Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Wednesday reasserted its power to command media attention with a new eruption that spewed an ash cloud over 6 miles into the sky, Reuters reports just like the towering behemoth would have wanted if it possessed sentience and motive.

Even lacking deliberate agency, Lewotobi Laki-laki’s pattern of recent eruptive activity demonstrates a mastery of the attention economy that most human political and economic actors could only dream of: First make a big splash with a few deadly eruptions in November 2024 and in July 2025, step back from the spotlight for a bit, and then resurge into the headlines with a flashy display of a towering ash column. The sporadic pattern to the eruptions is key here – erupt all day, every day for months or years and you risk fading into the noise of the day-to-day news cycle in a vast country of 200+ million people and a turbulent political culture. Staying dormant has a similar effect since there are only so many “looming threat” pieces geologists can print before people get bored and tune out.

But doing it suddenly and randomly on-and-off AND with varying eruptive intensity? Inspired.

A 59 year-old Mississippi prison inmate convicted of the 1993 rape and murder of a 20 year-old community college student has a busy day ahead of him, filled with meetings with his lawyer, clergy, prison staff, and pigging out on the meal of his choice before getting strapped to a gurney to help test out if the state’s choice of lethal injection chemicals works, the Associated Press reports.

Lawyer Krissy Nobile says other death row inmates at Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman consider Charles Crawford to be a real condemned’s condemned, always helping them out with their mental health struggles and advocating for them to prison staff, so in a way Crawford’s Wednesday night trip to the chamber is just one more instance of him taking one for the team.

Crawford will be the third inmate nationally to take one for the team this week as on Tuesday Samuel Lee Smithers and Lance Shockley were put to death in Florida and Missouri, respectively.

This is far worse than anything said in a college group chat, and the guy who said it could become the AG of Virginia. I refuse to join the pearl clutching when powerful people call for political violence. pic.twitter.com/kV57Wq7BLG

— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 14, 2025

The Vice President of the United States took a bold morally relativistic stand on Tuesday, making clear his refusal to “join the pearl clutching” over Young Republicans leaders joking about sending people to gas chambers for not voting they way they wanted in chair elections and trying to refocus Americans on texts sent by Democratic Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones.

Massachusetts Dem Congressman Seth Moulton on Wednesday announced he’s challenging nearly 80 year-old Senator Ed Markey in next year’s primary, with the 46 year-old moderate Marine combat veteran arguing for generational change in the party which he says in a launch video was stuck in the “status quo” and “isn’t fighting hard enough” against MAGA the Associated Press reports.

“We’re in crisis, and with everything we learned last election, I just don’t believe Senator Markey should be running for another six-year term at 80 years old,” Moulton said. “Even more, I don’t think someone who’s been in Congress for half a century is the right person to meet this moment and win the future. The next generation will keep paying the cost if we don’t change course. This isn’t a fight we can put off for another six years. The future we all believe in is on the line,” he continued.

At least 58 Pakistani soldiers are dead after multiple skirmishes along the border between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban’s fighters have brought the two countries to the brink of war, CNN reports.

MAGA insurrectionist Zachary Alam, convicted in federal court last year on eight felonies and three misdemeanors for attacking cops during the January 6th, 2021 Capitol riot – but then pardoned and released just weeks into his eight year bid when convicted felon President Trump returned to power on January 20th of this year – is going back soon after a Virginia jury found him guilty of breaking-entering and grand larceny over a May 8th incident, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.

The dipshit broke into a Henrico County home on May 8th while the homeowner, Davon Smith, was in the shower. Smith heard someone “rifling” through the guest room. When Smith confronted him, Alam claimed he was with Xfinity sent to fix the wifi, then changed his story and said he was looking for his Airbnb rental. Doorbell camera footage captured Smith ejecting Alam from the house through the front door. Prosecutors said Alam had stolen electronics and jewelry during the break-in and, this detail is somewhat confusing, he returned to the home later to retrieve some of those items.

Alam faces up to 40 years in the joint when he’s sentenced, 20 max on each count. While that’s no joke and the crime was indeed “serious,” the scare quotes are there as that’s mostly in the legal, technical sense. It is not very serious compared to an actual violent crime or, to put it bluntly, there is no Laken Riley in this situation and that’s why Alam’s case flew mostly under the media’s radar.

