOC's antagonist, Republican Congressman Randy Weber from Texas, ate some humble pie — to the chagrin of MAGAts everywhere, no doubt. "Alexandria, you didn’t deserve what I hit you with," he said. "I shouldn’t have done that and I apologize." Replied AOC, "I completely accept."

Emasculation complete — and well-deserved. We cats PURR.

This Swag Is Not Swell

By Baxter

As if Jeff Bezos hasn't given us enough reasons to stop buying stuff on Amazon, this comes along: The site is peddling fake ICE and border patrol merch for inadequately endowed white males who amuse themselves by acting like they have the authority to seize allegedly undocumented people off the streets.

The swag is on Etsy, too. This is distressing to all of us who buy from small businesses and creators on that site.

In hearings today, Congresswoman Julie Johnson (D-TX) said to Homeland Security cosplayer and famous puppy killer Kristi Noem: "Are you aware that ICE agent jackets are available on Etsy for $20? Anybody can throw a mask on and run around and terrorize people of color without any regard for the law because your agency does not have proper protocols to make sure your agents are clearly identified."

Nothing gives us a skeevier feeling than seeing those masked men grabbing people and hustling them off. Who are they? Hired guns from Erik Prince and Blackwater? Pardoned Jan-Sixers? Both? (We actually suspect the Jan-Sixers, because so many of them are out of shape.)

We've called out Etsy on social media but aren't expecting them to explain themselves or, better, take the merchandise down. Which means we'll have to seriously rethink patronizing that site anymore. Another thing Benedict Donald has ruined for us. We cats HISS.

Not On Our Summer Reading List

It's pretty rich that journalists are congratulating each other on the air for publishing unflattering books about Joe Biden — less than four months after he left office — when their failure over the last 10 years to cover Benedict Donald properly or hold him to account in even the slightest way helped elect him to the White House not once, but twice.

Also, we had a President in a wheelchair before. Worked out pretty well. We cats HISS.

"White Sox Or Cubs"?

By Sniffles

Right out of the gate, Pope Bob — oops, Leo XIV, of course — met with members of the media today, and guess what! He didn't ramble strangely about dolls and pencils. He didn't whine about "fake news." He didn't tell anyone they were a disgrace or should be ashamed of themselves for asking a question.

Nope, that's Benedict Donald territory — Chicago Pope knows better. In fact, he drew some applause by talking about journalists around the world who have been jailed for speaking truth to power.

"The suffering of these imprisoned journalists challenges the conscience of nations and the international community, calling on all of us to safeguard the precious gift of free speech and of the press," he said. "The Church recognizes...the courage of those who defend dignity, justice, and the right of people to be informed, because only informed individuals can make free choices."

Leo also asked the press to refrain from using divisive and combative language, which is a great suggestion that you shouldn't expect Rupert Murdoch or the British tabloids to take for one second. But shining a light on the 500+ reporters who have been hauled off to the hoosegow (or worse) is never a bad thing. It was also a reminder for all the privileged members of the corporate-owned American media who still haven't realized what Trump 2.0 means for them (and the country).

So far, so good on this new Pope, right? Today, he tactfully refused to pose for a selfie, but he did sign somebody's baseball! We cats think this should become a thing, and we PURR.

GOP, The Ball's In Your Court (For The Eleventy Billionth Time)

"No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatsoever, from any king, prince, or foreign state."

–US Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8

"The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them."

–US Constitution, Article II, Section 1, Clause 7

This Seems Bad. Yes, It's Bad.

The Trumpsters are talking about arresting members of Congress now. In case you didn't think we were in trouble before, know that we are now. Or as Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) put it, "These people are completely fucking out of control, and of course I’m going to say that. But we need to hear some Republicans stand up for lawful behavior, or we are going to take a very dark and possibly permanent turn as a nation."

Big Week For The Church — End It On A High Note!

And the best news is that, believe it or not, Tom Lehrer is still with us. Ninety-seven years young. We cats PURR.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: V-E Day (And Other Victories) Edition

By Hubie and Bertie

Today was not a good day for Benedict Donald — his "big trade announcement" with the UK was not big (at least, the details are murky), and ended up being completely overshadowed by the new Pope. An American Pope! Trump was so upset about all this that he toddled out onto the West Colonnade to beg some attention from the press. We consider this a win. And in fact, here are some more:

Robert Francis Prevost is not just American, he's Peruvian — the second Pope from Latin America, since he served many years in Peru and holds citizenship there. So, okay, he's not going to be a trailblazer on issues like women and gay rights, but he's berated JD Vance on social media and is a champion of migrants. Consider him a Trump nemesis (as nemesis-y as pontiffs can be, that is). We didn't get the progressive Filipino guy or the Italian named Pizzaballa (we kid you not), but that's all right, we're not Catholic. So we'll take Prevost.

