Russia replaces general in charge of Ukraine war in latest military shake-up
Russia appointed Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, as its overall commander for the war in Ukraine on Wednesday, in the latest of several major shake-ups of Moscow’s military leadership during the stumbling invasion of its neighbour.
In a statement, the defence ministry said that Gerasimov’s appointment constituted a “raising of the status of the leadership” of the military force in Ukraine and was implemented to “improve the quality … and effectiveness of the management of Russian forces.”
Sergei Surovikin, a notorious general nicknamed “General Armageddon” by the Russian media, who was appointed as overall commander of the army in October, would stay on as a deputy of Gerasimov, the defence ministry said.
While they may have momentum in the US House, anti-abortion groups continue to lose ground at the state level, with a special election in Virginia bringing the latest setback for their movement.
Last night, Democrat Aaron Rouse claimed victory in the race for a vacant seat in Virginia’s state Senate, which, if confirmed, would expand the party’s margins in the chamber. It would also mean Republican governor Glenn Youngkin would not have the votes he needs to pass a proposed ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which he unveiled last month.
Abortion rights have faired well at ballot boxes ever since the supreme court last year overturned Roe v Wade. In the November midterms, voters rejected new limits on abortion or expanded access in every state where it was on the ballot.
What does it mean when a radical understanding of National Socialism is inextricably embedded in the work of the twentieth century’s most important philosopher? Martin Heidegger’s sympathies for the conservative revolution and National Socialism have long been well known. As the rector of the University of Freiburg in the early 1930s, he worked hard to reshape the university in accordance with National Socialist policies. He also engaged in an all-out struggle to become the movement’s philosophical preceptor, “to lead the leader.” Yet for years, Heidegger’s defenders have tried to separate his political beliefs from his philosophical doctrines. They argued, in effect, that he was good at philosophy but bad at politics. But with the 2014 publication of Heidegger’s “Black Notebooks,” it has become clear that he embraced a far more radical vision of the conservative revolution than previously suspected. His dissatisfaction with National Socialism, it turns out, was mainly that it did not go far enough.
The notebooks show that far from being separated from Nazism, Heidegger’s philosophy was suffused with it. In Heidegger in Ruins: Between Philosophy and Ideology (Yale University Press, 2022), Richard Wolin explores what the notebooks mean for our understanding of arguably the most important philosopher of the twentieth century, and of his ideas–and why his legacy remains radically compromised.
The book was released yesterday. Two points: First, I question the status accorded to Heidegger in philosophy. Second, this is yet another work confirming many of the worst accusations about Heidegger; the more that’s publicly available (and accurately translated), the worse he’s revealed to have been.
New York state Republicans have now joined the Nassau County Republicans in calling for George Santos to resign, as has NY Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito. I believe I heard that the party is encouraging people in the district to direct their issues to D’Esposito.
Santos tweeted:
I was elected to serve the people of #NY03 not the party & politicians, I remain committed to doing that and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living.
I will NOT resign!
Were you, though? Were “you” elected?
Reginald Selkirksays
@5: …and regret to hear that local officials refuse to work with my office to deliver results to keep our community safe and lower the cost of living.
What does he think his local office is supposed to be doing? Usually local offices assist constituents with access to federal programs and coordinate with people who want nominations to service academies. They do not handle law enforcement and they do not set store prices.
Rep. Barbara Lee has told her fellow lawmakers she’s running for Senate in California, according to two sources familiar with the situation…
Lee’s decision to run comes a day after Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) also announced a bid for the seat currently held by Feinstein (D-Calif.). Feinstein’s future has been the subject of much speculation by Democrats in recent months, though she’s remained publicly noncommittal on her plans. It represents a safe Democratic seat for whoever can muscle through a likely crowded primary.
whheydtsays
10 Norway-donated bridges to be installed in liberated parts of Ukraine
by The Kyiv Independent news deskJanuary 11, 2023 8:56 pm
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Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure reported on Jan. 11 that Norway had sent 10 bridges worth over $3 million to Ukraine in December. The first trucks with this aid have already arrived.
The bridges will be installed as temporary constructions in the liberated parts of Ukraine to allow the movement of heavy vehicles with humanitarian aid and ambulances, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, Norway became the third country that provides roadway infrastructure aid to Ukraine. Previously, France and the Czech Republic have also donated temporary bridges.
The ministry also noted that in the near future, Ukraine is expecting bridges from Sweden and another batch from the Czech Republic.
Re: Reginald Selkirk @ #7…
I consider Barbara Lee rather past her “sell by” date for that job at 76. By the time she took office, she’d be 78 and at the end of a full term, 84.
Republicans in the House of Representatives will vote on a bill that would abolish the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), eliminate the national income tax, and replace it with a national consumption tax.
Fox News Digital has learned that the House will be voting on Georgia Republican Rep. Buddy Carter’s reintroduced Fair Tax Act that aims to reel in the IRS and remove the national income tax, as well as other taxes, and replace them with a single consumption tax…
Why are they dealing with this triviality before tackling the important work of investigating Hunter Biden’s laptop?
The Israeli opposition is calling for mass street protests against the new government’s plan to weaken the Supreme Court and other democratic institutions.
Why it matters: The plan, announced less than two weeks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government took office, has deepened political divisions and stoked fear among some that the heightened tensions could tear Israeli society apart.
Catch up quick: Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin last week presented the government’s plan for what he called “judicial reform.”
The plan, if implemented, will significantly limit the Supreme Court’s ability to review laws and strike them down.
The plan includes passing a law that would allow the governing coalition to override Supreme Court rulings by a simple majority of 61 votes in the 120-member Knesset.
It also seeks to end the Supreme Court’s ability to revoke administrative decisions by the government on the grounds of “reasonability,” significantly decreasing judicial oversight.
The plan envisions giving the government and the coalition in parliament absolute control over appointing judges.
Additionally, the plan includes changing the law so that ministers would be able to install political appointees as legal advisers in their ministries, something that is not under their authority today.
The impact: Experts say the implementation of the plan will eliminate the ability of the judicial branch to do the checks and balances against the executive and legislative branches, which are both controlled by the governing coalition.
The plan could also have consequences for the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli Supreme Court has been the only institution that Palestinians in the West Bank can go to defend their rights, mainly regarding land disputes with Israeli settlers. [Not that it’s been a fully reliable defender, either.]
Driving the news: Up to 10,000 people in Tel Aviv on Saturday rallied against the plan in the first demonstration organized by several popular movements. The organizers said they were surprised by the wide-ranging participation.
On Monday, all opposition parties announced they would join the protests and called on their supporters to participate in demonstrations planned for this Saturday in Tel Aviv and other cities.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the government’s plan is “a radical regime change” that will destroy Israel’s democracy. He also said he would fight against the planned reforms “in the streets.’
Calling the plan “a constitutional coup,” former Defense Minister Benny Gantz urged people to take to the streets. “It is time for the public to go out and rock the country. … If Netanyahu continues down this path, the responsibility for the civil war in Israeli society will be his,” Gantz said.
Netanyahu, who backed Levin’s plan, called Gantz’s remarks “incitement for insurrection.”
Between the lines: Levin’s plan was presented as Netanyahu stands trial for fraud, breach of trust and bribery. He denies any wrongdoing.
The Israeli opposition has warned that Netanyahu is pushing for the new plan as part of his effort to stop the trial.
State of play: On Monday, ultranationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered the police to crack down on protesters by using water cannons and arresting those who try to block roads.
A day later, Tzvika Fogel, a lawmaker from Ben-Gvir’s party, said Lapid and Gantz should be arrested for treason. Several ministers and lawmakers from his party backed him. Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir, however, distanced themselves from this remark, but they didn’t condemn it.
Separately on Tuesday, anti-government protesters were allegedly attacked in the city of Beer Sheva by a Netanyahu supporter. A member of Lapid’s party who criticized the government on the radio received a phone call from a right-wing activist who allegedly threatened to kill him.
What they’re saying: President Isaac Herzog issued a statement on Tuesday urging calm on “all sides.” Herzog said he was working on starting a dialogue that could lead to understandings around a possible judicial reform.
…
The legislation process is expected to start next week in the Knesset.
This is comment 243 in the previous chapter of this thread. Here is an excerpt:
[…] it doesn’t just abolish the IRS, though that’s the only thing spelled out in the text. It threatens Social Security and Medicare, which run on payroll taxes. […] ends the dedicated funding source for the programs in the future. When all the functions of government are coming from one pot of money and social insurance programs have to compete with defense for money, guess what gets sacrificed?
Polish President Duda is welcomed by the people in Lviv like a rockstar. Somebody in the Chancellory in Berlin should take note of. That reflex of some German politicians to not antagonize Russia has been long outdated and must be put on the trash heap of history. [video at the link]
Putin’s decision to appoint Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov as new overall commander of Ukraine op is significant. Is it a demotion for former joint commander Surovikin? Implicitly, yes, of course – even if being framed simply as a response to the increased ‘status’ of the op.
What did Surovikin do wrong? Nothing, really (in context – this is not about his morality…). Yes, there were all kinds of reversals, including the recent Makiivka strike, but there is a limit to what one new commander can do in 3 months. But Putin doesn’t necessarily understand this (remember: no military experience and a court full of sycophants) nor care.
For Gerasimov (who were were being assured was out of favour and about to be sacked… or who was Putin’s right hand man…) it is a kind of demotion, or at least the most poisoned of chalices. It’s now on him, and I suspect Putin has unrealistic expectations again.
It has been pretty clear that there will be spring offensives – that’s what the 150,000 mobiks not thrown into the fight are being held for. 150k fresh troops, however poor quality, will make a difference, but not, I suspect enough for Putin. […] In many ways, I don’t think Moscow’s strategy hinges anyway on battlefield victory – it’s more about politics. In other words, demonstrating to the West that Russia is in this for the long haul, and hoping that we will lose the will and unity to continue to support Kyiv. (I think Putin will be disappointed, but he *has* to believe this – it’s his only real shot at some kind of victory).
So what does this actually mean? (a) Confirmation, if we needed it, that there will be serious offensives coming, and that even Putin recognises that poor coordination has been an issue (though can even Gerasimov truly command Wagner + Kadyrovtsy?)
Gerasimov is hanging by a thread. I don’t think this is intended to create a pretext to sack him as the war is too important and Putin can sack who he wants. But he needs some kind of win or a career ends in ignominy. This may well suggest some kinds of escalation. Not the nuclear option, but more mobilisation or, arguably more militarily logical but politically dangerous, also deploying conscripts. They are better trained and equipped than most mobiks!
Putin doesn’t understand/care about his officer corps. If you keep appointing, rotating, burning your (relative) stars, setting unrealistic expectations, arbitrarily demoting them, that’s not going to win loyalty […] [Posted on Twitter by Mark Galeotti]
General Sergey Surovikin began Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as its commander of the “South” grouping (meaning, based in southern Russia), in charge of the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine. He led Russia’s efforts to capture Popasna, Severodonetsk, and Lysychansk back in June. Later, he was tasked with protecting Kherson city in southern Ukraine.
This was a time when Russia’s war effort incredibly lacked an overall commander: Each axis of attack (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donbas, and Kherson) was commanded by a different general, with little coordination with each other.
That all changed on Oct. 8, when Surovikin was named overall commander of the entire war effort. Russia’s war effort remained fragmented—he had no control over Rosgvardia (Putin’s private army), Wagner mercenaries, or Kadyrovite Chechen militias, but at least Russia’s army itself was finally under unified command.
The first thing he did upon the announcement was to vaguely declare that “tough decisions” would have to be made, the first major hint that Russia would be retreating from its positions in northern Kherson oblast. Ukraine had destroyed the two key bridges into the region and it wasn’t feasible to support military operations via barge. His second major accomplishment was the orderly withdrawal of the 20,000–40,000 troops in that area despite serious Ukrainian pressure. Russia’s loss of life and equipment was minimal, a stark contrast to the chaotic, panicked retreat just a few months prior from Kharkiv oblast in northeastern Ukraine, the one that gifted Ukraine hundreds of pieces of abandoned armor and artillery.
Surovikin then worked to lock in Russian gains across the entire contact line, digging an extensive network of defensive emplacements, multiple layers deep, signaling to Ukraine that any new counteroffensive would be (prohibitively?) costly. It worked. After Ukraine’s massive gains in Kharkiv and Kherson, the front lines stabilized. A wet autumn certainly helped, but it was now clear that Ukraine had picked the low-hanging fruit. Anything moving forward would require serious effort.
Surovikin had one last gambit up his sleeve: He commanded Russia’s costly effort to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, betting it would generate a brand new European refugee crisis, driving millions of Ukrainians toward the west. Putin expected these refugees, along with cutting off Europe from Russian gas, would plunge the continent into crisis, raise public discontent, and severely amp pressure both internationally, and internally in Ukraine, to negotiate a “peace” that would freeze the current lines until Russia could regroup, refit, and restart the conflict on its own terms.
In reality, none of that happened. It took some serious work, but Europe hasn’t had any trouble maintaining its energy stocks, to the point that gas prices have dropped below the levels when Russia cut off supplies in the summer. Thanks to large-scale international assistance and local ingenuity, Ukraine was able to quickly repair damage to its energy grid, giving Ukrainians little reason to leave their homeland. The attacks certainly didn’t break Ukraine’s fighting spirit—quite the opposite, in fact.
But there was one unintended consequence: Russia’s wanton brutality against civilian targets opened the floodgates for new weapons like advanced air defense systems, infantry fighting vehicles, and as of today, main battle tanks.
In other words, Russia wasted billions of dollars in dwindling missile stocks hitting nonmilitary targets, and left Ukraine stronger than before.
Perhaps it was that failure, or perhaps there’s Kremlin palace intrigue at play, but for whatever reason, Surovikin was demoted today. Russia’s top defense official Valery Gerasimov (equivalent to the chair of our Joint Chiefs of Staff) was put in charge of the war effort, with Surovikin named his deputy. This will put the Russian armed forces in direct conflict with his fierce critic Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenaries group.
In fact, they’re already taking shots at each other. Remember this video? [video at the link] These two Wagner mercenaries are talking about Gerasimov. The next day, Prigozhin recorded a video with these same two soldiers lauding them for their actions. His message of contempt to Russia’s Ministry of Defense was clear. And today, both the Russian army and Prigozhin are taking credit for capturing Soledar.
Soledar hasn’t even been captured.
In any case, Surovikin seemed a capable commander, stabilizing the fronts after massive Ukrainian advances and creating the conditions to stymie future Ukrainian gains. The missile attacks against civilian infrastructure were stupid and counterproductive, but I suspect that approach was made to satiate Putin’s blood lust, as it lacked military purpose. But it seems obvious, as well, that Putin wants to see progress. It’s embarrassing for him to say “Kherson is Russia” while Ukraine holds the important parts of the oblast (in particular, the regional capital). So off we go, with a new commander, and one that is in open conflict with one of the main armies in the field, those Wagner mercenaries.
What could go wrong?
Don’t ask me what is going on in Soledar. Both sides are making 100% mutually exclusive claims about the status of the fighting. The fog of war is thick, with both sides incentivized to lie or exaggerate the state of play.
But until we see Russian video of their soldiers on the grounds of the salt mine without bullets whizzing by, we can assume that at least part of that town is still contested.
And it’s never a bad time to reflect on how Mighty Russia has put everything it has left into trying to take a town with little strategic value and a pre-war population of 10,000. It’s beyond laughable, except that hundreds, if not thousands, are dying on those streets. […]
Assault weapons can no longer be sold in Illinois. The state immediately banned the sale of the military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines Tuesday evening, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature on a bill the House had passed just hours earlier.
With Illinois added to the list, there are now nine states in the USA that have taken this step.
The climate and tax bill President Biden signed in August to increase the use of green energy and electric cars while expanding domestic manufacturing appears to be yielding some results. A Korean solar company, Hanwha Qcells, announced on Wednesday that it would spend $2.5 billion to build a large manufacturing complex in Georgia.
[…] On Tuesday, the bill to create that new subcommittee — the so-called Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, passed by a vote of 221 to 211. All Democrats opposed.
Some, including Rachel on her show Monday night, have expressed concern about the subcommittee’s mandate, which starts with studying the executive branch’s power to “collect information on or otherwise investigate citizens of the United States, including ongoing criminal investigations.”
Enabling Congress to interfere with pending criminal matters is alarming, especially given that at least one potential member of the subcommittee is believed to be under investigation by Department of Justice. And while the DOJ can be expected to push back, any showdown between two coequal branches of government that begs for resolution by the third — a federal judiciary transformed in former President Donald Trump’s wake — is itself frightening.
But there’s another, more fundamental problem. This retributive project of the ultra-right seems to bear little resemblance to the committee it’s invoking as a model. For starters, the subcommittee, which House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan will lead, would have 15 members (including Jordan and Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee), no more than six of whom could be Democrats and all of whom have to be approved by McCarthy, the GOP’s speaker-by-a-squeaker.
Jordan has never been known for smoothing the waters; he even explained a near-brawl on the House floor last week as the sort of conflict the founders intended. By contrast, the Church Committee was almost evenly divided with six Democrats to five Republicans. And to the extent Church, a Democrat from Idaho, was criticized for partisan leanings, it was for catering too much to his committee’s Republicans in his quest for unanimity.
More significantly, the Church Committee used a wide lens to examine intelligence failures and lawlessness. It reviewed multiple agencies on a timeframe spanning multiple presidencies of both parties. And it did so, despite Church’s own dreams of higher office, without any personal or partisan fixations. That sounds worlds away from the “radical left” and “Biden Crime Family” blame-and-shame game Jordan and House Republicans have in mind.
Indeed, as Nadler reflected earlier this week, the new Jordan effort is “likely to be more similar to the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee of the mid-20th century.” Or as Rep. Jim McGovern said even more pointedly Tuesday, “I call it the McCarthy Committee, and I’m not talking about Kevin.”
[…] most glaring differences between the Church Committee and the GOP’s new subcommittee […]
With Germany resisting calls to “free the Leopards” (their European-standard main battle tank), a coalition of operator nations is lobbying for the necessary approval to gift them to Ukraine. Three days ago (was it really that recent?), Finland was the first to pledge Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine as part of any future international coalition. Poland seconded the motion a day later. Today, Poland flat-out pledged to send a company, 14 tanks, to Ukraine. [tweet and image at the link in comment 13] I picked that Tweet because that’s a sweet picture, one that would send shivers down the spine of any Russian opposite them in the battlefield.
To be clear, Poland can’t send those tanks without German approval, as it’s a standard clause in any weapons sale. Third-party sales have to always be approved by the original country, or a country could act as a third-party conduit for unsanctioned arms transfers. But along with Finland, Denmark has also joined this coalition of the willing. Spain offered earlier last year.
As I’ve written, don’t expect Germany to lead. But they’re happy to follow. So while they may be reticent to be the first to approve a modern main battle tank for the battlefield, they no longer have to go first, as the United Kingdom just announced they are sending some of their Challenger 2s to Ukraine. [tweet and image at the link]
From a practical standpoint, this is a terrible option. A main battle tank (MBT) has severe logistical costs, and it’s hard enough to support one tank. Now Ukraine is supposed to support a handful of Challengers? Making things worse, while NATO standard MBTs have smooth-bore cannons and standard ammunition, Challengers have a rifled barrel and specialized rounds. It’s the last thing Ukraine needs.
But as a political decision, this is masterful! Heck, get these challengers into Ukraine and park them in Lviv, who cares. What matters is the Leopards. Except …
[…] the U.K. might be considering buying back Challenger 1 tanks currently being phased out by Jordan. Jordan doesn’t just have 400 of them, but they are upgraded with NATO-standard cannons. […] Regardless, those Jordanian upgraded first-generation Challengers are an intriguing possibility.
Back to the Leopard 2, current operators:
300+ Turkey, Spain
200+ Germany, Poland
100+ Austria, Finland, Greece, Sweden
50+ Denmark, Norway, Portugal
Turkey and Greece won’t share theirs; they’re in their own simmering Cold War. Spain has already offered some and would likely donate, as well as Poland (which is phasing out their 250 or so), Finland, and Denmark. Germany’s army is in shambles out of neglect, so they may not have any to give beyond a symbolic dozen or so, but even that helps. If Ukraine can get several hundred from this group, they’ll be in much better shape for their spring offensive.
As an aside, Poland has hundreds of Soviet-era tanks still in their possession, being replaced by M1 Abrams and South Korean K2 tanks. Polish President Andrzej Duda said today that all of its equipment being phased out would be sent to Ukraine. The sooner that happens, the better.
Live sports (and the NFL, in particular) accounted for the majority of the top 100 broadcasts of 2022. 88th on the list, and 17th if you exclude the NFL, was Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address at U.S. Capitol, with 16 million viewers—the same number who watched the Beijing Winter Olympics opening ceremonies.
It was just this past weekend when Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was crying to reporters that Texas needs lots more money after spending billions upon billions of state taxpayer funds on political stunts vaguely disguised as supposed border enforcement initiatives.
But as Abbott complains about cash strains, he’s just also awarded a $224 million dollar contract for nearish-to-the-international-border (more on this later) wall construction. Hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts have already gone to contractors; this latest agreement is the largest one yet and goes to the company that not only has a history of shady dealings, but that built the notorious privately funded section of wall that’s been on the verge of collapse. [Well, that’s just brilliant.]
Fisher Sand & Gravel “drew national attention for constructing a private border fence in South Texas that was part of a fraudulent crowdfunding scheme called We Build the Wall,” Texas Observer reports. “The 3-mile steel fence that Fisher built prompted federal lawsuits and is reportedly at risk of collapsing into the Rio Grande.”
That privately funded wall wasn’t just a legal disaster for the likes of indicted-but-later-pardoned white nationalist creep Steve Bannon, it’s been an actual physical disaster. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune said in a 2020 that one engineer who reviewed reports on the thing “likened Fisher’s fence to a used Toyota Yaris.” Recall that the company’s president had called it “the ‘Lamborghini’ of border walls” on the Fox propaganda network, where he did lots of sucking up to the insurrectionist president. It was clear the company was rushing construction and cutting corners in order to build as much in time for his reelection campaign as possible because the wall has never actually been intended as some sort of immigration policy (which it’s clearly not), but rather a racist, political tool.
And a money-making venture for Fisher Sand & Gravel. Texas Observer reports the company will get nearly a quarter of a billion dollars to build just 9 miles of wall in Webb County, coming to $24 million per mile. “Contract records indicate that the planned wall segment will stretch south from the outskirts of Laredo through the small border towns of El Cenizo and El Bravo,” the report said. The tiny town of El Cenizo, I should mention, made national news in 2017 when it led the first lawsuit against Texas’ discriminatory “show me your papers” law.
Fisher Sand & Gravel has landed itself these lucrative contracts all thanks to corrupt dealings. The Army Corps of Engineers had initially rejected the company’s bid to be a federal contractor, pointing “to the company’s lack of experience building border walls,” 60 Minutes reported in 2020. But both the insurrectionist president and the state’s senator, Republican Kevin Cramer, highly favored company. When the former found out Fisher wasn’t picked, he “exploded into a tirade,” the report said.
Sources in fact said that Department of Homeland Security officials “explained to the president [Trump] that it was inappropriate for the president to influence the bidding process.” Hilarious, like that would ever stop him. Fisher Sand & Gravel got the $1.3 billion contract to build the wall that Mexico was supposed to pay for, reported at that time as the single largest agreement. Now it gets that distinction in Texas, too.
When it comes to what Fisher Sand & Gravel will build under contract with Texas, it won’t actually be at the international border, because that’s the federal government’s purview. So ongoing plans have involved state lands as well as trying to secure private lands from Texans. But reports say that process has dragged out, so not much building has actually been happening. “I believe we have about every landman available in South Texas working on this project,” Texas Facilities Commission Chair Steven Alvis said in the Texas Observer report. “If I could find some more, I’d do it.”
Great, great use of state resources here. Republicans like to push this racist trope about immigrants sucking up state resources, but it’s more than clear who the actual moochers are here.
Fisher Sand & Gravel, by the way, is under a settlement with the federal government and has to conduct regular inspections of its private wall disaster. “A $3 million bond also must be kept on the property for 15 years, or until it is transferred to the federal government, in case the structure falters,” Border Report said last year. Still, a pittance compared to the vast earnings it has made from these projects.
She banned ‘Latinx’ on government forms, because she cares so much about cultural sensitivity.
[…] it’s a problem for Arkansas, which just made the amateur mistake of electing Sanders governor. You’ll remember that a few years after Bill Clinton left Arkansas and went to the White House, Arkansas quit electing Democrats and put Mike Huckabee, Sanders’s father, in the governor’s mansion […]
Because she is a very serious politician, Sanders spent Tuesday, her first day in office, doing productive things like banning the word “Latinx” from all official Arkansas documents.
Sanders, who was sworn in as the first female governor of Arkansas on Tuesday, justified the ban of the word “Latinx” in government documents and name titles by citing a Pew Research poll that found only 3% of American Latinos and Hispanics used the term to describe themselves.
“Ethnically insensitive and pejorative language has no place in official government documents or government employee titles,” Sanders’ executive order states. “The government has a responsibility to respect its citizens and use ethnically appropriate language, particularly when referring to ethnic minorities.”
OK go fuck yourself.
There is a real debate among serious and kind people over the term “Latinx,” and it’s true that probably most of the Hispanic community has no interest in using it. Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego has some interesting thoughts about it.
But that’s not what this post is about, because that’s not why Sarah Huckabee Sanders really did this. Let us not fall into the trap of pretending that Sanders gives a fuck whether the term is “ethnically insensitive and pejorative” or whether she is giving appropriate respect to “ethnic minorities.” Raise your hand if Sanders, one of the country’smostprolificliars, is fooling you, so that we can smack the shit out of your ignorant hand.
She is doing this to be a hateful asshole toward transgender people. That’s it. “Latinx” is code for “woke” and “transgender” with these people. That’s why she did it. [I know … it doesn’t make sense, but when did über rightwing politics make sense?]
Sanders also spent part of her first day being a hateful asshole toward Black people under the guise of protecting minorities from “discrimination.” How? By banning Critical Race Theory. In other words, more anti-“woke” trolling and still no governing.
Sanders’ order says the Secretary of the Department of Education shall review rules, policies and regulations to identify anything that may promote teaching that would, “indoctrinate students with ideologies, such as CRT, that conflict with the principle of equal protection under the law or encourage students to discriminate against someone based on the individual’s color, creed, race, ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, familial status, disability, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.”
[…] an Ohio school shut down Dr. Seuss’s The Sneetches when a third grader noticed it was against racism. But Sarah Huckabee Sanders will protect students from race-based discrimination by Making Education White Supremacist Again, preventing little white children like her own perfect angels from ever learning that maybe a handful of times in American history — definitely for only the first several hundred years and counting — white Christian people have been absolute fucking garbage toward everybody who wasn’t white and created a country that’s designed to work for them, at the expense of everyone else.
She signed this in Little Rock, presumably, mere blocks from Little Rock Central High. Yeah, as in 1957 “Little Rock Nine” Central High.
Welcome to hell, everybody in Arkansas who isn’t a white fascist. That ignorant country bumpkin piece of shit up there thinks Jesus picked her to make your life miserable. […]
The Girl Guides of Canada has renamed the “Brownies” branch – who are now called the “Embers” – after the old name was deemed too racially divisive…
The group said in November that the old name had caused “harm” to some minority members, and kept girls from joining.
Satellite imagery shows magnitude of destruction in Soledar.
New images published by U.S. satellite imagery company Maxar shows Soledar, Donestk Oblast after Jan. 10, 2023, revealing apartment buildings that have been completely destroyed.
Photos: Maxar Technologies
The salt-mining town of Soledar is “almost completely destroyed,” but the fighting with Russian troops continues, and the eastern front line is “holding,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 11.
Y’all do realize that by labelling this thread “Red” we’re all gonna get hauled before Rep. Jim Jordan’s new HUAC committee concerning the Weaponization of the Federal Government, don’t you?
“Are you now, or have you ever been, a godless scientist?”
“Name all godless scientists known to you. Right now, you godless commie pinko TRAITOR! Or I’ll blacklist you, and you’ll never work in Hollywood again!” (“Excuse me, sir, I know all too many of them so that sounds like a reward…” “Shut up and name names, you weasel!”)
Have you any shred of decency, sir? (On all available evidence, I’d say not.) The irony of the new meaning of “better dead than Red [State]” appears to have escaped notice by the chattering classes… and too many of my fellow military officers (current and past).
John Moralessays
birgerjohanssonsays
Next, Jim Jordan will grill Santa Claus, that red creep who gives things away.
birgerjohanssonsays
A very privileged person, but it is fascinating to get a look inside a dysfunctional obsolete institution.
Also, he seems sympathic, with his comittment for veterans. https://youtu.be/E610ObY2XVM or https://youtu.be/E6l0ObY2XVM
Pell didn’t come home. Didn’t sue Tim MInchin. Didn’t tell the truth. Never faced the victims. Died a coward and hypocrite and scum. Sheltered by his enablers and fellow child abuse, child rape coverer-uppers – the Vatican. World’s most disgraced religion / Overgrown cult. The world’s most notorius and yet to be taken down child sex trafficking gang. Time they were raided and arrested. All of them that committed and covered up and were accomplices and enablers and, oh yeah, child rapists.
Times i wish there was hell..
StevoRsays
Almost.
More songs & music videoclips I love & hope others will too.
Here’s a link to today’s Guardian (support them if you can!) Ukraine liveblog. From there:
The latest intelligence update from the UK Ministry of Defence said over the last two days heavy fighting has continued around the town of Soledar, Donetsk oblast, and on the approaches to Kremina, Luhansk oblast.
The Ukrainian military has claimed its forces killed more than 100 Russian soldiers in a single strike in Soledar. Ukrainian forces reportedly launched a missile at Russian troops, the command of Ukraine’s special operations forces said in an update early this morning.
Ukrainian forces are “holding on” as “fierce fighting” continues in the eastern city of Soledar, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar has said.
Kyiv has denied that Moscow’s forces have encircled and captured Soledar, after claims by the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, that the city had fallen.
Russia is building up its forces in Ukraine, with the number of Russian military units rising to 280 from 250 a week earlier, Maliar told a news briefing this morning.
She said:
Fighting is fierce in the Soledar direction. They [the Russians] are moving over their own corpses.
She added:
Russia is driving its own people to the slaughter by the thousands, but we are holding on.
The Russian capture of Soledar and the city’s saltmines would have symbolic, military and commercial value for Moscow. But the situation in and around Soledar appears fluid and neither side’s claim can be independently verified.
The military situation in Ukraine remained “difficult”, with the heaviest fighting on the eastern front, Brig Gen Oleksiy Gromov told the briefing.
Russian forces were trying to cut through Ukrainian lines and surround Ukrainian troops, he said.
A Russian-installed official in Ukraine’s Donetsk region has said “pockets of resistance” remain in the eastern city of Soledar.
Andrei Bayevsky, a military figure and Russian-installed local politician, said:
At the moment, there are still some small pockets of resistance in Soledar.
He added:
Our guys continue to push the enemy in these places. In general, the operation has been going well, and already the western outskirts of Soledar are completely under our control.
[The western outskirts…of Soledar.]
Bayevsky’s comments today undermine claims made yesterday by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private military group, that the city had been taken by Russian forces.
An update from last night at the DKos report linked @ Lynna’s #13 links to this WarTranslated piece about the battles around Bakhmut. Kos notes: “Interesting interview with a Ukrainian sergeant withdrawn from the Soledar fight because of frostbite. Even with a healthy dose of skepticism (propaganda is a thing), there are some interesting nuggets.”
People in China have been warned against travelling to visit their elderly relatives during the lunar new year holiday, as Covid spreads rapidly through cities and into regional and poorer areas.
Prof Guo Jianwen, a member of the state council’s pandemic prevention team, urged people “don’t go home to visit them” if elderly relatives had not yet been infected….
More than 70 progressive US and Brazilian lawmakers have condemned the collaboration between the Bolsonaro family and Trumpists in the US aimed at overturning elections in both countries, and called for those involved to be held to account.
“As lawmakers in Brazil and the United States, we stand united against the efforts by authoritarian, anti-democratic far right actors to overturn legitimate election results and overthrow our democracies,” said the joint statement, led by Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
…
“Democracies rely on the peaceful transfer of power,” the lawmakers’ statement said. “Just as far-right extremists are coordinating their efforts to undermine democracy, we must stand united in our efforts to protect it.”
Naomi Osaka has provided context for her absence from this year’s Australian Open, posting a photo and text to Twitter announcing that she is pregnant with her first child.
The 25-year-old tennis star and four-time grand slam champion posted a picture of a sonogram of a baby dated last month along with the message: “Can’t wait to get back on the court but here’s a little life update for 2023.”
She also included screenshots of a statement in both English and Japanese in which she wrote: “These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to.
“I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future; one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch some of my matches and tell someone, ‘That’s my mom.’”
Osaka officially withdrew from the Australian Open, which she has won twice, on Sunday, prompting questions and speculation over her absence. She added that she expected to return to Melbourne Park to take part in next year’s tournament….
So if President Biden was solely responsible for the inflation spike last year, does this mean that he is solely responsible for bringing it back under control? Will Fox News devote as much programme time to low inflation as they did to high inflation? Will the GOP admit that the US economy has grown faster during the last two years than at any time during the Trump administration? Will giant winged porcupines fly backwards out of my arse?
A Detroit-area city on Tuesday voted to approve allowing residents to sacrifice animals at home for religious purposes.
The Hamtramck City Council, whose members are all Muslims, approved the practice, 3-2, Tuesday…
Hamtramck residents will be required to notify the city, pay a fee and make their property available for inspection.
Hamtramck has a population 28,000. More than half of the residents are of Yemeni or Bangladeshi descent, the Free Press said.
After several months of contentious debate and pressure from Muslim residents, Hamtramck City Council voted Tuesday night to allow the religious sacrifice of animals on residential property.
Muslims often slaughter animals during the holiday of Eid al-Adha and Hamtramck has one of the highest percentage of Muslim residents among cities in the U.S.
The all-Muslim city council voted 3-2, with Mayor Amer Ghalib casting an additional vote in favor making it 4-2, to amend a city ordinance to allow religious sacrifice of animals at home. After the vote to approve, applause broke out from members of the public, who packed the meeting to speak out before the vote.
[…]
The passing of the amendment is an example of the growing political and cultural clout of the city’s Muslim population, most with roots in Yemen or Bangladesh. At Tuesday’s meeting, some also expressed objections to the flying of a LGBTQ Prideflag on city property along Jos. Campau Avenue, saying it clashes with their faith. Some residents have accused the city of trying to undermine their religion with the flag and by trying to restrict animal sacrifices.
[…]
Councilman Nayeem Choudhury said this is an issue of religious freedom.
“Our rights come first,” he said. I was “born … Muslim, and that’s my faith, and I will stick with my same faith.”
As of Thursday morning, it’s difficult to say who actually controls the town of Soledar. Russia’s massive assault on that location has certainly gained them ground, though numerous videos of different groups of Russian soldiers being taken out by artillery, or drones, or a heavy machine gun emplacement certainly show that the cost of Russia’s advance has been extremely high.
As of this moment, videos just released by Ukrainian sources show Ukrainian soldiers reportedly in a portion of Soledar talking about how they were continuing to hold that position. On the other hand, the moneyman behind Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced yesterday that Soledar had been completely captured. He was then contradicted by the Russian ministry of defense.
Right now, any attempt to determine the situation in Soledar means sorting through an astounding flood of propaganda. Prigozhin may have only declared the town captured yesterday, but plenty of Russian sources, military bloggers, bots, and enthusiastic tankies got there ahead of him, declaring that Soledar had been taken now, or now, or absolutely now. Of course, with devastating loses by Ukraine. The sheer number of such reports is overwhelming, and it’s hard to read page after page on Telegram or Twitter declaring that the town has fallen—statements often repeated in the news media—without coming to the conclusion that Russia has somehow made some huge achievement. In fact, there are plenty of accounts ready to testify that the capture of Soledar is far more important than Ukraine’s counteroffensive in Kharkiv. Because come on, what’s the liberation of 12,000 square kilometers, hundreds of localities, and cities like Izyum, Borova, and Lyman next to moving the line 2 km at Soledar?
But that’s not even the most bizarre claim Russian sources are making this morning.
Thursday morning in Soledar. The soldier in this video insists that Ukrainian troops hold the town and that Russians have not captured Soledar. [tweet and video at the link]
The best of the worst of Russian propaganda on Thursday has to be the claim that citizens of Kharkiv—a city that had been battered by Russian missiles and artillery daily since the beginning of the invasion—were so thrilled to get the news about Russia’s capture of Soledar that they decided to celebrate Russia’s achievement with a fireworks display. This claim is repeated over and over on both Twitter and Telegram across hundreds of accounts and channels.
As twisted as that idea may be, it’s not as dark as the claims circulating on pro-Russian sites that 100, or 300, or 400, or maybe 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers were “trapped” in Soledar and decided to commit suicide. Yes, that’s also a thing the tankies are claiming this morning.
Because it’s been so long since Russia had anything that even looked like a marginal victory, pro-Russian sources are trying to turn Soledar into “proof” of every claim out of the Kremlin. Soledar has already been turned into a banner they can wave to show that everything is going according to plan. Those feints at Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson? Bah. Only now is Russia seriously beginning to fight.
There’s a good reason for this propaganda flood: If Russia captures Soledar, it would be their first significant advance since July. If.
There’s no doubt that Ukraine is also attempting to paint the situation favorably. However, their motivations for exaggerating the ability of Ukrainian forces to withstand a large assault are certainly mixed. Would the loss of Soledar and increasing threat to Bakhmut make it more likely or less likely that modern main battle tanks roll into Ukraine in the next few weeks? Good question. Ukraine is not denying Russian gains in the area—Russia’s overrunning of the smaller Bakmutske was likely the most significant threat in the area for some months, as it displaced Ukraine from well-established defensive lines—and where Ukrainian forces can establish a position secure against what even Russians are calling “zerg assaults” isn’t clear. The answer may be “not in Soledar.”
By looking at the surrounding buildings, it would appear that video that appeared this morning showing Ukrainian forces still in the town was shot in the western part of Soledar. Each of the little explosion markers on today’s map doesn’t reflect shelling by Russian forces, but locations in which the Ukrainian army reported on Thursday morning that a Russian ground assault had been repelled. [map at the link]
Note that for Soledar, the UA report says nothing more than “Soledar,” so the position of that marker was pulled from my own … let’s say hat. In any case, I think it’s safe to say this morning that Ukraine still controls a portion of Soledar, that fighting in the town continues, and that losses have been significant on both sides.
One thing that Ukraine is emphasizing this morning is that they still hold control over the highways leading into both Bakhmut and Soledar. This would seem to indicate that any Russian penetration to the west has not crossed the rail line running north-south into Bakhmut and Russia is not currently threatening access along the T0513 highway. [video at the link: "The main roads connecting Bakhmut and Soledar with Sloviansk and Kostyantynivka are under the full control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The enemy tried to break through to the road, but all attempts failed with devastating consequences for the enemy. Filmed at Bakhmut."]
To the south of Bakhmut, there has also been a flood of claims on Thursday stating that Wagner has taken the suburb of Optyne. However, as best I can determine, lines in that area haven’t actually moved. The Ukrainian military denies that Optyne has been captured by Russian forces.
What’s happening in Soledar at the moment is also unclear. Russia appears to be continuing to attempt movement, but Ukrainian videos don’t indicate Russia is engaging in anything that looks like a combined arms assault. Instead … zerg. [Tweet and video at the link: “[…] Wagners (just infantry, no armored vehicles to protect them are visible) trying to advance.]
The scene of that video actually appears to be a wooded area east of downtown Soledar. (On the map, it’s near where the “dot” for Soledar is located.) If this was actually shot on Thursday, then Russian forces are still having difficulty capturing the central portion of the town. However, as with everything else, it’s hard to be sure when this video was actually shot. The snow on the ground is accurate to conditions in Soledar over the last two days.
Time to sum up. Has Russia captured all of Soledar? No. Will it be important if it does? Possibly. That depends on whether Ukraine is able to establish new positions that safeguard the highways leading to Bakhmut. Even if Russia is able to reach the T0513 highway, Ukraine will still be able to supply Bakhmut from the northwest along the M03, but it would represent a loss of flexibility and could be a threat to other locations north of Bakhmut.
@SC (Salty Current) and others: Why aren’t there a lot of people shouting for professional liar Santos to show his original birth certificate?? His statement should have read ‘I was elected by the people based on my fraud’
And, while I have great respect for the ethics and morality of many of my Jewish friends, the Netanyahooo Israeli theocracy just made it illegal to fly the Palestinian flag. WTF.
Katie Porter has picked up her first high-profile endorsement: Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts threw her backing behind the congresswoman this morning. It’s notable in part because Warren’s current colleague, incumbent Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, has not officially announced her 2024 plans.
“Donald Trump is lashing out at special counsel Jack Smith in increasingly hysterical ways. These are not the actions of someone expecting exoneration.”
“The Special ‘Prosecutor’ assigned to the ‘get Trump case,’ Jack Smith(?), is a Trump Hating THUG whose wife is a serial and open Trump Hater, whose friends & other family members are even worse, and as a prosecutor in Europe, according to Ric Grenell, put a high government official in prison because he was a Trump positive person. Smith is known as ‘an unfair Savage,’” & is best friends with the craziest Trump haters….”
Commentary:
[…] For good measure, Trump published a follow-up item, saying Smith “may very well turn out to be a criminal.” Trump added, “His conflicts, unfairness, and mental state of derangement make him totally unfit for the job of ‘getting Trump.’”
There’s a lot to unpack here, including the question mark after Smith’s name — suggesting that Trump isn’t sure that Jack Smith is actually Jack Smith. I was also struck by the suggestion that Smith prosecuted “a high government official” because “he was a Trump positive person” — an apparent reference to a suspected war criminal in Kosovo.
As why Trump thinks the special counsel might himself be “a criminal,” I’m sure the former president will come up with something eventually.
The point, of course, goes well beyond Trump’s incoherent rant and the degree to which they’re detached from reality. Rather, what matters most is the former president’s apparent panic: He appears desperate to discredit a highly respected career prosecutor, and he apparently believes frantic online tantrums will do the trick. […]
@20 Reginald Selkirk Second batch of classified Biden documents found
My org. does not support the insanity of the Repugnantcants. But, we cannot support the Crpaitallist Corporate Dems either. And, it was obvious that biden is a braindead cardboard cutout of a corp. shill. His (and his staff’s) incompetence has given the repugnantcant aholes an excuse (not accurate, but an excuse anyway) for their ‘both-sides-ism’ of the classified documents issue. The waters in this shithole country are too muddy for any honesty to prevail.
[…] The White House counsel’s office added additional clarity this morning, explaining that “a small number” of Obama-era records with classified markings were found at Biden’s residence in Delaware. They were then immediately turned over to the Justice Department.
At this point, it’s worth pausing to acknowledge the difference between legitimate questions and blisteringly dumb questions. Asking about the timing of the disclosures seems entirely fair. Asking how the materials were handled and how they arrived at these locations in the first place is hardly unreasonable.
Asking why the FBI hasn’t conducted a raid on the incumbent president’s properties — a question posed by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, among many other GOP voices — is not a smart question.
Not to put too fine a point on this, but the basic contours of the story haven’t changed. Biden’s team found some materials, then they returned the materials. By all accounts, the National Archives didn’t even know these documents were missing, and NARA officials hadn’t asked for their return.
[…] the Biden and Trump stories are wildly different in every way that matters. Trump took hundreds of classified materials to his glorified country club. He ignored requests to return them. He failed to comply with a federal subpoena. He lied repeatedly. He returned some documents, but held on to others, all while refusing to cooperate in good faith. He even proposed a possible trade in which he’d consider giving the documents back, but only if officials gave him something else in return.
According to a Justice Department court filing, there’s even evidence that classified documents held at Mar-a-Lago were “likely concealed and removed” before the FBI search to retrieve them.
Based on everything we know, none of this applies to Biden. That remains the bottom line, and it hasn’t budged.
[…] the Committee on Education and Labor has been renamed the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
[…] And why, pray tell, are GOP lawmakers so reluctant to include the word “labor” in the panel’s name? As it turns out, the new Republican leadership of the committee, under the control of Chairwoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, issued a written statement this week explaining the rationale behind the change:
“Labor” is an antiquated term that excludes individuals who contribute to the American workforce but aren’t classified as conventional employees. “Labor” also carries a negative connotation that ignores the dignity of work; the term is something out of a Marxist textbook that fails to capture the accomplishments of the full spectrum of the American workforce. The Left prefers the term labor because it creates a sense of enmity between employees and employers which union bosses and left-wing activists seek to stoke for political gain. … Though the Left likes to treat employers like predators, we know that most job creators have their employees’ best interests in mind.
Just so we’re clear, this is not intended as satire. I didn’t make this up to make congressional Republicans appear foolish. They released this statement to the public, and published it online, deliberately. […]
@ 52 Lynna, OM, you are right. The stories are not the same. However, the main slime media will not provide the whole stories to compare. And, few people will bother to learn that. Too many people will see the misleading headlines and say, ‘See , both sides do it.’ However, what I said about biden and his staff’s incompetence has given the repugnantcant aholes an excuse (not accurate, but an excuse anyway) for their ‘both-sides-ism’ of the classified documents issue. The waters in this shithole country are too muddy for any honesty to prevail.
[…] While sifting through the morning reports from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense listing those areas assaulted by Russia on Thursday morning, there is one that stands out. In fact, there are two big names making their first appearance. See if you can catch it:
In the direction of Lyman, the Russian army shelled Terny in Kharkiv Oblast, along with Makiivka, Ploshchanka, Nevske, Chervonopopivka, Kreminna, Kuzmyne and Dibrova in Luhansk Oblast.
Not to ruin the surprise, but one of the names in there is Kreminna. It also shows up on the list of areas where Ukraine claims to have repelled a Russian attack overnight. This follows reports on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces were advancing on Kreminna from the southwest. While some of those reports place Ukrainian forces “near” the western outskirts of the city, others indicate that the Ukrainian military has already entered areas of Kreminna.
The official statements from the Ukrainian military don’t really confirm this either way since they are always carefully worded as “in the direction of” or “in the area of.” However, the fact that the list includes Kuzmyne and Dibrova as well as Kreminna is a good indicator that the Ukrainian forces they’re talking about are not those at surrounding villages. There are numerous videos that reportedly show Ukrainian forces reportedly advancing on Kreminna; however, those videos are fairly strewn with bodies.
There have also been several versions of this video spread around. I’m using this one because it leaves off the ending in which both men in the video are shot with a burst of machine gun fire. [Tweet and video available at the link in comment 47. “SHOCKING Outside #Kreminna Two Russian soldiers pretending to be Ukrainian. I have edited the video to remove the ending. Essentially it didn’t end well for the Russians.”]
Pro-Russian sources are claiming that this shows Ukrainian forces in the woods south of Kreminna being overrun by Russian forces. However, Ukrainian sources are claiming that these men are Russians who have adopted Ukrainian uniforms. There are other reports that Russians in the area have adopted blue or yellow armbands to increase confusion—already high because of the low visibility among the trees. What’s the truth? I do not know.
In any case, Ukraine is apparently in or very near Kreminna with multiple reports of advancement. This is the first day that Kreminna has appeared in the “shelled” or “repulsed attack” lists—that’s significant.
But I promised you there were two names in that list that were significant, and the answer is right back at the very front of the list: Terny in Kharkiv Oblast. That’s because Terny is at the extreme northeast corner of Kharkiv Oblast. If Ukraine has forces there, it would represent an advance of some 15 km from their last known positions north of Kupyansk. So is this real, or does it represent some confusion on the part of Ukrainian military (or Russian artillery)? Stay turned. We’ll try to find out.
[…] I, I, I. What does “I” or “me” even mean, coming from George Santos? If everything voters know about a candidate other than his party affiliation is a lie, were they really voting for him? In a dark red district the party affiliation is probably all that matters, but in swingy NY-03, not so much. Voters elected a guy descended from Holocaust survivors, with a degree from Baruch College, a career in the finance industry, a pet rescue charity, and a significant real estate portfolio. They got a guy not descended from Holocaust survivors, with no college degree, recent employment at a Ponzi scheme, no pet rescue charity, and not only no real estate portfolio but a record of evictions. Can Santos in any meaningful way claim voters elected him, the person he actually is?
Then again, saying “voters elected me” on questionable grounds is far from the most blatant lie he’s told, so of course he’s not self-conscious about making the claim.
In fact, what we know about Santos’ lies continues, unbelievably, to grow. At the time of the original New York Times report on his essentially fake identity, it didn’t seem like there could possibly be much left to uncover. And yet every couple of days there’s a new revelation. That Santos didn’t actually attend Baruch College, as he claimed, is old news. That he told the chair of the Nassau County GOP that he was a volleyball star at Baruch is new. Not just a star—one who led the team to a “league championship.” At the school he was lying about having attended.
During Santos’ time in Brazil more than a decade ago, the most significant lie we know of that Santos told was the criminal one, in which he fraudulently used checks belonging to a deceased former patient of his mother’s. That wasn’t a victimless crime. Mother Jones reports that a store clerk who accepted Santos’ fraudulent checks had to pay back more than $1,300 to cover what Santos stole. But Santos’ lies in Brazil are still coming to light, with a television show now reporting that Santos used multiple different names and nationalities on dating apps in the country. While Santos can legitimately claim two nationalities—Brazilian and U.S.—there’s no credible evidence that he’s Russian, which he also claimed.
Voters have a reasonable expectation that biographical information from a major party nominee for Congress is more reliable than biographical information from some rando on a dating site, but this highlights that Santos didn’t just start lying to get elected to Congress. He’s a longtime prolific liar who doesn’t just lie for fun. He lies to get things from people. But getting elected to Congress was probably the biggest thing he’s gotten from his lies—and there’s no doubt that it was his lies that made him look like a serious candidate.
But despite all this, Santos will maintain the support of House Republican leadership because they need him too much to do the right thing. On Wednesday, McCarthy chimed in with a “but the voters” message similar to Santos’ tweet, telling reporters, “He has to answer to the voters”—something that conveniently won’t happen for nearly two years—and “it’s the voters who made that decision he has to answer to the voters, and the voters get to make another decision in two years.” And Kevin McCarthy is not worrying about two years from now. He’s trying to survive day to day with a narrow Republican majority and substantial internal opposition.
Santos is under criminal investigation by federal and local prosecutors, so we may yet get to see whether McCarthy will stick by him through criminal charges in this country in addition to the ones outstanding in Brazil. And honestly, I wouldn’t bet against it.
“According to a Justice Department court filing, there’s even evidence that classified documents held at Mar-a-Lago were “likely concealed and removed” before the FBI search to retrieve them.
Based on everything we know, none of this applies to Biden. That remains the bottom line, and it hasn’t budged.”
Well, if your opponents are fascists who seek to establish a kleptocrat theocracy backed by Russia and transnational crime syndicates, then just maybe you should be extra careful to not give them any kind of ammunition that makes it easy for them to run a “but her emails” kind of campaign against you, so that traitor Garland can now be instrumentalised to investigate you. Just saying.
According to Bloomberg, Twitter employees were told to leave the company’s 22,000-square-foot office at the CapitaGreen building in Singapore, which had served as its Asia-Pacific headquarters since 2015, on Wednesday before 5 p.m. The Platformer newsletter reported that Twitter workers were walked out by the building’s landlords because the company had not paid rent, a practice Musk has been also been employing in leased offices in San Francisco and Seattle. Insider reported that Musk paid the overdue rent late Wednesday Pacific Time and that employees were told to return to the office.
The FDA finalized a rule last week allowing more pharmacies to dispense mifepristone, one of the two pills used in medication abortions, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis saw a chance to posture and bluster ahead of the 2024 Republican presidential primaries. The DeSantis administration sent an “all provider alert” on Wednesday, threatening medical providers with criminal charges if they use the expanded access provided by the FDA in violation of either of two Florida anti-abortion laws.
State law does not trump the FDA, legally. But many states have restricted medication abortion beyond FDA recommendations, and this hasn’t gone through the courts and, well, we know about this Supreme Court. Either way, DeSantis is going for pure intimidation factor here. Florida medical providers are intended to think, “Shoot, this guy is arresting people for voting, so what’s he going to do to me if I dispense abortion medication in a way he doesn’t like?” […]
Audley Z Darkheartsays
Holy hell, the Infinte Thread still exists?!
Oggie: Mathomsays
Yes.
I rediscovered it about two months ago.
Weird, isn’t it? Some of the old crowd, some of the new crowd. Like magnets. You can’t explain that.
Audley Z Darkheartsays
Incredible.
Oggie: Mathomsays
I think it was hiatusized for a few years. Not sure. I kinda fell out of touch after the broken back. And then the broken neck. And then becoming a grandfather. And retiring.
An American Navy veteran who has been detained in Russia for nearly a year was released from Russian custody on Thursday, his family’s spokesperson told CNN, after months of negotiations spearheaded by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.
Taylor Dudley, 35, of Lansing, Michigan, was detained by Russian border patrol police in April 2022 after crossing from Poland into Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave which is territory governed by Moscow between Poland and Lithuania. He was in Poland attending a music festival, and it is not clear why he crossed the border…
Welcome back to PZ’s Infinite Thread @61 Audley Z Darkheart, @62 Oggie: Mathomand and others.
You are just in time to comment on the ongoing apocalypse going on outside this refuge of relative sanity. (I’m a relative newcomer here, but appreciate PZ and all who make constrictive contributions)
Hi Audley! Yup, Lynna is our fabulous curator, though clearly multiple horde members contribute various news. Sadly, it’s much less social than TET was, but it’s great for current events and Ukraine updates.
Oggie: Mathomsays
Anti-Pamthalassa:
So did this thread evolve out of the old thread curated by Lynna that focused on politics?
Oggie: Mathomsays
Damnit! That’s Anti-Panthalassa, not Anti-Pamthalassa. Sorry, Tethys. I ruined my attempted semi-joke.
cicelysays
Audley Z Darkheart @ 61:
Holy hell, the Infinte Thread still exists?!
I was amazed, as well, when I re-found it maybe 2 weeks (more? less? what is Time, anyways???) ago. :)
Mostly, I lurk, scanning the surrounds for Horses and marauding hordes of peas.
_
That is cool. The red shift is impressive. The only way I can get my green peas to look red is to douse them in Frank’s Red Hot (one of about ten different hot sauces I use (Frank’s just goes really well with peas)).
Audley Z Darkheartsays
It tickles me to think that the mass Twitter exodus might be impacting Pharyngula, too…
Oggie @70: “So did this thread evolve out of the old thread curated by Lynna that focused on politics?”
Yes, sort of. PZ changed the Moments of Political Madness thread to be more encompassing, and thus the resurrection of The Infinite Thread.
We adhere to all of PZ’s usual rules, like avoiding gendered slurs, and in addition we do not advocate violence in any way. Do not advocate violence as a joke, or as satire. Just don’t do it.
Followup to comment 78: Don’t embed YouTube or other videos in this thread.
Each “chapter” of The Infinite Thread runs for 500 comments and then it automatically renews … until it hits a certain Freethought Blogs time limit and then PZ has to resuscitate it.
I usually notice when the thread hits the time limit, and then I send email to PZ asking him to bring us back to life. For this current chapter, I didn’t have to do that. PZ noticed without any prompting.
Tethyssays
@Oggie So did this thread evolve out of the old thread curated by Lynna that focused on politics?
I don’t know exactly? I too was busy with a shit tonne of tragedy and loss for a few years, so I was absent from Pharyngula for several years. I miss Caine. :(
Grand babies are truly wonderful creatures. I adore being Grummy. Don’t worry about the joke, I got it anyway and the offering to typos was obviously mandatory. Traditions must be upheld, even if we retired the porcupines.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday he was appointing Robert Hur to serve as a special counsel to review classified material found in President Joe Biden’s Delaware residence and a Washington office he used. Hur, now a lawyer at a Washington, D.C. firm, was the U.S. Attorney for Maryland during the Trump administration, and is also the former principal counselor to former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversaw the Mueller investigation.
Commentary:
[…] For Democrats, it’s unlikely that today’s announcement will cause much agita. There simply isn’t any reason to believe Biden broke the law. Given everything we currently know, it’s very easy to believe the then-vice president inadvertently took materials he shouldn’t have, and when they were discovered, they were quickly returned.
The idea that Biden knowingly, and with deliberate intent, took and hid a small number of sensitive documents is far-fetched — and wholly at odds with all of the available information.
Indeed, there’s nothing adversarial about any of this. While Trump spends months lashing out wildly at federal law enforcement, the White House counsel’s office said in a written statement this afternoon, “We have cooperated closely with the Justice Department throughout its review, and we will continue that cooperation with the Special Counsel.”
But while many Democrats will probably shrug with general indifference to these developments, let’s not brush past the Republicans’ perspective.
[…] House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters this morning, “We don’t think there needs to be a special prosecutor.” The California Republican added, in reference to the Biden disclosures, “I think Congress has to investigate this.” [Sigh]
Here’s the thing to keep in mind: A special counsel investigation, even one led by a former Trump-appointed prosecutor, will very likely uncover the truth. But for GOP leaders and lawmakers, Hur and his team will also act quietly and methodically, failing to share information with Congress, before reaching the likely conclusion that the Democratic president didn’t do anything illegal.
None of that will pay any political dividends for Republicans.
[…] If given a choice, the new House speaker would much prefer far-right House committee chairs — I’m looking in your direction Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan — take the lead on this, not an experienced Justice Department professional. […]
It was a crazy day in the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial yesterday, and they didn’t even get to opening statements.
The entire day was devoted to pretrial issues (which look likely to spill over into today and could further delay opening statements):
The biggest news coming out of the day was the judge’s decision to allow prosecutors in their opening statement to use video of then-President Trump calling for the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.”
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that Trump’s comments showed “an additional motive to advocate for Mr. Trump (and) engage in the charged conspiracy” to keep Trump in power.
At one point, the judge ended up in a shouting match with one of the defense attorneys, after which he put all counsel on notice: “Everyone take note – you talk over me, and contempt will be coming down the line. It’s going to be a long trial.”
Still unresolved is the status of defense lawyer Norm Pattis, who has been suspended from the practice of law by a Connecticut judge for allegedly improper conduct during his representation of Alex Jones in the Sandy Hook defamation cases.
Pattis lost his bid yesterday to delay his suspension and says he will appeal it to the state Supreme Court
.
Buckle up! The Proud Boys trial is going to be a scene.
George Santos was a small time petty crook, running a variety of scams to eke out a living. Then a year ago, his fortunes changed dramatically.
He managed to raise and spend millions to get elected to the House of Representatives.
No one knows where that money came from or where it went.
But the authorities are on their way to finding out.
At this point, it looks like numerous campaign finance laws were broken.
No surprise.
George Santos is not at all concerned with any rules or laws.
The New York Times
The Mysterious, Unregistered Fund That Raised Big Money for Santos
George Santos
Alexandra Berzon and Grace Ashford
Thu, January 12, 2023 at 5:10 AM PST·9 min read
In this article:
George Santos
American politician from New York
A month before George Santos was elected to Congress, one of his large donors received a call asking him to consider making another sizable contribution.
The request came from a Republican loyalist calling on behalf of RedStone Strategies, which was described in an email to the donor as an “independent expenditure” group that was supporting Santos’ bid to flip a Democratic House seat in New York. The group had already raised $800,000 and was seeking to raise another $700,000, according to the email, which was reviewed by The New York Times.
The donor came through: Days later, on Oct. 21, he sent $25,000 to a Wells Fargo Bank account belonging to RedStone Strategies.
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Three months later, Santos is now in Congress, but where the donor’s money went is unclear. The Federal Election Commission said it had no evidence that RedStone Strategies was registered as a political group, and there do not appear to be any records documenting its donors, contributions or spending.
Santos and his lawyer refused to answer questions about RedStone’s fundraising efforts and whether Santos was involved in them. But he did have ties to a Redstone Strategies LLC, registered to an address in Merritt Island, Florida, in November 2021, as Santos was preparing his second run for Congress. The firm listed the Devolder Organization, a company owned by Santos, as one of its managing officers.
A company website describes that Redstone as being run by “experters in marketing and others in politics” whose services in ad creation, communications and fundraising have value “no matter if you are in a local race or if you are going to be the next president of the United States.”
Yet the firm’s body of work — at least for candidates and committees that are required to file campaign expense reports — appears limited. A Times search of campaign finance records uncovered payments from a failed House candidate on Long Island, New York, and two groups tied to New York legislative candidates.
It also shows a payment from a PAC called Rise NY, run by Santos’ sister, Tiffany. State records show the group sent a wire transfer for $6,000 in April 2022 to Red Stone Strategies. It listed a Wells Fargo Bank branch on Merritt Island as its address.
The murkiness around the fundraising operations on behalf of Santos makes it difficult to know whether any laws were broken. But a close examination of available records suggest RedStone may have skirted the law.
The email to the donor described it as an “independent expenditure committee under federal campaign finance law” with the “singular purpose” of electing Santos.
Such groups, also known as super PACs, can support candidates by raising vast sums of money far beyond strict campaign donor limits. Even so, there are rules: They must register with the Federal Election Commission and disclose their donors. And they must not coordinate directly with campaigns.
Yet the FEC has no record of RedStone Strategies. The Daily Beast has reported that Redstone Strategies LLC of Florida had a connection to Santos, but the existence of a group operating under the name RedStone raising large sums of money for his election has not previously been revealed.
“I don’t see a record by a committee of that name registered with the FEC, and our regulations would be if a political group raises more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election, they would be required to register with the F.E.C. within 10 days,” said Christian Hilland, an F.E.C. spokesperson.
The person who solicited the donor said he was asked by Santos in the weeks leading up to the campaign to approach donors, some of whom had already given the maximum allowed to Santos’ election campaign, and to help coordinate their donations to RedStone, according to a person familiar with the arrangement who wished to remain anonymous.
A lawyer for Santos declined to respond to the Times’ questions about RedStone, saying that “it would be inappropriate to respond to anything related to this apparent investigation of my client’s campaign finances.”
Santos’ finances have come under scrutiny after the Times reported last month that his successful run for Congress in New York was built on lies, including fabrications of real estate fortune, academic distinction and a glittering career on Wall Street.
Much about his web of personal and political entities — and whether or how they are in fact interrelated — is still unknown and has attracted interest from local state and federal investigators. His sudden claim to wealth has also raised questions.
According to financial disclosures that he filed as a candidate, Santos claimed that he went from earning $55,000 to running a company worth more than $1 million in just a few years. That ostensibly enabled him to lend his campaign more than $700,000 — slightly less than the amount that RedStone Strategies claimed to have raised.
Santos’ campaign spending has also come under question, with scores of expenses for $199.99 — one cent below the threshold for requiring receipts. The suspicious spending pattern served as a partial basis of a complaint that the Campaign Legal Center filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission, accusing Santos of not only using campaign funds for personal use and misrepresenting spending but also of scheming to obscure the true source of his campaign funding.
The fundraising efforts by RedStone Strategies seem equally opaque.
The person who solicited the $25,000 donation to RedStone has been active in the Queens Republican Party and described himself as Santos’ friend.
The donor, who did not wish to be identified, confirmed that he was told by the Queens Republican operative that the $25,000 that he gave to RedStone in October would be used as part of a large ad buy for Santos.
But the donor said he did not hear anything back on how the funds were spent. A review of spending by the company AdImpact does not show the group making any ad buys on Santos’ behalf, nor did it show any spending for Santos from other independent groups in the months leading up to Election Day.
If a group raised money under false political pretense, that activity could lead federal election officials to regard it as what is commonly known as a “scam PAC” — a group that raises money without spending it on the stated political purpose, a practice that is increasingly a concern of the F.E.C., Hilland said.
Redstone Strategies LLC of Florida listed one other manager in its incorporation records: Jayson Benoit, a business partner of Santos and former colleague at Harbor City Capital, which shut down after the SEC filed a lawsuit accusing it of operating as a Ponzi scheme. (Neither Santos nor Benoit, who did not respond to requests for comment, were named in that suit.)
Santos ultimately acknowledged having misled voters about his educational and work history, saying that his sins were embellishing his resume and nothing more. He was sworn in last weekend, even as colleagues in Congress have called for ethics inquiries into his behavior, and Republican leaders in New York, including four first-term congressmen, have called for his resignation. Prosecutors at the local, state and federal level have indicated they are looking at Santos.
Another potential area of concern about RedStone Strategies was the way it was described in its donor solicitation email as a 501c4 — a type of tax-exempt group organized for the promotion of social welfare. These entities pay no federal taxes and may engage in politics so long as their major purpose is not electing candidates to office.
“They can spend up to 49.9% of their budget on candidate election work,” explained Paul S. Ryan, an expert in federal election law, who added that political spending was allowed as long as it was not the group’s primary purpose.
But while the donor email describes the group as a 501c4, it also pledges to dedicate “all its resources” to electing Santos — language that Ryan suggested was troubling.
“You can get away with it if you are not foolish enough to put in writing that you’re all about candidate elections,” Ryan said.
RedStone Strategies was not the only group whose activity raised warning flags among campaign finance experts.
Rise NY is a state PAC created in December 2020 by Santos’ campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, and Tiffany Santos. A Twitter profile of the group describes its purpose as “new voter registration & education as well as raising election awareness & voter enthusiasm.” The PAC raised vast sums from donors who had otherwise maxed out donating to Santos’ campaign, as reported by Newsday. One donor contributed $150,000, according to New York State Board of Election records, well beyond the limits of $2,900 per election placed on federal campaign contributions for direct campaign activity.
Social media posts show that Rise NY organized demonstrations and voter registration events on Long Island. In a Twitter post from August 2021, Rise NY claimed it had “pulled in 7800+ new Republican voters on LONG ISLAND, NY alone.”
A close examination of the group’s spending, however, reveals that many of Rise NY’s actions would be considered unusual, if not a violation. PACs like Rise NY are allowed under New York state law to give directly to candidates or authorized committees, but may not spend in other ways to help a campaign.
Yet Rise NY issued payments for wages and professional services to Santos campaign workers, including Santos’ press secretary. It also directed $10,000 in payments to a company run by Marks, the campaign treasurer. And Tiffany Santos earned $20,000 for her work as the PAC’s president. She did not respond to a request for comment.
Its expenditures took place at many of the spots that George Santos’ campaign filings show he liked to frequent, including Il Bacco, a restaurant in Queens where his campaign spent roughly $14,000, and an Exxon Mobil gas station that is a two-minute drive from his former apartment in Whitestone, Queens.
One donor said that he gave to the PAC after being contacted by Samuel Miele, who said in an email that he was the vice president of Rise NY. Miele was also working directly for Santos, but was later fired after he was caught impersonating a staffer for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, at the time the Republican minority leader, in a fundraising appeal, several people close to the campaign said.
A company that Miele manages, the One 57 Group, was paid $43,000 by the Santos campaign and nearly $10,000 from Rise NY PAC. Miele did not respond to requests for comment.
Two former consultants to the Santos campaign who requested anonymity in order to speak freely about their former client said that they were concerned about the close arrangement between the campaign and Rise NY, and told Santos that he should shut it down. A third former consultant turned down what it described as a lucrative offer from Santos to fundraise for the PAC, citing legal concerns.
This seems too cute by half from Politico: “It’s the three-page document everyone in Washington is talking about—except it may not even exist.” It’s a “mirage of a backroom-deal doc,” the headline says. Is it a three-page document? Is it an addendum to the House Rules package passed this week? Is it official? It doesn’t have to be any of those things, and if you focus on one three-page document, you’re missing the point. There were lots of concessions granted by Kevin McCarthy to the Freedom Caucus in return for them letting him “win” on the 15th vote for speaker.
And some of those agreements are on paper. At least according to a number of Republicans who’ve told reporters they’ve seen them and haven’t recanted. More to the point, Freedom Caucus types are getting plum assignments and have been spilling the beans about what else they got.
But there’s also paper. National Republican Congressional Committee chair Richard Hudson (R-NC) told Axios he’s seen it, and that it doesn’t contain promises of committee chairmanships to specific members: “No names, just representation [on panels].” So the only promise is committee seats to unspecified whackjobs, just not which ones specifically.
[…] It” might not exist, if by “it” we’re specifically saying “a three-page addendum,” but there is definitely paper out there documenting McCarthy’s capitulations. It’s not the “mirage” the Politico headline suggests. McCarthy and “allies insist that no back-room promises were made to land his gavel after 15 frenetic ballots, that no plum committee spots, precise spending cuts, or debt limit strategy were guaranteed in a quid pro quo,” Politico says. […]
And there are the plum committee assignments that were handed out Wednesday, six of them to various members of the Freedom Caucus who were among the holdouts during the first 14 votes: Rep. Byron Donalds (FL) is now on the House Financial Services Committee along with freshman Andy Ogles (TN); Reps. Michael Cloud (R-TX), and Andrew Clyde (GA) got coveted Appropriations seats; Rep. Andy Harris (MD) netted an appropriations subcommittee gavel, making him one of the “cardinals,” the 12 who hold the purse strings for every federal agency.
Oh, and Donalds is also now on the influential Republican Steering Committee, he told Fox News, “as Speaker McCarthy’s designee.”
McCarthy also promised to put what might be the worst tax bill ever on the House floor this session, something Republican leaders have refused to do for over 20 years. Because it’s a really stupid idea. “That was part of the negotiation. The 20 conservatives who were holding out, one of the things that they wanted was to see it come to the floor for a vote,” Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) said.
Everyone knows the deals were made because the people who were on the receiving end are crowing about it. Pretending otherwise is par for the course with the GOP leadership.
ravensays
Florida medical providers are intended to think, “Shoot, this guy is arresting people for voting, so what’s he going to do to me if I dispense abortion medication in a way he doesn’t like?” […]
As usual the GOP hasn’t thought things through very far.
Both of the abortion drugs have important non-abortion uses.
Why is this medication prescribed? Misoprostol is used to prevent ulcers in people who take certain arthritis or pain medicines, including aspirin, that can cause ulcers. It protects the stomach lining and decreases stomach acid secretion.Nov 15, 2017
Wonkette: “Did Joe Biden Just Fix Student Loan Debt Going Forward? Mayyyyybe!”
On Tuesday, the US Department of Education proposed new rules for federal student loan repayment that could take much of the pain and anxiety out of having student loans. The proposal would significantly change how Income Based Repayment works, resulting in lower student loan payments for millions of Americans. It would even mean that many lower-income Americans would have no monthly payments at all, and would make it easier for borrowers who keep up their payments to have the remaining balance of their loans forgiven.
[…] The new rules are expected to go into effect by July 1 this year, although some parts may be rolled out sooner. As The American Prospect’s David Dayen explains, the Education Department’s proposed rule will essentially put an end to student loans as we’ve known them up to now, as long as most people who qualify take advantage of the new income-based-repayment arrangement.
Dayen explainers:
The popular conception of a student loan, or any loan, is that you take out a sum of money from a lender—in this case, the Department of Education—with a promise to pay the principal back over a certain time frame, with interest. […]
Under income-driven repayment, all of the nuts and bolts of loans can be ignored. The borrower will pay a percentage of their income over a certain threshold for a set number of years, and then the obligation will be met. Notions of a “principal balance” or “interest” or anything else will be immaterial when the amount due is just based on what you earn.
Under the current income-based repayment plan (or plans; the New York Times notes there are currently five of them), people making over roughly $20,000 have their payments set at 10 percent of their discretionary income. Depending on the plan, the balance of the loan would be forgiven after 20 or 25 years. The new plan would reduce the number of available income-driven plans; most people would be able to take advantage of a revised version of the least expensive […] payments are based on the borrower’s monthly income and family size.
[snipped some details, which are available at the link]
Here’s another hell of a good idea: Currently, if you have income-based repayment and your payments aren’t enough to pay the interest on the loan (pretty common with big grad school debts, just ask me), the unpaid amount of interest is capitalized back into your loan, so your balance still keeps rising every year. As the Times explains,
In the proposed plan, if a borrower’s payment isn’t high enough to cover the interest due that month, the remaining interest will not be charged or tacked onto the balance.
[Yay! That is a good idea.]
[…] the new proposal would tweak the definition of “discretionary income” — which currently uses a formula designed to exclude costs of food and rent for a given area — to exempt more income, which would result in lower payments, too. […]
[snipped more details]
[…] The new rules are separate from Joe Biden’s earlier plan to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student debt, which is still awaiting arguments before the Supreme Court next month. In another development in that case, the Public Rights Project has filed an amicus brief on behalf of 40 local governments in 24 states, arguing that the multi-state lawsuit against debt forgiveness is balderdash and applesauce, because the states offer only “speculative and indirect financial harms,” while for most states and local governments, loan forgiveness would increase tax revenue, give citizens greater housing security, and other benefits. Sounds good to us […]
lumipunasays
Re: Ukraine Update at 18
With Germany resisting calls to “free the Leopards” (their European-standard main battle tank), a coalition of operator nations is lobbying for the necessary approval to gift them to Ukraine. Three days ago (was it really that recent?), Finland was the first to pledge Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine as part of any future international coalition. Poland seconded the motion a day later. Today, Poland flat-out pledged to send a company, 14 tanks, to Ukraine.
Finland hasn’t pledged anything specific, but supports collective action to organize a fleet of Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine.
There is currently discussion on how much we could/should contribute in this project. It’d be likely only a few tanks, or possibly just training/maintenance assistance. There’s the argument that countries that aren’t physically neighboring Russia, like Germany, should give up the actual tanks needed.
Germany’s army is in shambles out of neglect, so they may not have any to give beyond a symbolic dozen or so, but even that helps. If Ukraine can get several hundred from this group, they’ll be in much better shape for their spring offensive.
About all those flight cancellations in the USA yesterday:
[…] The problem was specifically in the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions System (NOTAM), which NBC News explains sends pilots information they need in order to fly. Bookmark this fact in your brain for a few paragraphs down.
All the usual suspects started getting red in the face and out of breath moaning about how this was caused by “woke.” As you should know by now, “woke” is the new catchall excuse for any white conservative bitching and moaning about literally anything. Dirty dishes in the sink? WOKE. Get passed over for a job by a smarter candidate? Probably WOKE hiring policies. Wife leave you for a younger man? Kids won’t come home for Thanksgiving because they hate you? WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE.
Jesse Watters had a weird one on Fox News yesterday afternoon. Really just melted down over this. Let’s follow him on his journey.
JESSE WATTERS: Here’s what I want. If this happens, I want to see ferocity. I want to see someone like, “This is unacceptable! This is never going to happen again. This cannot happen again and I’m going to get to the bottom of this and I’m going to stay here and take every single question.” But Pete — and this is why he looks so good — he looks like he’s twelve because the guy’s never stressed. He’s like, “You know what? We’ll get to — we’ll fix it. We got this.” No, I don’t want that.
Jesse Watters needs Secretary Mayor Pete to be more emotional, because these things make Jesse feel emotional.
And I’m not saying it’s his fault, I’m not saying he downloaded some virus from this computer and it wrecked the whole system,
Good, because that would be a really deranged thing to say.
although I’m not ruling that out.
Oh.
But he sets the tone for the FAA. And the tone is woke.
And if the tone is woke and Pete sets the tone (gay) then the computers crash.
WATTERS: Because they’re not spending money on these computers, these computers are 40 years old. They’re changing the word “airmen” because a transvestite pilot might get offended? Like, she’s not going to take off, or he’s not going to take off because she’s called an airman —
GREG GUTFELD: They, Jesse.
JEANINE PIRRO: They.
WATTERS: It’s impossible. […]
GUTFELD: Did you say transvestite?
JESSICA TARLOV: He did. He said “transvestite.”
GUTFELD: There’s a word you don’t hear from —
WATTERS: We’ll talk about it during the commercial break.
TARLOV: It’s 2023.
WATTERS: Well, wait a second. Okay, well let’s get into this. What is the difference?
Oh sweet Lord, where do we even start?
First of all, you might be surprised Jesse and pals went directly to trans panic. Considering Jesse’s own personal history, we would have expected him to tell a story about the time he tried to let the air out of a lady pilot’s airplane wheels to try to trick her into getting into his car.
Instead, trans panic, something new and different! But what is Watters [complaining] about, changing the word “airmen” and that is how Gay Mayor Pete kept the transvestite planes on the ground?
On Fox News’s website right now, there is a sneering white conservative victim diatribe masquerading as a serious news article, written by somebody named “Aubrie Spady” (we shit you not), claiming that “pilots” are “outraged” by “woke FAA spending” after this event yesterday. Which pilots? Oh, just all of ’em. […]
In fact, Spady quotes one (1) pilot, who upon brief googling does not appear to actually be working as a pilot right now. Dude writes for the Daily Caller, though!
In the first sentence of “news article,” Spady says “pilots” are outraged over the FAA’s “woke 2023 budget that invests millions in ‘inclusion’ and ‘environmental justice’ initiatives.” And Spady explains that in December 2021, Buttigieg changed the NOTAM acronym from standing for “Notice to Airmen” to “Notice to Air Missions.” She quotes some wingnut aviation lawyer who has a whole lot to whine about that.
