TBoneTX

This has news about 3 Latin American countries, but chiefly El Salvador. I utterly, absolutely urge you to watch the 8.5-minute answer from Bukele (El Salv. president) to a reporter about human rights. It has subtitles. Awesome! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The New Monroe Doctrine: The Plot Twists That No One Saw Coming Welcome to "The New Monroe Doctrine," where I give you an update on what's going on in the Western Hemisphere, south of our border, especially as it relates to the United States. Y'all seem to be enjoying Nayib Bukele lately, so let's talk more about El Salvador this week. Plus, I have some potential good news out of Venezuela that just dropped as I'm writing this, and I'll tell you what happened when Gustavo Petro came to town on Tuesday. [...] https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/02/06/the-new-monroe-doctrine-the-plot-twist-no-one-saw-coming-n4949213

After "Melania" documentary gets 8% from critics and 99% from audience, Rotten Tomatoes claims 'no manipulation' on reviews Reviews are in for first lady Melania Trump's self-titled documentary, showing a dramatic difference between its reception among critics and public audiences. [...] https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/after-melania-documentary-gets-8-from-critics-and-99-from-audience-rotten-tomatoes-claims-no-manipulation-on-reviews/ar-AA1VQoSg

Some reviewers didn't even watch the film. Has anyone here seen it? What did you think? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why Melania's hit documentary terrifies critics who desperately wanted her to fail The film "Melania," a documentary about first lady Melania Trump, made nearly $8 million on its opening weekend, making it the highest-grossing documentary in a decade. It's a huge win for the first lady and a crushing defeat for those rooting against her. The director of "Melania," Brett Ratner, has previously helmed Hollywood blockbusters such as "Rush Hour" and "X-Men: The Last Stand." The fact that Ratner is already an established brand in Hollywood is noteworthy. During the first Trump term, it would have been unlikely that a Hollywood director would take a chance on a documentary about Melania Trump. Ratner still took a risk making the film, because Hollywood is traditionally in lockstep on politics and quick to cut off anyone who steps outside the line. It's easier to make a film like this in 2026 than it was in 2017, but only marginally so. [...] https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/melanias-hit-documentary-terrifies-critics-desperately-wanted-fail

Too much Winning. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rents fall again as Trump's deportations rise The best government data will be delayed again, thanks to yet another shutdown caused by the Democratic Party. But the best private data show rents fell again in January, the sixth month in a row, leaving them 1.4% lower than a year ago, the first decline in decades. President Donald Trump's mass deportation policies are not the only reason for the decline, but they are a big contributing factor. The Census Bureau declined to put a number on the decline of the foreign-born population in 2025, but the net international migration numbers released last week note that "the foreign-born population in the [Current Population Survey] declined from 53.3 million in January 2025 to 51.9 million in June 2025, a decline of 1.4 million." Some communities bore the brunt of illegal immigration more than others, so the effect on rents from departing illegal immigrants will vary from place to place. It is noteworthy, however, that [...] https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4445430/rents-fall-again-trump-deportations-rise/

Major congratulations! What a great feeling and relief for both of you.

Thread title has been edited to define "today." Will nominate this thread for pinning -- not guaranteed, but I think worthy. Gracias, Edward!

Nor could I. This was the first day, and they're surely adding others as soon as they have the data. Surely some will, and word will spread. Not sure that anyone does, no ma'am. Medicare isn't free, either... Welcome to the Colonies, ma'am!

