For the Bible-thumpers who don't like the Citizenship Clause in the 14th Amendment,
you're literally going against what you believe are direct instructions from God.
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The following diseases have surged as RFK Jr and Trump have cut public health and pushed vaccine disinformation: —Measles
—Flu
—Rotavirus
—Whooping cough
—Ebola
—Hantavirus
—Cyclosporiasis
—E. Coli
—Campylobacteriosis
—Listeria
—Cryptosporidiosis
—Infant botulism

Imagine the costs to society. This is a classic case of 'False economy'.

[A false economy is when you cut spending to save money in the short term,
but the cuts end up costing far more in the long run]

The damages of this cut can run up into the many billions of dollars in:
• Healthcare spending: Emergency room visits, hospitalizations, ICU care, physician visits, medications, rehabilitation
• Lost productivity: Sick workers miss work, parents stay home with ill children, long recovery periods
• School disruptions: Student absences, temporary closures, additional staffing and sanitation costs
• Public health response: Contact tracing, laboratory testing, vaccination campaigns, quarantine monitoring
• Business disruption: Restaurants, farms, food processors, and retailers lose revenue during outbreaks or recalls
• Long-term disability: Neurological damage, chronic kidney disease, hearing loss, other lifelong complications requiring ongoing care

The following damages are already involved with just the Cyclospora Outbreak:
✅ Nationwide food recalls — Yes. Multiple iceberg lettuce products have been voluntarily recalled and removed from the U.S. market.
✅ Destruction of agricultural products — Very likely. Recalled produce is removed from sale and typically destroyed rather than redistributed.
✅ Restaurant/business losses — Yes. Taco Bell experienced reduced customer traffic and launched promotions to rebuild consumer confidence. A supplier also temporarily shut a processing facility.
✅ Consumer loss of confidence — Yes. This has been widely reported, with restaurants and retailers taking steps to reassure customers.

You can only wait before the next costs come in:
• Lawsuits
• Lost exports
• Restaurant closures

It just another example of the complete incompetence of this regime.

You mean cops being stubborn assholes who are only interested in escalating
every conflict?

At some point in the near future, you are very likely to be shitting your brains out, because of the cyclospora parasite infected food you ate. Then remember Trump's cuts to the FDA.

Tate Brothers Arrested In Florida: What We Know About Their Trump Ties
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These fuckers are giving online courses on how to trick women into being your whores
and how to get connected with powerful, wealthy and famous people. They literally stole
the EPSTEIN playbook. And who is thick as thieves with them again? TRUMP and Barron.
Also, the Tate brothers' own legal team and online right-wing commentators are reporting that Alina Habba and Marco Rubio were trying to block their extradition. Does anyone believe that they acted on their own?

Is there a point where you lot finally get the message that Trump is a sexual predator?

The Tate brothers are hugely popular with right-wingers. Are you not ashamed?

Since so many men here say they do this regularly, I guess it's either completely normal,
or this forum just happens to attract a very unusual concentration of men.

The DUMBEST thing Elon Musk ever said (you might remember the drawing?)
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Nixon, a Republican president, did this:
• Created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Signed the Clean Air Act amendments
• Signed the Endangered Species Act
• Signed the Marine Mammal Protection Act
• Supported affirmative action through the Philadelphia Plan
• Expanded Social Security benefits
• Created Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Proposed universal health insurance
• Proposed a guaranteed minimum income (Family Assistance Plan)
• Imposed wage and price controls to combat inflation

Now you have a president who broke it all down and pushes right-wing conspiracy theories.

So, I am asking you; is Elon really THAT DUMB, or just a fucking LIAR?

Destiny Calls Out Fox'News' Host LIVE
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He wiped the smirk right off his face.

Kyle Kulinski is very happy that Fox'News' finally noticed him.
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Here's the article: only registered users can see external links

The sleight of hand is saying that "AMERICA is bashed as a disgusting fascist regime".
No bitches, the Trump regime is NOT America, it is the antithesis of AMERICAN VALUES.