Also pleasing is Prevost's choice of name — first, because the most famous Leo is a cat (Leo the Lion, of course), but also because the most recent Leo was known as "the social Pope" and "the Pope of the Workers." Leo XIII supported workers' rights, trade unions, and fair wages. He must have been a real shocker in the late 19th century! (Not to mention today, because the MAGAts are not, not, not happy. Yay!)

All that serious stuff aside, the Pope jokes on the interwebs today — most of them Chicago-themed — were top-drawer. (Our favorite is "And also with youse.") Well, done, everybody.

Meanwhile, amid all the pope-y excitement, Benedict Donald folded on his revolting nomination for US attorney in Washington, DC. Ed Martin was a Jan-Sixer who was fomenting violence at the Capitol that day, for God's sake! He was truly one of the worst nominees Trump could have possibly come up with (with the possible exception of Jeanine Pirro, rumored to be Martin's replacement, but we'll see how far Judge Box o' Wine gets). Bottom line? If there was ever any doubt that Martin critic Thom Tillis of North Carolina would get a Trump-endorsed primary opponent, this pretty much seals the deal.

Finally, let's not forget that today is the 80th anniversary of the Allies' victory in Europe in World War II. Trump observed it idiotically, as you'd expect, with a post featuring a famous image from the Pacific theater. But who cares about him? The important thing is that the West defeated fascism once before, and if necessary, we can win the battle once again. The recent elections in Canada, Australia — and even the freaking College of Cardinals — give us hope. We cats PURR.

(PHOTO: Celebrations in London, 1945 — Getty Images)

"Crazy Eyes" Griffin Throws In The Towel

By Miss Kubelik

If Thomas Jefferson were alive today, he'd be suing Jefferson Griffin for unlawful use of his name. We've always wondered how a Republican nutcase who refused to abide the will of the people could be linked in any way to the author of the Declaration of Independence. (You know, that document that slams princes who impose their "arbitrary will" over the rule of law? That one.)

Anyhoo, Not-Jefferson Griffin has finally, finally, finally admitted that he lost the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court race to Democratic Justice Allison Riggs. Republicans will no doubt praise Griffin for his patriotism and selflessness — completely ignoring the fact that he, and they, have spent the last six months trying to overturn a fair election.

Which means the headlines that say "Griffin concedes" should actually be "Republican Stops Attempt to Steal Supreme Court Seat." Or, the press could compare Griffin's behavior to Al Gore's in 2000 — except for the fact that Gore accepted a judicial decision immediately, whereas Griffin... didn't. He tried to toss out thousands of cast ballots, including those from military members serving overseas.

Nevertheless, it's a relief, because had the situation gone the other way, it could have been disastrous for American democracy. And not just here at home, because antidemocratic behavior is sadly contagious. For example, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in Canada still has not called Liberal Bruce Fanjoy to concede defeat in his Ontario riding. It's not just pathetic, childish, and disgusting, but the first step to unraveling our electoral systems. We cats HISS.

Carney Meets The Carny

By Zamboni

This photo of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with Benedict Donald outside the West Wing is hilarious. Carney looks happy. Donald just looks annoyed. (Or maybe he's having a real Admiral Stockdale moment: "Who am I? Why am I here?" It would be nice if the press were as interested in Trump's cognitive abilities as they were obsessed by Biden's.)

But back to today's meeting. Some in the Canadian media speculated that however the encounter goes, Carney wins. If Donald behaves well, he's been cowed. If he doesn't, he just makes Canadians mad all over again and re-rallies them around their new government.

It also gives Carney the opportunity to employ a "gray-rocking" strategy, which some folks adopt when they encounter narcissistic (i.e., Trumpy) personalities. Narcissists manipulate people with deliberately outrageous behavior because they get off on others' reactions to it. Gray-rocking, however, short-circuits the process.

Gray-rocking narcissists "involves making all interactions with them as uninteresting and unrewarding as possible," one medical site explains. "In general, this means giving short, straightforward answers to questions and hiding emotional reactions to the things a person says or does... [to] cut off a person’s 'narcissistic supply' and cause them to lose interest in their target."

From what we've seen so far, it's working. Carney is calm, reasonable, and restrained, refusing to be baited by demented Donald comments like "51st state" and "We don't do much business with Canada."

His facial expressions as Trump blathered do give away some of his feelings, though. (Hilariously, and social media has noticed.) It's like watching Ron MacLean's reactions when Don Cherry spouted his racist, hateful, nationalistic bullshit on "Hockey Night in Canada." But all in all, we'd say Carney has outskated Trump today. We cats PURR. 

