Since stepping into the role of White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt has revealed herself to be shameless enough to earn the moniker of “propaganda princess.” No matter the Trump administration’s erratic, absurd, and authoritarian moves, Leavitt is there, ready to lie and yell at reporters for daring to seek the truth.
In August, always ready to get rude, Leavitt couldn’t handle a straightforward question about President Donald Trump’s talk with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
In February, Leavitt tried to reassure Fox News’ elderly viewers that Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency havoc would not harm their Social Security benefits. She failed.
In October, Leavittdismissed concerns about the working-class appeal of Democrat Zohran Mamdani, who is now the mayor-elect of New York City. How’d she do that? By characterizing Democratic voters as terrorists, of course.
In an October appearance on Fox News, Leavitt used some mob-style extortion tactics as the Trump administration sought to secure Democratic votes tofund the government.
In March, the Trump administration faced its first major scandal when some of its top officials accidentally leaked war plans to a journalist. But rather than admit those officials made a mistake, Leavitt honed in on the real person at fault: the reporter to whom the officials leaked those war plans.
In September, Leavitt tied herself up into knots as she tried to spin another weekend that Trump spent pushing the nation further into authoritarianism.
Me: "It sounds like you’re purposefully creating reasons to fire people to stop them the benefits they deserve."
Store Manager #2: *To my Store Manager.* "I thought you said he was cool."
27 million people live in Australia. But there's a big change coming if you're under 16, reports CNN:
From December 10, sites that meet the Australian government's definition of an "age-restricted social media platform" will need to show that they're doing enough to eject or block children under 16 or face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million). The list includes Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, and YouTube...
Meta says it'll start deactivating accounts and blocking new Facebook, Instagram and Threads accounts from December 4. Under-16s are being encouraged to download their content. Snap says users can deactivate their accounts for up to three years, or until they turn 16...
There's another sting in the ban, too, coming at the end of the Australian school year before the summer break in the southern hemisphere. For eight weeks, there'll be no school, no teachers — and no scrolling. For millions of children, it could be the first school break they spend in years without the company of time-killing social media algorithms, or an easy way to contact their friends. Even for parents who support the ban, it could be a very long summer.
"There's every chance that bans will spread..." the article argues. "Other countries around the world are taking notes as Australia explores new territory that some say mirrors safety evolutions of years past — the dawning realization that maybe cars need safety belts, and that perhaps cigarettes should come with some kind of health warning." And according to the Associated Press, Malaysia "has also announced plans to ban social media accounts for children under 16 starting in 2026."
But CNN reports few teenagers in Australia knew about its impending ban on social media, judging by a show of hands at one high school auditorium. Teenagers in the audience had two questions. "Can you get your account back when you turn 16?"
"What if I lie about my age?"
"Amazon suggested its engineers eschew AI code generation tools from third-party companies in favor of its own ," reports Reuters, "a move to bolster its proprietary Kiro service, which it released in July, according to an internal memo viewed by Reuters."
In the memo, posted to Amazon's internal news site, the company said, "While we continue to support existing tools in use today, we do not plan to support additional third party, AI development tools.
"As part of our builder community, you all play a critical role shaping these products and we use your feedback to aggressively improve them," according to the memo.
The guidance would seem to preclude Amazon employees from using other popular software coding tools like OpenAI's Codex, Anthropic's Claude Code, and those from startup Cursor. That is despite Amazon having invested about $8 billion into Anthropic and reaching a seven-year $38 billion deal with OpenAI to sell it cloud-computing services..."To make these experiences truly exceptional, we need your help," according to the memo, which was signed by Peter DeSantis, senior vice president of AWS utility computing, and Dave Treadwell, senior vice president of eCommerce Foundation. "We're making Kiro our recommended AI-native development tool for Amazon...."
In October, Amazon revised its internal guidance for OpenAI's Codex to "Do Not Use" following a roughly six month assessment, according to a memo reviewed by Reuters. And Claude Code was briefly designated as "Do Not Use," before that was reversed following a reporter inquiry at the time.
The article adds that Amazon "has been fighting a reputation that it is trailing competitors in development of AI tools as rivals like OpenAI and Google speed ahead..."
Good things come into our lives in the most meowsterious of ways. And by "good things", we obviously mean kittens! The Cat Distribution System has been hard at work recently, and its most current delivery has been this floofy black kitten to a truck driver and his partner. They found her all alone at a truck terminal, and despite not knowing anything about cats or being financially prepurred for one, they decided to take her with them. Honestly, in the end, none of those things matter when it comes to cats. They're fairly intuitive to take care of. All you need is love to give, food to feed them with, and the willingness to put up with their shenanigans.
But, with money being tight and Thanksgiving coming up, this trucking couple wasn't sure what to do with their new feline friend. After much deliberation, they decided to take their kitten with them to their family's house over Thanksgiving, where we're sure she will get a purrfectly warm welcome! Plus, what kitten doesn't dream of being surrounded by tasty food and hoomans who adore them?