We are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article published today. Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents. Those involved must immediately resign from… pic.twitter.com/SM12D8kMXb

— Young Republicans (@yrnational) October 14, 2025

Mormon former Utah state Supreme Court Justice Dallin H Oaks was chosen to succeed the recently embalmed Russell M Nelson to lead the Mormon Church on Tuesday, the AP reports to the surprise of however many who thought the Latter Day Saints might mix it up this time and pick a Catholic bishop or even a top Orthodox rabbi to take the helm for the church’s 17 million faithful.

The Mormon Church was founded in the 1820s and has produced important cultural touchstones like the hit TLC reality series Sister Wives, the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite, and Mitt Romney.

Live feed still running below but wow. Holy fuck. The president of the United States really said “I am better at turning than Charlie,” as in Trump narrowly dodged getting his diseased cranium exploding in front of the crowd just by getting distracted while Charlie Kirk did not avoid the bullet intended because he was sitting still. Not a lot from the fat bastard shocks anymore, but this one?

Fuck. That is on the same level as the kind of shitposts so many libs got fired for last month.

A Florida judge on Tuesday hit extremist Trump fanboy Congressman Cory Mills with a restraining order prohibiting him from approaching or having any contact whatsoever with Florida GOP delegate/Miss Florida USA Lindsey Langston after he threatened to leak her nudes and shoot any man she tried to date months after she had ended it, Drop Site’s Roger Sollenberger reports.

From the judge’s findings: “On August 5, 2025, within hours of the filing of the Petition the Respondent learned of the Petitioner’s attempt to seek an injunction for protection and evaded all of the Petitioner’s attempts to block him from electronically communicating with her. The Respondent used GF2’s telephone to call and text the Petitioner directly. The Respondent contacted the Petitioner’s family members. The Respondent caused GF2 to contact the Petitioner. The Respondent caused a public employee under his direct supervision to contact the Petitioner. The Respondent was not formally notified of the Petitioner’s attempt to seek an injunction until August 7, 2025, two (2) calendar days after the Petitioner filed her Petition. No legitimate purposes for the attempts to contact the Petitioner on August 5, 2025, were provided during the hearing. Based on the totality of the evidence the Court finds the purpose was to continue to harass and cause emotional distress to the Petitioner. Having considered the Respondent’s pattern of conduct, his reasoning for such conduct, his lack of reasoning for such conduct, and his direct and indirect communications on August 5, 2025, the Petitioner does have a reasonable cause to believe she is in imminent danger of becoming the victim of another act of dating violence without an injunction being entered.”

Emphasis added on the part about Mills having a congressional staffer apparently call Langston.

“I believe that China purposefully not buying our Soybeans, and causing difficulty for our Soybean Farmers, is an Economically Hostile Act. We are considering terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil, and other elements of Trade, as retribution. As an example, we can easily produce Cooking Oil ourselves, we don’t need to purchase it from China,” posted convicted felon President Trump on Tuesday and holy shit he’s going to destroy America’s fried food industry.

Sure is colorful, right? Politico reports they’ve obtained a Telegram chat between Young Republicans’ leaders named Pete Giunta, Bobby Walker, Anne KayKaty, Joe Maligno, Rachel Hope, Alex Dwyer. The “Everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber,” is the then-New York State chair Guinta’s warning to those who do not support his bid to become national chair of the 15,000-strong GOP group for MAGAs aged 18 to 40. “Since Politico began making inquiries, one member of the group chat is no longer employed at their job and another’s job offer was rescinded. Prominent New York Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik and state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, have denounced the chat. And festering resentments among Young Republicans have now turned into public recriminations, including allegations of character assassination and extortion,” Politico writes.

