Jesus wants Trump to start Armageddon; Texas voting mess; Meta Ray-Bans privacy disaster; White House ballroom "cheap" and "appalling"
It's National Pound Cake Day!
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—Kevin G. Barkes
(Most) everything you need to know for today:
March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 302 days remain until the end of the year. As of this writing, 1,052 days remain in Trump’s term of office.
Knee-deep in the hoopla:
The latest on the Iran war from the Associated Press.
Israel is blowing up Iran’s police state to clear the way for a revolt. Airstrikes have targeted organizations responsible for suppressing protests and cracking down on separatists; analysts are skeptical the strategy will work. (Wall Street Journal gift article)
Military leaders say Iran War is so Trump can bring about “Armageddon”. Without any clear message coming from the White House with regard to the purpose of the Iran war, U.S. military commanders have turned to Jesus, apparently telling American troops that the war is “biblically sanctioned.” (The New Republic)
Trump has given America a Constitutional dilemma. Congress should not have to argue over whether to trigger the War Powers Resolution, and certainly not in the midst of conflict. (The Atlantic)
Voting confusion in Texas rooted in conspiracy theories about ballot counting. The state’s top court ordered all ballots cast by voters who were not in line before 7 p.m. local time to be separated from the rest of the day’s votes. The court issued a similar ruling for two polling locations in Williamson County. (NBC News)
What privacy? As expected, Meta Ray-Bans smart glasses are a privacy disaster. Footage of naked people, sensitive information, and violent acts captured and seen by Meta's AI and an army of employees. (Apple Insider)
Internal DHS watchdog: Noem is obstructing our work. The Department of Homeland Security has hindered internal investigations amid scrutiny for its handling of President Donald Trump’s aggressive crackdown on immigration, the agency’s official watchdog warned in a letter to Congress. (Politico)
‘Cheap’ and ‘Appalling’: Trump’s ballroom plans receive a flood of negative comments. The commission has received about 32,000 comments in all. Suffice it to say: Many people are not happy with what Mr. Trump is doing to the White House. (New York Times gift article)
It’s not a virus, it’s not a bacterium… it’s something stranger: Japanese scientists discover a life form that doesn’t fit into any known biological category. (ECOnews)
Late Night:
The Daily Show: Michael Kosta breaks down the first four days of Trump's war on Iran: the U.S. government offers to evacuate Americans from the Middle East via bus, Trump stocks up for another forever war, conservatives quibble over the definition of "war," and friendly fire takes out $300 million worth of U.S. fighter jets. (Video)
Jimmy Kimmel Live: Team Trump was on Capitol Hill today to brief Congress about the strikes on Iran, Trump says that we are locked and loaded for the long haul, Lindsey Graham compared Trump & Bibi to Roosevelt and Churchill, Senator Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma doesn’t seem to know which country we bombed, everyone in the MAGA Verse can’t seem to keep their story straight, Trump is ending another war with the White House Correspondents Dinner, Jimmy pitches himself as the host, we analyze Trump’s crazy new rash, the House Oversight Committee has released footage of both Bill and Hillary Clinton’s depositions on Epstein, and we celebrate Women’s History Month with a tribute from our First Feminist. (Video)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: The State Department wants Americans to leave the Middle East but won't provide transportation, President Trump says the biggest bombs have yet to fall, and U.S. commanders are telling troops that Trump was appointed by Jesus to bring about Armageddon by starting a war in Iran. (Video)
Colbert cold open: Kesha blasts Trump for stealing her song. (Video)
Late Night with Seth Meyers: Seth addresses Trump's military plans in Iran in his monologue for Tuesday, March 3, before White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds an impromptu press briefing to answer burning questions, like "How much of his daily briefing does President Trump read before getting bored and giving up?" (Video)
Keep scrolling… 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:
1918 – A case of influenza was recorded at Camp Funston, Kansas, marking the beginning of the worldwide Spanish flu pandemic.
Quote of the day:
There was a young fellow from Trinity,
Who took the square root of infinity.
But the number of digits
Gave him the fidgets;
He dropped Math and took up Divinity.
--George Gamow (Wikipedia link)
(More George Gamow quotes from the KGB Quotations Database)
Today’s holidays:
Benjamin Harrison Day, Courageous Follower Day, Discover What Your Name Means Day, Holy Experiment Day, Hug a GI Day, International GM’s Day, International HPV Awareness Day, International Scrapbooking Industry Day, March Forth, Marching Music Day, National Dance the Waltz Day, National Grammar Day, National Hug a G.I. Day, National Pound Cake Day, National Snack Day, National Sons Day, Old Inauguration Day, Stop Bad Service Day, Toy Soldier Day, World Day of Fight Against Sexual Exploitation, World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, and World Obesity Day.
