Welcome to Sunday, November 8, 2026 and National Cappuccino Day, Here’s mine (actually a latte) in my cat-themed book mug:
It’s also Diwali for Indians, Harvey Wallbanger Day (a drink), National Pupusa Day in El Salvador, World Pianist Day, and International Tongue Twister Day. Here’s one in Spanish:
Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal en tres tristes trastos. En tres tristes trastos tragaban trigo tres tristes tigres.
The Google translation is: “Three sad tigers were eating wheat in a wheat field out of three sad containers. Out of three sad containers, three sad tigers were eating wheat.”
Are we giving up on the “Readers’ Widlife” feature on this site? Where are all my photographers. I know you’re out there and have pictures!
Readers are welcome to mark notable events, births, or deaths on this day by consulting the November 8 Wikipedia page.
Da Nooz:
*Trump has surely signaled that he has no desire to be conciliatory by replacing his Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with a divisive and combative Stephen Miller, architect of Trump’s immigration “policy,” such as it is.
After a brutal election that gutted Republican power in Washington, President Trump has chosen one of his most loyal and divisive advisers as the new White House chief of staff, signaling a combative posture for the final two years of the Trump era.
Stephen Miller, a fierce political operative who has been at Trump’s side for more than a decade, has been a vocal advocate of the no-holds-barred style of governing that delighted the president’s most die-hard MAGA supporters—and was repudiated by much of the rest of the country on Election Day. He succeeds Susie Wiles, who was seen as a moderating force on a sometimes impulsive president.
Miller, 41 years old, was the architect of the aggressive immigration enforcement policies that turned off many voters, according to polls, contributing to Republicans’ historic losses on Tuesday. His elevation signals that the president has no intention of backing away from the immigration agenda on which he built his political brand.
Miller is expected to push a maximalist approach to executive power now that Democrats control Congress. In the days after the election, Trump sent early signals that he would work with Democrats, but Miller has long advocated for a confrontational response to the wave of investigations that the newly ascendant opposing party is expected to launch.
Though Miller has at times pushed for a muscular foreign policy, particularly in South America, he has suggested they wind down the deeply unpopular war in Iran, according to people familiar with the discussions, and called for refocusing on policies like immigration that made Trump popular with his base.
Since Miller is a tough-on-immigration Republican, it’s clear that Congress won’t forge a new and sensible immigration policy—or any immigration policy—in the next two years. So much for the new and “conciliatory” Trump.
*Andrew Sullivan’s message this week is clear (and apparently free): “Resign, Mr. President.” It’s a letter to Trump. Some of it:
That 13 percent margin of victory for the not-exactly popular Democrats? That’s a once-in-a-century margin. That’s the biggest public repudiation of any party since the 1974 Watergate election. You have to go back to 1926 to find a margin that’s bigger.
That makes you a once-in-a-century loser, sir.
I’ve seen this for a decade now, Mr President, but you don’t read, of course, so let me reprise what so many of your voters now finally, finally see. You’re a liar and a conman who preys on the weak and the poor. You’ve made the GOP toxic for an entire generation, and divided it into warring factions that are just kicking into internecine gear. The gains you and your party made with Hispanics, blacks, and other minorities in 2024 have been wiped clean. That remarkable new multiracial, working-class coalition of two years ago? Vaporized. Even men turned blue this time.
You needlessly dummy-mandered far more seat losses than you gained. You yanked viable, popular candidates and replaced them with hacks, crooks, cronies, and losers. You turned 60 percent support from young men to 60 percent opposition. Texas now has a Democratic governor and senator. A man you demonized as a “jihadist” beat the crap out of you in Michigan. “Talafreako” moderated and kicked your party’s ass. You made the South competitive again. You lost Mississippi! And even Kansas, which hasn’t elected a Dem Senator since 1932.