"On the left, you have to be the most informed and most articulate.
You have to be poised, patient, rational, empathetic, fair, and inclusive.
On the right, you can spout off nonsense that you "feel" or "heard" or "just think"."

This was just a random comment, on a random YouTube video, from some random person,
but damn should they be a renowned philosopher.

Andy Beshear, step up and call a special election,
so the people can replace Mitch McConnell with a Democrat.
Mitch McConnell is obviously DEAD, and they are obstructing democracy, in his 'honor'.

Ask yourself what Mitch McConnell would do.

Yeah, I don't know what they mean with the '3 in 1'. It's a grill and you can use it to grill many things, not just 3.
The only benefits of it is that you can grill both sides at once and that it presses the sides together. It's in a closet under a Rцmertopf dish that we never use,
so half of the time I cannot be bothered to get it, and I use a frying pan too.

Which is what they all are.

I just mentioned Greg Gutfeld, and not a day later his 'humor' reaches the news:

‘All I’m Thinking About Is Her Behind’: Greg Gutfeld’s AOC Punchline Falls Flat
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They cannot stop thinking about AOC in a creepy way. When they are confronted
with an attractive woman, who has ideas that wildly oppose their own, they feel a sexual urge to dominate her. They cannot stop telling on their r@pe fantasies.
You have seen the MAGA guys here express that several times too, right?

When I am confronted with an attractive woman, who has ideas that wildly oppose
my own, even the idea of having sex with her holds no appeal for me. My thinking is: "Sure you look nice, but your character is UGLY!". Why would that not be the same
for these MAGA guys?

I googled 'corned beef hash' and yes, that looks very similar.

Did Anthony Scaramucci turn into a lefty, or what?
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I'm not saying that it's 'natural' cheese. It's quickly processed crap,
instead of the 'natural' process that takes several weeks, at least.
Still, it's made of 'biological' ingredients and not 'chemical' ingredients.
Those are not accurate definitions, but they are commonly understood.

What is generally considered 'real' cheese is a dairy product made by coagulating milk into curds and whey, usually with the help of starter bacteria and rennet, and then processing (fermenting) the curds into the final cheese.
Those processed cheese slices sometimes contain 'real' cheese, but those are often low quality, like trimmings or off-spec batches. And then they put in additional ingredients and melt it.
The sheen is mostly because it's a more homogeneous mixture.

'Real' cheese isn't necessarily more healthy than 'artificial' cheese.
Some products are made from unsaturated vegetable oils, which are
healthier than milk fat, which is predominantly saturated fat.

There is a lot of processed crap going around, but fortunately they are not making cheese from petroleum oils (yet).
The whole 'petroleum cheese' thing is actually a big misunderstanding that comes from a few specific things:

The 'Plastic' Confusion: The US FDA describes the process of making American processed cheese (like Kraft singles) as melting cheese into a "homogeneous plastic mass". People hear 'plastic' and think of oil-based synthetic materials, but the FDA just uses the word in its scientific sense to mean "pliable" or "moldable".

Imitation Cheese: Cheap fake cheese (often used on fast-food burgers or frozen pizzas) isn't real cheese. It is made by mixing milk proteins with vegetable oils like palm or canola oil. When melted, it can look greasy and synthetic, leading people to mistake it for mineral or petroleum oil.

The Wax Rind: The shiny wax coating around cheeses like Edam or Gouda does contain paraffin, which is a petroleum byproduct. However, this is just the packaging to protect the cheese, it is not part of the food itself and you are not supposed to eat it.

Artificial Colors: In the past, some bright yellow or orange processed cheeses used artificial food dyes (like Yellow 5 and 6) that are chemically derived from petroleum sources. Today, most brands have switched to natural plant extracts like annatto.

So while processed cheese definitely has its flaws, it's still based on dairy and plants, not crude mineral oil!"

There might be hope for you yet. (Or do you like Greg Gutfeld?)

Mike Johnson is pitching socialism again.
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Half of MAGA would love everything he said, if it was explained to them,
without telling them that it was the DSA platform. If you tell em that it's Trump's new plans, they would cheer for it as the best plans that he ever came up with.