The article claims the Department of Transportation is “under fire” for “focusing on staying woke” INSTEAD OF doing all the other things. You know, as if DOT being “under fire for woke” isn’t 100 PERCENT SOLELY a creation of the ass-to-mouth circular rage pipeline that runs between Fox News’s on-air talent and its “news” department.
So that is how we got to Jesse Watters dying of consumption on a fainting couch because they’re changing the word “airmen” to keep the transvestite pilots from getting offended.
And Greg Gutfeld and Judge Boxwine both correct Jesse and say “they” when he refers to the imaginary transvestite pilot as “she,” as if Greg and Judge Boxwine are the experts on Jesse’s imaginary transvestite pilot’s pronouns.
And Jesse gets confused because he doesn’t know why even the Fox News idiots surrounding him are like “Transvestite? What century do you even live in?”
Real people think Fox News is the news. It is astounding.
Satellite images hint at Covid outbreak’s true toll in China.
China is just refusing to count the Covid-19 virus dead.
It’s estimated that by April 2023 there will be 1 to 1.7 million dead from this wave of the pandemic.
“Until the pandemic is over, “it is impossible to identify the exact death rate,” he said at a news conference in Beijing.”
This isn’t even remotely true.
It is simple and routine to count the dead. Being alive or dead is a binary condition.
HONG KONG — Satellite images taken over multiple cities in China show heightened activity outside crematoriums and funeral homes, appearing to contradict the country’s low official Covid-19 death figures and illustrating the severity of the outbreak in the world’s most populous nation.
The images, taken by Maxar in late December and early January and shared with NBC News, show a new parking lot has been built since early December at a funeral home in Tongzhou on the outskirts of Beijing, the capital. Other images from cities around the country show a greater number of cars parked outside funeral homes compared with similar periods in past years.
The satellite images are consistent with firsthand NBC News reporting in Beijing, where officials say the outbreak has already peaked.
Construction equipment was visible at the Tongzhou funeral home during a visit on Dec. 22, while workers in white hazmat suits could be seen unloading caskets from a steady stream of vans at the Dongjiao funeral home during multiple visits that week. Police were patrolling both places.
Elsewhere in Beijing, crematoriums have been operating 24/7, with one major funeral home telling NBC News the wait time for a cremation slot was up to two weeks. With some funeral homes no longer allowing memorial services, reporters have witnessed families instead holding them at hospitals, where empty caskets are being stored outside in alleys.
While the Chinese government says the outbreak is predictable and under control, the World Health Organization says that official Chinese data underrepresents the current number of Covid hospitalizations and deaths and that it cannot form a clear picture of the outbreak without more information.
China has reported fewer than 40 Covid-related deaths since Dec. 7, when officials abruptly lifted “zero-Covid” restrictions that had largely shielded China’s 1.4 billion people from the virus for the past three years but fueled rare widespread protests. The country’s official death toll is about 5,270 since the start of the pandemic, but international experts say the true number of deaths could reach 1 million or more in the coming months — about the same as in the United States.
China’s older population, which has a relatively low vaccination rate, is expected to be especially affected. Experts also predict the virus will spread beyond major cities into rural areas as people return to their hometowns to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Commenters on Chinese social media have also questioned the government’s reporting, pointing to the recent deaths of prominent artists, scientists and academics, some of whose obituaries named Covid as the cause, as well as the experience of their own families.
“It’s the sixth day since my grandfather left, and I still can’t stop crying,” a commenter in Sichuan province wrote on the social media platform Weibo, adding: “I hate Covid and this inexplicable decision to lift all the restrictions — to hell with you, false death data!”
Chinese officials reject criticism of the data they have provided and say the true death toll will become clearer after analysis of “excess deaths.”
Dr. Liang Wannian, an epidemiologist and senior adviser to the Chinese government, said Wednesday that the priority at the moment should be treating severe cases.
Until the pandemic is over, “it is impossible to identify the exact death rate,” he said at a news conference in Beijing.
He also defended the way China determines whether a death was Covid-related — counting only those that involve respiratory failure — a definition the WHO has criticized as too narrow.
There is no global consensus on how to define Covid deaths, Liang said, “so each country has their own individual way of calculating.”
China briefed all WHO member states on its Covid outbreak last week, and has provided additional information on its response, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead.
“However, there are some very important information gaps that we are working with China to fill,” she said at a news briefing on Wednesday.
Citing the lack of data on China’s outbreak, the United States and other countries have imposed restrictions on travelers from China in recent weeks. Beijing calls the measures unscientific, excessive and discriminatory, taking the first of its promised countermeasures on Tuesday with the suspension of short-term visas for citizens of South Korea and Japan.
Japan has lodged a protest to China over the suspension, while South Korea says its Covid border measures are based on science and that China’s response is “very regrettable.”
China’s new foreign minister, Qin Gang, who is visiting Ethiopia, told Phoenix TV in an interview Wednesday that the South Korean and Japanese restrictions had hindered China’s personnel exchanges with the two countries, “so we, the Chinese side, have a reason to respond.”
Jennifer Jett reported from Hong Kong, and Janis Mackey Frayer reported from Beijing.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
About all those flight cancellations in the USA yesterday:
[…] The problem was specifically in the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions System (NOTAM), which NBC News explains sends pilots information they need in order to fly. Bookmark this fact in your brain for a few paragraphs down.
All the usual suspects started getting red in the face and out of breath moaning about how this was caused by “woke.” As you should know by now, “woke” is the new catchall excuse for any white conservative moaning about literally anything. Dirty dishes in the sink? WOKE. Get passed over for a job by a smarter candidate? Probably WOKE hiring policies. Wife leave you for a younger man? Kids won’t come home for Thanksgiving because they hate you? WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE WOKE.
Jesse Watters had a weird one on Fox News yesterday afternoon. Really just melted down over this. Let’s follow him on his journey.
JESSE WATTERS: Here’s what I want. If this happens, I want to see ferocity. I want to see someone like, “This is unacceptable! This is never going to happen again. This cannot happen again and I’m going to get to the bottom of this and I’m going to stay here and take every single question.” But Pete — and this is why he looks so good — he looks like he’s twelve because the guy’s never stressed. He’s like, “You know what? We’ll get to — we’ll fix it. We got this.” No, I don’t want that.
Jesse Watters needs Secretary Mayor Pete to be more emotional, because these things make Jesse feel emotional.
And I’m not saying it’s his fault, I’m not saying he downloaded some virus from this computer and it wrecked the whole system,
Good, because that would be a really deranged thing to say.
although I’m not ruling that out.
Oh.
But he sets the tone for the FAA. And the tone is woke.
And if the tone is woke and Pete sets the tone (gay) then the computers crash.
WATTERS: Because they’re not spending money on these computers, these computers are 40 years old. They’re changing the word “airmen” because a transvestite pilot might get offended? Like, she’s not going to take off, or he’s not going to take off because she’s called an airman —
GREG GUTFELD: They, Jesse.
JEANINE PIRRO: They.
WATTERS: It’s impossible. […]
GUTFELD: Did you say transvestite?
JESSICA TARLOV: He did. He said “transvestite.”
GUTFELD: There’s a word you don’t hear from —
WATTERS: We’ll talk about it during the commercial break.
TARLOV: It’s 2023.
WATTERS: Well, wait a second. Okay, well let’s get into this. What is the difference?
Oh sweet Lord, where do we even start?
First of all, you might be surprised Jesse and pals went directly to trans panic. Considering Jesse’s own personal history, we would have expected him to tell a story about the time he tried to let the air out of a lady pilot’s airplane wheels to try to trick her into getting into his car.
Instead, trans panic, something new and different! But what is Watters [complaining] about, changing the word “airmen” and that is how Gay Mayor Pete kept the transvestite planes on the ground?
On Fox News’s website right now, there is a sneering white conservative victim diatribe masquerading as a serious news article, written by somebody named “Aubrie Spady” (we shit you not), claiming that “pilots” are “outraged” by “woke FAA spending” after this event yesterday. Which pilots? Oh, just all of ’em. […]
In fact, Spady quotes one (1) pilot, who upon brief googling does not appear to actually be working as a pilot right now. Dude writes for the Daily Caller, though!
In the first sentence of “news article,” Spady says “pilots” are outraged over the FAA’s “woke 2023 budget that invests millions in ‘inclusion’ and ‘environmental justice’ initiatives.” And Spady explains that in December 2021, Buttigieg changed the NOTAM acronym from standing for “Notice to Airmen” to “Notice to Air Missions.” She quotes some wingnut aviation lawyer who has a whole lot to whine about that.
The article claims the Department of Transportation is “under fire” for “focusing on staying woke” INSTEAD OF doing all the other things. You know, as if DOT being “under fire for woke” isn’t 100 PERCENT SOLELY a creation of the ass-to-mouth circular rage pipeline that runs between Fox News’s on-air talent and its “news” department.
So that is how we got to Jesse Watters dying of consumption on a fainting couch because they’re changing the word “airmen” to keep the transvestite pilots from getting offended.
And Greg Gutfeld and Judge Boxwine both correct Jesse and say “they” when he refers to the imaginary transvestite pilot as “she,” as if Greg and Judge Boxwine are the experts on Jesse’s imaginary transvestite pilot’s pronouns.
And Jesse gets confused because he doesn’t know why even the Fox News idiots surrounding him are like “Transvestite? What century do you even live in?”
Real people think Fox News is the news. It is astounding.
MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell chided the network’s senior Capitol Hill correspondent, Garrett Haake, on Thursday for using the term “pro-life” during an on-air discussion of the Republican-backed Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act…
“At the end of the day she was, as she described herself, ‘pro-life,’ and that she felt that it was important to vote for these measures despite their potentially politically damaging or politically unappealing appearance,” Haake said, referring to Representative Nancy Mace’s (R., N.C.) support for the bill.
Mitchell interjected during Haake’s response to correct his terminology.
“Let me just interrupt and say that pro-life is a term that they–an entire group wants to use–but that’s not an accurate description.”
This system, installed in 1993, runs the Notice to Air Missions system, or NOTAM, which sends pilots vital information they need to fly.
The software that failed and forced the Federal Aviation Administration to ground thousands of flights on Wednesday is 30 years old and not scheduled to be updated for another six years, according to a senior government official.
This system was installed in 1993 and runs the Notice to Air Missions system, or NOTAM, which sends pilots vital information they need to fly, the official said.
After the FAA was able to get planes flying again, a government official said a corrupted file that affected both the primary and the backup NOTAM systems appeared to be the culprit.
But the new revelation raised questions about why the FAA is still relying on software that was introduced the year President Bill Clinton entered the White House.
[…] President Joe Biden ordered an investigation after he was briefed Wednesday by Buttigieg.
Tens of thousands of travelers were left stranded Wednesday after the FAA sent out a tweet at 7:20 a.m. ordering the airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. ET “to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information” as it worked to restore the NOTAM system.
The FAA lifted the ground stop around 8:50 a.m., and normal air traffic operations began resuming gradually. But by then airports across the country were already crowded with frustrated travelers and a backlog of flights.
Do not advocate violence as a joke, or as satire. Just don’t do it.
I didn’t realize I had.
Sorry.
I’ll back away.
ravensays
Speaks for itself.
I can’t even…
Ukrainska Pravda in English
@pravda_eng
🕯A 6 y.o. girl from Avdiivka, Elia, lived 5 km from the front line for the past 11 months and spent most of the time hiding in the family basement out of fear of loud Russian artillery fire.
She eventually died from a heart attack due to constant stress.
#russiaisateroriststate
ravensays
Poland is Europe’s next great military power.
They are spending large amounts of money on advanced weapons systems.
This is typical of former captive nations of the old Soviet Union.
The Polish have suffered greatly from Russian imperialism over the centuries, even before the USSR. The last Russian invasion came close to ending them forever when Stalin and Hitler divided Poland up before WW II.
Now that they are out from under the Russians, they all say “never again”. This is their big chance to get rid of Russia forever and they are going to take it.
Poland is Europe’s next great military power
One nation has learned the lessons of the Russian invasion
January 11, 2023 | 10:18 pm
Written by: John Pietro
As Russia’s war in Ukraine rages into its eleventh month, there is one country that can truly be said to have learned its lesson: Poland. By the mid-2030s, when the majority of its equipment purchases have been delivered, Warsaw will command one of the most modern, well-equipped armies in Europe. It’s not cheap, but Poland is taking decisive action to be able to face the threats of tomorrow.
Poland’s $20.5 billion 2023 defense budget is a huge increase over the previous year, and is over 3 percent of gross domestic product (well above the NATO-suggested 2 percent). Aside from equipment, this money will be used to help expand the manpower that Poland can bring to bear, upping its active-duty forces from 140,000 to 300,000 troops. For a country of about 38 million, this is a significant fighting force.
On the equipment front, 2022 was something of a military renaissance for Poland, seeing Warsaw pursue billions of dollars worth of new advanced weapons. While the US was a major sender, a large share of the equipment was also sourced from South Korea, whose arms industry does not have the backlogs that America’s does. That, however, is not a bad thing: Seoul’s weapons are just as advanced as those offered by Washington.
In July, Poland said that it would buy 1,000 K2 Black Panther main battle tanks and 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers (SPH). In August, Poland and South Korea finalized a contract worth $5.76 billion for 180 K2s and 212 K9s, with deliveries to be finished in a few years. Some have already reached Polish soil.
Tanks are not just coming from Seoul, though. In two separate deals, the Poles purchased 250 of America’s most advanced Abrams variant, the M1A2 SEPv3, and 116 of the older M1A1 variant, worth $4.75 billion and $1.4 billion respectively. This alone would more than double the number of modern Western tanks in Polish inventory. Add 1,000 K2s and Poland’s tank fleet will be virtually unmatched on the Continent.
But if there’s one weapon system the Russian invasion has proven is key on the modern battlefield, it is long-range rocket systems. Poland plans to purchase 288 K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) from South Korea, which are comparable to the HIMARS of Ukraine fame. But the Poles want the HIMARS too, with Warsaw set to have 220 once all are delivered. To put these numbers in perspective, the US had around 400 HIMARS in 2022 (though it will be raising that by 500 soon enough).
Poland’s helicopter fleet, which is still dominated by Soviet-era equipment, is also getting major upgrades. In July, Warsaw purchased 32 new AW149 choppers from Italy for $1.83 billion, which is more or less comparable to the American Blackhawk helicopter. The game-changing purchase, however, was the September decision to purchase 96 Apache attack helicopters from the United States. The capabilities of the Apache are well-documented, having seen massive success against Iraq in 1991 and in its numerous deployments since. A force of 96 will mean Poland will have the largest attack helicopter fleet in NATO after the United States and Turkey.
Finally — and this still only scratches the surface — Warsaw is procuring a brand-new short-range air defense system of the kind that has proven invaluable in defending Ukrainian airspace. The new acquisition will consist of 23 systems, and will allow the Poles to ditch more of their Soviet-era air defense. Defending critical infrastructure and military sites is much harder in the age of drones, so this purchase would pay dividends in any conflict.
There is so much more Poland is doing, from modernizing its army’s service rifles to purchasing F-35s and South Korean jets. But the point is clear: Poland is willing to act on threats to its security in a way very uncharacteristic for European nations post-1991. This is not to discredit the huge strides countries like Germany have made since the Russian invasion, but the Germans have yet to undertake the scale of action that Poland has.
In the coming decades, assuming Poland stays the course and remains stable economically, Warsaw will be able to play a much larger role in NATO than its size would indicate. The security implications for Europe are immense, not least because Poland will be able to act as a firewall against any Russian attack (importantly, Poland borders Russia’s militarized Kaliningrad Oblast). Warsaw’s tank fleet is particularly notable, because such a force would be necessary to break through the Suwalki Gap and reach the Baltic States if Russia ever attacked NATO.
Poland’s military strength will offer Eastern Europe a bit of relief. Nations at the alliance’s flank have long been worried about NATO’s ability to defend them effectively. Warsaw has been an assertive player in the East, particularly in supporting Ukraine, and the other countries in the region — particularly the Baltics — will be able to find some solace in the fact that a stalwart nation like Poland has the capacity and the willingness to stand up to Russia.
Warsaw’s military buildup is an unquestionably expensive endeavor, but it is also a necessary one. And it is certainly less costly than if deterrence were to fail.
Oggie @93, oh no … miscommunication. I did not mean to say that you had in any way broken that rule. It’s just a rule I’ve had to repeat multiple times in the past. I was trying to be thorough while discussing this thread—in case newcomers needed more information. I goofed up. Please accept my apologies.
In a new section of his book on Trump’s presidency, The New York Times’ Michael Schmidt details John Kelly’s tenure as White House chief of staff from July 2017 to January 2019.
Behind closed doors in 2017, President Donald Trump discussed the idea of using a nuclear weapon against North Korea and suggested he could blame a U.S. strike against the communist regime on another country, according to a new section of a book that details key events of his administration.
Trump’s alleged comments, reported for the first time in a new afterword to a book by New York Times Washington correspondent Michael Schmidt, came as tensions between the U.S. and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un escalated, alarming then-White House chief of staff John Kelly.
The new section of “Donald Trump v. the United States,” obtained by NBC News ahead of its publication in paperback Tuesday, offers an extensive examination of Kelly’s life and tenure as Trump’s chief of staff from July 2017 to January 2019. Kelly previously was Trump’s secretary of homeland security. For the account, Schmidt cites in part dozens of interviews on background with former Trump administration officials and others who worked with Kelly.
Eight days after Kelly arrived at the White House as chief of staff, Trump warned that North Korea would be “met with fire and fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.” When Trump delivered his first speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September 2017, he threatened to “totally destroy North Korea” if Kim, whom he referred to as “Rocket Man,” continued his military threats.
Later that month, Trump continued to goad North Korea through his tweets. But Kelly was more concerned about what Trump was saying privately, Schmidt reports.
“What scared Kelly even more than the tweets was the fact that behind closed doors in the Oval Office, Trump continued to talk as if he wanted to go to war. He cavalierly discussed the idea of using a nuclear weapon against North Korea, saying that if he took such an action, the administration could blame someone else for it to absolve itself of responsibility,” according to the new section of the book.
Kelly tried to use reason to explain to Trump why that would not work, Schmidt continues.
“It’d be tough to not have the finger pointed at us,” Kelly told the president, according to the afterword.
Kelly brought the military’s top leaders to the White House to brief Trump about how war between the U.S. and North Korea could easily break out, as well as the enormous consequences of such a conflict. But the argument about how many people could be killed had “no impact on Trump,” Schmidt writes.
Kelly then tried to point out that there would be economic repercussions, but the argument held Trump’s attention for only so long, according to the afterword.
Then, Trump “would turn back to the possibility of war, including at one point raising to Kelly the possibility of launching a preemptive military attack against North Korea,” Schmidt said.
Kelly warned that Trump would need congressional approval for a pre-emptive strike, which “baffled and annoyed” Trump, according to the afterword.
Trump tweeted in early January 2018: “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”
Schmidt also writes that it was well-known among senior U.S. officials for several decades that North Korea sought to spy on U.S. decision-makers. So White House aides were alarmed “that Trump would repeatedly talk on unclassified phones, with friends and confidants outside the government, about how he wanted to use military force against North Korea.”
Schmidt writes that there is no indication North Korea had a source in the White House, but he said it “was well within the realm of American intelligence assessment” that it could have been listening to Trump’s calls.
“Kelly would have to remind Trump that he could not share classified information with his friends,” Schmidt writes.
According to the new section, Kelly came up with a plan he believes ultimately prompted Trump to dial back the rhetoric in spring 2018: appealing directly to Trump’s “narcissism.”
Kelly convinced the president he could prove he was the “greatest salesman in the world” by trying to strike a diplomatic relationship, Schmidt writes, thereby preventing a nuclear conflict that Kelly and other top military leaders saw as a more immediate threat than most realized at the time. […]
The Republican-controlled Missouri House of Representatives used its session’s opening day Wednesday to tighten the dress code for female legislators, while leaving the men’s dress code alone.
They passed a measure requiring women in the chamber to conceal their arms.
[…] “The caucus that lost their minds over the suggestion that they should wear masks during a pandemic to respect the safety of others is now spending its time focusing on the fine details of what women have to wear (and specifically how many layers must cover their arms) to show respect in this chamber,” Merideth [Rep. Pete Merideth (D)] tweeted. […]
johnson catmansays
re Lynna @98: Perhaps those Missouri republicans would also like the women to cover their hair and faces with scarves so that the men would not be driven insane by the women’s irresistible sexuality.
Czechs go to the polls over the next two days to elect a successor to President Milos Zeman, whose second term ends in March.
Seven men and one woman are in the race to succeed him, and a second-round run-off is likely in a fortnight’s time…
When the Guardian’s Tom Phillips toured the presidential palace in Brasília on Monday, he witnessed utter devastation. He tells Michael Safi of multimillion-dollar works of art destroyed, a copy of the constitution defaced, furniture wrecked and human waste everywhere. But the pro-Jair Bolsonaro rioters who stormed Brazil’s democratic institutions on Sunday ultimately failed in their attempt to topple the new president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and hundreds have since been arrested.
However, troubling questions remain: how did the mob get into what should have been highly protected state buildings? How was the riot organised without being disrupted by the security forces? After being sworn in to office less than a fortnight ago, who can Lula trust?
Rhonda Byrne’s “The Secret” sold millions of copies based on a simple premise: All of science is fake and the only reason anything ever happens is because people manifest it by communicating with the universe.
[…] Chip Roy’s “Border Safety and Security Act” provides anything but safety and security, ordering the mandatory expulsion of all people seeking asylum—every single one of them, no matter if they are unaccompanied children, no matter how strong their case, all of them—indefinitely.
It is as draconian and catastrophic as you’d imagine […] it imposes completely unrealistic standards before U.S. officials would be allowed to again process migrants seeking refuge, it would represent an end to the U.S. asylum system, our laws and international obligations be damned.
[…] Experts said that the bill closes off asylum until all recently arrived migrants can be detained, an impossible requirement. The organizations further noted the bill gives the Department of Homeland Security “discretion to suspend all asylum access until ‘operational control’ of the border is achieved” under standards described by experts as “tremendously unrealistic,” the organizations said.
This sort of impossible threshold is a Republican trademark. […] The fact is that as House Republicans introduce their nativist agenda, the vast majority of Americans support the US asylum system. “In fact, a majority of Democrats (87%), Republicans (57%), and Independents (74%) support asylum,” polling released by the #WelcomeWithDignity campaign last month said. […]
But despite all their feigned outrage over immigration, Republican lawmakers are really not interested in resolving any issues at the southern border. They want perceived chaos, they want continued migrant suffering, they want to continue using human beings as props in order to divide and to win elections. […]
The wife of an Iowa Republican who ran for Congress in 2020 was arrested Thursday and accused of casting 23 fraudulent votes on behalf of her husband.
In an 11-page indictment, prosecutors allege that Kim Phuong Taylor “visited numerous households within the Vietnamese community in Woodbury County,” where she collected absentee ballots for people who were not present at the time. Taylor, who was born in Vietnam, then filled out and cast those ballots herself, the indictment alleges, “causing the casting of votes in the names of residents who had no knowledge of and had not consented to the casting of their ballots.”
Taylor is also accused of signing voter registration forms on behalf of residents who were not present. In all, prosecutors allege, she engaged in 26 counts of providing false information and voting, three counts of fraudulent registration, and 23 counts of fraudulent voting. Each charge carries a maximum 5-year prison sentence…
Donald Trump set the record by being impeached in the House of Representatives twice, both times for very good cause. The first of those impeachments came when Trump attempted to blackmail Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into providing false claims about Joe Biden in exchange for military support. The second after Trump tired of threatening other nations and directly attempted to overturn the results of a U.S. election.
Now Republicans want to get out the Wite-Out and “expunge” at least one of Trump’s impeachments—both would be better—and Kevin McCarthy is there for it.
In laying out all the critical challenges the House faces, McCarthy didn’t seem sure how they would fit this in between investigating Hunter Biden’s laptop and pretending to build a wall, but as The Washington Post reports, the modern record-holder in losing votes for the House speakership expressed “sympathy” for the idea of giving Trump a clean slate because of all Trump “went through” during investigations into his connections to Russia.
This might not be the best time to pretend that withholding military assistance from Ukraine had nothing to do with Trump’s ties to Russia, and McCarthy might want to revisit the nation’s most overlooked document, the report produced by a Republican-led Senate committee showing Trump’s numerous, substantial, and dangerous connections to Russia. But hey, none of that really matters because none of this has anything to do with reality.
Even on the surface, McCarthy’s suggestion that Trump get a do-over because people had been mean to him is ridiculous. […] Trump’s elaborate efforts to secure false statements from Ukraine to help him defeat Joe Biden in the election weren’t a matter of a few statements in one very much not “perfect” phone call. As the investigators showed during his impeachment trial, Trump’s attempts to wring arms in Ukraine extended back over months, and included false stories funneled through Rudy Giuliani that were handily published by The New York Times. The threat posed by this attempt is currently being vividly illustrated just north of Bakhmut.
When it comes to the second impeachment, the evidence for that impeachment is still visible in damage to the building where Congress sits. It’s also still very much on the minds of Americans. […] Americans remain intensely aware of the damage done to the nation through the Jan. 6 insurrection as well as Trump’s involvement. That connection was not only confirmed in the impeachment investigation, but underlined by the findings of the Jan. 6 select committee. The voting that took place in November can be seen as a verdict on how America feels about the former seditionist-in-chief.
… the Jan. 6 panel’s ingenuity in making Trump central to the story and indicting him in the court of public opinion was the key to making his endorsees utterly toxic on the campaign trail.
Neither of Trump’s impeachments was over a trivial matter. They were historic abuses of power that went well beyond the crimes of any recent leader, including Richard Nixon. Neither of those impeachments were partisan, except in the sense that the modern Republican Party would not indict Trump for anything, no matter how terrible.
What did the holder of the limp gavel think about Trump’s actions following Jan. 6? […] McCarthy and other Republican leaders believed that “Trump was directly responsible for the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol” and reportedly told other Republicans in Congress that they would ask Trump to resign. But that was, of course, before McCarthy touched base with his funders, checked in with the most radical faction of his party, or surrendered the House to people who think he’s a dunce.
[…] There is no mechanism in the Constitution that allows an impeachment to be expunged. Yes, say Republicans, but there’s also nothing in the Constitution that says an impeachment can’t be expunged. So there.
[…] A new Congress can certainly issue a statement disagreeing with the opinion of a past House, but that new statement in no way invalidates the opinion of the House that issued the impeachment in the first place.
They cannot make it as if this never happened. It happened. […]
The fact that Republicans are even talking about this makes it likely that they’re going to try it. In fact, Republicans put even more pointless bills before the House twice already that would have expunged both impeachments, even though they knew those bills would go nowhere. Because this isn’t about justice. It’s about show.
Letting the Republicans once again show that protecting Donald Trump’s ego is their highest priority? […]
This is not a defense of anyone mishandling classified documents, but there’s a hippopotamus in the room: Were the documents properly classified in the first place? Once upon a time, I had responsibility for such, and (a) about 70% of what came in front of me was overclassified, and (b) at least 40% didn’t merit any “classification” at all under the rubric spelled out in (then-effective) DODR 5200.1, or any of the related executive orders… and the definitions for what qualifies for each of the three levels (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret) haven’t changed since 1947. So I’m pretty confident that things have only gotten worse.
None of which excuses mishandling material bearing clear markings. Rule 11.2: Even when one “knows” material is improperly classified, one handles it as marked until the appropriate authorities revise the markings.
Some of what has been disclosed as having been retrieved from Mar-a-Lago was compartmented material (still Top Secret — there isn’t an “above Top Secret” — but requiring greater demonstration of “need to know” than normal; I can neither confirm nor deny the nature or existence of any such knowledge, past or present access, etc.). There haven’t been any such public disclosures regarding material turned over voluntarily by Biden’s people, or any indication of continued personal access. Both could change, but from the perspective of a former Security Manager for [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], AWACS, and [redacted] units and above I know where I’d put my investigative resources… until I learn more, anyway. I’d continue looking at both, but not equally.
StevoRsays
Not that surprising or new but confirmation of criminal witholding of predicted knowledge whilst denying its truth here :
Scientists working for oil giant Exxon Mobil accurately predicted global warming even as the company publicly contradicted them, according to a new report. The study, published in the journal Science, looked at research funded by Exxon that confirmed what climate scientists were saying by using more than a dozen different computer models to forecast the coming warming with precision equal to or better than government and academic scientists.
At the same time, the multinational oil and gas corporation publicly cast doubt that global warming was real and dismissed climate models’ accuracy.
Also from our ABC news, another one for the ACAB files :
A Northern Territory police officer is due to front court after being charged with assault, making a threat to kill and other offences. NT Police said in a statement the 46-year-old woman had been served with a summons to appear in court over the alleged offending. She faces charges of unlawful entry, trespass, assault, make a threat to kill and disorderly behaviour.
NT Police said the woman remained a serving police officer, but it was unclear if she remained in her regular duties.
Whilst the Catholic extremist Christianist Premier of NSW has a disgusting secret revealed :
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s leadership has been labelled as untenable following the revelation that he wore a Nazi uniform to his 21st birthday party. On Thursday, Mr Perrottet said he was “deeply ashamed” for wearing the uniform to a fancy dress party, saying it had caused him “much anxiety” through the course of his life. He told a press conference in Sydney he decided to come forward after receiving a phone call from a cabinet colleague two days ago. “When I was 21, at my 21st fancy dress party, I wore a Nazi uniform,” he said.
The relationship conservative pundits have with Hollywood has always been fraught and hilarious. They rail against the entertainment industry, frequently after having been rejected by it themselves, while also making demands and considering themselves experts.
One of the most prominent figures fitting into this pathetic pattern is Ben Shapiro, whose website, The Daily Wire, recently pivoted to making movies of their own in an attempt to further influence the culture. And how’s that going? Well, not great.
Their fourth scripted film, Terror on the Prairie, was released last summer, but recent tweets are drawing renewed attention to just how poorly that went.
KGsays
Pedro Castillo, Peru’s deposed president, may have been incompetent and his deposition may have been legally justified, but protests against his deposition have been met with deadly police violence, and it appears his vice-president, who took over, has alllied herself with far-right forces.
StevoRsays
Once in a millennium stellar eclipse for Gaia17bpp here :
We believe that this star is part of an exceptionally rare type of binary system, between a large, puffy older star — Gaia17bpp — and a small companion star that is surrounded by an expansive disk of dusty material,” one half of the duo, University of Washington astronomer Anastasios Tzanidakis, said in a statement(opens in new tab). “Based on our analysis, these two stars orbit each other over an exceptionally long period of time — as much as 1,000 years. So, catching this bright star being eclipsed by its dusty companion is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Interesting new exoplanet idea on the formation of super-earths here :
The scientists propose that this narrow band can act as a planet factory, with rocky worlds forming within it until they become large enough to exit the ring due to forces exerted by the gas. Over time, this process can produce several similarly sized rocky planets. This might help explain why all the super-Earths around one star might closely resemble each other but look quite different from the super-Earths around another star, which might have a significantly different planet factory.
Fascinating article on how a couple of Queensland swamps reveal our bushfire related climate history :
These aquatic archives capture traces of the environment around them, such as charcoal blown in from bushfires that sinks and gets trapped in the muddy sediment.
As those sediment layers build up, the mud becomes a natural chronological record of changing conditions around the lake.
By analysing what’s in those layers, we can, in effect, look back through time significantly further than written records.
Science has long known that people living in what is now Siberia once walked (and later paddled boats) across the Being Strait into North America. But new evidence now shows that these early migrations weren’t one-way trips: in a study published on Thursday in Current Biology, researchers say they have uncovered traces of Native American ancestry in the DNA of Siberians who lived centuries ago.
This American heritage—still present in the genomes of some Siberians today—adds to a scattering of archeological evidence suggesting that North Americans were in contact with their northern Asian neighbors for thousands of years before Europeans arrived…
lumipunasays
Re 113: A “scattering of archaeological evidence”? IIRC, the distribution of Inuit languages also extends from Alaska slightly to the Asian side of Bering Strait.
ravensays
Tesla is having trouble selling its cars right now.
It is a variety of factors including the economy.
But not mentioned in this article is that Elon Musk has come out of his cave after buying Twitter and people have taken a hard look at him and don’t like what they see.
I’ve also read that people are taking a hard look at Tesla cars and they have some problems as well. HIgh price for what they are which is a car, inconsistent build problems, and a plain interior are common complaints. The self driving feature doesn’t work as a self driving feature.
Tesla Cuts Prices Sharply as It Moves to Bolster Demand
The price reductions in the United States will make more of the company’s electric vehicles eligible for a federal tax credit.
A red 2021 Model 3 sedan connected to a charger.
Tesla’s Model 3 Performance compact is selling for just under $54,000, down from $63,000.Credit…David Zalubowsk/Associated Press
By Neal E. Boudette NYT
Jan. 13, 2023
Tesla has cut prices on its two most popular electric cars in the United States and Europe by as much as 20 percent in a bid to spur slackening demand.
The move comes as Tesla faces increasingly stiff competition in the global market for electric vehicles.
Tesla recently lowered prices in China and reported a global sales total for 2022 that was below analysts’ expectations. After the latest price cuts were reported, Tesla stock was down about 5 percent in early trading on Friday. The share price has fallen by roughly 70 percent since November 2021.
The latest price cut on Tesla vehicles appeared on the company’s website late Thursday. The automaker now shows a high-end Model 3 Performance compact selling in the United States for just under $54,000, down from $63,000, a cut of 14 percent.
The most affordable version of the Model 3 now sells for just under $44,000, a reduction of about $4,000.
For some of the lower-priced models, the cuts put them in range to qualify for federal tax credits of $7,500 that were made available starting Jan. 1 under the Inflation Reduction Act. The credit is available on electric cars priced under $55,000.
Tesla sold 1.3 million cars in 2022, a 40 percent increase from the year before, but short of the 50 percent annual growth target the automaker had set for itself. In recent months, rising borrowing rates made its electric cars more expensive for people taking out loans.
Tesla’s fourth-quarter production of 440,000 cars was 34,000 more than the company delivered, suggesting that the sluggishness went beyond supply chain problems and production issues.
lumipunasays
Just today I heard a new rocket launch facility was formally opened at an existing space research centre near Kiruna, in Sweden’s far north:
Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson cut the ribbon during a ceremony at “Spaceport Esrange”, described as “mainland Europe’s first satellite launch complex”. [The ribbon looks curiously like Ukraine’s flag, while ostensibly showing the colours of Swedish flag]
“There are many good reasons why we need to accelerate the European Space Programme,” von der Leyen said. “Europe has its foothold in space and will keep it.”
The site is an extension of the Esrange Space Centre in Sweden’s Arctic, around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the town of Kiruna.
Around 15 million euros ($16.3 million) have been invested in the site, which is expected to serve as a complement to Europe’s space hub at Kourou in French Guiana.
It will also provide launch capabilities at a time when cooperation with Russia and the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan has been curtailed by the war in Ukraine [There’s also a major launch site in Plesetsk, Archangel region].
Esrange’s state-owned operator, the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), aims to launch its first satellite from the site “in the first quarter of 2024”, a spokesman told AFP on Friday.
That would make Sweden the first country in continental [as opposed to French Guiana etc.] Europe — excluding Russia — to send up a satellite from its soil.
Other European spaceports are also in the race.
Projects in Portugal’s Azores archipelago, Norway’s Andoya island, Spain’s Andalusia and Britain, among others, are all vying to be the first to succeed.
…
An attempt to launch the first rocket into orbit from Britain — on a Virgin Orbit Boeing 747 that took off from a spaceport in Cornwall — ended in failure on Tuesday.
NEW YORK (Reuters) -A New York judge on Friday sentenced Donald Trump’s namesake real estate company to pay a $1.61 million criminal penalty after it was convicted of scheming to defraud tax authorities for 15 years.
Justice Juan Merchan of the Manhattan criminal court imposed the sentence, the maximum possible under state law, after jurors found two Trump Organization affiliates guilty of 17 criminal charges last month.
BRASILIA (Reuters) – The leader of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro’s political party said on Wednesday that any member identified in videos taking part in the ransacking of government buildings on Sunday would be immediately expelled from the party.
Valdemar Costa Neto, president of the right-wing Liberal Party, said his party, the largest in Brazil’s Congress, condemned the rampage on Sunday in which Bolsonaro supporters vandalized the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace.
“If members of the party are seen on videos smashing up those government buildings, we will expel them right away,” he said in an interview, adding that the vandalism was caused by an extremist minority that did not represent his party…
This is a step the Republican Party never took. It hasn’t expelled anyone and has done its best to block investigation and prosecution of participants.
Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Chip Roy (R-Texas) dropped the Trust in Congress Act on Thursday, marking the third time that the unlikely duo has introduced the legislation. It would stop members of Congress, their spouses and their dependent children from trading individual stocks while serving in their elected position. They previously introduced it in June 2020 and January 2021.
ravensays
“‘Putin is crazy’: Chinese officials back away from Kremlin amid grave concerns over Russian President’s mental state”
Or so this article claims.
Since it can’t be confirmed or not, I wouldn’t fully trust it.
But it is at least plausible.
Most of the world has condemned the Russian attempted genocide of Ukraine and Ukrainians.
The Chinese risk being part of the new Evil Empire of outcast states that includes Russia, Syria, Serbia, and Iran.
Russia is on track to be the North Korea of Europe for the forseeable future.
As far as I’m concerned, the USSR’s best idea was to build the Iron Curtain.
We are now at the point, where rebuilding the Iron Curtain is the West’s best idea.
World News
Global Affairs ‘Putin is crazy’: Chinese officials back away from Kremlin amid grave concerns over Russian President’s mental state
Chinese officials have privately expressed disbelief in President Vladimir Putin’s ability to win the war in Ukraine and have begun distancing themselves from Russia as a result.
Amy Landsey Digital Reporter
January 13, 2023 – 2:40PM
Chinese officials have slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin as “crazy” in a bid to distance Beijing from the Kremlin’s ailing war in Ukraine.
Several Chinese Communist Party representatives have privately spoken to the UK’s Financial Times to express their discontent with President Putin and the war in Ukraine.
“Putin is crazy,” one official told the paper under the condition of anonymity.
“The invasion decision was made by a very small group of people. China shouldn’t simply follow Russia.”
As the war in Ukraine drags into its twelfth month, China has begun reconsidering whether a close relationship with Russia will serve its ongoing diplomatic goals.
The CCP reportedly believe Russia will fail in the war and be left isolated and significantly diminished both diplomatically and economically, emerging from the conflict a “minor power”.
Chinese officials have also expressed distrust toward President Putin, telling the paper Moscow had not made Beijing aware of the invasion before it took place.
Despite the private revelations, publicly China has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Russia.
In a regular press conference last Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters China and Russia were “committed to building a new type of major-country relations featuring mutual respect and win-win cooperation”.
“President Xi Jinping and President Putin have maintained close communication over China-Russia relations and major international and regional issues, and provided strategic guidance for the strategic partnership of coordination,” Ms Mao said.
“In the new year, the two sides will strengthen exchanges at all levels and continue to advance the growth of bilateral relations.”
She did not comment on whether Xi Jinping would accept President Putin’s invitation to visit Moscow in 2023.
Just last month, the two countries’ respective presidents also pledged to deepen their strategic partnership of coordination for a new era in a virtual meeting.
As of Friday morning, the Ukrainian ministry of defense reported that Ukrainian forces were still holding positions within Soledar. However, Ukrainian Telegram channels such as DeepState working with images released by Wagner Group forces moving within Soledar confirmed that Russian forces have occupied the central area of the town. Those Ukrainian forces that remain seem to be on the western edge of the town, where they are keeping Russian forces back from the important railway and highway just west of Soledar. [map at the link]
[…] Most reports indicate that Ukrainian forces are still being pressed as fighting continues in a town where not a single building is still intact.
In the whole area north of Bakhmut, the lines haven’t changed much in the last 24 hours. Additional images and videos have allowed the boundaries of the Russian advance to be refined. Reports of small Russian assaults being repulsed from Krasnopolivka and other points north of Bakhmut indicate Russia (or rather, Wagner) hasn’t yet cemented control over the area well enough to organize a serious next step. [map at the link]
Even if Russia’s claims to have captured all of Soledar remain untrue, that doesn’t mean Russia’s advance in the area hasn’t been significant. Two weeks ago, the line of dispute fell through the villages of Bakhmutske and Nova Kamyanka. Since then, Russia has moved the boundary in this area roughly 5 kilometers to the northwest.
They did this in spite of the fact that Ukrainians were largely occupying positions that they had prepared for defense over weeks or months. They did this over open ground using the same tactics that Russian forces have used consistently across multiple conflicts: Prepare the route with heavy artillery, then follow with waves of infantry. All of this is bad.
No, this doesn’t mean that taking two-thirds of Soledar is the equivalent of Ukraine’s counteroffensive in Kharkiv, or that even a complete retreat from Bakhmut would be a bigger loss than Russia’s retreat from Kherson. Of course not. The pro-Russian channels making exactly those claims are ridiculous.
However, that doesn’t mean that what’s happening north of Bakhmut can be dismissed. It’s easy to say that “Bakhmut is not a strategic target,” but clearly both Ukraine and Russia believe this is a location worth the expenditure of thousands of lives. In the case of Russia, some estimates place that number at around 20,000 losses in this one place on the line. (And yes, there are sources currently claiming that Ukraine has lost 55,000 soldiers in the defense of Soledar. Those sources are known as tankies in need of serious help.)
To see why Bakhmut both isn’t and is worth all the bloodshed going on around it, let’s first expand the view. [map at the link]
Bakhmut is roughly at the center of this map with Soledar just above. Down at the bottom of the map is the city of Donetsk, where Ukrainian forces have held the line against attempts to break out of the area since the war began. Now, locate the pale blue line that runs just east of Oskil near the top of the map and trace that line around. That’s the boundary of Donetsk Oblast. Obtaining all of that oblast has been not just one of Russia’s strategic goals in this invasion, but one of the targets it set in 2014.
Now, why does Russia want Bakhmut?
Well, look at it. For one thing, it’s in the middle of a series of road and rail junctions. Capturing them would not only give Russia better access to the the surrounding area, it would make it more difficult for Ukraine to supply its front-line forces and shift troops along the line. That has value.
When the war began, the line between Ukrainian control and Russian control was 25 kilometers east at Popasna. I wrote a lot about the importance of Popasna in the the early weeks of the invasion. The map below shows how a small area of the front stood in mid-April. [map at the link]
Stop me if this sounds familiar: Over a period of weeks Russia pulverized every building in Popasna, leaving not a single residence or structure intact. Ukrainian forces staged one heroic defense after another, holding back waves of Russian assaults that left the fields east of the town covered in broken tanks and shattered bodies. The bodycount of Russian losses was sickening, but Russian forces kept coming, pushing Ukrainian troops west mostly by using artillery to shatter every possible shelter in the town. Eventually, when Ukrainian soldiers had been pushed from their defensive positions, Russia was able to make an assault that got their forces within the ruins of Popasna. Over a period of days, they engaged in house to house fighting while new waves of Russians moved forward to reinforce the gains. On May 7, after 72 days of constant attacks, Popasna was captured. Russian forces came through that opening in the lines to assault positions to the west and north. Ukrainian troops were forced to abandon prepared positions and move back.
In the 251 days since Popasna fell, Russia has moved west from there at an average rate of 0.1 km (or not quite a soccer pitch) a day, but that’s an obvious oversimplification. Russia largely gained ground in the weeks immediately after Popasna fell and has been stuck in the same little area within 5-10 km east of Bakhmut ever since.
Bakhmut represents a roadblock in a path Russia has been trying to carve since before day one of this invasion. It’s an important transport junction and key piece of Ukraine’s second line of defense established after points like Popasna were captured.
Now, let’s wind the clock back a few months in another area and see why everyone—myself included—so easily falls into saying that “Bakhmut is not strategically important.” [map at the link]
Those who have been following the progress of this war from the beginning are likely to remember the long red finger of the “Izyum Salient” stretching across Kharkiv Oblast. Launching out from Svatove, Russian forces secured the bridge at Kupyansk then day by day began moving west and south toward the city of Izyum, where eventually—thanks to someone who helpfully showed Russian forces a low-water crossing—they were able to get behind defending Ukrainian troops and capture the city.
Right below that big “potential breakout” text is that location that everyone can agree is a strategic target of Russia: the neighboring cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk. With Donetsk city under Russian occupation since 2014, this area has become the de facto capital of Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine. It represents the most populous, most industrialized, and by far the most valuable location in the area. When Russia says they intend to take all of Donetsk Oblast, what they really mean is Kramatorsk. The rest is cleaning up.
By mid-summer, Russia had that area surrounded. They had Izyum to the northwest. They had Lyman to the north. They had Severodonetsk and Lysychansk to the east. And they were pushing into Bakhmut from the southeast.
Russia fully expected to place Kramatorsk in a “pincer” that closed on it from all sides. In fact, that capture of Izyum already made supply to the region a PITA that often required forces and materiel to move south then east, then north—often through Bakhmut—to reach Ukrainian lines north and east of Kramatorsk.
Then … bam. The Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kharkiv swept Russian forces out of Izyum, Lyman, and Bilohorivka, leaving the Russians at Lysychansk much more worried about digging in for defense than advancing on Kramatorsk. Obviously it was a lot more complicated than that. The full story included a number of tiny “hero towns” south of Izyum that withstood everything Russia could throw […] as well as Russia’s initial advance culminating due to the limits of their logistical and organizational structures.
In any case, suddenly most of the “pincer” was gone. When the dust cleared, Bakhmut was the only place where Russia was still trying to push toward a goal that had seemed so easily within reach just weeks earlier.
Kramatorsk is still the goal. Bakhmut is still the next step to that goal. It’s just that achieving the goal seems far less likely than it did when Bakhmut was just one potential finger in a big squeezing hand.
So … Is the Bakhmut area important?
Of course it is. It holds not just tactical value in terms of being at a transportation nexus, but symbolic value as the one place where Russia can point to “wins,” no matter the cost.
More importantly, Russia is still trying to capture the remainder of Donetsk Oblast, and no matter how unlikely that now seems, Ukraine has to fight them somewhere. If they walk away from the the Bakhmut area, they’ll just be doing this somewhere else. That doesn’t mean moving the whole show down the road, it means another set of towns being turned into rubble over a period of weeks or months of bombardment.
Bakmut, Soledar, Bakmutske, Optyne, and just about every other town or village nearby has already been reduced to a tragic rubble. Why would Ukraine want to repeat this disaster in another area if they can keep fighting at Bakhmut? Forget the “because Russian casualties are high” reasoning. Russian casualties will be high anywhere the battle moves. Feeding the meat grinder is just how Russia fights.
Bakhmut is important because it’s a sacrifice to protect other towns, villages, and cities from suffering the same fate. And as long as Ukraine can keep the fight in Bakhmut, it will.
The ADL yesterday issued its annual report on Antisemitic Attitudes in America (full text). According to the Executive Summary:
Over three-quarters of Americans (85 percent) believe at least one anti-Jewish trope, as opposed to 61 percent found in 2019. Twenty percent of Americans believe six or more tropes, which is significantly more than the 11 percent that ADL found in 2019 and is the highest level measured in decades….
Many Americans believe in Israel-oriented antisemitic positions – from 40 percent who at least slightly believe that Israel treats Palestinians like Nazis treated the Jews, to 18 percent who are uncomfortable spending time with a person who supports Israel.
Re: raven @ #123…
I suspect that Putin’s problem is that, like so many people who have–or want–absolute control, he is being fed “information” that he wants to hear. He is not being provided with an accurate assessment of the conditions “on the ground”, either militarily in Ukraine, nor about the state of the Russian economy.
An obvious result of this is that the orders issuing from him have little bearing on actual events and conditions. Plus, it will likely only get worse as those around him try to cover up failures, or even minor mis-steps, and Putin’s view of what is going on diverge from reality more and more over time.
One is reminded of one of the exercises for managers that Gerald Weinberg included in his book, “The Secrets of Consulting.” Draw a chart for your organization showing the formal lines of communication. Now add the informal lines of communication. If both sets of lines are the same, get out there on the floor and find out what’s really going on.
Former Trump’s longest-serving Chief of Staff did not realize how stupid Trump really is, according to the author of the book “Donald Trump v. The United States,” Michael Schmidt.
Michael Schmidt, author of “Donald Trump v. The United States,” has some revealing information about the thoughts of the longest-serving Trump Chief of Staff, John Kelly.
“I wrote a 12,000-word biography of John Kelly that looks at his history and his time working directly for Trump,” Schmidt said. “It tells the story of someone who came in as chief of staff thinking that Trump needed to have better processes around him. He needed to be staffed better. There needed to be a better system in the West Wing that would keep Trump on track.”
But then John Kelly realized something about Trump that even a blind and a deaf person could figure out.
“Hours and just days into Kelly’s tenure, he realized that the problem was far greater than that,” Schmidt said. “The problem was Trump. And Trump was stupider, more impulsive, more limited than he ever thought he would be. Kelly later told someone who I talked to that that he didn’t know they made human beings like that. And the biggest issue that Kelly was concerned about was whether Trump was using highly incendiary language about North Korea at the time, publicly and privately, was going to set off a massive military conflict.”
All of those on the inside understood that Trump was a clear and present danger to the entire country. Yet, the 25th Amendment was never considered seriously until he almost overthrew the country with his failed coup attempt. […]
Kevin McCarthy tried to explain why he’ll block specific Democrats from serving on the House Intelligence Committee. His pitch went surprisingly badly.
By any fair measure, the House Republicans’ newly created committee on the “weaponization” of government is a potentially dangerous and wildly unnecessary mess. That said, Democratic members will be able to participate in the conspiratorial investigation, and as my MSNBC colleague Ja’han Jones explained this week, the minority party has learned that boycotting panels like these doesn’t work.
Indeed, it’s a lesson Democrats learned by watching House Speaker Kevin McCarthy himself, who boycotted the bipartisan Jan. 6 committee — a decision the GOP ultimately came to regret.
[Kevin McCarthy] bragged during a news conference yesterday that he’ll let Democrats name their own committee members. A reporter quickly reminded McCarthy that, despite his boast, he actually intends to use his power to keep Democratic Reps. Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff — among others — from serving on the House Intelligence Committee, regardless of Democrats’ wishes.
At that point, the new House speaker shifted from bragging about letting Democrats name their own committee members to explaining why he wouldn’t let Democrats name some of their own committee members:
“Let me phrase something very direct to you. If you got the briefing I got from the FBI, you wouldn’t have Swalwell on any committee. … He cannot get a security clearance in the private sector. So would you like to give him a government clearance? … The FBI came and told the leadership then, ‘He’s got a problem,’ and [Democrats] kept him on [the House Intelligence Committee]. That jeopardized all of us.”
It’s important to emphasize that Swalwell has never been publicly accused of any wrongdoing that would necessitate his removal from the House Intelligence Committee. The California Democrat had been targeted by a suspected Chinese intelligence operative several years ago, but Swalwell cooperated with the FBI’s investigation into the matter, and there’s no available evidence suggesting the congressman did anything wrong.
What McCarthy argued yesterday, however, is that he has seen secret evidence — and that we should all just take his word for it. [JFC]
I seem to recall another member of Congress named McCarthy, who also made provocative allegations against his political foes, pointing to secret evidence he couldn’t share. It gave rise to a practice you’ve probably heard of: It’s known as McCarthyism.
It’s a legacy the House speaker should try to avoid.
As for the former chairman of the intelligence panel, McCarthy added yesterday: “Adam Schiff openly lied to the American public. … He put America for four years through an impeachment that he knew was a lie.”
First, McCarthy hasn’t actually pointed to any evidence of Schiff lying about anything. […] Second, both of Trump’s impeachments were legitimate and based on facts. And third, neither of Trump’s impeachments lasted four years.
Nevertheless, the speaker, who has the authority to restrict membership on the Intelligence Committee, intends to proceed in blocking Swalwell and Schiff, telling reporters yesterday, “I’m doing exactly what we’re supposed to do.”
For his part, Swalwell explained to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes this week that McCarthy is obviously pursuing partisan “vengeance,” adding that “there’s no substantive reason to remove us” from the panel.
The monthly meeting of the school board in Caldwell, Idaho, about 30 miles west of Boise, ended in fracas and affray Monday night as a brand-new member of the state Legislature berated the board and threatened the the members with lawsuits if it passed a proposed policy to protect LGBTQ kids.
The proposed Policy 3281 was the focus of the usual anger and moral panic by the far Right, because it would allow transgender students to use school restrooms and changing rooms appropriate to the gender identity kids express at school, as long as a parent requests it. It would also require teachers to use a trans kid’s preferred name and pronouns, and would let same-sex couples dance together at school dances, which would surely bring God’s wrath on Idaho. (I mean, just the dancing, never mind the gay part.) [LOL]
Oh, and to freak out all the rightwing Fox News watchers, the policy would provide confidentiality to students who prefer their parents not be notified they’re out at school, meaning parents would be denied their sacred right to thrash the demon-possessed stranger they no longer recognize as the child they once had, in the spirit of Christian love. [Yep. Yikes. And all too true.]
The board had already taken some steps to keep the meeting minimally civil, limiting public comment to an hour, giving preference to actual residents of Caldwell, and limiting speakers to three minutes each. Even so, there were several moments when the audience grew so loud and aggressive that the board nearly adjourned, including when three Caldwell High School students gave a joint statement in favor of the rule change, because why the hell would you let THEM speak all together, it’s madness!
Yep, they grumbled about the children, because the children weren’t afraid of imaginary scary LGBTQ monsters. […]
KTVB-TV, perhaps stifling a snicker or two, describes the objectors as having
made statements invoking God and condemning transgender people. Further, many people said the policy would violate God, the constitution and hasten the destruction of the United States.
Apart from the faulty parallelism there, that’s some fine reporting. If you’d like to ruin your day, you can watch the entire meeting on the YouTube; I’ve cued the video link to the start of the public comments, which also include a self-proclaimed “civil rights attorney” who promised to sue the board for forcing “a government-sponsored religion” on his children if it respected trans kids.
The board ultimately adjourned well before the hour was up, after state Sen. Chris Trakel (R) stepped up to the mic and complained that the board’s rules for public comments violated the People’s First Amendment rights how dare they, and he was just getting started.
This five-minute video includes Trakel’s meltdown and the raucous end of the meeting, complete with cops stepping in to protect members of the school board from We The People. [video at the link]
Trakel announced that he was not at the meeting in his role as a parent, but “on my official position” as a state senator. He was elected in November, and the Lege opened its 2023 session that day, so he was fully ready to go mad with power we guess.
Trakel admonished the school board that
You, under Idaho law, are required to maintain the morals and health of all the students. How can you do that when like that little girl came up here and said, and you allow a male student to use a female bathroom. You are going to put all of their moral health and safety at risk, and like I told you before you will face litigation. You call that a threat, I’m telling you that is what will happen. It has already happened in several states and there’s already been rulings on it.
So before you waste taxpayer money, before you put a kid in harm’s way, you better throw this policy out and not even consider it.
Trakel was apparently referring to a line in state law on school boards that says boards have a duty “To protect the morals and health of the pupils,” although it’s not any more specific than that. Not that the mental health or well-being of LGBTQ+ kids even matters […]
We won’t know what other great insights Trakel planned to offer, because at that moment, board Chair Marisela Pesina whispered something to another board member and Trakel lost his mind, telling Pesina that he had the floor and she had to listen to him, then ranting, “You claim you want people to follow the rules, but you break the rules left and right! Last month you allowed two people …”
At that point, Pesina called a recess and the audience went batshit, shouting that they’d recall the board and causing the Zoom recording to cut out automatically from the sudden noise. As the shouts and outrage continued (“The PEOPLE are SPEAKING!!”), a board member motioned for the meeting to adjourn, someone else seconded, […] Caldwell Police came in to protect the board members until the room was cleared, and happily no one was assaulted […]
As Idaho Ed News notes, the draft policy is still in the early stages of being adopted; if the board decides to continue on with it, it will need a first and second reading in future board meetings before the board votes. Sounds like fun! I’ll have to find some cardboard and a marker and make a sign saying “TRANSPHOBES ARE WEAK SAD POOP.”
If you’re looking for a cool, dispassionate assessment of Donald Trump’s political career, The New York Times has got you covered … in the worst, most cynical possible way.
The author of a major new op-ed soberly weighs Trump’s 2024 prospects, writing not at all generically, “Mr. Trump has both political assets to carry him forward and political baggage holding him back. For Mr. Trump to succeed, it means fewer insults and more insights; a campaign that centers on the future, not the past, and that channels the people’s grievances and not his own; and a reclamation of the forgotten Americans, who ushered him into the White House the first time and who are suffering economically under Mr. Biden.”
The author of this profundity? Kellyanne Conway, Trump’s former campaign manager and White House adviser. In an op-ed headlined “Kellyanne Conway: The Case for and Against Trump.”
When I want to hear the case for and against someone, I turn to a loyalist who spent years working to promote them. Don’t you?
The whole thing is studiously bland. The Times did not get the Kellyanne Conway who would blurt out a lie about the fictive “Bowling Green Massacre.” […]
She’s engaging in a project of trying to rescue Trump from his absolute flop of a campaign launch and ensuing months. Pretending to take a step back and weigh his strengths and weaknesses and where he would stand in a Republican presidential primary field is a strategic move to reframe Trump from a wounded loser sulking at Mar-a-Lago to an imperfect but enormously powerful figure ready to reemerge.
And the Times gave her a venue for this rehabilitation project. [Fuck you, New York Times. How much lower will your standards go?]
Naturally, Conway spends some key early real estate in her piece attacking Trump’s critics. “Trump Derangement Syndrome is real. There is no vaccine and no booster for it,” she writes. “Cosseted in their social media bubbles and comforted within self-selected communities suffering from sameness, the afflicted disguise their hatred for Mr. Trump as a righteous call for justice or a solemn love of democracy and country. So desperate is the incessant cry to ‘get Trump!’ that millions of otherwise pleasant and productive citizens have become naggingly less so.” [OMFG]
Oh, no, not becoming naggingly less pleasant and productive by calling for consequences for someone who attempted to overturn an election and incited a violent insurrection. But that’s the strategy here. This is all just a difference of opinion; why are people being so rude and uncivil about it?
[…] it’s not so surprising that it’s the Times giving Conway this platform to write, maybe even with a straight face, “The case against Trump 2024 rests in some combination of fatigue with self-inflicted sabotage; fear that he cannot outrun the mountain of legal woes; the call to ‘move on’; a feeling that he is to blame for underwhelming Republican candidates in 2022; and the perception that other Republicans are less to blame for 2022 and have more recent records as conservative reformers.”
Not to be too naggingly unpleasant, but the case against Trump 2024 also rests on the idea that people who attempt to overthrow the government should not be eligible for future office.
That Kellyanne Conway is dishonest in service of Donald Trump is nothing new. This op-ed seems like a desperation move, implicit recognition that things are not going well for him. What’s really noteworthy is that it didn’t appear on Fox News or in The Wall Street Journal. No, The New York Times made very prominent space for this, a clear indication that the paper is continuing its insistence on normalizing Trump and downplaying the historic nature of his lies, his incitement, and the way he has mainstreamed racism and bigotry in U.S. politics. […] it’s a marker that we should not miss.
Many Americans believe in Israel-oriented antisemitic positions – from 40 percent who at least slightly believe that Israel treats Palestinians like Nazis treated the Jews…
Yeah, forget about Kayne, Trump, and Fuentes. The REAL antisemitism that threatens Jews is pointing out that Israel is a genocidal ethnostate. Nothing fascist about Netanyahu and Co. at all.
…to 18 percent who are uncomfortable spending time with a person who supports Israel.
Yeah, who WOULDN’T want to spend time with the cheerleaders for an apartheid state?
Source: Nataliia Sad, spokesperson for Ukroboronprom, during a briefing, as cited by Interfax-Ukraine news agency
Quote: “Today, the project of developing an unmanned aerial vehicle with a range of more than 1000 kilometres, capable of carrying a payload of up to 75 kg has reached such a stage that, unfortunately, we cannot share any details about it now.”
Details: The Concern also reported that they have accelerated the production of the first sample as much as possible, “tested it in the airspace” and are preparing for the next stage: the demonstration of the capabilities of this system to the leadership of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Updated at 19:50: Russian media claim that at 19:30 in Berdiansk, the car of the so-called “head of the Civil Military Administration” of the Berdiansk district, Oleksiy Kychyhin, was detonated. The occupiers say that “thanks to a lucky chance”, the Russian-appointed puppet leader was not injured, as he “noticed a suspicious object on the bottom of the service car in time.”
whheydtsays
Re: Reginald Selkirk @ #136…
One might well wonder if the demonstration will start by asking said leadership if there is anything Russian in range they’d particularly like to be rid of.
In the lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Kent County Circuit Court, three Democratic presidential electors accused the 16 Republicans of submitting fraudulent election certificates in a scheme “to steal the election and install the losing candidate as President.” Michigan’s Democratic electorate had already filed their official documentation certifying President Biden’s win.
The lawsuit alleges that the GOP electorates created a fake election “certificate signed by the defendants and styled ‘Certificate of the Votes of the 2020 Electors from Michigan, which they offered as an official public record.”
The plaintiffs — Blake Mazurek, Robin Smith and Timothy Smith — also noted in the suit that the GOP electors claimed they had “convened and organized in the State Capitol on December 14, 2020 to cast Michigan’s 16 electoral votes for Donald Trump, when in fact none of this was true.” They allege that, in reality, a group of the electors had walked to the Capitol after a Michigan Republican Party meeting and were denied entry.
Cocaine seizures by U.S. officials at ports of entry rose nearly 20% compared to the previous fiscal year, official government data reveals. Border Report said that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than five tons of cocaine at ports of entry along southern Texas. “That was a 19% increase from Fiscal Year 2021,” the report said. What’s all that about so-called “open borders” again?
Officials also seized large amounts of other illegal drugs, including more than 30,000 pounds of meth, and hundreds of pounds of fentanyl and heroin. Additionally, hundreds of guns and nearly 80,000 rounds of ammunition were also confiscated. All in all, U.S. border officials estimated the street value of all the seizures coming to nearly $440 million. […]
In a separate release, CBP said that officers found cocaine valuing more than $154,000 hidden in a 2015 Ford during a crossing at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge.
“The seizure took place on Saturday, Jan. 7, at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge when a 22-year-old female United States citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas, attempted entry into the United States driving a 2015 Ford,” the release said. The packages were found when the driver was sent to a secondary inspection area, where officials found the stash with “the aid of a non-intrusive inspection system” and a canine unit. Good doggie.
Please also note that the driver was a U.S. citizen. While available data has shown that its overwhelmingly U.S. citizens who’ve been caught with drugs at U.S. ports of entry, Republicans have sought to use this to further their nativist agenda, like RNC chair Ronna Romney McDaniel basically accusing migrants of personally stashing “rainbow fentanyl” into children’s mouths. Unfortunately, polling has shown way too many Americans have been successfully duped by these lies.
[…] Republicans have also sought to use the very serious issue of fentanyl use to further their retribution agenda. Among the grievances listed in the ridiculous impeachment resolution filed by a House Republican against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas cites in part fentanyl seizures at the southern border as justification. They want him out for stopping the drugs from coming in, apparently.
Republicans have done everything possible to create havoc at the border, in reality. That includes derailing an immigration compromise in the last session of Congress and voting against hundreds of millions of dollars in land ports of entry modernization. “Fentanyl seizures have increased under the Biden administration, which made cracking down on drug traffickers a major component of the White House plan,” immigrant rights advocacy group America’s Voice has said.
Last August, border officials seized more than $4 million dollars worth of fentanyl in one bust. That’s anything but “open borders.” […]
Following an analysis of vaccine surveillance data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say they have found no evidence of increased risk of ischemic stroke among people 65 and older who receive Pfizer’s bivalent booster. […]
An ischemic stroke, more common than hemorrhagic strokes, occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain, stopping blood flow and potentially leading to brain cells dying. If a stroke is not treated quickly, the effects can be debilitating.
A similar safety signal was not identified for Moderna’s bivalent booster dose.
[…] The CDC concluded that no change was needed for its recommendation regarding the bivalent boosters, which advises that everyone over the age of 6 months stays up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. […]
Wisconsin Republicans voted Thursday to again allow therapists, social workers and counselors to try to change LGBTQ clients’ gender identities and sexual orientations — a discredited practice known as conversion therapy.
Just a note† on Israel, Palestinians, settlements, tribalist/royalist decrees, etc.: in the Levant:
(a) Two wrongs don’t make a right. No, three don’t, either. Don’t just keep adding on, it’s not going to change the answer (it’s not some moral/ethical variant on modular arithmetic). That goes for everyone involved.
(b) It is not the privilege of the bullied to become the bully. That it happens (far too often) doesn’t make it healthy or right, concerning individuals or groups. And kicking person/group A because you’re mad at/were abused by person/group B just makes you look stupid.
(c) It’s not only OK, but only intellectually honest, to blame the French and the more-antisemitic elements in the British Foreign Office from the late 1880s all the way up to 1948 for, at minimum, setting the stage for the particulars. (Conflict was, I’m afraid, inevitable; but it didn’t have to be this one.) Side-eye at Türkiye is also appropriate.
† n.b. I probably have/would have had relatives “involved”; one side of the family was, until shortly after Versailles, in and around Lviv and Krakow.
The US National Park Service will be offering no-cost admission to all of its parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Zion National Park on Monday, Jan. 16 as part of its 2023 “fee-free days.”
Though a majority of the nation’s parks are free year-round, roughly 100 of them have entrance fees ranging from $5 to $35 depending on the location…
Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
Saturday, April 22 (The start of National Park Week)
Friday, August 4 (Great American Outdoors Day)
Saturday, September 23 (National Public Lands Day)
Saturday, November 11 (Veterans Day)
A tweet sent to Swalwell Friday night from the account of lab worker Jonathan Reeser vowed to “break” Swalwell’s “f**king face” if he ever saw him in person and said he wished the lawmaker’s family would be “raped and murdered.”…
Patients Choice Laboratories soon after issued a statement Saturday, saying an employee, whom it did not name, had been terminated, “effective immediately,” following an internal investigation into the comments.
A T-72 tank has been destroyed and two other tanks have been damaged in ammunition detonation during a fire at a tank repair base in Belgorod Oblast in Russia…
ravensays
A large number of people see Twitter as seriously wounded and heading towards death or Myspace territory, all thanks to Musk and the Nazis.
And, there are already a large number of companies trying to take over their space on the internet.
Here is a new startup called T2, whose main feature is that it is Twitter without Elon Musk.
“That concept is less set in stone than you might think. Speaking to Cselle, the idea with T2, he said, is to create a “familiar place that is very close to the original.”
I just use Twitter to read the headlines for news stories.
It’s already been overrun with trolls, notably it is now full of Russian trolls bashing Ukraine and the West.
Social Twitter rival ‘T2’ raises its first outside funding, $1.1M from a group of high-profile angels
Ingrid Lunden@ingridlunden / 11:35 AM PST•January 12, 2023
It hasn’t decided on a name, it’s still on the hunt to fill some important roles and its early alpha has less than 100 users as of today. But, riding the wave of interest in the current state of Twitter, a startup hoping to disrupt it has raised $1.1 million in funding. T2, the project being led by Gabor Cselle, has closed its first outside investment from a group of angels that includes Bradley Horowitz, Rich Miner and the former CEO of Wikipedia, Katherine Maher.
Cselle himself has founded and sold startups to Twitter and Google, and he spent a number of years at both companies building products. In recent times, he has also been a popular presence on Twitter on subjects like building companies and products. His track record shows in the list of people who have pitched in money to back him and his latest efforts.
Horowitz, a seasoned exec at Google, has led and built a number of products there (including some ill-fated social efforts like Google+); he also wrote the first check for Slack. Miner is one of the co-creators of Android and also helped build out the powerhouse that is Google Ventures (now known as GV).
Others in this early seed round — 17 in all — include Kayak’s Paul English, Hubspot’s Dharmesh Shah, Twitter’s ex-engineering director Vijay Pandurangan, Mercury CEO Immad Akhund, Paul Lambert (an ex-Twitter, ex-Google director), Jackie Bernhelm (a director of Area 120 at Google), Coco Mao of OpenArt.ai, Yelp’s ex-SVP of engineering Michael Stoppelman, Brian McCullough of the Techmeme Ride Home Podcast via his Ride Home Fund (independent of Techmeme), the ex-product lead of Twitter’s consumer division Jeff Seibert, YC partner Jared Friedman, the former head of news partnerships at Google Natalie Gross, Squarespace’s Janani SriGuha, and CEO and co-founder of Byteboard Sargun Kaur.
T2, to be clear, is not the company’s final name.
It is the working title for the startup and its new service. That service had a somewhat unlikely beginning. It started life as a series of Cselle’s Tweets, where he thought aloud about the missed opportunity at Twitter in the wake of Musk’s takeover. Those eventually evolved into statements (Tweets) about what Caselle saw as a prime opportunity to build on that potential. Those then became his battle call, and he launched the T2 effort in earnest last November.
Since that early public commitment, T2, based out of the Bay Area, has launched a very early-stage closed alpha. It has already brought together a staff of seven, including some Twitter alums like Cselle himself. He tells me the plan is to use the funding both to continue hiring in a range of roles, some of which are pretty big — he’s in the market for a CTO — and to continue developing the product and the concept behind it.
That concept is less set in stone than you might think. Speaking to Cselle, the idea with T2, he said, is to create a “familiar place that is very close to the original.”
But what version of “the original” he means is still up in the air, since Twitter has shifted quite a lot over the years, and T2 is being selective on what it’s prioritizing to build and what it might leave out altogether. (For one thing, the character count on the “original” Twitter was 140 characters. In the purple-hued T2 it’s 280.)
The overriding aim seems to encourage use of T2 by making it as easy as possible to use, and the route to that ease is coming from tapping into familiarity. The hope is that activity will breed conversations and connections. “In consumer social, it’s all about the community,” said Cselle.
There is probably a key critical mass that it will need to reach, too. Right now, there are still less than 100 people in this early version. But Cselle tells me that the sign-up list is in the region of tens of thousands already, and it wants to onboard more of them.
“We have a product and we are going as quickly as possible,” he said.
Growth will be intrinsically connected not just to T2 understanding whether it has something here worth building and the makings of that community, but to it raising more money. He told me that he’s already having early conversations with VCs and other institutional investors. But they will be unlikely to back T2 until it reaches some milestones.
Specifically the metrics they are looking for are 5,000 active users.
In the meantime while the product is being developed, there is a second track of messaging happening over a publicly accessible Google Spreadsheet, titled “What Would It Take To Build Another Twitter.” which not only is meant to steer the effort (Twitter is the north star) but to serve as a kind of out-in-the-open brainstorm for Cselle and his team and those watching.
(If the world is roughly divided into people who like to write out plans/put things into forms and lists; and those who do not; Cselle is in the former category. “I plan family vacations in spreadsheets,” he told me.)
T2 may be one of the first to close (modest) funding in the wave of services out there, established and emerging, that are looking to dethrone Twitter, but it’s not the only one that will be looking to capitalize on the situation. Among them, Spill, founded by Twitter alums, is also looking to raise some $1.3 million; Post, already well backed, is looking to raise more at a $250 million valuation.
The big questions for T2, or whatever it will be eventually called, will be the same faced by other would-be competitors. Will Twitter face a sustained exodus of users and will it be to another product similar to it or something else entirely?
On Monday, the U.K. government is expected to hold a press conference at which it will formally announce the transfer of a dozen Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. However, we don’t have to wait for Monday. Because the transcript of a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and freshly installed U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already made it clear that Britain’s best is on its way. Best of all, as Ukrainians and the world are watching the damage done from a new wave of Russian missiles, the first of those tanks are said to be on their way “immediately.”
In an invasion where more than half the tanks deployed were built before 1991, the Challenger 2 is a relatively new device. Though it’s based on designs going back to the 1970s, it didn’t officially enter service with the British army until 1998. Plans call for the Challenger to remain as U.K.’s main battle tank into the next decade, with 149 of them being upgraded to the new Challenger 3 spec. That leaves roughly 70 of the tanks in British service that are not slated for upgrade, and it’s likely from that list that a dozen will be peeled off and sent to Ukraine.
Though experts constantly mull which is the best modern tank, there’s no doubt that the Challenger 2 is near the top of any list. It’s has it’s quirks (gun) and concerns (engine), but it also has an armor system and a service record that has given it a reputation being nearly indestructible. Now it’s taking that reputation to Ukraine.
In his phone call to Zelenskyy, PM Sunak said that he hoped the tanks would help “push Russian troops back,” but as the first fully Western tanks head for Ukraine, Zelenskyy has to be hoping for more. Mostly, he has to be hoping that this first stream of tanks will turn into a flood. It will certainly add to the pressure in Germany and the U.S. to dispatch their armor.
It may not be the perfect start to getting Ukraine what it needs. But it’s a good one. [Video: “How These tanks Outclass Putin’s” available at the link]
Main Battle Tanks (MBT) are at a somewhat awkward moment. There are new tanks on the way, like Germany’s Panther KF51 or the U.S. AbramsX which promise better instruments, better guns, more speed, tougher armor, improved sneakiness, and “smart” everything, but in terms of entering service, these tanks are still years, if not decades, away. Britain’s Challenger 3 is likely to be the first of the new generation that gets handed over to an actual grunt, and that’s because it’s more of an elaborate upgrade than a clean sheet design.
That’s where most of the world is right now, on some iteration of a tank that’s been around for far longer than their operators have been alive. The first Abrams entered service in 1980. The first Leopard 2 in 1979. The Challenger 2 may be a quarter century old, but that makes it the baby among these tanks. (Note: in terms of really nice, new tanks that someone might send to Ukraine, it wouldn’t hurt to ask South Korea for a few K2 Black Panthers, which entered service in 2016, and might actually be better than anything in Europe).
On paper, the only nation in this fight with a genuinely new tank is Russia. The first copy of the T-14 Armata rolled off the lines in 2015 … and promptly became stuck on a Moscow street during a parade, reportedly when the tank’s new controls confused the driver.
However, the difference between on paper and on the ground is huge. For one thing, all those “old” Western tanks aren’t so old at all. All of them have been given upgrades, large and small, almost from the moment they rolled out. The difference between the first Abrams to go through testing and the latest M1A2 SEPv3 or SEPv4 is like comparing … something old with something not at all old. Similar upgrades, though arguably not as extensive, have happened with both the Challenger 2 and the Leopard 2.
[…] For now, back to the tank we already know is arriving in Ukraine — the Challenger 2. If you looked at the video at the top of the page (and you should), you’ve already gotten a sense of how potent the British tank can be. Here’s another video, with plenty of Challenger 2 footage, contrasting the tank with the Russian T-90M. [video at the link]
[…] When it comes to the best tank to send to Ukraine, I’ve expressed my opinion multiple times that the Leopard 2 enjoys both solid performance and the benefit of wide use across NATO, including in Poland, meaning that experienced crews for training and maintenance—as well as in place logistics streams and repair parts—are available right across the border from Ukraine. Poland, which is starting to receive new M1A2s from the U.S., is more than willing to hand over the keys on some of its Leopard 2s, as soon as Germany stops getting in the way.
[…] Another concern about the Challenger 2 is one it largely shares with the M1A2 Abrams: Weight. Both tanks are hefty boys, starting out in the mid-60 tonne range. Fully outfitted with armor and kit, a Challenger 2 is likely to be between 70 and 75 tonnes. That’s not just torture on every road it drives along, but a real test to bridges and overpasses. Destroying bridges has been a big factor for both sides in Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and both sides have thrown up replacement bridges. How many of these will bear the Challenger 2’s weight?
Finally, even if the word “immediately” was part of the conversation between Zelenskyy and Sunak, what does that really mean? A Challenger 2 can go better than 300 miles down the road, so they might just arrive at Lviv tomorrow and start driving toward Bakhmut, but any reasonable approach has to include at least a modicum of training and the establishment of a logistical chain. The last thing that needs to happen is seeing a Challenger stuck along the roadway somewhere in eastern Donetsk, helpless because it needs a part, or someone with the knowledge about where to stick that part.
Moving any Western tank into the Ukrainian military is likely to mean channelling them all to a single unit, one where the training and logistics can be optimized to support that tank, rather than adding them piecemeal into units that are also supporting Soviet-era tanks. That unit is likely to be formed well off the front lines, and to involve crews that have been out of Ukraine for training on operation and maintenance.
So in this case, “immediately” is unlikely to mean “now arriving at Soledar” and where the tanks are eventually sent will probably be an expression of where Ukraine wants to move forward, not hold ground.