On This Day:
1998 – Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc.: The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that federal laws banning on-the-job sexual harassment also apply when both parties are the same sex.
1985 – The Food and Drug Administration approved a blood test for HIV infection, used since then for screening all blood donations in the United States.
1974 – People magazine began publishing.
1966 – In an interview in the London Evening Standard, The Beatles‘ John Lennon declared that the band was “more popular than Jesus now”.
1957 – The S&P 500 stock market index was introduced, replacing the S&P 90.
1933 – The United States Senate confirmed Frances Perkins as United States Secretary of Labor and she is sworn in the same day, making her the first female member of the United States Cabinet.
1933 – Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd President of the United States.
1922 – The German expressionist horror film “Nosferatu” was released. (Video)
1918 – A case of influenza was recorded at Camp Funston, Kansas, marking the beginning of the worldwide Spanish flu pandemic.
1917 – Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first female member of the United States House of Representatives.
1913 – The United States Department of Labor was formed.
1877 – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet "Swan Lake" had its world premiere, performed by the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. (Video)
1865 – U.S. politician Andrew Johnson made his drunk vice-presidential inaugural address in Washington, D.C.
1861 – Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th President.
1837 – The city of Chicago was incorporated.
1829 – Andrew Jackson held an “open house” at the White House.
1797 – John Adams was inaugurated as the second President of the United States of America, becoming the first President to begin his presidency on March 4.
1794 – The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by the U.S. Congress.
1791 – Vermont was admitted to the United States as the fourteenth state.
1789 – In New York City, the first Congress of the United States met, putting the United States Constitution into effect.
1681 – Charles II granted a land charter to William Penn for the area that will later become Pennsylvania and Delaware.
(For comprehensive lists of the day’s historical events, check here, here, and here.)
Some Birthdays:
1986 – Mike Krieger, Brazilian-American computer programmer and businessman, co-founded Instagram.
1983 – Drew Houston, American entrepreneur, co-founded Dropbox
1973 – Len Wiseman, American director, producer, and screenwriter
1969 – Chaz Bono, American writer, musician, and actor
1965 – Paul W. S. Anderson, English director, producer, and screenwriter
1961 – Steven Weber, American actor and comedian
1958 – Patricia Heaton, American actress
1957 – Mykelti Williamson, American actor and director
1954 – Catherine O’Hara, Canadian-American actress and comedian (died 2026)
1953 – Kay Lenz, American actress
1953 – Emilio Estefan, Cuban-American musician and producer
1950 – Rick Perry, American captain and politician, 47th Governor of Texas
1948 – James Ellroy, American writer
1944 – Bobby Womack, American singer-songwriter (died 2014) (Video)
1941 – Adrian Lyne, English director, producer, and screenwriter
1938 – Paula Prentiss, American actress
1934 – Barbara McNair, American singer and actress (died 2007)
1932 – Miriam Makeba, South African singer-songwriter and actress (died 2008)
1925 – Paul Mauriat, French conductor and composer (died 2006) (Video)
1914 – Ward Kimball, American animator, producer, and screenwriter (died 2002)
1913 – John Garfield, American actor and singer (died 1952)
1909 – Harry Helmsley, American businessman (died 1997)
1906 – Avery Fisher, American violinist and engineer, founded Fisher Electronics (died 1994)
1904 – George Gamow, Ukrainian-American physicist and cosmologist (died 1968)
1888 – Knute Rockne, American football player and coach (died 1931)
1877 – Garrett Morgan, African-American inventor (died 1963)
1678 – Antonio Vivaldi, Italian violinist and composer (died 1741)
(A more complete list of today’s birthdays.)
Some Deaths:
2019 – Luke Perry, American actor (born 1966)
2016 – Pat Conroy, American author (born 1945)
2009 – Horton Foote, American playwright and screenwriter (born 1916)
2008 – Leonard Rosenman, American composer and conductor (born 1924)
2008 – Gary Gygax, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (born 1938)
2001 – Harold Stassen, American educator and politician (born 1907)
1999 – Harry Blackmun, American lawyer and judge (born 1908)
1996 – Minnie Pearl, American entertainer (born 1912)
1994 – John Candy, Canadian comedian and actor (born 1950)
1981 – Torin Thatcher, American actor (born 1905)
1945 – Lucille La Verne, American actress (born 1872)
1858 – Matthew C. Perry, American naval commander (born 1794)
(A more complete list of today’s deaths.)
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