He has to read it in a certain tone, to make you understand that you are supposed to
NOT like it.

"a multi-party democracy"
OMG, how many of them turned MAGA for hating the 2-party system?

So sad that no one who is still MAGA is smart enough to see through his D-tier acting.
Damn, the Trump administration is DEI for stupid incompetent white boys.

This is a Dutch YouTube cooking channel that I watch a lot.
There's 3 grilled cheece sandwich recipes on it:

A 'tosti' is just any toasted sandwich, but most classically made with thin white bread, ham, and mild Gouda cheese.
With onions: only registered users can see external links
Flame-tosti: only registered users can see external links
Bulgogi tosti: only registered users can see external links

In my childhood, we had a 'stovetop sandwich toaster'. Now we have this one:
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If you put the sandwich between a folded sheet of baking paper, there's no cleaning needed afterwards.

Our left-over potatoes are usually baked with whatever meat is close to expiration date, with some onions, mushrooms or left over vegetables, all in one pan.
It's not mashed, it's just stir-fried loosely.
We call it 'kliekjespan', which can be translated to 'leftovers bake'.

You have a president who's biggest fan is giving courses online on how to trick and exploit women to become prostitutes for you. Trump used the power of his office to successfully pressure Romanian officials, to lift the Tate brothers' travel restrictions, allowing them to flee Romania, where they were awaiting trial, for r@pe and sex trafficking charges.

The Tates are now fighting extradition from the US to the UK, after being arrested in the US, for 59 criminal charges;
Andrew Tate: 42 charges
Tristan Tate: 17 charges
The allegations include, among other things:
• r@pe,
• sexual assault,
• actual bodily harm (assault causing injury),
• arranging/facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation,
• offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.

Apparently, the Tates and Trump's friend circles overlap at Mar-a-Lago, and Barron Trump is friends with the Tates. They all express admiration for each other.

Find me 1 Democrat who hangs around with r@pists and pe.dos as much as Trump.

If the Native-born Americans were gone, there would be 7,109 innocent people
still alive. Deny that math.
--------------------------------------- added after 23 hours

By the way, can I ask how many generations it takes to become a 'native'?

Native-born Americans still account for a larger percentage of homicides.

2013–2022 homicide convictions in Texas:
Group ---------------------- Homicide convictions ----- homicide conviction rate
Native-born Americans ---------- 7,109 ----------------- 3.0 per 100,000
Undocumented immigrants ------- 472 ----------------- 2.2 per 100,000
Legal immigrants -------------------- 336 ----------------- 1.2 per 100,000

Grifers like him have a skill to adapt to the worship of any person or the support of any messages that their side adopts. And since that side is immune to any level of hypocrisy, they will accept his grift with open arms. He is considered to be funny by his viewers.
So, I'm sorry to tell you that he's here to stay.

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Many scholars distinguish between humor and mere offensiveness. A conventional joke usually contains some kind of structure, such as incongruity, misdirection, irony, or a punchline. In contrast, some political "edgy jokes" consist primarily of saying something taboo or demeaning, with the violation itself treated as the entertainment.

Researchers studying far-right and extremist communication argue that, in these cases, the point is often not comedy, but to:
• signal in-group membership,
• test how much prejudice an audience will tolerate,
• provoke outrage from opponents,
• make hateful ideas seem more ordinary through repetition,
• preserve deniability ("can't you take a joke?").

When your side STILL votes for a guy like Ken Paxton, over less egregious options,
you could stand to be a little more humble.

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Indeed, even a garbage bag looks good on a Victoria's Secret model.
If they actually want to show off a dress for very large sizes, they need her.

Big women are very much annoyed if a brand only uses those skinny models.
If they still want to sell clothes, to more than 10% of women, get with the times.
That doesn't mean to only use models like her, that means to diversify.

Jesse Watters is a pervert
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They know how to save rural communities. They just won’t do it.
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It's possible; sumo wrestlers also work out.
They just need to eat a lot, to stay 'in shape'.

This Question Stumped All The Conservatives
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Who can do better? I bet you can't, without making up shit.

