Daniel Marans

@dmarans

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669 Followers

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I know it's been a while Farcasters, but the spirit has moved me to speak once again. Last weekend I saw the Georgian film "April." You could call it a film about abortion rights and what happens in countries that don't have them, but that would sell the movie short. It's about the human and natural life cycles, aging, body image, intimacy, morality and the conflict between individuals and society. The film has mystical themes and characters. And it is so powerfully and disturbingly shot and recorded. The camera pans but never goes back and forth between over-the-shoulder shots. The sound is enveloping.

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In New York, when it rains, it rains all day for days on end. I'm glad Farcon got some sun earlier in the weekend though. (I am just popping in here because I feel like it.)

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Once you see it, you can't unsee it. https://x.com/danielmarans/status/1909304492316582165

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Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota are uniquely vulnerable to cuts in federal Medicaid funding because they adopted the ACA’s Medicaid expansion via constitutional amendment, making it harder to undo their obligations to state residents. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/06/upshot/medicaid-cuts-republicans-states.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

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Interesting take on the second Netanyahu visit to D.C. from The Economist's Middle East correspondent.

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"Cosmic irony" but also tragedy.

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Impressive reporting /dropglobalnews https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/world/middleeast/gaza-israel-aid-workers-deaths-video.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

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Todd Tucker, a pro-tariff liberal, makes a nuanced case against Trump’s tariff spree. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-tariffs_n_67f02316e4b06ba13d224c46

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A sampling of the signage at the anti-Trump “Hands Off Democracy” rally turned march in Manhattan.

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I had a hunch that Argentina President Javier Milei's dramatic austerity project would make a dent in inflation. It's basic economics. But I thought he would achieve that through extreme short-term pain. Now he's made a dent in poverty? I wonder what accounts for that. (And no, I don't support his libertarianism writ large, but in a country that mired in inflation, you do probably need a stubborn SOB neoliberal in power briefly to right the ship.) h/t the great @leefang Counter-argument seems to be that the stats, including the consumer price index, are misleading and incomplete. https://apnews.com/article/argentina-economy-poverty-milei-austerity-inflation-061bbba174706475a255c6b871953009

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I have serious doubts about both the accuracy and relevance of these numbers showing AOC ahead of Schumer in a hypothetical Dem Senate primary. Data for Progress does interesting stuff, but they do have a progressive bias and the wording of polling is key. But even assuming this is an impartial, well-constructed poll, it's very, very early and even if this were the starting point there would be many avenues to tear her down in advertisements. That said, Schumer's decision not to hold up government funding did leave a mark. We'll see! https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/04/schumer-aoc-poll-primary-new-york-030621

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One thing is definitely true: Protectionism/mercantilism on trade has been Trump's biggest (only?) policy through-line from the time he began commenting on politics in the late 80s through today. It was always some version of, "Foreign countries treat us like suckers." Even in 2012, he thought Romney went to far to the right on immigration. https://x.com/paulisci/status/1907832391093379524

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What I appreciate about at least parts of this Times profile of a conservative black influencer who used to be progressive is that it -- at least at times -- doesn't condescendingly treat him as a product of brainwashing. https://x.com/Kellen_Browning/status/1907471058711752955

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What do people think of the new NYC subway map (the one at right)? It's a new take on a short-lived 70s-era map. LindyMan (commentator on X) said he thought the new design was more effective for use, but I like the colorful depictions of NYC geography in the map being phased out. It's easier on the eyes. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/nyregion/nyc-new-subway-map.html

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I'm late to this but I'll miss Val Kilmer who was great in Top Gun, Wonderland, and Heat among so many other movies. His facial expressions conveyed inner turmoil so well and he was great at playing lovable rogues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3rv0BdxWfM

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I enjoyed this Hollywood Reporter "oral history" of White Lotus Season 3. But I was shocked to learn it has a relatively small budget and doesn't pay actors that well for six months of filming. Why, I wonder? https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/white-lotus-finale-mike-white-interview-1236177751/

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I think the answer to Joe's question is that lots of people chafe at both kinds of pain -- disruption caused by tariffs and higher taxes -- provided their partisan lens allows for it. But maybe we would all be more open to sacrifice for long-term goals if we had a common sense of nationhood and trust in our leaders -- both very remote right now.

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Not sure I noticed before that Luigi chose a *green* sweater for his court appearance.

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"MC Hammer meets Peter Pan meets Pippin" was a great line, but did anyone else find the penultimate White Lotus episode to be a bit anticlimactic?

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