In any case, let’s hope that the U.K. decision does really open the floodgate, possibly triggering the flight of a few Abrams and definitely setting free those Leopards. There were reports on Friday that the whole of the German government is currently on shaky ground, as the Greens are threatening to leave the coalition unless Germany stops blocking Ukraine from getting what it needs. Shake them, Greens, shake them. [Tweet about upgrades to Challenger 2 armor]
And hopefully, the Challenger 2 will roll into Ukraine while keeping its record for never suffering a loss.
Late in the 2020 election cycle, one regular Republican donor said they were getting bombarded with messages asking them to contribute to a New York congressional candidate named George Santos. The donor, who asked that their name be withheld since they are not a public person, checked in with then-Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), who, at the time, was representing a House district adjacent to the one where Santos was running on Long Island.
“I did reach out to Lee Zeldin and I said, ‘You know, who’s this George Santos? I’m getting nonstop phone calls, texts, everything,’” the donor recounted in a conversation with TPM.
According to the donor, Zeldin noted Santos was a “gay Republican.” Those are two of the aspects of the story Santos presented on the campaign trail that actually seem to be true. The donor was glad to offer Santos their support.
“That kind of diversity for the party, I thought, would be good,” said the donor. “So, the next time someone from his campaign called, which was probably very soon after, I gave my credit card over the phone for a $1,000 donation.”
Santos lost the 2020 race soon afterward. However, the donor’s brief interaction with Santos’ first unsuccessful House bid was the beginning of a long odyssey that they said resulted in more than $15,000 in false credit card charges. Some of that money inexplicably went to the campaign of Tina Forte, another Republican congressional candidate in New York whose campaign had links to Santos.
“It’s just wrong on so many levels,” the donor said.
[snipped a lot of details which are available at the link]
This donor apparently isn’t the only one who felt like they were ripped off by the Santos and Forte campaigns.
Denise Robichaud, a 75-year-old retiree, told TPM that she attempted to make a small donation of $25 to the Forte campaign last year. However, after setting up the transaction, Robichaud received a confirmation that she had been charged a whopping $5,800, the maximum allowable political contribution for a federal candidate in a given election cycle.
“I freaked out at the time,” Robichaud said. “I was on the phone saying, ‘Hello, you stupid idiots. That’s not what I’m donating. … Oh my god, don’t you do this to me.’”
Campaign finance reports that the Forte campaign filed with the FEC show that Robichaud was charged $5,800 on Aug. 24 of last year. According to the records, Robichaud received a refund the following day. […]
“I don’t have $5,800 to give her,” Robichaud said of Forte. “My main thing all through those election things was twenty-five bucks. … I would never have sent her that amount of money.”
While Robichaud got all of her money back, she said the experience soured her on making political donations. […]
Russia launched a large number of ballistic missiles into Ukraine on Saturday, with some coming from the airspace of Belarus. All of them appear to have been directed at civilian targets. One of these strikes in Dnipro was particularly hideous. [image at the link in comment 150]
I’m warning you right now, this video from the scene is the worst thing that I’ve ever posted. Worse than any image from the battlefield. This is the sound of people trapped under the rubble in Dnipro. Do not play it unless you want to hear it in your head for a long time. Those bastards. Send Ukraine the tanks. Send them everything. [video at the linking comment 150]
The morning report from Kyiv insists that portions of Soledar are still in Ukrainian hands. Videos seem to agree. [video at the link]
[…] At least five people were killed and about 40 injured in the residential building attack, Dnipro regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said on Telegram. Seven of the wounded were children, and a 9-year-old girl was in critical condition. Residents were trapped as flames engulfed part of the structure, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the president’s office, said on Telegram. About 20 people had been rescued, three of them children.
The initial blasts hit the city early Saturday, Kyiv’s mayor said, urging residents to go to shelters. He said missile fragments landed in a nonresidential part of the city, where a fire erupted with no casualties. The regional administration reported a fire at an infrastructure site, and the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office said the strike targeted “critical infrastructure facilities.” […]
“Most likely, these are missiles that flew along a ballistic trajectory from the northern direction,” Yuri Ignat, a spokesman for Ukraine’s air force said about the earlier blast. He said Ukraine was unable to detect or shoot down ballistic missiles.
A leader of the Wagner Group suggested the Kremlin stole credit for advances in Soledar</b?. The Russian Defense Ministry, which had credited its troops for the offensive, later said the Wagner Group’s private military forces were responsible for attacks in the town.[…]
Battlefield updates
Kharkiv’s governor also reported a missile attack on infrastructure in the northeast region on Saturday. Oleh Synehubov warned there could be emergency power outages as a result. The mayor of Kharkiv city said missiles struck an industrial district of the regional capital and authorities were assessing the damage.
[snipped tank info, which was already presented in comment 150]
The U.N. atomic energy agency is set to station safety experts at Ukraine’s nuclear power facilities, as part of efforts to avert a nuclear accident during the war, it said in a statement. International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Mariano Grossi will visit Ukraine next week to launch the plan and meet with government officials.
Western fighting vehicles promised to Ukraine could provide tactical advantages, […] The vehicles, including U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicles, could help Ukraine scout enemy positions, transport its troops and fire on armored Russian vehicles.
Global impact
An explosion hit a gas pipeline between Lithuania and Latvia on Friday, causing a fire that was extinguished after hours. Officials said there were no immediate signs of an attack. The two countries are on the Baltic Sea, where blasts last year hit the Nord Stream pipeline built to carry natural gas from Russia to Europe.
Russia is slowing down the inspection of ships leaving Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and delaying grain exports to the developing world, according to the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. She said grain was “moving at just half the rate of the pace back in September and October.”
NATO surveillance aircraft are being deployed to Romania on Jan. 17 to monitor Russian activity. The Airborne Warning and Control System planes have conducted frequent patrols over Eastern Europe to keep track of Russian warplanes during the conflict in Ukraine.
4. From our correspondents Ukraine liberated Kherson city. Now, Russia is destroying it: Residents of the port on the Black Sea “say that now that their city is back under Ukrainian control, they face a painful reality: If Russia can no longer have the city, it seems hellbent on destroying it,” Siobhán O’Grady and Anastacia Galouchka write from Kherson.
Russian forces have hit medical facilities in Kherson at least five times since early December, and in recent weeks, have also struck a market, a museum and many homes, they report.
U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar is zeroing in on Gen. Mark Milley, calling the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff a “traitor” and signaling that an investigation is coming.
On Twitter, Gosar, R-Ariz., this month wrote that the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives will conduct “a real investigation” into the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot and “the effort to attempt a coup between traitor Gen. Mark Milley and (then-House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi will be reviewed and exposed.” …
Gosar has been re-elected repeatedly since first joining Congress in 2011.
Jennifer Wright, who publicly supported right-wing candidates and then used her office to investigate their election losses, was removed from her position, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said on Jan. 4.
The spokesperson for newly elected Attorney General Kris Mayes said one of the administration’s first official acts was to tell Wright to resign or be fired, her office confirmed a day later. Pressed on the matter, the Mayes administration said it didn’t know if she ever received the information directly.
Mayes has pledged to shift the unit’s primary mission from investigating allegations of voter fraud to combating acts of voter intimidation and threats to elections officials. She said the office should be ensuring the rights of voters are upheld and that there is “no voter suppression in the state of Arizona.”
lumipunasays
Also welcome back, Audley and Oggie! I’ve lurked on Pharyngula since 2009, but almost never commented prior to 2017.
Re 78 and 79:
PZ changed the Moments of Political Madness thread to be more encompassing, and thus the resurrection of The Infinite Thread.
…
Each “chapter” of The Infinite Thread runs for 500 comments and then it automatically renews … until it hits a certain Freethought Blogs time limit and then PZ has to resuscitate it.
I usually notice when the thread hits the time limit, and then I send email to PZ asking him to bring us back to life. For this current chapter, I didn’t have to do that. PZ noticed without any prompting.
The time limit is three months, so we get four new threads a year, each accumulating many pages. Since the current thread is numbered XXVI, I think the series started over six years ago, ie. in late 2016. I don’t remember for sure if this same series was originally titled Moments of Political Madness (as opposed to MPM being a prior series), but the timing seems to check out. IIRC, when the MPM started we had a separate social thread, but it soon fizzled out.
There are 500 comments per page.
It’s the same thread until PZ makes a new thread.
You can tell it’s a new thread when the Roman numeral changes.
ravensays
Most of us have heard about the rocket attack on a 9 story apartment building in Dnipro.
Zelenskiy – “As of now, 39 people were rescued, including 6 children. 25 people died, including 1 child. 73 people were injured, including 13 children. 43 people are missing.”
The death toll is up to 25.
It is ominous that 43 people are missing.
Most of those are going to end up in the death toll column.
Oh, Kansas Republicans. When it comes time to show your true colors, we can count on you. Despite redrawing congressional districts in hopes of ousting Democrat Sharice Davids from Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District, she won in a blowout, with 54.91% of the vote. Then Republicans thought they really had a chance to rack up and take back the governor’s mansion, believing Kansas was conservative enough they’d beat back Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. She showed Republican efforts the door.
Before all this, Kansas Republicans virtually guaranteed that they would end abortion in Kansas with a constitutional ballot initiative that was outright destroyed with 59% voting “no” in August. Now, these same crafty Republicans have an incredible idea: double down on policies that have been rejected by Kansas voters and have cemented a Kansas Democratic congresswoman and governor. What do they call it? Why, it’s the “Better Way” agenda. What does it offer? Plenty of hate, but not a lot of substance, economics, or reason.
[…] Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab has contended Kansas elections are fair, well run, and devoid of any fraud. Now that Laura Kelly has put Kansas in a position where we have a budget surplus, Kansas Republicans are committed to using some of that money to fund anti-abortion “pregnancy centers” with taxpayer funds. Doubling down on all of the issues that failed at the ballot box only a few months before seems to be how Kansas Republicans feel they can win in 2024. It’s a bold strategy, but is there a sly, well-thought-out plan behind this mess? Let’s find out.
[…] this plan isn’t a plan at all. Instead, it is just a laundry list of hate-filled demands that Republicans believe will really resonate with their home audience.
The agenda delved into outright comedy when Senate President Ty Masterson was stumped […] From the Kansas Reflector:
When asked what specifically what woke ideology was, Masterson said the definition varied from person to person.
“Woke means the focus on identity and dividing us up into different groups and causing fractions,” Masterson said. “That’s the woke agenda. Woke has all kinds of meanings to different people. That’s what it means to me, is this focus on somebody’s individual – your innate characteristics, about somehow you’re different than everyone else.”
So, you are bitterly opposed to an agenda you can’t define and can mean very different things to different people? […]
The agenda includes everything from new abortion restrictions to anti-LGBTQ proposals that attack students and parents. This could go as far as seeking criminal statutes against those that help trans youth and break down rules that help gay parents adopt or foster children.
Republicans are even more ambitious and may consider legislation that goes after banks that do not invest in fossil fuels or guns, according to Sunflower State Journal, as well as protecting the fossil fuel industry from organized boycotts. You know, just protecting the common folk.
Hate. Drama. Anger. Rage. Sorry you lost all those elections in 2022, Kansas Republicans, including the two you thought you had rigged in your favor. You’ll get over it. Becoming abusive just won’t make it any better.
(CN) — A federal judge struck down an effort by gun groups to overturn California’s recent law that bans the marketing of firearms to children.
U.S. District Judge Dale Drozd of the Eastern District of California ruled Thursday evening that the groups were unlikely to succeed in challenging the law and denied their request for a preliminary injunction.
The plaintiffs, including youth sports and pro-hunting groups, argued that the law violated gun manufacturers’ freedom of speech. Judge Drozd countered that argument in his 41-page opinion, saying that states had the right to regulate commercial speech.
“The court concludes that there is ample documentation of the serious and ever-increasing problem of gun violence involving minors, and the state has a substantial interest in addressing that problem,” the opnion stated.
The law, AB 2571, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in July last year. It was promptly met with challenges from pro-gun organizations.
“Today’s decision is another victory in our fight to protect California from this epidemic of senseless gun violence,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement. “The idea of marketing dangerous weapons to kids is despicable, and I will not stand for it…. My office will continue fighting with every tool we have at our disposal to defend our state’s lifesaving gun safety laws.”
The Wagner Group’s apparent success in capturing Soledar appears to have been a Pyrrhic victory, with the mercenaries suffering such massive casualties that their future and ability to recover are now reportedly in doubt. [video at the link]
It was previously reported that Wagner’s head Yevgeny Prigozhin saw the assault on Soledar as a way of strengthening his hand against the Russian Ministry of Defence (see below). However, Wagner’s losses may now make this more difficult.
The Russian VChK-OGPU Telegram channel reports that a source has told it that Prigozhin has gone to St Petersburg to discuss Wagner’s fate, possibly with Putin. The source says: “There are suspicions that Wagner will be merged into the military. The Ministry of Defence troops in Soledar are now so spread out that it is not very clear whom they are blocking: the ‘Musicians’ [Wagner] or the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Prigozhin flew away ‘grey’, but promises to deal with the situation at the top. It certainly doesn’t look like a win.”
Wagner also reportedly has major problems in replacing its losses. According to the source, “New raids on the zones [penal colonies] have started, but it’s like a spoon poking at the bottom of an empty pot. Everyone who could was taken earlier. […]
[…] Kreminna showed up again on today’s list of location in which the Ukrainian military reports repulsing a Russian attack. This follows multiple, but unconfirmed, reports that Ukrainian forces have entered the residential area at the southwest edge of the city.
The Russians continue to experiment with their missile launches. Today’s strikes on Ukraine feature something new: missiles fired on a looping ballistic trajectory from the north. Likely a tactic to defeat air defenses; only a few systems can do this.
If true(ballistic missile launched from north) warning times would be very short, explaining a siren lag. Looping ballistic trajectories are air defense defeat mechanisms that usually aren’t possible for older systems – probably meaning a newer system. Not Kalibr either, leaving something like the Islander SS-26 SRBM, or it’s air launched version, the Kinzhal ALBM. I don’t have all the info so this view is caveated. Based on other things the Russians have done lately, there are now a few types of targeting experimentation, they are learning.
On Monday, the U.K. government is expected to hold a press conference at which it will formally announce the transfer of a dozen Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. However, we don’t have to wait for Monday. Because the transcript of a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and freshly installed U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already made it clear that Britain’s best is on its way. Best of all, as Ukrainians and the world are watching the damage done from a new wave of Russian missiles, the first of those tanks are said to be on their way “immediately.”
Last week, the Southern Star Brewery in Conroe, Texas, canceled an upcoming “Rally Against Censorship” event they were meant to host after they learned that the keynote speaker was none other than Kyle Rittenhouse.
“Southern Star Brewery is an apolitical organization,” read a statement posted on social media by the venue, “But we feel that this event doesn’t reflect our own values and we could not in good faith continue to rent our space for the event on 1/26. We don’t do rallies, we make beer for people who like beer.”
This was, of course, entirely fair. It is quite reasonable for a venue to decide “Hey, we don’t want some kid who is exclusively famous for shooting people at a protest to speak at our brewery. We’d rather not encourage that.” Giving Rittenhouse a platform like that and making a celebrity out of him sends a message that it is okay to go to protests armed to the teeth and then shoot people for no reason. While he was found innocent in a court of law, no one is obligated to encourage people to follow in his footsteps.
“It’s really disappointing to see that places continue to censor me and not allow my voice and many other voices to be heard because they bend to the woke crowd,” Rittenhouse, who is not legally allowed to “like beer” in a bar responded on Twitter. “I’ll keep you guys updated on the event on the 26th that I was supposed to speak at.”
To be clear, the brewery was not censoring Kyle Rittenhouse or barring any voices from being heard. Rittenhouse and others were and are entirely free to take their act to any other venue that wishes to host them. The brewery merely told him “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,” a phrase he should probably get used to hearing.
Southern Star Brewery CEO Dave Fougeron says that they did not bend to the “woke crowd” or the “woke mob” or any other figment of the Right’s imagination, but canceled the event after hearing concerns from their actual patrons. He says he had booked the event before he know that Rittenhouse would be speaking.
“Our place is super inclusive,” Fougeron told the Texas Tribune. “We are super pro-veteran, super pro-law enforcement. We’re trying to be good people in the community. We’re friends with our firefighters, with our police department…. We have a lot of gay patrons who come in because it’s a place of inclusivity. It’s crazy that we’re getting threats from people.”
Fougeron says that ever since the announcement, they have been harassed and threatened by Rittenhouse’s loyal supporters […]
“It’s been kind of a shitstorm,” Fougeron said, “But now I’m more certain than ever that I made the right decision.” And he did.
If I were Kyle Rittenhouse, which thankfully I am not, I would just be grateful that the brewery chose to simply cancel an event rather than censoring anyone’s voice the way Kyle Rittenhouse has censored people’s voices in the past. At least he’s walking out of this alive.
Another 24 hours, another 12 million new ways in which former volleyball champion, American Idol winner, Post-It Note inventor and current congressman George Santos has proved to be more than a little sketchy.
Yesterday, we learned that newly minted Congressman from Long Island once introduced himself at an event for LGBTQ Trumpublicans as “Anthony Devolder,” founder of an organization called “United For Trump” that does not appear to exist now or have ever actually existed.
He assumed the sobriquet to ask far-right trans YouTuber Blair White what she was doing to “help educate other trans people from not having to follow the narrative that the media and the Democrats put forward,” whatever the hell that means. [video at the link]
The event was put on by January 6 insurrectionist Brandon Straka as part of his grifty #WalkAway campaign, which encouraged LGBTQ people to #WalkAway from the Democratic Party and join a club that doesn’t want them as a member.
It has also turned out that this is not the only alias Santos has assumed. He also went around calling himself George Devolder for a while, back when he was working at Harbor City Capital Corp, which would later turn out to be a Ponzi scheme.
CNN found a 2020 exchange in which George Santos—going by George Devolder—was confronted by a potential customer who looked into his Ponzi scheme and was told by Deutsche Bank that it was “a complete fraud” (Which, it turns out, was true) [more at the link]
[…] It appears, according to emails obtained by WaPo, that at least one other investor reached out to Santos—then going by George Devolder—to explain that the Deutsche Bank letter was a fraud.
Despite multiple warnings, Santos stayed at the Ponzi scheme.
Santos’ full name is George Anthony Devolder Santos, so the names are his — he just jumbles up the order sometimes. The only truly surprising thing here is that he never went by “George Glass.”
It now turns out that Santos is not just a liar, but a thief. Allegedly. Sure, we already knew that because of the whole Brazil thing where he stole an old man’s checkbook to go clothes shopping, but he’s now being accused of stealing more than that.
By now, you have likely seen the video of Santos giving a speech at the January 5th Stop the Steal rally (organized in part by one Brandon Straka, whom we can assume knew Santos’ real name by that point), encouraging Trump supporters to overthrow the election. [video at the link]
See that Burberry scarf he’s wearing? Two of his former roommates, Gregory Morey-Parker and Yasser Rabello, told Patch.com reporter Jacqueline Sweet that Santos stole the scarf from Morey-Parker while they were living together. They say he stole other things as well, including phones, checks and some very expensive dress shirts, including a $500 Burberry dress shirt and an Armani. Armani dress shirts can run into the thousands, which means it could qualify as grand larceny on its own had they pressed charges. Certainly all of the items taken together would qualify.
Via Patch.com:
Morey-Parker said he was “100 percent” certain the scarf was his when he saw video footage of Santos at the 2021 rally in Washington, D.C. A friend gifted it to him as he visited Santos, he remembered, and his missing scarf’s color was “lighter than regular camel check.”
Morey-Parker told Patch that he also spotted the shirt he was missing in one of Santos’ 2020 Instagram posts. He also shared his anger when he saw the post with Rabello in 2020.
[…] I may not be a fan of Burberry scarves. I may find it sad to pay $500 for a wealth-indicating, status symbol accessory that everyone has and of which there are knockoffs everywhere — but they’re pretty damned expensive and this guy has every reason to be super pissed. I thought I left my (far less basic) Skull Cashmere infinity scarf at a bar the other night and nearly had a heart attack. Scarves are very important and scarf crime is not to be tolerated in our society! We can’t have people running around unaccessorized and cold. […]
The former roommates are not the only ones accusing Santos of stealing from them. In fact, there is an entire WhatsApp group text for people to share their stories of being swindled by Santos — more money, jewelry, etc. He’s like the male Anna Delvey at this point, just going around scamming people from Brazil, to Florida, to New York. He makes far more sense subject of an Netflix original series based on an article from The Cut than he does a Congressman.
It’s been well over three years since either of the two lived with Santos, so the statute of limitations for them to press charges on grand larceny has run out — but given the way people are coming out of the woodwork to accuse Santos of stealing from them, it may not be too long until someone else does.
Just before 8 p.m., rescue workers finally dug Lyuba out of the remains of her home and slowly lowered her to the ground in a yellow stretcher. She lay silently as they wrapped her in a foil blanket.
One of the workers who carried her down blew her a kiss and leaned over her. “I promised I was going to save you and I did,” he said. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Then they whisked her away in an ambulance.
One of the Ukrainian Red Cross medics who helped carry her to safety said she believed both her legs were broken. Her face was covered in blood.
When asked what message she would want to send the world after this attack, the medic, who identified herself only as Natalya, 36, didn’t hesitate.
While Jair Bolsonaro fanatics attempted their own Jan. 6 style coup d’état of the government in Brazil, a war continued to rage in Ukraine and Russia, and the Republican Party took forever to figure out who their figurehead leader would be in the House of Representatives, Fox News had bigger fish to fry: woke M&M’s.
With Christmas almost a year away and Halloween nowhere in sight, Fox News needed to come up with something to scream about, and they came up with “woke M&M’s.” What made the candy so “woke,” in their estimation? The parent company of the candy, Mars Wrigley, announced they would be donating some of the profits from their M&M sales to organizations that support a variety of professional pursuits by women.
That was over the weekend. By Monday, someone had clipped a 14-second clip of Tucker Carlson reckoning with an upcoming “woke M&M’s” segment. We live in interesting and difficult times. […]
In the clip, Tucker says. Verbatim. Into a microphone. On camera: “Woke M&M’s have returned. The green M&M got her boots back, but apparently is now a lesbian, maybe? And there’s also a plus-sized obese purple M&M, so we’re gonna cover that, of course. Because that’s what we do.” [video at the link]
[Examples of responses to Tucker Carlson’s nonsense are all over Twitter and other social media outlets. See the main link for examples. Here is just one: “Tuckum’s prefers his M&Ms to be racist and homophobic, just like he is. Remember kids, this guy isn’t just a homophobic white nationalist, he’s also a misogynistic creep.”] https://twitter.com/morbidcuriosit9/status/1613596373714358272
Russian forces launched two waves of missile strikes targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure on January 14.
The Kremlin continues to falsely claim Ukraine poses an existential threat to Russia to reject Ukrainian offers of a peace summit and retain Putin’s original maximalist goals.
The Kremlin continues to use long-standing false narratives that the Ukrainian government is oppressing religious liberties as moral justification for its refusal to negotiate with Ukraine and likely in the hopes of turning international public opinion against Ukraine.
Wagner financier Yevgeny Prigozhin continued to leverage the Wagner Group’s role in capturing Soledar to elevate his political stature and indirectly criticize the conventional Russian military.
Russian forces continued limited counterattacks along the Svatove-Kreminna line.
Russian forces continued offensive operations around Soledar as well as in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka areas. […]
Russian forces continued defensive operations and reinforced frontlines positions on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.
Western officials are increasingly joining Ukrainian authorities in warning that Russia is preparing for an imminent second wave of mobilization.
Russian occupation officials in Kherson continued measures to forcibly relocate residents to Russia.
Ukrainian partisan attacks continue to disrupt Russian rear security efforts.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Friday the U.S. is projected to reach its roughly $31.4 trillion borrowing limit on Jan. 19. In a letter to Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and other congressional leaders, Yellen said the Treasury Department will begin taking “extraordinary measures” starting next week to prevent the U.S. government from defaulting on its obligations. [Tweet and letter at the link]
[…] Republicans have for months telegraphed that they hope to use the debt limit as a bargaining chip, essentially taking the full faith and credit of the U.S. hostage to achieve policy objectives.
In particular, House Republicans have been warning that they will seek cuts to Medicare and Social Security.
“We’ve got to change the way we’re spending money wastefully in this country. And we’re going to make sure that happens,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Thursday.
It’s unclear how long the extraordinary measures will keep the government going but Yellen did stress that this is only a temporary solution. If the lawmakers can’t come to an agreement in time, the U.S. government would not be able to borrow to pay its existing bills.
A failure to find a compromise would have devastating consequences not only for the U.S. economy but also the world economy and financial stability. Just the prospect of a U.S. debt default due to Republican brinkmanship resulted in credit-rating agencies downgrading their rating for the U.S. federal government in 2011. In that case, Republicans extracted concessions and the U.S. did not default.
“The use of extraordinary measures enables the government to meet its obligations for only a limited amount of time,” Yellen said. “It is therefore critical that Congress act in a timely manner to increase or suspend the debt limit. Failure to meet the government’s obligations would cause irreparable harm to the U.S. economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial stability.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) echoed Yellen’s sentiment in a joint statement on Friday.
“A default forced by extreme MAGA Republicans could plunge the country into a deep recession and lead to even higher costs for America’s working families on everything from mortgages and car loans to credit card interest rates,” they wrote. “Democrats want to move quickly to pass legislation addressing the debt limit so there is no chance of risking a catastrophic default.” […]
birgerjohanssonsays
Boris Johnson testimony to be broadcast live.
He will be under oath https://youtu.be/LJ3UBqdcYUs
The BBC and other Boris-friendly media will not be able to filter the content.
Really, really f’n stupid. [tweet from Zelenskyy about number of people dead or injured when the apartment building in Dnipro was attacked.]
There is some confusion as to whether Russia targeted this apartment complex directly, or whether the Russian missile was knocked off course by a Ukrainian air defense missile. It doesn’t matter either way. Here are the basic facts:
Russia is engaging in a massive rocket, missile, and drone assault on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. That infrastructure is, by definition, in civilian areas. Those Russian anti-ship missiles are notoriously inaccurate. In a best-case scenario, a certain number of them will veer off course and hit unintended targets.
And the ones who do hit their targets? Some Ukrainians lose power and/or heat for a day or three.
None of that brings Russia closer to winning the war. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Ukraine’s allies are meeting this Friday, January 20, in Ramstein Germany for the next round of coordinated aid. The alliance is currently riven by disagreements over transferring two critical pieces of weaponry to Ukraine—main battle tanks, and long-range ATACMS artillery rockets.
A smart Russia lays low at this time, focusing on their tactical advances around Soledar, near Bakhmut. They make fake noises about “peace process” and string Germany along, pretending to be interested in finding resolution, if only the West didn’t encourage Ukraine to be so unreasonable!
Instead, Russia engaged in a war crime so blatant, so viscerally horrifying, that a recalcitrant German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will have no choice but to agree to “free the Leopards”—the European-standard battle tanks manufactured by Germany’s arms industry. And it gets even harder for the United States to justify holding back on its own capabilities—whether it’s those ATACMS long-range rockets, or F-16 fighter jets, or even M-1 battle tanks. Europe may have several hundred Leopards potentially available to Ukraine, but the United States has thousands of M1s sitting in storage in the desert. We’ve long argued about the horrific logistical challenges of fielding the Abrams, but at this point, the hell with it all.
Even if it takes 6-12 months to get Abrams fielded, and 18-24 months to get F-16s in the air, just announcing them would not only give Ukraine a necessary morale boost, but remove cover from laggards like Germany’s Scholz who want others to lead the way and send a clear message to Russia that things aren’t going to get any better for them. That while they struggle to mobilize another 500,000 fodder for the Ukrainian wood chipper, without any heavy armor to support them, Ukraine’s capabilities will only improve and modernize.
Russia is still banking on the West losing its patience and pressuring Ukraine to freeze the current lines. Announcing everything would dash those Russian dreams, and might even spur a reassessment of their war effort.
I would now also send cluster munitions.
I’ve argued against the use of cluster munitions twice before (here and here), but I’ve changed my mind. Turkey has been the first to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, which (depending on the munition) scatters dozens or hundreds of grenade-style bomblets over a wide area. The MLRS cluster rocket carries between 518 to 644 bomblets depending on the version, dispersing them over the area of a football field. In this war, they’d be incredibly effective in clearing out entire sections of trenches and defensive lines, and would also be effective in stopping the human-charge tactics Russia has employed to some success in Soledar and Bakhmut.
On the other hand, cluster munitions are banned under international treaty. The problem is that the dud rate on those bomblets is extremely high, exceeding 5% at times. The original MLRS rocket carried 644 of the cluster bomblets. A 5% dud rate means about 32 of them remain unexploded. Imagine them dug into the ground, or hidden under rubble. They remain a constant threat to follow-on friendly forces and perhaps more importantly from a moral standpoint, civilians, for years to come.
The United States, Russia, and Ukraine are not signatories to the treaty. Despite that, the U.S. has been decommissioning MLRS rockets containing the cluster bomblets and has resisted Ukrainian requests for them (which is particularly salient given the extreme overall shortage in MLRS/HIMARS munitions). Ukraine would love to worry about unexploded munitions in the future, but doesn’t have the luxury of engaging in that moral debate today. Civilians are already dying, by the thousands, and that number will only climb the longer the war lasts.
There’s a utilitarian argument to be made here—would unexploded cluster munitions kill more civilians in the future than the number of civilians dying in Russian attacks now? Maybe, maybe not. But that doesn’t consider the overall benefits of shortening the war—fewer combat deaths, less destruction of core Ukrainian infrastructure, and less economic devastation (for both Ukraine, as well as globally). Ukraine knows the potential costs of fielding cluster munitions, and has decided that on balance, it would come out ahead if it had them. (Not to mention, Russia is already using them in the war.)
The key question is whether the Pentagon even has cluster-munition-MLRS rockets left. The Pentagon had budgeted money to decommission the rockets, and had been in the process of doing so when the Trump administration halted the effort. There is no public information on how many, if any, remain. It would be ironic if an asshole decision by Trump ended up helping Ukraine today. Still, given that destruction of those rockets began in 2007, I would be personally shocked if we had any left.
Regardless, the Dnipro catastrophe has brought renewed focus on the need to end this war as quickly as possible, and that means delivering to Ukraine everything possible, as quickly as possible. The United Kingdom has already announced a potent package of 14 Challenger main battle tanks, which is a great political decision, as well as 30 AS-90 Self propelled howitzers, an even better military contribution. Artillery is the King of Battle, and even more so in Ukraine where air power is nearly non-existent. Towed artillery is great for defense or in a static front, but any offensive effort needs self-propelled guns to keep up with the armor vanguard.
[…] if the allies want to send a clear message to Russia that it will suffer exponentially greater losses the longer it insists on remaining in Ukraine, then everyone needs to follow the U.K. lead.
That means the U.S. announces ATACMS long-range artillery rockets. It announces even more M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. Rather than announce 50 more every 2-4 weeks, just say “we’re sending 500 this year.” They should announce M-1 Abrams, or, at the very least, offer to backfill tank units of any European power currently fielding Leopards, allowing those to be donated to Ukraine. The U.S. should further announce that it will begin training Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel on F-16 fighter jets. We have hundreds in storage. There’s no need to announce plane shipments. Training will take over a year, more like two. But let Russia know that they’ll eventually face F-16s if they insist on a protracted war.
[…] Poland has hundreds of remaining Soviet-era tanks, as well as almost 250 Leopards. They should hand them over now, and the U.S. should accelerate M-1 shipments to the Polish army. Poland’s security is assured by existing emergency NATO deployments, including an American armored division seen offloading in the Netherlands en route to Eastern Europe. It’s not as if Russia has an armored vanguard left able to punch into Poland. Any such effort certainly wouldn’t survive NATO’s massive air fleet.
Altogether, if the allies can announce 300-500 tanks, 1,000 infantry fighting vehicles, and hundreds more artillery pieces, it has in place the pieces for several offensive-minded mechanized armored brigades. If it can announce the delivery of long-range rockets like ATACMS, it can allow Ukraine to further degrade Russian logistics, pushing out their critical rail hubs another 100 miles from the front lines. And if it can announce the training of Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel on modern NATO fighter jets, it’ll let Russia know that its floundering war effort will only get more challenging in the next two years.
We’ll have a few days before we know what the allies will announce. But the Dnipro apartment attack has just made it a lot more likely that the allies go big. It would sure be fitting if Russia’s unfathomably cruel campaign on Ukrainian infrastructure was what finally compelled the allies to throw everything they have into Ukraine’s hands.
Russia has taken Soledar. The question is now whether it was worth the cost to Russia.
The intensity of the fighting has ebbed the last 24-48 hours. The copium take is that Russia’s Wagner mercenary troops are exhausted, while Wagner’s Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russia’s ministry of defense are locked in a battle for “credit.” That could be, or maybe they’re consolidating their gains while they refit and resupply. As is, Ukraine continues to hold the Western edge of Soledar. So all it means is that Ukraine falls back to the next defensive line.
And even consolidating gains in Soledar is a lot harder than it looks. Here is rare drone video of a HIMARS strike on a concentration of Wagner infantry. [video at the link]
[…] Now, while the intensity is down, Wagner continues to try and push forward.
Failed attempt by three Wagner PMC groups of 10 soldiers each to storm Krasna Hora west of Soledar. Nobody survived. [video at the link]
[…] Ukraine now appears to have a foothold in Kreminna, to the north of Bakhmut. Things are vague and the fog of war is thick, but Ukrainian general staff has, for several days now, reported coming under attack in Kreminna.
Fun facts:
Pre-war population of Soledar: 10,000, Ukraine’s 316th largest city, and it took Russia five months to capture. Strategically irrelevant. Its value to Ukraine is that if Ukraine doesn’t defend here, it just means the next town will be razed to the ground.
Pre-war population of Kreminna: 18,000. Very strategic city—guarding the southern approach to Svatove, and ultimately Starobilsk (and Russia’s entire supply line from Belgorod into northern Ukraine), as well as the gateway to cities of Rubizhne, Severodonetsk, and Lysychansk.
Hamline University has been praised here in the past. But the school recently did not renew the teaching contract for instructor Erika López Prater who displayed a 14th-century painting showing Muhammad’s face in her art-history survey class. President Fayneese Miller is vigorously defending the contract non-renewal and Islamophobic interpretation in the face of criticism by NYT, U Minn art history tenure faculty, FIRE, etc. Was this Islamophobic? Do students and outside groups get to decide what can be taught? More importantly, if a Creationist student complained, would the Biology, Geology, etc classes and faculty all be reformed?
whheydtsays
Re: teal4two @ #176…
From what I’ve seen it’s worse than you have presented it. That there were going to be image of Mohammed was included in the (printed) syllabus and announced in class prior to the picture being shown.
TOI 700 e, 5% smaller than Earthand in its stars potentially habitable zone joining an earlier larger earth-sized exoplanet TOI 700 d. Bad news is that it orbits a red dwarf so potentially flares may have stripped its atmosphere away or otherwise make it uninhabitable. Also 100 light years away.
Twitter has arranged an auction rid itself of 631 “surplus corporate assets”.
An outfit called Heritage Global Partners got the job of selling off kit including six espresso machines, two lesser coffee-makers, two refrigerated tables dedicated to the making of pizza, and two ovens also intended only for Napoli’s finest culinary creation.
There’s also 107 boxes of N95 masks on offer, a Yamaha digital mixing console, 68 eight-port Belkin power strips still in the box and a Kegerator Beer Dispenser.
Most items are listed at starting prices of either $25 or $50.
That’s a very good price for some of the items, such as the bicycle-powered USB charger that sells for $4,025 new…
StevoRsays
Save the planet,
Save the trees,
Save the oceans,
Save the bees,
If we don’t we’re in trouble,
All us ‘u’s’ & us ‘me’s’ so please?
With an arrow back to the first line looping it after the last sentence.. Too complicated, too simple? Can we not just please do these things for all our sakes?
Some doggrel in the Dr Suess style.. Curtailed to not lose my fb colour background – &, no, I haven’t seen the Lorax movie..
Feel free to use as y’all see fit folks as best suits for doing what the lines suggest.
StevoRsays
Oh and from .. a coupel of years ago .. already?! This :
While jurisdictions like California and New York move toward banning the sale of new gasoline-powered cars, one US state wants to go in the opposite direction. Wyoming’s legislature is considering a resolution that calls for a phaseout of new electric vehicle sales by 2035. Introduced on Friday, Senate Joint Resolution 4 has support from members of the state’s House of Representatives and Senate.
Oil industry fans say “No I’ m not, you are.”
StevoRsays
A cartoon. By someone whose signatiure I cannot make out. Sums up Humanity and our stupidity perfectly.
Shows a tree, a big tree, in a desert.
There are two people, sitting underneath it having a cup of tea (or maybe coffee or something else.
There is yellow sand everywhere. There is a blue sky with a few clouds in it.
The tree is casting the only shade around.
The men are sitting in the shade of that one and only tree.
Their axes are on the ground in the tree’s shade.
They are cutting the tree down and about two thirds or so the way through its trunk.
StevoRsays
@ 183. Reginald Selkirk : “Oil industry fans say “No I’ m not, you are.”
Even after nearly 1,000 Capitol rioters have been charged with crimes, Donald Trump hailed them this week as “great patriots” and their prison terms “a disgrace.”
But he also insisted that “virtually nothing happened” during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, so it was apparently no big deal.
The former president was asked on the far-right cable program “Real America’s Voice” on Friday to say a few words to lift the spirits of the “political prisoners” behind bars in the “gulag.”
“I think it’s a disgrace what’s been happening,” Trump responded. “So many of these people are great patriots, and what they’ve gone through. Then you look at antifa and BLM [Black Lives Matter]. You look at what’s gone on there, with what they’ve done in all sorts of places over the last … two years, where they’ve burned down cities.”
However, no cities have been burned down by Black Lives Matter or antifa activists…
A wildly successful government-run payments system, Pix has become a key financial pillar underpinning Bolsonaro’s election-denial movement, allowing his most ardent fans to crowdfund their alternative media outlets and far-right demonstrations culminating in the chaos of Jan. 8.
But now, as authorities seek to identify the funders of the Brasilia riots, the same tool that helped to forge the insurgent movement will be used by investigators to take it down, around a dozen police and anti-money laundering officials told Reuters.
“We have a secure and consistent line of investigation focused on tracking financial movements undertaken via Pix,” said a senior federal police officer involved in the sprawling, nationwide investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing probe. “The financiers’ time is up.”..
The murkiness and secrecy around the sudden wealth of disgraced, super-lying Congressman George Santos/Anthony Devolder has become a bit clearer thanks to some new exclusive reporting by the Washington Post. The Post has revealed that Santos/Devolder has closer financial ties to the cousin of sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg than was previously known.
According to the Post, Andrew Intrater, the cousin of Vekselberg, and his wife each gave the maximum $5,800 to Santos’ main campaign committee and “tens of thousands more since 2020 to committees linked to him, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.” And there’s more:
The relationship between Santos and Intrater goes beyond campaign contributions, according to a statement made privately by Santos in 2020 and a court filing the following year in a lawsuit brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission against a Florida-based investment firm, Harbor City Capital, where Santos worked for more than a year.
Taken together, the evidence suggests Santos may have had a business relationship with Intrater as Santos was first entering politics in 2020. It also shows, according to the SEC filing, that Intrater put hundreds of thousands of dollars into Santos’ onetime employer, Harbor City, which was accused by regulators of running a Ponzi scheme.
The Post notes that Intrater’s investment firm Columbus Nova has historically had extensive ties to the business interests of Vekselberg. As recently as 2018, when Vekselberg was sanctioned by the Treasury Department, his conglomerate was Columbus Nova’s largest client. In a Harbor City Zoom meeting in 2020, Santos/Devolder stated that Columbus Nova as a “client” of his.
Also, Harbor City received a $625,000 deposit from a company registered in Mississippi, FEA Innovations, that identifies Intrater as its lone officer, according to an exhibit included in the SEC’s complaint against Harbor City.
In addition, the Post report notes extensive ties between Intrater and Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen.
The Post reporting does not make a direct connection between Vekselberg and Intrater and the sudden influx of cash received by the company that Santos/Devolder established in 2021 after Harbor City’s assets were frozen. That company paid Santos/Devolder more than $3.5 million over the next two years. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if those links eventually come out.
There is some unfortunate news to report today. Sadly, I have died. My cause of death was, as I always knew it would be, The New York Times. Seldom do we talk about the ongoing dangers presented by the Times, which is the unregulated gas stove of newspapers, but anyhow I read this new Times focus group piece talking to yet another band of unrepentant Trump voters and it caused me to immediately die. It’s a damn shame, but I probably had it coming.
The premise of the piece is the same premise used for each of its one hundred million previous incarnations: The Times gathered up a dozen average-Joe Republican Americans it had previously talked to and asked them yet again what they thought about seditious coup conspirator Donald Trump, about the Republican Party, and about oh right the Jan. 6 insurrection and subsequent hearings publicizing what investigators have been able to learn about the origins of the violence.
[…] Most. Americans. Do. Not. Pay. Attention. To. Politics. They know only what they have heard thirdhand. The most useable quotes almost always come from the volunteers who are the least informed but the most hardheadedly confident in themselves, a bad combination that never gets any better than absolutely awful.
This is a very useful exercise if you want to lose all hope in America. It’s one of the best approaches possible if your paper is looking to collect all its readers who do pay close attention to politics for the purpose of killing them all off at once.
[…] The murder weapons? Quotes from Americans still willing to say they support Republicans even after the party egged an attempted coup into being, Americans who have been selected for inclusion based explicitly on their utter disinterest in any politics that cannot be sloganed onto a hat.
(Sandy, 48, white, Calif., property manager) Well, I think Republicans are our only option as far as getting us out of this mess that the Democrats have started with inflation and all that. Do they have a plan at this point? Doesn’t look like it. But are they organized? Doesn’t look like it. But there is hope there.
[…] I don’t have to write about politics. I’ve got a vivid imagination that could, like, totally nail a story about racist dwarves that conspire with even more racist mountain trolls to keep anyone from getting cheap insuli-I mean, health potions.
But no, here I am, a corpse, because the Times had to kill me before I even had the chance to switch careers in self-defense.
Q: Is there a particular idea or value that you’d like [Republicans] to stand up for?
(Judi, 73, white, Okla., retired) Honesty.
See, I’m dead now. Everything you’re hearing from me after this point is just gas escaping.
(Andrea, 49, white, N.J., executive assistant) Just start putting things back on the right track. It makes me scratch my head that the country never did better than when Trump was president — never. You know what I mean? The gas prices were low. The border was under control. Everything was just great. And he got run out of town just because he sends mean tweets and has a big mouth. They’d rather elect a nice guy and have the country in the toilet.
Andrea, a MILLION PEOPLE DIED and you’re fucking on about cheap gas prices? THERE WAS A COUP, ANDREA. How the hell did The New York Times ever even find you, how is it that you even became aware that something called The New York Times even existed and wasn’t just a phishing effort aimed at getting hold of your Social Security number?
(Alissa, 29, Latina, Fla., procurement) Just thinking back to how well we were doing as a country when [Trump] was running it, I would love to see that again. I think he’s strong. I thought he was a great president. If DeSantis decides to run, I might turn a little bit. It depends.
What Donald Trump brought to America was hats. That’s it. There’s not a damn thing he actually did except the hat thing. And public belligerence. And being a rapist who bought an entire beauty pageant brand so that he could see teen girls change in the dressing rooms. Oh, and the international extortion bits. And the complete upending of American standing overseas, selling out allies while prodding enemies to open up new beach resorts. And using the presidency of the United States as a reason to mark up cocktail prices in his Washington hotel. […]
Q: Is there anything about [Trump] that’s turned you off over the last year or that you sort of lost steam on?
(Judi, 73, white, Okla., retired) Well, when Covid started, I think he was swayed into the vaccine thing. He listened to the wrong people. I’ll leave it at that.
Yeah, that’s when I died the second time, becoming double-dead. So far I cannot report any meaningful differences from just being the usual kind of dead. […]
(Lorna, 60, white, Mo., customer service representative) I think it is ridiculous people want to put him in prison. For what? And look at Biden and his son.
Again, there is only one reason why any journalistic outlet should ever do any of these diner-inspired stories about The Common American. It is a window into which news outlets they consume and nothing else. There is not one glitteringly enfuckened thing Lorna, 60, of Missouri could tell us about the relative legal jeopardy of Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, or Beefystevo Biden that would be the slightest bit informative or useful.
And I do mean that: You could concoct an entirely fictional Biden son named “Beefystevo,” ask 12 Republican voters about Beefystevo’s crimes, and at least eight of them would insist that Beefystevo has done many, many crimes, all very bad, some of them in Ukraine and some of them in Narnia, and they will tell you that The New York Times is crookedly covering up the very existence of Beefystevo Biden in coordination with Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and a giraffe in Texas that looks kind of similar to Bill Gates. […]
(Sandy, 48, white, Calif., property manager) I want DeSantis to run. He’s just like Trump. He’s just as cantankerous, but I think he’s a little bit more refined. For example, you have Jack Daniels, or you have Gentleman Jack. Gentleman Jack is a lot smoother, but it’s still whiskey.
Thank God we finally have someone willing to be honest about Republican politics. That’s the word that comes to mind when you think about Florida’s Ron DeSantis: Refined. The man is refined, in that you can either suck on what he’s selling or what Trump’s selling and both will get you nice and politically shitfaced but the DeSantis version goes down smooooother. […]
Hey, so do any of our fine Normal Republican Americans want to revise or extend their past remarks about the 2020 presidential election being stolen just because a traitorous crapsack and his eight syphillitic reindeer shouted about it way back when? Anyone want to walk that back, or not walk that back? […]
(Andrea, 49, white, N.J., executive assistant) Cheated as in ballots — truckloads of ballots showing up in the middle of the night. There’s videos of it. There is proof. […]
(Sandy, 48, white, Calif., property manager) I know the videos that Andrea is talking about. It’s well documented, but the media doesn’t want to cover that type of stuff.
(Judi, 73, white, Okla., retired) No, I still think [Trump] won the election and that he should still be our president. He should be our president right now.
[…] It is very important that we, the readers of The New York Times, are exposed to the free and unfettered opinions of our nation’s most thickheaded and source-agnostic of opinion havers, because reasons! How would America know that one specific retired Oklahoma vaccine skeptic believes Joe Biden is not the legitimate president if The New York Times did not create an entire “interactive” web feature highlighting this important fucking information? How could the readership survive if we did not contact these people not once, but a second time so that they could rub their curlicue opinions in our eyeballs twice instead of once?
What about the whole coup thing? You know, the attempted coup, the one in which Trump advertised for a rally coinciding with the certification of the United States presidential election, got angry when his security forces tried to deprive the mob of their weapons, and told them all to march to the Capitol during a joint session of Congress as means of threatening Congress if they did not overturn the election’s results? That whole thing? The thing that should have made any decent person look for an exit sign, rather than being thought a supporter of a genuine bona-fide traitor to the nation?
(Andrea, 34, biracial, N.H., I.T. support) The internet was just ablaze. I made a post in support of it, and a lot of people came to attack me in the comment section. That day was really crazy. […]
When I saw videos of everything that happened, I was pretty embarrassed. I was like, “Oh, no. We’re going to hear about this forever.” It did look very chaotic and violent. I knew it was going to come down to blaming Trump somehow, saying that he was a ringleader and he’s responsible, he riled everybody up.
Ah, the very American view of “you make comments supporting one violent riot and everybody gets on your case about it” followed by “oh jeez, this turned out very fucky, now we’re all going to be stuck hearing about it.” Can’t kill me any more than twice, New York Times. Not in a single day, anyway.
What about all those congressional hearings detailing what investigators found out about the coup’s organizers, allies, and origins? […]
(Sandy, 48, white, Calif., property manager) If anything, I think my views have become more solidified. If you look, they made a big thing out of it in the media. They didn’t cover Black Lives Matter, antifa. I mean, you talk about Jan. 6 being planned. Antifa, throughout the whole summer of 2020, I mean, those things were planned, organized. The media didn’t cover it.
I cannot emphasize how enraging it was that the media kept covering things that did happen while ignoring things that did not happen. […] everybody made a Big Damn Deal out of a Republican-led attempt to erase a constitutional United States election. Gawd.
Please tell me any of these Informed Public Voices at least watched the hearings they’re now being asked to opine on?
(Barney, 72, white, Del., retired) I didn’t see anything live. It was a waste of $3 million.
[…] But the crowd Donald Trump gathered to march on the Capitol was a pretty violent bunch, at least we can all agree on—
(Alissa, 29, Latina, Fla., procurement) No, I don’t think it was. I’ve personally been to Trump rallies. They’re very peaceful. So I don’t think what happened that day had anything to do with Trump. I think it was planned.
[…] Surely the news of an attempt to violently overturn the results of a U.S. election have left at least some small impression on Republican Jus’ Folks.
(Lorna, 60, white, Mo., customer service representative) Well, a couple of people locally here were arrested. So of course, they’d show them every news clip, on every channel. It just got old. It was just a waste of taxpayers’ money, in my opinion.
I mean, that’s the thing about failed violent coups, they’re just so boooooring and everybody keeps going on about them all the time and it makes channel surfing sooooo tedious. Thank you again, New York Times, for exposing us to the very important views of that class of Americans that tries very hard to know nothing about politics and gets bitter and resentful when you shove it onto their television channels anyway.
Because, you know, the Jan. 6 hearings were a farce to begin with. How the hell would the United States Congress know more things than Andrea of New Jersey does? How would anyone in the White House know more about Trump’s actions than Andrea does, or Barney does? They wouldn’t, so that means this was all a set up.
(Andrea, 49, white, N.J., executive assistant) I 100 percent agree with what Barney said. I think they testified because they weren’t part of the cool kids anymore or bribes. I’m not really sure what it is, but to make up blatant stories like that, there’s got to be some kind of underlying “What’s in it for me?” kind of thing, I think.
Well, we’ve rediscovered a core Republican voter tenet so we can’t say this was a total waste of time. Ask pretty much anyone in the Republican Party, from the common voter to your average sex-crime-covering-up Republican lawmaker, and they’ll tell you that there’s no possible reason anyone would want to offer evidence about a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol unless there was something in it for them. The idea that anyone would be sincerely shaken by, say, a mob of pole-wielding cop-beating weirdlings hunting down Trump’s political enemies in the halls of the Capitol is utterly foreign to Every Single Republican. The notion eludes them. […]
If people are going to jump in to “testify” every single time an armed mob beats police officers inside the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to hunt down the vice president then where will it end? It’s all very suspicious. They probably just want to make the coup guy look bad.
I really wish I hadn’t died. Well, I suppose it’s more accurate to say I really wish The New York Times hadn’t gone out of its way to write an interactive fancy-pants feature specifically intended to kill me, because it seems like a jerk move every time they’ve tried it and yet they just keep pushing.
Bring us home, Timesy. Show us that any of these people have opinions even an onion-skin thickness above the buzzword generic. Show us that you have gathered up a small crowd who, while admirably anonymous and no doubt chosen according to best dice-throwing the editorial staff of the Times can provide, is worthy of national attention because these dozen people have at least thought about any of this stuff long enough to have any opinion that could not be more efficiently produced by an artificial intelligence exposed only to the opening monologues of weekday Fox News opinion hosts. […]
Q: Sandy, what would be a sign that our democracy is healthy?
(Sandy, 48, white, Calif., property manager) I would say getting back to the basics, sticking with the Constitution. There’s just too much government interference in everything. We’ve got so many regulations, taxes and controls and spending and everything. Get back to the fundamentals. Less government involvement. We should have an army, a military. That’s about it. Otherwise, just stay out of the way.
(Michael, 65, white, Utah, retired) I tend to agree with Sandy, just hoping that we could start letting the Constitution be the Constitution and let us have our rights with freedom of speech and just start living the way that they did hundreds of years ago, when they believed in our country.
There you go. How wonderful. I am so, so glad I didn’t live to see that.
ravensays
Petr Pavel wins the first round of Czech presidential elections
An anti-Russian politician won the first round of elections for the Czech President. His main opponent is a lot more sympathetic to Russia.
This position is largely ceremonial so he doesn’t have much actual power. But it shows which way the Czech people are leaning.
I’m always surprised at how many pro-Russians there are in the West. After what Russia did to Czechoslovakia with their invasions and captive nations status, there shouldn’t be any.
Russo-Ukrainian War
Petr Pavel is often asked about the current situation in Ukraine. He admitted that he was surprised by a direct military clash between the two countries. He stated that under specific circumstances, he would also promote declaring a no-fly zone or sending NATO troops to Ukraine to protect humanitarian corridors.
Petr Pavel wins the first round of Czech presidential elections
Czech Republic, Europe, Politics / By Mike Oaks / January 16, 2023
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Petr Pavel, a retired general, won in the first round of the presidential elections in the Czech Republic. Former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš comes second. The Czechs made their choice in the first round, which took place on January 13 and 14. With results that were both expected and unexpected.
In the second round, the two candidates they considered most favored from the start of the campaign passed: General Petr Pavel and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, leader of the main opposition ANO (YES in English) party.
Pabel and Babiš go to the second round
Still, the results for both leaders were significantly higher than sociologists had predicted, with less than half a percentage point between them, making the election even more exciting. Meanwhile, first-round turnout in the Czech Republic reached record levels — around 67 percent.
One of the key contenders for the post, Danuše Nerudova, who did not make it to the second round and received almost 14%, has already declared her support for Pavel for his victory over Babis.
The second round of the election will be held from Friday, January 27, to Saturday, January 28.
Candidates’ views
The fact that Andrej Babiš will run for the title was more than a year ago since his ANO movement lost the parliamentary elections. The former PM remained silent for a long time, although regular trips to the regions began in the spring due to work in the lower palace.
He finally announced his candidacy in late October, saying he felt the need to distance himself from the government of Petr Fiala. “When I see how the government does not work, how it does not support the people, it is largely inactive, I decided to go for it,” Babis said. Ex-president Milos Zeman publicly supported them.
The candidacy of retired general Petr Pavel was also speculated for several years, especially after he actively participated in the fight against the pandemic. Last year, he surrounded himself with the team with which he officially started the campaign. According to him, the Czech Republic needs a calm and clear president.
Pavel said that he is running so that the values represented by his rival Andrej Babiš do not win. “This primarily means populism, lies, and, quite often, the adaptation of rules. This is not what I would like to wish for the Czech Republic.” It is worth mentioning that Pavel has won the 1st round among Czech citizens abroad.
Russo-Ukrainian War
Petr Pavel is often asked about the current situation in Ukraine. He admitted that he was surprised by a direct military clash between the two countries. He stated that under specific circumstances, he would also promote declaring a no-fly zone or sending NATO troops to Ukraine to protect humanitarian corridors.
Andrej Babiš has been criticizing Fiala’s government from the beginning. He stated that the Czech Republic should not send weapons to Ukraine and aid refugees. Babiš said the government should seek peace, and he discussed the matter with French President Emmanuel Macron a few days before the elections.
“He is one of the few European politicians who promote peace negotiations. Nobody wants war. I agree that the world’s biggest players should sit at the same table, just as they were able to sit at the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War in 2018, which took place long after the occupation of Crimea.”
Energy crisis
According to Pavel, the government should coordinate its actions with the National Bank of the Czech Republic to reduce inflation again. “Low and stable inflation is primarily the task of the central bank, which is independent, but it is appropriate if both components of the state’s economic policy, i.e., monetary and fiscal policy, proceed in harmony.” He stated that the most important thing is for the government to try consolidating state finances and reducing the budget deficit.
In response to rising inflation, the ANO movement presented a 12-point “anti-cost” plan in April. This is a combination of increasing social benefits, including pensions above the statutory assessment, capping fuel and food prices, or reducing VAT on electricity, gas, and heating to zero. Its implementation would cost the state treasury 250 billion crowns, which, according to economists, would, on the contrary, support inflation.
Second round on 27-28 January
As mentioned, the second round will be held on 27 and 28 January. Liberal-minded Petr Pavel has more chances over populist billionaire Andrej Babiš. Lately, Babiš gained more votes after fraud allegations, but Pavel could get more from Babiš’s opponents. The President’s title has no executive power. Still, his voice is crucial in appointing the Prime Minister and the Head of The Constitutional Court.
While Wagner mercenaries continue their slow grind down in Soledar, Ukrainian forces have their own slow grind around Kreminna. Here are the main war fronts at the moment: [map at the link]
Bakhmut is important because if Ukrainians fall back, the next town over will be leveled to the ground. It has no real strategic value. It just pushes the flattened front line a few kilometers west.
Kreminna (pre-war population, 18,000) is strategically important for two major reasons: it opens up a southern approach to Svatove and, beyond that, Starobilsk. If Ukraine takes those towns, it cuts Russia’s largest supply line feeding its war effort, from Belgorod, Russia.
Kreminna is also the gateway to the three cities of Rubizhne, Severodonetsk, and Lysychansk. As you can see on the map, Kreminna severs the road down from Svatove. That’s step one. If Ukraine can liberate Starobilsk, then that cluster of cities will have to be resupplied by a single road from the southeast—a road that also helps supply … Bakhmut. Russia’s rickety supply lines would be stressed even further.
That’s the difference between Ukraine’s war strategy and Russia’s. There’s a point to Ukraine’s actions—it is working to cut Russia’s struggling logistical lines. There’s no point to Russia’s, beyond ridiculous and useless war propaganda.
With Russia fully dug in and defending a shrinking swatch of occupied territory, the kind of massive gains we saw in Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts last year are unlikely until Ukraine receives the heavy armor currently being pledged. But that doesn’t mean it can’t methodically make gains. And that’s what we’re seeing around Kreminna.
Here is Mark Sumner’s latest map of Kreminna. [map at the link]
As you might immediately note, Mark has put southwest Kreminna into contested territory. There has been much chatter, though certainly no confirmation, that Ukrainian forces have a foothold in that corner of the town. Ukrainian general staff has been cagey, reporting fending off Russian attacks in Kreminna, without offering any more specificity as to what exactly they’re talking about. It could be Ukrainian troops are holding positions inside Kreminna, right outside it, or it could be “in the vicinity of” Kreminna. Here’s yesterday morning report, which referred to the Kreminna “axis”:
Lymanskyi axis: Makiivka, Ploshanka, Nevske, Kreminna, Dibrova and Chervonopivka of the Luhansk Oblast came under fire.
In today’s evening update, General Staff wrote that “the enemy fired at districts of more than 10 settlements. Among them are … Kreminna.” Don’t ask me what that means, exactly. It’s likely supposed to be purposefully vague. My guess is that while Ukrainian elements might have probed some of those edge neighborhoods in Kreminna, that most of the work remains in the town’s surrounding woods, working to surround the town and thus, like in so many other places, force the retreat or surrender of its Russian garrison.
Those woods are certainly different than the moonscaped open fields we see around Bakhmut. The Kreminna forests have featured heavily in videos these last several weeks. [video at the link]
Another one: [video at the link]
And yet another one: [video at the link]
Looking at Mark’s map, we’re seeing something that hasn’t happened in a while—the formation of a salient. By all indications, Ukrainian forces are advancing from the north and east. There’s some question as to what presence Ukraine has in the forests south of Kreminna, but there’s no doubt Ukraine will want to advance on that side as well, squeeze Russia’s defenders inside the town and force them to retreat. [map at the link]
There’s a video above about a captured Russian T-90M, Russia’s most advanced tank in the battlefield. Yesterday, a Russian telegram channel posted an interview of a tank maintenance facility servicing five T-90Ms. [video at the link, shows a warehouse full of T-90 tanks]
The facility was promptly geolocated to next-door Rubizhne, and if all is going well, the warehouse has been HIMAR’d into rubble. Regardless, this proves that as much as Wagner is spilling blood around Bakhmut, this is where Russia sees the biggest threat. Not only are they fielding their remaining top-end armor here, but there’s been reports of Russian VDV airborne forces at Kreminna as well.
At this point, it’s hard to not see the VDV as cursed, harbingers of Russian doom. They were first deployed in the assault toward Kyiv, where they suffered catastrophic losses. Then they were sent to Kherson, where they faced their second humiliating retreat. And now they’re at Kreminna, where things are looking increasingly bleak for them.
Down around Bakhmut, Wagner mercenary forces took the train station at Silj, on Soledar’s western edge. That completes Russia’s conquest of Soledar (pre-war population: 10,000). Ukrainian forces have moved to their next line of defense—the bluffs overlooking Soledar: [map at the link]
And therein lies Wagner/Russia’s next challenge—how to keep its depleted and tired forces moving forward, with even longer supply lines, against yet another defensive line, and another after that, and another. All on a series of high-ground ridges overlooking their advances over yet more open ground. There aren’t that many prison fodder left to keep this up.
Meanwhile, Soledar itself remains a Wagner killing field. [video at the link]
I’ve already posted this, but it’s a rare daytime view of a HIMARS strike: [video at the link]
It’s all so bloody, and frustrating. But utterly strategically meaningless. So if you find yourself stressing over Soledar/Bakhmut, this meme is for you: [Meme at the link showing “tactical Russian feint,” “orderly regroup,” “withdrawal to more favorable frontiers,” “complete collapse of the front,” Non existent counter offensive,” and “Gesture of Goodwill.”] Gesture of goodwill is pointing to Snake Island.
Americans may never know all of the details about the assorted side deals Kevin McCarthy struck to become House speaker, but The Washington Post reported over the weekend on one of the more dangerous promises the Republican agreed to with some of his far-right members.
House Republicans are preparing a plan telling the Treasury Department what to do if Congress and the White House don’t agree to lift the nation’s debt limit later this year, underscoring the brinkmanship newly empowered conservatives will bring to the high-stakes negotiations over averting a U.S. default, according to six people aware of the internal discussions.
[…] McCarthy reached a “private deal” on this debt-ceiling plan as part of the negotiations that allowed him to gain the speaker’s gavel.
And the closer one looks at the details of the plan, the more ridiculous it becomes. From the Post’s report:
In the preliminary stages of being drafted, the GOP proposal would call on the Biden administration to make only the most critical federal payments if the Treasury Department comes up against the statutory limit on what it can legally borrow. For instance, the plan is almost certain to call on the department to keep making interest payments on the debt, according to four people familiar with the internal deliberations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. House Republicans’ payment prioritization plan may also stipulate that the Treasury Department should continue making payments on Social Security, Medicare and veterans benefits, as well as funding the military, two of the people said.
I can appreciate why such talk about budgetary policy might make some readers’ eyes glaze over, so let’s take a step back and provide some additional context.
The whole point of raising the debt ceiling is to do precisely one thing: allow the United States to pay its bills. That’s it. That’s why this has to happen. Republicans are preparing a hostage crisis in which GOP lawmakers will only allow the United States to pay its bills if Democrats agree to a series of demands set out by Republican leaders.
If Democrats refuse to go along with the extortion scheme, the U.S. government will default on its obligations for the first time, creating economic chaos.
What the Post’s report is describing is some kind of prioritization scheme: Republicans are prepared to tell the Treasury Department, in effect, “If we refuse to do our jobs, you won’t be able to pay all of the nation’s bills, but you will still be able to pay some of the nation’s bills, so you should first pay for Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits, the military, and interest on the national debt.”
The first reason this is stark raving mad is that the Treasury Department would be under no obligation to follow such instructions, since the plan would have no force of law. It would represent little more than a suggestion from the hostage takers about what they’d like to see happen after they shoot their hostage.I would like to see Katie Porter present one of her famous whiteboard lectures showing Republicans why this plan isn’t feasible, and why it is stupid (ignorant at least).
The second reason this is stark raving mad is that it would create an obvious political nightmare for the Republicans who support such an approach. As the Post explained, “A hypothetical proposal that protects Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits and the military would still leave out huge swaths of critical federal expenditures on things such as Medicaid, food safety inspections, border control and air traffic control, to name just a handful of thousands of programs. Democrats are also likely to accuse Republicans of prioritizing payments to U.S. bondholders — which include Chinese banks — over American citizens.”
The article quoted a senior Democratic aide who said, “Any plan to pay bondholders but not fund school lunches or the FAA or food safety or XYZ is just target practice for us.”
The third reason this is stark raving mad is that it can’t happen. I don’t mean that in a figurative sense; I mean the idea literally cannot work.
We know this for certain because we’ve been down this road before: When Tea Party Republicans helped create the first debt ceiling crisis 12 years ago, there was similar talk about “partial” default and “debt prioritization” schemes in which the country would pay some bills while ignoring others.
What we learned at the time — or rather, what some of us who are not currently in the House Republican conference learned at the time — is that our government simply doesn’t have the mechanisms to execute such a plan.
As Politico noted, “Besides the obvious political headaches, debt prioritization poses some practical complications, as well. When the notion was floated a decade ago, the Obama Administration argued that such a plan was unworkable given that government computers automatically make millions of payments every day.”
And finally, the fourth reason this is stark raving mad is that even if the Treasury Department were to take the GOP’s suggestion seriously, it wouldn’t prevent the dire economic consequences: Republicans would still cause a crash.
So, the bad news is the new House GOP majority has apparently come up with one of the worst ideas in the history of bad ideas, and the new House speaker privately promised to pursue it. The worst news is that the radicalized Republican Party is so serious about its hostage crisis that it’s already working on plans related to the plot.
The nation will hit the debt ceiling on Thursday, and congressional action will be necessary by early June.
The news according to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy:
While President Joe Biden wants to control the kind of stove Americans can cook on, House Republicans are certainly cooking with gas. It has been only one week since the 118th Congress was sworn in, and House Republicans have already shown we will keep our Commitment to America, work on behalf of the American people and deliver them a better future. This isn’t just the start of a new Congress. This is the start of a new direction in Washington.
Facts and commentary from Steve Benen:
[…] For now, let’s put aside the fact that McCarthy’s first sentence included tiresome nonsense about gas stoves. Instead, let’s consider what House Republicans actually did in their first full week controlling the chamber since late 2018.
The new GOP majority approved a new rules package that, among other things, weakened congressional ethics rules.
House Republicans approved a bill to increase the deficit, help tax cheats, and target IRS agents who do not actually exist.
The new GOP majority created a dangerous new committee to investigate the “weaponization” of government, which will pursue ridiculous conspiracy theories, while clashing with law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
House Republicans opened the door to impeaching a cabinet secretary, while simultaneously opening the door to undoing at least one of Donald Trump’s impeachments.
The new GOP majority put an outlandish number of election deniers in charge of powerful congressional committees.
House Republicans began trying to impose new abortion restrictions, despite public sentiments on the issue.
The new GOP majority changed the names of some House committees, in part because the word “labor” hurts their feelings.
House Republicans pretended to care about the mishandling of classified materials, after spending months insisting the issue was irrelevant, while simultaneously pretending to be outraged by a gas-stove-confiscation plan that doesn’t exist.
McCarthy would have Americans see these developments as evidence of a great start […]
It’s tough to predict what Donald Trump might say when he sits down for a deposition. In October 2021, for example, the former president insisted under oath that people “can be killed” by protestors who throw “very dangerous” fruit.
About a year later, Trump sat down for another deposition in a very different kind of case, and the result wasn’t nearly as amusing. The Washington Post reported:
Donald Trump used a sworn deposition in a case brought by his sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll to continue calling her a liar and to claim she is mentally ill — denying that he sexually assaulted her even as he falsely claimed Carroll said in a CNN interview that she enjoyed being raped.
[JFC]
[…] It wasn’t until Friday that the public learned what Trump said after a federal judge unsealed parts of a transcript of Trump’s deposition.
Not surprisingly, he reiterated his denial, calling the allegations a “hoax,” and deriding his accuser as a “nut job” and someone who’s “mentally sick.”
But he also focused on an interview Carroll did with CNN in 2019, in which she said she’s avoiding using the word “rape” to describe the alleged incited because, Carroll put it, the word “has so many sexual connotations” and is a “fantasy” for many.
“I think most people think of rape as being sexy,” she said at the time, adding that she instead thinks of the alleged attack involving Trump as a “fight.” As the Post’s report added, Trump cited the interview in telling Carroll’s attorney that the plaintiff “loved” sexual assault.
“She actually indicated that she loved it. Okay?” Trump said in the deposition. “In fact, I think she said it was sexy, didn’t she? She said it was very sexy to be raped.” [Carroll attorney Roberta Kaplan] then asked: “So, sir, I just want to confirm: It’s your testimony that E. Jean Carroll said that she loved being sexually assaulted by you?” And Trump answered: “Well, based on her interview with Anderson Cooper, I believe that’s what took place.”
In the same proceedings, the former president was asked whether he’d ever touched a woman’s intimate parts without consent. Trump’s lawyer objected, though the Republican nevertheless responded, “Well, I will tell you no, but you may have some people like your client that lie.”
President Biden on Monday called Republicans “fiscally demented” and knocked GOP priorities during the keynote speech at the National Action Network’s (NAN) annual breakfast to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“They’re gonna talk about big-spending Democrats again. Guess what? I reduced the deficit last year $350 billion. This year, federal deficit is down $1 trillion-plus. That’s a fact. And there’s gonna be hundreds of billions reduced over the next decade. But so what? These guys are the fiscally demented, I think. They don’t quite get it,” Biden said of Republicans, prompting laughter from the crowd. […]
“Like many Americans, I was disappointed to see the very first bill that House Republicans … are bringing to the floor. It would help the wealthy people and big corporations cheat on their taxes at the expense of ordinary middle-class taxpayers … This is their first bill and they campaigned on inflation. They didn’t say if elected their plan was to make inflation worse,” Biden said. […]
[…] Up until now, scientists and researchers have never been able to figure out exactly why Roman concrete has had such great lasting power. Roman concrete mixes—the recipes of which we have had for centuries—far outlast our modern concoctions. And probably most impressively, Roman concrete has lasted in difficult areas, like areas with serious seismic activity, sewers, active aqueducts, and seawalls. It was a true mystery. But not anymore.
Researchers from from MIT, Harvard University, and laboratories in Italy and Switzerland have published their findings, solving the mystery. For many years people trying to solve the enigma of the secret of Roman concrete believed that the secret ingredient must be pozzolanic material such as volcanic ash. This ash was considered key to Roman concrete recipes. It turns out that the part MIT researchers focused on here were tiny white chunks found in Roman concrete called “lime clasts.”
These little things have long been passed off as sloppy concrete-mixing artifacts, but MIT professor of civil and environmental engineering Admir Masic, who is an author of the paper, told MIT that the dismissiveness of Roman quality control “always bothered me. If the Romans put so much effort into making an outstanding construction material, following all of the detailed recipes that had been optimized over the course of many centuries, why would they put so little effort into ensuring the production of a well-mixed final product? There has to be more to this story.”
It turns out that the presence of these lime clasts means that Romans must have used a process of “hot mixing,” using quicklime at extreme temperatures in order to create their concrete. What’s more, according to researchers this process creates a self-healing property within the concrete that’s not seen in our more modern treatments.
During the hot mixing process, the lime clasts develop a characteristically brittle nanoparticulate architecture, creating an easily fractured and reactive calcium source, which, as the team proposed, could provide a critical self-healing functionality. As soon as tiny cracks start to form within the concrete, they can preferentially travel through the high-surface-area lime clasts. This material can then react with water, creating a calcium-saturated solution, which can recrystallize as calcium carbonate and quickly fill the crack, or react with pozzolanic materials to further strengthen the composite material. These reactions take place spontaneously and therefore automatically heal the cracks before they spread. Previous support for this hypothesis was found through the examination of other Roman concrete samples that exhibited calcite-filled cracks.
The researchers were able to test this theory by creating two hot-mixed concrete samples that used ancient and modern formulations for concrete, then cracking those samples and beginning to run water through the cracks. The concrete made with the ancient recipe that included quicklime began healing those cracks within two weeks, while the other concrete sample did not.
The Genetic Mutation That Makes ‘Kraken’ Covid XBB.1.5 So Contagious
We have a good evolutionary history of the current dominant Covid-19 virus. It is called XBB.1.5 or sometimes nicknamed Kraken.
It’s a recombinant between two Omicron strains that then picked up a mutation in the spike protein that then mutated once again to become more transmissable.
There is no way that this will be the last variant we have to deal with.
The Genetic Mutation That Makes ‘Kraken’ Covid So Contagious
57
David Axe
Mon, January 16, 2023 at 2:04 PM PST·5 min read
There’s a new, more contagious form of the novel-coronavirus. It’s got a greater ability to evade our antibodies. And it’s spreading easier than ever.
You’ve read these words before, and you’ll almost certainly read them again as the Covid pandemic grinds into its fourth calendar year. But pay attention, because there’s something new about XBB.1.5, also known as Kraken, the latest Omicron subvariant that’s quickly becoming the dominant form of SARS-CoV-2 across much of the world. XBB.1.5 evolved after a couple of big genetic twists and turns.
The virus still has the potential to surprise us. And that can mean only one thing: “SARS-CoV-2 seems like it’s going to be with us for a long time,” says Matthew Frieman, a University of Maryland School of Medicine immunologist and microbiologist.
Kraken features a key mutation that geneticists call “F486P.” It’s a seemingly small change on the spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it to grab onto and infect our cells. F486P works by boosting the spike’s ability to “bind” to one particular part of our cells called the ACE2 receptor. That small change has enormous implications. F486P allows XBB.1.5 to retain all the most dangerous qualities of its parent subvariants, while also adding a new quality: extreme transmissibility.
Basically, F486P makes XBB.1.5 really, really contagious — much more contagious than its immediate predecessors. But it also inherited from these same predecessors an alarming potential to evade our antibodies. “Due to the F486P spike mutation, XBB.1.5 exhibits a substantially higher viral receptor-binding affinity … while it retains similar antibody-evasion [properties],” says Lihong Liu, a Columbia University Covid Covid researcher. In short, XBB.1.5 is the first subvariant in its immediate family to be both more immune-evasive and more contagious.
The appearance of the F486P mutation is a reminder that, even as many people get on with their lives, the pandemic isn’t nearly over. The virus keeps finding ways to spread faster while also increasingly sneaking past all those antibodies we’ve built up from vaccines, boosters, and past infection.
XBB.1.5 first showed up in viral samples in the northeast United States back in October. Two months later, it’s present in nearly 30 countries and, according to the latest projection from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, could already be the dominant form of Covid in the United States. Not coincidentally, there’s been a surge in serious Covid cases in the Northeast U.S., XBB.1.5’s birthplace and the region where it’s thickest in the air.
We’ve been through this sort of thing before, of course. Some new subvariant evolves, becomes dominant and drives a surge in cases. But by now, most people in most countries have a healthy mix of Covid antibodies from vaccines, past infection, or both. So while infection rates rise and fall to the rhythm of viral evolution, hospitalizations and deaths have been trending downward in most of the world for many months now.
There’s no reason to expect XBB.1.5 will significantly alter this dynamic. For all its new genetic wrinkles, it’s still Omicron. And between vaccines, boosters, and immunity from past infection, we’ve got lots of ways to protect against that particular variant and its offspring.
If there’s a big exception, it’s China, where three years of lockdown finally began lifting in early December following widespread public protest. Now the Chinese health system is buckling under the country’s first big, nationwide Covid outbreak. Notably, XBB.1.5 hasn’t shown up in China. Yet.
Most of the world is in a pretty good position to struggle through XBB.1.5. China isn’t. For many hundreds of millions of Chinese with weaker immunity, COVID’s evolutionary twists and turns are pretty ominous.
It started with BA.2 and BA.2.75, two of the early Omicron subvariants that were dominant in many countries last spring and summer, respectively. At some point, someone — or several someones — who had recovered from BA.2 caught BA.2.75, or vice versa. The two forms of the virus combined in those hosts, producing the “recombinant” XBB, which later evolved into XBB.1 and then XBB.1.5.
Peter Hotez, an expert in vaccine development at Baylor College, describes these recombinants as “Scrabble” variants. “Because they tend to use high-value Scrabble letters like X, B and Q.” What they all have in common is that they’re “receptor-binding domain escape variants,” Hotez says.
In plain English, they’ve got sticky spike proteins and they’re really good at dodging our antibodies, especially the antibodies we get from vaccines. “In my understanding, XBB.1, the parent of XBB.1.5 is almost completely resistant to vaccine-induced humoral immunity,” says Kei Sato, a University of Tokyo virologist.
But XBB.1.5 is even stickier and more evasive. And it’s all because of the F486P mutation. The original XBB and its immediate offspring XBB.1 included F486S rather than F486P. F486S altered the spike protein, but didn’t make the spike protein any stickier and thus more transmissible.
With F486P, XBB and XBB.1 achieved greater immune-evasion without also adding greater transmissibility. Then XBB.1.5 came around and bucked that comforting trend. The mutation upgrade, from F486S to F486P, made the spike protein stickier and the virus more transmissible.
For most of us, this genetic innovation is most worrying for the trend that it signals. There was some speculation as early 2021 — just six months or so into the pandemic — that SARS-CoV-2 would run out of genetic space, so to speak, and stop mutating in significant ways.
That hasn’t happened. “There seems to be still more mutational space in the genome,” Frieman says. XBB.1.5 is proof that the virus can still change, still get more contagious and more evasive. That it can, after all this time, still surprise us.