Thrilling Friday report, see man: No GS or ES attended today, man. Ex-Mrs.-T-B. texted to ask if we could keep Mini-B. overnight after skool, overly committed ex-she man man. We agreed to this, agreeable we man. Lunch was onebag of nuked mixed vegetables, ingest we man. We were up-cleaning little things, like activating credit cards, when Mama T-B. called, aysheep senior she man. The noosering-home and hospice people had caucused about her plan of care, caucus they man. They seek to meet her need of sitting in a wheelchair for a while several times weekly, si man. Mama T-B. aysheeped, "They're probably going to mess up my schedule and timing, si man," man. We said, "Wait and see, si man. Why worry about something that hasn't happened yet, huh man?", si man. Mama T-B. kept bemoaning and bewailing the "change" to her timing, man. She also wanted a visit between noon and 1, visit senior she man we man man. We appeared at Many (2x2x2) minutes till 1, punctual we man. Mama T-B. lectured us for "almost being late," man. She also asked us why we weren't working on her taxes, man. Mama T-B. was tense, trembling, and aysheep, champion worrier senior she man man. We were to reload her pills, a.m. & p.m. caddies man. We told her that we were going to fill in this week's so she had 2 full weeks' worth of pills, si man. She asked us Many (2+1) times what we were doing and agreed to it all Many (2+1) times, si man. Then, after we finished, she asked what we'd done and cried because it wasn't what she wanted, sigh man. Mama T-B. is starting to forget stuff, and she knows it, all the worse man. She's also going blind in one eye and couldn't see out of her glasses anyway, vision-changes man. There's no one to remove her earwax so she can hear better, no man. Losses of sight & hearing are major contributors to senility, sigh man. She can't even sit up in bed long enough for an earwax-flush, no man. We can think of nothing that we can to do to help, advice please man. After well over an hour, we proceeded on our errands, Many of them man. Mini-B. was at our casa waiting to be fed, de-skoolbused wee man man. We asked his patience, frazzled we man. We groceried at Costco Business Center and got more Subway gift cards, F$WM. We went to Dollar-Plus-Half-of-Half-a-Dollar Tree for our/Mini-B.'s needed items, si man. We groceried for Many (2+1) items for Uncle T-B., needy senior he man. We delivered said items to Uncle T-B. and retrieved another tax form, 10ManyMany-R man. Uncle T-B. said that he figured out how to use Adguard, miraculous man. He also didn't keep us longer than the 2 minutes we said we had, even miraculouser man. Fought skoolzones to reach casa and Mini-B., thoroughly out-wiped we man. Of course, miu demanded miu-treats and dry miu-food, demanding miu man. We then fridged/freezered/pantried purchases, beyond-exhaustion we man. Then ex-Mrs.-T-B. texted Mini-B. to see if we could din-din him and drop him at her casa, work-lating ex-she man man. We somehow didn't shoot ourself definitively and managed to comply, compliant we man. Din-din for Mini-B. was onecan of S+Ms, ingest we man. Din-din for us was a chicken tender and half-sandwich donated by Mama T-B., ingest we man. We then off-dropped Mini-B., bye wee man man. Returned to casa and siesta'd, zzz we man. We left phone in other room with door closed, visionary we man. Sure enough, phone rang twice and it was Mama T-B. both times, voicemail we man senior she man man. It was too late for us to call her back, we'll hear about this later man. No party with the rubias tonight, no cavort we man. We have itineraried 2 GSs and at least 1 ES for Saturday, itinerary we man. We expect to visit FST and Favorite Medium-Sized Town, expect we man. Consciously in back of mind will be needs from Mama T-B., what can we do man. And that was/is our thrilling Friday, report we man.

And we scratch off each item as we basket it, si man.

Thread is shifted from the K-1 Process forum to the K-1 Case Progress subforum.

Thread is shifted from the US Citizenship Case Progress subforum to the main US Citizenship forum.

Our celebratory song was, to the tune of La Cucaracha: Ciuda-da-NA Ameri-ca-NA! Ya puede esposo joder; Ciuda-da-NA, ciuda-da-NA, Americana siempre! Translation: Female American citizen! Able to nag husband. Female citizen, female citizen, American female always. Seriously, congratulations!

You're almost there! One often-overlooked piece of satisfaction is filling in that final block in your VJ timeline.

Congratulations to both of you! Every little step is a gain.

[Note to T-B.'s self: Jokes worked again... jokes worked again... ] Looking forward to a complete and happy report on Feb. 20 or soon after!