Odds and Ends — 22 November 2025

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Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:

Tom Lee speculates wounded market makers behind crypto crunch

Europe’s economy is geared towards a disappearing world, says ECB’s Lagarde

Cardano Network Disrupted by 'Poisoned' Transaction Attack

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Off-label use of COVID-19 vaccines was once discouraged but has become common amid new guidelines

Politics:

Saudi Crown Prince Leaves U.S. Tour Empowered

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emerged from a White House visit this week as, in President Trump’s view, the undisputed leader of the Arab world.
No Arab leader in recent memory has received such a lavish welcome from an American president—including a red-carpet welcome, a parade of horses and a black-tie dinner—and certainly not an authoritarian leader with such a scrutinized human-rights record. In the Oval Office, Trump even defended Mohammed from questions about the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which the Central Intelligence Agency concluded was orchestrated by him.

Donald Trump’s piggish, savage behavior hits new low

From insults to death threats and princely thugs, the president is out of control

Trump’s World View

Donald Trump’s admirers like to trumpet his unpredictability as his diplomatic superpower. Keeping your enemies and allies on their toes can indeed work to your advantage. In his first year back on the world stage the US president has clearly enjoyed playing up the impression of a whimsical approach to the world to keep his aides, too, guessing about his thinking.
But this was the week when any ambiguity surely disappeared. The true cynical, money-grabbing and self-interested nature of his world view was laid bare.

Supreme Court Blocks Order Throwing Out Texas Map

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked a lower court court ruling that found Texas’ 2026 congressional redistricting plan likely discriminates on the basis of race.
The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito will remain in place at least for the next few days while the court considers whether to allow the new map favorable to Republicans to be used in the midterm elections.

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Has Been Arrested and Held in Police Custody

Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro was arrested Saturday after a judge deemed him a flight risk following his conviction on charges that he attempted a coup after his 2022 election defeat.

———— The Epstein Coverup ————

———— Autocracy R Us ————

———— Blatant In-Your-Face Corruption ————

———— Putin&Krasnov vs. Ukraine ————

Ending Russia’s war against Ukraine needs only one point

Trump’s Peace Plan Gives Russia Everything It Wants

Trying the same thing over and over again, without success, is either the definition of insanity or Russian negotiation tactics, depending on your point of view.
The widely leaked draft of President Donald Trump’s 28-point plan is a terrifying leap backwards for Kyiv. It was co-conceived by Russians who wanted to pretend they were engaging in peace, and circulated by Ukrainians and Europeans who felt it was so ridiculous it would surely die on first contact with oxygen.

‘We’re Not Negotiating Details’

The Trump administration has told Ukrainian and European officials there is little room to negotiate on its plan to end Russia’s war, as the US heaps pressure on Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign a deal drawn up with Moscow’s help by Thursday.

———— Smoot-Hawley 2.0 ————

Lula Stares Down Trump and Scores Tariff Victory

From the minute Donald Trump slapped tariffs on Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva bet the US leader was going all-in on a weak hand. The wager paid off Thursday, when Trump limped away from the battle.
In an executive order, Trump exempted dozens of Brazilian food products, including coffee and beef, from the 40% increased tariffs he imposed in an ill-fated attempt to help former President Jair Bolsonaro dodge a coup attempt trial.

———— Hegseth on the Rocks ————

Trump Blew Past Legal Concerns Over Boat Strikes

President Donald Trump and his top White House aides pushed for lethal strikes on Western Hemisphere drug traffickers almost as soon as they took office in January, and in the past 10 months have repeatedly steamrolled or sidestepped government lawyers who questioned whether the provocative policy was legal.

———— Mors Imperii ————

Bypassing Kristi Noem

Business and bureaucrats found a workaround for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s order to personally review every contract over $100,000: Since August, DHS has awarded 11 new contracts between $99,999 and $99,999.99.

The President Is Losing Control of Himself

Donald Trump’s outbursts on social media this week were different than usual.

Legal Misstep Imperiled Trump’s Midterm Strategy

When Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s top civil-rights attorney, sent a letter this summer telling Texas officials that their congressional map was unconstitutional, it set off a nationwide battle between the political parties to gain an edge in next year’s elections by redrawing their House districts.
This past week, that letter created major legal problems for Republicans and a setback for the Trump administration.
Dhillon’s warning to Texas was the central evidence a federal court cited in blocking a House district map that could have yielded Republicans as many as five additional seats. The result: President Trump’s push to protect his party’s House majority through gerrymandering is now at risk of costing the GOP seats, rather than producing a net gain.

Serendipity:

We’re learning more about what vitamin D does to our bodies

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