UPDATE: At his presser this afternoon, Carney was asked, "What was going through your mind when Trump talked about erasing the border?" Carney replied, "I'm glad you couldn't tell what was going through my mind." LOL! (Oh, no, Mark — we could. We cats PURR again.)

A Fairy Good Take On Our Long National Nightmare

Randy Rainbow does it again. We cats PURR.

Kemp v. Ossoff Is Off

By Baxter

Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has a big fan club, and no member of it is more devoted to him than the wildly entertaining social media influencer who's dubbed him "Senator My Boo." We agree. Ossoff/My Boo is attractive for a lot of reasons, from the personal to the political. (Sartorially, we cats like him in glasses for that Clark Kent-y/Jeff Goldblum-y look, both on and off the job. )

Senator My Boo got some excellent news today: Republican Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia will not run against him in 2026. Kemp was the GOP's best hope to unseat Ossoff, but it seems he didn't relish the idea of running in a year when everyone will be throwing up on Benedict Donald's sucky economy. Which leaves Georgia Republicans with a bunch of nutbags and crazies with no statewide appeal (think MTG).

It's also a win for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — but nobody will spin it that way, of course. Oh, well. We cats PURR.

The Down-Under Horse Race That Wasn't

By Sniffles

Is there cosmic significance that yesterday's Kentucky Derby winner was a horse named "Sovereignty"? (Benedict Donald, take note — if you're not too busy upsetting Catholics with fake-Pope images.)

But there was another race this weekend that was more important.

The Australian election was supposed to be a photo finish. Guess again! As Australian media put it, it was a thumping win for the center-left Labor party. And how weird is this? Just like in Canada, the leader of Australia's Trumpy official opposition lost his parliamentary seat — which he's held for 24 years. Peter Dutton, welcome to the PP Club.

So, add another Western ally to the countries that have rejected Donald and Donaldism: France, Germany, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and now Australia have all definitively rejected the MAGA-ization of their politics — and recommitted themselves to coalition building in defense of democracy around the world. We cats salute them, and we PURR.

P.S. Did you know that Australia has a Katter party? We didn't, either! We cats PURR again.

(IMAGE: Just a cat and a kangaroo, chillin'.)

Wir Sagen STFU, Baby Marco

By Hubie and Bertie

Of all the craven Trumpsters who have turned coat and gone over to the dark side — and yes, we're including Elise "Elsie" Stefanik in this group — the most reprehensible may be Baby Marco Rubio. Was T.S. Eliot thinking of him when he wrote "We are hollow men"? Baby Marco has sold what little soul he ever had to Benedict Donald, and the effects, as we've all seen, are aging him in real time.

Politicos and pundits are said to be doubly shocked, because they once considered Rubio to have character and principles. We cats are happy to say that we never once thought that he did. We'd love to say "We told you so" now that Marco — whose family fled either Batista or Fidel (both dictators, so take your pick) — has turned on his fellow immigrants and now supports shipping them off to third-country prisons. Despicable. Revolting. Turn-your-back-on-him-if-you-meet-him-in-public-level stuff.

However, on the good news side, Baby Marco got the smackdown of his life today — from none other than the German government.

What set Marco off was the German domestic intelligence agency's designation of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, as a bunch of extremists. Which they are. But Rubio is just beside himself to think that this means Elon Musk's favorite political party in Deutschland might be subjected to increased governmental surveillance. (You know, like we Americans were doing to terrorist groups after 9/11.)

"Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition," Rubio bleated on social media. "That's not democracy — it's tyranny in disguise." Hah! He — or his State Department minions — must have felt really good when they hit the "publish" button on that one.

But the German Foreign Office wasted no time in posting back:

"This is democracy," they said, for all the world to see. "The decision is the result of a thorough and independent investigation to protect our constitution and the rule of law. It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learned from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped."

Wow. We have learned from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped. It's a new world, Marco — one in which you're getting embarrassing lessons from the Germans — and wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome to it. We cats HISS and PURR at the same time.

The Mirror And The Blight

By Miss Kubelik

Today is no ordinary International Workers' Day — the nation is in a state of emergency. That's why thousands marched in anti-Trump protests across the country today — the sixth major day of demonstrations since early February, and with many more no doubt to come. (For information on the movement and upcoming protests, click here.)

The first 100 days of Donald 2.0 have been so relentlessly dark that it's hard to imagine they will ever end. But our destiny lies in our hands. The midterms aren't until next November, but these elections will take place before then, with the Virginia and New Jersey Governor's races the key events. In the meantime, we can organize on the ground: registering voters, building networks, turning out at town halls, and fielding candidates at the local level, like for school boards, county commissions, and city councils.