StevoRsays
Far reichwing architect of our xenophobic, racist, evil anti-Refugees “Operation Sovereiegn Borders” policy, ( See : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sovereign_Borders ) LNP Senator & General known by the nickname the “Butcher of Fallujah” apparently Jim Molan has died today. His life made the world a worse place and the avoidable misery, torment and human suffering he caused is incalculable. Molan was also a Climate Reality Denier famously admitting he doesn’t rely on evidence – 4min 8 seconds mark here – in a Q&A show and a notorious Islamophobe who shared racist neo-nazi material unapologetically. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Molan#Political_career.) Things that will no doubt be glossed over in the post mortem eulogising of a man who was evil and caused so much harm to innocent people.
Albuquerque police arrested a former Republican state House candidate in connection with recent shootings at the homes of Democratic lawmakers.
At a news conference on Monday night, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina announced that Solomon Pena, 39, was in police custody following a SWAT standoff in Southwest Albuquerque Monday afternoon.
“It is believed that he is the mastermind behind this and that was organizing this,” Medina told reporters in front of a projected picture of Pena wearing a red hoodie that reads “Make America Great Again” in front of two Trump flags…
Pena is accused of conspiring with and paying four other men to shoot at the homes of 2 county commissioners and 2 state legislators, police said.
Investigators said that five people were involved in the conspiracy and that Pena was directly involved in the final shooting. Evidence against Pena includes firearms, cell phone and electronic records, surveillance footage and multiple witnesses, investigators said…
“Vengeance is mine declares the Lord. God will not let evil go unpunished,” Greene’s tweet stated. “The [House GOP] must do what is right for the American people and no longer serve the Uniparty and the Globalist agenda. America First!]
The exact targets of Greene’s message and the motivation for it remain unclear. However, her tagging of the official House GOP Twitter account indicated that she might be addressing her colleagues in the House of Representatives, who have been engulfed in tumultuous infighting for the last few months.
StevoRsays
Trio of news tales :
A former commander of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group who fought in Ukraine said he has fled to Norway and is seeking asylum after witnessing the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners brought to the frontline as recruits.
A failed Republican candidate who authorities said was angry over his electoral defeat and made baseless claims the election last November was “rigged” against him has been arrested in connection with a series of drive-by shootings targeting the homes of Democratic politicians in New Mexico’s largest city. Solomon Pena, 39, was arrested on Monday evening, just hours after SWAT officers took him into custody and served search warrants at his home, police said.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina described Mr Pena as the “mastermind” of what he said appears to be a politically motivated conspiracy leading to shootings at the homes of two county commissioners and two state legislators between early December and early January.
Mr Pena ran unsuccessfully in November against incumbent state Representative Miguel Garcia, the long-time Democrat representing House District 14 in the South Valley.
Mr Garcia won by 48 percentage points, or roughly 3,600 votes.
After the election, police said, Mr Pena showed up uninvited at the elected officials’ homes with what he claimed were documents proving he had won his race.
There was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in New Mexico in 2020 or 2022.
The shootings began shortly after those conversations.
Scientists say they have used a laser beam to guide lightning for the first time, hoping the technique will help provide protection against deadly bolts — and one day maybe even trigger them. ..(snip) .. They lugged a car-sized laser — which can fire up to a thousand pulses of light a second — up the 2,500-metre peak of Santis mountain in north-eastern Switzerland.
The peak is home to a communications tower that is struck by lightning about 100 times year.
After two years building the powerful laser, it took several weeks to move it in pieces via a cable car.
Finally, a helicopter had to drop off the large containers that would house the telescope.
The telescope focused the laser beam to maximum intensity at a spot about 150 metres in the air — just above the top of the 124-metre tower.
The beam has a diameter of 20 centimetres at the beginning, but narrows to just a few centimetres at the top.
Ride the lightning
During a storm in the summer of 2021, the scientists were able to photograph their beam driving a lightning bolt for 50 around metres.
Laser guided lightning. Rather impressive tech. Got potential here..
StevoRsays
More on the late unlamented Molan :
the Greens intensified their criticisms of Senator Molan during Question Time, lambasting his record as chief of operations for coalition forces in Iraq almost 15 years ago.
American, British and Iraqi forces launched multiple assaults on Fallujah in 2004 as they tried to root out Sunni insurgents in the city.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale said the attack on Fallujah was a disaster for civilians, and Senator Molan had to bear responsibility.
“At the time of the assault on Fallujah under the command of now-Senator Molan, a UN special rapporteur said coalition forces used hunger and deprivation as a weapon of war against the civilian population — a flagrant violation of international law,” Senator Di Natale said.
Newly-elected Liberal senator and retired senior Army officer Jim Molan is defending his decision to share anti-Muslim videos posted by far-right UK group Britain First on Facebook. In March last year Mr Molan, who was sworn in as a senator this morning, shared posts from the group on his personal, public Facebook page.
One of the Britain First videos purports to show Muslim men attacking a police car in France, while the other purports to show Muslim men harassing and assaulting young women in France and the Netherlands.
The second video has been discredited by online fact-checkers.
Today Senator Molan said he did not remember sharing the videos, but upon watching them again, was shocked by the violence within them.
He said the videos were not inflammatory, and not racist.
“I have no apologies, I have no regrets,” he said.
Re; Reginald Selkirk @ #208…
Hey, MTG…how about you let your god take care his vengeance on his own? On the other hand, watching Republicans tear each other apart is amusing. Now if only they weren’t getting ready to crash the US economy while they do it.
For more than a week, Russia has been claiming to have captured all of the town of Soledar. On Monday morning, that was still not completely true. However, during the day on Monday, Ukrainian forces either withdrew from or were pushed out of the Silj area on the extreme northwest of the town. With that, it was over: Russia really has captured all of Soledar.
What they got doesn’t amount to much—2 kilometers in which not a single building remains intact and most of the structures are absolutely flattened. Comparing satellite images of Soledar made a year ago to the current state is almost like looking at before and after images of construction, except in the wrong order. The Russians have unmade Soledar. Erased it. As with every town and village along this front going back to Popasna, they have removed Soledar from the Earth then parked their equipment on the space where it once stood.
The Russian media calls this “liberation.”
[…] Just to repeat what we’ve said before, the tactical or strategic value of Soledar is extremely limited. Holding the town does give Russia fire control over the TO503 highway. That highway was already under threat, but now it’s likely difficult or impossible for Ukraine to move forces between Bakhmut and Siversk without taking a several-kilometer jog to the west. That highway was of high importance when Ukraine was engaged with Russia in Lysychansk and Severodonetsk. Russia’s ability to disrupt traffic along this highway could be a factor when Ukraine moves to liberate those cities. Likely not. The important highway in supplying this area was the T1302, and that one has been impassable for months. Taking Soledar makes no difference there.
I’m grabbing this map from War Mapper because I never do a good job of preserving past positions on my own map and in this case, our estimates are close enough. This gives a fair sense of just what Russia has gained, at least in terms of occupied territory. [map at the link]
The destruction of Soledar may also better position Russia for another of its endless runs at Bakhmut. It certainly extends the area of contact along the north side of the city. However, should Russia turn the forces in this area south, it would make them vulnerable to attack from the north and west, where other Ukrainian troops are positioned at Vesele and Rozdolivka. It seems more likely that Russian forces that moved into the space-that-was-Soledar will continue in an attempt to press west, hoping to isolate Bakhmut or threaten other locations rather than make an immediate swing to the south.
Still, none of that is really what Soledar is all about.
Soledar was captured because Russia identified it as a weak point in the line, a point where it could bring together more pressure than the defenders could withstand, and where an advance could be made to capture territory. That’s what every army does. That’s what Ukraine did when it moved against the area north of Balakliya in early September and kicked off the Kharkiv counteroffensive. Right now, Ukraine is maneuvering, as best the mud and weather allows, along the front line just 40 km north of Soledar, looking for the best way around Russian defenses at Kreminna.
The difference between what Ukraine is doing and what Russia did at Soledar comes down to two things: cost and goals. In terms of the losses it was willing to sustain to take the location, it appears Russia had no limits. […]
[…]. The Ukrainian advance near Balakliya broke Russian defensive lines, opened a route deep into occupied territory, and resulted in the liberation of over 12,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in the next three weeks. Taking Soledar offers … the opportunity to try and take the next small town, at an equally high cost.
Even so, there have been many reports that capturing Soledar, at any cost, was exactly the order that had been laid down to both Wagner group mercenary leaders and other Russian commanders in the area. So why? Well …
Russia didn’t manage to capture Kyiv. So it redefined victory down to taking the eastern and southern areas of Ukraine. Then it failed to hold Kharkiv, so it redefined victory to capturing all of Luhansk and holding the sea coast. Kherson is Russia forever! Then Russia lost Kherson in an absolutely humiliating defeat. Then Russia decided that taking Bakhmut, Bakhmut would be a victory! Only they couldn’t capture Bakhmut.
Russia threw everything at Soledar because it needed a “win.” And any win would do. The strategic value of taking this flat space that used to hold a town is negligible, except in terms of the media reports announcing “Russia scores its first victory in months,” backed by the sound of 10,000 cheering tankies.
Which does make you think. Not so much about Soledar, but about exactly why Russia felt it needed a win so badly that it was willing to reset the bar of victory so low and raise the level of acceptable loss so high. […]
Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, slammed Russia on Tuesday for a recent missile attack on an apartment building in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro that killed more than 40 people.
“There is nothing off limits for Russia,” Zelenska said at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “As we speak, in our city of Dnipro, people are still working and sorting through the debris of a residential area, a house that was destroyed by an anti-ship missile. This missile was built to destroy aircraft carriers and was used against the civilian infrastructure.”
“These were ordinary people at home on a Saturday and that’s enough reason for Russia to kill,” she added.
Forty-four people, including five children, were killed in the strike in Dnipro on Saturday, according to Ukrainian emergency services. The strike was among the latest barrage of missiles that Moscow fired on its neighbor on Saturday, pummeling cities across Ukraine.
Zelenska urged those in attendance at the World Economic Forum gathering, including heads of state, business leaders, prominent economists and other public figures, to use their influence to help halt Russian aggression. […]
Task & Purpose has put together a sharp video looking at the potential impact of the Bradley Armored Fighting Vehicle in Ukraine. [video at the link in comment 212, scroll down]
It gives a good sense of how the vehicle matches up with Russia’s BMP, but more importantly, how the Bradley is designed as a component of a different fighting strategy than the vehicles now being used in this war. Good insights into the source and level of equipment likely to be featured on those Bradleys now headed for active service, but why the U.S. could easily follow with many more, and why the Bradley is “finally getting to do what it was designed to do.” Finally, they do a decent job talking about that demon logistics and how it impacts the Bradley’s likely deployment in Ukraine.
We love us some logistics at Daily Kos, and we’ve talked often about the constraints that affect Russia’s ability to keep its forces supplied or to support a deep penetration. Something as simple as the use of palettes affects not just how quickly a truck or train can be unloaded, but how materiel is stored, how ammunition is positioned adjacent to the battlefield, and how many times HIMARS has converted heaps of Russian shells into truly impressive explosions.
This thread from a Ukrainian military officer does a fantastic job of illuminating how Russia has begun to address those issues, particularly when it comes to protecting their stores of equipment and ammo, and what effect that’s having on actions in Ukraine.
We love us some logistics at Daily Kos, and we’ve talked often about the constraints that affect Russia’s ability to keep its forces supplied or to support a deep penetration. Something as simple as the use of palettes affects not just how quickly a truck or train can be unloaded, but how materiel is stored, how ammunition is positioned adjacent to the battlefield, and how many times HIMARS has converted heaps of Russian shells into truly impressive explosions.
This thread from a Ukrainian military officer does a fantastic job of illuminating how Russia has begun to address those issues, particularly when it comes to protecting their stores of equipment and ammo, and what effect that’s having on actions in Ukraine.
During the Kherson liberation, Russian occupational forces (ROF) continued to utilize Myrne railway station and surrounding facilities to provide continuous logistical support for the entire Kherson army group.
Myrne station received several trains per day, loaded with ammo, vehicles, and troops. Some of these supplies were stored in facilities around the station. As soon as they became within Ukrainian reach, these facilities were stricken.
While the damage wasn’t as significant as anticipated, Russian occupational forces were forced to abandon their major supply routes and move their supply routes further south.
Sokolohirne – a tiny town located right on the border between Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblast. Unfortunately, it’s outside of any reasonable means that Ukraine can use to establish persistent fire control over the area.
Keep in mind that it’s not always possible to fire HIMARS from the edge of the range – even if that looks like the target is within range, there are other details that an independent observer might not be aware of:
1. Enemy artillery or air fire control over the territory.
2. Mined areas.
3. Unjustified risk due to strong EW, AD, radar, or intelligence saturation in the area
Sokolohirne is used by ROF to move vehicles, personnel, supplies, and construction materials between Zaporizhzhia, Crimea, and Kherson regions. To ease logistical constraints, they actively use civilian trucks.
Some cargo is moved in shipping containers by civilian trucks, making it more difficult to identify whether those contain ammo, MRE, or construction materials: [this image and many others are available at the Twitter link provided within the main article]
Until Ukraine will get enough deep-striking capabilities, Russians will keep their major logistics hubs just slightly away from the longest-ranged weapon that Ukraine has in significant numbers.
The best way to keep Russia away from Ukraine is to keep pushing Russian logistical routes out of it, saving the lives of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers.
This is what remains of a Russian armored unit that attempted to move out from the Donetsk area toward the small town of Vodyane on Saturday. That town has been under attack since the invasion began. In fact, it was the front lines on the day Russia rolled into Ukraine. It’s still on the front line. [images at the link]
Don’t get the impression that just because Russia took Soledar, they’ve somehow gained some new level of competence. They have not.
We found out the hard way that pregnancy and Covid-19 virus was a bad combination.
Here is another study.
Pregnant women were 7 times more likely to die.
They were also at much higher risk of having babies with medical problems such as low birth rate or preterm birth.
“Across the studies about 3% of pregnant women with Covid-19 needed intensive care, and about 4% needed any kind of critical care, but this was far higher than the numbers of pregnant women who needed that kind of care outside of a Covid-19 infection.
Compared to pregnant individuals who weren’t infected, those who got Covid-19 were nearly 4 times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit. They were 15 times more likely to be ventilated and were 7 times more likely to die.”
Large new review underscores the risks of Covid-19 during pregnancy | CNN
By Brenda Goodman
Updated 6:37 AM EST, Tue January 17, 2023
Pregnant women and their developing babies are at higher risk for severe outcomes if they get Covid-19, and now a large, international review is helping to underscore how devastating those risks can be.
The study draws on data from 12 studies from as many countries—including the United States. Altogether, the studies included more than 13,000 pregnant women—about 2,000 who had a confirmed or probable case of Covid-19. The health outcomes for these women and their babies were compared to about 11,000 pregnancies where the mother tested negative for Covid-19 or antibodies to it at the time of their deliveries.
Across the studies about 3% of pregnant women with Covid-19 needed intensive care, and about 4% needed any kind of critical care, but this was far higher than the numbers of pregnant women who needed that kind of care outside of a Covid-19 infection.
Compared to pregnant individuals who weren’t infected, those who got Covid-19 were nearly 4 times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit. They were 15 times more likely to be ventilated and were 7 times more likely to die. They also had higher risks for pre-eclampisa, blood clots, and problems caused by high blood pressure. Babies born to moms who had Covid-19 were at higher risk for preterm birth and low birth weights.
Previous studies have suggested that Covid-19 may increase the risk of stillbirth, but this study didn’t find that same link.
Risks persist across nations
Still, the findings paint a clear picture that shows the risks of pregnancy are amplified by Covid-19 infections.
“It’s very clear and even it’s consistent, you know, whether we’re talking about Sweden where we have really generally great pregnancy outcomes to other countries that you know, have bigger problems with maternal morbidity and mortality, that having COVID and pregnancy increases risk for both mom and baby,” said lead study author Emily Smith, who is an assistant professor of global health at George Washington University.
The study has some caveats that may limit how applicable the findings are to pregnant individuals in the Omicron era.
First, the studies were conducted relatively early in the pandemic, at a time when most people were still unvaccinated and uninfected. That means people in the study were likely at higher risk not just because they were pregnant, but also because they were immunologically naïve to the virus—they didn’t have any pre-existing immunity to help them fight off their infections.
Since then, many pregnant individuals have gotten vaccinated, or had Covid-19 or both. As of the first week of January, about 72% of pregnant people in the U.S. have had their primary series of Covid-19 vaccines, and about 95% of Americans are estimated to have had Covid-19 at least once, or been vaccinated against it, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means it’s likely they have some immune memory against the virus that may help protect against severe outcomes.
That immune memory appears to fade over time, however. CDC data show just 19% of pregnant women have had an updated booster, meaning many people may not have as much protection against the virus as they think they do.
Lead study author Emily Smith, who is an assistant professor of global health at George Washington University, says the study results reflect the risk of Covid-19 and pregnancy in unvaccinated people.
Unfortunately, Smith says, many countries still don’t have clear guidelines advising vaccination during pregnancy. And there are some parts of the world, such as China, that still have substantial proportions of their population who’ve never been been infected.
Vaccination is vital
For people who are trying to weigh the risks and benefits of Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy, Smith says this study helps tip the scales firmly on the side of vaccination.
“It’s worth it to protect yourself in pregnancy,” Smith said.
She says this study didn’t look at the benefits of vaccination in pregnancy, but other studies have, showing big decreases in the risk of stillbirth, preterm birth and severe disease or death for mom.
“And so that’s kind of the complementary story,” said Smith.
Dr. Justin Lappen, division director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, praised the study and said its findings reinforce and advance previous research, which has found that Covid-19 markedly increases the risk of severe outcomes for mom and baby. He wasn’t involved in the study.
He says the findings highlight the importance of preventing and treating Covid-19 in pregnant women.
Therapies that are indicated or otherwise recommended should not be withheld specifically due to pregnancy or breastfeeding, Lappen wrote in an email to CNN.
The study is published in the journal BMJ Global Health.
The unit told Insider the video was taken on December 28 last year near the village of Verkhnekamianske in the Luhansk Oblast in eastern Ukraine…
They were able to listen to Russian communications for nine days, allowing them to plan their next steps, …
[…] Donald John Trump, America’s redoubtable documents protector, once reportedly advised Rudy Giuliani to take secret government documents home so he’d have more time to work on them. Rudy Effing Giuliani, the top Trump administration cybersecurity expert who permanently got locked out of his iPhone. The leaky-headed lout. The guy who’s basically a Tiny Toons version of Nosferatu. That Rudy Giuliani.
Business Insider:
When I was his lawyer, I mean, there was a period of time I was there like, uh, 10 straight days,” Giuliani said on a Sunday episode of the WABC77 radio show, “Uncovering the Truth with Rudy Giuliani & Dr. Maria Ryan.”
“I didn’t take, listen to this, this is my training on ‘top secret:’ I didn’t take them out of Mar-a-Lago,” Giuliani said, describing how he handled the documents.
“He told me, ‘Oh, take them home with you,'” Giuliani said of Trump. “I’m not going to take Wilbur Ross’ tax returns home with me. I could misplace them!”
[…] Giuliani, somewhat oddly, added, “I—you know, I never, ever, ever, ever, ever, knowingly, and I never got caught—but I don’t remember ever taking a doc.”
Oh, well, if Rudy Giuliani doesn’t remember it, it must not have happened. Whew. And here I thought his brain was mostly sour mash at this point. Seriously, he’d be lucky if he remembered what he had for breakfast this morning—and whether it was single-malt or blended. […]
China has extended the olive branch to Western democracies and global capitalists alike, promising a new era of detente after the coercive “wolf warrior” diplomacy of the last five years.
Vice-premier Liu He, the economic plenipotentiary of Xi Jinping’s China, told a gathering of business leaders and ministers in Davos that China is back inside the tent and eager to restore the money-making bonhomie of the golden years…
The students were forced to do nearly 400 push-ups without a water break, said Dr Osehotue Okojie, a parent of one student who had to go to hospital…
He was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a medical condition that involves the breakdown of muscle tissue that causes the release of a damaging protein into the blood, she said. He spent a week in the hospital before coming home…
Dnipro (from Ukraine department of emergency services)
At 1:00 p.m. on January 17, search and rescue operations in the city of Dnipro at the site of a rocket attack were completed.
44 people died, including 5 children
79 people were injured, including 16 children
39 people were rescued, including 6 children
Unconfirmed reports today of fighting near Zmiivka, less than 5km NW of Svatove. If true, this would be the first time Ukrainian forces had reached this location.
There has been a tremendous amount of back and forth in a small area west of the highway near Svatove over the last two weeks. […]
It’s inevitable that, once Challengers and Leopard 2s (and M1A2?) reach the front lines in Ukraine, we’re going to see news of losses. However, I don’t think they’re going to go down with the frequency that we’re seeing from T-90Ms. [video at the link]
From Tagesspiegel: FDP member of the German Bundestag Marcus Faber after a visit to the front in Ukraine: “I am sure that we will deliver Leopard 1 and Leopard 2, which will be official in the next few days.” […]
Declaring that “it’s time for a victory lap,” Representative Kevin McCarthy celebrated one week of being barely tolerated by his Republican colleagues.
The California congressman was unable to contain his jubilation after a week in which the G.O.P. caucus appeared to keep its profound loathing of him marginally in check.
“I’m deeply honored by the display of grudging acceptance through gritted teeth that the caucus has shown me,” he said.
The House Speaker said that, though his fellow-Republicans could vote to oust him at a moment’s notice, he has decided to “be in the now.”
“If it turns out that this week was the only week my colleagues managed not to recoil in disgust at the sight of me holding the gavel, I will have had a good run,” he said.
* The latest on the mass shooting in Fort Pierce: “A 30-year-old woman died one day after eight people were shot at a party held after a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, Florida police said Tuesday.”
* The latest on the mass shooting in Goshen: “Six people — including a 17-year-old mother and her 6-month-old baby — were killed in a shooting early Monday at a home in central California, and authorities are searching for at least two suspects, sheriff’s officials said.”
Information comes from NBC News and from the Associated Press
Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte during a meeting with President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that the Netherlands plans to ‘join’ the U.S. and Germany’s efforts to train and arm Ukraine with advanced Patriot defense systems.
Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin — who foiled Democrats’ efforts to pass a voting-rights overhaul by a simple majority — shared a high-five on the stage in Davos as they reaffirmed their opposition to overturning the Senate’s filibuster rule.
As we embark into 2023, the general American public—and the world at large, really—is still navigating how to live amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This is true for the obvious folks, like those who work in hospitals and clinics, but also for, well, everyone. It’s true for bus drivers and janitors and servers. It’s really, really, really true for people who work with or around children, including teachers.
We’d hope at this point in the pandemic public school officials and administrators would have a handle on how to keep all involved safe. But thanks in no small part to Republican hysteria and the seemingly inherent desire to distract and misinform, conservatives in power are still stoking the flames of fear and ignorance instead of putting all hands on deck during a public health crisis.
One recent example comes to us from Oklahoma, where a state superintendent has ordered staff to investigate not one but two teachers he insists are “indoctrinating” students. And if that doesn’t feel like a conservative code word on its own, don’t worry—this guy ran on an anti-woke agenda just to make where he stands super, super clear.
Ryan Walters, who serves as the Oklahoma state superintendent, shared his perspective in a video posted to Twitter.
“I have instructed my staff to immediately begin the processes to hold the two teachers accountable who actively violated state law, admitted to violating state law, to indoctrinate our kids,” Walters states in the video.
“We will not allow the indoctrination of Oklahoma students here in the state of Oklahoma,” he continues. “And I, as the state superintendent and the Department of Education, will do everything within our power to not allow our kids to be indoctrinated by far-left radicals and to hold those accountable who have done so.” [video at the link]
Who are the “far-left radicals?” He doesn’t say. Walters hasn’t yet named the teachers or specified where or what they teach. Obviously, this is a relative good because it will hopefully save them from public shaming and possible threats and harassment, but the bigger picture issue is that he wants to investigate them at all.
Walters, by the way, has been the state superintendent for less than one month […] he’s explicitly told news outlets his mission is to fight “woke” ideology in public schools. Like many of the folks spouting anti-critical race theory and anti-queer fearmongering, Walters frames this as an issue of parental rights or parental consent, but really it’s anti-intellectualism and hate.
[…] In speaking to local outlet KOCO 5 in an interview, Walters insisted he’s been getting “messages, emails, everything from parents at every hour” about indoctrination concerns. “They continue to talk about examples of critical race theory in their schools. They continue to talk about this radical transgender education that’s been put in schools.” […] he didn’t offer specific examples to the outlet. [video at the link]
As reported over at EdWeek, the education department for the state of Oklahoma has actually already punished two school districts by reducing their accreditation because of reported violations of HB 1775, which essentially bars teachers from discussing racism and sexism in the classroom. This downgrade impacted one of the largest school districts in the state: Tulsa.
[…] Campaign, campaign, campaign with no helpful action, empathy, or ability to dive into the issues that matter. The conservative game plan continues to distract, enrage, and scare people into voting against the collective good.
Pierce R. Butlersays
Somebody who knows more about economics, please correct me if/where I’m wrong.
If the US – as the Republicans apparently want – defaults on its debt payments, part of the ensuing financial chaos will include a significantly lowered international credit rating, meaning higher interest rates on American bonds and other borrowing. Since (especially in case of default) increased social needs and reduced tax revenue will necessitate even more borrowing, that will move an even greater stream of dollars to major US creditors and bondholders, primarily big banks and capital funds, thus providing further incentives for those institutions to support the GOP’s high-stakes game of chicken.
However, aforesaid chaos would also do a lot of damage to those institutions’ portfolios all the way around, especially by flattening consumer demand for practically everything as well as tearing apart corporate revenues and planning, thereby harming the financiers’ interests much more than they might reasonably expect to gain from raised federal borrowing rates. That not only bollixes my nascent conspiracy theory, but raises the question of why Wall Street (et alia) allows even one major US political party to strew such bombs across the monetary landscape.
What have I missed here?
ravensays
Elon Musk Warns of ‘Massive Danger’ Looming Over the World. Musk is an idiot.
This is beyond any doubt by now.
The earth’s population is 8 billion and it is wrecking our biosphere and climate. It’s also still going up and is projected to peak at 9.7 billion around 2050.
The reason why China’s and many other places birth rates have fallen is because it is becoming harder and harder to support a family of 4 or more. And the future doesn’t look so great much of anywhere.
TheStreet.com
Elon Musk Warns of ‘Massive Danger’ Looming Over the World
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Tue, January 17, 2023 at 10:50 AM PST·4 min read
Elon Musk sees himself as the CEO of everything. China, the world’s most populous country — one-sixth of the planet’s inhabitants live there — saw its population decline in 2022. The country’s population had doubled since the 1960s, to more than 1.4 billion today.
As his influence has grown alongside the number of his Twitter followers, the Tesla (TSLA) – Get Free Report boss and SpaceX founder has been making his voice heard on global issues.
He doesn’t limit his areas of interest, and his blunt approach draws acclaim from his followers. He has established himself as a kind of global CEO.
And China has just given him a new opportunity to put on his visionary’s hat.
China, the world’s most populous country — one-sixth of the planet’s inhabitants live there — saw its population decline in 2022. That’s a statistic that was unheard of for six decades, and demographers say that it’s a historic turning point.
The country’s population had doubled since the 1960s, to more than 1.4 billion today.
But in 2022, the number of births in China was 9.56 million, the National Bureau of Statistics reported. At the same time, 10.41 million deaths were recorded. The drop in the population was thus 850,000 people.
Musk Calls Population Decline a ‘Massive Danger’
This is a first since 1960-1961, when a famine that began in 1959 killed tens of millions of people. That famine followed the errors of the economic policy known as the Great Leap Forward.
Paradoxically, this current decline occurred even as China relaxed its birth-control policy in recent years. Ten years ago, the Chinese were allowed to have only one child. Since 2021, they can have three.
This drop, which could continue until the end of the century, could severely harm the economy and the pension system.
For Musk, the Chinese announcements reinforce his warning that the biggest problem facing the world is population decline.
“Population collapse is a massive danger to the future of civilization!” the billionaire commented on Jan. 16.
He then highlighted a message from the 2018 World Economic Forum to hammer out his warning and, above all, to indicate that he was right. In its message the forum warned against overcrowding, but Musk has been estimating for years that the world doesn’t have enough people.
“Even as birth rates decline overpopulation remains a global challenge,” the World Economic Forum tweeted on April 5, 2018.
“Population collapse is an existential problem for humanity, not overpopulation!” Musk tweeted back on Jan. 17, 2023.
The United Nations has estimated that India should dethrone China this year as the country with the most inhabitants.
In 2019, the UN still believed that China would not reach its peak population until 2031-2032. But since then the fertility rate has collapsed to 1.15 children per woman in 2021, a bit more than half the generation-renewal threshold of 2.1.
Many local Chinese authorities have launched measures to encourage couples to procreate.
The metropolis of Shenzhen in south China recently began offering a birth bonus and allowances paid until the children are three years old. A couple welcoming their first baby will automatically receive 3,000 yuan ($443); they’ll get 10,000 yuan ($1,476) if it is their third. In total, a family with three children will receive 37,500 yuan ($5,536) in bonuses and allowances.
But whether such incentives can reverse the curve is uncertain. China’s population could decline by an average of 1.1% each year, according to a study by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. The country could have only 587 million inhabitants in 2100, less than half of the population today, according to the most pessimistic projections of these demographers.
Although he is not a demographer, Musk said several months ago that the Chinese population was going to collapse.
“Most people still think China has a one-child policy. China had its lowest birthdate ever last year, despite having a three-child policy!” Musk wrote last June. “At current birth rates, China will lose ~40% of people every generation! Population collapse.”
Besides China, the tech tycoon warns of population decline in wealthy countries like Japan.
The remedy, he says, is to encourage people to have children. The billionaire, 51, is the father of nine, three of whom were born at the end of 2021.
“You are no longer able to access TikTok on any device if you are connected to the university via its wired or WIFI networks.”
So reads a notice that appears on the devices of students at the University of Texas at Austin after the school announced it would be blocking the use of the social media app on university WiFi and servers. The decision was prompted by an order from Governor Greg Abbott banning the use of the app on state-owned devices on grounds of security concerns. Students can still, however, carry a gun on campus.
[…]
While students and faculty, under the guise of their own and the university’s safety, will no longer be allowed to access TikTok via university WiFi, under Abbott’s governance they can still carry a firearm on campus. Texas’ “campus carry” laws permit students to carry concealed handguns on campus, including in classrooms.
[…]
whheydtsays
Re: tomh @ #231…
So…. Texas policy is “Shoot a TikToker for Abbott”?
tomhsays
Re: whheydt @ #232
Sounds about right for Texas. Not sure I’d look forward to going to class in those classrooms.
A helicopter crash near a kindergarten in the Kyiv region has killed at least 16 people, including the leadership team of Ukraine’s interior ministry who were traveling on the aircraft and three children on the ground, according to officials.
At least 30 others, including 12 children, are in the hospital following the incident in the city of Brovary on Wednesday, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration.
Tymoshenko has revised down the number of people killed in the crash on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital – the previous death toll was 18.
Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky, First Deputy Minister Yevheniy Yenin and State Secretary Yuriy Lubkovychis died, Anton Geraschenko, a ministry adviser, confirmed on social media.
All nine people onboard the helicopter (six ministry officials and three crew members) were killed, leaving another seven dead on the ground, including three children, Tymoshenko said. A search and rescue operation is continuing, he added…
Greene — who has complained about the treatment of those charged in the Jan. 6 attack — was named to the Homeland Security Committee. Gosar, a climate denier, was given a seat on Natural Resources…
The House GOP Steering Committee on Tuesday recommended that embattled Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) sit on the House Small Business Committee and House Science, Space and Technology Committee, according to sources familiar with the assignments…
NASA officials disclosed information about a planned next-generation space telescope, the Habitable Worlds Observatory, during a recent session of the American Astronomical Society,
In the session, Mark Clampin, the Astrophysics Division Director NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, offered a few details about the telescope, which could be operational in the early 2040s…
One of the key findings of the most recent decadal survey was the necessity of finding habitable worlds beyond our own, using a telescope tailored specifically for such a purpose.
“Necessity”? Srsly. I think scientific exploration is good, but I think “necessity” is overstating the case.
The report suggested an $11 billion observatory—one with a 6-meter telescope that would take in light at optical, ultraviolet, and near-infrared wavelengths…
Like the Webb telescope, the future observatory will be located at L2, a region of space one million miles from Earth that allows objects to remain in position with relatively little fuel burn…
As reported by Science, Clampin said that the Habitable Worlds Observatory would be designed for maintenance and upgrades, which Webb is not. That could make the next observatory a more permanent presence in NASA’s menagerie of space telescopes…
ravensays
US preps another major Ukraine aid package but Kyiv pleads for tanks
I would just send them the tanks. And the long range missiles.
The Ukrainians are fighting for us against the world’s major enemy right now, Russia.
This incrementalism in providing weapons and help is just making the war last longer.
I’ve been spending too much time lately on Ukrainian war focused websites.
There is no doubt the Russians are taking heavy casualties.
AFAICT, so are the Ukrainians.
They don’t announce their numbers of dead but everything says it is now very high.
That really stops an army for a lot of reasons.
One key reason is that experienced and trained soldiers are hard to produce but a lot more valuable than just handing a rifle to some kid. The soldiers that Ukraine is losing are their best.
US preps another major Ukraine aid package but Kyiv pleads for tanks | CNN Politics CNN
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The US is expected to announce one of its largest military aid packages for Ukraine in the coming days, according to two US officials familiar with the plans. But Kyiv has been pleading for modern tanks, a request the US is not yet willing to grant, despite the United Kingdom and Poland saying they will.
So far the US has appeared resistant to sending them, even though the UK and other key allies are preparing to send tanks that could make a crucial difference in the war as Kyiv braces for a possible large-scale Russian counter-offensive.
The UK has already announced it will send 12 of their Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, heralding a new phase in the international effort to arm Kyiv and cross what had previously appeared to be a red line for the US and its European allies.
Earlier this month, Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country would provide Ukraine with a company of Leopard tanks, while Finland said tanks are under consideration.
The US, which has led the way on providing military aid to Ukraine to combat’s Russia’s invasion, now appears more cautious than key allies, even as it has far outpaced other countries in sending aid to Ukraine.
The largest US security package to date, announced earlier this month, totaled more than $3 billion and included the first shipment of Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. The previous largest package was $1.85 billion and was announced in late December.
Tanks represent the most powerful direct offensive weapon provided to Ukraine so far, a heavily armed and armored system designed to meet the enemy head on instead of firing from a distance. If used properly with the necessary training, they could allow Ukraine to retake territory against Russian forces that have had time to dig defensive lines. The US has begun supplying refurbished Soviet-era T-72 tanks, but modern western tanks are a generation ahead in terms of their ability to target enemy positions.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday that the UK decided to “intensify our support” for the Ukrainians by sending tanks and other heavy equipment because they want to send “a really clear message” to Russian President Vladimir Putin that they will support Ukraine until they are “victorious.”
“It’s in no one’s interest for this to be a long, drawn out, attritional war,” Cleverly said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “I mean, we seeing terrible images of civilian infrastructure, residential buildings being hit by missiles, women, children being killed, bodies being taken out of collapsed buildings. We cannot allow that to go on any longer than is absolutely necessary … So the moral imperative is to bring this to a conclusion.”
Ukraine has asked for ‘1%’ of NATO’s tanks
Ukraine has been asking for such tanks since nearly the start of Russia’s invasion. President Volodymyr Zelensky famously asked for “1%” of NATO’s tanks in April, but it was a weapon the West was not willing to seriously consider amid concerns of managing escalation with Russia and the time it takes to train tank operators and maintainers.
Despite Britain’s change of heart, the US has not shown any indication that it’s preparing to send its M-1 Abrams tank. It has acknowledged a willingness to consider sending modern tanks, but they have been floated as a long-term option. But critics say the time is now as Ukraine braces for the possibility Russia will mobilize more troops and launch a new offensive. It would take weeks to train Ukrainian troops to use the Abrams effectively, so the window for a spring deployment is closing rapidly.
Retired Army Gen. Robert Abrams – the former commander of US Forces Korea whose father was the namesake for the tank – told CNN that “the longer we delay a decision, and the longer we slow-roll this, we’re taking away valuable time.”
“If in the end, five months from now we say, ‘Okay fine, we’re going to give them some M1 tanks, choose your variety’ – we’ve just lost five months of prep time. So the politics decision actually has to come sooner rather than later,” he said.
Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division load a M1A1 Abrams tank onto a C5 “Super Galaxy” at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga, March 28, 2017.
Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division load a M1A1 Abrams tank onto a C5 “Super Galaxy” at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga, March 28, 2017.
US Army/Lt. Col. Brian Fickel
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the support Washington has provided to Kyiv has evolved throughout the course of the war and teased more announcements as he reiterated that the United States is determined to give Ukraine “what it needs to succeed on the battlefield.”
Speaking alongside Cleverly, Blinken praised the UK’s decision to send tanks. “We applaud the prime minister’s commitment over the weekend to send Challenger 2 tanks and additional artillery systems to Ukraine, elements that will continue to reinforce and add to what the United States has provided, including in our most recent drawdown.”
But so far, no US official has signaled the administration is likely to change its mind and send American tanks.
The Pentagon says it’s not a question of managing escalation with Russia or questions over heavy US weaponry falling into Russian hands. The concern is how difficult it is to operate and maintain the Abrams tank and whether the 70-ton tank would work for Ukrainian forces.
“It is a very, very different system than the generation of tank they’re currently operating,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe, former commander of the Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia. “So we would have to go through a sizeable training program with their Army. It would not be something that you can just, ‘Hey we field Abrams to you today and you’re fighting with it tomorrow.’ That’s not even in the realm of the possible.”
Similar to the Patriot missile system training that Ukrainians are now beginning in Oklahoma, the Abrams tank would not be an overnight fix – on top of significant maintenance and logistics challenges, Ukrainians would also need to undergo more training to learn how to use and maintain the Abrams.
Recent announcements show how far the US and its allies have come within a short period, from a focus on the HIMARS and howitzers they have already provided to heavy armor, marking a “substantive” change in the types of offensive weaponry heading for Ukraine that will give their military “much more capability.”
Aim is to make Ukraine ‘more deadly on the battlefield’
“We are attempting to help Ukraine transform as fast as they can into better, capable, newer advanced weapons systems that are more deadly on the battlefield,” said retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling. But he warned that such an effort requires a massive military infrastructure to support it with people, parts and supplies in place.
Only days earlier, before Poland said it would send tanks, the US announced that it would ship Ukraine Bradley infantry fighting vehicles for the first time – not tanks, but “tank killers,” the Pentagon said – as France and Germany promised to send own their versions of the armored vehicle.
The coordinated announcements from Washington and Berlin, as well as the Paris announcement shortly thereafter, underscore how the US and its NATO allies have moved forward largely in unison on the issue of advanced and heavy weaponry. Instead of a single country unilaterally stepping out far ahead of others, the alliance has stayed in close coordination, using the monthly Ukraine Contact Group meetings to find and organize shipments of weapons.
02 bakhmut report january intl
All eyes will be on the next such meeting, occurring in Germany on Friday, as top officials meet to discuss what else should be provided to the embattled country.
The UK can send its Challenger 2 tank to Ukraine on its own, but Poland acknowledged it requires approval from Berlin before exporting its German-made Leopard tanks. A spokeswoman for Germany’s government, Christiane Hoffmann, said last week they had received no such request from Poland or Finland. Hoffmann added that Germany is in close contact with the US, France, the UK, Poland and Spain about ongoing military assistance to Ukraine.
Germany on Tuesday signaled a reluctance to approving the shipments unless the US sends its own tanks.
“We are never going alone, because this is necessary in a very difficult situation like this,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
If Germany offered approval for countries to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, it would open up a previously off-limits cache of potential arms for Kyiv. About a dozen European countries operate the Leopard, which could provide Ukraine with an abundance of potential ammo and spare parts, as well as additional tanks once Ukrainian forces become familiar with the Leopard.
While the Ukrainians welcomed the UK’s decision to send Challenger 2 tanks, experts cautioned that too many tank variants would only stretch Ukraine thinner on its ability to maintain them.
“The more variations of tanks that you put into the Ukrainian Army, it’s going to challenge their logistics more and more,” said Donahoe. “I mean the Challenger is a completely different system than the [US-made] Abrams and a completely different system than the Leopard … There’s significant challenges with them integrating Challenger as well if they’re going to get more variants of other westerns [main battle tanks].”
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Alex Marquardt contributed reporting.
ravensays
This Dutch general is claiming the Russians are mobilizing for an all out offensive this spring.
Maybe, I wouldn’t know one way or the other.
But what choice do the Russians have anyway?
“Former Army Commander Mart de Kruif thinks a new offensive is inevitable. “Putin is going all out and preparing a major mobilization, all-out war. He is running his industry at full throttle, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.” There is no other way, says De Kruif. “The only option he has to win this war is to let time work for him. Mobilize everything he has and hope that in that war of attrition the West will give up support for Ukraine.
Whoever starts, as soon as the terrain and weather permit, the Grand Operation will begin.”
New Russian offensive? ‘The Grand Operation will start this spring’
Russia and Belarus are conducting military air exercises which Belarus says are “defensive in nature”. But Ukraine fears a new Russian offensive. Will the Russians strike again on a large scale soon?
Peter Wijninga, of the Center for Strategic Studies in The Hague, says that the Russians have been relying on Belarus for some time for their training. “For training with ground troops and now also with the air force. The air force of Belarus serves as a sparring partner for the Russian air force. Because it is needed for a new attack on Ukraine, especially for aerial reconnaissance and support of ground troops.”
Former Army Commander Mart de Kruif thinks a new offensive is inevitable. “Putin is going all out and preparing a major mobilization, all-out war. He is running his industry at full throttle, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.” There is no other way, says De Kruif. “The only option he has to win this war is to let time work for him. Mobilize everything he has and hope that in that war of attrition the West will give up support for Ukraine.”
Whoever starts, as soon as the terrain and weather permit, the Grand Operation will begin.
Mart de Kruif, former Commander of the Army
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the war is at a critical stage. “So it’s important that we give Ukraine the weapons it needs to win and survive as an independent nation.” Next Friday there will be a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group , which coordinates arms deliveries from NATO countries to Kiev, among others.
De Kruif thinks that the war on the ground is not possible without heavy equipment. “Ukraine has nothing left and is therefore completely dependent on what we in the West still have or want to give to Ukraine.”
Wijninga: “Supplying tanks to Ukraine to defend itself against a land grab war from Russia is nothing more than enabling it to better defend itself against Russian aggression.”
tanks
Ukraine has long been asking the West for heavy equipment, such as tanks. Last weekend, Britain announced that it would be the first country to send modern Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. Germany is also considering the delivery of heavy weapons such as the Leopard 2 tanks, which Ukraine would like to have, but is still hesitating.
“You can’t box with one fist,” says De Kruif. Russia is doing everything it can to bring all its armored vehicles, tanks, everything it has to the front. “And that is typically Russian, suddenly trying to break through with very high firepower. The best weapons against tanks are still tanks. So delivery has to be done quickly.”
With attacks, such as this week in Dnipro, Russia wants to break the will of the Ukrainian people. “But the effect is reversed. Ukrainians only seem more determined to win the war.”
ravensays
Opinion | Heavy tanks — and a push from the U.S. — are key to Ukraine’s success
washingtonpost.com/opinio…
This is behind a paywall.
I don’t care anyway.
This is a fallacy we’ve been seeing for a while.
Ukraine is always a few dollars and a few weapons short of winning their war.
If we just send them the magic weapons, they will win.
(Russia says the same thing about their army.)
It isn’t that easy.
We sent them the highly effective HIMARS and they helped a lot.
We sent them a lot of air defenses recently and they helped a lot.
I’m sure more modern tanks and other weapons will help a lot.
I doubt that any of that is going to be all that decisive though.
We should do it anyway, since no one has any better ideas right now.
We saw the same thing in Vietnam.
Just a few more tanks, a few hundred thousand more soldiers, a few millions of tons of more bombs dropped, a few million more dead Vietnamese, a few more years and then…we will win.
After a while, no one believed this any more.
Just popping in to say hello from the vicinity of the private club and residence of one lying idiot fascist in a state “governed” by another lying idiot fascist (no gummies allowed but COVID can run riot – freedom!). But I’m in a pretty spot and the weather’s lovely! I hope to have a chance to check in more later.
Here’s a link to today’s Guardian Ukraine liveblog. From their latest summary:
At least 14 people including Ukraine’s interior minister, Denys Monastyrsky, and other senior officials have been killed after a helicopter crashed by a kindergarten in a suburb of Kyiv. A number of children at the school in Brovary were among the casualties after debris hit the building. The most recent update, on Wednesday afternoon, suggested one child had been killed, after previous reports that the number was at least three.
Officials gave no immediate account of the cause of the crash. The SBU state security service said it was investigating possible causes including a breach of flight rules, a technical malfunction and the intentional destruction of the helicopter.
Monastyrskiy, who was responsible for the police and security inside Ukraine, is the most senior Ukrainian official to die since the war began. Ukraine’s national police chief, Ihor Klymenko, has been appointed acting interior minister. Among the victims of the crash include Monastyrskiy’s first deputy Yevhen Yenin, state secretary of the ministry of internal affairs Yuri Lubkovych, their assistants and the helicopter crew.
Separately, Ukraine reported intense fighting overnight in the east of the country, where both sides have taken huge losses for little gain in intense trench warfare over the last two months. Ukrainian forces repelled attacks in the eastern city of Bakhmut and the nearby village of Klishchiivka, the Ukrainian military said. Russia has focused on Bakhmut in recent weeks, claiming last week to have taken the mining town of Soledar on its northern outskirts.
Vladimir Putin has said he has “no doubt” that Russia’s victory in Ukraine is “inevitable”…. In a separate speech, the Russian leader also claimed Moscow’s actions in Ukraine were intended to stop a “war” that had been raging in eastern Ukraine for many years….
Bulgaria helped Ukraine survive Russia’s early onslaught by secretly supplying it with large amounts of desperately needed diesel and ammunition, the politicians responsible have said. The former Bulgarian prime minister Kiril Petkov and finance minister Assen Vassilev said their country, one of the poorest EU members and long perceived as pro-Moscow, provided 30% of the Soviet-calibre ammunition Ukraine’s army needed during a crucial three-month period last spring, and at times 40% of the diesel.
Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said Ukraine needs a “significant increase” in weapons in order to reach a “negotiated peaceful solution”. He was cautious on whether Germany would lift its opposition to sending its Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine, or at least approve their transfer, saying consultations were ongoing. Nato’s deputy secretary general, Mircea Geoană, warned that the military alliance must be prepared “for the long haul” and support Ukraine for as long as it takes
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has ducked a question about allowing Leopard 2 Tanks to be sent to Ukraine. Speaking to delegates in Davos, Scholz said Germany has been among the biggest supporters of Ukraine, adding that Kyiv can rely on Berlin’s support, but must avoid this becoming a war between Russia and Nato. [FFS!]
Canada has announced that it will donate 200 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to Ukraine. The move came during a visit to Kyiv by Canada’s defence minister, Anita Anand. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, thanked the Canadian people and its prime minister, Justin Trudeau, “on this difficult day”.
Reports circulating that Sweden intends to provide FH77BW “Archer” artillery systems to Ukraine. This is another 155mm artillery system with range between 30-50km depending on the type of shell. The primary thing that differentiates it from other self-propelled artillery is that this one is on a 6×6 wheeled base made by Volvo rather than tracks, making it nimble and highly mobile (up to 70 kph). The second thing is that this gun has an autoloader and a 20 shell magazine, making its operation quite different from most big guns.
No details. Awaiting official confirmation.
Cause and effect is the simplest, the most basic, element of any system. Add heat to water, get steam. Release the apple, it falls. Swing the bat, and the ball goes flying. But there are aspects of this most basic relationship that Russia still seems to be confused about. For example: Commit fresh and highly visible atrocities on the brink of an international conference concerning the war you are currently waging, watch nations of the world step up their support for the nation you are victimizing.
From the beginning of this illegal and unprovoked invasion, there have been two big factors fueling international assistance to Ukraine. One is the incredible toughness and resilience demonstrated by the Ukrainian people. Their ability to survive and respond to a massive assault was inspirational far beyond their own borders, and had Ukraine not showed they could weather the initial storm, nothing else would have mattered.
The second factor fueling support for Ukraine is Russia’s willingness to engage in wanton cruelty, not as the necessary side effect of waging war, but as a tactic. From the Mariupol Theater to the Dnipro apartment building, Russia has moved under a delusion that causing suffering would bring victory. Even when things were going poorly on the front—especially when things were going poorly on the front—Russia has reached out with drones and missiles to leave parents weeping over tiny bundles and create a generation of orphans. Mass graves, mass abductions, and a massively tone-deaf strategy that seems to operate as if sufficient horrors will bring on surrender. Or maybe they just enjoy it.
Either way: cause and effect. That cruelty is bringing something new to Ukraine, and it’s starting to look as if it could come in a flood.
Back in April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a succinct proposal for the leaders of NATO: Send him 1% of their available tanks. Just 1%. And Ukraine would defeat the Russian military. Western leaders listened sympathetically, but agreed to send no tanks.
April was a military age ago. Maybe two. The number of ridiculous lines that Western leaders have drawn, then been forced to erase, is hard to even count at this point. Still … they keep drawing lines.
Right now, defense ministers from nearly 50 nations are meeting at Rammstein Air Base in Germany. The primary topic of this meeting is, of course, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The primary result is expected to be the announcement of additional military hardware that Ukrainian troops can use to halt Russian attacks and push Russian forces back to their own borders.
Already in the last week:
France announced that it was sending the AMX-10rc armored fighting vehicle to Ukraine. Even as experts rushed to explain why this vehicle was not actually a tank (wheels, people, look at those wheels!), there’s no doubt that the AMX-10 announcement helped to crack open the floodgates and increase the pressure to send more potent vehicles to Ukraine. [Tweet and image at the link]
The U.S. announced a new $3 billion assistance package that, for the first time, includes Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. This is far from the first time that the U.S. has sent armored vehicles to Ukraine, but those past vehicles have been more about transport and support rather than firepower. The Bradley is most definitely a step up and the first time the U.S. is sending a vehicle to Ukraine that the U.S. military itself describes as “a tank killer.” Along with the Bradleys, the U.S. is sending the M109 “Paladin” howitzer, more armored transport, and a genuinely massive amount of ammunition. [Tweet and image at the link: “Bradley is not a tank but a tank killer […]]
The U.K. announced that it is sending modern Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks to Ukraine, shattering that self-erected Western taboo against sending full-blown tanks to Ukraine. Those 16 Challenger tanks are far from the only thing the Brits are sending. Those tanks are part of what has now been revealed as a large package including hundreds of other armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery. [Tweet and video at the link]
Canada announced that it would send 200 more of the Senator armored vehicles. This isn’t the first time these vehicles have been sent, but they’ve developed a reputation as a reliable and speedy mount. They’re reportedly the favorite ride for Ukraine’s “Kraken” regiment. [Tweet and image at the link]
The Netherlands has promised to provide Ukraine with another Patriot missile battery, following a U.S. agreement to deliver a Patriot system in late December that came after another round of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. [Tweet and image at the link]
My friends, statesmen Denys Monastyrskyi, Yevhen Yenin, Yurii Lubkovych, everyone who was on board of that helicopter, were patriots who worked to make Ukraine stronger.
We will always remember you. Your families will be cared for.
🕯🇺🇦🇵🇱Farewell my friend 🥀Every day tragic info from Ukraine,today about the helicopter crash in which the interior minister MONASTYRSKI dies🪔I recall our first meeting in 2016 when you came to Poland for training at NIK. You were fascinated by Poland – we are losing a friend🕯
rorschachsays
The pandemic is not over if you are rich and powerful, they know better, and they protect themselves, with fresh air, HEPA filters, PCR tests and quick access to Paxlovid. Check out the pics on SocMed today of politicians, billionaires etc sitting in thick jackets in rooms protected by max ventilation, air filters and screening PCR tests at the Davos economic forum. You are being lied to.
About the helicopter crash mentioned in comment 244, and Reginald’s comment 234:
The crash occurred near a kindergarten just as parents were bringing their children in to begin their day, adding a new trauma for kids (and parents) who must already being each school day wondering what will happen next.
A few more details about the tanks being offered to Ukraine:
The numbers being offered up right now aren’t huge, but they are significant. As things stand, Ukraine could end up with a company of Challenger 2 tanks and possibly enough Leopard 2 tanks to shape a whole battalion. Forming those tanks as a unit could make them a potent spearhead for the next Ukrainian counteroffensive, or they could be split into multiple companies to provide a hard core of protection at several points on the front. Whatever logistics allows.
Even right now, as things stand with the AMX-10rc, Bradley, and Challenger announcements, the army that Ukraine fields in the spring is going to be a different beast than what has operated against Russian forces so far. That current Ukrainian military is in most ways driving hardware that mirrors the Russian forces attacking them. The Russians are absolutely familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of everything they see in their scope.
Somewhere around March, a Russian tanker is going to look out and see alien forms approaching. That engagement is going to be world-defining. No exaggeration. […]
Despite the fact that Virginia Republicans fared very well in the commonwealth’s 2021 elections, GOP legislators are moving forward with plans to slash Virginia’s early voting period from the 45 days before Election Day to 14 days.
Solomon Pena, the failed Republican candidate who is accused of hiring men to shoot at the homes of Democratic Party officials in his home state of New Mexico, believed [a lot of crazy stuff].
[…] Pena’s comments [on social media] were tinged with the QAnon-adjacent idea that liberal ideology as a whole is part of some larger, nefarious plot with roots in the supernatural. [JFC]
“Critical Race Theory, the entire Black Lives Matter movement, aborting the unborn, food stamps, affirmative action, etc. are all demonic,” Pena wrote in an essay posted on his main campaign site.
That was one of four main items on Pena’s campaign site including another essay arguing that various environmentally-friendly energy technologies were “hoaxes,” a link promoting an article posted by a political action committee that was led by the late conspiracy theorist Lyndon LaRouche, and a report that purportedly outlined issues with New Mexico’s elections last year. There was no credible evidence of widespread fraud in those races.
Pena was arrested in Albuquerque on Monday. According to police, the arrest was the end of a dangerous spree that began after Pena lost his bid to represent the 14th District in the New Mexico House of Representatives last November. Pena, who garnered a paltry 26.4 percent of the vote, reportedly followed his defeat by visiting the homes of three local Democrats who were involved in certifying the race.
During those visits, Pena presented the officials with supposed evidence backing his belief that the election was illegitimate. That packet of information apparently included “graphs,” Debbie O’Malley, a former county commissioner, told TPM Tuesday as she recounted his visit to her house. O’Malley’s home was later shot at, according to police. The three officials visited by Pena were among four Democrats whose homes were allegedly shot at in separate incidents last month and on Jan. 3.
[…] On his Twitter page, Pena challenged the election even before it took place. He paired these messages, too, with worries about demons. Pena’s election conspiracy theories and fears about the spiritual realm were also combined with more standard far-right concerns about cultural issues including civil rights and abortion.
In mid October, Pena sent a pair of tweets ten minutes apart where he attacked Democrats and cast the progressive agenda as “demonic.” […]
Pena followed that up by attacking Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), […] “You are a demon possessed liar,” Pena wrote. […] his writings show he saw his beliefs through the lens of a larger, spiritual battle, too. […] he decried a laundry list of progressive causes as “demonic,” Pena devoted a full section to feminism.
“Feminism is demonicism. All of our accumulated thoughts and knowledge are steadily being erased by it,” Pena wrote, adding, “Of the movements of our time, it is the most potentially corrosive and radical. Women and men are not equal. They have immutable characteristics that separate them from each other.”
[…] Pena promoted the ideas of LaRouche, a noted anti-Semite and conspiracist […]
Pena wasn’t solely focused on the world of the demonic. Like the LaRouche acolytes, he also had an eye towards outer space and was eager to see moon colonies. In one November 2022 tweet where he attacked Stansbury for claiming to be “PRO-SCIENCE.” In that message, he framed abortion as an obstacle that would prevent the spread of civilization to other planets.
“I disagree. We need a global population of ten billion people in order to have the proper division of labor so we can colonize the moon and Mars, but you are highly focused on helping abort 890,000 babies a year, in the U.S,” Pena wrote adding, “You are anti science.”
Just when you think the George Santos stories can’t get worse, they do.
The one is by Patch staff reporter Jacqueline Sweet. In “Disabled Veteran: George Santos Took $3K From Dying Dog’s GoFundMe”, Sweet reported late yesterday that in March 2016 the disabled veteran Richard Osthoff, who was living in a tent in an abandoned chicken coop in Howell, NJ, had a problem with his service dog Sapphire, a pit mix given him by a veteran’s charity.
Sapphire had developed a stomach tumor that would be deadly without surgery, and Osthoff learned that surgery would cost $3,000. A vet tech steered Ostoff to a pet charity named Friends of Pets United, a charity that it turns out was run by Anthony Devolder — who now calls himself George Santos.
[…] The story gets worse when Osthoff finds out that the surgery won’t happen and writes to Santos: Santos brushes him off, saying that Osthoff is trying to mooch off Santos’s charity!
As Josh Marshall wrote: “This is deep level sociopathy.”
So it’s perfect for a Republican, no? Is it any wonder that McCarthy and his fellow DC Republicans are still backing Santos?
whheydtsays
Re: Lynna, OM @ #243…
A comment on the Russian penchant for attacks on civilians… In the 1920s, Italian general Guilio Douhet propounded the theory that, using the emerging air power, it would be possible to defeat a country by bombing the civilian population into giving up and collapsing your enemies economy, especially war materiel production.
During WW2, both sides bought into this theory…with respect to their opponents, all while maintaining that their own civilian population was “tough” and could take it without morale cracking and keep working to support the war effort. Eventually, the Allies did manage–in some localities–to break the German civilian morale, but it took 1000 bomber raids and firestorms (which no one had realized would happen until they did) to do it.
It appears that Putin and the Russian high command still hold to Douhet’s theory, and without the means to truly deliver what that theory requires in sheer munitions delivery.
None of the reports we’ve been getting have, so far as I’ve seen, made this connection to a hundred year old theory of warfare and it’s history as it applies to Russian military theory.
Kyrsten Sinema, throughout her first and worst term as senator, has pointedly refused to engage meaningfully with her constituents. She’s held few town halls and won’t meet with representatives from groups who helped elect her in the first place. However, she always finds time for her beloved donor class.
This week, she enjoyed a private fancypants luncheon with billionaire CEOs at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, which is not a city in Arizona. Joining her were fellow bipartisan crusaders Sen. Joe Manchin and Chris Coons, plus special guest villains Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and former House Speaker Paul Ryan. Sinema hasn’t looked this happy since she voted against a minimum wage increase.
Watch her pour on that Sinema charm! (Available for purchase wherever big-money donors gather.) [Tweet and video at the link]
[…]. As Governor Eric Holcomb will be term-limited out in 2024, Senator Mike Braun will vacate his US Senate seat to run for governor. And that in turn leaves a hole in the Senate, which Rep. Jim Banks is pretty sure he’s the right guy to fill.
WAIT, WHO?
Look, Jim Banks may not have the knack for bug-eyed histrionics of Reps. Jim Jordan or James Comer. But make no mistake, this guy is fucking crazy, or at the very least, totally craven and willing to go pedal to the metal on culture war issues instead of governing. And there’s a reason that then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected his nomination to the House January 6 Select Committee — not that it stopped him from cosplaying as its ranking member and sending a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland demanding information about the attack on the Capitol.
Banks isn’t interested in governing, per se. He’s part of a new breed of edgelord Republicans who think that misgendering trans folks is hi-freakin-larious and it’s the height of sophisticated thinking to pretend that taxation is theft. Naturally he announced his candidacy by promising to banish trans athletes from sports and ban the teaching of critical race theory in schools. How he will accomplish this from the Senate he does not say.
But as Politico points out, the point here isn’t to actually set out legislative priorities. Banks needs to differentiate himself from former Governor Mitch Daniels, his likeliest primary rival in what is almost certainly a safe Republican hold. Daniels, who is a full three decades older than Banks, can seem like a man out of another time — a time when Republicans had dumb ideas, but they hadn’t yet lost their goddamn minds. […]
Naturally Daniels’s heresy earned him a rebuke from then Rep. Mike Pence, and made him an enemy for life of the anti-tax Club for Growth, which has grokked that the best way to drown government in the proverbial bathtub is to make sure it’s totally ineffective. Toward that end, they’ve lined up behind Banks, promising to drop $10 million on the primary, where they’re already running ads saying that Daniels is “not the right guy for Indiana anymore.”
Meanwhile, Banks promises that he’ll “never be calling for a truce on social issues or cultural issues,” when Hoosiers are “looking for a fighter in the United States Senate.”
Culture war today, culture war tomorrow, culture war forever. Just as white Jesus and the Founding Fathers intended.
whheydtsays
Re: Lynna, OM @ #247….
In any competent military organization (yeah, I know…that lets Russia out right there), those going into combat are going to be provided with the best knowledge their side has gleaned about enemy equipment.
During the Battle of Britain, the British, using parts from crashed and shot down German aircraft to reconstruct working examples and let their top pilots fly them and report on what they could discover about them. The Germans did the same work on Spitfires. Thus you get people like Adolf Galland who was quite familiar with the Spitfire and British ace Douglas Bader who knew how to fly a Bf-109.
If you’ve read Chuck Yeager’s first autobiographical book, you know about his sudden trip to Taiwan to check out the Mig fighter that a defector flew there.
So–at least in theory–along about March or April, those Russian tank crews should look out there and be able to identify any current Western main battle tanks they see and adjust their munition choice and aiming point accordingly. I don’t expect that to happen in practice, though.
Anita Anand, Canadian Defence Minister, is visiting Kyiv; she has announced that her country will hand over 200 Senator APCs (armoured personnel carriers) to Ukraine.
Source: statement of the Canadian government, European Pravda reported
Quote: “This new package of military assistance responds to a specific Ukrainian request for these vehicles, which are being purchased from Roshel [Canadian company based in Mississauga, Ontario – ed.]. This aid is valued at over $90 million and is allocated as part of the additional $500 million in military aid for Ukraine announced by Prime Minister Trudeau in November 2022,” the statement said.
Details: Senator APCs are equipped with state-of-the-art, best-in-class technology, and weapons can easily be mounted on them. These vehicles allow for the safe transport of personnel and equipment, and medical evacuations…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man charged with threatening to kill a Kansas congressman said in federal court Wednesday that he has a “very religious” defense and is now acting as his own attorney, despite a judge’s warnings that he is making a big mistake.
Prosecutors hoped to call U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, the Republican whose Topeka office received the phone call prompting the criminal charge, as a witness Wednesday afternoon.
The trial of Chase Neill, 32, of the northeastern Kansas city of Lawrence, came amid what authorities say is a sharp rise in threats against the nation’s lawmakers and their families.
Prosecutors contend Neill became fixated on LaTurner and threatened to kill him in a call the night of June 5 and subsequent calls the next day. Federal public defenders initially representing Neill said he saw himself as having a special relationship with God that allowed him to call down “meteors and plagues” on officials and that local authorities saw him as harmless.
Twice within the past week, Neill has asked to represent himself, withdrawing one request before his federal court jury was selected Tuesday. He said Wednesday in court that he has been portrayed as “a false Christ,” damaging his reputation…
Arizona’s mail-in voting system is not unconstitutional, the Court of Appeals ruled today, [full text of ruling], blasting a lawsuit filed last year by the Arizona Republican Party and Chairwoman Kelli Ward. The unanimous decision upholds the previous dismissal of the case.
New legislator Alexander Kolodin had filed the case for the AZGOP, along with nationally-known law professor Alan Dershowitz. They were claiming that mail-in ballots violated the Arizona Constitution’s Secrecy Clause. Today’s decision notes that Kolodin tried to back off of their original position during both briefing and oral arguments, suggesting now that the Secrecy Clause requires a “secure restricted zone around a voter who fills in a mail-in ballot.”
The 11-page decision then blasts through three arguments made by Kolodin and Dershowitz*
[…]
*The Court lists Dershowitz as “pro hac vice counsel”, meaning that he is co-counsel approved to represent the plaintiffs/appellants in this case, but is not regularly admitted to practice in Arizona courts. In a companion case challenging another part of Arizona’s elections, filed in federal court, Dershowitz is currently making the claim that he should not be sanctioned because he was *only* “of counsel” and/or a legal consultant.
This is jackassery of the highest order, and it’s now been confirmed by multiple sources. Germany refusing to either send its own Leopards, or allow anyone else to send them, unless the U.S. sends Abrams first, even though Germany is well aware of how much more quickly and efficiently Leopards could be sent to work. [tweet and image at the link]
Reports circulating that the U.S. will provide Ukraine with the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) for use with HIMARS. This missile has a range of about 130km and, in tests at least, took out a moving target at 100km. The Pentagon may see this as a good compromise between the range of the M30/M30A1 rockets now in use and the up to 300km range of ATACMS. Swedish publication Expressen on those potential Archer artillery systems. “On Thursday, the government will instruct the Armed Forces to send the Swedish Archer artillery system to Ukraine, according to documents on the government’s website.”
The current PM called last year’s decision not to send the Archer “pitiful and weak.”
Don’t expect this to be a large number of systems. Sweden has only built a reported 48 units. Expect about a dozen of these to head for Ukraine.
Also hearing that the US is likely to send some version of the Stryker vehicle. Expect updates soon.
Reports circulating that the U.S. will provide Ukraine with the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) for use with HIMARS. This missile has a range of about 130km and, in tests at least, took out a moving target at 100km. The Pentagon may see this as a good compromise between the range of the M30/M30A1 rockets now in use and the up to 300km range of ATACMS.
[…] there are aspects of this most basic relationship that Russia still seems to be confused about. For example: Commit fresh and highly visible atrocities on the brink of an international conference concerning the war you are currently waging, watch nations of the world step up their support for the nation you are victimizing. […]
It’s not often that an article in Golfweek sets the tone for the actual week, but on Saturday the premier journal of hitting small balls with sticks noted continuing problems for the nascent LIV Golf tour. The schedule of tournaments isn’t full. The roster of big name players that LIV needs to make itself seem a legit competitor to the 93-year-old PGA Tour have failed to materialize. The team-based structure of LIV has failed to create the kind of rivalries that the creators suggested would help raise interest in the new offering.
However, all those concerns could turn out to be minor. That’s because a court case in California, where LIV has filed an antitrust suit against the PGA, has gone in a direction that LIV definitely, definitely did not want. While fighting back against this suit, the PGA has sought to compel discovery about the real sources behind the fund picking up the ticket on LIV’s considerable expenses. As it happens, a slip of the tongue from a LIV attorney during the trial revealed that the fund owns 93% of LIV Golf and covers all of its expenses.
The chairman and controlling officer of that fund is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Its bin Salman paying all the bills and taking all the risks for LIV Golf. But who is making a profit?
[LIV Golf] has paid Trump-owned golf resorts unknown millions of dollars to hold its events there, and former President Trump has publicly championed the new league, made prominent appearances at its events, and urged PGA players to sign on with LIV Golf.
Exactly how many millions is bin Salman funneling to Donald Trump through LIV? We don’t know.
That LIV Golf was at least partially owned by Saudi sources was never a secret and has been a concern since the tour began. However, as a private company, its internal ownership and funding was obscured until the unfolding court case opened up the details of just how little involvement there is from anyone else. It’s not just that bin Salman owns 93% of the tour on paper. He’s picking up 100% of the bill.
In response to the effort to compel discovery on LIV’s finances, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) insisted that it could not be forced to reveal anything. They don’t have to talk, because they are an “organ of the Saudi state” and protected by “foreign sovereign immunity.”
That doesn’t exactly make things better.
According to Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of Democracy for the Arab World Now, “The revelation that a fund controlled by Crown Prince MBS actually 100% funds LIV Golf means that MBS has been paying Donald Trump unknown millions for the past two years, via their mutual corporate covers.” She also stresses that this has implications that go way beyond golf and beyond Trump fattening his wallet. “The national security implications of payments from a grotesquely abusive foreign dictator to a president of the United States who provided extraordinary favors to him are as dangerous as they are shocking,” said Whitson.
[…] in 2018, bin Salman had Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi lured into a Saudi embassy, bound, tortured, dissected, killed, and burned. In that order. Later reports showed that, while he would not admit it, Trump was aware of bin Salman’s role in the journalist’s horrific death.
In 2022, the classified documents found in Trump’s private office in Mar-a-Lago reportedly included nuclear secrets from a foreign nation. Many reports have indicated that this information related to the Iranian nuclear program — information that would certainly be of direct interest to bin Salman.
Still, Donald Trump is being paid millions by Mohammed bin Salman. How many millions? We don’t know. What did bin Salman get from Trump in return? We don’t know.
But we shouldn’t be getting revelations from Golfweek.
Jon Stewart says that when it comes to new Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), the public shouldn’t “mistake absurdity for lack of danger.”
“That’s the beauty of his lies, is you wouldn’t even think to check because it’s just so stupid,” the former “Daily Show” host said of Santos on his Apple podcast […]
the comedian warned, “The thing we have to be careful of — and I always caution myself on this and I ran into this trouble with [former President] Trump — is we cannot mistake absurdity for lack of danger.”
“It takes people with no shame to do shameful things,” Stewart said.
“Absurdity is where the real danger always is,” he added.
[…] “You’d see [former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi] and you’d be like, ‘Oh my God, he’s dressed like Michael Jackson. What a ridiculous person!’ He’s like, ‘And I’m developing a nuclear bomb,’” Stewart said.
“You’re like, ‘Oh f—. Its absurdity always makes you think something is more benign than it is.”
“I misjudged Trump because he’s so ridiculous,” Stewart told listeners. “And then you think about, well, the worst people in history have been ridiculous!” he exclaimed.
[…] we found out about Trump’s new theory of how it’s totally fine that he had all those classified documents in his pool locker because he was just taking souvenirs.
Page 1: The Fake News Media & Crooked Democrats (That’s been proven!) keep saying I had a “large number of documents” in order to make the Biden Classified Docs look less significant. When I was in the Oval Office, or elsewhere, & “papers” were distributed to groups of people & me, they would often be in a striped paper folder with “Classified” or “Confidential” or another word on them. When the session was over, they would collect the paper(s), but not the folders, & I saved hundreds of them… [OMG. LOL. Bullshit]
Page 2: Remember, these were just ordinary, inexpensive folders with various words printed on them, but they were a “cool” keepsake. Perhaps the Gestapo took some of these empty folders when they Raided Mar-a-Lago, & counted them as a document, which they are not. It’s also possible that the Trump Hating Marxist Thugs in charge will “plant” documents while they’re in possession of the material. As President, and based on the Presidential Records Act & Socks Case, I did NOTHING WRONG. JOE DID!
Alrighty then!
Let’s unpack, shall we? Because, as usual, this jackass is full of shit. And we know he’s full of shit since he filed that idiotic lawsuit against the Justice Department and lucked onto Judge Aileen Cannon’s docket, where he managed to kick loose a crapton of details about the DOJ’s search, including an inventory of the items seized.
Oh, hai, Box #2 (of 33), making very clear that the Justice Department differentiated between the “43 Empty Folders with ‘CLASSIFIED’ Banners” and the 24 “US Government Documents with CONFIDENTIAL/SECRET/TOP SECRET Classification Markings.” [List at the link]
And Trump had a chance to argue that some of that stuff was “planted.” He adamantly refused to do so when Special Master Raymond Dearie told him he had to put up or shut up […]
As for the “Presidential Records Act & Socks Case,” that’s probably a reference to the disastrous advice Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton gave him, citing a 2011 case his organization filed against the National Archives, demanding that it designate tapes Bill Clinton made for his biographer Taylor Branch as presidential records. The records were supposedly stored in Clinton’s sock drawer, making this the “Socks Case” for a particular kind of online red hat weirdo. Judge Amy Berman Jackson dismissed the complaint, holding that the Archives could not unilaterally classify a record as presidential. From which Fitton, who is not a lawyer, inferred that Trump has the power to magically declare any record personal and take it home with him, and there was nothing the Justice Department could do about it because the Presidential Records Act contains no enforcement mechanism.
Which sounds so blazingly stupid that no one could possibly believe it — particularly since the unsealed portions of the affidavit make reference to, among other things, the Espionage Act, and not the PRA. But in fact Trump’s lawyers made this exact argument in court, before the Eleventh Circuit told Judge Cannon that she was an embarrassment to the profession and shut the whole misbegotten exercise down.
WHICH DID NOT DISAPPEAR ALL THE STUFF WE LEARNED WHILE IT WAS GOING ON!
OMG, he’s still talking:
Page 3: Biden is being treated so smuch better than me [sic], I’m shocked (not really!). Why aren’t they raiding his house, & how come his representatives and lawyers are allowed to work together with the Gestopo [sic] in looking for documents, when my lawyers & representatives were not allowed anywhere near the search. We weren’t even allowed to know what they took when they raided my home. “Please leave the premises,” they said, & then lugged out everything they could, including my Passports & Med Recs.
Now, don’t faint, kids, but this is also abject nonsense. Let’s start with the “Passports and Med Recs,” since that’s another gift from the Cannon debacle. The passports weren’t seized because the “Gestopo” was lugging out everything they could. Thanks to Trump’s stupid lawsuit, we know that “the government seized the contents of a desk drawer that contained classified documents and governmental records commingled with other documents” which included two expired passports whose location is “relevant evidence in an investigation of unauthorized retention and mishandling of national defense information.”
As for the medical records, they were similarly next to classified docs, and anyway it was just that dumb letter from Trump’s weirdo doctor saying he was a great golden god who would live forever, or words to that effect. Trump himself published that letter years ago, and then sent his goons to raid the guy’s office.
And as we have pointed out here, the reason the FBI didn’t treat Biden the way it treated Trump is that Biden didn’t spend months telling the Archives and then the DOJ to get fucked. Trump had a chance to do it the right way, and he chose to take Tom Fitton’s advice instead. […].
Trump wants to be back on Twitter and Facebook in order to spread this kind of toxic disinformation.
New research in the northern part of Greenland finds temperatures are already 2.7 degrees warmer than they were in the 20th century
The coldest and highest parts of the Greenland ice sheet, nearly two miles above sea level in many locations, are warming rapidly and showing changes that are unprecedented in at least a millennium, scientists reported Wednesday.
That’s the finding from research that extracted multiple 100-foot or longer cores of ice from atop the world’s second-largest ice sheet. The samples allowed the researchers to construct a new temperature record based on the oxygen bubbles stored inside them, which reflect the temperatures at the time when the ice was originally laid down.
“We find the 2001-2011 decade the warmest of the whole period of 1,000 years,” said Maria Hörhold, the study’s lead author and a scientist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany.
And since warming has only continued since that time, the finding is probably an underestimate of how much the climate in the high-altitude areas of northern and central Greenland has changed. That is bad news for the planet’s coastlines, because it suggests a long-term process of melting is being set in motion that could ultimately deliver some significant, if hard to quantify, fraction of Greenland’s total mass into the oceans. Overall, Greenland contains enough ice to raise sea levels by more than 20 feet.
The study stitched together temperature records revealed by ice cores drilled in 2011 and 2012 with records contained in older and longer cores that reflect temperatures over the ice sheet a millennium ago. The youngest ice contained in these older cores was from 1995, meaning they could not say much about temperatures in the present day.
The work also found that compared with the 20th century as a whole, this part of Greenland, the enormous north-central region, is now 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer, and that the rate of melting and water loss from the ice sheet — which raises sea levels — has increased in tandem with these changes.
The research was published in the journal Nature on Wednesday by Hörhold and a group of researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute, the Neils Bohr Institute in Denmark, and the University of Bremen in Germany. […]
Trump’s presidential campaign formally petitioned Facebook’s parent company Tuesday to unblock his account, according to a letter reviewed by NBC News.
[…] With access to his Twitter account back, Trump’s campaign is formally petitioning Facebook’s parent company to unblock his account there after it was locked in response to the U.S. Capitol riot two years ago.
“We believe that the ban on President Trump’s account on Facebook has dramatically distorted and inhibited the public discourse,” Trump’s campaign wrote in its letter to Meta on Tuesday, according to a copy reviewed by NBC News.
[…] Facebook and Twitter banned Trump a day after a mob of his supporters — many of whom have admitted in federal court that they were whipped up by his lies of a stolen election — stormed the Capitol and interfered with Congress as it was counting the electoral votes to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory.
Facebook ultimately decided to institute a limited ban on Trump that would come up for review after two years, starting Jan. 7 of this year.
Twitter planned a permanent ban, but new owner Elon Musk reinstated Trump’s account on Nov. 19 and then criticized the company’s previous leadership for the ban.
Trump, however, hasn’t yet tweeted.
