Odds and Ends — 21 October 2025

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

US political turmoil tests ‘institutional confidence’ as crypto ETFs bleed

Lower-Income Americans Are Missing Car Payments

More Americans are struggling to make their monthly car-loan payments, a sign that lower-income consumers are under growing financial pressure. The share of subprime auto loans that were 60 days or more past due reached a high of nearly 6.5 percent in January and has lingered near that level, according to Fitch Ratings. Repossessions have swelled, more drivers are trading in vehicles that are worth less than they owe and lenders such as CarMax and Ally Financial have warned investors about auto loan performance.

Ethereum Core Veteran: Vitalik Buterin Has 'Complete Indirect Control’ Over Ecosystem

Coronavirus and Public Health:

COVID-related smell loss may last years

Politics:

Trump Begins Demolishing East Wing Facade

Demolition crews have begun tearing down part of the White House to build President Donald Trump’s long-desired ballroom despite his pledge that construction of the $250 million addition wouldn’t ‘interfere’ with the existing building. Said Trump at the time: “It won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not touching it — and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of. It’s my favorite. It’s my favorite place. I love it.”

https://twitter.com/AdamKinzinger/status/1980357581395882219

Treasury Says No Photos of Ballroom Construction

The Treasury Department instructed employees not to share photos of the demolition of parts of the White House’s East Wing after images of construction equipment dismantling the facade of the building went viral online. Treasury’s headquarters is located next door to the East Wing, giving employees there a front-row seat to the construction of President Trump’s $250 million ballroom. The new project is set to replace parts of the East Wing.

Gone Fishing

Since July 4, the House of Representatives has conducted just 20 days of business in the last 16 weeks.

Senate Republicans Mull Ending Filibuster

Three weeks into shutdown gridlock, some Senate Republicans are expressing openness to a controversial solution: nuking the filibuster.

They probably won’t, but the sick, twisted part of me almost hopes they will.

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1980226408015364510

Trump Nominee Says He Has a ‘Nazi Streak’

Paul Ingrassia, President Donald Trump’s embattled nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, told a group of fellow Republicans in a text chain the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell” and said he has “a Nazi streak.”

———— Not Ready for Prime Time ————

https://twitter.com/ReichlinMelnick/status/1980404458422169603

———— The Epstein Coverup ————

https://twitter.com/TimHannan/status/1980059456579719179

https://twitter.com/sandibachom/status/1980104549902827698

———— Autocracy R Us ————

https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1979921230552592549

https://twitter.com/preparedwombat/status/1980278473458409861

“For as in absolute governments the King is Law, so in free countries the law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other.” — Thomas Paine

https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1980383415301218520

https://twitter.com/micah_erfan/status/1980240937872679074

https://twitter.com/gtconway3d/status/1980289394532655395

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

https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1980205714573500861

———— Putin&Krasnov vs. Ukraine ————

https://twitter.com/joni_askola/status/1980279400777056351

https://twitter.com/JayinKyiv/status/1979949180459126964

https://twitter.com/Microinteracti1/status/1980161142690283660

https://twitter.com/TheEconomist/status/1980152035300282751

———— Smoot-Hawley 2.0 ————

https://twitter.com/Kathlee71013772/status/1980304704887529580

———— Hegseth on the Rocks ————

https://twitter.com/GregTSargent/status/1980240372782571630

———— Mors Imperii ————

https://twitter.com/SpencerHakimian/status/1979895528172437669

Trump Nominee Stalled by Criminal Probe

The White House paused the judicial nomination of former Florida Deputy Attorney General John Guard due to his involvement with a charity linked to Gov. Ron DeSantis that’s under criminal investigation.

https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1980057196097425781

Appeals Court Skeptical of Alina Habba’s Appointment

A panel of federal appeals court judges appeared skeptical Monday of President Donald Trump’s use of unconventional methods to install loyalists as top prosecutors without Senate confirmation. A trio of judges from the Philadelphia-based 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals spent over an hour questioning the multistep process the Trump administration used to designate his former personal attorney Alina Habba the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey and keep her there even after district judges sought to replace her.

https://twitter.com/PiperK/status/1979962419553153484

GOP Lawmaker’s Mistress Set Herself on Fire