In short, we're in it for the long haul, folks. Democracy will not be reclaimed overnight, but through the slog, it will be good to remember the words of Frederick Douglass: "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." We cats PURR.

(IMAGE: Michael de Adder, deadder.net)

PP: Rotten To The Core

By Zamboni

One more post about the Canadian election, and then we'll move on.

The political chatter is starting to turn against Monday's big loser, Pierre Poilievre, even though some Conservatives had made early noises about keeping him on as party leader. They must feel reality crashing down upon them. Since PP lost his own seat in Parliament on Monday, the logistics of keeping him on have begun to get complicated.

Voters also started questioning if Poilievre would — or could — stay in Stornoway, the residence of the leader of the official opposition. Many suggested he should clear out. Not the best week for PP!

But the coup de grâce was delivered by the journalist who tried to interview Poilievre back in 2023, a video that went viral for all the wrong reasons. Poilievre showed his contempt for the reporter by eating an apple throughout. PP's adoring fascist fans loved it, but most Canadians must have been turned off. (Especially all those folks in Poilievre's riding who voted for Bruce Fanjoy this week instead.)

Today, the journalist, Don Urquhart, issued this statement. Here's one of the juiciest parts:

"[Poilievre's] utter disrespect for the media and by extension Canadians themselves — whether it be apple munching, refusing to allow reporters to travel with him on the campaign trail, or limiting access and vetting of questions with no follow-ups — took a direct page from Trump’s playbook and raised many questions about his ability to represent Canadians. As for the viral ‘apple clip’ from fall 2023, it was an undeniably clear reflection of his character.

"This surely won’t be the end of Poilievre or the masterminds of his political persona, but at least for now, Canada has dodged a bullet."

Delicious! We cats PURR.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: "ReinCarneyated" Edition

By Baxter

In case you were wondering how that $60 million fighter jet "fell off" one of our aircraft carriers, here's the obvious answer.

But we digress. Everyone is agog about the results of yesterday's election in the True North. Before we dive into the details, here are a couple of housekeeping notes: In Canada, the Liberals are red, the Conservatives are blue. And a riding is their version of a Congressional district. S'aright? S'aright.

1. So now the Liberals have won four elections in a row. Last night's took us back to the first one, in 2015. That year, Team Trudeau's crushing of the Conservatives started early on when Atlantic Canada came in as a stunningly solid sea of red. This time, the Liberals got off to a nerve-wracking slower start. There were rumors that the seven million early votes from the Easter weekend were counted last, which could explain why we spent the first part of yesterday evening feeling a tad stressed.

2. With the annexation threats from Benedict Donald, Quebec ended up handing 43 seats to the Liberals, at the expense of the separatist Bloc Quebecois. (But the Bloc didn't do so bad — in fact, they're probably going to be the Liberals' main dance partner in Parliament.) Quebecers apparently realized that their language and culture wouldn't stand a chance in a "51st state," and they voted accordingly. But it was Ontario that cost the Liberals their majority — they lost four ridings there that they probably should have won.

3. Which makes Pierre Poilievre's loss in his Ontario riding all the more embarrassing. Yep, PP lost his seat — which he's held for 20 years — to a Liberal with the fun name of Bruce Fanjoy. (Poor Pierre! How simply frightful! How humiliating! How delightful!) Fanjoy had been knocking doors, raising money, and organizing for two years, and yesterday all the hard work paid off. Now PP is making noises about staying on as party leader, but some MP would probably have to resign and let him run in a by-election for his or her seat — but not for in 180 days. Wouldn't it be great if the Liberals could knock Poilievre off again?

4. Another fun development from last night was Trumpy MP Jamil Jivani going after Ontario Premier Doug Ford in his victory speech. Don't bother to look Jivani up, because you already know his type — a physically unappealing MAGAt who has palled around with JD Vance since their Yale law school days. Jivani accused Ford of being a "hype man" for the Liberals. We won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say that the Conservative infighting has begun, which is great. Watch also for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's next move. She's been doing a nod-nod-wink-wink at Albertan separatists for a while now, but may not be able to get away with that for much longer. 

5. Before we forget, here's a shout-out to Justin Trudeau, who nobody thought understood when to stay and when to leave. He stuck around long enough to call Benedict Donald out on his shenanigans (pulling his own poll numbers up in the process), and left as soon as his party chose a new leader. Good job, Justin — your dad would be proud of you.

