Greenland gets TACO'ed and confused with Iceland; good thing we're not a Central/South American autocracy.
It's National Hot Sauce Day!
TACO-Acronym for “Trump Always Chickens Out.”
“What we know from experience is Trump will push as far and as hard as he can until he meets resistance. He doesn’t understand consent; he will just do what he can to people until he meets some force resisting him. And I think it’s ok to breathe a sigh of relief today. But when you zoom out, it’s a toxic and dangerous cycle… If Donald Trump thinks he can get away with it, he will do it. Ask E. Jean Carroll.”
-Chris Hayes
Trump gives a stump speech at Davos. The president’s remarks at the World Economic Forum show that he still doesn’t understand how American greatness functions globally.
A somewhat unhinged thought crossed my mind as I watched our Fearless Leader obliviously mistake Iceland for Greenland four times during his interminable screed at Davos:
The legal methods of removing a President in the U.S. are limited to impeachment or the invocation of the 25th Amendment. Impeachment’s track record is abysmal:- no impeached President has ever been convicted. And the 25th Amendment’s arcane structure renders the removal of the chief executive difficult at best, and ineffective at worst.
If the chaos of the past few days was transplanted into the screenplay of a ‘60s or ‘70s political thriller and/or comedy, and the unhinged autocrat was the leader of a small Central or South American country, you can be certain the political and military leaders of that country would be huddling to determine how best to engineer a coup d’état that would restore law, order, and sanity.
The only problem is coup d’états are by definition illegal. They’re also surprisingly effective. The linked Wikipedia article above says “By one estimate, there were 457 coup attempts from 1950 to 2010, half of which were successful. Most coup attempts occurred in the mid-1960s, but there were also large numbers of coup attempts in the mid-1970s and the early 1990s. Coups occurring in the post-Cold War period have been more likely to result in democratic systems than Cold War coups.”
I’d wager most Americans would think that as a self-described nation of laws that coups are foreign to our constitutional republic. And they would be very wrong. Several authorities classified Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election as a failed self-coup or autocoup, and labeled the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol a failed dissident coup.
So why am I bringing this up? I’m certainly not advocating a coup. I present it as a thought experiment, and an excuse to more closely examine the history of our country in order to become better informed. Really.
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—Kevin G. Barkes
January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 343 days remain until the end of the year. Unfortunately, as of this writing, 1,093 days remain in Trump’s term of office.
(Note: none of the links below are behind paywalls. They’re either on free sites or are gift articles. If you land on a page obscured by pop-ups asking for your email or showing a subscription offer, just look in the upper right corner of the pop-up for the close icon.)
For the most concise (and entertaining) review of the day’s events, the best and most concise source of information are the late night monologues. Today’s are especially good. See the Late Night section below.
Wall Street Journal gift article: Inside Trump’s head-spinning Greenland U-turn. President rules out using force to take control of Greenland and calls off promised tariffs on European nations.
I was in the room when Trump addressed leaders in Davos. Here are my top takeaways. The tone oscillated between humor and provocation, and the the tension was palpable.
America needs Greenland. No—Iceland. Actually, never mind! This is definitely all going to plan. (If you’re puzzled by the Mercator projection references, this video clip from The West Wing explains it brilliantly, and even includes a specific reference to Greenland.)
Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo says. The memo authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on a more narrow administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal, a move that advocates say collides with Fourth Amendment protections and upends years of advice given to immigrant communities.
What to know about the warrants most immigration agents use to make arrests. Only criminal warrants signed by judges carry the authority to permit officers to forcibly enter private homes or other nonpublic spaces without consent. Most immigration arrests are carried out under administrative warrants that only authorize the arrest of a specific individual.
Immigration enforcement arrives in Maine as a court freezes restrictions on tactics in Minnesota. Maine became the latest target of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown, while a federal appeals court on Wednesday suspended a decision that prohibited federal officers from using tear gas or pepper spray against peaceful protesters in Minnesota.
ICE detained a five-year-old Minnesota boy on Tuesday as he returned home from school and transported him and his father to a Texas detention center
DOGE goons may have shared stolen Social Security data with political group. Two DOGE members have been referred to authorities for Hatch Act violations.