Large swathes of your own base have come to loathe you — and for very good reason. You had two defining policies for many — no more forever wars, and a better economy — and you blithely tore up that promise for a cheap stab at dumb glory based on “farcical” intelligence. You know how much contempt you have for the working men and women who took you at your word? You didn’t even bother to tell them about the war in advance. And you’ve never offered a coherent case since. Contempt is the word. And they finally see it. Thank God they finally see it.
. . .You have hurt your allies more than your foes. You’ve discredited the religious right more thoroughly than Jimmy Swaggart ever could. You gave the neocons the kiss of death, destroyed the Israel alliance, while presiding over a wave of foul antisemitism — right and left. You made fools of those earnestly trying to build a new right-of-center coalition. The National Conservatives and the post-liberals and the Claremonsters and the AIPAC loonies all tried to find some string of policy coherence, and today? Well, they all look like idiots, and some of them are figuring that out. There is no coherent thread that connects the past ten years except your ego, stupidity, and cruelty.
And deep down, you know it. You know you have no business running the country. You know, deep down, that you’re completely out of your depth, and all your absurd bloviations and hyperboles merely prove the fathomless insecurity beneath. You were played by Netanyahu and the neocons like a fiddle: your vanity, stupidity, and recklessness were all they needed to hand Iran a strategic victory. Putin has you wrapped around his little finger, keeping his war effort afloat, and Xi took you to the cleaners on trade.
. . . Of course, today you went into fight mode. Making Stephen Miller your chief of staff after this catastrophe of an election is classic Trump. Fight! Fight! Fight! But responding to this election collapse by picking one of the key architects of the immigration overreach and the war is effectively telling the American people to go fuck themselves.
. . . So do the sane thing and quit. It’s not impossible. A president who lost the country as profoundly as you have did it within our lifetimes. Heck, even a Pope resigned. Get out, go back to Florida, rollick in the billions you have fleeced from public service, get the whores you miss, and wallow in the undying bubble of adulation you require. Declare the last two years “the greatest two years in the history of the presidency,” as you did this week, with ever-more-demented poignancy — and leave.
But surely Sullivan realizes that his words will have no effect on Trump, who won’t even read them. This is Sullivan blowing off steam, though maybe it will have the salubrious effect of changing the minds of some of his pro-Trump Republican readers. If Trump resigns, we’ll have Vance as President for two years, which I suppose is marginally better.
*The NYT editorial board has “8 bold ideas to fix America” that Democrats should enact,” and not all of them will please centrist Democrats (article archived here). I’ve just quoted a short bit from each suggestion, so read the original, with much longer explications. Each piece is written by a different member of the Times editorial board.
1.) Build housing.
They should start with housing.
Americans spend more money on housing than on anything else, and prices keep rising because in many cities, housing is hard to find. In recent decades, the nation hasn’t built nearly enough to keep pace with population growth. . .
2.) Lower Prices. Now.
People are clearly angry that housing, gasoline, health care, transportation and food have become painfully expensive. What Congress should do is straightforward: quickly pass an Affordability Act, dare the president to veto it, and if he does, invite Republicans to make it veto-proof. If it becomes law, so much the better; if not, it becomes the blueprint for a Democratic administration that can finish the job.
3.) Stop giving OpenAI and Anthropic a Free Pass.
Artificial intelligence companies should be held liable for their models’ actions. If a bot hacks a website or misbehaves, the company should face consequences. If a chatbot encourages a person to commit suicide or defames someone, Congress should ensure that there are appropriate criminal and civil penalties.
Congress should simultaneously scale back Section 230 immunity — which protects online platforms from significant liability — for social media companies. . .
4.) Pass Medicare for All, but for Kids.
Democrats could finally be in a position to forge a real, substantive consensus on health care. Undoing the damage from Mr. Trump’s Medicaid cuts is a good start, but it isn’t enough. What’s needed is universal health care coverage for children.
Four million American children are uninsured. An estimated three million more are expected to lose insurance over the next decade because of Republicans’ Medicaid cuts taking effect in 2027. And although health care costs consistently rank among the top concerns for American voters, Congress has offered them no meaningful relief since the Affordable Care Act.