6. Finally, word from the PMO is that Mark Carney chatted with Benedict Donald today. Of course! That's what smart businesspeople do — they take care of their most disagreeable tasks first. And nobody said Carney isn't a good manager. Just ask the folks at the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada.

We have no doubt that the Prime Minister will be in the driver's seat when he has to deal with Trump. In fact, with his resume and pleasant but no-nonsense demeanor, Carney seems pretty Trump-proof. We cats congratulate him and the True North, and we PURR.

Tidbits And Cat Treats: First 100 Days Edition

By Sniffles

It's just dawned on us that the ever-ridiculous White House Correspondents Dinner was held this weekend, and nobody noticed. Well, at least we didn't — and neither did the folks we follow on Bluesky and that other place. That's what happens when you are so cowed by Benedict Donald that you fire your headliner comedian, lest you offend his Awful Orangeness. And by doing so, you cast your event forever into oblivion.

Actually, oblivion is what the WHCD has always deserved. The event was never not inappropriate, but now, in Trump 2.0, it's far, far worse. As democracy defender Marc Elias put it, "I have no interest in sitting in a room with people who believe their job is to stay neutral while the administration is deporting two-year-old American citizens."

Here are some other stories that have caught our attention today.

Donald has marked his first 100 days back in office with the lowest approval ratings (41 percent) this early in a Presidential term since — well, since this early in his first term. It's good that people are waking up, but after everything he's done, who is still in that 41 percent?

And the riotous Republican town halls continue! On Saturday, Rob Wittman of Virginia got yelled at (in absentia) for everything from immigration to Musk-y spending cuts. Endangered New York rep Mike Lawler, who actually attended his Sunday event, tried to control it with an intimidating entrance sign that outlined all the bad (to him) behavior he wouldn't tolerate. (It didn't work.) As POLITICO reported, "Many in the crowd continuously jeered him and, at one point — displeased when he beat around the bush before answering a question — offered a chorus of blah, blah, blah." Even the nutty Victoria Spartz of Indiana was forced to admit at her Friday town hall that Signalgate was "very, very bad." Keep up the good work, everyone!

Speaking of stuff that happened Friday, the Trumpsters have started arresting judges. We are in deep, deep trouble.

But finally, some good news: It was excellent to see that not only did Baby Marco parrot Donald's ridiculous "51st state" line on the Sunday shows, but Trump himself simply had to repeat it himself in a post at 8:36 this morning — Canadian election day. Liberal turnout already appears pretty robust, but that Trump tweet will probably kick it up even a bit more. Our paws crossed, and we cats PURR.

Trust The Guy Who's Liked By A Cat

Dear Canadians, tomorrow is Election Day. Here is a nice photo of Prime Minister Mark Carney with a furry feline friend. Now, we know that Stephen Harper liked cats, too. But unlike Harper (and Pierre Poilievre, for that matter), Carney has so many other things going for him. Please vote wisely. We cats PURR.

Sartorial Screw-Up

By Hubie and Bertie

Holy smokes, but Benedict Donald and Moose & Squirrel managed to embarrass the United States on the world stage once again today. (By the way, is that really Moose & Squirrel? We're not sure.)

The protocol for the Pope's funeral was black suits for men. Some wore very dark blue suits (so dark that they were nearly black). Donald didn't even try. And then he snoozed. Can you imagine the media frenzy if Joe Biden did something like this? What's happened to all the dementia stories? We know, we're a broken record, but good God. We cats HISS.

The Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of

By Miss Kubelik

The Canadian election is Monday. If what we're seeing on social media is accurate, our neighbors to the North will be very glad to see it over. Imagine how they would feel with our months-long-years-long American campaigns. Maybe we can take a hint from their system (or, maybe not).

The last few days' unofficial assessment of the Conservative closing-argument ads is universally negative. The Tories are either offering up a couple of old dudes jawing about politics while they play golf (virtually begging for the tagline "Ask your doctor if Viagra is right for you"), or a garishly made-up Stephen Harper endorsing Pierre Poilievre. Honestly, we cannot believe that the Tories' ad agency allowed Harper to be seen like this. But you be the judge. We cats PURR.

If Trump Were Normal

By Zamboni

Since we have an upcoming papal funeral, here's a favorite meme from an earlier one. (That's John Paul II, not St. Nicholas. And Benedict, who died two years ago, doesn't really count, does he? Quitter.)

We looked at the list of pooh-bahs who are planning to attend Francis's service on Saturday, and were happy to see that Prime Minister Mark Carney is sending the Governor-General of Canada instead, seeing as how there's a big election taking place on Monday and all. It also dawned on us that if Benedict Donald were a human being, he would invite Joe Biden, who was only our second Catholic President, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to fly over with him. But he's a narcissist and a sociopath, so he won't. We cats HISS.