“Since the beginning of the 118th Congress, the Committee has conducted oversight of the operations of the Office of Special Counsel you led – specifically, your team’s partisan and politically motivated prosecutions of President Donald J Trump and his co-defendants. Among the disturbing tactics employed in that prosecution, your team sought to silence President Trump by restricting his public statements about the case, conducted an unnecessary and abusive raid of his residence, attempted to improperly pressure defense counsel with the promise of political patronage, and manipulated key evidence in the investigation. These actions undermined the integrity of the criminal justice system and violated the core responsibility of federal prosecutors to do justice. As the Committee continues its oversight, your testimony is necessary to understand the full extent to which the Biden-Harris Justice Department weaponized federal law enforcement” writes spandex-wearing grapple freak Jim Jordan in the intro to his subpoena of former special counsel Jack Smith.

Most of the rest of it is just bitching about how other guys on Smith’s team pleaded the fifth.

“For more than 30 years, Habitat for Humanity International and Wells Fargo have worked together to increase housing affordability and helping to build more prosperous communities around the world. Today, Wells Fargo is donating $4.6 million through the 2025 Wells Fargo Builds program to support new home construction, renovation and repair to benefit more than 200 families in more than 130 communities across the US,” says the very large American bank in a press release.

“Wells Fargo Builds, a collaboration between the Wells Fargo Foundation and Habitat, provides philanthropic financial support for the construction, renovation and repair of homes with low-to-moderate income households. Wells Fargo Foundation’s funding also helps Habitat build systems that advance housing equity for all people and address policies that have prevented access to safe and affordable housing. Since 2020, Habitat has recorded that more than 8,400 Wells Fargo employees have contributed 45,000 volunteer hours. Through their combined efforts, Habitat and Wells Fargo have been able to serve nearly 1,900 families and positively impact the lives of 6,000 individuals,” the beaming press release continued and damn. Really not sure what to add here.

Like they had to include those numbers of “positively impacted lives”? AND their charitable endeavor is to put roofs over the heads of the unfortunate? Not for nothing but it just miiiiiiight have been a little more prudent to donate to pediatric cancer patients or whatever other cause that’s far enough afield from their industry that no eyebrows get raised. That way nobody’s tempted do the math already assuming “Okay so Wells Fargo, through their partnership with Habitat for Humanity, helped house X number of families down on their luck which offsets Y fraction of a percent of families down on their luck unhoused by Wells Fargo’s regular course of day-to-day business practices.”

The solution’s probably about as red as their balance sheet was around this week 17 years ago.

“Just got back from the Middle East. What a point in time it was!!! The crowd for Charlie K’s Presidential Medal of Freedom presentation is so big and enthusiastic I moved it out to the new Rose Garden, where everyone can see the Presidential Wall of Fame and Palm Court renovation. Enter through Main South Entrance,” posted convicted felon President Trump on Tuesday.

“Attire: business or business casual. The cash bar will have spritzers and fresh mozzarella crostini sandwiches for sale if you missed lunch. Email playlist suggestions to scheung@whitehouse.gov and be sure to include the Spotify link to the song you want me to play,” Trump did not write but implied.

“Israel plans to halve aid into Gaza, accuses Hamas of violating ceasefire with slow release of dead hostages,” writes the AP’s Seung Min Kim in a tweet, copied verbatim to not butcher the impact and timing less than 12 hours after the Orange God Emperor returned to Washington from his UNPRECEDENTED HISTORIC VICTORY FOR PEACE IN OUR TIME and little side dealings too.

The “We’re saving the family unit” is a particularly nice touch from a guy who has a half-brother from his dad’s third wife – a year older than his niece – and his mom’s buried on a golf course.

“Please take notice that on October 20, 2025, James Comey, by counsel, will file his motion to dismiss challenging the lawfulness of the appointment of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Court advised at arraignment that such motion will require designation of and assignment to an out-of-district judge to hear and resolve that motion. Thus, in the interest of efficiency and to avoid any unnecessary delay in such process, Mr Comey files the instant Notice to formally alert the Court,” wrote former FBI Director James Comey’s lawyers in their latest move to undermine the already pretty fucking weak case by challenging the legality of former insurance lawyer Lindsey Halligan’s non-Senate-confirmed appointment to US Attorney for Eastern Virginia.

It’s not clear how quickly New York Attorney General Letitia James’s defense team will copy-and-paste from Comey’s notice and submit it to the court or if they’ll just use ChatGPT to spit that out.