That's how those Instagram girls build asses like that.
Apparently, it works on guys too.

Mr. President, Where’s the 300 Yard Gash in the Reflecting Pool?
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Oh sure there are/were people who leave/left the Democratic Party and become Republicans or MAGA, but it always is for the culture-war bullshit (liberal bullshit)
that Republicans/MAGA are spouting.
And when they leave, it's because they see that it's nothing but bullshit.

There are no poor or middle class Americans who switch from blue to red
for legitimate reasons. It's either ill-conceived selfishness, bigotry or racism.
If you don't think so, find me one who provides decent reasoning.

People Are Getting Brutally Honest About What It’s Like To Cut Off MAGA Family Members
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Leaving MAGA - Why She Joined MAGA and Why She Left
Victoria Hearst on Trauma, Politics, and Texas
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"Why can't the human behind the AI not just be themselves?"
If the 'human behind the AI' is claiming that the AI isn't AI, I agree.

"Why create a fantasy world when there is a real 1 to experience?"
The existence of a real world does not make fantasy unnecessary. Reality is valuable, but it is also limited. Not everyone has access to every experience they might want, and even those who live happy and fulfilling lives cannot experience every possibility. Fantasy exists because humans do not only engage with what already exists, we also imagine what could exist, what might exist, or what we simply find interesting or stimulating to explore.

The real world is also not always kind, fair, or satisfying. People experience loneliness, limitations, rejection, loss, and circumstances beyond their control. Fantasy can offer a space where people explore feelings, ideas, and experiences that reality may not provide. That does not mean they hate reality or want to abandon it. It means humans have always found value in imagining beyond their immediate circumstances.

But fantasy is not only an escape from suffering. Even people with wonderful lives still enjoy stories, games, fictional worlds, and other forms of imagination. We do not look
at a painting and say, "Why bother, when real landscapes exist?" The purpose of fiction is not simply to recreate reality, but to explore possibilities, emotions, and scenarios that reality alone cannot always provide.

This is especially relevant when it comes to personal fantasy and creative expression. A fictional scenario does not necessarily represent a literal desire to make something happen in the real world. People have always explored ideas, emotions, and situations through fiction that they would never pursue in reality. The value of fantasy is often
in the experience of imagining, not in replacing the real thing.

In the end, fantasy exists because humans are not only observers of reality, we are creators and explorers of possibilities. We imagine because the world is fascinating,
but also because it is incomplete. The ability to create something that does not exist
is not a rejection of reality, it is one of the things that makes us human.

It is ironic that some residents of Piddington, England, are asking Donald Trump for help, because they feel their government is imposing a major decision on their community without their consent. They seem to see him as a champion of local voices, but many Americans have felt the same frustration under Trump's policies.

In Dilley, Texas, residents faced the reality of a large federal immigration detention facility in their community and many were angry that such a major decision was made with little say from local people. In California, communities and local officials also pushed back against immigration detention expansions, arguing that Washington was forcing federal policies onto their neighborhoods while ignoring their concerns.

And the pattern goes beyond immigration. Across the United States, communities have pushed back against the rapid expansion of AI data centers, complaining about noise, pollution concerns, and higher utility bills. Many residents feel that powerful corporations and governments are making decisions first and asking communities to accept the consequences afterward.

So the irony is hard to miss: people who feel ignored by their own government are appealing to a leader whose own country has citizens making the same complaint, that their voices were not heard before major decisions affecting their lives were made.

Correlation is not causation!

The study appears to have been performed using a legitimate scientific method and is not simply an example of cherry-picking an unusual result. The researchers used a large dataset and an established statistical approach, so the finding is worth taking seriously as a possible observation.

However, there are still important questions before accepting it as a confirmed scientific conclusion. A single study, even a large one, can produce a result that does not appear in later research. A repeat of the analysis using an independent dataset would be needed to see whether the same correlation appears again. Replication is especially important for surprising findings.

Also, a correlation does not by itself prove the cause. Even if the association between earlier sexual initiation and shorter lifespan is confirmed, it does not mean that earlier sexual activity itself causes reduced longevity. The relationship could be explained by other factors that influence both.