2.8 days to disaster: low earth orbit could collapse without warning. A new analysis suggests modern satellite networks could suffer catastrophic collisions within days of losing control during a major solar storm.
AI completely failing to boost productivity, says top analyst. "Where we are today, we're not seeing it."
The overlooked survival strategy that made us human. So much for the big, brave hunter stereotype.
‘Exploding’ trees warning as temperatures plunge in the forecasted megastorm. Exploding trees are possible in the Midwest and Northern Plains on Friday and Saturday, as temperatures are forecasted to fall 20 degrees below zero. The extreme cold temperature causes the water inside the sap of the trees to freeze, expand, and then crack the bark of the tree, creating a loud, “gunshot-like” noise.
In regards to the winter storm that’s causing everyone to freak out, I recommend following this YouTuber. He’s my go to guy for accurate, non-hyped weather info.
Late Night:
Why is there a Late Night section? Because late night comedians, unfettered by institutional journalistic and corporate inhibitions, often provide observations and analysis that are more thorough and comprehensive than network or cable news. And the humor helps.
Trump demands Greenland at Davos and literally trashes first-year “accomplishments” | The Daily Show (Video)
Trump berates world leaders, declares victory on Greenland; “Real Moments in Presidementia”; and we receive another threat from the FCC!-Jimmy Kimmel (Video)
Will ICE freeze? | Trump: I’m helping Europe | Weapons nobody knows about | Occupying Canada-Stephen Colbert (Video)
The Swiss send a message to President Trump (Video)
Trump confuses Greenland and Iceland in Davos speech, “No Kings” comes to Swiss Alps: A Closer Look-Seth Meyers (Video)
Watch out, Colbert and 'The View': FCC warns TV hosts to air both sides. The Trump administration’s guidance will put new pressure on daytime and late-night TV hosts, and renew free expression concerns from Democrats.
Bookmark KGB Report Notes and check periodically for cartoons, memes, news, commentary and other stuff that didn’t fit or broke between e-mail newsletter issues. It’s also a great place to comment and chat.
Keep scrolling down. Lots of interesting stuff in Quote of the Day, Holidays, On This Day, Birthdays, and Deaths. I can pretty much guarantee you’ll learn something new.
History highlight:
2010 – The last episode of “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” aired on NBC. Videos: Last monologue; Norm Macdonald’s sendoff; Conan’s farewell message; Conan’s first cold open on TBS.
Time has shown how illusory are alliances of great powers so far as the maintenance of peace is concerned. In considering the use of international force to secure peace, we are again brought to the fundamental necessity of common accord.
-Charles Evans Hughes (Wikipedia link)
(More Charles Evans Hughes quotes from the KGB Quotations Database)
Today’s holidays:
Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day, Celebration of Life Day, Clashing Clothes Day, Come in From the Cold Day, Dance of the Seven Veils Day, National Blonde Brownie Day, National Hot Sauce Day, National Polka Dot Day, National Southern Food Day, Roe vs. Wade Day, and Women’s Healthy Weight Day.
On This Day:
2018 – Netflix became the largest digital media and entertainment company in the world worth $100 billion
2010 – The last episode of “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” aired on NBC. (Last monologue; Norm Macdonald’s sendoff; Conan’s farewell message; Conan’s first cold open on TBS.)
2009 – U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order to close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp; congressional opposition prevented it being implemented.
2008 – Heath Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose.
2003 – Hispanics were officially declared the largest minority group in the U.S.
1998 – “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski pled guilty to his 17 year campaign of package bombings.
1984 – Apple's seminal ad for the new Macintosh computer, directed by Ridley Scott, loosely based on George Orwell's "1984", played during Super Bowl XVIII. (Video)
1984 – “Airwolf” premiered on CBS, after the broadcast of Super Bowl XVIII. (Main title) (Fan tribute video)
1980 – Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov arrested in Moscow
1973 – In a bout for the world heavyweight boxing championship in Kingston, Jamaica, challenger George Foreman knocked down champion Joe Frazier six times in the first two rounds before the fight was stopped.
