Trump's new record; Newsom bans Kid Rock from CA; Boomers contemplate assisted suicide; Hegseth wants AI license to kill; Mr. Clean retires
It's National Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day!
I met Jonathan Larsen over 25 years ago when he invited me to appear on ABC’s late night news show, World News Now. (I chatted with Anderson Cooper and Juju Chang, and got to read the weather.) His experience in journalism and broadcast news is without peer, and his ideas for saving television news are particularly insightful. If you’re into news, you definitely should subscribe to his Substack.
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(Most) everything you need to know for today:
February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 309 days remain until the end of the year. Unfortunately, as of this writing, 1,059 days remain in Trump’s term of office.
Knee-deep in the hoopla:
Trump set a record by delivering the longest-ever State of the Union speech or joint address to Congress, speaking for more than 1 hour and 41 minutes Tuesday night. He probably also set the record for most lies spoken during a Presidential address.
Takeaways from Trump’s address: By Trump's own standards, he turned in a disciplined performance, largely sticking to prepared remarks, avoiding the sometimes-bizarre asides that often pepper his speeches, and resorting to personal attacks only rarely.
I’m shocked, shocked I tell you: Trump makes false claims in State of the Union address.
The White House urges Republicans to focus on the economy and ignore Trump’s diversions. Last Thursday, the White House tried to get Trump to focus on economic concerns. Instead, he issued a 10-to-15-day ultimatum to Iran, claimed that his wife’s documentary was so good that some women had seen it four times, and accused his predecessor Barack Obama of releasing classified information about space aliens.
“How can one person, one man, create so much turmoil around the world?” Ontario’s premier said Monday “the walls are closing in” on President Donald Trump. He’s also looking forward to the U.S. midterm elections in November which could further constrain Trump.
Chief Justice John Roberts is losing patience with Trump. Maybe he should send him a copy of the Constitution with every decision, highlighting the important parts.
So much for Asimov’s robotic laws: A.I. outfit Anthropic’s original policy was that its software couldn’t be used for domestic surveillance or autonomous lethal activities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned the company to let the military use the company’s AI tech as it sees fit. The Pentagon objects to Anthropic’s ethical restrictions because military operations need tools that don’t come with built-in limitations.
Anthropic dials back AI safety commitments. Anthropic previously paused development work on its model if it could be classified as dangerous, but said it would end that practice if a comparable or superior model was released by a competitor.
Department of Duh: Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump.
An illegal threat to public health: States sue Trump administration over changes to childhood vaccine recommendations.
Here’s why some baby boomers are talking about assisted suicide. They watch cable news? Seriously, while polling has shown that a majority of Americans favor the legality of the practice for terminally ill patients, people are more split on the morality.
Chicago’s snowplow naming contest got political. The pick: ‘Abolish ICE.’ Second place was “Stephen Coldbert,” named after the talk-show host who spent his formative comedy years in Chicago. Third place was “Pope Frío XIV,” a homage to Pope Leo, who hails from the south suburbs of Chicago.
Mr. Clean announces retirement after 68 years on the job: ‘Ready for New Adventures.’
Late Night:
(Colbert and Kimmel were airing live broadcasts which began after our deadline.)
The Daily Show: Desi Lydic rounds up the latest vomit-inducing news from Trump's cabinet, including Health Secretary RFK Jr.'s shirtless sauna workout/milk-chugging video with Kid Rock, JD Vance's hot ranch crescent roll recipe that apparently food-poisoned Usha into marrying him, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's taxpayer-funded deportation f**k plane. Plus, after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr urged TV networks to air more pro-America content for the country's 250th birthday, Jordan Klepper keeps The Daily Show from getting too critical of the government with some patriotic public domain bangers. (Video)
Late Night with Seth Meyers: The monologue covers: the State of the Union speech, including a “fact check in advance”; Trump’s complaint about not getting credit for his accomplishments; his observation that “crazed shooters only go after consequential Presidents”; North Korean elections; Domino’s plan to increase market share; a frozen meatball recall; weight loss drug price reductions; and a new Applebee’s burger. (Video)
Senate Democrats launch probe into Colbert-Talarico interview. The dispute surrounding Stephen Colbert’s interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico escalated as Sen. Richard Blumenthal formally demanded answers from Paramount and the Federal Communications Commission.
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:
1870 – Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, was sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in Congress.
Quote of the day:
There is a time for departure even when there’s no certain place to go.
--Tennessee Williams (Wikipedia link)
(More Tennessee Williams quotes from the KGB Quotations Database)
Today’s holidays:
Inconvenience Yourself Day, Let’s All Eat Right Day, National Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day, National Clam Chowder Day, Pistol Patent Day, and Quiet Day.
On This Day:
1991 – Disbandment of the Warsaw Pact at a meeting of its members in Budapest.
1986 – People Power Revolution: President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos fled the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the Philippines‘ first female president.
1956 – In his speech On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences, Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union, denounced Stalin.
1948 – In a coup d’état led by Klement Gottwald, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia took control of government in Prague to end the Third Czechoslovak Republic.
1940 – First telecast of a National Hockey League game on US television.
1933 – The USS Ranger was launched at Newport News, Virginia, the first purpose-built aircraft carrier to be commissioned by the US Navy.
1870 – Hiram Rhodes Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, was sworn into the United States Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in Congress.
1836 – Samuel Colt was granted a United States patent for his revolver firearm.
(For comprehensive lists of the day’s historical events, check here, here, and here.)
Some Birthdays:
1986 – Jameela Jamil, English actress and presenter
1980 – Kash Patel, American lawyer, former federal prosecutor and official
1976 – Rashida Jones, American actress and writer
1975 – Chelsea Handler, American comedian, actress, author, and television host
1973 – Anson Mount, American actor
1971 – Sean Astin, American actor, director and producer
1966 – Téa Leoni, American actress
1965 – Carrot Top, American comedian
1943 – George Harrison, English singer-songwriter, guitarist and film producer (died 2001) (Video)
1938 – Diane Baker, American actress and producer
1937 – Bob Schieffer, American political author, journalist and TV interviewer
1928 – Larry Gelbart, American author and screenwriter (died 2009)
1918 – Bobby Riggs, American tennis player (died 1995)
1917 – Anthony Burgess, English author, playwright, and critic (died 1993)
1913 – Gert Fröbe, German actor (died 1988) (Video)
1913 – Jim Backus, American actor and screenwriter (died 1989) (Video)
1888 – John Foster Dulles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 52nd United States Secretary of State (died 1959)
1873 – Enrico Caruso, Italian-American tenor; the most popular operatic tenor of the early 20th century and the first great recording star. (died 1921) (Video)
(A more complete list of today’s birthdays.)
Some Deaths:
2022 – Farrah Forke, American actress (born 1968)
2017 – Bill Paxton, American actor and filmmaker (born 1955) (Video)
2015 – Harve Bennett, American screenwriter and producer (Star Trek II-V) (born 1930) (Video)
1983 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (born 1911)
1964 – Grace Metalious, American author (born 1924)
1957 – Bugs Moran, American mob boss (born 1893)
(A more complete list of today’s deaths.)
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Please, please, please let my MIL’s head explode, Mr Clean comes out as Trans!
Most significant and historical thing trump said and did tonight in his state of union: trump was a GUEST in the HOUSE OF CONGRESS and he stated CONGRESS IS IRRELEVANT and the republicans in congress all stood up and applauded agreeing to surrender all their power to trump/ their king.