There’s No Protester Database (It’s Just the Records Cabinet, Actually)
ICE insists it doesn’t keep a “database” of protesters—except the referenced correspondence and official paperwork treat “records” like the practical thing you’re still being sorted into. The panic isn’t imaginary; it’s the vocabulary game.
A Raise That Buys Less
Big win for the donors, I guess: the paycheck gets a little fatter on paper, and then the grocery store comes in like a…
Follow the Money to the Same Wallet
The modern Washington trick is to package one giant cash-and-favors machine as eight different “issues,” then act stunned when the paper trail smells like…
When the Last Name Becomes the Business Plan
In Washington, some people earn a living by knowing things. Others earn a living by being related to the sign above the door. That’s…
Amazon Keeps Finding the Same Door
Hugh Jass has a simple rule: when the money, the cloud, and the government all keep showing up in the same hallway, somebody is…
Power Up the Grid, Power Up the Portfolio
America always seems to find religion on infrastructure right after somebody’s balance sheet gets a little too excited. First it’s “we need more power,”…
The Kushner Measure of Distance
I am told this is all ordinary business, which is usually how people describe a thing right before the brakes fail on a hill.…
The Calendar Knows When the Money Moves
In Washington, the calendar keeps acting like it has a private text chain with the money. CPI day, Fed day, market spike day —…
Trump Crypto and the Office-to-Token Pipeline
Nothing says “public service” like turning the office into a launchpad and the launchpad into a wallet. That’s the Trump crypto trick: sell disruption…
Trump’s Report Card Comes Back All Fs
Trump has perfected the oldest student move in America: make a giant promise, skip the work, then blame the teacher when the test comes…
Nvidia, the Policy Lane, and the Elevator Up
When policy, approvals, and stock gains all seem to arrive in the same sedan, a fellow starts wondering who handed out the keys. We…
Who Touched the Trades?
In a country where accountability is treated like a clerical error, “manual” is not a comforting word when the money starts sprinting. The second…
When Your Password Manager Locks You Out
Dashlane’s security incident has the funniest possible side effect: the first person treated like a threat is the customer who paid for protection. Premium digital safety, apparently, comes with a velvet rope and a very nervous bouncer.
Intel Gets a Little Too Much Patriotism for the Math
I’ve seen church bake sales with less obvious accounting than this. Intel gets wrapped in national-strategy language, the market gets a little thrill, and…
Cloud, Cash, and the Confidence Game
Washington loves to call it “separate” when the paperwork is spread across three desks and one of them is already looking guilty. But ordinary…
When Access Has a Price Tag
In Washington, “business access” is what people call it when influence wants to wear a blazer and pretend it’s an errand. The rest of…
Gulf O’ Merica and the Great Naming Stunt
Hugh Jass here, filing this under civic branding that wants to be taken seriously while contributing absolutely nothing to the ledger. “Gulf O’ Merica”…