5.) Expand the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court is broken. It has become overtly partisan and has lost touch with the country’s politics. It has used its shadow docket to issue consequential orders without explanation. The justices have no enforceable code of ethics, and reports have emerged of some members taking large gifts from political donors or people who could have business before the court. The usual fixes offered — term limits and partisan court packing — would almost certainly get vetoed by Mr. Trump.
There’s an easier way Congress can address these problems: by uncapping the court’s size and providing for a new justice every two years, indefinitely.
6.) Stop Elon Musk from Making Political Contributions.
On the stump and in ads, Democrats said they would make fighting corruption a priority. But what policies will they propose? Here’s one that would bite: a real, tough ban on political spending by federal government contractors, such as Elon Musk.
Today the federal government pays private companies $1 trillion annually, nearly half of all discretionary spending. When this much money is at stake, pay-to-play political spending can grossly distort public spending.
A ban on campaign contributions by federal contractors is already on the books, but it’s riddled with loopholes. A new statute should ban companies with federal contracts — as well as their top executives, shareholders, subsidiaries and other corporate affiliates — from giving campaign donations, as well as gifts to inauguration committees and presidential libraries.
7.) End the Iran War.
Almost $50 billion spent. Thousands of lives lost. The Iran war has been a strategic failure. It’s time to end it. For nearly a year, the Republican majority in Congress has ceded its constitutional role in declaring war and controlling the budget to President Trump. That must change after Democrats wrest control of the House and Senate.
A new majority should withhold spending until the White House provides answers about the administration’s militarism around the world, particularly the illegal and unwinnable war with Iran.
8.) Legalize Undocumented Immigrants.
There are plenty of ways for Democrats to go about this. They could legalize some or all of the unauthorized immigrants currently in the United States — as in the “amnesties” of the past. They could give anyone who has had authorized status or held a work permit for a certain number of years a way to apply for a green card. They could update the “registry date”: a provision that allows anyone who has been in the United States since a certain date to simply register for permanent status.
The point is to make immigration law match the way so many Americans — the millions who’ve never had to experience it firsthand — think it already works.
Some of these are fine, while for me two are contentious (expanding the Court and apparently legalizing all undocumented immigrants), and I don’t agree that the war should be ended without at least one more try—with a new strategy (I’m told the regime is weaker than the MSM reports, though I don’t of course have the inside dope). The NYT sensibly says that Trump won’t favor any of these, of course, but argues that it lays out a pathway for Democrats and underscores where people need to be educated.
*Today is the day that antisemites in Philadelphia plan bike demonstration in Rittenhouse Square (the “Boycott Ride”) targeting six Jewish-owned businesses in and demanding that “these Zionist establishements must go”, i.e., close or leave the city (h/t Ginger K). The businesses are Mac Mart, Huda (Huda Burger), Schlesinger’s (Schlesinger’s Deli), Goldie, K’Far Cafe, and Dizengoff.
As news spread this week that a planned Sunday “Boycott Ride” bike rally aimed at driving Jewish businesses out of Philadelphia, myriad officials and civic leaders – from Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker to the state restaurant association – responded with statements condemning the event and urging solidarity with the embattled Jewish business community.
The Rittenhouse Square rally – publicized in flyers emblazoned with antisemitic slogans like “No business for Zionists! These Zionist establishments must go! Not in our city!” – was apparently organized by Philly Bike On Your Left, an activist group that has since taken down its Instagram page promoting the rally, which declared that the event would “show these zio business owners that we see them for the disgusting humans they are.” The group did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Michael Balaban, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, said the planned action is “antisemitism, plain and simple. I don’t see anyone lining up in front of an Iranian restaurant or to protest Russian-owned businesses, to name other conflicts across the globe … It is Jew hatred, and they can disguise it any way they want as politics, but it’s not.”
“As an American, I respect the First Amendment – and if you have an issue with the government, go protest at an embassy, a consulate, but don’t target a Jewish-owned business or an Israeli-owned business,” he added.