This is a reminder for all of us to remember how thankful we are for the cats in our lives. They found us at just the right meowment, and they changed our lives furrever. It's the purrfect time to be purrfectly thankful. Read more of their story below!
"OpenAI is now internally testing 'ads' inside ChatGPT," reports BleepingComputer:
Up until now, the ChatGPT experience has been completelyfree. While there are premium plans and models, you don't see GPT sell you products or show ads. On the other hand, Google Search has ads that influence your buying behaviour. OpenAI is planning to replicate a similar experience.
As spotted [by software engineer Tibor Blaho] on X.com,ChatGPT Android app 1.2025.329 beta includes new references to an "ads feature" with "bazaar content", "search ad" and "search ads carousel."
This move could disrupt the web economy,as what most people don't understand is that GPT likely knows more about users than Google. For example, OpenAI could create personalised ads on ChatGPT that promote products that you really want to buy... The leak suggests that ads will initially be limited to the search experience only, but this may change in the future.
We already knew Latino voters were drifting from President Donald Trump, pushed not just by hishard-edged deportation agenda—firing tear gas at families,kids detained during school hours,courthouse arrests—but by the broader climate of fear his immigration machinery produces.
However, new polling points to a sharper, more immediate reason for the shift: Trump has made daily life punishingly expensive, and Latino voters are feeling the pinch.
A fresh survey conducted by Global Strategy Group forSomos Votantes and Somos PAC maps Trump’s nearly yearlong slide with Latino voters—and shows he’s now scraping bottom. If this trajectory holds, he won’t just lose the bloc; he could drag his party underwater with him.
Among Latinos who backed him in 2024, a striking 36% now say they’re disappointed with him or regret their vote.
Frustration goes beyond regret. A majority of Latino voters (51%) say inflation and the cost of living should be Washington’s top priority, yet only 14% think Trump and the GOP are actually focused on that crisis. That 37-percentage-point gap has widened since September.
Trump supporters hold placards in Orlando, Florida, in 2020.
None of this should surprise anyone. After all, the administration keeps rolling out policies that make life materially harder. While the White Houseinsists Trump is laser-focused on affordability, clearly,voters aren’t convinced.
Tariffsare a blazing siren. Sixty-nine percent of Latino voters say Trump’s trade actions are driving up the cost of basic goods—from groceries to school supplies.
And the blame is landing squarely on Republicans. Latino voters now fault the GOP far more than Democrats for rising prices (45% vs. 24%) and wages that can’t keep up (42% vs. 20%). Anxiety is near-universal: 95% say they’re worried about climbing costs, and 91% say their paychecks aren’t stretching far enough.
Health care isn’t helping Trump, either—another openingDemocrats have eyed ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Somos Votantes’ poll found deep, widespread concern about soaring drug prices (80% concerned, 61% very concerned) and about millions potentially losing coverage (83% concerned, 68% very concerned).
All of it has pushed Trump’s numbers into free fall. Somos found that the president’s net favorability has plunged to -26 points (from -12 points in February). Job approval has dropped to -28 points (from -11 points). His economic rating has cratered to -30 points (from -13 points). Every metric has moved against him, and all of them by double digits.
Groups that once offered him a foothold have broken away. Independents are cold on him, younger Latino voters are sharply negative, and Latino men—once a target audience for the GOP—are now underwater across the board.
Emmanuelle Leal-Santillan, national director of communications at Somos Votantes/Somos PAC, told Daily Kos this isn’t a sudden collapse so much as a slow, unmistakable unwinding.
“You have to give voters what they want, and voters want something they can believe in,” Leal-Santillan said. “Right now, Latino voters are just feeling the weight of high prices. They’re already given this administration a really tough opinion on their handling of the economy.”
In other words, it isn’t just immigration. It isn’t just health care. The economy remains the center of gravity—and Latino voters aren’t impressed with Trump’s performance on any front.
That leaves a bigger question hanging over 2026: Does this open a lane for Democrats?
Possibly. But only if they’re disciplined enough to take it.
“Latinos blame Republicans and Trump for the rising costs, and that is a really bad formula for Republicans, but it is an opportunity for Democrats if they’re able to communicate a positive economic vision for the future, and not just an anti-Trump message,” Leal-Santillan said. “That’s going to make the difference as we head into the midterm elections.”
And there’s the rub. Democratshave long struggled to articulate what they’d do differently—defaulting to anti-Trump warnings that rarely land with force or clarity. Now they face a test: Can they turn voter frustration on health care, the economy, and immigration into a clear, affirmative program? Not vibes, not fears—but actual policy.
President Donald Trump, shown in 2024.
So far, party leadershiphasn’t shown much fire. But the polling suggests the opening is real if they choose to step into it.
The good news for Democrats: Latino voters are fired up. Somos found 84% say they’re motivated to vote next year, with 61% being extremely motivated, and 94% cite the economy as their driving issue. Meanwhile, Trump’s policies are deeply—almost uniformly—unpopular. Of more than a dozen tested, every single one registered concern from at least 70% of voters.
