Odds and Ends — 22 August 2026
Published on HivePostify by @preparedwombat · Sat Aug 22 2026
Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:
U.S. Debt Just Topped $40 Trillion: How We Got Here >Debt and deficits haven’t always been a problem in the U.S. Publicly held debt—now approaching World War II levels at about 100% of the country’s annual GDP—was just 31.5% of GDP in 2001 after four years in which the government ran budget surpluses.
Scott Bessent:
https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2090470024347603288
https://x.com/RobinWigg/status/2090497585446355022
https://x.com/chucktodd/status/2090523427031400770
https://x.com/DittiePE/status/2090440568220295605
https://x.com/RSAObserver/status/2090616447491866651
https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2090618417782899011
Coronavirus and Public Health:
https://x.com/jakescottMD/status/2090569661872247068
Iran:
https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2090468202069262829
U.S. Moves Up Winter Gasoline Sales >The Trump administration is authorizing an early shift to the sale of wintertime gasoline blends, its latest move to blunt fuel costs and supply concerns stoked by the war in Iran… The switch, which enables the use of a dirtier-burning wintertime fuel blend, typically happens in mid September.
https://x.com/mynamehear/status/2090507013495071179
https://x.com/Quadcarl/status/2090441250063172003
Politics:
Vindman Will Give Campaign Funds to Florida Democrats >Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who lost Tuesday’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Florida, said he’ll be giving away the millions he raised for his campaign ‘to the places it will matter most’ — starting with the Florida Democratic Party.
Trump Was Warned About Peeling Reflecting Pool >A U.S. National Park Service engineer warned the Trump administration about the floor of the Lincoln Reflecting Pool peeling in early June due to the renovation process and the materials used for the job, court filings revealed Wednesday. >Despite that warning, President Donald Trump accused multiple people of ‘destroying’ the pool once it reopened to the public.
https://x.com/Lucius0/status/2090513719583215964 https://x.com/jrovner/status/2090484452954628107
———— Natalie Harp ————
https://x.com/anneapplebaum/status/2090352699845816594
Natalie Harp’s Intimate Letters to Trump Revealed
https://x.com/keithedwards/status/2090632220008419635
https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2090571566107025409 https://x.com/nickfield90/status/2090532328791511397 https://x.com/SundaeDivine/status/2090548938168262765
https://x.com/actingliketommy/status/2090634958620741978
https://x.com/RepJackKimble/status/2090433921968197844
https://x.com/AngryAFMario/status/2090575786931605673
———— Mitch is Undead ————
https://x.com/essenviews/status/2090581954978545991
———— Autocracy R Us ————
https://x.com/billybinion/status/2090091771619414248
https://x.com/broadwaybabyto/status/2090298413078163786
https://x.com/kylegriffin1/status/2090557167120117930
https://x.com/BillKristol/status/2090817876198371488
———— Blatant In-Your-Face Corruption ————
https://x.com/AmySiskind/status/2090805328531046460
https://x.com/AmySiskind/status/2090589475101393051
———— Putin&Krasnov vs. Ukraine ————
https://x.com/GenoVeno73/status/2090179303422267465
https://x.com/capitolhunters/status/2090520134540493038
https://x.com/Kasparov63/status/2090481724509872515 https://x.com/MelSimmonsFCDO/status/2090465053627617595
https://x.com/jimstewartson/status/2090474294904324161
———— Smoot-Hawley 2.0 ————
https://x.com/Rahll/status/2090603407723655295
———— Hegseth on the Rocks ————
https://x.com/IAmSophiaNelson/status/2090562311345905982
https://x.com/RobertPicardo/status/2090639448396517495
Hegseth Covered Up the Real Reason the USS Lincoln Wasn’t Resupplied
https://x.com/TVietor08/status/2090442067566858581
Tags: #oddsandends#covidandpublichealth#iran#politics#autocracy