- A conversation between Brian Greene and Steven Pinker, two of the current greatest scientists and writers;
- Heather Cox Richardson on how Trump “cares,” and his “piggy” comments;
- Briefly noted items about how the GOP destroys, not builds; how the Trump administration uses bogus math; Christian nationalism and football games; and how conservatives discover new “rights” to take down Obergefell.
I have said before that in our modern age knowledge of the world is available to every person, in great detail, in books and in videos and on websites like Wikipedia, and how they comprise detailed understanding of the world far beyond anything captured in the ancient holy books. And there are podcasts, including those by many of the great nonfiction authors of our time. Here’s an example, which popped up on Fb today.
YouTube: What Happens When We All Know? | Brian Greene & Steven Pinker
An hour-long chat between two great scientists and writers. With an occasional ad. I listened to about 15 minutes; it’s largely about ideas from Pinker’s latest book, which I will write up here soon. I seldom listen to podcasts; I’d rather read books. But there are podcasts out there by Sean Carroll, Michael Shermer, Sam Harris, and others, some with weekly posts. They’re ways of keeping up with the latest thoughts by the greatest contemporary thinkers, if you’re not inclined to read books. They’re better than listening to sermons.
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How Trump cares. And his “piggy” comment. How has the US sunk to this level? Or: given the excellence and expertise so readily available, as in the above item, why has the US government declined to moronic proportions?
Heather Cox Richardson: November 17, 2025 (Monday)
President Donald J. Trump spent the weekend flooding social media with posts claiming that his economic policies are working and that his 34 felony convictions and the investigations into his 2016 campaign’s ties to Russian operatives were illegitimate, and posting angrily about those people calling out his association with Jeffrey Epstein. He even reposted a statement from one of his own lawyers saying, “If Jeffrey Epstein had any dirt on Donald Trump, he would have had great leverage in the criminal case against him at the time he died,” which perhaps conveys a different message than he intended.
Then, after fighting furiously against the upcoming House vote over releasing the Epstein files the FBI collected as part of its investigation into the convicted sex abuser, at 9:15 p.m. last night Trump abruptly reversed course, saying that House Republicans should vote in favor of releasing the files “because we have nothing to hide.” “I DON’T CARE!” he posted.”
But of course, he does care, as is evident from how deeply he fought the release of the files the FBI collected during its investigation of Epstein right up until the final signature on the House discharge petition that would force the House to vote on a measure to require the Justice Department to release the files. As Meredith Kile of People magazine reported, when a female Bloomberg reporter at a press gaggle aboard Air Force One November 14 asked him if there was anything “incriminating” in the Epstein files, he pointed a finger in her face and said: “Quiet! Quiet, Piggy.”
From other sources, apparently his “piggy” comment is a common rebuff to female reporters. Classy as always. Also here: JMG, via Newsweek: Donald Trump Tells Reporter ‘Quiet, Piggy’ When Asked About Epstein Files .
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Briefly noted.
- They only destroy; they do not build.
- Salon, Heather Digby Parton, 18 Nov 2025: The GOP is on the cusp of destroying Obamacare, subtitled “This time Republicans are taking a death-by-increments approach to the ACA — and it just might work”
- Washington Post, 18 Nov 2025: Trump administration announces dismantling of parts of Education Dept., subtitled “President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March seeking to close the department, but only Congress has the power to do that.”
- AlterNet, Thomas Kika, 18 Nov 2025: Fact-checkers bust Trump administration for using ‘bogus math’, from LA Times The Trump administration’s math on economic policy doesn’t add up, subtitled “On inflation, healthcare, mortgages and much more, the Trump administration offers faulty arithmetic.” — — Well of course.
- Friendly Atheist, 18 Nov 2025: Supreme Court declines case involving loudspeaker prayers at high school football games — — Christian nationalist are angry they can’t broadcast their prayers to everyone at high school football games.
- Right Wing Watch, Kyle Mantyla, 17 Nov 2025: The Next Phase In The Crusade To Overturn Obergefell — — Conservatives have now discovered a “right” of children to be raised by heterosexual parents. Would they also criminalize single parents? And their argument admits that gay couples can, and do, raise children. My take: children benefit from having as many adult influences in their lives as possible; it takes a village etc.; but young children have no sense of whether those adults are male or female.