1973 – The Supreme Court of the United States delivered its decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states.
1973 – Former President Lyndon Baines Johnson died in Texas.
1970 – The Boeing 747, the world’s first “jumbo jet“, entered commercial service for launch customer Pan American Airways with its maiden voyage from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London Heathrow Airport.
1968 – “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” premiered on NBC. (Video)
1947 – KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, began operation in Hollywood.
1946 – Central Intelligence Group, forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency, was created.
1905 – Bloody Sunday Massacre in Russia, marked the beginning of the 1905 revolution.
1901 – Edward VII was proclaimed King of the United Kingdom after the death of his mother, Queen Victoria.
1890 – The United Mine Workers of America was founded in Columbus, Ohio.
1840 – British colonists reached New Zealand.
1506 – The first contingent of 150 Swiss Guards arrived at the Vatican.
(For comprehensive lists of the day’s historical events, check here, here, and here.)
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Some Birthdays:
1990 – Logic, American rapper
1969 – Olivia d’Abo, English-American singer-songwriter and actress
1968 – Guy Fieri, American chef, author, and television host
1965 – Diane Lane, American actress
1965 – DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ and producer
1959 – Linda Blair, American actress
1955 – John Wesley Shipp, American actor
1949 – Steve Perry, American singer-songwriter and producer
1940 – John Hurt, English actor (died 2017)
1937 – Joseph Wambaugh, American author (died 2025)
1934 – Bill Bixby, American actor and director (died 1993)
1932 – Piper Laurie, American actress (died 2023)
1931 – Sam Cooke, American singer-songwriter (died 1964)
1920 – Irving Kristol, American journalist, author, and academic, founded The National Interest (died 2009)
1909 – Ann Sothern, American actress and singer (died 2001)
1909 – U Thant, Burmese educator and diplomat, 3rd United Nations Secretary-General (died 1974)
1907 – Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan, American pilot and engineer (died 1995)
1904 – George Balanchine, Georgian-American dancer, choreographer, and director, co-founded the New York City Ballet (died 1983)
1898 – Sergei Eisenstein, Russian director and screenwriter (died 1948)
1893 – Conrad Veidt, German-American actor, director, and producer (died 1943)
1875 – D. W. Griffith, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1948)
1865 – Wilbur Scoville, American chemist and pharmacist (devised the test and the eponymous scale to measure capsaicin concentration of peppers) (died 1942)
1788 – Lord Byron, English poet and playwright (died 1824)
1645 – William Kidd, Scottish sailor and (probable) pirate hunter (died 1701)
1561 – Francis Bacon, English philosopher and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (died 1626)
1552 – Walter Raleigh, English poet, soldier, courtier, and explorer (died 1618)
(A more complete list of today’s birthdays.)
Some Deaths:
2021 – Hank Aaron, American baseball player (born 1934)
2018 – Ursula K. Le Guin, American sci-fi and fantasy novelist (born 1929)
2012 – Dick Tufeld, American actor (voice of the robot in “Lost in Space”) (born 1926)
2012 – Joe Paterno, American football player and coach (born 1926)
2010 – Jean Simmons, English-American actress (born 1929)
2008 – Heath Ledger, Australian actor and director (born 1979)
2004 – Ann Miller, American actress, singer, and dancer (born 1923)
2004 – Billy May, American trumpet player and composer (born 1916) (Video)
2003 – Bill Mauldin, American soldier and cartoonist (born 1921)
1994 – Telly Savalas, American actor (born 1922)
1987 – R. Budd Dwyer, American educator and politician, 30th Treasurer of Pennsylvania (born 1939)
1973 – Lyndon B. Johnson, American lieutenant and politician, 36th President of the United States (born 1908)
1971 – Harry Frank Guggenheim, American businessman and publisher, co-founded Newsday (born 1890)
1950 – Alan Hale, Sr., American actor and director (born 1892)
1909 – Emil Erlenmeyer, German chemist (he designed the eponymous flask) and academic (born 1825)
1901 – Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (born 1819)
1900 – David Edward Hughes, Welsh-American physicist, co-invented the microphone (born 1831)
(A more complete list of today’s deaths.)
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