De Adder Du Jour

 

By Baxter

A record number of Canadians — 7.3 million — voted in this past weekend's advance polls. That's a 25 percent increase over the number of people who voted early in 2021. Wow!

Nobody's speculating as to whether these banked votes will favor the Liberals or the Conservatives, but we're assuming that the sense of urgency folks are feeling about standing up to Benedict Donald will not redound to Pierre Poilievre's benefit. The overall sense is that although the Tories are trying to seize the mantle of change, voters aren't buying their alleged new brew. (See above.)

We'll know better when the results come in on April 28. Meanwhile, it is always excellent when voters in a democracy make sure their voices are heard, isn't it? We cats PURR.

(IMAGE: Michael de Adder, deadder.net)

Life Imitates Art

You probably saw the Liz Truss-with-the-Queen and JD Vance-with-the-Pope photo juxtaposition shared widely on social media, but you may not have seen this. Today, @ArtButMakeItSports decided not to make it about sports after all. Well done. We cats PURR.

(IMAGES: Vatican Media Pool; "Dance with Death," Hieronymus Hess)

Francis Says Over And Out

By Sniffles

This is one of our favorite photos of Pope Francis, who after meeting with JD Vance this weekend apparently decided, "I'm outta here." (And it's certainly proof that he met with much better men than Vance.)

Francis's death today was a surprise after his recent lengthy hospitalization, but it's potentially good news that before he checked out, he managed to appoint half of the College of Cardinals — not unlike President Biden and all those judges. So maybe there's hope that the church won't go back to a 16th-century-type guy.

We're rooting for the Filipino dude, Cardinal Chito. He'd be the first Asian, seems relatively lefty, and it would be fun to have a pope with a name like that. Meanwhile, we cats salute Francis for being significantly less awful than his predecessors, and we PURR.

"One If By Land, Two If By DC"

By Hubie and Bertie

The spirit of resistance might be still alive and well in America. Organizers said that more than four million people turned out for yesterday's 50501 protests against King George III oops, Benedict Donald and his odious, anti-democratic administration. Hundreds of folks even showed up in cute little Saratoga Springs for an anti-Trump Honk n' Wave — despite the rain. Good work, everyone! Keep it up.

The prize for protest, though, might go to Silence Dogood, an organization of artists that takes its name from a pseudonym Benjamin Franklin used in the run-up to the American Revolution. Observing the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere's ride, the group projected pro-democracy and anti-Trump messages onto historic Boston buildings. They particularly targeted Trump's so-called "border czar," who threatened to "bring hell" to Boston, a sanctuary city for immigrants.

This is all excellent. And it's just dawned on us that July 4, 2026, is going to be, as they say, lit. We cats PURR.

Ponto Says: Go Vote!

Early voting began today in Canada. (They call it advance polls.) The Conservatives are protesting the fact that voting's begun on the long Easter weekend, but they're just being sour grapes — if they were leading in the polls, they'd be all for it. It's also the 43rd anniversary of the repatriation of Canada's constitution from the UK. So it seems a good time for folks to make their voices heard. We cats PURR.

(IMAGE: @pontomtl.bsky.social)

Habs Clinch, And Maybe Carney Does, Too?

By Miss Kubelik

The Montreal Canadiens snagged a playoff spot last night when they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 at home. At nearly the same time, Canada's four party leaders also held their official French debate, just a few blocks away. Fun fact: The debate was moved two hours ahead of schedule to accommodate the hockey game. Can you think of anything more Canadian than that?

That debate, and the English-language match-up that followed tonight, gave the Conservative Party its last best chance to try to change the narrative in the run-up to Canada's April 28 federal election. Sadly for them, it looks like they failed. Prime Minister Mark Carney didn't stumble badly in French, and the Tories' Trumpy leader, Pierre Poilievre, scored no knockout punches. At least, that's the consensus right now. We'll see if the analysis changes as the dust continues to settle.

In our minds, though, the election continues to be Carney's to lose — projections currently have the Liberals gaining 193 seats to the Conservatives' 121. The Tories have their own internal problems, too: Ontario Premier Doug Ford is being no help to Poilievre (there's bad blood there), and the public finger-pointing has already begun. And right wingers in Alberta are already talking secession. Fun!

The Habs, however, might not be as well-positioned for their next challenge as Carney and the Liberals are. They're set to meet the Putin-loving Alex Ovechkin (shudder) and the Washington Capitals next week. It's going to be tough, but we wish them well. Meanwhile, we cats PURR.

On That Note...

