Hard Pass

News outlets report the president repeatedly contacted the White House press secretary asking when she would return to work.

We’re in the midst of a mass exodus of working mothers from the labor force. The latest is Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, who announced her departure Wednesday. And it might have been because President Donald Trump had been calling her repeatedly while she was away on maternity leave, reports suggest.

According to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN, the president contacted her frequently, asking when she was going to return. Fast Company reached out to the White House for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

In an X post, Leavitt wrote: “I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary.”

they are together once more.

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so i drew these first two panels and then went "what now?". initially i thought of having this incredible moment where Lilac would pick up White, spin them around in the air, put them down again, very gently, and kiss them. but, where Lilac is standing right now, she doesn't have the energy for that.

i wish you a wonderful day in which you are allowed to cry if you want to

Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to allow him to build a ballroom at the White House, citing previous threats to Trump’s life, national security needs and architectural values.

The emergency request filed Friday comes after lower courts repeatedly ruled that Trump needed approval from Congress before moving forward with the $400 million project. The filing also includes new renderings of the ballroom that show stylistic changes, including the addition of at least two large presidential seals in gold on the outside of the building.

The latest rebuke came last week, when an appeals court in Washington, DC, said the president lacked any authority to unilaterally pursue the planned ballroom and ordered him to stop work at the site of the former East Wing until lawmakers gave their blessing. But the court paused implementation of its decision for 14 days to give Trump time to appeal to the justices.

…new research published Friday and shared exclusively with the Guardian found that companies that resisted the pressure and kept their DEI practices, including Costco, Apple and Delta Air Lines, performed just as well as their competitors who pulled back.

General Atomics, the company that builds the electromagnetic aircraft launch system for the Ford-class carriers, said Trump’s decision to revert to steam “warrants careful reconsideration”. The company told the Journal its work on the new ship is nearly 50% complete and “changing course now would introduce significant cost, schedule, and integration risks”.

Senator Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and a former astronaut, was more blunt in his reaction to the news.

“I’ve launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times, have a Master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, and am a test pilot and even I wouldn’t suggest to the Navy how to engineer specific systems on its ships,” Kelly wrote on social media. “Donald Trump should stick to what he knows best – ballrooms, bankruptcy, and bullshit.”

Bwahaha... Griftonomics - the same old foundation of this disgusting, planet-destroying empire...

Luigi Mangione has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges tied to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Mangione, 28, appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Friday. He was charged with two federal offences: interstate stalking resulting in death and stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death. He pleaded guilty to both.

Mangione had previously pleaded not guilty to those charges and has not update his plea. The state-level trial is set to begin next month.

Donald Trump wants the Navy to rip out an electromagnetic launch system and replace it with a steam one.

Once again, the dimwitted President has gone full Juggalo.

okay, i like cars and yoga