“Trump is probably coming back to Twitter. It’s just a question of how and when,” said a Republican who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations with Trump about returning to the platform. “He’s been talking about it for weeks, but Trump speaks for Trump, so it’s anyone’s guess what he’ll do or say or when.” […]
LONDON (AP) — The Church of England said Wednesday it will allow blessings for same-sex, civil marriages for the first time but same-sex couples still will not be allowed to marry in its churches.
The decision followed five years of debate and consultation on the church’s position on sexuality. It is expected to be outlined in a report to the church’s national assembly, the General Synod, which meets in London next month.
Under the proposals, the Church of England’s stance that the sacrament of matrimony is restricted to unions between one man and one woman will not change.
However, same-sex couples would be able to have a church service with prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or for God’s blessing after they have a civil wedding or register a civil partnership.
Temperatures on Greenland haven’t been this warm in at least 1,000 years, scientists report | CNN
Meltwater lakes at the Russell Glacier front, part of the Greenland ice sheet in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, on August 16, 2022.
LWimages AB/Getty Images/FILE
CNN
—
As humans fiddle with the planet’s thermostat, scientists are piecing together Greenland’s history by drilling ice cores to analyze how the climate crisis has impacted the island country over the years. The further down they drilled, the further they went back in time, allowing them to separate which temperature fluctuations were natural and which were human-caused.
After years of research on the Greenland ice sheet – which CNN visited when the cores were drilled – scientists reported Wednesday in the journal Nature that temperatures there have been the warmest in at least the last 1,000 years – the longest amount of time their ice cores could be analyzed to. And they found that between 2001 and 2011, it was on average 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than it was during the 20th century.
The report’s authors said human-caused climate change played a significant role in the dramatic rise in temperatures in the critical Arctic region, where melting ice has a considerable global impact.
“Greenland is the largest contributor currently to sea level rise,” Maria Hörhold, lead author of the study and a glaciologist with the Alfred Wegener Institute, told CNN. “And if we keep on going with the carbon emissions as we do right now, then by 2100, Greenland will have contributed up to 50 centimeters to sea level rise and this will affect millions of people who live in coastal areas.”
Weather stations along the edge of the Greenland ice sheet have detected that its coastal regions are warming, but scientists’ understanding of the effects of rising temperatures there had been limited due to the lack of long-term observations.
Understanding the past, Hörhold said, is important to prepare for future consequences.
“If you want to state something is global warming, you need to know what the natural variation was before humans actually interacted with the atmosphere,” she said. “For that, you have to go to the past – to the pre-industrial era – when humans have not been emitting [carbon dioxide] into the atmosphere.”
During pre-industrial times, there were no weather stations in Greenland that gathered temperature data like today. That’s why the scientists relied on paleoclimate data, such as ice cores, to study the region’s warming patterns. The last robust ice core analysis in Greenland ended in 1995, and that data didn’t detect warming despite climate change already being apparent elsewhere, Hörhold said.
“With this extension to 2011, we can show that, ‘Well, there is actually warming,’” she added. “The warming trend has been there since 1800, but we had the strong natural variability that has been hiding this warming.”
Before humans began belching fossil fuel emissions into the atmosphere, temperatures near 32 degrees Fahrenheit in Greenland were unheard of. But recent research shows that the Arctic region has been warming four times faster than the rest of the planet.
Significant warming in Greenland’s ice sheet is nearing a tipping point, scientists say, which could trigger catastrophic melting. Greenland holds enough ice that if it all melted, it could lift global sea levels by roughly 24 feet, according to NASA.
Although the study only covered temperatures through 2011, Greenland has seen extreme events since then. In 2019, an unexpectedly hot spring and a July heat wave caused almost the entire ice sheet’s surface to begin melting, shedding roughly 532 billion tons of ice into the sea. Global sea level would rise by 1.5 millimeters as a result, scientists reported afterward.
Then in 2021, rain fell at the summit of Greenland – roughly two miles above sea level – for the first time on record. The warm air then fueled an extreme rain event, dumping 7 billion tons of water on the ice sheet, enough to fill the Reflecting Pool at Washington, DC’s National Mall nearly 250,000 times.
With these extreme events in Greenland happening more often, Hörhold said the team will continue to monitor the changes.
“Every degree matters,” Hörhold said. “At one point, we will go back to Greenland and we will keep on extending those records.”
ravensays
Lynna already posted about the newest findings for the Greenland ice sheet.
This article from CNN adds some details and perspective.
Temperatures on Greenland haven’t been this warm in at least 1,000 years, scientists report | CNN
As humans fiddle with the planet’s thermostat, scientists are piecing together Greenland’s history by drilling ice cores to analyze how the climate crisis has impacted the island country over the years. The further down they drilled, the further they went back in time, allowing them to separate which temperature fluctuations were natural and which were human-caused.
After years of research on the Greenland ice sheet – which CNN visited when the cores were drilled – scientists reported Wednesday in the journal Nature that temperatures there have been the warmest in at least the last 1,000 years – the longest amount of time their ice cores could be analyzed to. And they found that between 2001 and 2011, it was on average 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than it was during the 20th century.
The report’s authors said human-caused climate change played a significant role in the dramatic rise in temperatures in the critical Arctic region, where melting ice has a considerable global impact.
“Greenland is the largest contributor currently to sea level rise,” Maria Hörhold, lead author of the study and a glaciologist with the Alfred Wegener Institute, told CNN. “And if we keep on going with the carbon emissions as we do right now, then by 2100, Greenland will have contributed up to 50 centimeters to sea level rise and this will affect millions of people who live in coastal areas.”
Weather stations along the edge of the Greenland ice sheet have detected that its coastal regions are warming, but scientists’ understanding of the effects of rising temperatures there had been limited due to the lack of long-term observations.
Understanding the past, Hörhold said, is important to prepare for future consequences.
“If you want to state something is global warming, you need to know what the natural variation was before humans actually interacted with the atmosphere,” she said. “For that, you have to go to the past – to the pre-industrial era – when humans have not been emitting [carbon dioxide] into the atmosphere.”
During pre-industrial times, there were no weather stations in Greenland that gathered temperature data like today. That’s why the scientists relied on paleoclimate data, such as ice cores, to study the region’s warming patterns. The last robust ice core analysis in Greenland ended in 1995, and that data didn’t detect warming despite climate change already being apparent elsewhere, Hörhold said.
“With this extension to 2011, we can show that, ‘Well, there is actually warming,’” she added. “The warming trend has been there since 1800, but we had the strong natural variability that has been hiding this warming.”
Before humans began belching fossil fuel emissions into the atmosphere, temperatures near 32 degrees Fahrenheit in Greenland were unheard of. But recent research shows that the Arctic region has been warming four times faster than the rest of the planet.
Significant warming in Greenland’s ice sheet is nearing a tipping point, scientists say, which could trigger catastrophic melting. Greenland holds enough ice that if it all melted, it could lift global sea levels by roughly 24 feet, according to NASA.
Although the study only covered temperatures through 2011, Greenland has seen extreme events since then. In 2019, an unexpectedly hot spring and a July heat wave caused almost the entire ice sheet’s surface to begin melting, shedding roughly 532 billion tons of ice into the sea. Global sea level would rise by 1.5 millimeters as a result, scientists reported afterward.
Then in 2021, rain fell at the summit of Greenland – roughly two miles above sea level – for the first time on record. The warm air then fueled an extreme rain event, dumping 7 billion tons of water on the ice sheet, enough to fill the Reflecting Pool at Washington, DC’s National Mall nearly 250,000 times.
With these extreme events in Greenland happening more often, Hörhold said the team will continue to monitor the changes.
“Every degree matters,” Hörhold said. “At one point, we will go back to Greenland and we will keep on extending those records.”
ravensays
Some good news for once.
A school board in Newberg, Oregon was taken over by right wingnuts in 2021. They promptly fired the school administration and banned Black Lives Matters and Rainbow Pride flags and symbols.
This is a First Amendment violation and the teachers union took them to court.
They lost in court. “The Yamhill County Circuit Court ruled earlier that the school board’s policy violated the state constitution’s free speech guarantee.”
Usually if you stand up and fight the right wingnut extremists, they end up losing. They usually get voted out of office, sometimes in recall elections, and/or they lose in court.
Newberg school board drops ban on gay pride and other symbols
by ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press Wednesday, January 18th 2023
SALEM, Ore. — A school district in Oregon has quietly rescinded its ban on educators displaying symbols of the Black Lives Matter movement or gay pride, following a court settlement with a teachers’ union.
Newberg, Ore., a town of about 25,000 residents nestled in Oregon’s wine country, had become an unlikely focal point for the national battle over schooling between the left and right. Newberg lies 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Portland.
In 2021, the board banned school staff from displaying Black Lives Matter and gay pride symbols, then expanded the ban to all political or controversial signs after being advised the first rule wouldn’t survive a legal challenge.
The Newberg City Council and multiple Democratic members of the Oregon House and Senate all condemned the school board’s action.
The Newberg School Board voted unanimously on Jan. 10 to rescind the controversial policy, a month after the Newberg Education Association announced it had settled its federal civil rights lawsuit over the matter.
“The policy will not be amended or changed, it is gone,” Newberg schools Superintendent Stephen Phillips told Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Opponents had said the rules emboldened racists.
In September 2021, a special education staffer at a Newberg elementary school showed up for work in blackface, saying she was portraying anti-segregation icon Rosa Parks to protest a statewide vaccine mandate for educators. The same week, word emerged that some Newberg students had participated in a Snapchat group in which participants pretended to buy and sell Black students.
The local teachers’ union said the court settlement includes the school board reimbursing both the National Education Association and the Oregon Education Association for part of their legal fees. The Yamhill County Circuit Court ruled earlier that the school board’s policy violated the state constitution’s free speech guarantee.
“It protects the marginalized populations in our student and staff bodies,” the Newberg Education Association said of the ruling. “We can continue to create safe spaces in our schools and offer support to students who identify as LGBTQIA+ and students of color without fear of retaliation.”
The union lamented that it took so long for the school board to reverse itself.
“We could have saved hours of legal preparation and public funds,” the Oregon Education Association said in a statement.
Then in 2021, rain fell at the summit of Greenland – roughly two miles above sea level – for the first time on record. The warm air then fueled an extreme rain event, dumping 7 billion tons of water on the ice sheet, enough to fill the Reflecting Pool at Washington, DC’s National Mall nearly 250,000 times.
Between 15 and 17 July, Greenland’s north-western ice sheet lost 6 million tons of water per day. This exceptional melting was caused by exceptionally high temperatures which particularly affected the northernmost area of Greenland. Meanwhile, the Arctic sea ice extent continues to decline at moderate rates with slightly higher values than in recent years. […]
Elon Musk said that he was “elated” to be going on trial because “finally people are being forced to be in the same room with me.”
Speaking outside a federal courthouse, the boss of Tesla and Twitter said that he had been trying for years to compel people to be in the same room with him but had been repeatedly foiled in those efforts.
“Last November, I thought if I required Twitter employees to come to work in the office, that would do the trick,” he said. “Instead, they quit en masse.”
However, during a trial, Musk observed, “people have to be in the same room with you. They’re trapped. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Musk said that he had thus far “loved” jury selection, noting, “Lawyers keep asking prospective jurors what they think of me, and then the jurors have to answer. I’m hearing my name being said over and over again. If I had known that it would be like this, I would have gone on trial sooner.”
he Supreme Court on Wednesday turned away a challenge by a group of firearms dealers in New York to numerous Democratic-backed measures adopted by the state last year regulating gun purchases that the businesses said hurt their businesses. The justices, with no public dissents, denied a request by the dealers to block the laws, some of which imposed gun safety requirements on retailers, while their appeal of a lower court’s decision in favor of New York proceeds.
None of the reports we’ve been getting have, so far as I’ve seen, made this connection to a hundred year old theory of warfare and it’s history as it applies to Russian military theory.
I’ve seen multiple such reports.
Here:
KGsays
Well, the UK Government has blocked the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, passed 86-39 by the Scottish Parliament. Their claim is that it would interfere with the operation of the Equalities Act, which applies at UK level. There justifications, which are set out here, look pretty feeble to me, but they may have scraped up enough for the court (this is bound to go to the UK Supreme Court once the Scottish Government sets the legal process going) to rule in favour of the UK Government. Basically, Sunak and those around him are using transgender people as a political football. They hope to use opposition to aspects of the bill in Scotland (because of the overwhelmingly hostile and often blatantly misleading media coverage) against the SNP, and internal divisions within both Labour (most Labour MSPs voted for the bill, while Starmer has been distinctly negative) and the SNP (which suffered its worst rebellion among the party’s MSPs) for electoral advantage. Scum – and I doubt whether it will make a significant difference, relative to the cost of living and collapsing health and transport services. The SNP transphobes, and the We-Hate-Nicola-Sturgeon-And-Transgender-People Party (“Alba”) of former First Minister Alex Salmond will be in a tricky position, as they should clearly oppose the UK Government’s intervention, but they would have blocked the bill themselves if they could.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Thursday she will stand aside for a new leader within weeks, saying she doesn’t believe she has the energy to seek re-election in the October polls.
Russia is now reportedly attacking south of Bakhmut in the area of Klishchiivka. In fact, Wagner Group commanders appear to have skipped the whole fighting bit before announcing this morning that they had captured the village (pre-war population around 400). However, before the tankies schedule another Great Victory dance, it’s worth noting that this has not actually happened. [map at the link]
What’s actually going on here can be better illustrated by moving the perspective around to the west of Klishchiivka and looking back toward the area of Russian occupation. [image at the link]
This is a recent (within the last month) look at the Klishchiivka area with the perspective lowered to show some of the local topography. The area west of the village is a series of hills; hills that have been heavily prepared with defensive trenches and reinforced positions, many of which are visible in the image. These positions have artillery range back over the town and into the fields to the east.
So far, not only has Russia not taken this location, but attempting to take this location is costing Wagner Group dearly. This is yet another example of Wagner’s claims getting way ahead of reality on the ground.
Those CV-90s coming from Sweden are a big deal. We’ll look at them in detail later, but take a look at this thread for a sense of what these vehicles are about. [Tweet and video available at the link. “What makes the Swedish CV90 truly stand out: they use a variant of the Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft autocannon. That’s a massive gun. No other NATO IFV has such a potent cannon.
The Swedish APFSDS rounds can smash through at least 120-150 mm of armor. russia most modern IFV”]
And don’t forget to watch this video on the horror show that is the 3p 40mm shell which can be fired by the CV-90.
Announcements so far today:
Denmark: 19 CAESAR self-propelled guns
Estonia: FH-70 towed howitzers, D-30 howitzers, M2 anti-tank grenade launchers
Latvia: 2 Mi-17 helicopters, Stinger missiles, UAVs, training
Lithuania: 2 Mi-18 helicopters
Poland: S-60 anti-aircraft guns and ammunition
Sweden: 50 CV-90 combat vehicles, 12 Archer artillery systems
UK: 600 Brimstone missiles
Several of these packages also include large amounts of ammunition, including extended range GMLRS rockets, and numerous additional systems.
Yesterday’s news from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shutting down the transfer of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine unless a set of conditions are met—including the transfer of M1A2 Abrams tanks by the United States—is extraordinarily frustrating. For a number of reasons, from fuel to training to support, the Abrams is less suited to being deployed to Ukraine than the Leopard. In fact, in Pentagon briefings on Tuesday, it was made clear that the reason for not sending the Abrams “logistical and maintenance challenges,” not any concern over how Russia might react. To satisfy Scholz, President Joe Biden would have to send a weapon he knows would be difficult to deploy and that might not give Ukraine what it needs on the battlefield.
That’s not the only way that Scholz’s position harms the process of bringing Ukraine the assistance it needs. In addition to giving weight to widely derided decisions by Switzerland that were already standing in the way of deploying other weapons systems, any announcement of the U.S. shipping M1A2s at this point will be treated as a throwing a sop to Scholz; something that helps those forces wanting a stop to providing assistance to Ukraine at all. The tanks are right there. Countries are ready to send them. Ukraine could easily end up with a couple of Leopard-based tank companies even if Germany never parted with one of its own tanks. In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, aaugh.
But just because the Leopards are currently staying in their artificial and arbitrary cage doesn’t mean that other important weapons systems aren’t pouring in. Even as Germany is sitting on everyone’s hands, assistance packages are being announced. And one of those packages keeps getting better.
Last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the U.K. would be sending 15 Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine—enough to form a company of the formidable vehicles and an end to all the semantic wrangling required to maintain the idea that the West would not send Ukraine a “tank.” In fact, the announcement from Downing Street makes it clear that the U.K. isn’t just sending its tanks, it’s sending along a whole tank unit, including the armored vehicles needed to recover and repair the tanks in the field. It appears they’re going to pick up a company and shift it to Ukraine, complete with everything but the drivers and support staff.
In addition, the U.K. package includes more AS-90 self-propelled artillery systems, ”hundreds” of the precision guided GLMRS missiles (the family of M30 / M30A1 used with the M270), Starstreak air defense systems, “dozens” of unspecified UAVs, and as many as 200 additional armored transports. [tweet and image at the link]
As of Thursday morning, the U.K. is still adding on to its latest promises to Ukraine. The latest announcement includes 600 of the new “Brimstone 2” anti-tank missiles. This is the latest generation of such weapons carrying a tandem-shaped charge warhead designed to defeat spaced armor and even advanced reactive armors. The U.K. earlier supplied a limited number of the original Brimstone missiles to Ukraine (something that didn’t become known until about six months after it actually happened), but this is a big shipment of the latest tool for infantry attempting to take out armored vehicles.
When it comes to this round of assistance packages to Ukraine, Britannia rules.
However, Biden is still getting his bid in. U.S. assistance packages have come back to back over the last week, and it now looks like Ukraine is likely to receive, not 50, but 100 Bradley fighting vehicles. On top of that, the U.S. is sending another 100 Stryker vehicles to Ukraine. Considering just how many variants there are of this system, it’s worth asking which Stryker Ukraine will be getting. We don’t know yet, but we may learn that today.
Right now, no one is sending a signal that Biden is likely to send the M1A2 to Ukraine. But sticking one on a transport plane, flying it to Rzeszów in Poland, handing off the keys to a Ukrainian soldier, and letting him drive it across the border has to be tempting, if only so Biden could say, “There, asshat. Are you happy now?”
What was I saying again? Oh yeah, aaugh. But stay tuned today and tomorrow as these packages of assistance get finalized and announced. There are already signals that Ukraine will be receiving Swedish Archer and French CAESAR self-propelled guns in addition to those already announced AMX-10 yes-I-know-we’re-not-supposed-to-call-them-tanks. [Tweet and image at the link]
There are still some big announcements to come and things could still change radically. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph is reporting that Poland may just decide to tell Scholz where he can put his permission slips.
Poland’s prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki has suggested he could go at it alone as Warsaw grows tiresome of Germany’s refusals to sanction the delivery of Leopard II tanks to Ukraine.
“Permission is a secondary matter. We will either get it quickly or do what we see fit,” Mr Morawiecki said.
Is this just Morawiecki trying to place more pressure on Scholz, or is Poland serious about ignoring transfer agreements just because there happens to be an invading Russian army in a neighboring country? Probably.
But here’s one thing for sure: In 2022, the German defense industry set a record with nearly $10 billion in exports. That record is going to stand for a long, long time. […]
And yet, the governor is now considering suing the New York State Senate to force a full vote over Hector LaSalle, her nominee to be a judge on the state’s highest court, whose nomination has been roundly criticized by abortion and labor rights activists in recent weeks.
After questioning LaSalle throughout a lengthy hearing, the Senate judiciary committee rejected the nomination 10-9 on Wednesday evening—a vote that would usually mark the end of the road for LaSalle. “Nothing makes it to the floor that doesn’t go through the committee first,” Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D) said after. “We have rejected the nominee.”
But Hochul’s response suggested otherwise: “While the committee plays a role, we believe the Constitution requires action by the full Senate.” …
On abortion rights, LaSalle intervened to shield an anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy center” from regulation. His move not only overrode the New York City Council, which had determined the CPC in question was practicing medicine without a license, but also the state attorney general, which was conducting a further investigation into the claim based on its “conduct including locating its centers in medical buildings and making them look like medical offices, requesting the medical histories of its clients, performing pregnancy tests and sonograms, estimating gestational age, and evaluating fetal health,” according to the 2017 lawsuit.
LaSalle also made it easier for corporations to sue union organizers as individuals, which Sen. Sean Ryan (D) likened during the hearing to “protecting Goliath against David.” …
Late last week, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent an important letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The cabinet secretary explained that the United States would hit the debt ceiling on Jan. 19, and it was time for Congress to begin taking necessary steps to prevent default in early June.
Jan. 19, of course, is today.
At this point, the sensible thing for federal lawmakers to do would be to prepare to pay the nation’s bills. It can be an incredibly simple process, which costs literally nothing and does not add to the debt, involving passage of one short bill. […]
the new House Republican majority has a very different approach in mind: Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his members have said they’ll only agree to address the issue if Democrats accept massive and unspecified spending cuts. If Democrats disagree, GOP lawmakers have indicated they’re prepared to push the nation into default and cause a deliberate economic catastrophe.
To that end, Republican leaders have come up with a metaphor they’re a little too fond of. On Tuesday, for example, the new House speaker’s pushed this message:
“If you gave your child a credit card and they kept hitting the limit, you wouldn’t just keep increasing it. You would sit down with them to identify where they are overspending and where they can change their behavior. It’s time for the federal government to do the same thing.”
[head/desk]
McCarthy used nearly identical rhetoric on Sunday. And on Jan. 12. And on Jan. 10. And three months ago.
Unfortunately, he’s not the only one. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also insisted last week that the debt ceiling is “like a credit card limit.”
[…] The entire metaphor makes far less sense than GOP leaders seem to realize.
For now, let’s put aside the macroeconomic distinctions between an individual American family and the government of the planet’s preeminent economic superpower. Let’s also put aside the often overlooked fact that if House Republicans want to introduce legislation to cut spending they consider unnecessary, they’re welcome to do so at any time. They’re not obligated to threaten us with deliberate harm. While we’re at it, let’s also put aside the exasperating fact that GOP officials only seem to care about fiscal issues when there’s a Democrat in the White House, abandoning the matter altogether when the Oval Office changes party hands.
[…] let’s consider the badly flawed metaphor itself.
There are some superficial similarities between the debt ceiling and a credit card bill: Both involve receiving a bill for things that have already been bought.
But the similarities break down quickly. For one thing, we’re the credit card company. We can raise our credit limit whenever we want, to any level we want, as many times as we want. Indeed, we’ve already done so dozens of times over the course of the last century, during eras when Republicans were in charge and when Democrats were in charge.
In fact, it happened three times during Donald Trump’s presidency, and each time was unremarkable. At no point did McCarthy, Scalise, or other GOP leaders express any anxiety about “maxing out the credit card” or make any demands about changing our “behavior.”
But just as notably, if we take this dumb metaphor just a little further, the family that received the bill doesn’t get to tell the credit card company, “We’ll refuse to pay this bill unless you meet our demands and pay us a ransom.”
Republicans insist that the government’s approach to bills should mirror that of typical American families. Fine. If families can’t refuse to meet their financial obligations unless they receive some kind of reward, why exactly do GOP leaders think the government should do this?
So far, several Arizona judges have ruled against the former television news anchor turned right-wing thought leader’s case, stating she has thus far failed to prove her approximately half-point loss to Hobbs was the result of intentional manipulation of ballots.
However, Lake has remained adamant that her case—reportedly backed and funded by MyPillow CEO and prominent election denier Mike Lindell—will ultimately make its way through the appeals process to the Arizona Supreme Court.
“We don’t want to have this cartel operative, this cartel-owned goon, Katie Hobbs, sitting in the governor’s office,” Lake told former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon on his War Room podcast over the weekend.
“Our state government is controlled by the cartels right now. The Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is a cartel attorney. And the cartels completely control Arizona, and that’s not what the people voted for. We know they stole the election. We know they had intentionally sabotaged Election Day. And we’ve proved that in court, and we will continue to prove it,” she said.
Election Law Blog
whheydtsays
Re: tomh @ #283…
I’m not convinced that Kari Lake actually knows what a cartel is.
Nearly a year into Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the Kremlin has gotten into a bizarre bickering match with Ukraine’s leader over whether or not Vladimir Putin is still alive.
The squabble started when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told an audience at Davos that he’s not entirely convinced the Russian leader is still among the living.
“I don’t quite understand who to speak with and about what. I’m not sure the president of Russia, who sometimes appears against a green screen, is the right one. I don’t quite understand if he is alive, if he is making the decisions, or who is making the decisions there,” he said, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quickly hit back—without actually addressing the condition of the Russian leader.
“Clearly, Zelensky would prefer for neither Russia nor Putin to exist. The sooner he realizes that Russia exists and will exist, the better for such a country as Ukraine,” Peskov said in comments published by Russian media.
Projection. It is pretty clear which country is trying to make the other not exist.
Though movements along the line have been very small in both directions, there has been some action up near Svatove, though you might not know it from looking at this map. [map at the link in comment 279, scroll down]
Back before Christmas, Ukraine moved against the line of villages west of the highway and appeared to have liberated them all in a series of fast strikes. However, Russia pushed back into the area principally along a kind of cross-country miniature salient that stretched out to the small village of Dzherelne. From there they began sending forces against Kolomyichykha and Stelmakhivka to the northwest. As best as I can determine at this point, all of this area is genuinely in dispute. Locations like Kolomyichykha appear to be unoccupied by Russia, Ukraine, or any civilians. They’ve ceased to be more than a georeference for forces that are skirmishing back and forth through muddy fields.
Russia also appears to have pushed back in the Nezhuryne area at the southern end of this map. I’ve marked the whole area in the middle as disputed, but the truth is that I have absolutely no news on it since the first couple of days of the new year.
At the north end of the map is where the most significant action took place. For weeks, Ukraine and Russia sparred across the highway between Novoselivske and Kuzemivka. Each side at times took portions of the town on the other side of the highway only to lose their grip in the next counterattack. However, shortly after the start of the year, Russia moved against Novoselivske and appeared to push Ukraine entirely out of the area, which would have been a significant setback to efforts in liberating Svatove. It would have been, except that earlier this week Ukraine surged back into Novoselivske in force, apparently delivering a decisive defeat to Russian forces in the area and leaving them well positioned to dominate this position. In theory, Russia still has Kuzemivka, but that may be more a matter of Ukraine hasn’t moved there yet than Russian forces still in occupation.
Everything along this front has been frustrating, and the casualties to both sides continue to be hideous. But things in this area may still move well before any new gear arrives on the scene.
Russia has become obsessed with adding more air defense systems in Moscow, and it’s going to great lengths to make it happen. [Tweet and video at the link. “Patsir systems being placed in central Moscow …”]
Be warned: If you go looking for pictures of Ukrainians celebrating Epiphany Day, not all the images are going to be as ethereal as the one below today’s title. Most of them will look like your local bowling league celebrating a Polar Bear Challenge.
Coast guards rescued three divers off the northern coast of Poland over the weekend whose dubious explanation of their night-time dive near critical energy infrastructure, along with their mysterious identities, has reportedly sparked a cross-agency investigation. The three men, who told authorities they were Spanish nationals, were rescued by lifeguards near the Polish coastal city of Gdansk on Saturday night after their small motorboat broke down and they couldn’t return to shore.
Since then, doubts over their intentions have mounted. They were rescued not far from the Naftoport facility at the Port of Gdansk, which receives tanker shipments of oil and other and petroleum products. They were also found near an area where there are plans to build a new floating natural gas terminal…
Jacinda Ardern is resigning as prime minister of New Zealand. Or is it Jacaranda Aardvark? Or Jackie Tabernacle?
Tucker Carlson does not know, all names more complicated than “David Duke” are too hard to pronounce. Because pretending to be too stupid to pronounce names is the sort of thing that appeals to his viewers, we guess. (Surprise, it tends to be a woman and/or person of color when he does it.) [tweet and video at the link]
Because Tucker’s show was on when the news broke of Ardern’s resignation, Tucker got to deliver the news. He’s a real newsman, that Tucker. So he dramatically and with much flair mangled Ardern’s name and explained that “the lady with the big teeth who tormented her citizens” had resigned.
It’s so healthy how he talks about women. Wonder where that came from.
Anyway, as a non-New Zealand writer, we don’t have any particular insight into why Ardern is resigning, and we don’t pretend to have a good read on New Zealand’s politics. NBC News notes, though, that her approval ratings have gone way down, which would have made re-election much tougher. It also notes that she’s been subject to “vitriolic abuse” while in office. (Guess some New Zealanders carry the spirit of Tucker Carlson with them in their hearts.)
The young prime minister said in her announcement that she didn’t have “enough in the tank” to keep going in the job:
“With such a privileged role comes responsibility — the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead, and also when you are not,” Ardern said in a surprise announcement in Napier, where her governing center-left Labour Party is holding a caucus retreat. “I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice.”
We wish her the best. From this side of the pond, she’s always seemed pretty fuckin’ rad.
Announcing the news, Tucker took the opportunity to get in some last-minute dishonest fearmongering about Ardern. Maybe he was worried this would be his final opportunity to sneer at a woman who obviously doesn’t respect the authority of men like him. [video at the link]
TUCKER CARLSON: Most authoritarian leader that country has ever had and no one else comes close.
Tucker Carlson tongue-fucks the hems of Viktor Orban’s and Vladimir Putin’s garments, but Jacinda Ardern is the “authoritarian.” Got it.
Also we’re amused by Tucker presenting himself as an expert qualified to rank the authoritarianism of New Zealand’s leaders. We’re sure he has encyclopedic knowledge of the subject, regaling all his dinner guests with funny anecdotes from Kiwi history.
An appalling abuser of human rights of her own people.
LOL.
She, of course, earned the admiration of Western leaders including former CIA director Michael Hayden by ushering in an era of near totalitarianism in New Zealand.
Totalitarianism. Like Michael Hayden likes.
She shut down the entire country over a single COVID case. She told everyone to stay in their bubbles, she told citizens to inform on their neighbors by calling the police if they saw them outside.
Yes, we know that COVID deniers and anti-vaxxers view Ardern’s efforts to protect her country as those of a tyrant on par with history’s evilest evildoers. This is because they are very stupid people. Tucker also dropped this uncertain mathematical certainty.
What are the chances she was a puppet of the Chinese government? We don’t have enough evidence to prove that, but we would rate that as about 100 percent likely.
We don’t have any evidence to prove Ardern was a Chinese puppet but it’s 100 percent likely. Okeydoke.
And now she is resigning to let the citizens of New Zealand freely elect a new leader. Just like the CHINESE DICTATOR she is!
Cool story, Tucker. Got your finger on the geopolitical pulse, as usual.
(Reuters) – Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov on Thursday criticised a prohibition on Russian soldiers wearing beards, joining Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in the two men’s latest outburst against the Russian military leadership…
[…] The Facts
The debt limit is really what filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock used to call a “MacGuffin” — a device used to propel the plot forward, even though it may be meaningless. Congress instituted the debt limit in 1917, during World War I, so that it could stop having to approve every single spending request by the Treasury — but still have a measure of control over spending.
Even under the most conservative budget plans, the United States would have to keep adding to the national debt to meet all sorts of obligations, such as Social Security and Medicare payments. So the debt limit will have to be raised or suspended, one way or the other. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen, in a letter to McCarthy last week, said the debt limit would be reached on Thursday and only “extraordinary measures” by Treasury would stave off default, and then only until June.
House Republicans believe they can use the looming debt limit crisis to force the White House to agree to big cuts in what Washington denizens call “discretionary” spending — annual appropriations approved by Congress to fund the military, government operations and the like. The White House says it will not negotiate over the debt limit.
Discretionary spending is a relatively small part of the budget, about 30 percent, with the rest made up of mandatory spending, required by law, and interest payments on the debt. Mandatory spending, including programs such as Social Security and Medicare, cannot be reduced unless laws are changed.
[…] what happened in 2020? Oh, yes, the coronavirus pandemic tanked the economy, and the federal government scrambled to fund a vaccine. Small wonder that health spending nearly tripled that year.
[…] McCarthy suggests that the Republican-controlled Congresses never increased spending at all. That’s false. Spending after 2010 was held in check by a bipartisan budget deal, known as the Budget Control Act, negotiated by House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and President Barack Obama, along with other top leaders. In the House, the bill passed with the support of 174 Republicans and 95 Democrats. That agreement held until 2018. At the time, Republicans controlled the White House, the House and the Senate. They decided to blow through the bipartisan spending caps set in 2011 — and boosted discretionary spending by 16 percent.
Their late-night deal, The Washington Post reported at the time, “abandons GOP claims of fiscal discipline in a stark reversal of the promises many Republicans ran on in capturing control of the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014 as they railed against what they described as a profligate President Barack Obama.” If the bill passed, it would bring “budget increases to federal agencies large and small, from the National Institutes of Health to the National Park Service to the Election Assistance Commission.”
It passed, with the support of 145 Republicans and 111 Democrats. Ninety Republicans and 77 Democrats opposed it.
Among those voting for the bill: McCarthy himself.
[…] “The truth of the matter is that the first two years of the Trump administration, when the Republicans had the House and the Senate, we raised spending faster than the last couple of years of the Obama administration,” Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s White House budget director at the time, told the Dispatch.
Marc Goldwein, senior vice president at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said the increases were codified in 2019 when Democrats took control. He also noted that spending increases set in 2018 probably did not flow into outlays until 2019 and 2020, making it difficult to separate the spending from congressional action.
There’s another clever aspect about this talking point. McCarthy focuses only on spending, not the federal budget deficit, which is supposedly the issue making the debt limit relevant. Republicans say the debt limit is being breached because the budget deficit is out of control. But the budget deficit also increased because of the tax cut passed by the GOP-led Congress in 2017.
[…] We wavered between Two and Three Pinocchios. McCarthy can point to numbers that appear to back up his point. But those numbers do not tell the full story about what happened — especially the fact that Republicans were in power when spending limits were discarded. That’s enough to tip it to Three Pinocchios.
Yep, this is true: “the budget deficit also increased because of the tax cut passed by the GOP-led Congress in 2017.”
DAVOS, Switzerland — The U.S. hopes to replicate the success of an e-governance app used in Ukraine in other countries, USAID Administrator Samantha Power told Axios on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting.
Driving the news: Ukraine rolled out its Diia app in 2020 to allow citizens to access ID documents, register a business and obtain various government services from their smartphones. Since Russia’s invasion began last year, the app has been expanded to include additional tools like reporting damage from Russian strikes…
Donald Trump mistook his sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll for his ex-wife Marla Maples when shown a photograph from the 1990s in a deposition at Mar-a-Lago last year, potentially undermining one of the common defenses he has used to deny an attack.
Trump, who is being sued by Carroll, an author and advice columnist, for defamation and sexual assault stemming from the same alleged encounter, has repeatedly said Carroll is not his “type,” suggesting an assault could not have occurred because he would not have pursued her romantically.
“That’s Marla, yeah. That’s my wife,” Trump said under examination from Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan, in a new selection of excerpts from the deposition that was unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. […]
More than 200 millionaires from around the globe are calling on the “global elite” at this week’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos to address global inequality and tax the ultra-rich now, as it’s “simple, common-sense economics.“
In an open letter, “Cost of Extreme Wealth,” the “Patriotic Millionaires” — a group of a group of high-net worth individuals — in conjunction with Patriotic Millionaires UK, Tax Me Now and Millionaires for Humanity, said that the “current lack of action is gravely concerning.”
Some of the letter’s signatories include actor Mark Ruffalo and Disney heiress Abigail Disney…
The Coast Guard noted the situation is not unusual but that it is tracking it closely. “While foreign military vessels may transit freely through the U.S. economic exclusive zone (EEZ), as per customary international laws, foreign-flagged military vessels have often been observed operating and loitering within Coast Guard District Fourteen’s area of response,” the release stated.
[…] Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration seem interested in sports, but not in an especially constructive way. The Daily Beast reported that the Florida Republican “is squaring off with an unlikely opponent: the NHL.”
In the latest battle of the culture wars, the NHL … has somehow become the new epitome of woke culture gone awry. Over the weekend, the DeSantis administration got the NHL to fold on a local hiring event aimed at diversifying the league’s workforce ahead of its annual All-Star Game.
As my MSNBC colleague Ja’han Jones explained in a terrific piece this week, the National Hockey League recently conducted research on its workforce, and found that most of the people working for the NHL are white straight men. Like many employers, the league started exploring ways to create a more diverse team.
With this in mind, as part of the NHL’s upcoming All-Star Game festivities, the league scheduled a Pathway to Hockey Summit as part of a diversity program. On LinkedIn, the NHL marketed the event specifically to people who are women, veterans, Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQ, or disabled.
And as far as DeSantis’ office was concerned, this was outrageous.
“Discrimination of any sort is not welcome in the state of Florida, and we do not abide by the woke notion that discrimination should be overlooked if applied in a politically popular manner or against a politically unpopular demographic,” DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin said in a statement.
Or as Ja’han summarized, the response from [DeStantis’] office “is reflective of the governor’s belief that efforts to thwart discrimination are, themselves, discriminatory.”
DeSantis’ team nevertheless got its way: The NHL pulled its LinkedIn post just hours after the complaint.
As striking as it was to see the far-right governor pick a fight with the league, let’s also not forget that DeSantis has taken related steps against other sports. Last year, for example, the Florida Republican used the power of his office to penalize a Major League Baseball team for speaking out against gun violence in a way he found ideologically unsatisfying. [authoritarian dunderhead]
Around the same time, DeSantis also threatened to penalize the Special Olympics for trying to take steps to prevent its athletes from getting Covid.
[…] Ten years ago Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell contacted the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, PGA, and NASCAR directly, demanding that they play no role in helping inform the public about the Affordable Care Act. Others on the right threatened to retaliate against leagues that partnered with the government on any kind of public-information campaigns.
In the years that followed, the relationship between the GOP and sports periodically became even more contentious. Trump, for example, during his White House tenure, lashed out at professional football, professional basketball, and threatened a boycott of professional soccer. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida also picked a weird fight with his hometown NBA team, the Miami Heat.
Team DeSantis’ efforts are bizarre, but they have a lot of partisan company.
[…] People have a great desire and a great ability to believe what they want to believe, to believe what is functional for them, to believe things that justify or facilitate things they want to do.
Do people really believe Hillary Clinton runs a pedophilia ring or that Joe Biden — the guy who didn’t control the federal government — rigged the 2020 election? Some do certainly. But for many we should think more of belief as a form of aggression or as a system of permissioning. I chose to believe or say I believe X because it demeans you, because it justifies my hurting you. This is a key: belief or pretending to belief as a form of aggression.
This makes fact-checking sites or building more media trust basically irrelevant to the phenomenon. We know this to be the case. If you really want a critical view of Trump’s Big Lie claims they’re not hard to find. You have an appetite for myths that justify aggression and people pop up to provide them. The issue is one of demand rather than supply.
[…] Fox News and the cinematic universe it propagates completely dominates the news consumption of a big chunk of the American population. In big swathes of the country, Sinclair Broadcasting (a Fox or worse type operation which runs local affiliates) dominates the local news airwaves. Mix in various online operations and you have big chunks of the population that can reasonably be seen as siloed off into wholly alternate news realities.
This becomes a question of the broader political economy. What is the effect if an erratic billionaire, suddenly besotted by the far right, can just buy one of the country’s major communications platforms? The creation of these siloed news ecosystems is part of the story of the oligarchification of the U.S. economy. But just how they are is complicated to explain. […]
To connect misinformation and aggression, we should probably go back to an older word: propaganda. This is where you get to the connection between “fake news” and authoritarianism. […]
Increasing indications that even if Germany doesn’t send Leopards of its own, the “Leopard alliance” of Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, and United Kingdom have put sufficient pressure on Scholz that permission to transfer some of the over 2,300 Leopard 2 tanks slumbering across Europe will be given. There may be limits on numbers, or other conditions, but it’s likely some kind of announcement that allows the Leopards to move will come today or tomorrow.
ravensays
Ford Lost a Multibillion-Dollar Deal Over Right-Wing Governor’s ‘Communism’ Fears
This headline is misleading.
The small brained GOP governor of Virginia was the one who lost the multibillion dollar deal.
Ford with a Chinese company were planning on a large lithium phosphate EV plant in Virginia.
The governor Youngkin vetoed it because of the commies.
I’m no fan of the Chinese government either, but we are talking about a battery plant here, not a TV station for Chinese media or a chip plant for Huawei.
I’m sure Ford and CATL will find some other state that wants a multi-billion dollar EV plant.
Ford Lost a Multibillion-Dollar Deal Over Right-Wing Governor’s ‘Communism’ Fears
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin claims pursuing a partnership in the state is taking a chance with Marxism.
JENA GREENE 22 MINUTES AGO thestreet.com
Ford (F) – Get Free Report is the second-biggest electric vehicle manufacturer in America behind Elon Musk’s Tesla (TSLA). Its recent rollouts, including the electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck and the people-moving Supervan, have been hyped on social media. Many of its new products are hotly anticipated by electric vehicle enthusiasts who want to buy U.S.-made vehicles with distinctive American utility and flair.
Ford already produces the now-iconic Model E, a crossover version of its Mustang, which crushed sales records and delighted drivers in 2022.
Interestingly, the legacy American motor company plans to scale like a startup, producing 600,000 or more electric vehicles by the end of 2023 and 2 million by 2026. For reference, Tesla sold more than 1.3 million cars in 2022.
Ford F-150 Lightning 2 JS Lead
Ford
Ford Had Big Production Plans in Virginia
For years, Ford was planning a massive lithium iron phosphate battery production plant to go into its TVs in Berry Hill, VA. The plant had been in talks and establishment stages for 15 years and Ford had put over $200 million into the investment. The total investment was rumored to be more than $3.5 billion once all was said and done.
Currently, Ford has production plants primarily focused in the Midwest (namely Michigan, where its headquarters are). So bringing a factory that would create 2,500 jobs to a new location would have been quite the boon for the state of Virginia. The plant also would have been the largest publicly owned operation in the Southeast. Berry Hill is also located in one of the poorest parts of Virginia, so a boost to its employment numbers may have stood to benefit the area.
Over a year into his reign, however, Virginia’s governor has changed his tune about the plant.
Ford Is No Longer a Candidate Due to Communism Scare
Gov. Youngkin put the brakes on the EV production plant late in December, citing concerns about ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Specifically, the governor objects because the project, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, entailed a partnership with a Chinese battery maker, CATL.
“While Ford is an iconic American company, it became clear that this proposal would serve as a front for the Chinese Communist Party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginians’ personal privacy,” Youngkin spokesman Macaulay Porter told The Detroit News.
“Virginians can be confident that companies with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party won’t receive a leg up from the Commonwealth’s economic incentive packages,” she added. “When the potentially damaging effects of the deal were realized, the plant proposal never reached a final discussion stage.”
The factory now has no official tenant and remains vacant.
Democrats, for what it’s worth, have taken the opportunity to chastise the governor for his anti-labor decision.
“During his campaign, the Governor made a promise to bring economic development and manufacturing jobs to our communities that are struggling — especially in rural Virginia — to attract industries that offer competitive wages,” Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, told The Richmond Times Dispatch. “The Governor’s decision to pull Virginia out of the competition for the new Ford facility puts the Commonwealth at a severe disadvantage.”
Gov. Youngkin’s office could not be immediately reached for comment.
After longtime Elle advice columnist E. Jean Carroll accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in a Bergdorf Goodman in the 1990s, he had but one defense: “She’s not my type.” He repeated it constantly, seemingly agitated that someone would think he would go for a blonde former beauty queen. In fact, he went on such a campaign to disparage her that she sued him not just for sexual assault (after New York state lifted the statute of limitations) but for defamation.
To be clear, rape is a crime of power and control, not of overwhelming, uncontrollable sexual desire. As much as people may like the idea of dismissing true fault for rape by saying the man couldn’t help himself because of a woman’s miniskirt or dismissing the possibility of rape because they do not consider the victim “attractive enough,” sexual attraction is not a necessity or even a factor in most cases of sexual assault. This is why we have heterosexual men raping other men in prison and why there is such a serious problem with sexual assault in nursing homes.
With that said — it turns out that E. Jean Carroll is, in fact, Trump’s type.
On Wednesday, the US District Court in Manhattan unsealed a selection of excerpts from Trump’s deposition last year with Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan. Among them is a comment that rather clearly undermines this whole “defense.”
Upon being shown a picture of himself and his then-wife Ivana Trump with Carroll, Trump remarked, “That’s Marla, yeah. That’s my wife.” He was quickly corrected by attorney Alina Habba.
The photo in question has been making the rounds on the internet for some time now. [photo at the link]
[…] Trump, who has insisted he never met Carroll, then claimed that he was regularly introduced to people he didn’t know, and explained that the picture of him was probably of him meeting and greeting people in the receiving line at a fundraiser.
While it may not prove that he knew Carroll outside of meeting her at a fundraiser, it certainly undermines his primary argument, which is that she was “not his type.” For instance, someone who looks like Marla Maples.
The Washington Postreports that the unsealed excerpts also show that Trump “used the deposition to make false claims about the success of his social media start-up Truth Social and used it to argue that Carroll’s lawsuit is one of many ‘hoaxes’ that have been directed at him.” It is not clear if he followed it up with “I’m still big, it’s the pictures that got small,” but that would certainly track. [LOL]
Trump, who has already announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, is scheduled to stand trial for defamation and sexual assault against Carroll in April.
Attempts to smuggle eggs from Mexico or Canada can result in fines of up to $10,000 (£8,140), officials warn.
And yet, soaring egg prices in the US have tempted many to cross the border, where they can be bought for half the price, to bring back the delicate cargo,
Seizures at border posts have spiked by more than 100%.
US egg prices were up 60% in December compared to the previous year. Between 1 October and 31 December alone, egg and poultry seizures rose 108%, according to Department of Agriculture statistics…
Lawyers scouring President Biden’s garage in Wilmington, Delaware, have been unable to find any plans to overthrow the United States government through a violent insurrection, the lawyers have reported.
In addition, the lawyers said, a thorough search had not turned up any instructions to subvert election results by spreading baseless claims about voter fraud or by promoting slates of fake electors.
“If, in searching President Biden’s garage, we had uncovered evidence of plans to end democracy as we know it—or, for that matter, proof of systematic tax fraud spanning a period of many years—we would have informed Attorney General Garland immediately,” the lawyers’ official statement read.
The lawyers revealed that they did discover plans to build a Jacuzzi and a barrel sauna on the President’s deck but said that they would not be forwarding those documents to the Department of Justice.
In Washington, House Republicans flatly rejected the lawyers’ account. “The American people are sick and tired of President Biden being less than honest with them,” Rep. George Santos said.
New German 🇩🇪 Defense Minister #Pistorius announces in an interview with @tagesschau extra: „There will be news in the next few hours” – at the same time he denied that Germany 🇩🇪 will send #Leopard2 tanks only if the US sends 🇺🇸 #Abrams. “I am not aware of that,” Pistorius said.
On the other hand, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sounds pretty definitive here, according to a group of Democratic senators who spoke with him at Davos.
There have been many points in the last year where Russian dictator Vladimir Putin had to be pulling out what remains of his carefully numbered hairs. There was Ukraine’s failure to fold in the opening days of the invasion. The loss of the area around Kyiv. The massive 12,000 square kilometers liberated by Ukraine in the Kharkiv counteroffensive. The humiliating withdrawal of Russian forces from Kherson. The failure of Republicans to secure the Senate in a red wave.
Hey, does anyone remember that at the outset of this disaster, 50% of all the natural gas used in Europe came from Russia? You better bet Putin’s oligarch pals do. And they have to be thrilled with the job he’s done in wiping out their bank accounts.
But what’s happening in Europe right now might be the capstone for his despair. In spite of a year of terrorizing and torture, in spite of enough nuclear threats to populate a thousand Tom Clancy novels, in spite of feeding untrained Russian soldiers wholesale into a meat-grinder for a “victory” over an area the size of a Walmart parking lot … Ukraine’s support in the West Just. Will. Not. Go. Away.
By now, Russia expected Europe to be fretting about the cost of keeping their homes warm, the U.S. to be launching investigations into Zelenskyy’s laptop, and Ukraine’s army to be running on fumes. Instead, no matter what false claims Wagner may be making, Ukraine is having a stellar week—a week that sends a signal not just to Putin, but to China and to anyone else who thinks anything good can come from invasion.
Before I even post this list of what’s been pledged to Ukraine this week, here’s something to consider: It’s already out of date. That’s because new announcements are rolling out today in what might be called a Zerg rush of good news. Also worth noting is that today is not even the big day—it’s tomorrow that all the major announcements were expected. That’s when we’ll likely get final tallies on everything promised to Ukraine, along with word on whether countries that want to send heavy tanks will be sending heavy tanks. [List at the link shows assistance promised to Ukraine by Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom, and USA.]
That barely scratches it. It leaves out drones. It leaves out ammunition (including missiles ranging up to 150 km). It even leaves out helicopters. Expect a more complete list soon.
Also, writing it up this way diminishes the contribution that some of these nations are making. The latest package from Estonia includes far more than what appears above. In fact, this single package is greater than 1% of their national GDP. Not their military budget. Their GDP. So, yeah, that’s stepping up. Those 19 CAESAR artillery pieces Denmark is handing over? That would be all the SPGs that Demark owns.
People are going to the well on this one.
The resulting list of equipment is—and there can be no doubt about this—a logistical nightmare. This is equipment from every time and place and sorting it into coherent companies that can be supplied and maintained is going to take some careful planning and not a small amount of training. When Ukraine comes out of this war, it will be able to teach Walmart and FedEx about moving things around and getting them to the right place. […]
The death came as a surprise to those who followed his very active Twitter account, which he’d kept tweeting on as recently as Wednesday.
Eight months ago, Crosby made headlines when he said he was done performing live, declaring, “I’m too old to do it anymore. I don’t have the stamina; I don’t have the strength.” But he said he was recording as busily as possible: “I’ve been making records at a startling rate. … Now I’m 80 years old so I’m gonna die fairly soon. That’s how that works. And so I’m trying really hard to crank out as much music as I possibly can, as long as it’s really good… I have another one already in the can waiting.” Crosby subsequently backtracked about doing concerts, saying recently that he’d changed his mind and expected to be out playing live again.
Crosby reentered the public consciousness in a big way in 2018 with a theatrical documentary, “David Crosby: Remember My Name,” narrated and produced by Cameron Crowe. Crosby spoke about his own mortality in the film, and Crowe remarked on that in an interview with Variety, saying the singer was thinking about “’telling the truth in my last huge interview that I’ll probably ever do’…”In the second question of the first interview we did with Crosby, he came right out with ‘Time is the final currency. What do you do with the time you have left?’ …What’s great is, he’s got more energy than all of us. He’s gonna outlive us all. He’s batting his eyes like he’s on his deathbed. He ain’t on his deathbed at all! Maybe it all is a con job, like he says at the end. You don’t know.”
Link in comment 307. There’s also a video of Crosby talking about getting old and about dying. Crosby was 81, and was a founder of two of the most important rock groups of the 1960s, The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
The Biden administration said Thursday it’s time for Turkey to ratify Finland and Sweden’s applications to join NATO, bluntly saying that holdout members of the alliance should quickly approve their memberships.
Ah, David Crosby. I’m bummed.
I’ve been listening to the Byrds since about 1966. Still have half a dozen 45s. Bought my first Byrds album in 1971.
I could say it’s that time of my life, when my childhood heroes start dying off, but of course some of them died when I was still a kid.
Just a few months ago I was thrilled to get a “like” on Twitter from Mr. Crosby. Someone had tweeted at him a couple of drawings of him, saying, “a friend of mine drew these. Do you like them?”
Crosby replied, “No. They are bad copies of photographs.”
I replied, “Don’t sugarcoat it, Dave. Give it to them straight.”
Always loved his harmony work with the Byrds. Most guys have to really punch it to hit those notes, but Crosby did it almost effortlessly, creating a graceful, gentle, subtle sound.
So long, Dave. If there’s a Rock ‘n Roll Heaven, you know they’re probably arguing about some shit right now. You’ll fit right in.
Jan 19 (Reuters) – A federal judge on Thursday ordered former U.S. President Donald Trump and his attorneys to pay more than $937,000 in sanctions for suing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over claims the 2016 presidential election was rigged.
U.S. District Judge John Middlebrooks, who threw out Trump’s lawsuit in September, said the sanctions were warranted because the former president had exhibited a pattern of misusing the courts to further his political agenda.
“This case should never have been brought. Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start. No reasonable lawyer would have filed it. Intended for a political purpose, none of the counts of the amended complaint stated a cognizable legal claim,” Middlebrooks wrote in the 45-page written ruling…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A jury began deliberating Thursday in the federal criminal case of a man who told them that a death threat he made against U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner came from God, prompted by the Kansas Republican ignoring concerns about sorcery, wizards, extraterrestrials and a war for people’s souls.
Federal prosecutors say Chase Neill, 32, from Lawrence in northeastern Kansas, fixated on LaTurner before leaving an after-hours voicemail with the congressman’s Topeka office that included, “I will kill you.” Neill’s trial comes amid a sharp rise in reported threats against elected officials and their families.
Representing himself in court, Neill admitted that he left that message and others with more death threats the next day. But he told jurors that he was merely the messenger, telling LaTurner and other officials that they faced death by an act of God, such as a tornado or hurricane, for attacking God’s creation.
“This is not me saying, ‘I’m going to chase you down with a knife,’ or something like that,” Neill said in his closing argument.
Three Marines were arrested Wednesday for their participation in the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.
Micah Coomer, Joshua Abate, and Dodge Dale Hellonen — three men identified by investigators as active-duty Marines — were arrested on four charges each stemming from their participation in the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol in a bid to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
The three men are the first active-duty military members to be arrested in connection with the siege since Marine Maj. Christopher Warnagiris, who was taken into custody in May 2021 on nine charges. All three Marines, who were arrested more than two years after the attack, work in jobs connected to the intelligence community.
A Russian operator of a China-based cryptocurrency exchange with links to South Florida and other parts of the world appeared in federal court in Miami Wednesday on charges of running an unlicensed money transmitting business that is suspected of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in drug trafficking and other criminal proceeds, federal authorities said.
Anatoly Legkodymov, 40, the founder and majority owner of Hong Kong-based Bitzlato Ltd., which authorities say he also managed from Miami over the past year, was arrested Tuesday night at a family home in the Miami-Dade area while he was on vacation.
Woke is so scary people who are afraid of it can’t speak of the threat.
That’s a vulnerability in addition being an expression of bigotry. That’s a defective sense of social threat at best, especially when DeFascist is willing to legislate with the word in names of legislation.
(I decided that name mockery that incorporated the bad behavior in question was worth thinking about. It punches up too. If the disparagement means something useful I’m good with it)
I see now. Thank you. Guessing at their meaning is useful too, I do that after their opportunity to fail to show a social threat. I’m working on pressing the fact that an honest person would already have concrete and useful evidence for social threats.
I figure it identifies wolf crying sooner, but that’s useful too. I like to be explicit about the fact that I’m guessing because they are defiant about showing a supposedly bad thing.
rorschachsays
I did not know this: The Kinks, Elevator Man, 1977
Across Europe, there are more than 2,300 Leopard 2 tanks manufactured in Germany and now distributed over 13 nations. Many of those nations, including Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, would like to provide Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine to use in its ongoing struggle against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. Ukrainian military officials feel this tank would directly address their need for more modern equipment. However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has refused to allow this, saying that “Germany will not go alone” in sending tanks. Scholz made this statement even after the United Kingdom announced that it would send a company of its Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank, along with supporting vehicles, to Ukraine.
And that’s where things stand on Friday morning. Officials in some nations, including Poland, have threatened to send tanks without Germany’s permission, but they have not made any formal announcement that they will do so. Other German officials have indicated that requirements set by Scholz were flexible, but Scholz has quickly corrected them.
In an interview with CNN, an official from the Biden administration declares that Scholz has the whole world “over a barrel.” Only no one seems to understand why.
The question of the M1A2 Abrams, and Scholz’s insistence that it has to be sent first, doesn’t even really matter at this point. It’s just one of the lines that Scholz has drawn. He can always draw another one. Lines are cheap.
Occupier calls his wife/girlfriend and expresses his opinion about the war with Ukraine and its people. This record once again confirms that this is not just a war with appropriate military goals, but a purposeful genocide of the Ukrainian nation. Military Intelligence of Ukraine. From the translation: […] this nation will not exist soon, it will be wiped off the face of the earth, all these people will be finished […] They themselves are to blame for what they have done. […] “What about the children?” Fuck them too. I don’t give a damn about their children. All the children of fuckers, bastards are trained in camps, you know, to hate Russians, that’s all. […] You need to strangle the fuck still in the womb, fuck it. Therefore, that is what I will do. And I do already. Alright, enough. […]
The whole cycle of the war in Ukraine looks like this:
Step one: Ukraine requests assistance of a specific type.
Step two: Western nations say, “No, we can’t give you that, but we can give you this.”
Step three: “This” turns out to be insufficient to halt the horrific flow of blood and end Russian aggression.
Step four: Western nations draw a new line for what’s acceptable to send, which is slightly beyond where they were before.
Step five: See step one.
This isn’t a new observation. Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have been noting this reluctant inching forward of Western support from even before the day Russian tanks rolled across the border.
All types of heavy weapons were off the table. Until they weren’t. Armor was off the table. Until it wasn’t. Artillery wasn’t possible. Until it was. Modern air defense systems were, absolutely inexplicably, something that couldn’t be sent. Now they are.
The big barriers that remain fall mostly into three categories: Tanks, aircraft, and medium-range missiles. The first two have already been broken multiple times by Western nations that have shipped Ukraine updated versions of old Soviet-era T-64 and T-72 tanks, along with a variety of Soviet-design helicopters. The unbelievably picayune thing everyone is arguing over now, the thing that is causing untold numbers of deaths and injuries, is whether it’s okay to send tanks, aircraft, and missiles that weren’t originally based on a design out of Moscow.
It’s as if the entire Western world were an insurance adjuster who steps into a hospital room where surgery is desperately needed to offer either aspirin or a nice vat of medical leeches. But that modern surgery, the one that might help? That you cannot have.
This draw a line, erase a line, draw a new line frustration has been going on so long that I’m certain you’re tired of reading about it. I’m absolutely tired of writing about it. And neither of us is dying because of it. Ukrainians are.
As we’ve talked about in these updates endlessly, there are reasons to not do what’s threatening to happen now: Flood Ukraine with the sweepings of every military barn in Europe and the United States, leaving them with a hodge podge of has-beens, the effectiveness of which is questionable and the logistical challenge of which is supra-Everest. It’s exciting to see the announcements rolling out almost by the hour this week and to chart the growing list of hardware soon to roll along a rail line from Lviv. But for some of those in the Ukrainian military, it must look like the pieces of a dozen unconnected jigsaw puzzles, all being shoved their way with expectations of gratitude.
They really can’t say what they must be thinking: This looks great, but it’s not what we asked for.
What Ukraine needs is all of the Western allies working toward a coherent strategy to provide them with a modern military that can be actually put to work in the field. If the Great Tank Standoff shows anything, it shows that Western unity doesn’t extend to providing the coherent planning and consistent response that Ukraine needs.
Why Scholz can’t see that in refusing to release the Leopards Germany really is standing alone, I don’t know. I’m not sure anyone does. Whether the standoff ends with a relieved sigh or bitter words between allies, we’re likely to learn today.
To complete driving Russia off its land and end the incredibly high rate of civilian and military casualties, Ukraine needs to field a modern military. That military must include tank battalions. Those tank battalions need to be headed by a vehicle that is better than the alphabet soup of T-72, T-80, and T90 models now acting as ersatz monuments to aggression in fields all over Ukraine. The Leopard 2 is a good choice to fill that role. Only it may not happen.
In fact, right now it looks like this standoff is going to end up giving Ukraine none of what it needs. [Tweet and image at the link]
It’s too bad there’s no way to weaponize frustration. Because Ukraine must have that by the gigaton.
The U.S. Supreme Court launched a lengthy, months-long investigation, but in the end, it couldn’t determine who was responsible for the leak of a monumental draft ruling last May. By any fair measure, it marked an embarrassing chapter for the institution.
[…] not only did Republican-appointed justices overturn Roe v. Wade and undo a constitutional right Americans had come to rely on, undermining the judiciary’s reputation and credibility, the Supreme Court did so while failing to keep its house in order, and then failing to determine how and why that happened.
But don’t worry, Donald Trump knows just what to do. HuffPost reported:
Donald Trump insisted Thursday that “the reporter” who published the leaked Supreme Court draft ruling overturning Roe v. Wade be jailed until the source of the leak can be determined. Though Trump did not name any particular individual or publication, the draft majority opinion was first reported on in Politico last May by journalists Josh Gerstein and Alexander Ward.
By way of his social media platform, the former president added, “Stop playing games, this leaking cannot be allowed to happen. It won’t take long before the name of this slime is revealed!”
In a follow-up missive, Trump went on to call for the “arrest” of the reporters, editors, and publisher who ran the original article, at which point “you’ll get your answer fast.”
Part of what made this interesting to me is the way in which the former president believes every question has a simple answer […] The immigration system is broken? Build a wall. Opioids are ravaging communities? Execute drug dealers. Hurricanes are approaching American soil? Hit them with nuclear weapons. Shooters are killing children in schools? Put more guns in the hands of those who might shoot back. The Supreme Court sprung a leak? Put journalists behind bars and then we’ll find out who was responsible.
It’s like listening to a child who doesn’t understand why grown-ups make things so complicated.
The comments also stood out as a reminder of the Republican’s reflexive hostility toward the First Amendment and democratic institutions. Journalists at Politico did nothing wrong, but in Trump’s mind, they can and should be incarcerated anyway.
But the unexpected angle to these developments was the Biden White House’s willingness to publicly push back against the former president.
“The freedom of the press is part of the bedrock of American democracy,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement to Politico. “Calling for egregious abuses of power in order to suppress the Constitutional rights of reporters is an insult to the rule of law and undermines fundamental American values and traditions. Instead, it’s the responsibility of all leaders to protect First Amendment rights. These views are not who we are as a country, and they are what we stand against in the world.”
Most of the time, the Democratic White House doesn’t bother to take issue with Trump’s assorted nonsense. But the former president is the current frontrunner for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination, and he is freely expressing his opposition to the rule of law.
Looking ahead, this probably won’t be the last time Team Biden makes the case publicly that “the former guy” is wrong.
Though there was considerable uncertainty surrounding Sen. Tim Kaine’s re-election plans, the Virginia Democrat announced this morning that he will seek a third term. The incumbent will be favored to win next year.
More good news:
On a related note, incumbent Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, as expected, have now both announced that they’ll also seek re-election in the 2024 cycle.
Something very interesting has been going on with Sweden and Finland this morning. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has been one of the most impassioned speakers in support of Ukraine for some time, and she’s pushed hard this week to get other leaders to meet Ukraine’s needs. Earlier today, Ukraine and Finland announced that an assistance package had been agreed on valued at €400 million, but that Finland would not be detailing the contents of that package. [video available at the link in comment 327]
For those who are hoping, however, an adviser to Marin specifically noted that the package does not include Leopard 2 tanks.
That announcement was swiftly followed by another as Finland and Sweden signed a mutual protection pact. Both nations are still seeking to join NATO, but in the meantime, the new agreement specifically falls on Sweden to support Finland as needed after Finland provides equipment to Ukraine. This makes it sound as if, tanks or no tanks, Marin is reaching deep to provide everything she can to Ukraine.
Poland is now talking about a scheme in which it sends just two Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine without Germany’s permission. Why two and not the full 14 it had proposed earlier in the week? That’s not clear. It’s possible that some of the Leopard 2 tanks in Poland may have had different language in their export license when it comes to requiring Germany’s permission for transfer to a third party, but that’s just guessing.
[Amended list of assistance promised to Ukraine from Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom and USA available at the link in comment 327, scroll down]
Iowa Republicans are gearing up to really punish those poor people for daring to be poor. A new bill that has nearly 40 Republican cosponsors would limit people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to using those benefits for foods already approved for WIC, a completely different program. That means no fresh meat, no nuts, only 100% whole wheat pasta.
SNAP recipients can currently use that program to get most grocery food items, not including food sold hot. WIC, on the other hand, is an extra supplementary program that sharply limits what its recipients—who are pregnant or have infants or young children—can get. It’s obnoxiously paternalistic as a program for new mothers and young children, but people often get WIC in addition to regular food stamps, so people have a way to get things like fresh meat or brands that haven’t made it onto the WIC-approved list. Iowa Republicans want to cut off those options for everyone who needs help with food.
This comes on top of the end of free school meals for kids and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds rejecting $30 million in federal childcare money. Great times for struggling families in Iowa and across the country.
People on SNAP, by definition, shop with a limited food budget. But Iowa Republicans want to add a very specific list of things people can and can’t buy to that limited budget.
Yes to chunk or shredded cheese; no to sliced, cubed, or crumbled cheese.
Yes to chunk light tuna in containers with a minimum size of five ounces; no to white albacore, solid, or yellowfin tuna. Yes to canned pink salmon; no to canned red salmon. Definitely no to fresh fish or meat.
Beans are a good source of cheap protein. But if they’re canned, “NO baked beans, refried bean or chili beans,” and if whether they’re dried or canned, they cannot be a soup mix. In fact, if they’re dried, luxuries such as a bean mix are prohibited. You’re getting one kind of beans per bag, dammit.
Want oatmeal? There are three brands allowed, and you’re getting the 16-ounce container.
[…] This bill needs to die a swift death, and maybe it will. But even if they get scared off of following through, it shows the kind of policy Republicans want to impose. And making sure struggling families know they’re held in contempt—that they’re reminded of that every time they go grocery shopping or sit down to a meal of beans and brown rice and cheese that is definitely not sliced, cubed, or crumbled—is an outcome Republicans want.
Passage of such a bill would also cause administrative challenges for grocery stores.
It is only January 20. We’re 20 days into 2023 and so far, Republicans in states across the country have already proposed 167 anti-trans and anti-drag discrimination laws. 167.
I want you to remember that number for the inevitable few years down the road when conservatives do the thing where they rewrite history and claim that it was just a few bigots here and there who weren’t real conservatives anyway because real conservatives value individualism and the government staying out of people’s business […]
167.
But for now we’re just gonna talk about the ones that were introduced this week.
West Virginia
Here’s a new and especially disturbing one one — West Virginia Republicans hope to amend the state’s current law regulating the distribution of obscene materials within 2500 feet of schools to make it an actual crime for a trans person to be around children.
West Virginia SB 252: “For the purposes of any prohibition, protection or requirement under any and all articles and sections of the Code of West Virginia protecting children from exposure to indecent displays of a sexually explicit nature, such prohibited displays shall include, but not be limited to, any transvestite and/or transgender exposure, performances or display to any minor.”
Violation of this “crime” calls for a five year prison sentence. So a trans parent would not be allowed to pick their kid up from school, on account of how their mere existence, according to Republicans in the state, is “of a sexually explicit nature.” A trans person would not be allowed to be employed as a teacher or live across the street from a school or walk past a school without risking five years in prison.
Mississippi
On Thursday, the Mississippi House voted 78-28 to ban doctors from providing gender affirming care, including hormone therapy, drugs, and corrective surgery to minors under the age of 18 — and to instruct the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure to revoke the licenses of any doctor who provides that care. Gender-affirming care is the current standard of care recommended by the American Psychological Association and American Medical Association.
[…] It hurts children in order to protect people like Nick Bain who are personally squicked out by the fact that trans people exist. While he may indeed feel that way, he may want to reconsider how good his personal instincts could possibly be when it was these very same instincts that led him to believe that comb-over bangs would be a good idea. [Photo of dunderhead available at the link]
Creating laws based on the “feelings” of people like Nick Bain and other Mississippi Republicans, while ignoring the recommendations of the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Counseling Association, American Public Health Association, American School Counselor Association, American School Health Association, Child Welfare League of America, Mental Health America, National Association of School Nurses, National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Association of Social Workers seems like it might not be a great idea.
Utah
The Utah Senate passed not one, not two, but three new anti trans bills on Thursday. SB16, like Mississippi’s, bans gender affirming care for anyone under the age of 18. SB93 would bar anyone under the age of 18 from having their gender changed on their birth certificate.
“What is the compelling state interest in telling people that they can’t change their birth certificates?” asked Sen. Daniel Thatcher (R-West Valley City). “What is the problem we’re trying to solve?”
Thatcher was recovering from several strokes but went to work against his doctor’s advice in order to argue against the bills. Good for him! Although no one actually answered his questions, because there literally is no answer other than “We would like to do everything in our power to prevent trans people from existing.”
SB100, the final bill, would require parents to be informed if their child has come out as trans at school and is being referred to by different names or pronouns so that said parents can do … whatever it is the kind of parents whose kids would be afraid to come out to would do in these kinds of situations.
“We have truckloads of data that show that this [surgery] is lifesaving. This care is supported by every single credible medical and mental health organization on the planet. Everyone that actually looks at data instead of the politics,” Thatcher later told Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News “So why are we prohibiting current best practices?”
He also said he feels like he’s “the only conservative on that floor,” but he may want to revisit what being “conservative” actually means in this country. […]
More at the link, including anti-trans news from North Dakota, South Carolina, and Nebraska.
whheydtsays
Re: Lynna, OM a@ #328…
A good ggrilling of Clarence and Ginni Thomas might very well reveal who released the Dobbs decision. My money is still on Ginni Thomas, as provided by Clarence.
ravensays
“Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND) is alarmed by the losses the Ukrainian army is suffering in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut,”
“The army is losing a three-digit number of soldiers every day fighting against Russian forces in Bakhmut, …” It is obvious that Ukraine is suffering huge losses in the war these days. In close encounter combat that is what happens.
This article isn’t very definite on the losses, since three digit numbers can be anything from 100 to 999.
It is clear though that Ukraine is losing huge numbers of soldiers. It’s a lot for a country of 44 million people.
It will also likely continue since lately, the war seems to be a draw or stalemate. The lines barely move from day to day.
7h ago 08.12 EST
Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND) is alarmed by the losses the Ukrainian army is suffering in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, according to a report.
The army is losing a three-digit number of soldiers every day fighting against Russian forces in Bakhmut, Der Spiegel reports, citing information it had received.
The Russian capture of Bakhmut would have significant consequences as it would allow Russia to make further advances, the BND warned.
It comes after Russian proxy forces in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic in the Donbas region said they had taken control of Klishchiivka, a small settlement south of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
Fresh off four years in prison, barred from ever serving as director of a public company, and buried beneath $26 million in victim paybacks, Billy McFarland, founder of the fraudulent Fyre Festival, wants to make a comeback.
“I was talking to somebody yesterday and they’re like, ‘You can crawl in a hole and die, or you can go and try to do something and just like not promise any results,’’’ McFarland said in a recent interview with NBC News.
It was, basically, the promises that got him last time. McFarland went from obscure New York City entrepreneur to world-renowned fraudster after the collapse of his festival became a cultural moment: an event promoted on social media by high-profile models and celebrities overpromising a Coachella for the Bahamas with luxury villas and decadent dishes. The festival instead imploded, leaving many attendees in FEMA tents and eating packaged sandwiches — and none of the promised entertainment. Attendees’ desperate posts went viral, and the disaster spawned two documentaries and dozens of podcasts.
In October 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison for fraud.
His new venture, PYRT (pronounced “Pirate”), launched on social media in October and is supposed to kick things off by hosting, yes, a remote island extravaganza — one that McFarland insists is not a festival. [OMG] Featuring a slew of influencers and creators, the purported tropical experience will include virtual reality technology that the company says will allow users to participate and control what happens on the island in real time from home.
[…] “Billy’s still Billy. He’s using different words, but he’s selling the same thing,” said Shiyuan Deng, a former product designer at Fyre Media, the company behind Fyre Festival. Deng resigned from Fyre Media shortly before it collapsed.
[…] “PYRT appears to be an exercise in smoke and mirrors, buzzwords and empty promises of lavish trips to the Bahamas,” they said.
[…] McFarland joins a wave of made-famous fraudsters who are in the process of making a comeback in part by leveraging their notoriety. Socialite scammer Anna Sorkin, who was the subject of a Netflix drama that portrayed her swindling banks and stealing a private jet for which she was convicted of multiple counts of grand larceny, launched a collection of NFTs while serving time in an ICE detention center and recently announced a monthly dinner series, according to Eater, hosting a dozen VIP celebrity and influencer type guests out of her apartment while on house arrest. Kari Farrell, who was labeled the “hipster grifter” for a variety of scams and frauds including writing fake checks, is also on the comeback trail.
[…] PYRT’s online promotion contains global treasure hunts and luxurious footage of the Bahamas. Though he’s pledged to try to change his ways, McFarland has still at times looked to build hype around his new effort. […]
McFarland said he believes PYRT will look considerably different from Fyre Festival. There’s no urgent timeline, no contribution from outside investors, and the intent to host only dozens on the island at a time, he said.
It’s still unclear which island that will be, despite a heavy push from McFarland to return to the Bahamas, where he defrauded islanders in 2017.
[…] the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism said in a statement that no application had been filed by McFarland for an event in the Bahamas. The statement, verified by NBC News, listed him as a “fugitive” and asked that his whereabouts be reported to the national police. […]
Despite the videos he posted, McFarland told NBC News there are currently no plans for PYRT to be in the Bahamas. He said he believes the relationship with the island nation is fixable. […] “It’s still a journey for me and I’m not perfect in terms of marketing,” he said.
McFarland said he has taken on several consulting jobs focused on marketing and branding for startups, serving as a source of funding for PYRT […]
Since McFarland’s release from prison in March, he has made the media rounds — carefully teetering the line between a public plea of forgiveness and a speedy push to PYRT.
[…] Now attempting to forge ahead, McFarland said he is refocusing on what he lost sight of during Fyre: his emphasis on technology and product design.
“Really kind of getting back to tech, which I think is where my unique skillset lies,” said McFarland.
Deng, the former product designer, said the opposite.
“He was really good at pitching but had no technical skills,” she said. [JFC. Kind of reminds one of the worst of the cryptocurrency scams.]
[…] Despite over $25 million in restitution, restrictions limiting him from ever serving as director of a public company, and a nationwide Bahamas ban, McFarland still sees a festival in his future — even if it’s not yet on the horizon.
“I’d love to do that. I feel like I have to at some point in the future. It’s not happening right now.”
For those of you who remember the embarrassment of the Times coverage of the ‘Whitewater’ scandal it must seem like deja vu all over again. It does to me. The papers editors are trying, really trying, to make the Biden classified documents issue a thing. And I mean a grave thing. The stage was ably set by the subject line of the email I received blasting out their latest deep dive on the story: “Inside Biden’s 68 days of silence”. […] a Gabriel García Márquez homage? I mean good lord. Are we really doing this again? Of course we are. It’s how they roll.
I took the liberty of a short set of annotations. [Image of the amusingly annotated article is available at the link]
You can see the air of fateful and perhaps fatal errors, consequences that could shake the Biden presidency. There is the repeated effort to elevate a fairly mundane set of facts into something Shakespearean in its scope. The Biden ‘strategy’ was to completely cooperate to show that the whole thing was just a good faith error nothing like President Trump’s antics. And yet the ‘strategy’ was “profoundly influenced by the Trump case.”
I mean, what? Not committing crimes and not trying to retain government property is a pretty good policy in general and one Biden likely would have followed on his own. […] a pretty stark contract with Trump’s behavior. Was it “profoundly influenced by the Trump case”? It’s hard to see how this is clear if there’s no reason to think Biden would have done anything different if the Trump thing had never happened. The fact that the President’s lawyers obviously knew the Trump case was on-going is true but does it actually mean anything?
What we have here is a case where someone working for the now-President was sloppy and commingled a number of classified documents in with various of Biden’s presidential papers. It’s quite unlikely in the nature of things that Biden himself was the one who did this. And there’s little reason to think whoever did had any bad intent. They were discovered when the papers were being moved from Biden’s Penn Center. They were immediately turned over to the National Archives. The DOJ was immediately notified. Once those were found they decided to comb through the records stored at Biden’s home. They found a few more. They immediately turned those over too.
There’s simply not a lot of meat on this bone. But there’s so much appetite for the bone that doesn’t really seem to matter. It’s both an opportunity to curry a bit of bothsidesist favor since most mainstream media reporters primarily focus on how not to be accused of liberal bias. (I know them. This is true.) But perhaps even more than that there are the cinematic qualities, fateful decisions with unknown and potentially grave consequences into the future. […]
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. will designate Russia’s Wagner Group as a “Transnational Criminal Organization.” This freezes any U.S. assets of Wagner and opens them to new sanctions. It’s a move Ukraine has been urging for some time. [Good. That’s good news.]
Russia sources are claiming that Russia has launched a major offensive in Zaporizhzhia and captured multiple villages. There appears to be no evidence that any of this has actually happened.
The vast right-wing conspiracy has gotten vaster since Hillary Clinton first warned of it 25 years ago, and way more right-wing. It’s flourished in no small part because of Mitch McConnell’s single-minded pursuit of getting as much corporate money into politics as possible, and it has dragged the nation’s institutions along with it. Most particularly, the U.S. Supreme Court.