Possible explanations include:
• Parenting style and upbringing: people raised with more caution, planning, and risk awareness may both delay sexual activity and make healthier long-term choices.
• Socioeconomic factors: childhood poverty, education level, and access to resources may influence both age of sexual initiation and later health.
• Family stability: supportive family environments may affect both personal choices and lifelong health outcomes.
• Personality traits: characteristics such as impulsivity, risk-taking, or self-control may influence both sexual timing and health behaviors.
• Puberty and biological development: earlier physical maturation may affect both sexual timing and later biological processes.
• Stress and childhood experiences: early adversity may influence both life choices and long-term health.
• Other genetic influences: the genetic factors associated with sexual timing may also affect personality, behavior, or health through unrelated pathways.

Therefore, the current study can reasonably be viewed as evidence of an interesting association, but more research is needed to determine whether the relationship is causal and what mechanism might explain it.

The World Cup crowd as Trump walks on the field
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First see him do ANYTHING positive successfully, then see if Democrats are whining.

This is why it requires 'a book' to tell you how wrong you are:



Two people may have different opinions about whether it is raining, but whether water droplets are actually falling from the sky is not decided by opinion.

CRIME
The crime decline began before Trump returned to office in January 2025. The large drop in murders started after the COVID-era spike:
2020–2021: major increase in homicides.
2022: homicide began falling.
2023: large declines continued.
2024: another major decline.
So the 2024 improvement was already underway before any Trump administration policies could have had a national effect

MASS SHOOTINGS
Yes, some measures show mass shootings were lower in 2024 than in the peak years around 2021–2023. But that decline began before Trump took office, so it cannot reasonably be credited to Trump policies.

OVERDOSE DEATHS
The same applies. The decline started before 2025:
Overdose deaths peaked around 2022.
Declines accelerated through late 2023 and 2024.
The CDC specifically noted that deaths had been declining since late 2023.
Possible contributors researchers point to include:
- wider naloxone availability,
- expanded treatment access,
- changes in the illicit drug supply,
- public health interventions,
- changes in fentanyl patterns.
What did Trump do to cause it? Essentially NOTHING, because most of the data period occurred before his second administration began.

DRUGS ON THE STREETS
That is not something the data clearly shows. Overdose deaths are down, but that does not automatically mean fewer drugs are available. The decline in overdose deaths began before Trump took office and is likely due to multiple factors: more naloxone access, changes in the illicit drug supply, treatment efforts, and public health interventions. Trump did not cause the overdose decline that began in 2023–2024.
His administration has emphasized border enforcement and drug interdiction, but there is not yet evidence that those policies produced a measurable reduction in
drug availability.

Here's some negative data that he ACTUALLY CAUSED:

• National debt increased by about $7.8 trillion during Trump’s first term.
Trump signed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduced federal revenue, while spending continued to rise. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the tax cuts would add about $1.5 trillion to deficits over 10 years (before accounting for interest).

• Federal deficits increased before COVID.
The deficit rose from about $585 billion in 2016 to about $984 billion in 2019. This happened before pandemic spending and was driven partly by the Trump tax cuts and increased spending.

• Tariffs increased costs for American businesses and consumers.
Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of imports, especially from China. Economic studies found that the cost was largely paid by U.S. importers and passed on through higher prices rather than being absorbed by China.

• Farmers lost export markets because of Trump’s trade war.
After Trump imposed tariffs, China and other countries retaliated against U.S. agricultural exports. The administration responded with about $28 billion in taxpayer-funded aid to farmers to compensate for losses caused by the trade dispute.

• Emergency preparedness funding was reduced or targeted for cuts.
The Trump administration proposed reducing FEMA preparedness grants by about $646 million and eliminated the BRIC disaster mitigation program, which had funded billions of dollars in pre-disaster projects. These were direct administration policy decisions.

• Public health preparedness was targeted for major cuts.
The Trump administration proposed large reductions to CDC programs, including about $3.6 billion (around 44%) in discretionary funding. These cuts would affect disease surveillance, outbreak response, and emergency preparedness.