(IMAGE: Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Nightmare Scenarios

By Zamboni

That Constitutional crisis that folks have warned is coming? It's here. Team Benedict Donald is ignoring court orders in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, and if that behavior is allowed to stand, it's game over for democracy, everyone. (Republicans in Congress, are you listening? Or will you always be cowards?)

The latest news is that Maryland Senator Chris Von Hollen is headed to El Salvador tomorrow to find out where Abrego Garcia is — and how he is. (He'd better not be dead, a concept that started to dawn on everyone when White House liar-and-cross-flaunter "Karoline" Leavitt started talking about him in the past tense.) Other members of Congress, including Maxwell Frost of Florida and Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, are talking about tagging along.

Any number of awful events could unfold from this trip. The right-wing dictator of El Salvador could deny the delegation entry to the country. He could let them in, but detain them at whatever location they visit. Or Benedict Donald could refuse to let them come back home, saying they had met with "known terrorists." The possibilities are absurd and revolting — off the charts, really — and we just hope that Van Hollen and his delegation have a strategy for each one of them, because this is where we are as a country now.

We support Van Hollen's mission, but it also scares us. Anyone who remembers California Congressman Leo Ryan is probably nervous, too. Just ask Jackie Speier. We cats hope they'll stay safe, and we HISS.

This Will Put A Twinkle In Your Eye, Too

 

These days, it's important to keep laughing. We cats PURR.

If Randy Were A Carpenter

 

We cats love it when Randy gets inspired. He always makes us PURR.

Repellent.

By Baxter

Benedict Donald sure has a thing about magnets. Remember how he famously said they don't work in water? And so they shouldn't be put on boats? What in the hell does any of it mean? It's hard to know with all those rabid raccoons running around in his brain.

Just a couple of months ago he was at it again, raving about the USS Gerald R. Ford and its electromagnetic aircraft launch system. "They have all magnetic elevators to lift up 25 planes at a time, 20 planes at a time," he burbled. "And instead of using hydraulic, they use magnets. Magnets are going to lift the planes up, and it doesn’t work. And they had billions and billions of dollars of cost overruns."

As with everything Trump says, this is baloney. The aircraft carrier in question cost $13 billion, not $18 billion as Donald claimed. There's no evidence its "magnetic elevators" caused it to go over budget, or even that its launching system is a bust. Maybe Trump just doesn't like ships being named after people who are not him (e.g., Ford, Jimmy Carter, John McCain). But now, magnets have come back to bite him.

Everybody took note on Friday when Trump exempted phones, computers and chips from his so-called "reciprocal" tariffs — Tim Cook evidently called in his Inaugural donation chit. But Donald left the tariffs on China, and guess what? China has quickly retaliated by suspending shipments of magnets that US manufacturers need to make cars, drones, missiles, and robots. Among other things.

"Shipments of the magnets have been halted at many Chinese ports while the Chinese government drafts a new regulatory system," The New York Times reports. "Once in place, the new system could permanently prevent supplies from reaching certain companies, including American military contractors."

Oops! Sounds like your economic boat is sinking, Donald. The problem is, we're all in the damn boat with you. We cats HISS.

"The Moon, The Stars, And All The Planets"

At the White House, the long black car turned off Pennsylvania, through the northwest gate, and swept up the drive, stopping under the North Portico. The time was 5:25.

Two ushers were waiting at the door. They took his hat and escorted him to a small, oak-paneled elevator, more like an ornate cage, that had been installed in the Theodore Roosevelt era and that ascended now very slowly to the second floor.

In the private quarters, across the center hall, in her sitting room, Mrs. Roosevelt was waiting. With her were Steve Early and her daughter and son-in-law, Anna and John Boetigger. Mrs. Roosevelt stepped forward and gently put her arm on Truman's shoulder.

"Harry, the President is dead."

Truman was unable to speak.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" he said at last.

"Is there anything we can do for you," she said. "For you are the one in trouble now."

–David McCullough, Truman

Unite For Veterans

Looks like there's going to be a big rally for veterans on Friday, June 6 (the anniversary of D-Day, natch). If you're a veteran, or if you love someone who is, mark your calendar! We cats PURR.

Marvelous Marg Suits Up For Canadian Film

By Sniffles

Is April the cruellest month? T.S. Eliot thought so (and yes, he spelled "cruelest" that way). And indeed, it seems to be... anybody in the US who watches the stock market already believes it — plus, there's tax day, which feels particularly rapacious and unjust this year, and other less-than-wonderful anniversaries (Lincoln's assassination, the death of FDR, Waco, the Boston Marathon bombing... the list goes on).