A tiny beam of light has broken through all that dark money to expose the foothold one arm of the conspiracy—specifically, the one seizing the Supreme Court—had in the Trump White House. Last month, Politico’s Heidi Przybyla reported new information that had surfaced about the 2017 sale of former White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway’s polling company.
That sale was facilitated by Leonard Leo, the Catholic fundamentalist who was the long-time vice president of the Federalist Society, friend to many Republican lawmakers. […] Conway was at the time part of the small circle of advisers telling Trump who to put on the court, and “proved from the earliest days of Trump’s presidency to be an outspoken advocate for Leo’s list of handpicked candidates.” Candidates who were virulent forced birth proponents, when Trump’s own convictions on the abortion issue were unclear.
Leo didn’t only facilitate the sale of Conway’s firm to Creative Response Concepts Inc., it appears from records filed that he helped pay for it through one of his dark money groups. That company, now headed up by Leo and called CRC Advisors, was also awash in dark money and was active in promoting Leo’s Supreme Court picks. While Leo wouldn’t confirm any of this to Politico, he more or less proved it by dissolving the dark money group, the BH Fund, three days after Politico inquired about the story.
When people talk about the web of dark money, boy howdy. It’s like one huge pot of it with all these tentacles oozing out of it, which is mixing metaphors, but you get the idea. At the center is Susan Collins’ pal Leonard Leo, in control of something like $1.6 billion that he’s using to construct even more groups to funnel the money through.
Does this stink? Yes, says Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform for the Campaign Legal Center. It’s a nonpartisan nonprofit founded by a former Republican member of the Federal Elections Commission. “Nothing screams ‘efforts to conceal’ quite like folding up an organization just as you start getting questions about it,” Gosh told Politico. Leo’s involvement in the sale of Conway’s firm, valued at between $1 and $5 million in her disclosure statement, shows why the “influence of dark money is doubly problematic once someone is in office because they’re [potentially] able to influence outcomes.”
This time, Leo and KellyAnne might just be caught up in something criminal. Watchdog group Campaign for Accountability has asked Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Chair Gary Peters (D-MI) to investigate the sale conducted while Conway was serving as an executive branch employee. In that role, federal law barred her from participating “personally and substantially” in a matter before the government. Like a Supreme Court nomination.
“There are clear indications based on the facts at hand that Ms. Conway participated personally and substantially in advising President Trump to nominate Justices to the Supreme Court, and that her personal financial interests were affected,” Campaign for Accountability said in its complaint to Peters. “It is all the more urgent that [the committee] investigate this matter because it is possible criminal charges against Ms. Conway may be precluded by the general five-year statute of limitations governing most federal crimes,” said the complaint.
House Democrats don’t have the investigative power of the Senate now, but a group of them has once again introduced a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizen’s United ruling that triggered this flood of dark money. […]
“Under no circumstances should Republicans vote to cut a single penny from Medicare or Social Security,” Trump said in a video message…
Republicans have vowed not to raise the federal government’s borrowing capacity unless Biden makes steep cuts to federal spending, potentially impacting social insurance programs like Social Security and Medicare. Trump’s video is a warning to his fellow party members not to go there. Instead, he suggests targeting foreign aid, cracking down on migration, ending “left wing gender programs from our military,” and “billions being spent on climate extremism.”
Does he know or care that no one listens to him any more?
Re: Reginald Selkirk @ #339…
I keep wondering what would happen if Biden cut the hell out of Federal transfer funds to states? So many red states run on a net intake of Federal money, basically being subsidized by blue states.
It wasn’t uncommon for the previous governor, Republican Larry Hogan, to decide not to release funding for something he didn’t see eye-to-eye on with state lawmakers.
But on his first full day in office, the state’s new governor, Democrat Wes Moore, announced he was releasing around $69 million in funds Hogan would not. Changes to state law that took effect this year mean similar situations won’t arise again…
The bulk of the released funds, totaling $46.5 million, are related to the legalization of marijuana, which takes effect on July 1 after voters overwhelmingly supported it back in November…
Moore is also releasing money to help with the expunging of criminal records for convictions of anyone whose sole offense was the possession of marijuana. A legislative report issued last year said just over 1,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession back in 2020.
About $9 million will be spent on programs that deal with the impact of climate change…
The new governor is also allocating $19 million for paid family and medical leave programs…
The last $3.5 million will be released to fund the Abortion Care Access Act. Noting that Maryland has stronger abortion access laws than other states, Moore told reporters, “Maryland needs to be a state that’s a safe haven for abortion rights.”
The program is aimed at guaranteeing abortion access around the state, and will provide grants for clinical training of abortion care providers and their teams. Moore also vowed to work with lawmakers to further expand abortion in the future…
As part of the Supreme Court’s leak investigation, the institution’s marshal conceded this afternoon that while sitting justices spoke to investigators, none of the jurists signed sworn affidavits, even as other employees at the high court did.
Senator Joe Manchin said Thursday he didn’t realize the US and the European Union do not have a free trade agreement when he wrote stringent new requirements for the electric vehicle tax credit that the EU says will unfairly disadvantage its members.
This is good: Ukrainian defense minister Oleksii Reznikov has announced that nations which are considering donations of Leopard 2 tanks have agreed to begin training courses on operation and maintenance of the tanks. Since this is a necessary step anyway, it could mean that no time actually ends up being lost in eventually getting these tanks in the field.
@345: Cut him some slack, he’s just a guy. It’s not like he has a staff to do research for him, and all the resources of the U.S. Congress to draw upon.
NY Daily News
N. Dakota bill would bar people from using pronouns according to gender identity; $1,500 fines threatened
1k
Muri Assunção, New York Daily News
Thu, January 19, 2023 at 3:25 PM PST·2 min read
Republican lawmakers in North Dakota have introduced legislation seeking to prohibit transgender and nonbinary people from using pronouns according to their gender identity.
Senate Bill 1299 states that “words referring to an individual, person, employer, employee, contestant, participant, member, student, or juvenile must be used in the context of that person’s sex as determined at birth.
“Any person [who] violates this section must be assessed a fee of one thousand five hundred dollars,” the bill adds.
If the person’s gender identity or expression is contested, that determination should be established by the “individual’s deoxyribonucleic acid,” or DNA, the legislation states.
Speaking in defense of the bill on Wednesday, state Sen. David Clemens said if a person’s gender is ever challenged, the responsibility to prove their gender will fall on that individual.
“Say, they’re a boy, but they come to school and say they’re a girl. As far as that school is concerned in this bill, that person is still a boy,” Clemens, one of the authors of the legislation, said Wednesday when speaking in favor of the bill.
“If it becomes contested, the burden will be on the girl, the so-called girl, or the boy, to prove that he is a girl,” he added, according to local station KYFR-TV.
The proposed bill was put forth to the state Senate’s Judiciary Committee this week.
Clemens, who was the only person to give testimony in favor of the legislation, was at times “at a loss for words,” according to trans rights advocate Erin Reed, who live-tweeted the hearing.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to give this bill a “do not pass” recommendation.
North Dakota Sen. Ryan Braunberger, a freshman Democrat, celebrated the committee’s recommendation on Twitter, calling it a “positive step in protecting transgender ND.”
However, according to Reed the bill can still move forward, “as committees don’t have veto power there, and the chair indicated more bills are coming.”
KGsays
raven@334,
I wonder if the BND is trying to push the German Government into sending Leopard tanks.
ravensays
“China says COVID outbreak has infected 80% of population”
Maybe.
China’s statistics are unreliable.
This 80% number is at least plausible.
The death toll is unknown and may neve be known.
Modeling says it will be between 1 million and 1.7 million dead by April 2023.
It would be a lot higher if most Chinese weren’t vaccinated. Their vaccines don’t work very well but they are a lot better than no vaccines.
Reuters
China says COVID outbreak has infected 80% of population
Sat, January 21, 2023 at 1:59 AM PST·1 min read
BEIJING (Reuters) – The possibility of a big COVID-19 rebound in China over the next two or three months is remote as 80% of people have been infected, a prominent government scientist said on Saturday.
The mass movement of people during the ongoing Lunar New Year holiday period may spread the pandemic, boosting infections in some areas, but a second COVID wave is unlikely in the near term, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on the Weibo social media platform.
Hundreds of millions of Chinese are travelling across the country for holiday reunions that had been suspended under recently eased COVID curbs, raising fears of fresh outbreaks in rural areas less equipped to manage large outbreaks.
China has passed the peak of COVID patients in fever clinics, emergency rooms and with critical conditions, a National Health Commission official said on Thursday.
Nearly 60,000 people with COVID had died in hospital as of Jan. 12, roughly a month after China abruptly dismantled its zero-COVID policy, according to government data.
But some experts said that figure probably vastly undercounts the full impact, as it excludes those who die at home, and because many doctors have said they are discouraged from citing COVID as a cause of death.
Florida health officials circumvented traditional regulatory channels to draft a report recommending gender-affirming health care be excluded from coverage under Medicaid, a state employee alleges in an exchange included in new court filings.
Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), which controls most of the state’s Medicaid program, wrote in a June report that available medical literature provides “insufficient evidence” that puberty blockers, hormones and gender-affirming surgeries are safe and effective treatments for gender dysphoria and therefore excluded them from Medicaid coverage because they are “experimental and investigational.”
The ensuing state rule, which took effect in August, bars transgender youths and adults in Florida from using Medicaid to help pay for any “procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics” when those procedures are used to treat gender dysphoria, stripping more than 9,000 transgender Floridians of access to critical health care.
But new court documents filed late Friday by plaintiffs in a case challenging Florida’s Medicaid exclusion include allegations from an AHCA employee that state health officials did not follow customary procedures for developing generally accepted professional medical standards (GAPMS) in creating the June report.
Documentation of an email exchange between Christopher Cogle, the chief medical officer of Florida Medicaid, and Jeffrey English, an AHCA employee, show evidence of tension within the agency over the GAPMS recommendation on treatments for gender dysphoria.
Cogle in the June correspondence inquired whether the AHCA has a standard operating procedure for GAPMS recommendations, to which English responded in the affirmative, adding, “If you will excuse me, I feel obligated to include this information: I was not informed or consulted, did not in any way participate, and did not write the GAPMS concerning gender dysphoria treatment.”
“That particular GAPMS did not come through the traditional channels and was not handled through the traditional GAPMS process,” English wrote.
“I do not cherry pick data or studies and would never agree to if I were so asked,” he continued. “All I can say about that report, as I have read it, is that it does not present an honest and accurate assessment of the status of the current evidence and practice guidelines as I understand them to be in the existing literature.” […]
As the various foreign ministers and defense secretaries depart from the meeting at Ramstein, Ukraine is left with a long list of donated equipment to assist in its fight against an illegal and unprovoked Russian invasion. That list includes a single company (squadron, in Brit speak) of Challenger 2 tanks, along with the associated vehicles necessary to maintain them, fuel them, repair them in the field, and drag them home when damaged. Those 14 main battle tanks represent the erasing of yet another artificial barrier in getting Ukraine what it needs to actively push Russia off the remaining occupied territory. It’s the tip of the spear on a shopping list that includes some of the best military hardware in the world. However, at the end of the day, the equipment to be shipped following the meetings at Davos and Ramstein are simply not enough.
For the moment, multiple nations have agreed to train Ukrainian soldiers on the operation and maintenance of Leopard 2 tanks built by Germany, planning against the day when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decides to either send tanks or release those nations which have purchased Leopard 2 tanks from Germany from the limitations of their export licenses. Polish officials continue to insist that they could send the tanks anyway, no matter what Germany says. They could. However, this is unlikely.
For now, the immediate task for Ukraine is looking at the list of what’s been promised, getting their forces up to speed on the support of this new hardware, and establishing both the structural and logistical chains needed to make it workable. But the failure of Western nations to step up and give Ukraine everything it needs and more, is greater than just another missed opportunity. It’s not just a failure that will be weighed out in Ukrainian blood, it represents give Russia and Vladimir Putin more time to plan, react, and to continue their terror campaign against civilians.
There is one more very important thing the U.S. could, and should, do right now.
Here’s one way of looking at the situation when it comes to providing one of the two major main battle tanks available to Western forces. (Note: The way that just about any image in Twitter related to Ukraine, even a map, ends up clamped behind a “sensitive” label, is maddening.) [Tweet and image at the link: The image shows european countries that use Leopard 2 tanks and therefore have training and maintenance facilities. The nearest M1A2 Abrams tank facility is at Fort Stewart, Georgia, USA)
The tweet above is only partially true. There are a 250 Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 already on their way to Poland, with the possibility of 250 more, though the facilities to handle these tanks are not currently in place. More to the point, there are hundreds of M1A2 Abrams currently to be found at the U.S. 7th Army Training Command in Grafenwöh, Germany. That facility not only includes everything needed to maintain the M1A2, but training people on its operation and maintenance is kind of what they do.
Should the U.S. decide to train Ukrainian forces on the Abrams, it wouldn’t require shipping people to Georgia. It could be done in Germany, This is likely to be at least one of the facilities where Ukrainian soldiers are sent to learn operation and maintenance for both the Bradley armored fighting vehicle and the Stryker armored vehicle (we still don’t know which of the ten different Stryker models Ukraine is to receive).
The U.S. has also indicated that it wants to train Ukrainian forces on large scale combined arms tactics, and is reportedly urging Ukraine to postpone any significant counteroffensive until new tools like the Bradley have been integrated and these new tactics have been absorbed.
Considering how many recent attempts to advance have involved small, localized assaults—by both Russia and Ukraine—resulting in high casualties and an inability to make a sustained breakthrough leading to significant movement, that’s probably good advice. Ukraine may have pushed Russia out of Novoselivske this week, and that’s fantastic. However, it’s taken that location back from Russia at least twice before, the first time all the way back in September. In November, the Ukrainian MOD even listed Novoselivske as an officially liberated location, only to have it fall back into Russian occupation by the end of the year. Expending ammunition, equipment, and most of all men, to take a position that can’t be exploited into a broader gain seems pretty pointless.
The largest gain made since mid-November likely was Russia’s capture of the area around Soledar, and that came only with a commitment to sacrifice as many troops as it took to garner something that looked like a victory, no matter how small. Ukraine shouldn’t feel the pressure to match this. We shouldn’t ask them too.
I want Svatove and Kreminna liberated. You want Svatove and Kreminna liberated. Ukraine really wants Svatove and Kreminna liberated. But it simply may not be worth the cost required to do so with the troops and equipment now on hand.
It’s understandable that Ukraine should feel incredible pressure to advance. Not only are they trying to push Russia off of Ukrainian territory and stop a cycle of death that includes regular bombardment of civilians, past experience has taught Ukraine that successful counteroffensives are necessary to generate support. Push Russia away from Kyiv, get a flood of outside assistance. Drive into Kharkiv, get more. Show the effective use of longer range weapons in forcing Russia to leave Kherson, get rewarded with more of the same.
If Ukraine is genuinely going to take a hold-ground stance through the remainder of the winter, and seek to make its next serious push only after it can field Bradleys and other new hardware like the French AMX-10rc, it has to know that the U.S. and other Western allies are not going to sit on their hands over the same period and cut back on the flow of weapons. If we want Ukraine to wait, they have to be rewarded for waiting. We should send them even more.
One way that the U.S. could show Ukraine that we remain committed is simple enough: Begin training Ukrainian forces now, not just in the maintenance, support, and operation of the Bradley and Stryker, and not just in how to integrate this hardware into larger combined arms operations. They should start training Ukrainian forces, right now, to prepare them to operate and maintain both the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank, and the F-16 Falcon multirole aircraft.
That doesn’t mean sending these tanks and aircraft now. It means being prepared for the possibility that the Leopards will not be freed, and acknowledging the certainty that Ukraine will still need new aircraft if it’s actually going to practice combined arms in anything like the way the U.S. and other Western armies now believe is best practice. It means stopping a bad cycle where “it would take too long” becomes and excuse for not moving.
Get two dozen Ukrainian pilots training up on the F-16. Give a couple of hundred Ukrainian troops an intensive crash course in the operation and support of the M1A2. Maybe neither one ever enters Ukraine. But what this would do is break the cycle. Six months from now, we won’t be right back at square one, with people saying “but Ukraine doesn’t know how to…” They will know.
It gives options to not just Ukraine, but to the U.S. and other Western allies. It gives flexibility. And that has incredible value.
The memorial to those who lost their lives in that helicopter crash on the edge of Kyiv is bringing large crowds. Even in the midst of everything that has happened, Ukrainians have not lost their capacity to mourn, their empathy for those lost, or their sympathy for those who remain. [Tweets and two good videos at the link, scroll down.]
As good a statement of the starting conditions for any negotiations as I’ve seen.
As a Russian, I believe that Russia needs to lose the war, withdraw from the entirety of Ukrainian territory, pay reparations, give away to Ukraine war criminals, and return the deported. These are the conditions of moving forward.
Did I mention how maddening it is that people are abusing the “sensitive” flag on images in Twitter? It’s at the point where you can’t even meme. [Tweet, with meme images at the link: “Gondor calls for help. And Rohan will answer, but only if Isengard, Lothlorien, The Shire, Bree and Rivendell send heavy cavalry too.”]
[…]
Here is a story about antivaxxers getting killed with extra points for style and a Darwin award.
“They planned to ‘ride out the end of the world.’ They wound up dead at sea.”
“This guru clown convinced them to fly to Hawaii and join him on this journey across a huge portion of the Pacific Ocean to find a Covid free place where they could start again and escape Satan’s grand plan,” author and journalist David Wolman,…”
These two guys jumped off a boat in the ocean and drowned rather than take a Covid-19 virus test.
On the advice of a low level internet preacher on Youtube.
The youngest one was 20.
They were literally guilty of, “Too Stupid to Live”.
They planned to ‘ride out the end of the world.’ They wound up lost at sea | CNN By Randi Kaye and Anne Clifford, CNN
Updated 7:55 AM EST, Thu January 19, 2023
Soon after his 20th birthday, Isaac Danian disappeared from his home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in early September 2020, leaving behind a note for his younger siblings that warned them “do not get the vaccine” or “you won’t make it to heaven.”
His parents, Abigail and John Danian, told CNN that their son had grown paranoid during the pandemic. They say he started to believe that the Covid-19 vaccine was the government’s way of controlling the population, and that the Covid test was just as dangerous. Before he left home, his parents say, their son told them to sell all their belongings and move into a bunker.
Nearly a month after he disappeared, on October 4, 2020, Isaac Danian sent a text message with a picture of himself on a boat holding a giant fish he’d caught.
The family hasn’t heard from him since.
“He called to tell me that he was going to be off the grid for about 30 or so days and he wanted to make sure to call me and let me know. So that I wouldn’t spend those 30 days worrying about him,” his mother told CNN. Isaac did not say where he was going or who he was with.
“He said … it would be better if he didn’t,” Abigail Danian said, “but he always said I wish I could tell you.”
Recruited by a so-called guru
Isaac’s parents didn’t know at the time that before their son had left he had started following a so-called guru online named Matthew Mellow, who went by the name Mortekai Eleazar on social media. On his YouTube channel Mellow spread Covid misinformation, delivering sermons about what he says was Satan’s plan to destroy society and false claims about the Covid-19 vaccine, which he called the “mark of the beast.”
Mellow had posted a recruitment video online, seeking “able bodied men” to sail with him from Hawaii to the South Pacific where Covid hadn’t taken hold. In his video he suggested society was doomed.
Isaac Danian signed on for the trip and left home Labor Day weekend 2020 while his parents were out of town.
Only when his parents filed a missing persons report seven months later did they learn from an investigator with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan that their son had been in communication with Mellow.
“This guru clown convinced them to fly to Hawaii and join him on this journey across a huge portion of the Pacific Ocean to find a Covid free place where they could start again and escape Satan’s grand plan,” author and journalist David Wolman, who first investigated this case for The New York Times, told CNN.
Mellow it turns out had arranged for a couple of boat captains to sail him and his recruits to the South Pacific. Danian and a second man, Shukree Abdul-Rashed, from Rochester, New York, would go in captain Mike Schmidt’s boat, while Mellow left days later in another boat with another captain.
“They actually had a really good time these two, caught a lot of fish,” Schmidt told CNN. At times, Schmidt says, the weather was challenging and the seas dangerous.
“One storm I actually had my nose broken on the wheel. The boat got picked up in the middle of the night and broke my nose. So we had some struggles but most of the time that we did sail we caught fish, we barbecued, it was beautiful weather.”
Schmidt told CNN they first headed to the Cook Islands, but it turned out they were closed for entry due to the pandemic. Given the dicey weather, he says he turned the boat toward American Samoa, but when they learned that they had to take a Covid test to enter, he says, his two passengers panicked, and threatened to jump off the boat.
They willingly jumped overboard, captain says
Schmidt says he decided to head about 300 nautical miles away to the island of Wallis, a French territory between Hawaii and New Zealand. That’s when the trip took a dark turn. After Schmidt alerted authorities about their arrival so they could anchor their boat, he told CNN, Danian and Abdul-Rashed suddenly jumped overboard.
“The reason why they jumped is because they don’t want to be on the boat. They want to get away from taking this Covid PCR test. They were afraid of taking the Covid test, as it being the mark of the beast now, they had gotten involved with the guru,” Schmidt said.
As soon as the men jumped, Schmidt told CNN, he alerted Wallis Island authorities for help, and flagged down a fishing boat to search. He said Danian’s plan was “to slip into oblivion with Abdul-Rashed and Matt Mellow and ride out the end of the world. The three of them… no ties back to the United States whatsoever.”
According to Wolman, the journalist, “They had been led astray by an Instagram era wanna-be prophet guru who spoke in just the right way and manner to draw these two young men in.” Wolman called it “the witches’ brew of Covid conspiracy, end times prophecy, Christian fundamentalism meets stress and turmoil about the 2020 election.”
Mellow did not respond to CNN’s numerous requests for comment. CNN has reached out to Abdul-Rashed’s family for comment.
According to a French police report obtained by CNN, Schmidt was interrogated and authorities confiscated his 9-millimeter pistol, laptop and Garmin GPS device from the boat. Schmidt was eventually cleared in the investigation.
“I never did anything to harm them,” Schmidt told CNN.
At the time, dive teams searched the area for the men, but found nothing.
In addition to the missing persons report they filed, Danian’s parents have appealed to the State Department and French authorities for help. But there have been many challenges along the way.
“The problem is that it’s not just so far away, but it’s international. There’s a language barrier. We’re dealing with the French judiciary system,” John Danian told CNN. “It was on water, and it was a maritime type of an incident, so you have many different agencies and authorities trying to coordinate this effort.”
Over two years later, Abigail and John Danian are no closer to finding their son.
“We do have hope he’s alive because there hasn’t been any evidence to prove otherwise,” Abigal Danian told CNN. “It’s possible that he wanted to go off the grid and he’s in a manic state, it’s possible that he was unwillingly kidnapped. It’s possible that he drowned. If somebody said to you, your child probably died, would you just accept that and move on? That’s not something we can do.”
The guru winds up on an island
Just last week, the Danians received a letter from French authorities alerting them they were officially closing the investigation into his disappearance. The Danians are considering appealing the findings.
“The only determination that they could make was that both Isaac and Shukree had both jumped into the ocean and there were no remains found,” Abigail Danian told CNN. In the meantime, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office said its missing persons investigation is still open. Isaac’s family says they’ve also been told by the State Department there is some sort of “interagency investigation” underway but they are not sure who is involved.
As far as Mellow’s whereabouts, Wolman spoke with him several months after the men disappeared. The two met on an island in French Polynesia where Wolman says Mellow was living with his mother.
Isaac and his dad, John Danian, in 2018. Speaking of the challenges in finding his missing son, John Danian says, “The problem is that it’s not just so far away, but it’s international. There’s a language barrier.”
“He printed out this leaflet with… kind of every religious extremism plus Covid conspiracy keyword you could imagine from 666 and mark of the beast to Illuminati to George Soros to Bill Gates and nanobots and it’s.. just like this verbal diarrhea of nonsense,” Wolman said. “He’s passing it out to the people in a very impoverished part of the world telling them or telling their children don’t get vaccinated.”
Did Mellow take any responsibility for what happened to Isaac Danian and Shukree Abdul-Rashed?
“He does not have any sense of responsibility for what happened to them,” Wolman said. “He refers to them as his brothers, saying they died in God’s good graces.”
Wolman said Mellow told him, “These were my dear friends. I loved them. I cried myself to sleep for months after they were gone.”
YESTERDAY, MOBILE GIANT T-Mobile said that it suffered a data breach beginning on November 26 that impacts 37 million current customers on both prepaid and postpay accounts. The company said in a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing that a “bad actor” manipulated one of the company’s application programming interfaces (APIs) to steal customers’ names, email addresses, phone numbers, billing addresses, dates of birth, account numbers, and service plan details. The initial intrusion occurred at the end of November, and T-Mobile discovered the activity on January 5.
T-Mobile is one of the US’s largest mobile carriers and is estimated to have more than 100 million customers. But in the past 10 years, the company has developed a reputation for suffering repeated data breaches alongside other security incidents. The company had a mega breach in 2021, two breaches in 2020, one in 2019, and another in 2018. Most large companies struggle with digital security, and no one is immune to data breaches, but T-Mobile seems to be approaching companies like Yahoo in the pantheon of repeated compromises.
“I’m certainly disappointed to hear that, after as many breaches as they’ve had, they still haven’t been able to shore up their leaky ship,” says Chester Wisniewski, field chief technical officer of applied research at the security firm Sophos. “It is also concerning that the criminals were in T-Mobile’s system for more than a month before being discovered. This suggests T-Mobile’s defenses do not utilize modern security monitoring and threat hunting teams, as you might expect to find in a large enterprise like a mobile network operator.”
Because of limits on the API (an interface that facilitates communication between two software programs), the attacker did not gain access to Social Security numbers or tax IDs, driver’s license data, passwords and PINs, or financial information like payment card data. Such data has been compromised in other recent T-Mobile breaches, though, including one in August 2021. In July 2022, T-Mobile agreed to settle a class action suit about that breach in a deal that included $350 million to customers. At the time, the company also committed to a two-year, $150 million initiative to improve its digital security and data defenses.
[…] “How many of these does T-Mobile have to have?” wondered Jake Williams, a longtime incident responder and an analyst at the Institute for Applied Network Security. “API security is just starting to be something people are really focusing on, which was a mistake. Detecting API abuse is not easy, especially if the threat actor is moving low and slow. I suspect there’s a large number of these in general that simply go undetected. But the bottom line is that T-Mobile’s API security clearly needs work. You shouldn’t be having mass API abuse for more than six weeks.”
[…] If you’re a T-Mobile customer, or just looking to improve your digital security, make sure you’re using an authenticator app or hardware token for two-factor on as many accounts as possible. And add a PIN to your wireless account so attackers need that additional authentication mechanism before they can attempt to compromise your SIM card. […]
More reports that Russian forces have fled Kuzemivka without being able to regroup in the immediate area. We’ll see if this proves true beyond the day. If so, this town has been blocking the access to the road that leads into Svatove from the north, and there’s not another location along the route for 7km.
if Ukraine can actually push Russia back enough to keep Novoselivske off the firing line for a day or two, it could allow them to better secure the supply lines back to Kupyansk.
More word today that Ukrainian forces are continuing to move out of Novoselivske into Kuzemivka, driving Russian troops back. Come on, Ukraine, make me a liar. Let’s see a significant and lasting advance in this area that opens the door to Svatove.
As has been pointed out to me in DMs, I’ve repeatedly overlooked the fact that UK already sent Ukraine Western helicopters. They’ve done a great job of trying to erase those artificial lines.
British Sea King helicopters are already in the service of the Ukrainian army. It was previously reported that the Royal Navy has delivered Sea King training to 10 crews of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
🇬🇧🤝🇺🇦
[…] it has been reported that the deal cut by new House Squeaker Kevin McCarthy and the right-wing extremists who opposed him getting the speaker job commits him to severely restricting future aid to Ukraine. House Republicans aim to impose a radical shift on U.S. policy.
In fact, McCarthy had announced last October that his party would block any additional aid for Ukraine when they took over the lower chamber of Congress. In public at least, he’s since tried to walk a fine line about what he actually meant, but he can’t unsay what he said. As fellow Republican former Rep. Adam Kinzinger rightly pointed out regarding McCarthy’s statement, “what he did … you’re giving aid and comfort to the enemy, intentionally or unintentionally.” Personally, I’m not sure the intent even matters.
As Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who wields more power in the new Congress than ever before, stated, “you’ve heard Leader McCarthy say publicly that he doesn’t see very good odds for much funding for Ukraine going forward in a Republican-controlled conference.” She has clearly expressed her own viewpoint on the matter.
[…] Beyond the national security implications, the significant outright support in the Trumpist right wing for Putin’s absolutely unconscionable invasion of Russia’s neighbor […] reveals something deeper and, in its own way, more sinister. As Markos noted, “There’s a reason MAGA Republicans are so enchanted by Putin.”
[…] As for why that is, we don’t really know, although it seems likely that the absurd obeisance the twice-impeached former guy pays to Vlad Putin is transactional in some way—he’s got something on Trump. With Greene and the other Trumpers, they suck up to Russia’s current dictator at least in part because they do as Trump does. But there’s also an ideological component to their behavior.
Trump himself may have no coherent ideology separate from whatever serves his own personal gain in the moment, and he certainly seems to admire anyone—ranging from Putin to Hungarian far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to Chinese President Xi Jinping—he feels is controversial and rules in a way that benefits them. But these extremists in government and outside it (Fucker Carlson has oozed praise for the Putin regime to the point where clips of him appear on Russian state media) do seem to sincerely believe in the supremacy of white Christian “values,” if one can use such a word to describe what basically amounts to straight-up hate.
These white Christian nationalists see a kindred spirit in the Russian president. Putin has repeatedly emphasized—both in terms of rhetoric and policy—a brand of conservative Christianity that his American supporters can only fantasize about seeing from our government. Last year, Russia amended its constitution specifically to outlaw same-sex marriage. On Dec. 5, Putin signed into law new legislation that makes it realistically impossible for LGBTQ people to express any aspect of their sexual orientation or gender identity in public. This is on top of already existing restrictions on doing so. Technically, being gay is not illegal, not yet at least. You just can’t talk about it to anyone else.
Putin’s own words have been even more hateful. He has hammered the idea of a “battle for cultural supremacy” between Russia—the champion of Christianity and “traditional” values—and a supposedly godless West besotten with gender fluidity, acceptance of aberrant sexual orientations, and hatred of God. Here’s more foulness straight from the (shirtless guy on the) horse’s mouth earlier this fall:
“If Western elites believe that they can inculcate in the minds of their people, in their societies, some strange but trendy tendencies, such as dozens of gay pride parades, then so be it. Let them do whatever they want, but they certainly have no right to demand that others follow the same.”
The Russian president has sought to directly exploit ideological divisions within American society and align with the right wing, saying recently: “In the U.S., there’s a very strong part of the public who maintain traditional values, and they’re with us.” Putin has even based tactical military decisions in Ukraine—specifically the timing of Russia’s withdrawal from the key city of Kherson—on his desire to support Republicans over President Joe Biden in the recent midterms. And that’s all in addition to years spent trying to influence American voters through disinformation and other underhanded tactics in order to benefit the Party of Trump. […]
These extreme views don’t exist in a vacuum. They are indicative of the swath of Americans who identify as Christian nationalists—many of whom have quietly held their pro-Putin views for decades. They admire Putin because they see him as promoting their own conservative views on cultural issues, like attacking LGBTQ+ rights. More insidiously, they also admire Putin because they see him as a macho white Christian man who is willing to use deadly force against his enemies—something, alarmingly, that they’d like to see in the United States as well. […]
Putin might seem like a strange bedfellow for conservative Americans, much less for Christian nationalists. But the Christian nationalist agenda is more nationalist and right-wing than Christian. In contrast to patriotism, which is love of country, nationalism aims to grant political preeminence to a particular ethnic group as the true inheritors of their country’s character. In short, white nationalists use Christianity as a cover for a more dangerous core agenda: white supremacy.
[…]
Seeking to brand itself as a mainstream organization, America First struggled with the problem of the anti-Semitism of some of its leaders and many of its members. It had to remove from its executive committee not only the notoriously anti-Semitic Henry Ford but also Avery Brundage, the former chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee who had prevented two Jewish runners from the American track team in Berlin in 1936 from running in the finals of the 4×100 relay.
There exist strong parallels between today’s pro-Putin, right-wing neo-isolationists and the isolationist movement championed by Lindbergh and America First in the days and months leading up to Pearl Harbor. In both cases, the isolationists not only wanted to stop our government from supporting those being attacked by murderous aggressors, but many of them did so at least in part because they shared the hateful ideas and policies put forth by those aggressors.
In other words, then and now we have powerful elements that sublimate America’s national security interests in favor of supporting a regime with an ideology they agree with, and which they care about more than they do our country.
[…] Returning to the present, the pro-Putin radicals have had a major impact on public opinion, at least on the right. Back in March, only 6% of Republicans said that the U.S. was offering too much assistance to Ukraine. What’s the number how? Try 48%, according to a Wall Street Journal poll.
[…] More broadly, the pro-Putin sentiments embraced by Greene and her compatriots—echoed by the new speaker of the House, no less—exemplify the moral rot and downright anti-Americanism that has saturated the Trumpist right wing.
That right wing and Vladimir Putin are both, in short, white Christian nationalists. […]
Gaining power within the U.S. government is merely a means to the end of advancing white Christian nationalism, even if doing so stands in opposition to what is best for our country. Their actions on Ukraine may not exactly be treason, but they sure as hell ain’t patriotism.
5,000-year-old rock art. The remains of a 1,600-year-old house. A shipwreck at the bottom of a lake. A Viking grave, a Viking sword and a Viking silver treasure. These are among the top finds from Norway in the year gone by.
In 1793, French scientist Joseph Dombey sailed for the newly formed United States at the request of Thomas Jefferson carrying two objects that could have changed America. He never made it, and now the US is stuck with a retro version of measurement that is unique in the modern world.
The first, a metal cylinder, was exactly one kilogram in mass. The second was a copper rod the length of a newly proposed distance measurement, the meter.
Jefferson was keen on the rationality of the metric system in the US and an avid Francophile. But Dombey’s ship was blown off course, captured by English privateers (pirates with government sanction), and the scientist died on the island of Montserrat while waiting to be ransomed.
And so America is one of a handful of countries that maintains its own unique forms of weights and measures…
Brazil and Argentina will this week announce that they are starting preparatory work on a common currency, in a move which could eventually create the world’s second-largest currency bloc.
South America’s two biggest economies will discuss the plan at a summit in Buenos Aires this week and will invite other Latin American nations to join.
The initial focus will be on how a new currency, which Brazil suggests calling the “sur” (south), could boost regional trade and reduce reliance on the US dollar, officials told the Financial Times. It would at first run in parallel with the Brazilian real and Argentine peso…
Vietnam and neighboring China share 10 of the zodiac calendar’s 12 signs — the rat, tiger, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
But the Vietnamese honor the cat instead of the rabbit, and the buffalo instead of the ox…
“Rice is a huge part of Vietnam’s agriculture, but with the threat of many rats in the fields, the cats [that hunt them] are a popular animal for the Vietnamese,” he told AFP.
“Another explanation is that the Vietnamese don’t want to observe two years with a similar animal. They see the mouse and the rabbit as being closely linked,” Tin said.
There is also a theory the Vietnamese made their own interpretation of the Chinese word for rabbit, “mao.” In Vietnamese, this sounds like “meo,” which means cat…
ravensays
“10 people killed, 10 injured in mass shooting at Monterey Park dance studio.”
Another one.
What is different about this one is that it happened in a city that is 65% Asian on Chinese New Year. Montery Park is in east Los Angeles. AFAICT, all the victims were Asians.
The shooter is still at large.
Without knowing more, we can’t yet call this a hate crime targeting Asians but it is likely.
10 people killed, 10 injured in mass shooting at Monterey Park dance studio
LA Times 01/22/2023
Ten people were killed and at least 10 others were injured when a gunman opened fire at a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park on Saturday night, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
The mass shooting, one of California’s worst in recent memory, happened in the 100 block of West Garvey Avenue at around 10:22 p.m., sheriff’s Capt. Andrew Meyer told reporters Sunday morning. The shooting occurred on Lunar New Year’s Eve about seven miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
There was scant information on the gunman: male and still at large. There is no known motive, nor a description of the shooter. A law enforcement source briefed on the matter said the gunman used a high powered assault rifle at close range.
“When officers arrived on scene, they observed numerous individuals, patrons … pouring out of the location, screaming. The officers made entry to the location and located additional victims,” Meyer said.
Firefighters pronounced 10 of the victims dead at the scene, Meyer said. At least 10 others were taken to numerous local hospitals, and their conditions range from stable to critical.
Monterey Park Police investigate the scene of a multiple murder scene on the 100 block of west Garvey Ave on Saturday Jan 22, 2023. in Monterey Park.
Terror at Monterey Park dance ballroom: What we know about mass shooting
12 minutes ago
Meyer said investigators don’t know whether the victims were targeted. He said it was too early to know whether the shooting was a hate crime. “We will look at every angle,” he said.
There was no description of the weapon used other than it was a firearm, Meyer said.
Meyer said he was aware of some kind of incident in the neighboring suburb of Alhambra, “and we have investigators on scene trying to determine if there’s a connection between these two incidents.”
Law enforcement were also on scene Sunday morning in Alhambra at the Lai Lai Ballroom & Studio in the 100 block of South Garfield Avenue, about two miles north of the Monterey Park shooting. It was not clear if the police activity at that site was the incident referenced by Meyer.
Seung Won Choi, who owns a seafood barbecue restaurant on Garvey Avenue across from where the shooting happened, said three people rushed into his restaurant and told him to lock the door.
They said there was a man with a semiautomatic gun in the area. The shooter, they said, had multiple rounds of ammunition, so that once his ammunition ran out he reloaded, Choi said.
Wong Wei, who lives nearby, said his friend had gone to the dance club that night with a few of her friends. His friend was in the bathroom when the shooting started.
When she came out, she saw a gunman and three bodies — two women and one person who was the boss of the club, Wei said, adding that his friend escaped to his home around 11 p.m.
The shooter was carrying a long gun and appeared to fire indiscriminately, his friend told him.
“They don’t know why, so they run,” he said.
The shooting occurred near the site where tens of thousands had gathered Saturday for the start of a two-day Lunar New Year festival, one of the largest holiday events in the region.
Earlier in the day, crowds were enjoying skewers and shopping for Chinese food and jewelry. Saturday’s New Year festival hours were scheduled from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
John, 27, who declined to give his last name, lives near the shooting site. He got home around 10 p.m. and heard about four or five gunshots, he said. Then he heard police cruisers and “smashing” down the street. He went downstairs at around 11:20 p.m. to see if the shooting occurred at the festival.
“My first concern was I know they’re having a Lunar New Year celebration,” he said. But he said he saw that the festival had already been cleaned up for the day when he arrived. He went to the scene of the shooting and saw one person being put on a stretcher. Another person had a bandage on their arm.
A law enforcement officer on a sidewalk.
Police at the scene of the shooting at Monterey Park on Saturday night.(Raul Roa / Los Angeles Times)
Video on social media showed police and fire units swarming an area on Garvey Avenue and treating victims.
Injured people were taken to multiple hospitals.
The violence left many in the area stunned.
Edwin Chen, a 47-year-old delivery dispatcher, rushed over from Woodland Hills to Monterey Park around 12:30 a.m. after hearing the news. Chen said he grew up in the area, and about a dozen of his relatives and friends live there.
He said he was saddened this happened just as the community was celebrating Lunar New Year.
“This is [supposed to be] a happy time,” he said. “I want to find out as much as possible. It’s still shocking.”
“Our hearts go out to those who lost loved ones tonight in our neighboring city, Monterey Park, where a mass shooting just occurred,” Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia, the first Asian American to hold citywide office in L.A., said on Twitter.
Monterey Park, a city of 61,000 in the San Gabriel Valley, east of Los Angeles, is 65% Asian American, 27% Latino and 6% white, according to census data.
One of the anchor suburbs in the San Gabriel Valley, Monterey Park is a hub of Asian American supermarkets and restaurants.
Monterey Park’s two-day Lunar New Year festival had been scheduled to conclude on Sunday. But the day’s events are canceled “out of an abundance of caution and in reverence for the victims,” Monterey Park Police Chief Scott Wiese said.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted that President Biden has been briefed on the Monterey Park shooting. The tweet said Biden directed his homeland security advisor, Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, “to make sure that the FBI is providing full support to local authorities, and to update him regularly today as more details are known.”
The mass shooting in Monterey Park was one of the worst in modern Los Angeles County history. One of the last mass shootings of this scale happened on Christmas Eve in 2008, when a man dressed as Santa Claus entered a home in Covina, armed with five handguns. Nine people were killed in that shooting rampage, including the gunman’s former wife and her parents. The gunman took his life hours later after the shootings.
Other mass shootings in California in recent memory include the massacre at a San Ysidro McDonald’s in 1984, where a gunman killed 21 people; and the terrorist attack that resulted in 14 deaths in San Bernardino in 2015.
In 2018, 12 people were killed during a mass shooting at the Borderline bar in Thousand Oaks.
Saturday’s shooting came just five days after six people — including a 10-month old baby, his 16-year-old mother, and a grandmother — were killed in the Central Valley farming community of Goshen in Tulare County.
Millions of restaurant workers have been forced without their knowledge to subsidize an organization that exists in part to keep their pay low, The New York Times reports. (Every now and then the Times does really excellent work. Just never with political reporting.) On the surface, it seems that the workers are taking a kind of insultingly basic food safety course. But the company that dominates the market for such courses is owned by the National Restaurant Association (NRA), the industry group that has successfully kept the minimum wage for tipped workers set at $2.13 an hour since 1991.
The company in question is ServSafe, of which a competitor told the Times, “We believe they’ve got at least 70 percent-plus of the market. Maybe higher.” The NRA (the restaurant one) took over ServSafe in 2007, then lobbied several large states to make such trainings mandatory not just for restaurant managers but for all restaurant workers, creating a huge built-in market. So far, “More than 3.6 million workers have taken this training, providing about $25 million in revenue to the restaurant industry’s lobbying arm since 2010.” That’s more than enough to cover all of the NRA’s lobbying in that time. And the lobbying in question has included a lot of efforts to keep the minimum wage low.
The timing wasn’t coincidental on the acquisition of ServSafe: It happened soon after Congress raised the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour (where it remains stuck, thanks to industry lobby groups like the NRA), leaving the organization looking for ways to raise revenue without raising dues. […]
Since 2010, 3.6 million workers have paid for ServSave courses, providing $25 million to the NRA—enough to fund all of its lobbying costs, the Times found.
The funding extracted from everyday workers dwarfs the amount that some of the NRA’s large corporate donors provide. [Chart at the link]
[…] “I’m sitting up here working hard, paying this money so that I can work this job, so I can provide for my family,” Mysheka Ronquillo, a line cook at a fast food restaurant and a private school cafeteria in California, told the Times. “And I’m giving y’all money so y’all can go against me?” Ronquillo has been required to take a food safety course every three years, with ServSafe being the standard option available.
The states that passed a requirement for all restaurant workers, not just managers, to take the food safety course (sample information offered by the Times: “strawberries aren’t supposed to be white and fuzzy, that’s mold”) did so in the name of reducing food-borne illness. But—completely unsurprisingly—the NRA, which lobbied for those laws, has also worked hard to squash paid sick leave legislation. They don’t care about keeping customers healthy when it’s a question of making cooks and waiters go to work sick. […]
Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a speech today in Tallahassee, Florida, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which the Samuel Alito Supreme Court overturned last year. Forced-birth zealots are eagerly restricting reproductive freedom across the nation, and Harris will read Republicans for filth.
The New York Times reports:
In her speech on Sunday, she is expected to call for national legislation to protect reproductive rights, even though President Biden has said repeatedly that the Senate lacks the votes to do so. She is also expected to highlight the executive action Mr. Biden signed last summer, with provisions that include defending patients’ right to travel across state lines to receive medical care and issuing guidance to retail pharmacies.
It’s not a coincidence that Harris will speak in Florida, where she’s not likely to receive a warm welcome from Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Florida Republicans have banned abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and are considering changing the timeline to 12 weeks, which isn’t based on any emerging science just typical rightwing cruelty.
Harris’s speech is scheduled to air at 12:10 p.m. Eastern. You can watch down below. [video at the link]
Some good news for once. “About 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, the last year data is available, with about 3,000 new churches opening, according to Lifeway Research. “
In my local area, the number of churches is about the same even though the population is still slowly growing.
I doubt if the number of members in those churches is all that large though.
I went by the Mormon church one Sunday and the parking lot was pretty empty.
My parents old church is in a well to do area. It was usually about half full with everyone being very old. A Boomer would be considered young there.
The Guardian
Losing their religion: why US churches are on the decline
Adam Gabbatt
Sun, January 22, 2023 at 1:00 AM PST·7 min read
Churches are closing at rapid numbers in the US, researchers say, as congregations dwindle across the country and a younger generation of Americans abandon Christianity altogether – even as faith continues to dominate American politics.
As the US adjusts to an increasingly non-religious population, thousands of churches are closing each year in the country – a figure that experts believe may have accelerated since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Related: Friend of Satan: how Lucien Greaves and his Satanic Temple are fighting the religious right
The situation means some hard decisions for pastors, who have to decide when a dwindling congregation is no longer sustainable. But it has also created a boom market for those wanting to buy churches, with former houses of worship now finding new life.
About 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, the last year data is available, with about 3,000 new churches opening, according to Lifeway Research. It was the first time the number of churches in the US hadn’t grown since the evangelical firm started studying the topic. With the pandemic speeding up a broader trend of Americans turning away from Christianity, researchers say the closures will only have accelerated.
“The closures, even for a temporary period of time, impacted a lot of churches. People breaking that habit of attending church means a lot of churches had to work hard to get people back to attending again,” said Scott McConnell, executive director at Lifeway Research.
“In the last three years, all signs are pointing to a continued pace of closures probably similar to 2019 or possibly higher, as there’s been a really rapid rise in American individuals who say they’re not religious.”
Protestant pastors reported that typical church attendance is only 85% of pre-pandemic levels, McConnell said, while research by the Survey Center on American Life and the University of Chicago found that in spring 2022 67% of Americans reported attending church at least once a year, compared with 75% before the pandemic.
But while Covid-19 may have accelerated the decline, there is a broader, long-running trend of people moving away from religion. In 2017 Lifeway surveyed young adults aged between 18 and 22 who had attended church regularly, for at least a year during high school. The firm found that seven out of 10 had stopped attending church regularly.
The younger generation just doesn’t feel like they’re being accepted in a church environment or some of their choices aren’t being accepted
Some of the reasons were “logistical”, McConnell said, as people moved away for college or started jobs which made it difficult to attend church.
“But some of the other answers are not so much logistics. One of the top answers was church members seem to be judgmental or hypocritical,” McConnell said.
“And so the younger generation just doesn’t feel like they’re being accepted in a church environment or some of their choices aren’t being accepted by those at church.”
About a quarter of the young adults who dropped out of church said they disagreed with their church’s stance on political and social issues, McConnell said.
A study by Pew Research found that the number of Americans who identified as Christian was 64% in 2020, with 30% of the US population being classed as “religiously unaffiliated”. About 6% of Americans identified with Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.
“Since the 1990s, large numbers of Americans have left Christianity to join the growing ranks of US adults who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or ‘nothing in particular’,” Pew wrote.
“This accelerating trend is reshaping the US religious landscape.”
In 1972 92% of Americans said they were Christian, Pew reported, but by 2070 that number will drop to below 50% – and the number of “religiously unaffiliated” Americans – or ‘nones’ will probably outnumber those adhering to Christianity.
Stephen Bullivant, author of Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America and professor of theology and the sociology of religion at St Mary’s University, said in the Christian world it had been a generational change.
While grandparents might have been regular churchgoers, their children would say they believe in God, but not go to church regularly. By the time millennials came round, they had little experience or relationship with churchgoing or religion.
In the Catholic church, in particular, the sexual abuse scandal may have driven away people who had only a tenuous connection to the faith.
“The other thing is the pandemic,” Bullivant said.
“A lot of people who were weakly attached, to suddenly have months of not going, they’re then thinking: ‘Well we don’t really need to go,’ or ‘We’ve found something else to do,’ or thinking: ‘It was hard enough dragging the kids along then, we really ought to start going again … next week.’”
Bullivant said most other countries saw a move away from religion earlier than the US, but the US had particular circumstances that slowed things down.
“Canada, Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, the nones rise much earlier, the wake of the 1960s the baby boom generation, this kind of big, growing separation of kind of traditional Christian moral morality,” Bullivant said.
“What happens in America that I think dampens down the rise of the nones is the cold war. Because in America, unlike in Britain, there’s a very explicit kind of ‘Christian America’ versus godless communism framing, and to be non-religious is to be un-American.
“I think that dampens it down until you get the millennial generation for whom the cold war is just a vague memory from their early childhood.”
When people leave, congregations dwindle. And when that gets to a critical point, churches close. That has led to a flood of churches available for sale, and a range of opportunities for the once holy buildings.
Brian Dolehide, managing director of AD Advisors, a real estate company that specializes in church sales, said the last 10 years had seen a spike in sales. Frequently churches become housing or care homes, while some of the churches are bought by other churches wanting to expand.
But selling a church isn’t like selling a house or a business. Frequently the sellers want a buyer who plans to use the church for a good cause: Dolehide said he had recently sold a church in El Paso which is now used as housing for recent immigrants, and a convent in Pittsburgh which will be used as affordable housing.
“The faith-based transaction is so different in so many ways from the for-profit transaction. We’re not looking to profit from our transactions, we’re looking for the best use that reflects the last 50 years or 100 years use if possible.”
The closures aren’t spread evenly through the country.
In Texas, John Muzyka said there were fewer churches for sale than at any point in the last 15 years. He believes that is partly down to Texas’s response to the pandemic, where the governor allowed churches to open in May 2020, even when the number of new Covid cases was extremely high.
“I would say if a church stayed closed for more than a year, it was really hard to get those people to come back. When you were closed for three months, you were able to get over it,” Muzyka said.
That aside, closures are often due to a failure of churches to adapt.
“A church will go through a life cycle. At some point, maybe the congregation ages out, maybe they stop reaching young families.
“If the church ages and doesn’t reach young people, or the demographics change and they don’t figure out how to reach the new demographic, that church ends up closing.
“Yes, there’s financial pressures that will close a church, but oftentimes, it’s more that they didn’t figure out how to change when the community changed, or they didn’t have enough young people to continue the congregation for the next generation.”
[…] free speech claims in service of abuse and intimidation become another way to solidify the grasp of conservative white people on the workings of power.
Germany has said it will only allow the export of Leopards if the United States also supplies its own Abrams tanks to Ukraine.
Mr Austin reportedly argued in vain that deploying the US tank would be unnecessarily difficult and time-consuming when there are hundreds of Leopard IIs already in Europe.
Later Jake Sullivan, president Joe Biden’s national security advisor, read “the riot act” to Jens Plotner, Mr Scholz’s foreign policy advisor, the paper reported.
As Mark Sumner wrote in yesterday’s update, Ukraine seems unlikely to launch any new major counteroffensives this winter, as the benefits of receiving its shiny new armor and artillery and combined-arms training from the United States is so valuable, and so potentially life-saving, that it would be wasteful to throw lives away in the interim with inadequate gear and training.
Still, that doesn’t mean Ukraine is sitting still. In addition to expending significant resources to hold Bakhmut in eastern Donbas, and fending off Zerg banzai attacks charges in Zaporhzrhzia oblast in southeastern Ukraine, it continues to make tactical advances on the approaches to Svatove, in northeastern Ukraine.
Two months ago, I wrote this overview of the Ukrainian front lines. The macro view remains mostly unchanged, and I’d be shocked if more than a hundred square kilometers of net territory has changed hands. Russia has advanced a little around Bakhmut, and Ukraine has advanced a little around Kreminna and Svatove. [map at the link]
Russia’s weird push in Zaporizhzhia oblast is certainly new, situated between the “Toward Melitopol” and “Pavlivka/Vuhledar” flags. I had forgotten about Vuhledar. Digging around a little confirms it, other than for some minor positional battles, Russia appears to have surrendered that approach after taking Pavlivka at horrendous cost. Vuhledar sits on higher ground, and Russia couldn’t overcome it. I’ll need to update this map next time I talk about the bigger picture.
What hasn’t changed is that Ukraine’s sole offensive focus remains in the Kreminna and Svatove directions. I wrote about Ukraine’s options back in early December, and as of now, it’s those northern approaches that are getting the attention. [map at the link]
There is an important strategic purpose to Kreminna/Svatove/Starobilsk. Kreminna cuts supplies to Svatove from the south, and allows Ukrainian forces to threaten Svatove from that direction. Svatove is the gateway to Starobilsk. Starobilsk is the rail and truck hub of supplies from Belgorod, Russia, feeding Russia’s war machine in Ukraine.
Without Starobilsk, Russia can still supply their forces from the east, but it stresses an already stressed logistical system, and makes it more vulnerable to Ukrainian sabotage and attack.
While some may question Belgorod’s remaining importance in Russia’s existing logistical chain, nothing confirms it more than Ukraine’s focus on Svatove and Kreminna—and Russia’s fierce defense of it. Both sides know this matters. And in the last few days, things have shifted a bit.
On January 16, Ukraine liberated Novoselivs’ke. Some Ukrainian accounts were ecstatic in celebration. Russians laughed it off, the way we’ve laughed off some of Russia’s gains around Bakhmut. How could it be of any real value? Its pre-war population was 738 people. It was barely a village. [image at the link]
Look at it, it’s eight blocks! Who cares who holds it!
Yet this seemingly insignificant plot of rubble has gone back and forth between Russia and Ukraine several times since last October. Ukraine has fought bitterly for it, and Russia has responded in kind, stubbornly refusing to surrender it. So why does it matter? Look at a topographical map: [map at the link]
Novoselivs’ke sits on high ground overlooking Kuzemivka. Indeed, that rail line and station is reportedly in Ukrainian hands, and the friendlies can rain tank, mortar, and artillery fire down into the valley.
ussian forces have reportedly retreated from western Kuzemivka, and are being reinforced at prepared defensive positions on the town’s eastern edge. So the next question, logically, is “why do we care about Kuzemivka”? Let’s pull out a little… [map at the link]
The red marker is on Novoselivs’ke. Kuzemivka to its right (to the east). Svatove, the big goal, is on the bottom-right of the map. Liberating Kuzemivka has three benefits:
It opens up the approach to the northeast, toward Nauhol’ne and Nyzhnia Duvanka 18 kilometers away (or around 11 miles). Ukraine needs to move up that route in order to cut off Svatove’s northern supply route, and to help surround Svatove from the north. As Russian nationalist war correspondent WarGonzo noted, “This is a dangerous direction for Russian troops. There are no settlements beyond this village, a fairly open area. Quite a convenient way to Svatovo from the northwest.”
It relieves pressure on the P07 highway, which is Ukriane’s lifeline from Kupiansk. This part of the front is poor in roads, thus supplying the Ukrainian advance is likely fraught with hazard. [map at the link]
The high ground at Novoselivs’ke threatens additional Russian positions in the area, leaving the entire Russian presence untenable. Odds are good that if Russia can’t dislodge the Ukrainian position at Novoselivs’ke in the next couple of weeks, that they will retreat to their next set of defensive positions. It does them no good to sit pinned down under relentless artillery barrage.
Obviously, none of this is a dramatic sweep. It’s the kind of grinding, attritional warfare that has now bogged down both sides. This is why the United States is reportedly leaning on Ukraine to slow their roll while they get their new armored brigades, with Western kit and doctrinal training, up and running. That’s a good three months, after which they can be unleashed (if General Mud’s spring returns cooperates…).
As I worked on this update, Ukrainian sources claimed Russia unsuccessfully assaulted Novoselivs’ke with Spetsnaz forces—they’re equivalent to our special forces. If true, would again show just how important both sides treat this tiny speck on a map. Meanwhile, Ukrainian artillery doesn’t just pound Russian positions in Kuzemivka, but the supply routes to its east. Ukraine is really suggesting, in the strongest terms possible, that Russia get the hell out of Dodge.
This is at Kuzemivka’s main road out: [video at the link]
Russian milblogger Rybar says Kuzemivka is no-man’s land: [Tweets at the link]
These hapless Russians sure were caught in that no-man’s land: [video at the link]
These video from five days ago shows Russian infantry fleeing just east of the train station, on the edge of Novoselivs’ke: [video at the link]
That was right here: [map at the link]
Is any of this earth shattering? Not really, absent a total collapse in the Russian lines. At this point, I’d say that is highly unlikely. Still, Ukraine may end up waiting for all that Western gear for its next major push, but that doesn’t mean it’s sitting on its hands, letting Russia take all the initiative.
[…] The bill offers a straightforward change to Kansas statute:
(b) No political subdivision of the state shall regulate or restrict abortion Except as provided in subsection (a), nothing shall prevent any city or county from regulating abortion within its boundaries as long as the regulation is at least as stringent as or more stringent than imposed by state law. In such cases, the more stringent local regulation shall control
The endgame here is not that hard to calculate. Republicans believe that their attempt to ban abortion during a special election failed because it got the attention of voters. If they can continuously place the issue on every single ballot from now on, voters will be forced to take abortion access into consideration in city council votes and mayoral votes in every locale in Kansas.
[…] For Kansans who believed the Aug. 2 “No” vote on the constitutional amendment banning reproductive care would be the end of Republican attacks on the issue, it’s now crystal clear: Kansas Republicans have no intent of giving up on forcing birth, and banning abortion remains one of their top goals—whether the public is with them or not.
DeSantis has a history that kind of echoes that of “I like beer” Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. And there’s more questionable behavior if you look at DeSantis’s time in the military:
[…] Multiple students told the Times that DeSantis frequented parties with Darlington high school seniors and attended some events with graduates where alcohol was served.
“As an 18-year-old, I remember thinking, ‘What are you doing here, dude?'” one former student said, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, the Times reported.
Former students also recalled an incident in which DeSantis dared a student – who bragged about the quantity of milk he could drink – to chug as much as he could in one sitting. The student complied and proceeded to throw up in front of dozens of other students, according to the Times.
“I think about it, now — I’m a teacher now in public school,” Adam Moody, a former student who witnessed the incident, told the Times. “I put myself in that moment, and it’s just unthinkable. There’s a cruelty to the sense of humor. There’s a cruelty to the mentorship.”
[…] Then there is this about his military stint at Gitmo from therealnews.com/…
Forida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s political star is on the rise, with many commentators identifying him as the heir apparent to a post-Trump GOP. For someone with such an immense public persona, DeSantis has been curiously tight-lipped about his military past.
A bombshell new report from journalist and Army veteran Mike Prysner on his podcast Eyes Left now reveals why. According to former Guantánamo Bay detainee Mansoor Adayfi, DeSantis oversaw torture in Guantánamo, greenlighting everything from beatings to forced feedings of hunger-striking detainees. After his stint in Guantánamo, DeSantis was deployed to Fallujah to act as the US military’s human rights lawyer during the Second Gulf War. Mike Prysner joins TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez to discuss his reporting, and what DeSantis’s past tells us about the future he has in store for all of us
Updates concerning the mass shooting in California:
[from earlier this afternoon] There is now a standoff in Torrance, CA, in which numerous officers and vehicles have surrounded a white van. CNN reports a law enforcement source has told them the standoff is “associated with” the Monterey Park investigation.
[Most recently] The Los Angeles Times reports that the van’s driver was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No confirmation yet as to whether the driver is the gunman police were searching for.
Former President Donald Trump reacted to the mass shooting at Monterey Park, California, by complaining about the treatment of those arrested in connection with the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
“10 dead in California shooting, horrible gun wielding ANTIFA protest against our great police in Atlanta – Nothing will happen to them despite night of rage and destruction,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
“Yet our January 6th protestors, over a Rigged Election, have had their lives ruined despite nobody killed except true Patriot Ashli B. This situation will be fully rectified after 2024 Election.”
The suspect — identified as 72-year-old Huu Can Tran — fled the scene and traveled to nearby Alhambra, where he allegedly entered a second dance hall before being disarmed that same night. Tran was found dead on Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a van in Torrance, about 30 miles southwest of Monterey Park, according to police.
The Estonian ambassador in Russia has been ordered to leave the country by 7 February after the Kremlin accused the country of “Russophobia”.
In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry said Estonia had “purposefully destroyed” relations with Moscow.
Margus Laidre is the first ambassador Russia has expelled since invading Ukraine last year.
Estonia responded by asking the Russian ambassador to leave by the same date.
Russia’s move against Mr Laidre comes after Estonia recently ordered a reduction in the size of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn.
Moscow was told to reduce its embassy from 17 to eight by the end of January. In a statement in January, Estonia said embassy staff had stopped seeking to advance relations between the countries since the conflict broke out.
Tensions were also raised last week after representatives from 11 Nato nations gathered at an army base in Estonia to discuss a range of new packages to help Ukraine recapture territory and fend off any further Russian advances.
Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkevics, has said the country will support Estonia and lower its level of diplomatic relations with Russia by 24 February…
Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona on Monday announced his campaign for US Senate, setting up a potential 2024 clash with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who recently switched her party affiliation from Democrat to independent…
Several Republicans are considering running for Sinema’s seat. Defeated Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is considering a Senate bid, according to a source close to Lake…
Republican Blake Masters, who lost a challenge in November to incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly by almost 5 points, is also “strongly considering” running for Senate in 2024, according to a spokesperson…
Karrin Taylor Robson, who lost to Lake in last year’s Republican primary despite being endorsed by the state’s GOP governor at the time, Doug Ducey, also indicated she could be open to a Senate bid…
RENO, Nev. (AP) — A Nevada judge has granted subpoenas sought by Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve to force a private investigator to identify who hired his firm to secretly install a tracking device on her vehicle.
Washoe County District Judge David Hardy approved the subpoenas on Friday to be served on David McNeely and his private investigation firm 5 Alpha Industries, the Reno Gazette Journal reported.
Schieve filed a lawsuit against them last month after finding a GPS device attached to her vehicle that was capable of tracking its real-time location.
The lawsuit alleges that the investigator trespassed onto her property to install the device without her consent. It says Schieve was unaware she was being tracked until a mechanic noticed the device while working on her vehicle…
The complaint says that the investigator was working on behalf of an “unidentified third party” whose identity she has not been able to ascertain…
Those inside the fight believe the days ahead of Friday’s secret ballot at a luxury seaside resort could get even uglier as rebel forces within former president Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement threaten to up-end RNC chair Ronna McDaniel’s re-election bid.
The attacks have been led by Ms McDaniel’s chief rival, Harmeet Dhillon, a Trump attorney who has accused the incumbent of religious bigotry, chronic misspending and privately claiming she can control the former president, allegations Ms McDaniel denies.
Also in the race is My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell, a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist who secured enough support to qualify for the ballot.
Australia will accelerate plans to buy advanced sea mines to protect its maritime routes and ports from “potential aggressors” amid China’s growing influence in the Pacific region.
The so-called smart sea mines are designed to differentiate between military targets and other types of ships, a defence department spokesperson said in a statement. (Yeesh, no way that could ever go wrong huh? Ed.)
The statement said Australia was “accelerating the acquisition of smart sea mines, which will help to secure sea lines of communication and protect Australia’s maritime approaches”.
Meanwhile under the radar story that’s had sod all publicity but is making the world predictably worse – & not just for us humans given the impact on other living things evolved for enjoying and using starlight and what Carl Sagan dubbed inhis Pale Blue Dot book “Sacre Noir” here :
Data collected by citizen scientists around the world over the past 12 years shows that the night sky is disappearing due to rapid increases in light pollution.
The data, reported today in the journal Science, indicates the change in visibility reported is equivalent to an average increase in sky brightness of 9.6 per cent per year.
“The rate at which people are reporting that they see fewer stars was shockingly fast,” said Christopher Kyba, who led the study.
“[At that rate], if a child was born in a place where you could see 250 stars, by the time they’re 18, in that place, you would only see 100.”
Earlier this week, an Oklahoma Republican introduced SB 656, a bill to require that “the father or second parent of an unborn child” must pay for medical costs during the pregnancy of someone they impregnated. Sen. David Bullard, author of the SB 656, emphasized to The Oklahoman that the bill extends from the legislature’s recognition that “life begins at conception.”
That this sounds bizarre and novel is proof that “life begins at conception” has never been the status quo at any time or place in human history.
Let’s get the “ew, omg, gross” part of this out of the way right off the bat: This is how Kevin McCarthy talks about Marjorie Taylor Greene when he’s among friends. “I will never leave that woman,” The New York Times reports he told a friend. “I will always take care of her.”
McCarthy arguably owes his speakership to Greene, who worked hard to boost support for him with the far-right flank of the House. But that’s not how people usually talk about professional allies. The Times goes in depth on how their strong alliance developed, with the basic conclusion being that McCarthy, having built his career on sucking up rather than through legislative accomplishment, took that approach to the next level in winning Greene’s support. The end result is that, as Greene told the Times, if McCarthy holds to what he promised her, it “will easily vindicate me and prove I moved the conference to the right during my first two years when I served in the minority with no committees.” […]
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court asked the Biden administration on Monday for its views on whether the Constitution allows Florida and Texas to prevent large social media companies from removing posts based on the views they express.
The practical effect of the move was to put off a decision on whether to hear two major First Amendment challenges to the states’ laws for at least several months. If the court ends up granting review, as seems likely, it will hear arguments no earlier than October and will probably not issue a decision until next year.
The two state laws, which are similar but not identical, were largely the product of conservative frustration. The laws’ supporters said the measures were needed to combat what they called Silicon Valley censorship. In particular, they objected to the decisions of some platforms to bar President Donald J. Trump after the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The laws were challenged by two trade groups, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which said the First Amendment prohibits the government from telling private companies whether and how to disseminate speech.
The Florida law imposes fines on large social media platforms that refuse to transmit the views of politicians who run afoul of their standards.
The Texas law differs in its details, Judge Andrew S. Oldham wrote in a decision upholding it. “To generalize just a bit,” he wrote, the Florida law “prohibits all censorship of some speakers,” while the Texas law “prohibits some censorship of all speakers” when based on the views they express.
[…]
Federal appeals courts reached conflicting conclusions about the constitutionality of the two laws.
In May, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit largely upheld a preliminary injunction blocking Florida’s law.
“Social media platforms exercise editorial judgment that is inherently expressive,” Judge Kevin C. Newsom wrote for the panel. “When platforms choose to remove users or posts, deprioritize content in viewers’ feeds or search results, or sanction breaches of their community standards, they engage in First Amendment-protected activity.”
In September, however, a divided three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit reversed a lower court’s order blocking the Texas law.
“We reject the platforms’ attempt to extract a freewheeling censorship right from the Constitution’s free speech guarantee,” Judge Oldham wrote for the majority. “The platforms are not newspapers. Their censorship is not speech.”
ravensays
This op-ed from the Washington Post makes an important and obvious point.
China’s withholding of medical information about the Covid-19 virus pandemic is both dangerous and counterproductive.
We need that information to contain the pandemic and treat the patients.
It also doesn’t work for long.
At the start of the pandemic, China tried to keep it quiet. And how did that work? Tens of millions of dead people later, everyone knows about the pandemic.
We don’t know now exactly how many people are dying but we know it is a lot, over a million at least.
THE POST’S VIEW
Opinion The world needs China to come clean about its covid deaths
By the Editorial Board
January 16, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. EST
Scenes from a troubling recent Post report out of China: Nearly 100 people waiting in line at 3 a.m. outside a funeral home in the eastern province of Shandong. Scalpers selling slots for cremation in Shanghai, jacking up the price as though they were concert tickets. A Beijing funeral home that constructed an extra parking lot last month, with more than 100 cars visible in a satellite image.
These snapshots confirmed what most people already suspected — that China’s hasty exit from its “zero covid” policy has caused massive suffering and death — a fact China finally acknowledged on Saturday after intense international pressure. Until that point, Chinese officials had reported just 37 covid deaths since Dec. 7, when all testing, quarantine and lockdown measures were lifted. Suddenly that number has soared to 59,938.
Dishonesty about the true breadth of the pandemic in China constitutes a threat to public health worldwide. Scientists need to know whether transmission patterns have changed, new variants have emerged or the incidence of long covid has increased. Epidemiologists must be able to assess whether the world should prepare for a new global outbreak. And the people of China deserve to know the true scale of the calamity descending on their country.
Reliable coronavirus data is hard to come by in many parts of the world. But when it comes to undercounting, China has been in a class by itself. For three full years, right up to the day it ended zero covid, China had reported just over 5,200 covid deaths, an absurdly low number even considering the harsh measures instituted to keep the virus in check.
Without the government providing reliable information, outside epidemiologists, public health experts, journalists and others stepped in, parsing through anecdotal accounts, online postings, statistical modeling and satellite images. Reports of overwhelmed hospitals and overflowing funeral homes circulated on the internet and in the international media. The World Health Organization called on Beijing to release more detailed information, warning that the way China categorized cause of death “will very much underestimate the true death toll associated with covid.”
Until now, China has counted only fatalities in which a scan showed lung damage caused by the virus — meaning if covid were merely a contributing factor, the death wasn’t counted, in defiance of WHO guidelines. With Saturday’s announcement, China acceded to the criticism and said the revised figure included 54,435 people who had covid but died of other underlying illnesses.
But even the acknowledgment of nearly 60,000 covid-related deaths should be considered an undercount. Notably, those deaths were reported from hospitals and did not include people who died at home. Some researchers estimated that China was already seeing 9,000 deaths a day during December.
Leana S. Wen: We are overcounting covid deaths and hospitalizations. That’s a problem.
From the beginning of the pandemic, the Chinese government has relied on secrecy, obfuscation, intimidation and fabrication to draw a veil over the origins of the virus as well as its contagion and death toll. In early 2020, it concealed the person-to-person transmissibility of the virus for more than 20 days, admitting it only when it became obvious. Once China acknowledged covid was indeed contagious, it introduced its zero-covid policy, in which people were forced to quarantine and take daily tests. Patients were forcibly removed from their homes to government-run covid centers. People who had been exposed sometimes had their doors welded shut. Buildings, and sometimes entire cities, were locked down, with residents forbidden to leave their homes.
These measures, the government said, kept the disease in check and the death rate low, proving the superiority of its repressive political system. While refrigerated trailers for the dead lined streets around New York hospitals beginning in the spring of 2020, no such scenes played out in China.
North of Svatove, fighting continues at the neighboring towns of Novoselivs’ke and Kuzemivka which kos highlighted yesterday. Russian forces have been pressed to the eastern edge of Kuzemivka, and additional Russian forces have been brought in from the east in an effort to hold this location. In a bizarre bit of script flipping, Russian military sources are claiming that Russian troops are “waging a superhuman defense against Zerg waves” of Ukrainian soldiers.
To the south, Ukrainian troops moving north from Bilohorivka have reportedly secured gains along the Siverskyi Donets River.
Reuters is among many sources reporting that Poland intends to ask Germany for permission to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine… then send them no matter what Germany says. Sources in Germany seem to indicate that Berlin realizes they’ve lost control over the situation.
Ah yes, time for another check in on our favorite fools, the tankies. […] for the uninitiated, a Tankie is someone who believes that imperialism is bad, and only the United States can be imperialist. Everything else, and I mean everything, is the fault of American imperialism. It looks like this:
If you’re on the side of the US empire on any issue you are on the wrong side. Doesn’t mean the other side is always necessarily in the right, it just means a globe-spanning empire that’s held together by lies, murder and tyranny will always be in the wrong. Yes it’s that simple.
Thus, the tankies (named after leftists who continued to defend the Soviet Union even after its violent suppression of pro-democracy movements in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968) absolves Russia of all blame for its overtly imperialistic invasion of Ukraine, claiming Russia was “forced” to do it and “had no choice” because something-something American imperialism.
It’s a bizarre worldview. Daily Kos rose to prominence on an anti-war platform, as we are clearly anti-imperialists. It just never dawned on me that there would be people who’d think that some imperialism is okay, so long as it’s not the American variety. Those sorts of mental gymnastics lead to some serious mental contortions, hence the entertaining nature of this irregular feature. So let’s dig in and see how the Tankies handled this past week!
Let’s start with one of the dumbest American tankies, Michel Tracey (last seen arguing that the Holocaust was America’s fault, because remember, everything is). [Tweet and video at the link]
Sheesh, this isn’t hard. Russia has invaded Ukraine, murdered tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, including children. They are engaging in systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure to maximize suffering. Yet Russia doesn’t have the juice to actually win the war, so there is an effective stalemate, with the contact lines barely budging. So either this continues indefinitely, with hundreds of soldiers and dozens of civilians dying daily, or Ukraine is given the tools to push Russia out and liberate the territory, hence, peace.
[…] this is the guy [Michel Tracey] that claims that Hitler only murdered millions of Jews because of the United States entering the war.
How about one more?
The nature of US involvement is still framed as merely “supporting” Ukraine, or “aiding” Ukraine — such nice-sounding terms, which conveniently happen to obscure the reality of what is now a sprawling, rapidly escalating US military intervention. That doesn’t sound quite as nice
It sounds fucking awesome, it’s what it sounds like. Also, it sounds like the U.S. could do more, like send ATACMS long-range rockets, M1 Abrams main battle tanks, and F16 fighter jets. There’s still hope! [Image at the link, showing a post that claims “Russia is the country still fighting Nazis” […] US and Europe are arming Nazis, etc.]
Can you imagine thinking that this was actually true? [Tweet from tankie claiming that NATO is destroying Ukraine, not Russia.]
If only Ukraine would submit to Russia’s genocidal rampage, then something something. […]
Wanting to restore the Soviet Union isn’t imperialism. Ukraine is a fake country that should be annexed by Russia.
The irony, oh the irony! Such lack of self-awareness…
Let’s check in on the King Daddy of the Tankies, [Glenn Greenwald].
We know 3 things:
1) Putin waited to do a full-on invasion of Ukraine until Biden was in office.
2) CNN reported: among the materials in Biden’s garage were Top Secret docs about Ukraine.
3) Hunter had access to that garage.
Have these docs helped the Kremlin in its invasion?
If anyone can decipher that shit, please let me know. Leave it to conservatives to take a perfectly real scandal (Biden’s classified documents mess) and turn it into some weird bizarre Qanon conspiracy theory that turns everyone off. […]
If anyone can decipher that shit, please let me know. Leave it to conservatives to take a perfectly real scandal (Biden’s classified documents mess) and turn it into some weird bizarre Qanon conspiracy theory that turns everyone off.
You know what’s fun? When Tankies and Nazis can’t settle on a Russia narrative:
Russia is the last White Christian country, the last dying light of a dying civilization. It’s no wonder the individuals in Washington will do anything to destroy it. […] You’re lying. Europe is the bastion of new-nazism and white supremacy. Russia is multi-ethnic nation and the last hope supported by China, Africa and BRICS
They’re both wrong. Washington would be happy to ignore Russia and focus on China, if only it got the heck out of Ukraine. And the other guy is wrong about all the Nazi stuff. The BRICS stuff is hilarious—it’s the Tankie dream alliance for the so-called “multi-polar world.” It consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, hence BRICS. Yet … neither India nor China are providing any tangible assistance to Russia. To the contrary, they’re fleecing it with significantly below-market gas and petroleum, as the rest of the world refuses to touch Russia’s blood product. None of these countries have voted with Russia in the United Nations, and India and Brazil have actually lodged direct votes against it.
China is suddenly sending conciliatory signals to the United States as it continues trying to 1) distance itself from Russia’s war crime’ing, and 2) arrest the economic danger of an economically divesting West. India and the United States are enjoying their best relations since forever.
In other words, BRICS is utterly useless to Russia. No one is supporting them outside a handful of pariah regimes, like Syria, Eritrea, and North Korea. […]
[Nuclear threats]:
NATO is now moving to send heavy tanks to Ukraine, a dangerous escalation. Each day, we are pushed further and further toward a catastrophic nuclear confrontation with Russia.
And now they are in big trouble.
I’m sure the money they made by providing fake vaccination cards isn’t enough to make up for losing their medical licenses.
Then again, it is Utah, so maybe they won’t lose their licenses.
Plastic surgeon, 3 others charged on alleged COVID-19 vaccine fraud scheme
by DANIELLE MACKIMM | KUTV Staff Monday, January 23rd 2023
Jan. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
MIDVALE, Utah (KUTV) — The board-certified specialist of a Utah plastic surgery institution – along with three of his colleagues – were charged Jan. 11 on several offenses relating to their alleged conspiracy to defraud the United States by falsifying and distributing COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 vaccination record cards provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to “fraudulent vax card seekers” in the state.
