Connie

I don’t want to connect my coffee machine to the wifi network. I don’t want to share the file with OneDrive. I don’t want to download an app to check my car’s fluid levels. I don’t want to scan a QR code to view the restaurant menu. I don’t want to let Google know my location before showing me the search results. I don’t want to include a Teams link on the calendar invite. I don’t want to pay 50 different monthly subscription fees for all my software. I don’t want to upgrade to TurboTax platinum plus audit protection. I don’t want to install the Webex plugin to join the meeting. I don’t want to share my car’s braking data with the actuaries at State Farm. I don’t want to text with your AI chatbot. I don’t want to download the Instagram app to look at your picture. I don’t want to type in my email address to view the content on your company’s website. I don’t want text messages with promo codes. I don’t want to leave your company a five-star Google review in exchange for the chance to win a $20 Starbucks gift card. I don’t want to join your exclusive community in the metaverse. I don’t want AI to help me write my comments on LinkedIn. I don’t even want to be on LinkedIn in the first place. I just want to pay for a product one time (and only one time), know that it’s going to work flawlessly, press 0 to speak to an operator if I need help, and otherwise be left alone and treated with some small measure of human dignity, if that’s not too much to ask anymore.

NEW: Pentagon seeking $200 billion for Iran war.

Qatar's PM: "This war needs to stop immediately. Everyone knows who the main beneficiary of this war is." Qatar's PM told the world, this war serves someone's interests. And that someone is not in Tehran, Washington, or Doha — it's in Tel Aviv.

I usually give Trump the benefit of the doubt when it comes to military operations. What he pulled off in Venezuela was a miracle. A hostile government was replaced with a friendly one without losing a single American soldier. Venezuela has massive oil reserves and critical minerals, and it was China’s main foothold in the Western Hemisphere. Now, they are praising Trump, sending gold to U.S. refineries, and opening up to American investment. Operation Midnight Hammer was badass. In his first term, he used targeted strikes to take out ISIS, al-Baghdadi, and Soleimani while avoiding large-scale wars. If he could reshape Iran’s leadership like Venezuela and secure control over the Strait of Hormuz, that would be a huge strategic win. But right now, it’s unclear how that happens. Some OSINT analysts say ground troop movements may already be underway. At the same time, the Pentagon has reportedly requested about $200 billion for the Iran war. Even without boots on the ground, that kind of spending signals a longer, more expensive conflict. One of Trump’s biggest selling points has always been projecting strength without dragging America into endless wars that cost lives and trillions of dollars. Qatar produces about 20% of the world’s LNG, and it reportedly lost around 17% of its export capacity for up to five years after yesterday’s attack. More strikes on energy infrastructure could drive inflation higher and shake the global economy. I hope Trump succeeds with minimal loss of life and economic damage. His track record is why I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But I don’t want to see another prolonged ground war with heavy American casualties. I hope he finds an off-ramp long before that happens.

🚨 BREAKING: In a STUNNING moment, CNN was just forced to report that Donald Trump has 100% MAGA APPROVAL 100%. WOW 🔥 The kicker? The share of voters who call themselves "MAGA" is the *SAME* as when he won in 2024! "You don't have to be a GENIUS to know you can't go higher than 100%!" "Some Republicans disapprove...but they are NOT members of the MAGA movement." Q: But are people leaving MAGA? CNN: "In November 2024, 28% were MAGA. It's basically the SAME, 30%!" "The MAGA base is NOT SHRINKING — it's the SAME SIZE! If anything, it's slightly larger!" "That 100% that Trump has among MAGA GOP, is NOT an artifact of MAGA shrinking. It's just how strong Trump's grip is on the MAGA base!"

The kind of US national security official Israel fears vs the kind it can manage