That's nonsense. First of all, there is no such thing as free health care. Governments can fund healthcare with taxes or let people pay premiums for health insurance. It's both funded by citizens, but a 'single payer' system is just more efficient and it enriches less people who don't contribute anything to healthcare.

It's impossible to keep wildfires under control, for a country like Canada, with ~347 million hectares of forest and hardly any road access to most of it. They spend about the same as the US, with 8.3 times less people. The US has ~310 million hectares of forest and about 10 times the number of wildfires.
Canada has roughly 9 times more forest per person than the U.S.
The area that is burned yearly is on average the same too. The only difference is that Canada has more large wildfires, occasionally. A single Canadian wildfire can burn hundreds of thousands of hectares. That's because they cannot get to it soon enough to put it out. Often, they chose to not even try. Why?
Imagine a lightning strike starts a fire 300 km from the nearest town. Sending dozens of aircraft and hundreds of firefighters may:
- cost millions of dollars
- put crews at risk
- have little chance of success if winds are strong
Instead, agencies prioritize fires threatening:
- communities
- infrastructure
- Indigenous communities
- power lines
- highways
- valuable timber

Canada is the second-largest country on Earth. About 90% of Canadians live within roughly 160 km (100 miles) of the U.S. border, while most of the country's forests lie far to the north. They simply cannot station enough firefighters and aircraft to immediately attack every remote ignition.

That doesn't mean additional investments in prevention, prescribed burns, aircraft, or staffing couldn't help, they likely would in some situations. But the idea that Canada's fires persist simply because it spends money on universal health care instead of firefighting doesn't match how wildfire management actually works. Weather, fuel conditions, terrain, and the sheer scale of Canada's wilderness are often the dominant factors.

It's not like the US is over-funding emergency services.
FEMA Non-Disaster Grant Programs: -$646 million, Proposed
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, (BRIC) Program eliminated (billions in future grants canceled)
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) ≈ -$491 million, Proposed
CDC Discretionary Funding ≈ -$3.6 billion (44%), Proposed
NOAA (overall) ≈ -26% Proposed cut
NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research ≈ -74%, Proposed
FEMA workforce ~200 positions eliminated, broader workforce reductions followed

If you implemented single payer, Americans would be able to afford more for wildfire
and other disaster prevention, response and relief.

Ice killed a man, in front of his THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER.

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On July 13 in Biddeford, Maine, 26-year-old Colombian father Johan Sebastiбn Guerrero was shot and killed by an ICE officer while his young daughter was present. Guerrero was on his way to work and was described by neighbors as a devoted father building a life for his family.

ICE initially claimed the shooting happened during a targeted immigration operation. The agency said agents were looking for someone with a final deportation order, attempted a vehicle stop, and opened fire because the driver tried to flee and posed a danger to public safety.

That explanation quickly fell apart. Officials later confirmed Guerrero was not the person ICE was trying to arrest. He was not the target of the operation, despite ICE's initial framing making it sound as if they had confronted the person they were looking for.

The second major claim, that Guerrero used his vehicle as a weapon, has also been heavily challenged. Witness accounts, questions about the sequence of events, the lack of body-camera footage, and video evidence showing the aftermath have led critics to argue that ICE's version of events was misleading and that the agency presented a justification that does not match what later emerged.

This case has become another example of a pattern they say is deeply troubling: aggressive enforcement tactics followed by official explanations that change when outside scrutiny begins. Supporters of ICE argue that officers must be able to respond quickly when they believe there is a threat.

But the central issue remains simple: a father was killed in front of his child, and the public is demanding answers about why ICE's first explanation did not match the facts that came out afterward.

Verdict: Misleading / not established as written.

The headline combines a confirmed event (a Houston man was killed in an ICE-involved shooting) with an unproven allegation (that he had methamphetamine in his vehicle).
The evidence does not show that the FBI has confirmed meth was found in the car.