. . . And the event’s date, Nov. 8, is the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht – a vast, state-sponsored pogrom that destroyed thousands of Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues across Nazi Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland (part of modern-day Czechia) on Nov. 9-10, 1938, and seized and deported 30,000 Jews to concentration camps.
The heartening thing is that the Governor, the state’s Attorney General, the Mayor, the city District Attorney (see tweets below) and the head of the City Council have all expressed concern about this and its antisemitic overtones, and, while peaceful protests are legal, the level of hatred is scary. I tried to find out if the establishments are Zionists, and the best I can do is that the owners of three of them have given financial or moral support to Israel, and two others have said they “support’ Israel, while MacMart’s owner has said nothing about Israel at all. Even support for Israel is not Zionism, of course, which I see as “recognizing the right of the State of Israel to exist,” which is slightly different. But we shouldn’t be parsing Zionism from Judaism, because “Zionist” (or “Zio”) is clearly a euphemism for “Jew”. The example of Mac Mart, which sells macaronis and cheese, makes this clear. Most Jews support the right of Israel to exist (as the UN did when it approved of the state), and although there are some errant Jews who don’t think Israel should exist, we can for all practical purposes take “anti-Zionist” to me “Jew hater.”
Here’s the Mayor of Philadelphia’s statement on the boycott. Cops will be watching closely, and Jewish lawyers will be out in force to document anything unseemly that happens. I hope the people of Philadelphia pack these restaurants today!
*The UPI’s “Odd News” site reports an amazing feat: a runner ran a mile in four segments and solved a Rubik’s cube in short breaks between laps. His total time was just over five minutes!
A British runner combined his skills at sprinting and puzzle solving to finish four Rubik’s cubes while running a mile in just over 5 minutes.
George Scholey made his attempt Oct. 12 and earned the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to complete a puzzle cube mile when he completed four cubes and his run with a time of 5 minutes and 9.25 seconds.
Scholey previously earned titles including the most rotating puzzle cubes solved on a skateboard, 500;
the most rotating puzzle cubes solved in 24 hours, 6,931; and the most rotating puzzle cubes solved while running a marathon, 520.
The marathon record has since been broken by Spanish runner Toti Moragas Pardell, who finished 561 cubes during his run.
Scholey’s latest record required him to solve a cube, run one lap on a track, and repeat until he reached four cubes and a full mile.
Here: watch the whole thing for yourself:
Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili rests beneath a pear tree.
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From Meow Incorporated:
From Things With Faces:
From Terrible Maps, with each country’s equivalent of the phrase (“when pigs fly”, meaning “it’ll never happen”):
Masih is quiet today. We’ll begin with a tweet in the spirit of Masih found by Luana:
I was usually the ONLY WOMAN in my convoy in Afghanistan. Not only was I a military police team leader, I was the one who searched the Afghan women.
Those women told me things their husbands never would. They also told me things they wouldn’t tell their husbands. They let me hold their babies and talk to their kids. These women had NO voice in that country. No rights. They were men’s property.
40 months in a Muslim country taught me this: Sharia doesn’t “coexist.” It TAKES. And here in the USA, it will take from women FIRST.
Ladies, it starts with your voice. DO NOT hand it over. It wasn’t very long ago at all that we fought for and WON our freedom here in America. We owe it to our daughters not to go backwards. 🇺🇸🪖
— Connie Lee (@RealConnieLee) November 5, 2026
A tweet from Malcolm. Do be aware that many bee species are endangered, and of how important bees are!
While grocery store shelves remain stocked with honey, the broader reality is that global bee populations are in severe distress. Official endangered designations for several critical bee species have marked a pivotal turning point for global biodiversity, threatening both natural ecosystems and international food security.