The owner and operator of the Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah, 58-year-old Michael Kirk Moore Jr., along with the organization’s officer manager, 52-year-old Kari Dee Burgoyne, Moore’s neighbor and employee, 59-year-old Kristen Jackson Andersen, and the business’ receptionist, 31-year-old Sandra Flores were charged in the United States District Court with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to convert, sell, convey and dispose of government property as well as one count of conversion, sale, conveyance, and disposal of government property and aiding and abetting.
Representatives of the Department of Justice reported that Moore and his three affiliates allegedly destroyed at least $28,028.50 worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccines and distributed at least 1,937 doses worth of falsified vaccination record cards in exchange for money.
According to charging documents, Moore signed a CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provided Agreement sometime on or around May 12, 2021 so that he could receive COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination record cards from the CDC, swaying a fellow plastic surgeon he worked with to do the same.
By May 24, 2021, the business reportedly had ordered “hundreds” of doses of COVID-19 vaccinations from the CDC. Charging documents stated that Moore and Burgoyne began to notify fraudulent vax seekers in Utah “that they could receive fraudulently completed COVID-19 vaccination record cards from the Plastic Surgery Institute without having to receive a COVID-19 vaccine” on or around mid-October of 2021. The staff would pour the vaccine down the drain.
Officials of the District Court noted that these fake vaccinations were administered in exchange for direct cash payments or direct donations of $50 per person to “charitable organizations” linked to the Plastic Surgery Institution.
Court documents additionally divulged that Moore, Burgoyne and Flores also arranged to have saline shots administered to children at the request of their parents “so that the minor children would think they were actually receiving a COVID-19 vaccine” when they were not.
“This defendant allegedly used his medical profession to administer bogus vaccines to unsuspecting people, to include children falsifying a sense of security,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Miller of the Homeland Security Investigations of Las Vegas.
HSI remains committed to working with our partners to bring those who seek to take advantage of the pandemic to deliberately harm and deceive others for their own profit to justice.
Moving forward, the Department of Justice said the Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigations will be investigating this case.
Moore, Burgoyne, Andersen and Flores are scheduled for their initial court appearance on Thursday.
The head of House Democrats has submitted Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) to sit on the powerful Intelligence Committee, setting up a battle with Republican leaders who are vowing to keep them off the panel.
Separately, Democrats this week are also expected to seat Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, according to a source familiar with the Democrats’ plans, which will likely prompt GOP leaders to hold a floor vote to remove her…
Each system comprises three vehicles: a missile launcher, a radar, and a fire-control radar, with integrated logistics and support. The missiles, which use infrared imaging to identify targets, are said to have a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles) and a maximum altitude of 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) and come equipped with a radar with a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles). The missiles are also deployable 360 degrees around the launcher…
The 12-member jury found Oath Keeper members David Moerschel, Joseph Hackett, Roberto Minuta and Edward Vallejo guilty of seditious conspiracy.
All four were also found guilty of other felony and obstruction charges.
Justice, a film produced by Amy Herdy and directed by The Bourne Identity director Doug Liman, premiered at Sundance on Friday night. The premiere itself was a surprise, with the festival only revealing its addition to the lineup one day prior.
Within half-an-hour of that announcement being made, Herdy said in a post-screening Q&A that filmmakers had already begun “getting more tips,” The Washington Post reports. Those tips, she added, came from people who had contacted the FBI with allegations against Kavanaugh ahead of his Supreme Court confirmation — but the claims were never further investigated.
Now, filmmakers are looking into the new claims, and re-editing the film to make additions ahead of a wider release.
Spoiler: Not. But Republicans are claiming they are.
When it comes to the Republicans’ debt ceiling crisis, the line from most congressional Democrats and the Biden White House has been simple: There will be no negotiations. Congress has a responsibility to pay the nation’s bills, and Democrats can’t pay a ransom to GOP lawmakers every time Republicans threaten to harm Americans on purpose.
As Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii recently told The Daily Beast, “In exchange for not crashing the United States economy, you get nothing. You don’t get a cookie.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added at a briefing two weeks ago, “We will not be doing any negotiation over the debt ceiling. … There’s going to be no negotiation over it.”
With this in mind, it came as something of a surprise when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy published a tweet on Friday afternoon, suggesting that President Joe Biden had changed his position. The missive read:
“President Biden: I accept your invitation to sit down and discuss a responsible debt ceiling increase to address irresponsible government spending. I look forward to our meeting.”
Yesterday, during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” incoming House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner added that the Democratic president is “opening negotiations with Republicans.”
So, which is it? Has the White House ruled out hostage talks or has Biden invited McCarthy to the White House to discuss how to pay the GOP’s ransom?
Jean-Pierre published a written statement on Friday afternoon that brought some clarity to the matter:
“President Biden looks forward to meeting with Speaker McCarthy to discuss a range of issues, as part of a series of meetings with all new Congressional leaders to start the year. Like the President has said many times, raising the debt ceiling is not a negotiation; it is an obligation of this country and its leaders to avoid economic chaos. Congress has always done it, and the President expects them to do their duty once again. That is not negotiable.”
The president himself said at an event on Friday afternoon that he’ll have “a little discussion“ with the new Republican House speaker about the importance of avoiding default — presumably to tell McCarthy to do his job and stop waiting for a ransom that will not arrive.
In other words, the White House invited McCarthy for a conversation about a variety of things — it’s not uncommon for presidents and House speakers to get together for chats — and McCarthy interpreted that as an invitation for debt ceiling negotiations.
He hasn’t yet fully accepted the idea that Biden won’t reward him for threatening Americans with deliberate harm.
Remember, McCarthy hasn’t even filled out his ransom note, at least not yet. By all appearances, the California Republican — who realizes that putting the GOP’s unpopular demands on paper risks a political backlash — expects to sit down with the president, at which point the speaker will effectively say, “Tell me what you’ll give us to prevent a catastrophe, and I’ll let you know when I’m satisfied.”
No one should feel reassured by the fact that Republicans are pushing us closer to an economic calamity, on purpose, without a coherent strategy in place.
Put this down as more irony than smoking gun. But for those of us who’ve had serious questions for a long time about the FBI’s New York field office, especially in the run up to the 2016 presidential campaign, here’s an interesting detail. Charles McGonigal was put in charge of counterintelligence at the New York field office some time in the second half of October 2016, just about exactly when the Clinton emails case was reopened in the final days of the campaign. An October 4th, 2016 press release announced his appointment and said he would “assume this new role at the end of October.” […]
The same FBI official accused of illegally working for a Russian oligarch also faces charges of concealing a $225,000 payment while he was working for the bureau, court papers say.
Per a Jan. 18 indictment, a D.C. federal grand jury charged Charles McGonigal, a former special agent in charge of the counterintelligence division at the FBI’s New York City field office, with nine counts relating to a scheme in which he allegedly took hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from a former foreign intelligence official.
The indictment does not specify whether McGonigal did anything specifically in exchange for the money — he faces charges of concealment, false statements, and falsifying official records.
But the charging documents lay out a story in which McGonigal appears to have used the powers that came with his position — including to open criminal investigations — in a way that may have benefitted those paying him.
[…] the allegations about what McGonigal did while high up in the apparatus of federal law enforcement are extremely spicy.
In August 2017, prosecutors said in the indictment, McGonigal met with an unnamed “Person A” and asked for money. At that point, McGonigal was still working for the FBI — he did not retire from the FBI until summer 2018.
Prosecutors say that “Person A” is a former employee of an “Albanian Intelligence Agency.”
The next month, McGonigal allegedly traveled to Albania with “Person A.” There, he purportedly met with the country’s Prime Minister and raised topics relating to the country’s oil business at the request of “Person A.” Prosecutors say that neither McGonigal nor the FBI paid for his lodgings in the country.
While on the trip, the indictment reads, McGonigal also traveled to Kosovo. He gave both a Kosovar politician and Albania’s prime minister “FBI paraphernalia” as gifts, prosecutors say.
After returning to the U.S., McGonigal didn’t disclose key details about the trip to the FBI, including who he traveled with, who he met with, and his trip to Kosovo.
McGonigal’s Albanian connections allegedly did not end there.
“Person A” allegedly gave McGonigal $80,000 in cash in October 2017 “in a parked car” outside a New York City restaurant. The FBI official purportedly received two more lump sums from the person at his New Jersey home, of $65,000 and $80,000.
He didn’t disclose these cash receipts, either, the government alleges.
[…] “Person A,” who allegedly gave McGonigal the cash payments and who accompanied him on his travel to Europe, was used as a confidential human source in the investigation, prosecutors say.
Prosecutors do not formally accuse McGonigal of bribery, or of opening the investigation in response to the money that he allegedly received from “Person A.” The relationship between “Person A” and Albania’s prime minister is left unclear in the indictment; what emerges is a picture of McGonigal, as an FBI official, receiving money from someone with ties to the Albanian government and then opening a criminal investigation into an American citizen lobbying for a political party that was not part of that government.
It’s a stunning picture, raising serious questions about how the probe was opened, and casting doubt on other decisions that McGonigal was in a position to be making while at the FBI. It’s extremely rare for law enforcement officials of his rank to face charges of this kind.
After departing the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal, Manhattan federal prosecutors say, signed on with Deripaska, the Russian oligarch who formerly operated as paymaster to Paul Manafort.
In that role, McGonigal allegedly agreed to investigate an oligarch rival of Deripaska’s in exchange for payment. A former New York court interpreter was also charged with McGonigal in that scheme.
[…] ABC reported that McGonigal was arrested at JFK airport on Saturday after returning from a trip to Sri Lanka.
Yep. We knew at the time that something sketchy was going on at the New York FBI office. Too bad this didn’t come out before Trump was elected. The news might have reduced the Trump vote.
As the federal government works on making reproductive health care and abortion more accessible, Republican lawmakers are doing all they can to limit access. Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert introduced her first bill of the 118th Congress Friday, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act, in an attempt to diminish abortion rights failing to realize that other care is also given. The act, which is highly unlikely to pass, would prohibit federal tax dollars from going to Planned Parenthood.
According to the bill text, if turned into law, about $235 million would be redirected to other community health centers that provide women’s health care services. So while Boebert wants to wage a war on Planned Parenthood and cut its funding, she wants to redirect those funds to other women’s services. Seeing that Planned Parenthood provides not only abortion services but HIV screening, pelvic exams, Pap tests, cancer screenings, and testing and treatment for vaginal infections, Boebert wanting to cut their funding but provide it to others makes no sense except for the fact that she is aiming to push the funding to “pro-life” places that will convince women to conceive.
[…] Planned Parenthood is the proud primary care provider for thousands of people in Boebert’s district. We will continue caring for our patients — those who live in Colorado, and those who travel here from across the country to access the health care they need — and will not be distracted by this attention-seeking political stunt from someone who has never passed a single bill while in office.“
The bill is supported by the organizations like Students for Life of America, the National Right to Life Committee, Heritage Action, and Concerned Women for America. The bill is one of several introduced this week alone by GOP lawmakers. Minnesota Rep. Michelle Fischbach also introduced similar legislation on Thursday, which would require Planned Parenthood to “certify that they will not perform or support entities that perform abortions” to maintain federal funding, according to a press release from her office.
Boebert’s bill also doesn’t make sense because of the Hyde Amendment. According to the Hyde Amendment, federal funds cannot be used to pay for abortions under most circumstances. So essentially, Boebert declaring a war on Planned Parenthood under claims that funding is being used for abortions is just another tactic to rally conservatives who don’t know about policy and law—unless she herself also doesn’t know, which is possible. […]
Two students are dead after a shooting at a Des Moines, Iowa charter school on Monday afternoon.
Police were called to Starts Right Here school shortly before 1 p.m. local time after multiple 911 callers reported a shooting. Officers found three people suffering gunshot wounds when they arrived on the scene.
Two victims, identified as students, were taken from the scene in “very critical condition.” Police later confirmed that those students died from their injuries at the hospital.
The third injured person, an adult school employee, was taken from the scene in serious condition and was undergoing surgery Monday afternoon. […]
Roughly 20 minutes after the shooting, police say three people were taken into custody about two miles away from the scene. Authorities were able to track a vehicle to an apartment complex on the south side of Des Moines. Two suspects stayed in the vehicle and were taken into custody. A third person ran from the car but was quickly captured thanks to a police K9 unit. Police have not released the suspects’ names.
“The incident was definitely targeted. It was not random. There was nothing random about this,” Sgt. Paul Parizek said. […]
The United States has the worst maternal mortality of any developed nation on earth. We are literally two spots below Romania, a country once famous for having an incredible number of orphans (thanks to the “pro-life” policies of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu). We’re not doing too great on infant mortality either, ranking 33 out of 36 OECD countries. We rank 49th in the world for infant and under-five deaths combined, right below Uruguay and several spots below Bosnia and Herzegovina.
For most Americans, it’s a relatively fair trade off, because at least we can say* that those who can access quality healthcare in the US have far shorter wait times than those in countries where they are more likely to survive childbirth, and many of the people in those countries don’t have the freedom to choose between the insurance plan offered by their employer if they are lucky or the insurance plan offered by their employer if they are lucky.
But it also depends where you are. California, for instance, has a maternal mortality rate of four deaths per 100,000 births, in line with such countries as Denmark and Iceland, while Louisiana has … 58. [Yikes!!] Massachusetts has a rate of 3.7 deaths per 1,000 infants, while Mississippi’s is 9.6.
In fact, as it turns out, according to a recent study from the Gender Equity Policy Institute, the states where it is most dangerous to give birth or to be an infant are the states that have banned or severely restricted abortion. In fact, those in states that banned abortion were three times more likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth, or soon after giving birth than those in states that had not — and babies born in states with bans were 30 percent more likely to die in the first month.
If we were Republicans, we might accuse them of having state-enforced, post-birth abortions.
The study also found that:
– 6 in 10 women live in states that ban abortion or sharply limit reproductive freedom.
– 7 in 10 Black women live in states that ban or restrict abortion care.
– 1 in 4 teens live in states that banned abortion after Dobbs.
– 2x as many single mothers were uninsured in banned states than in supportive states.
– The teen birth rate was 2x as high in banned states.
– Maternal mortality nearly doubled between 2018 and 2021.
– Black women were almost 3x as likely to die in pregnancy, childbirth, or right after giving birth as white women.
– Black babies were more than 2x as likely to die in their first month of life as white babies.
Please, take a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor if you need it.
We have been over this before, of course, but we really can’t ever say it enough. Especially because it is without question going to get worse as OB-GYNs and doctors flee from and turn down jobs in these states. There is a growing shortage of OB-GYNs all over the country, especially in rural areas likely to be impacted by abortion bans and restrictions. Doctors aren’t going to want to risk living in states where they could lose their license or go to prison for performing necessary medical procedures.
Despite an injection of funding, the agency [the Environmental Protection Agency] still has not recovered from an exodus of scientists and policy experts […]
The nation’s top environmental agency is still reeling from the exodus of more than 1,200 scientists and policy experts during the Trump administration. The chemicals chief said her staff can’t keep up with a mounting workload. The enforcement unit is prosecuting fewer polluters than at any time in the past two decades.
And now this: the stressed-out, stretched-thin Environmental Protection Agency is scrambling to write about a half dozen highly complex rules and regulations that are central to President Biden’s climate goals.
The new rules have to be enacted within the next 18 months — lightning speed in the regulatory world — or they could be overturned by a new Congress or administration.
The regulations are already delayed months past E.P.A.’s own self-imposed deadlines, raising concerns from supporters in Congress and environmental groups. “It’s very fair to say we are not where we hoped we’d be,” said Miles Keogh, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, which represents most state and local air regulators.
[…] Career employees are being “worked to death,” said Betsy Southerland, a former top E.P.A. scientist. “They’re under the greatest pressure they’ve ever been.” […]
Efforts are being made to correct the situation. I hope they succeed—otherwise we’re looking at another win for Trump.
Health officials in Tennessee say they will reject federal funding for groups that provide services to residents living with HIV.
Earlier this week, the Tennessee Department of Health announced it would no longer accept grant money from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earmarked for testing, prevention and treatment of HIV. […]
Offering his full-throated support for Representative George Santos, Rudolph Giuliani said that “it’s time for Republicans to pass the torch to a new generation of liars.”
“I get why some Republicans are knocking the kid—they’re envious of his raw talent,” Giuliani told Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity. “But we should be showing him our respect. I mean, look at this kid’s body of work. He could turn out to be the Michael Jordan of lying.”
“When I watch him lie, he reminds me of me at his age,” Giuliani said. “Like poetry in motion. But he’s taking his game to a whole new level. The inventiveness, the audacity. Personally, I can’t wait to see what he does next.”
“I still like to think that I can lie with the best of them, but I know I’ve lost a step,” he added. “What can I tell you? I had a good run. But now it’s George Santos’s time to shine. Just put him out there and watch the magic happen.”
“Estonia is considering introducing a zone in the Gulf of Finland, up to 24 nautical miles from the coast, where inspections of any passing ships will be carried out.”
Estonia and what navy?
Estonia only has 1.3 million people to Russia’s 144 million.
I’m guessing here that this isn’t aimed at Russian ships but merchant ships from other countries that are trading with Russia through St. Petersberg.
It is a brave move nonetheless.
I’ve noticed that Poland and the Baltics are all in on this war with Ukraine.
They’ve suffered for centuries and recently from Russian rule and might well have followed Belarus and countless other nations in eventually disappearing as distinct peoples.
This is their best and last chance to get out from under Russia and they are going to take it.
Thread Twitter
NOËL 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 @NOELreports
Jan 23
Estonia has made an unprecedented decision: to transfer all their 155 howitzers to Ukraine. According to Kaimo Kuusk, Ambassador to Ukraine, in this way the country wants to create a precedent that others have no excuse why they cannot provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons.
NOËL 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 @NOELreports Twitter
Estonia is considering introducing a zone in the Gulf of Finland, up to 24 nautical miles from the coast, where inspections of any passing ships will be carried out. The official reason is the control of the regime of compliance with sanctions against the Russian Federation.
ravensays
“Russia Behind Bars: Wagner Group’s losses 80 percent of 50K inmate-recruits”
This source in Meduza is quoting a Russian source.
Meduza is Russian but based in Latvia and generally not a fan of the current dictatorship.
Other than that, I can’t confirm those numbers but they are at least plausible.
I’m sure the convicts learn very quickly that they are to be cannon fodder and killed in pointless battles as speed bumps.
At that point, surrendering, deserting, or getting wounded are their three best options.
Some of them have been executed by Wagner for not following the script that has them dying at the front.
Russia Behind Bars: Wagner Group’s losses 80 percent of 50K inmate-recruits
6:12 am, January 23, 2023Source: Meduza
Out of the 50,000 conscripts recruited by the Wagner Group among the convicts kept in Russian prisons, 40,000 are either dead or missing, and only 10,000 are still fighting in Ukraine, says Olga Romanova, the head of Russia Behind Bars, a charity advocating prisoners’ rights.
In a video published by the YouTube channel My Russian Rights, Romanova says:
Our data shows that, as of late December, 42,000–43,000 inmates had been recruited. By now, this is probably upwards of 50,000. Out of that number, 10,000 are now fighting at the front, because the rest have either been killed or wounded, or went AWOL, or deserted, or surrendered.
Romanova claims that desertion has been a massive problem for the Wagner Group since last fall. Some of the deserters return to Russia, fully armed with weapons from the frontline. Last December, for example, an armed Wagner deserter opened fire on local police officers in Rostov.
Romanova thinks that the Wagner Group founder Evgeny Prigozhin doesn’t keep tabs on soldiers who go MIA for different reasons, writing them off indiscriminately as dead. This may be why he’s been caught sending empty zinc caskets to the families of the “war dead” back in Russia.
The Wagner Group’s ‘best practices’ go mainstream Following Prigozhin’s example, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has begun recruiting soldiers among Russia’s inmates
3 months ago
That segment from the Rachel Maddow show is just incredible.
From the news about the connection with dunderhead Elise Stefanik:
Cascading revelations about New York Rep. George Santos’ pattern of lies and deception are putting increased scrutiny on powerful New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the fourth-ranking House Republican and a vocal supporter of Santos during his 2022 campaign.
Stefanik was a key validator for Santos in their shared home state and often touted the candidate in public and private forums. Several prominent GOP donors told CNN that they gave to Santos, who was largely unknown to them, because Stefanik, the state’s most influential elected Republican and a prolific fundraiser, backed him.
“I would have never donated without Elise,” said Ken Salamone, who gave $5,800 to Santos’ campaign and more than $20,000 to his joint fundraising committee, after Stefanik’s team reached out on his behalf. “I assumed she did her homework. I always do my homework and didn’t. Shame on me.” […]
As summarized by Steve Benen, Mike Pompeo is despicable:
As Mike Pompeo eyes a Republican presidential campaign, the former secretary of state’s new book criticizes murdered Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, questions his professional credentials, and even complains about news organizations’ coverage of his murder. The Post described Pompeo’s callousness as “shocking and disappointing.”
Rep. James Comer, the new Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, appeared on Fox News over the weekend, and shared a few thoughts on some diamond Hunter Biden received from a Chinese businessman several years ago. Here was the pitch the GOP congressman took to Fox’s viewers:
“That diamond was given to Hunter at about the time these documents were being transported to different locations. It’s very concerning. Two ways the Chinese try to launder money into the United States are through the art world and through diamonds. Do you see a connection here?”
I’m going to assume that was a rhetorical question.
In context, the Oversight Committee chairman’s comment about “these documents” was in reference to President Joe Biden, or at least those who packed his belongings in years past, handling classified materials several years ago in a sloppy way. In other words, the ongoing presidential controversy, as far as Comer is concerned, might secretly be connected to the Democrat’s son.
This is a weird theory, to be sure, but it’s also quite predictable. I’m reminded of a column from The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank, published last spring, examining Comer’s signature preoccupation.
“So, to recap,” Milbank explained, pointing to the GOP congressman’s rhetoric, “Hunter Biden controls cobalt in Congo, fentanyl in Mexico, coronavirus in Wuhan and war in Ukraine. It is just a matter of time until Republicans find a Hunter Biden angle in Jeffrey Epstein’s demise and UFOs off the coast of California. ‘Where’s Hunter?’ went the popular refrain at Trump rallies. Now we know. In the Republican imagination, Hunter is everywhere.”
Note, exactly one day after House Republicans secured their majority after the 2022 midterm elections, Comer held a news conference to tell reporters that his Hunter Biden conspiracy theories were “kind of a big deal.”
A month later, after the Biden administration successfully negotiated Brittney Griner’s release from Russia, Comer thought the smart thing to do would be to connect the developments to Hunter Biden.
Now the president’s previous handling of classified materials is receiving scrutiny, and the Kentucky congressman’s focus once again turns to — who else? — Hunter Biden. […]
On Tuesday morning, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the United States is “leaning” toward sending M1A2 main battle tanks Abrams tanks to Ukraine, with an announcement expected this week.
The announcement would reportedly come as part of a deal in which Germany would also send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and would include Germany approving the release of Leopard tanks to be sent by other nations. The deal would break the deadlock created when Germany refused to release the Leopard tanks even after the U.K. announced that it was providing a company of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine.
The U.S. has previously been resistant to the idea of sending the Abrams, for a long series of reasons, including the difficulties in supporting the tank and its impact on Ukraine’s already burdened logistics. Pentagon officials have repeatedly stated that they feel the M1A2 isn’t well suited to Ukraine, for reasons ranging from the fuel to the long time needed to train on the vehicles to the lack of any nearby facilities to deal with major repairs.
However, Biden reportedly shifted his position following a Jan. 17 call to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. If sending the Abrams is the only way to break through the current roadblock, Biden appears ready to take that step.
At this point, the rollout of new Western tanks in Ukraine is like one of those long-running “will they or won’t they” sitcoms. Except it’s not funny, and the frustration comes with a body count. […]
On Monday evening, ABC News reported that 12 nations had joined together to create a pool of Leopard 2 tanks, with as many as 100 being made available to Ukraine. However, this agreement was made during the meeting at Rammstein Air Base last week, and wasn’t announced at the time because the group is still seeking Germany’s approval. [Image of Leopard 2 tank in Germany]
This creation of a tank pool would seem to meet the requirements that several nations had set before they would be willing to donate some of their Leopards, as well as clearing a bar that Germany had set in previous rounds of hurdle raising. Meanwhile, German defense industry giant Rheinmetall, which had previously given a long timeline for delivery of any of the Leopards waiting for repairs of upgrades, told Reuters that they could deliver another 139 tanks to Ukraine.
However, just like those 100 tanks from the consortium of nations, those tanks were still stuck behind one big “if.”
Honestly, we’re well past the point where the only thing I want to write about the Leopard 2 tank is a report of its performance in a night attack against a whole cluster of T-64s and T-72s. Instead, both the story about the 100 tanks from various nations and the story about the tanks from Rheinmetall were laced through with reports of leaders tiptoeing around the German government’s refusal to give the word. [Image of Challenger 2 tank in England]
Tantalizingly, Rheinmetall says they could send ”29 Leopard 2A4 tanks by April/May and a further 22 of the same model around the end of 2023 or early 2024.” That 2A4 model is likely the one that would be donated to Ukraine by other nations. Its armor and electronics are not up to the latest 2A7 models, but they’re more than a match for anything Russia is fielding. They’re probably a match for several of the best Russia is fielding. All at once. If everyone does give roughly the same model of Leopard 2, it will help make the logistical burden on Ukraine as small as possible.
What Rheinmetall doesn’t say is that they’re almost certainly not donating these tanks. Someone will have to pick up the tab. However, that’s probably the least of the current obstacles. The other 88 tanks Rheinmetall believes it could provide are Leopard 1 tanks. Still a capable tank, but much less of a priority because of the additional logistical burden it represents.
The probability that Germany was finally going to kiss the girl was made greater this week with reports that the German government had quietly signed off on plans to begin training Ukrainian troops on operation and maintenance of the Leopard 2. Giving the go-ahead on training, then coming back to say “no” in the end seems as if it would be just cruel. [Image of M1A2 Abrams tank in Poland]
But the WSJ story concerning the pending release of the Abrams shines a new light on everything. Maybe Germany gave the go ahead on training because they know the big announcement on tanks is coming later this week. Maybe by Friday the only thing left to worry about when it comes to Ukraine and modern tanks will be all those logistical issues of how the various tanks get divided up.
Ukraine could very likely become a testbed in which companies centered around Challenger, Leopard, and Abrams all go up against Russian tanks in combat. That’s one helluva experiment. Hopefully, someone has set aside a supercomputer to help manage the logistics chains.
Please let this be the one story were the “after” part is even better than the will they/won’t they.
For the third time this month, I have died. The good news is that at this point I’m getting used to it. The bad news is that America’s political reporters seem to have a personal grudge against me. First The New York Times does me in with a focus group of jus’ folks Republicans whose personas appear to be dependent on whatever they saw on Fox News, and now Politico is taking it upon themselves to again ask, truly, the question of our age: Will House Republicans somehow not do the most malevolent possible thing at every available opportunity?
“Democrats pushed the boundaries of congressional power in their drives to investigate Donald Trump. Now Republicans who blasted that behavior are openly wondering whether to emulate it,” goes the subhead, and we are off to the races.
Republicans are confronting a strategic dilemma as they prepare to unleash their new investigative powers on the Biden White House: Should they take a page from the Democrat-run Jan. 6 select committee?
The dilemma, you see, is that House Democrats plus the only two House Republicans who thought a coup attempt organized by a sitting president needed a legislative response mounted a deep-diving investigation into how exactly an armed and violent crowd came to be stomping through the halls of the U.S. Capitol, hunting for lawmakers and a vice president deemed hostile to Donald Trump. They found that Trump and his team organized a “march” to the Capitol on the exact day, hour, and minutes Trump’s election loss would be constitutionally certified; that Trump personally knew the crowd was armed and took actions meant to keep them that way; that the White House explicitly twiddled its thumbs as the violence unfolded, delaying law enforcement response, and a whole bunch of other facts that when presented in federal courts continue to result in convictions for seditious conspiracy and prison time.
The important part of that is that juries have been concluding that the actions by the most violent and organized members of the crowd did indeed amount to an act of plotted sedition. House Republicans who aligned themselves with the conspiracy’s own rhetoric can bleat about that all they want, but judges and juries haven’t been confused on whether that day amounted to an attempted insurrection.
House Republicans, many of them themselves actively complicit in the attempt to nullify an American presidential election based on Republican-crafted disinformation and hoaxes, have been screaming that now that they’re in charge of the zoo, at least for the next two years, they’re going to use the same “extraordinary” powers of subpoena And So Forth that the last Congress used to investigate a violent attempted coup.
And they’re going to use them to “investigate” a series of mostly-bizarre conspiracy theories premised on Rudy Giuliani’s anti-Hunter-Biden theories, a supposed deep state plot to make Donald Trump’s top sycophants look super-guilty of conspiring to hide information about Russian advances towards the Donald Trump campaign during 2016, a conspiracy of public officials who privately considered Donald Trump to be an absolute piece of shit and now need to be publicly punished for thinking so, and maybe look at President Joe Biden’s taxes (which are public) to retaliate for people wanting to look at President Donald Trump’s taxes (which he hid for his entire time in office and which “somehow” were left unaudited despite a federal history of more strictly scrutinizing the tax returns of sitting presidents because of course you would.)
The short version: House Republicans, many of them implicated by text messages in an attempt to topple the elected United States government, are now vowing to retaliate against the investigation that implicated them by launching investigations that span the whole of not-Republican government. They’ve been quite clear it’s retaliatory. They’ve been quite clear that those lawmakers and public officials who played roles in impeaching Donald Trump over an international extortion scheme and, after, a seditious conspiracy will be especially targeted.
So the version of all of that being presented by expert political journalism is, of course: Yeah, but will they? Will House Republicans do this brazenly corrupt-sounding thing that they’ve been promising up and down and sideways that they’ll be doing? Are House Republicans “who blasted” the investigation into Donald Trump’s coup attempt “openly wondering” whether they really want to “emulate it?”
IT IS A MYSTERY.
Okay, before we go any farther let’s just check in real quick on what House Judiciary Republicans’ Twitter account, aka Jim Jordan’s Gym Shower Thoughts feed, is up as we evaluate for ourselves the question of whether House Republicans will or will not, in any situation, do the maximally terrible thing.
The Left made M&M’s and Splash Mountain woke.
What this has to do with House Judiciary matters is, as usual, gonna be a chore to suss out. Unless Splash Mountain gets nominated for a federal judgeship this would seem to be well afield of the usual Judiciary expertise. Unless an anthropomorphized lump of candy is under investigation for taking bribes in federal anthropomorphized candy court, this feels Commerce-related at best.
Oh, right—these are just the worst people you know shrieking aloud, constantly, about companies being a millimeter more inclusive than they were fifty years back because they think it’s an existential crisis worth burning all of America down over.
I said “millimeter” on purpose, by the way. I could have said “inch,” but saying “millimeter” has a good chance to send House Republicans scurrying to denounce millimeters for a news cycle or two and that’d be a nice little treat for all of us. Can’t wait for Marjorie Taylor Greene to announce that there’s been a millimeter infestation in Capitol cloakrooms, and how dare The Left put up with the slithery little things.
All right, back to Politico’s crack politics team wondering how this complete Republican capitulation to their worst (and most seditious!) elements is going to go.
“They’ve almost changed the rules,” House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told POLITICO. “[Are] we going to continue that pattern? Look, we want to get as much information as we can get, and they’ve written a new playbook, so we’ll have to talk about it as a committee and as a conference.”
Well, House Republicans put Rep. James Comer in charge of this stuff now and he’s not been shy in bragging to Fox News that he’s gonna investigate the heck out of the Biden family, to the point where even Brit Hume thinks he’s getting out over his skis. That does seem to indicate that the inmates are—sorry, that the seditionists are in charge of the courtroom.
[…] “Moderate” these days means you’ll give a happy little nod to Republican hoaxes fomenting violence and falsely discrediting American democracy, but draw the line at attempted coup.[…]
[…] Everything else consists of Republicans saying heck yeah, we’re going to do the worst possible things and we’re going to do the hell out of them.
So far, Republicans have embraced two plays Democrats used: First, McCarthy is vowing to prevent Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from getting Intelligence Committee seats, something he can do unilaterally as speaker due to the nature of that panel.
If you’re keeping track, McCarthy is vowing to do this because former speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi nixed McCarthy’s nominations of Reps. Jim Jordan and Jim Banks to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 coup because both Trump allies were already implicated in the events they were supposed to be investigating and Banks, in particular, had loudly announced his intention to disrupt the probe.
Because Democratic leadership refused to seat two Republicans who were themselves engaged in the plot to nullify an American election as their own investigators, McCarthy is promising to retaliate by blocking two coup opponents from the House Intelligence Committee.
It doesn’t really sound like the Kevin McCarthy Is Going To Be Reasonable Club is going to need a party platter at their next meeting.
Secondly, Republicans green-lit a sprawling select subcommittee that will probe the “weaponization” of the federal government, including current federal investigations, the Justice Department, the FBI and the intelligence community. The controversial panel, a demand by some of McCarthy’s hardline detractors during the 15-ballot speakership fight, will be under the stewardship of Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
I mean I’m just throwing this out there, but I would say the best point of evidence for “Republicans are going to do the most malevolent possible thing” is the creation of a new Republicans Doing The Most Malevolent Things Possible subcommittee, headed by the coatless longtime poster child for Republicans who want to do the most malevolent things possible. Gonna say that’s a pretty strong sign of where things are going to go in reality, if not in political journalist-land.
[Posted by Jim Jordan]
-They want to take your guns.
-They want to take your gas stoves.
-And now they want to take your gas heaters.
Americans want FREEDOM.
Yeah, this is the guy who’s going to be able to pull back from the most paranoid conspiracy-laced crankery the party can muster.
What is with this compulsion, by the political press, to “just ask questions” every last one of us knows the answer to? The Republican Party’s march to extremism, currently manifested by widespread support for erasing elections where they have power to do so, efforts to ban abortion even if it means closing state borders to American women to make it happen, societal panic about children reading any book that suggests ‘Merica might possibly have some racisms or ones that give LGBT children reasons not to kill themselves, and ever-growing suggestions that vaccines, of all things, are plots against our bodily essences—where is this drive coming from, to portray Republicanism not as all the things it screams that it stands for?
Is this one of the stages of political journalist grief? We’re stuck in Denial, as we have been since (checks calendar) the year of Our Newt, back in the pre-millenial days? No progress so far, check back next decade?
Or is this just a constant, constant need to pretend that the people political reporters work alongside all day are not, in fact, malicious cranks whose tolerance for democracy and voting is strictly dependent on who wins what?
Please stop this! […] You are murdering me here. […]
lumipunasays
Re 417:
<
blockquote>“Estonia is considering introducing a zone in the Gulf of Finland, up to 24 nautical miles from the coast, where inspections of any passing ships will be carried out.”
I found that tweet, but it’s unsourced and smells like a bullshit rumor. I don’t see any mention of such plan on Finnish news, and it sounds legally and practically implausible. There’s Finnish territorial waters on the gulf, and then there’s a narrow lane of international area leading to Russian waters. For Estonia’s own territorial waters, “up to 24 nautical miles” would be about right.
It hasn’t even been a month since the federal government announced that pharmacies would be permitted to dispense so-called abortion pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) under a rules change from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Republican leaders in several conservative states seem to be freaking out. Without even trying to hide it, GOP officials are looking to ban abortion completely.
As many predicted, the overturn of Roe v. Wade was only the beginning. From threatening individuals who seek abortion pills to introducing bills aiming to defund Planned Parenthood, Republican legislators are doing whatever they can to restrict reproductive rights.
But of course, the intention isn’t just to ban abortion in their respective states: Some lawmakers are even angry that those seeking abortions have the ability to travel beyond state lines.
[…] Jim Banks expressed his anti-abortion views, noting that he doesn’t believe one should be able to seek care in other states. [video at the link]
[…] Under the guise of “protecting the unborn,” they continue to promote inhumane policies that make reproductive health care inaccessible.
Banks may not be a well-known name, but he is certainly trying to be. He made headlines last week for announcing his campaign for the Senate seat held by GOP Sen. Mike Braun, who decided against running for reelection in 2024 and will run for Indiana governor instead, NBC News reported.
The Trump-supporting candidate isn’t just anti-abortion; his overall views are pretty far-right.
His campaign promises include increasing border security, imposing trade measures on China, and stopping transgender girls from competing in sports, and banning critical race theory.
[…] According to reproductive health think tank the Guttmacher Institute, at least 26 states are “certain or likely” to ban or limit abortion due to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, while 16 states have laws that protect the right to abortion. […]
Reginald Selkirksays
@423: Interesting. I hope they search Mitch McConnell’s home next.
On Monday evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s regular address to Ukraine veered away from the war and into a shakeup in his own government. Until something changes, Ukrainian officials are banned from traveling abroad unless they’re doing so on government business. Zelenskyy also warned viewers and listeners that changes in government offices would be coming in the next few days.
These announcements didn’t come out of concern over officials fleeing from the war. They followed the Sunday night arrest of acting minister for regional development Vasyl Lozynskyy on suspicion of corruption. Lozynskyy has been accused of pocketing over $400,000 in bribes for shifting government business to prefered contractors. This includes a large purchase of generators needed due to Russia’s campaign against Ukraine’s infrastructure.
On Tuesday morning, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (essentially Zelenskyy’s chief of staff) Kyrylo Tymoshenko announced that he was resigning his position in a terse statement on Telegram. This is more than a little shocking as Tymoshenko has been a key member of Zelenskyy’s government and one of the most powerful politicians in the nation. However, he reportedly used a Chevy Tahoe (belonging to either the government or an NGO, the letter is a bit confusing) to take trips where he did business not connected to the government. The accusation seems minor on the surface, and Tymoshenko denies it, but he’s also resigning.
Finally, five regional governors in charge of Sumyy, Zaphorizhzhia, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk , and Kyiv areas have been dismissed, also reportedly out of concerns over corruption. The details of this are currently unclear.
Zelenskyy took office on a promise of rooting out corruption in the Ukrainian government, which at the time was rated as one of the most corrupt in Europe (though not as corrupt as Russia). If all of this is Zelenskyy holding true to that promise, even with all the distractions and disruptions of war, that’s fantastic.
However, it’s hard to imagine anything that would represent a greater threat to Ukraine at this moment than a schism in the Kyiv government. Trust in Zelenskyy’s government is the cornerstone of both Ukrainian efforts to withstand the Russian invasion and of international efforts to provide assistance. Anything that threatens that cornerstone … is scary.
———————–
Russia appears to have overrun the town of Klishchiivka, south of Bakhmut. This includes forcing Ukrainian troops out of the trenches that were on a hilltop west of the town.
Meanwhile, Russia’s reported counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia still appears to exist only in propaganda.
Video released overnight reportedly showed Russian forces using the TOS-1 launcher to bombard the town of Novoselivske, northwest of Svatove, with thermobaric weapons. The videos are shocking, but some analysts have suggested this is old footage from another area.
Meanwhile, south of Kreminna … [video at the link]
This is one of those mornings where I can’t get through a paragraph without a new announcement. […] This time, the word is that Polish officials are now saying they expect to get approval to send Leopard 2 tanks on Wednesday. That may give us a date for the big announcement.
[In several past interviews] Pence claimed he had no classified documents. He has made this claim repeatedly, especially as Republicans have attempted to use documents found in the home of President Biden to make demands—ranging from more investigations of Biden, to claiming this makes Biden ineligible to run again in 2024, to insisting that the DOJ drop the investigations into documents Donald Trump refused to return, to insisting that Biden should resign.
[…] Pence’s attorneys now state that a “small number” of classified documents were “inadvertently” boxed and transported to Pence’s home in Indiana. The statement also insists that Pence was unaware of the documents.
We can only assume that the next step is for Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special investigator. After all, Garland appointed an investigator to look into the documents at Biden’s home on Jan 12. In fact, Garland went out of his way to appoint an investigator who had been appointed as a U.S. attorney by Donald Trump and was well known as a hard-line conservative to investigate the documents at Biden’s home.
[…] Surely that means an attorney appointed by Biden or Obama will be appointed as a special investigator to look into the documents at Pence’s home. After all, Garland insisted that appointing such an investigator for Biden was necessary to show the independence of the Justice Department.
If Garland doesn’t appoint another such investigator now, it will be nothing short of a signal that the DOJ goes easy on Republicans. Scratch that. It will be another signal.
And when it comes to any comparison between what Joe Biden did and what Donald Trump is still doing…
When Joe Biden steps forward and says “I took them on purpose, those documents belong to me, and I’m not giving them back, and also I just magically declassified them in my mind,” then we can both-sides it, but until then, this is just a (serious) screw-up. [Tom Nichols]
At this point I am asking which elected officials in federal government do not have classified documents stored with their holiday decorations and seldom-used sports gear?
Does Mike Pence get more points because he stored his classified documents in an unlocked, unsecured area? Is that worth more points than Biden’s locked garage, next to his camero?
Der Speigel is reporting that Scholz has decided to sent “at least” a company (14 tanks) of Leopard 2s to Ukraine. It’s still not official official … but that seems official.
KGsays
Lynna, OM@429,
Will any former US POTUS or VPOTUS who does not have any classified documents in their possession please stand up?
Mike Pompeo cannot possibly believe that he’s going to be president. That guy couldn’t even be bothered to run for the Senate when a seat in his “home” state of Kansas was up. He’s polling at a whopping one percent in the Morning Consult Republican primary tracker. Plus there’s the fact that he’s utterly devoid of charm and charisma.
And yet he continues to build his brand with speaking engagements and a new memoir. Unfortunately, his brand is ASSHOLE, which we already knew from watching Pompeo as Trump’s secretary of state — his gross treatment of NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly stands out. So we’re only a little bit shocked to read that Pompeo is pissing on slain Saudi dissident reporter Jamal Khashoggi’s grave for book sales.
His publicist appears to have deliberately released an excerpt to NBC and The Guardian in which Pompeo scoffs that Khashoggi’s brutal 2018 murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by a team of assassins dispatched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “made the media madder than a vegan in a slaughterhouse.”
Always be trolling!
Khashoggi was suffocated and then dismembered with a bone saw because he criticized the Saudi royal family, so Pompeo’s slaughterhouse joke is especially vile. And although he tut-tuts that the killing was “outrageous, unacceptable, horrific and despicable, evil, brutish and, of course, unlawful,” Pompeo shrugs it off, noting that he’s “seen enough of the Middle East to know that this kind of ruthlessness was all too routine in that part of the world.”
To be clear, the murder of dissidents in foreign embassies, particularly legal residents of the United States, is not “routine.” Certainly Turkey didn’t accept it as business as usual.
But Pompeo isn’t really interested in geopolitical reality. He just wants to foment culture war in America, which requires him to minimize this gross assault on international norms by claiming that “Khashoggi was an activist who had supported the losing team in a recent fight for the throne … unhappy with being exiled.”
He’s also perfectly happy to outright lie.
“To be clear, Khashoggi was a journalist to the extent that I and many other public figures are journalists,” he wrote. “We sometimes get our writing published, but we also do other things. The media made Khashoggi out to be a Saudi Arabian Bob Woodward who was martyred for bravely criticizing the Saudi royal family through his opinion articles in the Washington Post.”
That’s just false. Khashoggi had a long career in journalism, with stints at media outlets such as Middle East Eye, the Saudi Gazette, Saudi newspaper Al Watan, and the Washington Post.
Pompeo’s rolls his eyes at the “faux outrage … fueled by the media,” saying that Khashoggi was “cozy with the terrorist-supporting Muslim Brotherhood.” And indeed, as a younger man, Khashoggi was allied with the Muslim Brotherhood, although he wasn’t a member of the movement at the time of his murder.
“Jamal Kashoggi is not part of the Muslim Brotherhood. I confirm it to you,” Khashoggi’s widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, told NBC News.
Pompeo performs an unsubtle manipulation of his readers, whom he clearly assumes will be pig ignorant about foreign policy. Because the Muslim Brotherhood is a 94-year-old political movement that has gone through many different iterations, and is currently supported by Turkey and Qatar, both of whom are US allies. After using the association to tar Khashoggi and make it seem like he was willing player in a dangerous game, Pompeo congratulates himself on his sophisticated realpolitik for recognizing the strategic value of the US relationship with Saudi Arabia and bin Salman […]
when Pompeo’s presidential ambitions fizzle and he becomes a highly paid lobbyist for Raytheon and/or the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, don’t say we didn’t see it coming.
[…] Santos apparently editing his own Wikipedia bio in 2011 to claim he was a successful DRAG QUEEN who won BEAUTY PAGENTS [sic] and then became a star on the DISNEY channel.
Last month.
In case you are keeping track of the calendar, that’s long after he was elected the new congressman from New York. Santos “spewed unbelievable fake facts,” like that New York City schools have 300 drag shows EVERY DAY and the state of New York has 20,000 “‘on-demand’ late-term abortions” EVERY DAY.
[…] So clearly Brazil is also through with this fucking fool. But this blog post is not about that. This is about George Santos being mugged in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not losing a single vote.
They took his briefcase and his shoes and his watch.
You know, with two of those things, the robbers would have really had to do some work. Maybe they had a chair for Santos to sit in.
Oh well, we have no idea, let’s just move on and not ask questions, that’s obviously what Kevin McCarthy is doing about all this.
Media Matters posted a montage of Fox News doofuses like Tucker Carlson fulminating about candy cartoons. [video at the link]
From comments posted by viewers:
I guess the two biggest take aways here are.
1. Fox News actually got a message across to its demographic.
2. A lot of that demographic enjoyed eating M&M’s but not gay ones.
cicelysays
I cannot be the only one who thinks sexualizing M&Ms is weird….
_
Reginald Selkirksays
@428 Corruption in Ukraine
I believe reducing corruption would be a necessary step for Ukraine to seek NATO membership at some future time.
johnson catmansays
re Lynna @429:
Is that worth more points than Biden’s locked garage, next to his camero?
PUH-LEEZE!! It is a Corvette!! No one would need to lock up a Camaro!!
Tethyssays
Mars created the Green sexy female character because of the strange folk wisdom that the green M&Ms make you horny.
It’s rather amazing that there are multiple modern folk tales about individual colors of M&Ms, and some of them are actually true.
Give me a late 60’s Camaro over the Vette any day, unless it’s a 65 Stingray.
That Corvette model is a gorgeous, classic big block of the muscle car era. Drop it into third gear and Vroom!
tomhsays
WaPo: McCarthy says he’ll block Schiff, Swalwell from Intelligence Committee
This just in: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he will block Democratic Reps. Adam B. Schiff and Eric Swalwell, both of California, from joining the House Intelligence Committee, accusing Schiff of abusing his power as the previous chairman of the panel to “lie” to the American public.
“He used his position as chairman knowing he has information the rest of America does not to lie to the American public,” McCarthy claimed, citing episodes in which he claims Schiff shared information acquired through the panel’s investigations that painted Republicans in a negative light.
McCarthy also said he will keep Swalwell from joining the panel, citing his alleged ties to a Chinese spy. Both Democrats were formally recommended to the committee this week by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
The speaker, however, refused to comment on whether he would try to keep Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from joining the Foreign Affairs Committee. Omar, an outspoken, left-wing Democrat, is a regular target of Republicans. While McCarthy can unilaterally remove Schiff and Swalwell from the intelligence panel, removing Omar from Foreign Affairs would require a House vote, and he isn’t likely to have the votes to make that happen.
The latest: Covid deniers land spots on House subcommittee on the pandemic
Several Republicans who have questioned whether the coronavirus pandemic is real and who protested several of the government measures taken to stop the spread of the deadly virus have now been named to the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Ronny Jackson (R-Tex.).
The subcommittee will be tasked with investigating a number of pandemic-related questions, including the disease’s origin, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a statement Tuesday.
ravensays
“The US and its allies want Ukraine to change its battlefield tactics in the spring ”
Well, sure.
Right now this war is a draw or stalemate.
Both sides are taking huge casualties.
The Russians don’t much care since most of theirs are convicts and draftees from the hinterlands. The Ukrainians are losing their best and brightest every day now.
Easier said than done though.
I’m sure if the Ukrainians had a better idea, they would be doing it right now.
The last time they tried something new, it worked really well, when they took back the area around Kharkiv by running through unprepared and thin Russian forces.
The US and its allies want Ukraine to change its battlefield tactics in the spring | CNN Politics
Washington
CNN
US and Western officials are urging Ukraine to shift its focus from the brutal, months-long fight in the eastern city of Bakhmut and prioritize instead a potential offensive in the south, using a different style of fighting that takes advantage of the billions of dollars in new military hardware recently committed by Western allies, US and Ukrainian officials tell CNN.
For nearly six months, Ukrainian forces have been going toe-to-toe with the Russians over roughly 36 miles of territory in Bakhmut, which lies between the separatist-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. Heavy shelling has left the city almost completely destroyed.
“It is a brutal and grinding fight,” a senior Western intelligence official said last week, with each side exchanging anywhere from 100-400 meters of land per day and exchanging several thousands of artillery rounds almost daily. “[Bakhmut] is less attractive militarily, in terms of any sort of infrastructure, than it might have been if it had not been this destroyed.”
Now, ahead of what is widely expected to be a brutal spring of fighting, there is a tactical opening, US and Western officials say. In recent weeks they have begun suggesting that Ukrainian forces cut their losses in Bakhmut, which they argue has little strategic significance for Ukraine, and focus instead on planning an offensive in the south.
That was part of a message delivered by three top Biden officials who traveled to Kyiv last week.
In a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl, said the US wants to help Ukraine shift away from the sort of pitched battle of attrition playing out in Bakhmut and focus instead on a style of mechanized maneuver warfare that uses rapid, unanticipated movements against Russia, sources familiar with their discussion said.
The hundreds of armored vehicles the US and European countries have provided to Ukraine in recent weeks, including 14 British tanks, are meant to help Ukraine make that shift, officials said.
Convincing Zelensky
It is not clear, however, that Zelensky feels prepared to abandon Bakhmut.
People familiar with his thinking tell CNN that Zelensky does not believe that a Russian victory in Bakhmut is a fait accompli, and that he remains reluctant to give it up. Holding Bakhmut would give Ukraine a better chance at taking back the entire Donbas region, Zelensky believes, and that if Russia wins, it will give them an opening to advance further to the strategically important eastern cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
Bakhmut is also an important symbol of Ukrainian resistance.
Zelensky visited Bakhmut just before traveling to Washington DC last December, where he told US lawmakers that “every inch of that land is soaked in blood, roaring guns sound every hour. The fight for Bakhmut will change the tragic story of our war for independence and of freedom.”
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In short, the senior Western official said, Bakhmut “matters because the Russians have made it matter — probably more than the terrain does.” A US military official also expressed skepticism that Ukraine will abandon Bakhmut — not because of its battlefield value, but because its strategic messaging value is so important.
There are also some benefits to trying to exhaust the Russians in Bakhmut.
On Monday, a senior US military official told reporters that Russia has “rushed in” tens of thousands of “ill-equipped, ill-trained” replacement troops across the front line over the last several months, including to Bakhmut, amid the losses suffered. Despite the large numbers, the new troops have not changed the dynamic of the fight, the official said.
But Ukraine is also suffering enormous casualties in the battle and expending tremendous amounts of artillery ammunition daily – a style of fighting that the US does not believe is sustainable. In terms of sheer volume, Russia still has more artillery ammunition and manpower, with the paramilitary organization Wagner Group using thousands of convicts to “throw bodies” at the battle, the Western intelligence official said.
US officials are hoping the latest delivery of armored equipment and the newly expanded training for Ukrainian forces in Germany will encourage Ukraine to shift its tactics.
“Depending on the delivery and training of all of this equipment, I do think it’s very, very possible for the Ukrainians to run a significant tactical or even operational level, offensive operation to liberate as much Ukrainian territory as possible,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told reporters on Friday.
Putin’s calculations
The push for Ukraine to shift its battlefield tactics comes amid signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin is weighing making a big move in the next several weeks to regain the initiative in the war, officials familiar with the intelligence told CNN.
CIA Director Bill Burns traveled to Kyiv earlier this month to brief Zelensky on the US assessment of Putin’s plans, sources familiar with their conversation told CNN.
There are also indications that Putin is considering another troop mobilization of as many as 200,000 men, US and Western officials familiar with the intelligence told CNN.
The Kremlin has begun to conduct polling domestically to gauge the popularity of another mobilization, two officials said. The next mobilization, some believe, would be quieter compared to the first one, when Putin himself made a televised announcement, calling it a “partial mobilization.”
Putin is aware of how unpopular the first mobilization was late last year, when protests erupted and hundreds of thousands of Russian fighting age men fled the country to escape conscription, the officials said, and he has yet to make a decision on another mobilization effort.
But Russia continues to need bodies to throw at the fight. The first mobilization nearly doubled Russia’s troop presence in Ukraine – even if it produced fighters that were untrained and undisciplined – and overall, sources familiar with US and Western intelligence said, Putin’s grip on power remains secure.
“We don’t think Putin has yet made up his mind, particularly with regard to when to do it,” the senior Western intelligence official said, “because he almost certainly is concerned about societal blowback and negative economic repercussions.”
‘Nothing but a meat grinder’
Putin’s intentions for a new offensive became clearer to Western officials earlier this month when he elevated General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, to become the overall commander of the war, the officials said.
Gerasimov, who symbolizes Russia’s early failures in the war, is eager to prove that he can turn the tide of the conflict, and is pushing for a fresh offensive to retake territory in the east and south.
“I have no doubt that Gerasimov feels to the very fiber of his being that he had better launch an offensive in the spring – so one will come,” the Western intelligence official said.
Some senior Russian military officials have even been overheard in recent weeks discussing the possibility of trying to capture the northeastern city of Kharkiv, according to people familiar with the conversations intercepted by Western and Ukrainian intelligence.
A view of a destroyed area, in Bakhmut, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.
A view of a destroyed area, in Bakhmut, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.
Libkos/AP
But US and Western officials and military analysts told CNN that Kharkiv – a major city that was held by the Ukrainians last fall following a surprise counteroffensive – does not appear to be a remotely achievable target for the Russian military. As much as Putin would like to try to target Kyiv again, officials say, that too is currently out of his forces’ reach.
As CNN has reported, Russia’s artillery fire has declined dramatically from its wartime high, in some places by as much as 75%, in a likely sign that the Russians has been forced to ration ammunition.
That could be a huge problem for Russia if it wants to launch a big new offensive against major cities, noted one military expert.
It is more likely, officials said, that Russia will continue to focus most of its attention on taking more territory in the Donbas region – with Bakhmut as a potential springboard – and in the Zaporizhzhia region, where the Ukrainian military reported on Saturday that Russian forces were already beginning to step up hostilities.
Russia is intent upon keeping its “land bridge” from its Rostov region to Crimea, officials said, and needs to maintain its southern Ukrainian holdings to do so.
“A major Ukrainian breakthrough in Zaporizhzhia would seriously challenge the viability of Russia’s ‘land-bridge’ linking Russia’s Rostov region and Crimea,” the UK Ministry of Defense reported in its regular intelligence update earlier this month.
Broadly, though, the US and its allies are skeptical of Russia’s ability to mount a serious offensive.
“[I] doubt very much, given what we’ve seen of the Russian ability to mobilize, man, train and equip effectively, that it is going to be anything different than what we’ve already seen,” said the Western intelligence official. “And what we’ve already seen is nothing but a meat grinder.”
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect that Russian forces never captured the city of Kharkiv.
Genocide.
Dispossession.
Blood on the wattle.
Took their children away.
HG Wells based his ‘War of the Worlds’ on what was done to Indigenous Tasmanians back in the day.
Assimilation.
Language, culture, art; denigration, dismissal and theft.
They survived.
Keep their culture.
Live on now deadly.
Respect.
Acknowledge truths
That I say.
Voice. Treaty. Truth.
I live on Kaurna Country near and maybe overlapping with Peramangk land.
I acknowledge our Indigenous Peoples who never ceded their sovereignty.
It is long overdue that they were empowered.
That they were heard and their wishes respected.
Voice. Treaty. Truth.
We cannot change the past.
We are only responsible for what we choose to do now.
So, what will it be?
Our choices now we start to realise the truth, start to hear their voices at last?
Accept the reality of past wrongs and their lingering legacies, lingering ongoing damage. Work to stop that damage, reverse it, change things.
Can our mindset change to match Country and can we have the courage to really face up to what happened and say sorry & just listen?
Time we heard and respected and gave proper power to our First Australians here. Who were here for tens of thousands, fifty thousand years and more before Europeans arrived. 50,000 plus years of dreaming, 200 and a bit of nightmare as graffiti I saw once went.
I love my country. Warts, dark past and all.
I want to make it better, make it as right and as good as we can.
That starts with..?
The United States Postal Service increased the cost of the forever stamp by 3 cents from 60 cents to 63 cents.
The postal service is also increasing the cost of sending priority mail by about five-and-a-half percent, priority mail express by nearly 7-percent, and first-class package service prices are set to increase by almost 8-percent.
Russia is apparently trying to respond to the news of incoming Western tanks by rolling its flagship T-14 Armata onto the battlefield for the first time. However, there are a few problems: they’ve only built about twenty, all of those are prototypes with known issues, and the ones that have actually been handed off to Russian troops are in such bad shape, no one wants them.
To understand just how big a victory yesterday was for Ukraine, and how hard President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and members of his government have worked in pleading Ukraine’s case before NATO, it’s only necessary to go back in time exactly one year.
At that point, Russia was massing over 100,000 troops in Belarus and along the Russian-Ukrainian border. U.S. intelligence met repeatedly with the government of Zelenskyy, warning them that Vladimir Putin was determined to invade. President Joe Biden had issued several warnings to world leaders and the American people that all evidence showed Russia was not simply maneuvering or testing the waters this time. Invasion was imminent. And Zelenskyy was busy meeting with European leaders in an attempt to secure the diplomatic and military support his nation would need if it was going to weather the coming storm.
One year ago, Germany responded to Ukraine’s calls for assistance with an offer. It would send to them 5,000 … helmets. That’s all. Germany would not provide any weapons.
In one year, the German government has gone from reluctantly handing over a small number of surplus helmets to guaranteeing at least two companies of Leopard 2 tanks. That’s a victory that Ukraine has won on every battlefield—including the never-ending fight over public opinion—from Bakhmut to Berlin.
On Jan. 26, 2022, then-German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht had this to say about the situation in Ukraine and that frustrating offer of nothing but helmets: “The German government is agreed that we do not send lethal weapons to crisis areas because we don’t want to fuel the situation, we want to contribute in other ways.” Ways that did not upset Russia.
At the time, 50% of all natural gas sold in Europe, and 55% of the gas sold in Germany was sourced from pipelines leading straight back into Russia. It would be another three weeks—just two days before Russian tanks crossed the border into Ukraine—before Chancellor Olaf Scholz suspended the opening of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
No nation in Europe saw its own economy as tied to Russia as Germany’s was. When Putin threatened a cut off of gas supplies, it was easy for German politicians to see that in terms of idle factories, lost jobs, and angry voters. Also, Germany is, well … Germany. There may not be a German word for we-started-World-War-II-and-slaughtered-millions-of-people-at-home-and-abroad-and-now-we-deliberately-nurse-an-anathema-to-things-military-and-that’s-a-good-thing … but on the other hand, there might. There is certainly a different attitude in Germany to anything that might be seen as more than a purely defensive military. And yes, it would not be a bad thing if that continued.
Dragging Germany from helmets to companies of Leopard 2 tanks, with many steps in between, has been a battle. In that battle, Ukraine has enlisted allied governments, political pressure, and public opinion. And now it’s finally official. [Tweet at the link]
To be fair, at this point Germany is one of the larger contributors to Ukraine, especially in some critical areas. They have provided an IRIS-T air defense system system and 30 Gepard anti-aircraft guns that are defending Ukrainian cities. More of both (including three more IRIS-T systems) are on the way. They’ve handed over artillery including at least five M270 MLRS and 14 German Panzerhaubitze 2000s. They’ve given hundreds of transport vehicles, more than 10,000 anti-tank weapons, and a lot of the basic materiel the Ukrainian Army needs. That includes 28,000 of those helmets.
Oh, and this morning Scholz said he wasn’t ruling out sending Western fighter jets to Ukraine, which is the next big hurdle Zelenskyy’s government hopes to clear. Maybe this time Germany will be the first to break the artificially erected barrier.
At the moment, here’s what seems to be certain in terms of main battle tanks headed for Ukraine in the first wave:
One company (14 tanks) of Leopard 2 tanks (A6 version) from Germany.
One company (14 tanks) of Leopard 2 tanks (A4 version) from Poland.
In both cases, these look to be not just the tanks, but the supporting vehicles and materiel needed to make the tanks operational in the field. Germany has indicated that these tanks could be sent within the next three months, depending on Ukraine’s readiness to accept them. Ukrainian troops are to begin training in Germany immediately.
These two companies of Leopard 2 tanks can be expected in Ukraine some time around May. That’s also about the same time that the company of Challenger 2 tanks provided by the U.K. should be in-country and and ready to roll. Russia is well known for having a big “Victory Day” parade on May 9 each year. Seems like Ukraine might be in a position to hold a very special parade of their own at about the same time.
What comes next looks to be enough Leopard 2s for a couple of battalions, but these announcements are not yet official. Zelenskyy is asking that the members of the new “Leopard coalition” provide “a lot of Leopards.”
Spain will reportedly send 40-60 of its 108 Leopard 2A4 to Ukraine. (As this piece was being written, Spanish newspapers are reporting that it will be 53 with an official announcement today.)
Sweden is still considering how many of its 120 Stridsvagn 122 (a modified version of the Leopard 2A5) it will send, but it seems clear it will send at least a company.
Norway is reportedly offering eight Leopard 2A4s.
Finland is reportedly sending a company (14) of Leopard 2A4 with the associated vehicles.
Portugal is reportedly looking to send a smaller number of Leopard 2A6. Right now, it looks like four.
Delivery dates on these tanks are not known, but much of this is likely to be cleared up before the end of the week. Put it all together and Ukraine ends up with over 100 Leopard 2s and the possibility of over 100 more to come.
All of this is in addition to the reported 30 M1A2 Abrams tanks the U.S. reportedly will send, but which have not been officially announced. Overnight there have been reports that the Abrams sent to Ukraine would not be units pulled from U.S. storage, but would be newly minted export models of the Abrams, such as those now in use by several nations in the Middle East. If so, this would delay any delivery by a period of months. In fact, some publications are indicating that the Abrams won’t be in Ukraine for “years.”
It’s hard to know just how much of this is accurate, or why the U.S. would bother sending 30 tanks that may not make it until after the current invasion is well and truly over. Maybe the NATO allies have hit on a plan where the Leopard 2 addresses Ukraine’s immediate needs, while the Abrams becomes its long-term main battle tank. But if so, it will take a lot more than 30 tanks. Hopefully this will also be resolved in the next few days.
In any case, celebrate. When it comes to the Leopard 2, it’s time to take all the might, may, and maybe out of the discussion. This tank is going to Ukraine.
Minutes after it was revealed that classified documents were found at Mike Pence’s home in Indiana, Donald J. Trump demanded that his former Vice-President return all of the secret materials to Mar-a-Lago “at once.”
An incandescently angry Trump addressed the media at his Palm Beach home and accused his former running mate of being “the lowest form of life” for taking documents “that were rightfully mine.”
“Mike Pence took documents from the White House without asking me first if I wanted to take them,” he said. “Mike Pence kept me from having a complete collection of documents, and that, quite frankly, is a disgrace.”
Calling Pence “a total snake in the grass,” Trump said, “All the time he was sucking up to me, he was busy shoving documents down his pants. Some Christian!”
He added that “the Constitution needs to be rewritten” to keep future Vice-Presidents from taking documents that the President might want. “This should never be allowed to happen in our country,” he said.
Fani Willis Fulton Cty DA announced in court today that her decision to INDICT “MULTIPLE DEFENDANTS off the special grand jury report is “IMMINENT”. 17 targets including TRUMP. GIULIANI, & GRAHAM.
In Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego raised more than $1 million in his first day as a U.S. Senate candidate. The congressman boasted in a written statement, “I’m proud to announce that we received more donations from real people on our first day than [independent Sen. Kyrsten] Sinema has in the last three years combined.”
Information summarized from a CNBC article.
Sinema used to be a Democrat who seemed to paradoxically cater to corporate bigwigs and to the wealthy at DAVOS. Now she says she is an Independent candidate. Mostly she is a doofus who sides with Joe Manchin too often in order to defeat major Democratic Party agendas. Let’s hope she loses the next election.
From coverage of President Joe Biden’s address today:
[…] “This is about freedom. Freedom for Ukraine. Freedom for everyone. It’s about the kind of world we want to live in.”
Biden responds to a question asking if Germany “forced him” to make this decision — which is such an upside down version of events. Biden gives a quick response.
And that’s it. 31 M1A2 Abrams tanks officially on their way, training to begin immediately, but no date on actual tank delivery.
“Putin expected Europe and the United States to weaken in our resolve … he was wrong. America is united, and so is the world. United and determined as ever.”
“Russian troops should return to Russia. That’s where they belong.”
[…] The Ukraine defense group is made up of 50 nations “full committed” to making Ukraine stronger. Biden lists the Leopard, Challenger, and AMX-10 wheeled vehicles, along with Patriot systems being sent to Ukraine.
[…] “Today I am announcing that the U.S. is sending 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, the equivalent of one Ukrainian battalion.” Along with parts, associated vehicles, and training.
[…] U.S. has already sent more than 500 armored vehicles.
Ukrainian troops will begin training on the Abrams right away, but there was no timeline or details on the source of these particular tanks. Expect to learn more in Pentagon briefings and further statements today.
Followup to comment 446: More updates from Ukraine.
[…] As you might expect, Russian commentators are taking this with the grace and good humor for which they are well know.
“German tanks on Russian land – the reason to destroy Berlin!” […] Solovyev’s tantrum.
That guy is Vladimir Solovyov. He’s kind of the Tucker Carlson of Russia. Tucker Carlson will undoubtedly be delivering the same message tonight. [Those tanks will be on Ukrainian land]
Not everyone is being cooperative when it comes to Ukraine.
BREAKING: Israel rejects a US request to hand Hawk anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine
The Hawk missiles are reportedly mothballed in favor of newer systems now deployed across Israel. However, Putin was one of the first to welcome Benjamin Netanyahu back into power at the end of the year and there have been suggestions that Netanyahu might serve as a mediator in “peace talks” between Russia and Ukraine. That might be one reason that Israel is currently trying to make no motions toward helping Ukraine.
In other news, someone has a birthday today. Today, President #Zelenskyy celebrates his 45. birthday. Let’s hope he and his family have a good day, and that they, along with other Ukrainians, can soon return to a peaceful life. https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1618134039382339589 [really nice family photo at the Twitter link]
[…] The former top intelligence guy for the FBI’s New York field office, Charles McGonigal, has just been charged in federal courts in both DC and Manhattan with a number of very interesting crimes. For example, after he left the FBI, secretly working for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska investigating a rival oligarch, and also working on Deripaska’s behalf to get him off the US sanctions list, itself a violation of the sanctions. Also hiding $225,000 in other bribes from a different dude while he was working at the FBI.
So that’s weird, yeah?
[…] It seems bad for one of the former top intelligence guys at the FBI to be indicted for taking secret bribes and secretly working for the interests of one of Russia’s most powerful oligarchs, yeah? Especially one of the closest oligarchs to Vladimir Putin, Paul Manafort’s former boss, who was seemingly very close to the Russian operation to steal the 2016 election? Is that bad? Paul Manafort, of course, ran the Trump campaign, and pretty much every Russia report produced by the US government has concluded that he was integral to the NO COLLUSION!
Oh, and what was Manafort’s previous work for Deripaska? Propping up pro-Russian forces in Ukraine.
Most of the regular news reporting on this is extremely dry and weeds-y and virtually unreadable to anyone who isn’t obsessed with this stuff, but this excerpt about McGonigal, way down at the bottom of the Washington Post’s article, is some extremely important context we will briefly explore:
McGonigal was an expert on Russian intelligence activities targeting the United States, as well as U.S. efforts to recruit Russian spies, said several former intelligence officials who worked with him and spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive matters.
His position at the New York field office would have given him direct access to past and current recruitment efforts, work that was coordinated with the CIA, these people said. McGonigal was well-known at the CIA among officers who dealt with Russia and counterintelligence matters, and he knew the details of some intelligence operations targeting Russia, former officials said.
McGonigal has not been charged with espionage, but the former officials who worked with him said his knowledge and experience would have put him at high risk of being recruited by a foreign government.
Rightwing weirdos are already pretty sure this guy — this guy! Not the last guy or the guy before that, this guy! — will be the key to unraveling the Deep State conspiracy where Hillary Clinton colluded with Russia and the FBI in order to steal the election from herself for the sole purpose of destroying the life and presidency of God-fearing patriot and humble servant Donald Trump. [LOL] They are pointing to the fact that in 2016, he was head of Cybercrimes at the home office in DC, and was one of the first people who knew about allegations from Trump campaign idiot George Papadopoulos that the Russians had big dirt on Hillary that they were going to deploy against her.
Trump himself is raaaaaaaging over McGonigal’s arrest on Truth Social:
“The FBI guy after me for the Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX, long before my Election as President, was just arrested for taking money from Russia, Russia, Russia,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday. “May he Rot In Hell!”
Yeah OK, buddy, mash your meds up in some ketchup and swallow them.
What’s more interesting to us is what happened later in 2016, closer to the election.
As Heather Cox Richardson explains, October of 2016 was when then-FBI Director James Comey moved McGonigal into that position as head of counterintel at the New York field office. And what was happening in October of 2016, specifically regarding the New York FBI field office? That was the one that was as intent on skullfucking the Clinton campaign as Russia was, the one that seemed to be leaking fake bullshit about Clinton to Rudy Giuliani, who was babbling on the radio that the FBI was going to “revolt” if she wasn’t indicted.
Fox News was […] at the time screaming that Hillary’s indictment was coming, apparently sourced from some dumb types at the New York [FBI] office who were furious Main Justice wouldn’t sanction their investigation into the Clinton Foundation, since it was based on debunked, Breitbart-funded bullshit from that dumb Clinton Cash book.
As Cox Richardson reminds us, when James Comey went before Congress in 2018, he said he was worried that if he didn’t blabber forth 11 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION about the “re-opening” of the Hillary emails investigation, after some “new” (not new) emails were found, that the New York office would leak it. And more:
Former acting attorney general Sally Yates was clearer. She told the inspector general that Comey and other FBI officials “felt confident that the New York Field Office would leak it and that it would come out regardless of whether he advised Congress or not.”
[…] One more thing from Cox Richardson about what McGonigal did after his stint at the NY FBI office:
We also know that after McGonigal left the FBI, he went to work for Brookfield Properties, the multibillion-dollar real-estate company in New York that handled the bailout of Jared Kushner’s 666 Fifth Avenue by a $1.1 billion, 99-year lease—all paid up front—thanks to the Qatar Investment Authority.
And also went to work for Oleg Deripaska, which seems to tell us something about what kinda guy this dude is.
[…] these indictments aren’t about any of that stuff, but we kind of feel like — based on context clues — this guy might NOT end up being the guy who exposes the Deep State conspiracy where Hillary Clinton colluded with Russia and the FBI in order to steal the election from herself for the sole purpose of destroying the life and presidency of God-fearing patriot and humble servant Donald Trump.
We could be wrong.
[…] Also here’s some MSNBC reporting on all this: [video at the link]
Earlier this month in Ohio, the state House’s Democratic minority and 22 Republicans allied to elect Jason Stephens (R) as speaker, smooshing the bid by rightwing Republican Derrick Merrin, […] the end run around the Trumpy Merrin has led to great dissension and backbiting among the chamber’s Republicans, with Merrin refusing to acknowledge that “speaker of the House” even means anything, because it’s not him, and some of the craziest rightwing priorities now look unlikely to go anywhere. And that’s just not acceptable, so Merrin has now declared himself the real actual Republican leader, or at least the head of what he’s calling the “Republican Majority Caucus,” so there.
[…] Merrin may have “lost” his bid for the speakership, but that doesn’t mean he’s willing to accept defeat, because for one thing, the 22 Rs who voted for Stephens no longer count as part of the Republican majority. Real authentic Republicans would never vote with Democrats, for one thing.
The week of the vote for speaker, the state GOP underlined its displeasure with that treasonous act of bipartisanship by voting to censure the 22 breakaway Republicans who had supported the wrong Republican candidate. After all, if they were willing to vote with Democrats for a candidate other than Merrin, there’s no telling what those crazies might get up to, as the Columbus Distpatch reported:
The resolution states, in part, that the vote “dishonors” the party and empowers House Democrats. It also notes that House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, held the Bible for Stephens to swear upon.
Hang on. A Democrat held the Holy Bible? With a sacrilege like that, Stephens may as well have been sworn in on a copy of Gender Queer. [LOL]
[…] In a gesture of mercy toward the apostates, the committee struck the initial draft’s provisions that would have barred the state party from endorsing the sinners or providing them with campaign funds; we assume that instead the MAGA wing will settle for shaving the 22 defectors’ heads and marching them naked through the streets of Toledo as loyal Republicans shout “SHAME! SHAME!”
One of the schismatics, state Rep. Jon Cross (R?), was a bit incredulous that he’d be censured just for voting his conscience, as if he hadn’t seen what the GOP has become in the last few years:
“What you’re telling me is I’m a Republican that voted for a Republican speaker and the state Republican party is censuring me? Sounds like the dipshits are running the insane asylum.”
The Columbus Dispatch didn’t even use asterisks to cover up his consternation, we’ll note.
For his part, the actual House Speaker Stephens issued a statement calling for party unity, with the sort of “big tent” rhetoric that leads to backsliding and failing to impose work requirements on hospitalized Medicaid patients. We did at least enjoy the reference to Kevin McCarthy’s own midnight deal at the crossroads with the Freedom Caucus.
All over the country, there has been a debate between Republicans in legislatures on how best to decide their leadership, even at the national level. What makes the Republican Party strong is when we think about Ohio first. Putting Ohioans first and listening to others is my commitment and priority so we can all move Ohio forward
Merrin also barred the Shamed 22 from the meeting in which he ascended to command of the Real Not Fake Loyal Republican Majority Caucus, and has since been demanding that he and his minority of House members be granted the powers they deserve, like forcing a vote on that idiotic plan to make it harder for constitutional amendments to be passed by voters. The plan would require that amendments win 60 percent of the public vote in a referendum, instead of the current simple majority. After all, if a majority of voters could decide things, they might act like voters in other states and protect abortion rights, or even fix Ohio’s horribly gerrymandered Legislature. [LOL]
Having been denied the speakership by a majority of the Ohio House, Merrin clearly sees why democracy is a terrible idea, so he’s refusing to play along with the dangerous idea that Stephens has any legitimacy simply because he was “elected.” Merrin has taken to complaining about the “dictatorship” of the Speaker, and calling for more “decentralized” power in the House to make things fairer to losers.
House Minority Whip Jessica Miranda (D) didn’t seem all that impressed by Merrin’s stirring calls for minority rule, telling TPM, “You can say whatever you want to say. You don’t have the gavel.” […]
In conclusion, things are pretty interesting in Ohio these days. If Republicans aren’t careful, democracy may even break out.
Yesterday, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley released a letter (full text) sent to South Dakota pharmacists warning them that despite FDA approval for the abortion drug Mifepristone to be dispensed at pharmacies, it violates South Dakota law to do so. The letter reads in part:
This side-stepping on the part of the FDA permits dangerous, at-home abortions without any medical oversight. It also violates state law that makes dispensing this medication for abortions a felony.
Chemical abortions remain illegal in South Dakota. Under South Dakota law, pharmacies, including chain drug stores, are prohibited from procuring and dispensing abortion-inducing drugs with the intent to induce an abortion, and are subject to felony prosecution under South Dakota law, despite the recent FDA ruling. Their resources should be focused on helping mothers and their babies, both before birth and after.
All abortions, whether surgically or chemically induced, terminate the life of a living human being. South Dakota will continue to enforce all laws including those that respect and protect the lives of the unborn.
Fresh off wasting tens of millions of dollars on racist and transphobic ads that largely flopped during the midterm elections, noted white supremacist Stephen Miller and his America First Legal outfit have teamed up with very corrupt Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and 19 GOP states to launch a lawsuit over the Biden administration’s new parole program for Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan migrants.
The parole program, announced earlier this month, allows asylum-seekers who have U.S. sponsors to apply for entry to the U.S. Just a handful of migrants have actually entered as of earlier this month, compared to the more than 100,000 Ukrainians who’ve entered under a similar parole program since last year. But did Miller and Paxton sue over that program? Nope. They sued over the one affecting Black and brown migrants.
While I’m not going to rehash the claims made by this pack of degenerates (but you’re more than welcome to check out America First Legal’s release on your own here), I do want to note it includes a statement from America First Legal Vice President and General Counsel Gene Hamilton.