What is confirmed
The man was Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Houston construction worker and father. He was fatally shot by an ICE agent during an enforcement operation on July 7, 2026.
Federal officials said the shooting occurred after agents attempted to stop his van and alleged he used the vehicle in a threatening way. Witnesses in the van dispute that account and say the shooting was unprovoked.
Authorities have acknowledged that Salgado Araujo was not the original target of the ICE operation; DHS said he resembled the person agents were looking for.

What about the “meth in his car” claim?
The FBI obtained a search warrant based on agents’ belief that they saw “crystal-like substances” in the van that could be narcotics.
That is not the same as confirming meth was found. Reports indicate testing had not established that the substance was methamphetamine.
Salgado Araujo’s family attorney said the material was salt, reportedly used by workers as part of a homemade electrolyte mixture, not meth. Local prosecutors also said the drug claim had not been verified.

Bottom line
The statement “FBI says he had meth in his car” overstates what investigators had publicly established. A more accurate version would be:
“The FBI said agents believed they saw possible narcotics in the van and sought testing, but authorities had not publicly confirmed that the substance was methamphetamine.”

So the headline appears to turn an investigative allegation into a confirmed fact, which is not supported by the available reporting.

Nigel Farage is one of Britain's best-known politicians and the leader of Reform UK, a right-wing populist party. Critics, particularly on the centre-left, argue that his populism is largely performative, saying he presents himself as an anti-establishment outsider while benefiting from wealthy donors, media influence and years as one of the country's most prominent political figures. Supporters reject that criticism and see him as a genuine voice for voters who feel ignored by the political establishment.

The by-election was triggered by financial controversies surrounding Farage. Reports revealed he had received a previously undisclosed Ј5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne before becoming an MP. Police also opened an investigation into Ј500,000 in donations to Reform UK linked to the mother of one of Farage's closest allies, George Cottrell. Farage denies any wrongdoing.

As pressure mounted, Farage resigned as MP for Clacton, automatically triggering a by-election. He then immediately announced he would stand again, arguing that the people of Clacton, not journalists, political opponents or investigators, should decide whether he deserved to remain their MP. He framed the election as "the people versus the establishment." Critics called it a political stunt, saying it shifted attention away from the allegations and turned them into a popularity contest.

That opened the door for Count Binface. Created by comedian Jon Harvey, Binface wears a silver bin-shaped helmet and mixes absurd promises with genuine political satire. His aim is to use humour to expose what he sees as the hypocrisy and absurdity of British politics.

When the major parties chose not to contest the election, Binface became Farage's most visible challenger. His slogan, "The only one who turned up," mocked both the absent parties and Farage's attempt to manufacture a personal mandate. His campaign insists that "the bin is the joke, the ballot is not," encouraging people to see him as a serious protest vote.

Farage is still the favourite to win, but Binface has already changed the story. Instead of headlines about Farage winning a fresh mandate, much of the coverage is about Britain's best-known right-wing populist being challenged by a man dressed as a silver dustbin. Even if Binface loses, he has made it much harder for Farage and Reform UK to control the narrative.

Reform has arguably made matters worse by repeatedly responding to Binface instead of ignoring him. Every attack gives him more publicity, more jokes and more media coverage. As a result, Binface has succeeded in making Farage look defensive, while turning what was meant to be a serious political exercise into a national punchline.

Can Count Binface actually win? Technically yes, but Farage remains the clear favourite. Farage has a strong personal following in Clacton, while Reform UK is the dominant political force in the area. However, this is not a normal election. With the major parties absent, Binface has become the main alternative for voters who want to protest against Farage.

Even if Binface does not win, he has already achieved something politically significant.
A strong result would weaken Farage's claim that the by-election is a clear public endorsement, while the fact that a man in a silver bin costume has become his main challenger has made it much harder for Farage and Reform UK to control the story.

Who is Count Binface
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Too bad that it's Canadian pine, that's highly unsuitable for smoking food.
If those foul trees are gone anyway, maybe they can replace them with fruitwoods
like Apple or Cherry, or nut-bearing trees like Pecan, for a mild smoke.
Actually, you might prefer the classic BBQ flavor, so they could please you by
replanting Hickory or Oak.