Nevertheless, spring is trying to spring, and other, more positive events are coming up. This one, for example. Bet you didn't have this on your schedule, but if you're Canadian, it might be right up there in importance with the federal election on April 28. We cats PURR.

100 Years Old? Why, Jay Gatsby, You Don't Look A Day Over 35

"I spent my Saturday nights in New York because those gleaming, dazzling parties of his were with me so vividly that I could still hear the music and the laughter, faint and incessant, from his garden, and the cars going up and down his drive. One night I did hear a material car there, and saw its lights stop at his front steps. But I didn't investigate. Probably it was some final guest who had been away at the ends of the earth and didn't know that the party was over."

—F. Scott Fitgerald, The Great Gatsby

Seeing Red

By Hubie and Bertie

Have you gotten over your motion sickness yet? Benedict Donald backed down and put most of his ridiculous tariffs on "pause" for 90 days. So, will we all endure more whiplash then, or sooner? Who knows with this sociopath? It's enough to make people crave steady, sensible leadership.

Which is what seems to be happening in Canada, in the run-up to the April 28 federal election.

Check out this map. We're not big fans of Polymarket — it's a crypto-based prediction market that exists simply to separate vulnerable people from their hard-earned money by allowing them to bet on everything from the chance of a US recession this year to the winner of the 2025 Masters. But this particular prediction got our attention because to make it, Polymarket has simply followed Canadian polling and the trajectory of the race — and well, as they say, here we are.

Handy reminder that in Canada, the "color-coding" for the parties are the opposite of ours here: The Liberals are red, and the Conservatives are blue. And the last time we saw this much red was in 2015.

Currently, Polymarket predicts that the Liberals will end up with 174 seats, the Tories with 137, the Bloc Quebecois with 20, and the NDP with 11. It takes 172 to form a majority government, so to avoid a razor-thin margin like Speaker Mike "Mike" Johnson's in the House of Representatives, the Liberals must keep pushing.

Meanwhile, if this scenario holds, the Conservatives and their unappealing leader, Pierre Poilievre, will have some hard decisions to make. Where do they throw in the towel? Where will they stop spending money and other precious campaign resources? Do they try to pivot again? Poilievre has already tried to be quite stern about Benedict Donald's shenanigans, even though he was an enthusiastic Trump admirer before. So, what does he do? Somehow, mocking PM Mark Carney's "banker's haircut" seems like just more political malpractice.

And time is running out. We cats have our paws crossed, and we PURR.

Donald's Awful Oval

By Miss Kubelik

Today was one of those days — we cats have them periodically — when the news coming out of Benedict Donald the Second's administration is so terrible on all fronts, we just have to take a step back somehow.

(It's the only way we can manage to survive Steve Bannon's "flood the zone with sh*t" tactic, because goodness gracious, the Trumpsters are flooding that zone. Illegal deportations, top-secret chats on Signal, firing of federal workers, crashing the stock market, gutting essential medical research... the list goes on.)

So let's focus on what is not the most loathsome of everything Donald has done, but still one of his top offenders: junking up the Oval Office.

How, you ask? Well, here are some visual aids. The top two photos show the graceful office of the John F. Kennedy era. Notice the spare elegance — the restrained mid-century style. (You just know that Jacqueline Kennedy had a hand in it: She rescued from storage and had restored many historical White House furnishings. In addition to her respect for America's past, she had exquisite taste.)

The last photo is the Oval Office today. Sorry, just one. We can't bear to post any more than that.

Trump is clearly obsessed with the Kennedys. He's fired the board of the Kennedy Center — they'll have tractor pulls there soon, no doubt — threatened to pave over the Rose Garden, and has sicced DOGE on the Peace Corps. But gosh! If Jackie Kennedy came back and saw what's he's done to the Oval, she'd never stop throwing up. We cats HISS.

A Day Later, 1,500 Strong

Félicitations to the Montrealers who turned out for an anti-Trump demonstration at the George-Étienne Cartier monument on Mount Royal yesterday. "Mon pays ce n'est pas ton pays," indeed. We cats PURR.

The Massacre Continues

In the words of Hillary Rodham Clinton on Bluesky: "Remember, Republicans in Congress can put a stop to this at any time."

If you're represented by Republicans in the House and/or the Senate, please call them today. The Capitol Hill switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. Meanwhile, we cats HISS.

(IMAGE: Terry Mosher, aka Aislin, The Montreal Gazette)

Democracy, Not Dictators

Millions of people are taking part anti-Trump Hands Off protests today. Here are the crowds in Washington, DC, New York City, St. Paul, Minnesota, and — wait for it — Salt Lake City, Utah. We cats PURR.