It is important to note that while not every single bee species faces imminent extinction, numerous primary pollinators have officially been added to environmental protection lists. These vulnerable insects range from the rusty patched bumblebee in North America to various wild honeybee species across Europe. Decades of unmitigated habitat destruction, widespread pesticide overuse, climate disruptions, and devastating disease outbreaks have combined to drive catastrophic population crashes among these native species. By issuing these historic listings, conservation agencies are establishing crucial legal protections that unlock essential government funding, drive massive habitat restoration initiatives, and enforce stricter regulations on harmful agricultural practices.
The stakes of this environmental crisis could not be higher for human survival and global economic stability. Pollinators play an indispensable role in global agriculture, contributing hundreds of billions of dollars to crop production every single year.
In terms of daily consumption, bees are directly responsible for pollinating roughly one out of every three bites of food that humans eat, including a vast majority of essential fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Because of this profound impact, conservationists emphasize that safeguarding endangered bees is no longer just an environmental aspiration. Instead, protecting these insects has become an urgent, non-negotiable priority to preserve global food security and maintain resilient natural ecosystems nationwide.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) October 22, 2026
Olivia Reingold at the Free Press has been covering Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign. Here she reports that the “Americans are losing good things because of Israel” trope that was in the campaign ad made by Cenk Uygur is in fact El-Sayed’s own belief.
Thanks for all the feedback on my last tweet—here is my reply: last night Abdul El-Sayed doubled down on the claims that got him in hot water last week, mainly the idea that rising costs in America are because of US funding of “genocide,” as he put it last night.
He made versions of this claim not once but 3 times.
— Olivia Reingold (@Olivia_Reingold) November 3, 2026
One from my feed: the Philly DA speaks about tonight’s boycott:
Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner releases a statement about the upcoming boycott of Jewish businesses in Philly this weekend. https://t.co/yjBAByGfsc
— Incidental 41 (@Incidental41__) November 7, 2026
From Simon; a tweet with a link to the Babylon Bee piece.
After Seeing Election Results, Trump Announces Retaliatory Tariffs On Americahttps://babylonbee.com/news/after-seeing-election-results-trump-announces-retaliatory-tariffs-on-america/?utm_source=fediverse
— The Babylon Bee (@babylonbee.gameliberty.club.ap.brid.gy) 2026-11-05T18:01:25.000Z
One from my feed. The English translation from the Polish is this:
A wild experiment going around the internet: you upload a picture like this to your AI model and give it this command: “Fill this room with what you know about me” I have to admit, my result surprised me. I mean, I’ve always known they collect information about us… but knowing it is one thing, and seeing it in a picture like this is another. It kind of sends chills down your spine 😉
Mocny ekesperyment lata po necie:, wrzucasz do swojego modelu AI taki obrazek i komendę: „Wypełnij ten pokój tym, co o mnie wiesz”
Przyznam, że mój wynik mnie zaskoczył, to znaczy zawsze byłem świadomy, że oni zbierają informacje o nas… ale co innego być świadomym a co innego zobaczyć to na takim obrazku, trochę mrozi krew w żyłach 😉
— Jakub Szymczuk (@jakub_szymczuk) November 7, 2026
And the result from ChatGPT, with its caption. I don’t know what Peezus is doing there! And there’s no Hili!
One I reposted from The Auschwitz Memorial:
This Dutch Jewish boy and his sister were gassed as soon as they arrived in Auchwitz (note the stars). He was eight years old and would be 92 today had he lived.
— Jerry Coyne (@Evolutionistrue) November 8, 2026
. . . and one from Dr. Cobb. Look at that photo!
This is a radio telescope image of a protoplanetary system.In other words, this is an image—a real image—of a solar system forming.
— Paul Byrne (@theplanetaryguy.com) 2026-11-06T23:52:08.548Z
Music:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_O%27Day
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylark_(song)
“Skylark” is an American popular song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Hoagy Carmichael, published in 1941.[1] The lilting melody has attracted many jazz interpretations for its technical complexity which, when mastered, delivers an expressive peacefulness. Mercer wrote the romantic lyrics following his affair with Judy Garland.[2]
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