This could spell real trouble for Republicans in 2026—but only if Democrats capitalize on it.
“It’s been a bad year for Trump with Latino voters,” Leal-Santillan said. “And we’re ending the year, but it’s a time of the year when families are going to get together over the Thanksgiving holiday and in December. Those strong emotions of how just bad the economy is under Trump are only going to get even deeper.”
Some Democrats are finally waking up. Recent blue-state wins inNew Jersey andVirginia showed surprisingly strong support among Latino voters—a reminder that the GOP’s inroads are fragile.
And the shutdown fightsharpened the contrast. Democrats spent the 43-day standoff pushing toextend Affordable Care Act subsidies, but Republicans refused to help. And data suggests that voters have noticed. A recent poll from Navigator Research poll finds 47% of Americans blaming Trump and the GOP for rising health care premiums, compared with just 21% who point to Democrats.
Those subsidies would have lowered premiums, but Republicans said no. And in an election cycle dominated by affordability, that distinction matters.
Trump will likely try to stage a comeback—executive orders paraded for the cameras, announcements designed to grab headlines. But Latino voters appear to no longer buy the performance. They’ve seen him govern twice now, and their patience is fraying. They understand the stakes when he holds power—and for many, they’ve already seen too much.
Let them bake cake: on Tuesday, a 17-year-old boy dumped flour on Jordan Bardella, the leader of France's far-right National Rally. On Saturday, a 74-year-old man dropped an egg on his head. The boy must attend a citizenship course, according to CTV News, and the senior was arrested and charged with violence against a public official. — Read the rest
An anonymous reader shared this report from CBS News:
Artificial intelligence can do the work currently performed by nearly 12% of America's workforce, according to a recentstudy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The researchers, relying on a metric called the "Iceberg Index" that measures a job's potential to be automated, conclude that AI already has the cognitive and technical capacity to handle a range of tasks in technology, finance, health care and professional services. The index simulated how more than 150 million U.S. workers across nearly 1,000 occupations interact and overlap with AI's abilities...
AI is also already doingsome of the entry-level jobsthat have historically been reserved for recent college graduates or relatively inexperienced workers, the report notes. "AI systems now generate more than a billion lines of code each day, prompting companies to restructure hiring pipelines and reduce demand for entry-level programmers," the researchers wrote. "These observable changes in technology occupations signal a broader reorganization of work that extends beyond software development." "The study doesn't seek to shed light on how many workers AI may already have displaced or could supplant in the future," the article points out.
"To what extent such tools take over job functions performed by people depends on a number of factors, including individual businesses' strategy, societal acceptance and possible policy interventions, the researchers note."
Customer: "Can you help me find something?"
Me: "I'm actually not on the clock, sorry."
I start to walk away.
Customer: "Can you just point me in the right direction?"
After a hard day downt pit, gaming, I like nowt better than to slip into the massive Mirai Human Washing Machine. Only paid ¥60 million for it and knew I had to have it the moment I visited the Experience Corner at Yamada's flagship store in Ikebukuro. — Read the rest
In this cold winter weather, it's important to stay warm. And we do what we can. We bring out our thick wool sweaters and layer them up. We make our cocoa daily, scalding hot on the stove. We bring out our fluffiest blankets, the kind of blankets that it's nearly impawssible to get out of first thing in the morning. But one thing that we don't think all of you do consistently enough - one thing that warms us from the inside more than the outside… that thing is starting the day with pawdorable cat memes.
Why is starting the day with silly cat memes so important? The answer is obvious, is it not? Starting the day with purrfect cat memes means starting the day with a smile and a laugh, and we can't think of anything that warms us up faster than a hearty laugh first thing in the morning. It makes it just a little bit easier to get up out from under those blankets in the morning, and we think that's pretty pawsome.
Me: "I found this one. James Cameron."
Friend: *Frowning.* "Never heard of him. He probably made films with a lot of bombings and shootings, which I don't watch."
Me: "Yes, you do know him. He made that movie... heh, that movie with the blue people..."
Friend: *With a large smile.* "Oh, he directed The Smurfs?"
On Thanksgiving, Trump floated the notion that the US could replace all income tax with tariffs, and even The Wall Street Journal's editor James Freeman had to admit that the math "doesn't work" unless you want to dramatically slash most government programs.
Of course, Freeman didn't have any problem with that happening, and praised the notion as somehow being a great idea, rather than an awful regressive tax that would harm the working class and continue to make Trump's rich buddies even richer.
Here's the back and forth with Freeman and guest host Alicia Acuna on this Friday's America Reports on Fox after Acuna played a video of Trump discussing his plans:
FREEMAN: Yeah, it's a beautiful spirit. I think we can appreciate it, and probably people on Thanksgiving may have been toasting the possibility of the end of the income tax. Maybe some of those shoppers were feeling so flush they thought income taxes might go away, so they went out to spend. But look, President Trump has already delivered a lot in terms of income tax relief... trillions of dollars.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
dailykos_feed