Hamilton and Miller have been buddy-buddy since working together for then-Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III. When both joined the insurrectionist administration, they worked in unison to defend some of that administration’s most abhorrent decisions affecting immigrants, including rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, rescinding temporary protections from immigrants already in the U.S., and carrying out the family separation policy that stole thousands of children from parents at the border.
So you can see why these two are besties […]
“Texas has filed more than 20 lawsuits in federal court against the Biden administration, many of them targeting the president’s immigration policies,” The Texas Tribune reported. “A majority of the lawsuits have been filed in courtrooms overseen by Trump-appointed judges,” a very purposeful move that can guarantee at least a temporary stop to policies while cases wind through the legal system. Because of where the lawsuit was filed, in the Southern District of Texas, which has ruled against Biden policy before, there’s a strong possibility the policy could be temporarily halted. It’s the anti-immigrant judicial pipeline.
[…] “The GOP plaintiff states are furious that the Biden admin might allow some migrants to enter legally,” he continued. “The irony is that if they win and Mexico revokes its permission for the Title 42 expansion, MORE people would get in—except with no sponsors or vetting.” Then when that happens, Republicans can blame the Biden administration for what they actually did. It’s a nativist win-win.
Notably quiet are congressional Republicans […] Many migrants from these regions have fled to the U.S. in search of refuge, and have ended up in states including Florida, which is among the states now suing. But Marco Rubio seems to have so far said nothing about his party attacking a program that could help many of these migrants seek safety here. Marco, if you’re not too busy tweeting Bible verses, what’re your thoughts? Do you stand with this white supremacist, or Cubans fleeing persecution?
“the anti-immigrant judicial pipeline” — that’s scary. As is Stephen Miller and his America First Legal (and seemingly white supremacist) organization.
A company that makes an abortion pill filed a lawsuit Wednesday morning challenging the constitutionality of a state ban on the medication, one in what is expected to be a wave of cases arguing that the federal Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the pill takes precedence over such restrictive state laws.
The case was filed in federal court in West Virginia by GenBioPro, one of two American manufacturers of mifepristone, the first pill used in the two-drug medication abortion regimen. A ruling in favor of the company could compel other states that have banned abortion to allow the pills to be prescribed, dispensed and sold, according to legal experts. If the courts reject the company’s arguments, some legal scholars say the decision could open the door for states to ban or restrict other approved drugs, such as Covid vaccines or morning-after pills.
The case is one of a number of lawsuits testing legal arguments in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling last June overturning the federal right to abortion. Also on Wednesday, an obstetrician-gynecologist sued officials in North Carolina, which still allows abortion, challenging the state’s requirements for using mifepristone because they go beyond F.D.A. regulations on the drug. In November, abortion opponents filed a lawsuit challenging the F.D.A.’s approval of mifepristone nearly 23 years ago and asked that the courts order the agency to stop allowing the use of the drug and the second drug, misoprostol, for abortion.
Taken together, the cases underscore how pivotal medication abortion has become in legal and political battles. With pills now being used in more than half of abortions in America, and with recent F.D.A. decisions allowing patients to have pills prescribed by telemedicine and obtained by mail or from retail pharmacies, states that ban or restrict abortion are increasingly targeting the medication method.
The dueling lawsuits are a reflection of what several legal scholars predicted in a recent article: that the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision would be “a complicated world of novel interjurisdictional legal conflicts over abortion….instead of creating stability and certainty, it will lead to profound confusion.”
[…]
“A strong case can be made that state-required measures that go beyond the conditions” set by the F.D.A.’s restrictions on mifepristone “upset the complex balancing of safety and burdens on the health care system that federal law requires of the F.D.A.,” an article in the New England Journal of Medicine said.
The North Carolina lawsuit was filed by Dr. Amy Bryant, an abortion provider at the University of North Carolina. North Carolina’s restrictions include a requirement that mifepristone be taken in the presence of a physician, who must first provide state-mandated counseling to the patient and then wait 72 hours before administering the medication, said Eva Temkin, a lawyer representing Dr. Bryant in the case.
“Ultimately, F.D.A. has expressly concluded that requirements like the ones that are imposed by North Carolina are not necessary to ensure patient safety and are contrary to F.D.A. regulatory balancing,” said Ms. Temkin, who until recently was a lawyer for the F.D.A.
[…] It’s been at least two minutes since we’ve had a really striking example of It’s Okay If You’re A Republican, but considering that this particular IOIYAR may set a new record, it was almost worth the wait.
TED CRUZ: The FBI needs to search the University of Delaware and Hunter Biden’s home and business addresses
LARRY KUDLOW: What about Pence, a friend of both of ours, who found classified documents in his home?
CRUZ: Oh look, Mike Pence has explained where these came from [video at the link]
In November, attorneys working for President Joe Biden discovered a small number of documents bearing classified markings locked in a closet at what had been Biden’s office at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. Whether these documents remained classified was, and is, unknown. However, the attorneys contacted Biden, who immediately called the National Archives to let them know. Two days after the documents were first found, they were removed by the archives, who then submitted the matter to the Justice Department. Within 10 days, Attorney General Merrick Garland had appointed a team for further investigation. With Biden’s full cooperation, his homes, offices, and other storage locations were searched, including a lengthy FBI -directed search of his home in Delaware—a search that did not stop Republicans from demanding “an FBI raid on Biden.”
In spite of Biden’s full cooperation, Garland went on to appoint a special investigator to look into Biden’s handling of classified documents. For this task, Garland selected Republican attorney Robert Hur, who had been appointed as a U.S. attorney by Donald Trump and who works for a white-shoe law firm with close ties to numerous figures on the right.
What Biden did and what Pence did are separated by nothing more than a slight difference in numbers, and considering that no further search of Pence’s residences or office appears to have taken place, perhaps not even that.
[…] Donald Trump took an order of magnitude more documents that either Pence or Biden. More importantly, he engaged in obstruction when it came to returning those documents, purposely misled both the National Archives and the FBI when it came to whether or not he had the documents, and dragged the nation through months of court cases in an attempt to obscure the facts about what he had taken. He knew he had classified documents and refused to give them back.
And now, Republicans are sure to get on with investigating what’s important: Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Norway has confirmed that it is sending Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine, but did not specify numbers or timing.
Left the Netherlands off the earlier list. They are leaning toward sending 18 more Leopard 2 tanks. I’m going to attempt to get all these on a timeline when we have more details.
Thank you @POTUS for another powerful decision to provide Abrams to 🇺🇦. Grateful to 🇺🇸 people for leadership support! It’s an important step on the path to victory. Today the free world is united as never before for a common goal – liberation of 🇺🇦. We’re moving forward [posted by Zelenskyy]
Wonkette: “Adam Schiff Reminds That Twit Kevin McCarthy That He Got FBI’s Eric Swalwell Briefing Too”
Hoo boy, Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff responded today to Mister All Growned Up Speaker Kevin McCarthy kicking them off the House Intelligence Committee based on his own lies and some kind of warped sense of Even Steven he has, where if Democrats kick a lady you REALLY REALLY REALLY like [Marjorie Taylor Greene], who believes in Jewish Space Lasers, off her committees, then you get to kick the ranking member/former chair of the House Intelligence Committee off his. And if Democrats kick one of your white supremacists [Paul Gosar] off his committees after he posts a meme of him killing a Democratic member [AOC], you get to kick another powerful Democrat off the House Intel Committee, based on lies and insinuations about that members’ association with a Chinese spy.
It’s just payback. Kevin McCarthy is Donald Trump’s mewling child, and Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell investigated and impeached the living shit out of Trump and exposed what a traitor he is in front of the entire world. Twice.
By the way, that briefing McCarthy keeps talking about, where he says the FBI told him VERY STINKY things about Rep. Eric Swalwell? Rep. Adam Schiff was like, does this fuckin’ twit not realize that I’m part of the Gang of Eight, and got the same briefings he got? Therefore I’m in a position to say McCarthy is lying? Fuck.
Schiff: I do want to mention with respect to Mr. Swalwell also that as he indicated, I sat in on that briefing. When Kevin McCarthy misrepresents it and does that disservice to the American people, it is shameful. [video at the link]
Schiff said this is a “patently unfair smear by Mr. McCarthy, but that’s what he traffics in.”
Swalwell really went ham on McCarthy, it was fun to watch.
Swalwell: “You’re seeing now the fulfillment of McCarthy’s corrupt bargain w/ Marjorie Taylor Greene, somebody who declared on J5, the day before the attack on the Capitol, ‘this is 1776.’ Someone who cheered on insurrectionists … she’s going on the Homeland Security Committee” [video at the link]
In that short clip, Swalwell said this is the “fulfillment of Kevin McCarthy’s corrupt bargain […] with Marjorie Taylor Greene,” who cheered for the January 6 domestic terrorists, who visits those terrorists in jail and is very concerned about them. “The first time this person’s ever cared about the conditions of a jail is when insurrectionists are inside it,” he said. He noted that Greene is going on the Homeland Security Committee. He noted this is happening the same day GOP Rep. George Santos admitted he lied to the Federal Election Commission about that $500K “personal loan” to his campaign that did not in fact come from him.
And so much more.
Asked to respond to McCarthy’s bellyaching and wailing about how Schiff supposedly “lied” to people during the Trump impeachment — he did not — Schiff simply responded that “The cardinal sin appears to be that I led the impeachment of his master in Mar-a-Lago.” He explained how that first impeachment was for Trump betraying America and extorting Ukraine into helping him steal the 2020 election, in exchange for the protection we now all understand it desperately needs from the vile, failed shithole nation next door to it. He said McCarthy “will do the former president’s bidding, he is entirely reliant on the former president, and this is something the former president wants.”
Simple as that. Kevin McCarthy has a lot of bosses. None of them are Kevin McCarthy.
[…] Rep. Ilhan Omar also participated in the presser, though Mister Speaker Kevin does not have the power to take her off the House Foreign Affairs Committee unilaterally. In fact, it’s not at all certain Mister Speaker Kevin will have the support he needs in his caucus to do that. So here we are again, asking if Mister Speaker Kevin can even get the Republicans to vote for what Mister Speaker Kevin wants. Bless his heart.
Here is Omar calling McCarthy’s moves a “political stunt” and a “blow to the integrity of our democratic institution, and a threat to our national security.” [video at the link]
So that’s what’s happening with all that.
Isn’t being Mister Speaker fun, Kevin McCarthy? It sure looks fun.
When her two sons ask for snacks she can no longer afford, Aislinn Corey, a preschool teacher in London, lays down a blanket on the floor and plays “the picnic game.” She takes an orange or an apple collected from her preschool’s food bank and slices it in thirds to be shared.
“We do it as an activity,” she said. “So they don’t know that mummy is struggling.”
She says dinners are often reduced to “pasta pasta pasta,” and she sometimes skips the meal entirely so there is more food for her children.
As the cost of grocery shopping and heating homes have hit records in recent months, the signs of distress are everywhere. The BBC has published dozens of online recipes costing less than a pound, or about $1.23, per portion. Some schools have turned down their heaters. And many communities have opened “warm spaces” — heated public rooms for people with cold homes.
But in Britain, one of the world’s richest countries, among the most shocking signs of the cost-of-living crisis is that a growing number of workers are struggling to feed their children.
Some are heading to food banks for the first time.
“It’s atrocious that it’s working people who are coming to us,” said Vicky Longbone, a church minister who runs a food bank in Derby, in central England.
Employment growth has left Britain with fewer out-of-work households, but many of those who found work still did not reach a decent standard of living, which left them vulnerable when inflation hit a 41-year high a few months ago, and wages failed to keep up.
Austerity measures under a decade of Conservative-led governments have also eaten away at the benefits paid to many low-income families, including working households. Since 2016, Britain has had one of the highest minimum wages in the world for most workers, benefiting some of the lowest earners. But many of them still cannot find enough hours of work, and the income of low earners has grown more slowly in Britain than in some other Western countries including Germany and France. […]
Trump’s accounts, which were suspended by Meta after the Jan. 6 riot, will be reinstated “in the coming weeks” and come with “new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses.”
Former President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts are being reinstated, the social media giant Meta announced Wednesday — a little more than two years after he was suspended from the platforms over incendiary posts on the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said Trump’s accounts will be reinstated “in the coming weeks” and come with “new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses.”
Those guardrails will include “heightened penalties for repeat offenses — penalties which will apply to other public figures whose accounts are reinstated from suspensions related to civil unrest under our updated protocol. In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation,” Clegg said on the company’s website.
A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move comes weeks after the timeframe Facebook gave itself to re-evaluate the 2021 decision, and weeks after Republicans — many of whom have been critical of Facebook’s decision — regained control of the House of Representatives.
Then-House Minority Leader — and now House Speaker — Kevin McCarthy vowed to “rein in big tech power over our speech” after Facebook announced the duration of Trump’s suspension in 2021.
Trump’s presidential campaign officially petitioned the social media giant to allow Trump back on to the platform earlier this month.
“We believe that the ban on President Trump’s account on Facebook has dramatically distorted and inhibited the public discourse,” Trump’s campaign wrote in its Jan. 17 letter to Meta, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by NBC News.
A Trump adviser, who spoke with NBC earlier this month on the condition of anonymity, said the former president’s campaign was prepared to turn to his allies in the House to pressure Facebook if necessary.
“If Facebook wants to have this fight, fine, but the House is leverage, and keeping Trump off Facebook just looks political,” the adviser said.
Facebook announced in June 2021 that it was banning Trump from Facebook and Instagram until at least January 2023 for a “severe violation of our rules” stemming from his role in the Jan. 6 riot.
[…] The company’s quasi-independent Oversight Board later found the site did the right thing banning Trump, but also found it had inappropriately varied from its normal penalties when it made the ban indefinite.
Clegg later announced the ban would last until at least January of this year.
“At the end of this period, we will look to experts to assess whether the risk to public safety has receded. We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest. If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded,” he said then.
[…] Clegg added that whenever the suspension is lifted, “there will be a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions that will be triggered if Mr. Trump commits further violations in future, up to and including permanent removal of his pages and accounts.” […]
After just one day after being reinstated back on Twitter thanks to owner Elon Musk’s blanket pardon of hate figures, white nationalist and anti-Semite Nick Fuentes has once again been kicked off the platform.
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, introduced bills that, if enacted, would empower survivors of school shootings to sue Texas state agencies, allow Texas law enforcement officials to be sued for their on-the-job conduct, create a permanent compensation fund for victims of school shootings by imposing a tax on state gun sales, and repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a federal law that shields gun sellers and manufacturers from liability.
This has no chance of passing, but the bit about allowing people to sue reminds me of the stupid Texas anti-abortion law.
whheydtsays
Re: Reginald Selkirk @ #465….
The bit about repealing the Federal law protecting manufacturers and sellers is beyond stupid. No state action is going to override or repeal a Federal law. While the rest of it is interesting, one would think that the usual malfeasance laws would do what he is after.
ravensays
COVID Toll: Big Jump in Cardiovascular-Related Deaths Reported by American Heart Association
This data is from the first year of the pandemic.
It is noteworthy that you can’t blame this on the vaccines because they didn’t exist yet.
The increase was substantial and set a record for number of dead people from CV disease. “The number of deaths from cardiovascular disease in the US increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 874,613 in 2019 to 928,741 in 2020.”
“COVID-19 has both direct and indirect impacts on cardiovascular health. As we learned, the virus is associated with new clotting and inflammation. We also know that many people who had new or existing heart disease and stroke symptoms were reluctant to seek medical care, particularly in the early days of the pandemic.”
COVID Toll: Big Jump in Cardiovascular-Related Deaths Reported by American Heart Association
TOPICS: American Heart Association Cardiology COVID-19 HeartMortalityPublic Health
By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION JANUARY 25, 2023
The number of deaths from cardiovascular disease in the US increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 874,613 in 2019 to 928,741 in 2020. This represents the largest single-year increase since 2015 and is higher than the previous record of 910,000 in 2003, according to the Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2023 Update of the American Heart Association.
American Heart Association 2023 Statistical Update reports the largest increase in the number of CVD deaths in the U.S. in years, highest among Asian, Black, and Hispanic populations.
More people died from cardiovascular-related causes in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, than in any year since 2003, according to data reported in the American Heart Association’s 2023 Statistical Update.
The largest increases in deaths were seen among Asian, Black, and Hispanic people.
While the pandemic’s effects on death rates may be noticed for several years, lessons learned offer major opportunities to address structural and societal issues that drive health disparities, according to Association leaders.
During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the U.S. escalated from 874,613 CVD-related deaths recorded in 2019 to 928,741 in 2020. The rise in the number of CVD deaths in 2020 represents the largest single-year increase since 2015 and topped the previous high of 910,000 recorded in 2003, according to the latest available data from the Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2023 Update of the American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, and published today in the Association’s flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation.
“While the total number of CVD-related deaths increased from 2019 to 2020, what may be even more telling is that our age-adjusted mortality rate increased for the first time in many years and by a fairly substantial 4.6%,” said the volunteer chair of the Statistical Update writing group Connie W. Tsao, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and attending staff cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “The age-adjusted mortality rate takes into consideration that the total population may have more older adults from one year to another, in which case you might expect higher rates of death among older people. So even though our total number of deaths have been slowly increasing over the past decade, we have seen a decline each year in our age-adjusted rates – until 2020. I think that is very indicative of what has been going on within our country – and the world – in light of people of all ages being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially before vaccines were available to slow the spread.”
The biggest increases in the overall number of CVD-related deaths were seen among Asian, Black, and Hispanic people, populations most impacted in the early days of the pandemic, and brought to focus increasing structural and societal disparities.
“We know that COVID-19 took a tremendous toll, and preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have shown that there was a substantial increase in the loss of lives from all causes since the start of the pandemic. That this likely translated to an increase in overall cardiovascular deaths, while disheartening, is not surprising. In fact, the Association predicted this trend, which is now official,” said the American Heart Association’s volunteer president, Michelle A. Albert, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, the Walter A. Haas-Lucie Stern Endowed Chair in Cardiology, a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and Admissions Dean for UCSF Medical School.
“COVID-19 has both direct and indirect impacts on cardiovascular health. As we learned, the virus is associated with new clotting and inflammation. We also know that many people who had new or existing heart disease and stroke symptoms were reluctant to seek medical care, particularly in the early days of the pandemic. This resulted in people presenting with more advanced stages of cardiovascular conditions and needing more acute or urgent treatment for what may have been manageable chronic conditions. And, sadly, appears to have cost many their lives.”
According to Albert, who also is the director of the CeNter for the StUdy of AdveRsiTy and CardiovascUlaR DiseasE (NURTURE Center) at UCSF and a renowned leader in health equity and adversity research, the larger increases in the number of coronary heart disease deaths among adults of Asian, Black, and Hispanic populations appear to correlate with the people most often infected with COVID-19.
“People from communities of color were among those more highly impacted, especially early on, often due to a disproportionate burden of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and obesity. Additionally, there are socioeconomic considerations, as well as the ongoing impact of structural racism on multiple factors including limiting the ability to access quality health care,” Albert said. “The American Heart Association responded quickly at the beginning of the pandemic to address the impact of COVID-19 and focus on equitable health for all. The Association launched the first-ever rapid response research grants calling on the research community to quickly turn around transformative science; established a COVID-19 CVD hospital registry through the Get With The Guidelines® quality initiative; and also made an unprecedented pledge to aggressively address social determinants while working to support and improve the equitable health of all communities. We are empowering real change that will save lives.”
Cardiovascular disease, overall, includes coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, and hypertension/high blood pressure. Coronary heart disease includes clogged arteries or atherosclerosis of the heart, which can cause a heart attack. Known generally as ‘heart disease’, coronary heart disease remains the #1 cause of death in the U.S. Stroke continues to rank fifth among all causes of death behind heart disease, cancer, COVID-19 and unintentional injuries/accidents. COVID-19 appeared in the list of leading causes of death for the first time in 2020, the most recent year for which final statistics are available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Appropriately, this year’s statistical update includes many references to COVID-19 and its impact on cardiovascular disease. Data points and scientific research findings are inserted throughout most chapters of the document, including those related to the risk factors for heart disease and stroke such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, all of which also put people at increased risk for COVID. Many of the studies noted identify specific gender, race and ethnicity disparities.
However, disparities don’t only occur among age, sex and racial/ethnic groups, according to a special commentary authored by members of the Statistical Update writing committee. While the Statistical Update has been including various social determinants of health data in its report, the commentary noted that data from other underrepresented populations, such as LGBTQ people and people living in rural vs. urban areas of the U.S. are still lacking. The commentary authors call out the lack of scientific research and cumulative data on the impacts of social identity and social determinants.
“We know that to address discrimination and disparities that impact health, we must better recognize and understand the unique experiences of individuals and populations. This year’s writing group made a concerted effort to gather information on specific social factors related to health risk and outcomes, including sexual orientation, gender identity, urbanization, and socioeconomic position,” Tsao said. “However, the data are lacking because these communities are grossly underrepresented in clinical and epidemiological research. We are hopeful that this gap in literature will be filled in coming years as it will be critical to the American Heart Association’s goal to achieve cardiovascular health equity for all in the U.S. and globally.”
Global data
Cardiovascular disease continues to be the #1 killer globally, taking the lives of more than 19 million people around the world each year, including people of all ages, genders and nationalities. Yet, the risk factors that lead to heart disease and stroke continue to disproportionately impact certain populations in the U.S. as well as around the world.
AD
Supplemental tables in this year’s statistical update look at the trend of overall CVD-related deaths globally and regionally, and also provide the number and proportion of deaths caused by various cardiovascular diagnoses. Additionally, the supplemental tables compared all-cause deaths and CVD-related deaths attributable to various risk factors, as well as age-standardized disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs, in various countries and regions. Of special note:
Globally, ischemic heart disease and stroke represent the top two causes of CVD-related deaths and account for 16.2% and 11.6% of all causes of deaths, respectively. These rates have increased across the world over the past decade in all but two regions – North America and Europe/Central Asia. Note that ischemic heart disease is the term used in global data sources and is also known as coronary heart disease.
In 1990, ischemic heart disease represented 28.2% of all deaths in North America, dropping to 18.7% of all deaths in 2019. Stroke dropped from 7.3% of all deaths in North America in 1990 to 6.4% of all deaths in 2019.
In the region of Europe and Central Asia, ischemic heart disease dropped from 27.2% of all causes of death in 1990 to 24.4% in 2019, while stroke represented 15.1% of all causes of death in 1990 and dropped to 12.5% in 2019.
The region of East Asia and Pacific is the only region where stroke represents the highest proportion of CVD-related deaths, with the proportion of deaths increasing from 14.8% in 1990 to 18.3% in 2019. During this same time period, the proportion of deaths caused by ischemic heart disease nearly doubled from 8.1% to 15.6%.
The region of Sub-Saharan Africa noted the lowest proportion of CVD-related deaths as a percentage of all causes of death. Stroke was the leading cause of CVD-related deaths in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa in 1990, representing 3.6% of all causes, followed by ischemic heart disease (3.1%). In 2019, ischemic heart disease and stroke were both at 5.4% of total deaths.
“As the U.S. prepares to celebrate the 60th annual Heart Month in February 2023, it’s critical that we recognize and redouble the life-saving progress we’ve made in nearly a century of researching, advocating, and educating, while identifying and removing those barriers that still put certain people at disproportionately increased risk for cardiovascular disease,” Albert said. “Tracking such trends is one of the reasons the American Heart Association publishes this definitive statistical update annually, providing a comprehensive resource of the most current data, relevant scientific findings, and assessment of the impact of cardiovascular disease nationally and globally.”
Reference: “Heart disease and stroke statistics—2023 update: A report from the American Heart Association” 25 January 2023, Circulation.
DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001123
The annual update represents a compilation of the newest, most relevant statistics on heart disease, stroke, and risk factors impacting cardiovascular health. It tracks trends related to ideal cardiovascular health, social determinants of health, global cardiovascular health, cardiovascular health genetics, and health care costs. Tsao emphasized the importance of this surveillance as a critical resource for the lay public, policymakers, media professionals, clinicians, healthcare administrators, researchers, health advocates, and others seeking the best available data on these factors and conditions.
This statistical update was prepared by a volunteer writing group on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee.
State Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-AZ) has introduced a set of bills aimed at making bitcoin legal tender in Arizona and allowing state agencies to accept bitcoin.
The proposed legislation aims to recognize bitcoin as a legal form of currency in Arizona, allowing it to be used to pay for debts, taxes and other financial obligations. This would mean that all transactions that are currently done in U.S. dollars could potentially be done with bitcoin, and individuals and businesses would have the option to use bitcoin as they see fit…
johnson catmansays
re Reginald Selkirk @468: I did not see any mention in the article of a range for the laser. If it does not hit a target, how far will the beam continue until it is dissipated or diminished? Just something I always wondered when watching Star Wars or something similar where the sheer number of shots made would seem to preclude that they all hit the target. So now that laser weapons are becoming a reality, it becomes a real question.
ravensays
““One quarter” of today’s $31.4 trillion federal debt “was accumulated in the four years of my predecessor,” Donald Trump.”
Trump did more for increasing the National debt than anyone since Reagan and Bush.
It is 8 trillion USD over 4 years.
This is true.
From the Politifact article. “According to the Treasury Department, when Trump was inaugurated in January 2017, the gross federal debt stood at $19.9 trillion. When Biden took office, it was $27.8 trillion. So, the $7.9 trillion added on Trump’s watch was about 25% the amount of today’s total debt.”
Politifact calls Biden’s statement half true.
They are just wrong here.
They blame spending on Social Security and Medicare.
Social Security and Medicare are self funding programs that don’t increase the National debt at all. They are simply irrelevant.
They also claim that a lot of the annual deficit spending is due to past mandates. While this is correct, it is correct for all presidents and all presidents still get blamed for it.
If you are going to blame Biden and Obama for this, you also have to blame Trump, Bush, and Reagan as well for this.
Politifact
Joe Biden stated on January 20, 2023 in a speech at the White House:
“One quarter” of today’s $31.4 trillion federal debt “was accumulated in the four years of my predecessor,” Donald Trump.
true half-true
DEBT FEDERAL BUDGET JOE BIDEN
By Louis Jacobson
January 25, 2023
Joe Biden blames Donald Trump for one quarter of today’s debt, ignores context
IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT
• Biden’s number is accurate; about one-fourth of the total debt incurred to date came on Trump’s watch.
• However, assigning debt to a particular president is tricky, because so much of the spending was approved by decades-old, bipartisan legislation that set the parameters for Social Security and Medicare.
• A different calculation shows more debt stemming from former President Barack Obama, with whom Biden served as vice president. A third way shows Biden accumulating the most debt.
As Democrats and Republicans gird for battle over the nation’s debt limit, President Joe Biden sought to tag his predecessor, Donald Trump, with a significant share of the blame for the nation’s $31.4 trillion federal debt.
The U.S. debt has been collecting for over 200 years, and “one quarter of that debt was accumulated in the four years of my predecessor,” Biden said during a Jan. 20 event with the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Biden also touted actions on his watch to cut the yearly deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars, setting up a contrast with the debt on Trump’s watch.
We found that Biden is right on the numbers, but placing the full blame on Trump, as he seemed to do in his remark,is misguided.
According to the Treasury Department, when Trump was inaugurated in January 2017, the gross federal debt stood at $19.9 trillion. When Biden took office, it was $27.8 trillion. So, the $7.9 trillion added on Trump’s watch was about 25% the amount of today’s total debt.
The White House pointed to Trump’s support for the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduced taxes without offsetting spending cuts; the bill passed with only Republican support in Congress. The White House argued that the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act that Biden signed into law was designed to reduce deficits.
However, experts say the blame game on the federal debt is not clear-cut.
A key point that Biden glossed over is that much of the current federal debt stems from mandatory payments, such as those for Social Security and Medicare. These began spiking when the baby boom generation started drawing heavily from these programs around 2010. Not coincidentally, that’s when the federal debt began accelerating.
Generations of politicians in both parties approved and modified these programs long before Trump took office.
“It is always challenging to figure out how much spending was on whose watch,” said Steve Ellis, president of the federal budget-watching nonprofit group Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Similarly, the biggest single spikes in the federal debt came from the initial rounds of coronavirus relief legislation in 2020. Trump signed them, but they passed with broad bipartisan support.
FEATURED FACT-CHECK
Hakeem Jeffries
stated on January 8, 2023 in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press”
A “default on our debt” would be unprecedented in American history.
truemostly-true
By Louis Jacobson • January 11, 2023
“Everyone, including me, said it was worth it, and without it, things would have been worse,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the center-right American Action Forum. “So, not fair to blame Trump exclusively for something everyone thought was needed.”
Finally, it’s possible to slice the numbers in a way that makes presidential “blame” look different.
If you look at the raw amount of debt added during a presidency, Barack Obama, who governed with Biden as vice president, ranks first. Trump ranks second on this measure.
Part of the reason Obama’s figure is so much larger than Trump’s is that he served eight years, while Trump served only four. So, if you divide the debt accumulated during each president’s tenure by the number of years they served, Biden, with only two years in office, has seen the largest rise in debt, with Trump second and Obama third.
Our ruling
Biden said that “one quarter” of today’s $31.4 trillion federal debt “was accumulated in the four years of my predecessor.”
His number is accurate, but the figure leaves out important details and context. Assigning debt to a particular president can be misleading because so much of it traces back to decades-old, bipartisan legislation that set the parameters for Social Security and Medicare.
Biden’s decision to single out Trump also sets up an implicit comparison between himself and his predecessor. But other ways of analyzing the data undermine his point. One of those ways shows that Obama accumulated more debt than did Trump or Biden so far. Another way shows Biden presiding over the most debt.
Russian state media agency TASS is quoting Donald Trump this morning, so you know that Trump is right on track for his return to the world stage. He’s certainly made it crystal clear that the fate of Ukraine is one of the things voters will have in their hands if he actually makes it onto the 2024 ballot.
On his soon-to-be-abandoned social media platform, Trump delivered the following message in an early Thursday post: “First come the tanks, then come the nukes. Get this crazy war ended, now. So easy to do!”
So, so easy. Stop helping Ukraine, end sanctions against Russia, welcome Russia into their new empire, and open the new Trump Tower Moscow. It’s a perfect plan. Everyone says so. [dark humor, very dark]
In the meantime, King Tankie is showing that, even when he’s just sitting at his golf resort winning tournaments without even bothering to play, he can still make himself a useful tool for Russian propaganda. Naturally, Trump’s plan for saving Russia through immediate capitulation is boosted across social media by an army of Russia bots and MAGA accounts. […]
Unfortunately for both Trump and Vladimir Putin, as of yesterday, we’re officially past the “will they” stage of sending Western tanks to Ukraine. All that’s left is the how many and when. [Tweet and image of Britain’s Challenger 2 battle tank]
The answer to the first part of that question is still changing as more and more nations sort through their collection of idle tanks and determine what they can send to Ukraine. Even Canada is considering passing along four Leopard 2A4s out of a group of 80 that it obtained secondhand from the Netherlands in 2007. The ultimate answer to the first part of that question is certainly going to be in triple digits, and is likely to be close to 200 within the next year. [chart at the link]
What’s absolutely confirmed at the moment appears to be 14 Challengers, 28 Leopard 2s, and 31 Abrams. Both the Challengers and those first 28 Leopard 2s are likely to be in Ukraine around the end of March (that date was confirmed by both Germany and the U.K. this morning). Poland may actually get their tanks across the border first, but training is the real obstacle to moving faster. When the U.S. Abrams will appear isn’t known, but figure that it likely take at least six months before the first crews are sufficiently trained to operate and maintain the American tank. Also, there continue to be questions about just where these tanks will be sourced, which could push deliveries out further.
So 87 Western main battle tanks is the bare minimum heading toward Ukraine. However, it’s a long way from the maximum.
The actual number that is likely to come from Germany alone looks to be over 100. However, these tanks will be delivered in tranches as they are fitted out and repaired by manufacturer Rheinmetall (the actual number of functional tanks in German service at this point is thought to be around 300, and they’re unlikely to dip too far into that number). When it comes to Spain, newspapers have published both that number of 40 and a higher number of 53, neither of which is confirmed at this point. Overall, assuming everything gets confirmed, the number of Leopards comes up to over 200.
And that’s before you toss in the fact that several countries are also mulling sending older Leopard 1 tanks, and France is talking about sending an unknown number of its Leclerc main battle tank. Because the logistics issue in Ukraine isn’t complicated enough already. (Some papers are also pushing the idea that Denmark wants to send “20 Piranha tanks from Switzerland,” but if the Piranha is a tank, then a Bradley is also a tank.)
If that number seems like a lot of tanks, keep in mind that Western allies have already sent Ukraine some 450 tanks in the form of refitted Soviet-era hardware, most of them some version of T-72. Still, that’s not the biggest source of new tanks for Ukraine since the war began. If you go through the numbers at Oryx, you’ll find that Russia has “donated” 545 tanks to Ukraine.
That’s right. At this point, Ukraine has obtained more tanks from Russia than from all other sources combined. The tractor brigade has been very, very busy.
But of course, the hope is that the next group of tanks to arrive on the ground in Ukraine will be far more effective than even the best of the upgraded Soviet fleet. And hopefully, much better than Russian tanks in the hands of Russian drivers. [video of Russian tank driver comically endangering other Russian tanks and Russian soldiers]
Russian military sources seem to be aware of this, especially noting that, “Even in export versions, the Abrams M1A2 SEP v.2 variant significantly outperforms any Russian production tank.” However, those Russian experts are not really worried. Of course not. “Most likely,” experts say, “the Russian army will grind all these heavy weapons.”
How that “grinding” will happen isn’t clear. The big call appears to be for the Russian defense industry to get off their collective ass and start cranking out more weapons for Russia, especially more advanced anti-tank weapons capable of taking out Western tanks (because it’s doubtful the ones now deployed in Ukraine can do the job). There’s also this delightful paragraph.
Now Russian tanks use old Soviet shells in their ammunition, – says Pukhov. – Their capabilities are sufficient to defeat tanks such as T-64, T-72, T-80 at relatively short distances of tank battles. But the emergence of Western tanks with powerful guns, modern armor-piercing shells and fire control systems can lead to a sharp increase in the distances of tank battles. In such a duel, we may find ourselves in disadvantageous conditions. The lack of old shells may also affect. Very few new ones have been produced so far.
Sounds like there will definitely be some grinding ahead … only maybe not of those Western tanks.
Rick Scott apparently believes a key to balancing the budget is more tax breaks. He doesn’t appear to be kidding.
As Sen. Rick Scott moves forward with his re-election plans, the Florida Republican confirmed to NBC News yesterday that he still embraces his controversial “American Rescue” plan.
“I’m going to continue to push it,” the incumbent said, noting that the blueprint is still on his website.
That, of course, is the same agenda that included proposed tax increases on lower-income Americans — an idea that sparked fierce pushback from both parties — though Scott later edited that part out of his plan.
It was against this backdrop that the GOP senator, who’ll face voters next year, turned his attention to tax policy again yesterday, insisting that to balance the budget, policymakers should, among other things, “cut taxes.” [video at the link]
In fact, in remarks at a Capitol Hill press conference this week, the Floridian said he’s found it “easy” to balance budgets by simply “growing” new revenue.
This is a familiar refrain from some on the far-right: If Republicans simply cut taxes, this will fuel growth and create jobs, which will in turn lead to new revenue to offset the cost of the tax breaks. It’s a staple of GOP orthodoxy: The party doesn’t need to pay for tax cuts because tax cuts pay for themselves.
This idea has been tested repeatedly in the real world, and it’s failed every time. Most recently, Scott and other Republicans slashed taxes during the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency, and budget deficits predictably soared. In fact, GOP policymakers added trillions of dollars to the national debt, even before the Covid pandemic, thanks in large part to the tax breaks they handed the wealthy and big corporations. The stream of new revenue that the party assumed would flow into the treasury never materialized.
[…] He not only says he opposes tax increases, the senator also believes the deficit will shrink if Congress approves tax cuts.
This, of course, is the same GOP senator who became notorious for spending much of last year defending his plan that included tax hikes on those who could least afford it.
To hear Scott tell it, this is an area of expertise for him. Why he believes this is something of a mystery.
As Washington prepares for a drawn-out clash over raising the debt limit, House Republican leaders are embarking on an education campaign to make sure their members understand how the debt limit works, the consequences of failing to raise the ceiling, and the difference between a garden-variety government shutdown and a potential debt default.
Yes, education is needed. I’m not sure that some of those House Republicans are educable. They made the same mistake in 2010.
The Washington Post goes on to note that some Republicans “have made statements on social media or in interviews that show a lack of understanding about the policy details regarding the legal limit on how much the government can borrow and what could happen if that cap isn’t increased in time.” Yep, that’s what I’m seeing.
“I promised to lower costs for families and ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care,” President Joe Biden declared in a written statement issued yesterday afternoon. “Today, we received further proof that our efforts are delivering record-breaking results.”
The Democrat’s boasts were understandable. As HuffPost reported, the Affordable Care Act just racked up one of its most impressive feats in the law’s history.
More than 16 million Americans have signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, setting a new record, the Biden administration announced on Wednesday. … The 16.3 million number is not the final figure. It is likely to increase a bit as some final numbers come in from states that have longer enrollment periods and does not include a separate category of insurance ― “basic health plans” — that some states also make available. Taking into account those numbers, total signups are already above 17 million, according to Charles Gaba, who runs the website ACASignups.net.
This coincides with related data from last year that showed the nation’s uninsured rate improving to an all-time low. […]
the reform law continues to break its own record for extending health care coverage in part because the Biden administration launched an initiative to get people signed up — complete with a renewal of the navigator program — and in part because officials extended the length of the enrollment period.
But most important of all is the fact that insurance has never been more affordable than it is now: Democrats included generous new ACA subsidies in the party’s American Rescue Plan last year, with some consumers seeing their premiums fall to nearly or literally zero, and the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act kept the premium assistance in place. […]
Good news.
Reginald Selkirksays
@471 I don’t have numbers, but my understanding is that the beam(s) are focused, not columnar, and so should disperse beyond the focal point.
Russia has decided to produce a sequel to the film “Final Countdown.” In this one, tanks from World War II are transported to the present day to do battle with Challengers and Leopards. Maybe they can get Martin Sheen to do a cameo.
[…] The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense knows how to break your heart with a single image.
Since the beginning of the large scale russian invasion, at least 459 children in Ukraine have been killed, and 917 have been injured. [image of Ukrainian child holding a cat amid ruins https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1618610607166738433 ]
For the last several days, pro-Russian sites have been pushing the idea that Russia is making significant advances in the area of Vuhledar, on the southern part of the front about 50km southwest of Donetsk. Though Russian sites are claiming that they “liberated” the town, it’s unclear that any Russian forces have actually come within kilometers of Vuhledar. Instead, they’ve been bombarding the town with artillery, TOS thermobaric bombs, and over the last hours with drones and missiles as part of a nationwide wave of attacks apparently meant to punish Ukraine for their success in obtaining Western weapons.
The Russians published a video in which they destroy the Ukrainian town of #Vuhledar with the help of multiple rocket launcher TOS-1A with thermobaric warheads.
Civilians, including children, still live in the town. Russians like to destroy Ukrainians’ homes with families inside. [video at the main link]
So far as I’ve been able to determine, actual lines of control in the area have moved only slightly, with Russia taking a small area south of the town that Ukraine took at the beginning of winter, then almost immediately losing that area again. This appears to be part of the whole illusory “big Zaporizhzhia offensive” that Russia supposedly mounted around the start of the year and which has been the centerpiece of pro-Russian Telegram and Twitter for weeks. So far, Vuhledar looks to be the only part of that “big offensive” that actually exists on the ground.
As of Thursday, Russian efforts to actually enter Vuhledar appear to have generated another military disaster for Russia, with at least seven APCs and dozens of infantry lost as they tried to cross open fields. It’s unclear if they have forces on hand to make another run.
Even though Russia hasn’t taken the town, the damage being done to Vuhledar by the combination of ranged weapons is severe, and the loss of civilian lives is thought to be high. As usual, Russia seems intent on liberating Vuhledar from existence. As usual, they’re paying an enormous cost.
As usual, Moscow seems to find this a perfectly acceptable tradeoff.
Ukrainian forces in the woods just south of Kreminna repelled an attempted Russian counterattack on Wednesday, turning back Russian forces and burning through a lot of .50 cal ammo in the process. [video at the link]
However, Ukraine reportedly lost two M777 artillery guns to a strike by Russian Lancet drones, which continue to give Russia a weapon that can outrange the D30 howitzer deployed along much of the front.
[video of Russian propagandists barking at earth other]
Peter Backer’s opening paragraphs in a New York Times article:
F.B.I. agents are rummaging through President Biden’s private home. Republicans are on the attack. Democrats are reluctant to defend him. Lawyers are being hired. Witnesses are being interviewed. The press secretary is being pelted with questions she cannot or will not answer.
But amid the familiar soundtrack of scandal in Washington, the most significant cost to the president may be the opportunity cost: Even if nothing comes of the new special counsel investigation into his team’s mishandling of classified documents, politically it has effectively let former President Donald J. Trump off the hook for hoarding secret papers.
Commentary:
[…] There’s a key word in that last sentence, kind of a little clue to the issue at hand: “hoarding.” Trump has defended his possession of those documents like a dragon guarding its hoard.
The thing is, we don’t need to go through this article line by line. The flaw is in the conception. And by the time you’ve read the headline and the first couple paragraphs, it doesn’t matter what facts or distinctions are introduced because the entire piece is framed around the idea that the situations are similar enough that the differences don’t matter.
But what mattered about Trump’s document hoard was always the still-unanswered question of what he was doing with it and why it mattered to him so much that he fought to keep it. [And that Trump obstructed justice for months as federal officials tried to get the documents back.] It’s really not a difficult distinction—it’s just one that The New York Times and too many in the media seem to struggle with.
This is not a first for the Times. Let’s look back to 2015, when the Times partnered with Republican opposition researcher Peter Schweizer to release a steady stream of news from his factually challenged book, Clinton Cash. The newspaper worked hard to promote Schweizer’s allegations that Hillary Clinton had approved a deal with a Russian uranium-mining company because of speaking fees she’d gotten from players in the deal, for instance, while burying the relevant information that nine different agencies signed off on that deal and Clinton had not been the State Department official to approve it. And Schweizer’s allegations got much more play at the Times than the factual corrections that were required on his book. It was all predictable, too, since he was a partisan operative with a long record of errors and falsehoods.
That Times effort was launched around the same time as the paper’s “but her emails” obsession, which continued through the 2016 election. In 2022, the Times breathlessly promoted a “red wave” narrative to the point of downplaying its own polls showing good news for Democrats. In between, the Times extended almost endless benefit of the doubt to Donald Trump. These aren’t isolated examples, and this is all the result of decisions being made at the newspaper’s highest level about how to frame its coverage.
At this point it is clear: It is the editorial policy of The New York Times that Democrats always have a major problem. And if the facts do not support that notion, the Times will ensure that the optics do.
Trump announced on his social media platform on Tuesday that he won the Senior Club Championship at Trump International Golf Club in unincorporated West Palm Beach last weekend, despite not playing the first round of the tournament.
Members arrived the second day surprised to see Trump with a five-point lead, according to the Daily Mail. But Trump never played the first round as he was attending a funeral in North Carolina of ardent supporter Lynette Hardaway, known by the moniker “Diamond” of the conservative political commentary duo Diamond and Silk.
Trump told tournament organizers he played a strong round on the course Thursday, two days before the tournament started, and decided that would count as his Saturday score for the club championship. That score was five points better than any competitor posted during Saturday’s first round.
Are you surprised that Trump attended “Diamond’s” funeral? He delivered a eulogy that consisted mostly of him complaining about the 2020 election. So, for Trump the funeral was a campaign event.
From the summary of former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly’s book Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump:
Donald Trump loves golf. He loves to play it, buy it, build it, and operate it. He owns 14 courses around the world and runs another five, all of which he insists are the best on the planet. He also claims he’s a 3 handicap, almost never loses, and has won an astonishing 18 club championships.
How much of all that is true? Almost none of it […]
Commander in Cheat is a startling and at times hilarious indictment of Trump and his golf game. […] Trump cheats (sometimes with the help of his caddies and Secret Service agents), lies about his scores (the “Trump Bump”), tells whoppers about the rank of his courses and their worth (declaring that every one of them is worth $50 million), and tramples the etiquette of the game (driving on greens doesn’t help). Trump doesn’t brag so much, though, about the golf contractors he stiffs, the course neighbors he intimidates, or the way his golf decisions wind up infecting his political ones.
The Biden administration on Thursday announced new sanctions toward individuals and entities in the Wagner Group Russian mercenary company and its leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin.
In a news release, the State Department said the sanctions against the Wagner Group will include its key infrastructure and associated front companies, the company’s battlefield operations in Ukraine, those producing weapons for Russia, and those administering Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine.
[…] The department also said that it plans to designate five entities and one individual linked to the Wagner Group and Prigozhin, targeting a range of the company’s key infrastructure including an aviation firm used by the company, a Wagner-based propaganda organization, and Wagner front companies.
The Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also designated the Wagner Group as a significant transnational criminal organization pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13581, citing the group’s pattern of serious criminal behavior that includes the “violent harassment of journalists, aid workers, and members of minority groups and harassment, obstruction, and intimidation of UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR), as well as rape and killings in Mali.”
“These actions also advance President Biden’s plan to promote accountability for conflict-related sexual violence, which calls for federal agencies to leverage existing sanctions authorities to pursue its perpetrators,” the news release said.
The moves come after a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday introduced the Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries (HARM) Act, a proposed bill that would designate the Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). […]
As many as 1 million Ukrainians could soon receive their electricity via ship.
On Thursday morning, the state-owned electric trader JSC Energy Company of Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding with Karpowership, a Turkish-owned operator of floating power plants.
Karpowership’s floating generators are one potential means of helping Ukrainians weather damage to the electrical grid caused by escalating Russian missile attacks in recent months.
According to Karpowership, the company will provide Ukraine with up to 500 megawatts of electricity from ship-based generators.
The floating power plants — located on ships that can burn liquified natural gas, fuel oil or biodiesel — will be anchored near the coast, likely in nearby Romania or Moldova, and connected to the grid through underwater cables.
[…] Karpowership operates 36 of its Powership generators worldwide and boasts that it can deploy floating generators to shore up an overloaded grid in less than two months.
Another WTF moment courtesy of Republican members of the House of Congress:
Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.) this week railed against GOP lawmakers’ “self-serving move” and “life-threatening decision” to allow indoor smoking in the newly Republican-controlled House.
“In yet another self-serving move, Republicans have allowed smoking in public offices. It violates local and federal law and threatens the public health,” Payne said in remarks on the floor. […]
[…] Fundraising committees associated with Santos amended their filings and listed a new campaign treasurer. That guy says actually no, he does not work for Santos and they put his name down without asking him.
“On Monday, we informed the Santos campaign that Mr. Datwyler would not be serving as treasurer,” Datwyler’s attorney Derek Ross told ABC News. “It appears that there’s been a disconnect between that conversation and the filings today, which we did not authorize.”
ABC News quotes Adav Noti, who used to be general counsel for the FEC, and who now works with a watchdog called Campaign Legal Center, who explains how fuckin’ weird and maybe illegal this all is.
“This is a very, very strange situation because those amendments that were filed today are electronically signed, or at least they say they’re electronically signed by the new treasurer,” Noti said. “I don’t really understand how this could have happened.”
“It’s completely illegal to sign somebody else’s name on a federal filing without their consent. That is a big, big no-no,” Noti said.
What even the …
[…] Guess we’ll check back in on Santos when his next 48 lie scandals drop, so this afternoon or whatever.
Cluelessness courtesy of Fox News hosts: “Maria Bartiromo And Pals Rage Over A&W Root Beer Covering Up Cartoon Bear’s Wanger, Because They’re Idiots”
Yesterday, in a post about giggling bumpkin Kentucky Rep. James Comer, the Republican currently very publicly searching for Hunter Biden’s Big Dig Dong as chair of the House Oversight Committee, Wonkette asked a common question: What the hell happened to Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo? Didn’t she used to present as a halfway decent TV news person, or at least one who wasn’t just totally bugfuck?
We don’t know the answers, only God has those, but we enjoy watching her spiral.
Yesterday, she and her panel collectively fell for an obvious joke made by A&W Root Beer, which claimed that after many years of being allowed to wear no pants, its bear mascot “Rooty” would be covering up its bear bits. [Amusing A&W post is available at the link]
“Quit yer cryin!” raged Bartiromo. “I mean, what is your problem?” she asked, after her co-panelist Cheryl Casone said, “First it was M&M’s, now a bear has to wear pants,” and “This is the woke police. Cancel culture has gone ridiculous!”
Yes, something has gone ridiculous. [video at the link]
Anyone (ANYONE!) could see that was the root beer company making fun of the pretend (Fox News) outrage that the new M&M mascots don’t get Tucker Carlson and the rest of the Foxers aroused in their underpants like the old ones do, we guess. Tucker does not like how there is “obese purple M&M” that he’s pretty sure is a lesbian. (It is the peanut M&M. Tucker thinks it’s some kind of CIA-level op to encourage obesity.)
Anyone (ANYONE!) could see that A&W announcing that its pantsless six-foot-tall bear was “polarizing,” just like the M&Ms announcement about replacing its mascots with Maya Rudolph said the new mascots were “polarizing,” was a joke. They’re puttin’ pants on the bear! Woke mob gone wild, covering up cartoon bear crotch! Here, we’ll show you, in case (good for you!) you managed to miss this dumb bullshit the first time. [M&M’s post available at the link]
According to Mediaite’s reporting, the Fox Business website appears to have fallen for it first, in an extremely credulous article about the bear whose cartoon junk was no longer visible because of wokeness. Thank God, Mediaite got a screengrab: [Screengrab available at the link]
The article has now been amended at the top to say that A&W “later admitted it’s a joke,” as if there was anything people of average intelligence needed the company to admit. But we guess when you’re the butt of the joke …
Is now a good time to mention this is a joke? 😅
The rest of the Fox Business article appears largely unchanged, stating that Fox Business reached out to the company for “more details on what led to the decision to modify the mascot.” They mean why did the root beer company cover up the cartoon bear’s cartoon junk, because they were mad about the junk-covering.
Contextualizing the issue, the article stated, “M&Ms is one of many companies in recent years that has overhauled or modified its branding in the wake of political backlash,” as if M&Ms was not itself trolling them with its decision to get rid of the M&M characters that apparently don’t give Tucker a boner anymore.
And before you knew it, Maria Bartiromo and the rest of the halfwits took the football and ran with it. To be entirely fair, Mediaite says Bartiromo did ask her co-panelist James Freeman if he thought it was a joke.
Freeman and the rest of the panel went on to speculate that A&W’s statement was a play for attention.
Yes, well, that’s called marketing, children.
And sometimes marketing involves getting in on making fun of the brain-addled dipshits at Fox News who have been spending large blocks of their news coverage on how M&Ms just aren’t hot enough for them anymore. […]
Lynna, OM @ #479…
On the bit about T-34s vs. modern tanks… Sounds more like they’re trying to channel Dean Mclaughlin’s A Hawk Among the Sparrows, but from the other direction. (That story has a modern–as of when the story was written–supersonic jet flipped back to WW1 and the pilot’s difficulty in actually making his weapons effective against the aircraft of the day.)
Morning Consult released the results of a survey this week, which showed nearly half of U.S. adults believe the national economy is currently in a recession. The evidence to the contrary is simply overwhelming.
Not only is the country seeing robust job growth — the unemployment rate recently fell to a 50-year low — but the economy continues to grow at a solid pace, even as it exceeds expectations. CNBC reported this morning:
The U.S. economy finished 2022 in solid shape even as questions persist over whether growth will turn negative in the year ahead. Fourth-quarter gross domestic product, the sum of all goods and services produced for the October-to-December period, rose at a 2.9% annualized pace, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected a reading of 2.8%.
For the entirety of 2022 calendar year, the economy grew at a 2.1% pace, which is roughly in line with the GDP data we saw during much of Donald Trump’s presidency, when the Republican repeatedly told the public that Americans were experiencing the greatest economic conditions in the history of humanity.
This is also a welcome turnaround: In the first six months of 2022, the economy contracted slightly, fueling talk of a possible recession. We now know the GDP rate bounced back in the latter half of the year.
[…] The Washington Post’s Heather Long added that economic problems persist, including inflation and poverty rates, the latter of which grew after federal aid lapsed. “But to recover all jobs and output in basically two years is remarkable,” Long concluded.
Twice-impeached disgrace to humanity Donald Trump still walks among us. He still piddles about his Mar-a-Lago resort, handcuff-free, and hosts people. The hosting of people likely allows him to charge his fundraiser-driven MAGA campaign account, thus funneling the profits to himself. Maybe he doesn’t do that. But he probably does.
On Wednesday, reports came out that the monster who runs “Libs of Tik Tok,” Chaya Raichik, and Seth Dillon, who owns the Babylon Bee (a sort of pathetic conservative analogue for The Onion), got their chance to hang with Trump at his Florida resort. Raichik iss something of an uber-homophobe who puts the lives of LGBTQ+ adults and children in jeopardy with her doxxing and misrepresentation of queer people as “groomers.” Dillon’s Babylon Bee is also a right-wing purveyor of similar misinformation, with the added bonus of saying it’s a satire site while being deeply unfunny. [Yes. No true sense of humor. No understanding of how satire should work. Irony deficient.]
The plan, according to reports, is for the Donald to “wine-and-dine” various “influencers” in the hopes of creating good social media buzz for his 2024 presidential campaign. It also may be the beginnings of Trump’s inevitable return to Twitter in June—when his exclusivity agreement with the failing TruthSocial platform expires.
What has two eyes and the soulless glare of sycophancy? [example at the link, with photo]
Followup to comments 405 and 452.
From Timothy Snyder @TimothyDSnyder
In April 2016, I broke the story of Trump and Putin, using Russian open sources. Afterwards, I heard vague intimations that something was awry in the FBI in New York, specifically counter-intelligence and cyber. We now have a suggestion as to why.
The person who led the relevant section, Charles McGonigal, has just been charged with taking money from the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. […] see just how this connects to the victory of Trump, the Russian war in Ukraine, and U.S. national security.
The reason I was thinking about Trump & Putin in 2016 was a pattern. Russia had sought to control Ukraine, using social media, money, & a pliable head of state. Russia backed Trump the way that it had backed Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, in the hopes of soft control.
Trump & Yanukovych were similar figures: interested in money, & in power to make or shield money. And therefore vulnerable partners for Putin. They also shared a political advisor: Paul Manafort. He worked for Yanukovych from 2005-2015, taking over Trump’s campaign in 2016.
You might remember Manafort’s ties to Russia from 2016. He (and Jared Kushner, and Donald Trump, Jr.) met with Russians in June 2016 in Trump Tower as part of, as the broker of the meeting called it, “the Russian government’s support for Trump” […]
Manafort had to resign as Trump’s campaign manager in August 2016 when news broke that he had received $12.7 million in cash from Yanukovych. But these details are just minor elements of Manafort’s dependence on Russia. […]
Manafort worked for Deripaska, the same Russian oligarch to whom McGonigal is linked, between 2006 and 2009. Manafort’s assignment was to soften up the U.S for Russian influence. He promised “a model that can greatly benefit the Putin government.” […]
While Manafort worked for Trump in 2016, though, Manafort’s dependence on Russia was deeper. He owed Deripaska money, not a position one would want to be in. Manafort offered Deripaska “private briefings” on the campaign. He was hoping “to get whole.” […]
Reconsider how the FBI treated the Trump-Putin connection in 2016. Trump and other Republicans screamed that the FBI had overreached. In retrospect, it seems the exact opposite took place. The issue of Russian influence was framed in a way convenient for Russia and Trump.
The FBI investigation, Crossfire Hurricane, focused on the narrow issue of personal connections between the Trump campaign and Russians. It missed Russia’s cyber attacks and the social media campaign, which, according to Kathleen Hall Jamieson, won the election for Trump.
Once the issue of Russian soft control was framed narrowly as personal contact, Obama missed the big picture, and Trump had an easy defense. Trump knew that Russia was working for him, but the standard of guilt was placed so high that he could defend himself.
It is entirely inconceivable that McGonigal was unaware of Russia’s 2016 cyber influence campaign on behalf of Trump. Even I was aware of it, and I had no expertise. It became one of the subjects of my book #RoadtoUnfreedom.
The FBI did investigate cyber later, and came to some correct conclusions. But this was after the election, and missed the Russian influence operations entirely. That was an obvious counterintelligence issue. Why did the FBI take so long, and miss the point?
[…] this sort of thing was supposed to go through the FBI counter-intelligence section in New York, where tips went to die. That is where McGonigal was in charge.
The cyber element is what McGonigal should have been making everyone aware of in 2016. In 2016, McGonigal was chief of the FBI’s Cyber-Counterintelligence Coordination Section. That October, he was put in charge of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s NY office.
We need to understand why the FBI failed in 2016 to address the essence of an ongoing Russian influence operation. The character of that operation suggests that it would have been the responsibility of an FBI section whose head is now accused of taking Russian money.
Right after the McGonigal story broke, Kevin McCarthy ejected Adam Schiff from the House intelligence committee. Schiff is expert on Russian influence operations. It exhibits carelessness about national security to exclude him. It is downright suspicious to exclude him now.
Back in June 2016, Kevin McCarthy expressed his suspicion that Donald Trump was under Putin’s influence. He and other Republican members concluded that the risk of an embarrassment to their party was more important than American security. […]
The Russian influence operation to get Trump elected was real. It serves no one to pretend otherwise. We are still learning about it. Denying that it happened makes the United States vulnerable to ongoing Russian operations.
I remember a certain frivolity from 2016. Trump was a curiosity. Russia was irrelevant. Nothing to take seriously. Then Trump was elected, blocked weapon sales to Ukraine, and tried to stage a coup. Now Ukrainians are dying every day in the defining conflict of our time.
The McGonigal question goes even beyond these issues. He had authority in the most sensitive possible investigations within U.S. intelligence. Sorting this out will require a concern for the United States that goes beyond party loyalty.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is getting significant pushback for his administration’s rejection last week of an Advanced Placement course in African American studies. Yesterday, African American state lawmakers, educators, and others rallied in the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee to call for the AP course to be offered in Florida high schools. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said at the rally that if DeSantis refuses to make the class available, Crump will sue the state on the behalf of three high school honors students from Leon County who want to take the course. [Good]
[…] if he rejects the free flow of ideas and suppresses African American studies, then we’re prepared to take this controversy all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
It’s just the latest effort to fight back against DeSantis’s ongoing agenda of using culture war issues to build rightwing support nationwide as he plans a likely 2024 presidential run. DeSantis has claimed that the AP course, currently being taught as a pilot before being rolled out nationwide, is tainted by unnecessary political elements like queer theory, because no Black people have ever been LGBTQ as long as you exclude Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Bayard Rustin, and others who were not Martin Luther King, the only Black leader DeSantis pretends to admire.
DeSantis and his Education Department also cried bitterly about how the AP course was full of “critical race theory” because it might suggest that slavery, Jim Crow, and systematic racism were part of a deliberate attempt by white people to deny rights and economic freedom to people of color, which could make white children feel sad. Instead, under Florida law, we’re pretty sure Black history is limited to half of one sentence from King’s “Dream” speech, as well as a brief list of Black entertainers, athletes, Supreme Court justices who were not Thurgood Marshall, […]
The College Board, which creates Advanced Placement classes and tests that can be applied to college credits, as well as the SATs and other standardized tests, issued a press release Tuesday saying it will release its “official” framework for the African American studies course on February 1, the first day of Black History Month. That framework, the College Board said, would incorporate feedback gathered throughout the 2022-2023 pilot period of the class, which has been in development for a decade.
The press release didn’t specify that Florida’s objections were the reason for the updates to the framework; if anything, it sounds like the sort of routine boilerplate you’d get in any announcement of a coming plan:
This framework, under development since March 2022, replaces the preliminary pilot course framework under discussion to date […]
Before a new AP course is made broadly available, it is piloted in a small number of high schools to gather feedback from high schools and colleges. The official course framework incorporates this feedback and defines what students will encounter on the AP Exam for college credit and placement.
Not a word about any changes to meet DeSantis’s demands to strip out all the woke indoctrination stuff. Considering how much time and work and committee planning goes into developing a class that’s going to be available nationwide, it’s pretty freaking unlikely the College Board would even attempt a radical pruning of the course in roughly a week. […]
But hey, it said it would replace the pilot version that DeSantis rejected, so members of his administration got busy proclaiming victory. DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin exulted on Twitter that “Thanks to @GovRonDeSantis’ principled stand for education over identity politics, the College Board will be revising the course for the entire nation,” which again, is almost certainly not what happened, we will bet cash money on that.
The Florida Department of Education also issued a statement thanking the College Board for wholesale revisions that were definitely not mentioned by the College Board statement either:
We are glad the College Board has recognized that the originally submitted course curriculum is problematic, and we are encouraged to see the College Board express a willingness to amend. AP courses are standardized nationwide, and as a result of Florida’s strong stance against identity politics and indoctrination, students across the country will consequentially have access to an historically accurate, unbiased course.
As Governor DeSantis said, African American History is American History, and we will not allow any organization to use an academic course as a gateway for indoctrination and a political agenda. We look forward to reviewing the College Board’s changes and expect the removal of content on Critical Race Theory, Black Queer Studies, Intersectionality and other topics that violate our laws.
We are of course ready to say we were wrong if the final version of the AP framework released next week perfectly fits Florida’s demands, although we think it’s far more likely that DeSantis and crew will 1) reject it yet again as too dangerous for Florida teens or B) find two or three tiny changes, greatly overstate their significance, and claim victory.
In any case, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker have issued their own statements urging the College Board not to make the cuts demanded by DeSantis, which is, as we say, a far more likely outcome anyway. […] No doubt DeSantis will blame any non-revisions to the course framework on those two dangerous libs.
The Justice Department on Thursday announced it had disrupted a notorious cybercriminal group behind ransomware attacks on more than 1,500 victims worldwide and millions of dollars in extorted payment.
The announcement came amid an ongoing larger effort by the Biden administration to clamp down on ransomware attacks, which have surged in recent years and have held hostage the data of critical organizations like hospitals, governments and schools.
Justice Department personnel used a court order on Wednesday night to seize two back-end servers belonging to the Hive ransomware group in Los Angeles and took control of the group’s darknet website, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday.
Garland, at a press conference in Washington, said Hive was behind attacks in the past two years on a Midwest hospital, which was forced to stop accepting new patients and to pay a ransom to decrypt health data. While Garland did not name the hospital, the Memorial Health System in West Virginia and Ohio was attacked by Hive affiliates at the same time. Hive was also linked to an attack last year on Costa Rica’s public health service.
Hive is known to go after health care organizations, and the Justice Department, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services put out a joint alert last year warning of additional Hive attacks on health care and public health groups.
[…] FBI Director Christopher Wray said the “disruption campaign” against Hive had taken place over the past year and a half, and involved FBI personnel gaining access to Hive’s control panels in order to give victims keys to unlock their encrypted systems. Wray pressed victims of cyberattacks to come forward and inform law enforcement, noting that only around 20 percent of Hive’s victims had done so.
“A reminder to cybercriminals: No matter where you are, and no matter how much you try to twist and turn to cover your tracks — your infrastructure, your criminal associates, your money and your liberty are all at risk, and there will be consequences,” Wray told reporters.
[…] “The disruption of the Hive service won’t cause a serious drop in overall ransomware activity, but it is a blow to a dangerous group that has endangered lives by attacking the health care system,” John Hultquist, the head of Mandiant Threat Intelligence at Google Cloud, said Thursday. He noted that a new competitor will likely be “standing by” to take Hive’s place.
“Actions like this add friction to ransomware operations. Hive may have to regroup, retool, and even rebrand,” Hultquist said. “When arrests aren’t possible, we’ll have to focus on tactical solutions and better defense. Until we can address the Russian safehaven and the resilient cybercrime marketplace, this will have to be our focus.”
Good afternoon (or evening/night/morning as your locale may dictate).
Went to visit my elderly parents in Maine. And my sister. I arrived on Friday (the 13th). My sister began to feel sick on Saturday. I, and my mother and father, began to feel ill on Monday night. On Tuesday, my sister took a covid test. Positive. Within an hour, we had all tested positive.
What are the odds? With about a week-long gestation period before symptoms, my sister and I had to have been independently infected. Me in Pennsylvania, her (and my parents) in Maine. I called my doctor who called in the antiviral to a local pharmacy and started in Tuesday night.
I drove home, just under 600 miles, on Wednesday. With covid (yes, I masked and distanced and washed and disinfected my hands the whole way down). I slept Thursday. And Friday. And by Saturday felt like I was almost fully recovered. I tested negative on Sunday.
This is the second time I have had covid. Possibly the third. The Paxlovid is vicious stuff but it certainly works. The last time I had confirmed covid, it took me three weeks to even function again.
Anyway, that is why I disappeared for a while.
===========
While up in Maine, I made mussels and clams over linguine, using locally sourced seafood. I made German sausage (from the Alpine in Honesdale, PA) over sauerkraut, apples, and onion. I also made sauerbraten. My parents like it when I am there as they get almost gourmet food with very little effort.
The time it takes for an infected person to develop symptoms after an exposure is shorter for the omicron variant than for previous variants — from a full week down to as little as three days or less, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
In fact, prior immunity may play a role in symptoms appearing sooner after infection. That’s because the immune cells attacking the virus, rather than the virus itself, can be the cause of symptoms.
Oggie: Mathomsays
@497: So I might have gotten it there. Interesting. Something else I can blame on my older sister.
Thanks for the nice new thread!
From today’s Guardian Ukraine liveblog:
From today’s Guardian US liveblog:
Nightmarish stuff from France 24 – “Maria Lvova-Belova, la ‘sauveuse’ russe qui déporte les enfants d’Ukraine.”
New podcast episode – NBN – “Richard Wolin, Heidegger in Ruins: Between Philosophy and Ideology“:
The book was released yesterday. Two points: First, I question the status accorded to Heidegger in philosophy. Second, this is yet another work confirming many of the worst accusations about Heidegger; the more that’s publicly available (and accurately translated), the worse he’s revealed to have been.
Here’s an LARB article by Wolin from August – ““The Leprosy of the Soul in Our Time”: On the European Origins of the ‘Great Replacement’ Theory.”
New York state Republicans have now joined the Nassau County Republicans in calling for George Santos to resign, as has NY Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito. I believe I heard that the party is encouraging people in the district to direct their issues to D’Esposito.
Santos tweeted:
Were you, though? Were “you” elected?
What does he think his local office is supposed to be doing? Usually local offices assist constituents with access to federal programs and coordinate with people who want nominations to service academies. They do not handle law enforcement and they do not set store prices.
Barbara Lee tells lawmakers she’s running for Senate
https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/10-norway-donated-bridges-to-be-installed-in-liberated-parts-of-ukraine
I recall reading about a company that was making temporary bridge segments out of railroad flatcars 30 or 40 years ago. Would seem to be just what Ukraine could use and could probably do the–rather minimal–conversion work themselves.
Re: Reginald Selkirk @ #7…
I consider Barbara Lee rather past her “sell by” date for that job at 76. By the time she took office, she’d be 78 and at the end of a full term, 84.
House Republicans to vote on bill abolishing IRS, eliminating income tax
Why are they dealing with this triviality before tackling the important work of investigating Hunter Biden’s laptop?
Barak Ravid in Axios (quite a contrast between his lucid writing and their perverse template and formatting) – “Israeli opposition calls for protests over Netanyahu’s judicial reform plan”:
Followup to Reginald’s comment #10.
See:
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2022/10/13/infinite-thread-xxv/comment-page-9/#comment-2164213
This is comment 243 in the previous chapter of this thread. Here is an excerpt:
Ukraine update: Russia replaces another failed war commander while Ukraine gets its battle tanks
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
Chicago Sun Times:
With Illinois added to the list, there are now nine states in the USA that have taken this step.
New York Times:
Link
More at the link
Seventeen House Republicans will now serve as powerful committee chairs. Eleven of them voted to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Followup to comment 13.
Additional updates from Ukraine:
Oh FFS.
Shady firm that built crumbling private border wall is awarded massive contract by Texas
Second batch of classified Biden documents found
Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78
“Sarah Huckabee Sanders Spends First Day As AR Governor Being Dishonest A-Hole. Surprise!
She banned ‘Latinx’ on government forms, because she cares so much about cultural sensitivity.
Beck’s Bolero (remastered)
Re #19 – here’s the National Butterfly Center’s thread about the DoJ settlement.
Key phrase from the settlement: “would effectively slide, overturn, and become buoyant.”
Canada Girl Guides drops ‘Brownies’ name after it’s deemed offensive
“Elliott’s ear tag read ‘MEAT’, but that label wouldn’t be his destiny thanks to his courageous escape from a live market in Brooklyn.
He’s especially trusting for everything he’s been through, & reminds everyone he’s more than a word on an ear tag. Happy anniversary, Elliott!”
Photos at the (Twitter) link.
TPM – “Inside George Santos’ Madcap Campaign: ‘Things Were Not On The Up And Up’.”
“President Raisi reiterates #Iran’s readiness to help end #Ukraine war”
The (Twitter) graphic is funny.
“What’s the story, morning glory?”
“What’s the tale, nightingale?”
Kyiv Independent:
Y’all do realize that by labelling this thread “Red” we’re all gonna get hauled before Rep. Jim Jordan’s new
HUACcommittee concerning the Weaponization of the Federal Government, don’t you?“Are you now, or have you ever been, a godless scientist?”
“Name all godless scientists known to you. Right now, you godless commie pinko TRAITOR! Or I’ll blacklist you, and you’ll never work in Hollywood again!” (“Excuse me, sir, I know all too many of them so that sounds like a reward…” “Shut up and name names, you weasel!”)
Have you any shred of decency, sir? (On all available evidence, I’d say not.) The irony of the new meaning of “better dead than Red [State]” appears to have escaped notice by the chattering classes… and too many of my fellow military officers (current and past).
Next, Jim Jordan will grill Santa Claus, that red creep who gives things away.
A very privileged person, but it is fascinating to get a look inside a dysfunctional obsolete institution.
Also, he seems sympathic, with his comittment for veterans.
https://youtu.be/E610ObY2XVM or
https://youtu.be/E6l0ObY2XVM
@1. SC (Salty Current) :Seconded.
Seconded.
One more time. One more time.Thankyou Tim Minchin. You. Legend. Truth. Sung.
Pell didn’t come home. Didn’t sue Tim MInchin. Didn’t tell the truth. Never faced the victims. Died a coward and hypocrite and scum. Sheltered by his enablers and fellow child abuse, child rape coverer-uppers – the Vatican. World’s most disgraced religion / Overgrown cult. The world’s most notorius and yet to be taken down child sex trafficking gang. Time they were raided and arrested. All of them that committed and covered up and were accomplices and enablers and, oh yeah, child rapists.
Times i wish there was hell..
Almost.
More songs & music videoclips I love & hope others will too.
Wildflowers byThings of Stone & Wood
Plus
So long & thanks for all the fish – perfect Circle
WARNING : Potentially upseting imagery, suicide & atomic war imagery.
In addition to :
Fingertips – Things of Stone & Wood
Here’s a link to today’s Guardian (support them if you can!) Ukraine liveblog. From there:
An update from last night at the DKos report linked @ Lynna’s #13 links to this WarTranslated piece about the battles around Bakhmut. Kos notes: “Interesting interview with a Ukrainian sergeant withdrawn from the Soledar fight because of frostbite. Even with a healthy dose of skepticism (propaganda is a thing), there are some interesting nuggets.”
Also in the Guardian:
“Chinese warned not to visit elderly relatives as Covid spreads from cities”:
“Exclusive: more than 70 US and Brazilian lawmakers condemn Trump-Bolsonaro alliance”:
“‘A little life update for 2023’: Naomi Osaka announces pregnancy”:
Also :
Confounds the Science – Parody Project
As well as :
Van Diemans land – U2
And :
Why shouldn’t I get emotional the bush is “sacred” – John Williamson
I can’t explain it. You have to go there and be there and know and experience it yourself.
It is.
Nothing supernatural,. Just ecology, nature, experience, knowledge and love.
US Inflation Cools Again, Putting Fed on Track to Downshift
So if President Biden was solely responsible for the inflation spike last year, does this mean that he is solely responsible for bringing it back under control? Will Fox News devote as much programme time to low inflation as they did to high inflation? Will the GOP admit that the US economy has grown faster during the last two years than at any time during the Trump administration? Will giant winged porcupines fly backwards out of my arse?
How you know they are serious (/s):
UAE names oil chief to lead COP28 talks
Huge rare earth elements deposit in Arctic Sweden
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand launches reelection bid
Michigan’s Muslim-majority city council approves animal sacrifice for religious purposes
birgerjohannsson@33,
There’s a good review of Harry’s ghostwriter’s book here: ‘I was alone. Abandoned. With only a hundred million in the bank’.
Detroit Free Press
Hamtramck council approves Islamic animal sacrifices at home
Niraj Warikoo / January 11, 2023
Ukraine update: Russia’s propaganda attack is far bigger than the actual assault on Soledar
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
@SC (Salty Current) and others: Why aren’t there a lot of people shouting for professional liar Santos to show his original birth certificate?? His statement should have read ‘I was elected by the people based on my fraud’
And, while I have great respect for the ethics and morality of many of my Jewish friends, the Netanyahooo Israeli theocracy just made it illegal to fly the Palestinian flag. WTF.
Followup to Reginald @7.
NBC News
“Donald Trump is lashing out at special counsel Jack Smith in increasingly hysterical ways. These are not the actions of someone expecting exoneration.”
Commentary:
Link
@20 Reginald Selkirk Second batch of classified Biden documents found
My org. does not support the insanity of the Repugnantcants. But, we cannot support the Crpaitallist Corporate Dems either. And, it was obvious that biden is a braindead cardboard cutout of a corp. shill. His (and his staff’s) incompetence has given the repugnantcant aholes an excuse (not accurate, but an excuse anyway) for their ‘both-sides-ism’ of the classified documents issue. The waters in this shithole country are too muddy for any honesty to prevail.
Classified documents:
Link
These two stories about classified documents are not the same.
Sigh.
Link
@ 52 Lynna, OM, you are right. The stories are not the same. However, the main slime media will not provide the whole stories to compare. And, few people will bother to learn that. Too many people will see the misleading headlines and say, ‘See , both sides do it.’ However, what I said about biden and his staff’s incompetence has given the repugnantcant aholes an excuse (not accurate, but an excuse anyway) for their ‘both-sides-ism’ of the classified documents issue. The waters in this shithole country are too muddy for any honesty to prevail.
@ 53 Lynna, OM, There is a tragic truth to that renaming. The repugnancants don’t want an ‘educated’ populace. All they want are mindless worker bees.
Followup to comment 47.
More updates from Ukraine:
George Santos:
Link
“According to a Justice Department court filing, there’s even evidence that classified documents held at Mar-a-Lago were “likely concealed and removed” before the FBI search to retrieve them.
Based on everything we know, none of this applies to Biden. That remains the bottom line, and it hasn’t budged.”
Well, if your opponents are fascists who seek to establish a kleptocrat theocracy backed by Russia and transnational crime syndicates, then just maybe you should be extra careful to not give them any kind of ammunition that makes it easy for them to run a “but her emails” kind of campaign against you, so that traitor Garland can now be instrumentalised to investigate you. Just saying.
Twitter Employees Escorted Out of Singapore Office
DeSantis ignores FDA medication abortion rule, threatening providers with criminal charges
Holy hell, the Infinte Thread still exists?!
Yes.
I rediscovered it about two months ago.
Weird, isn’t it? Some of the old crowd, some of the new crowd. Like magnets. You can’t explain that.
Incredible.
I think it was hiatusized for a few years. Not sure. I kinda fell out of touch after the broken back. And then the broken neck. And then becoming a grandfather. And retiring.
I hope many here find this article by Bill Berkowitz interesting, informative and helpful:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/12/2146857/-Where-The-Wild-Things-Are-The-Many-Faces-of-Christian-Nationalism
US Navy veteran released from Russian custody
Welcome back to PZ’s Infinite Thread @61 Audley Z Darkheart, @62 Oggie: Mathomand and others.
You are just in time to comment on the ongoing apocalypse going on outside this refuge of relative sanity. (I’m a relative newcomer here, but appreciate PZ and all who make constrictive contributions)
Nebraska Gov. Pillen appoints former Gov. Pete Ricketts as Ben Sasse’s Senate replacement
Holy hell, the Infinte Thread still exists?!
Hi Audley! Yup, Lynna is our fabulous curator, though clearly multiple horde members contribute various news. Sadly, it’s much less social than TET was, but it’s great for current events and Ukraine updates.
Anti-Pamthalassa:
So did this thread evolve out of the old thread curated by Lynna that focused on politics?
Damnit! That’s Anti-Panthalassa, not Anti-Pamthalassa. Sorry, Tethys. I ruined my attempted semi-joke.
Audley Z Darkheart @ 61:
I was amazed, as well, when I re-found it maybe 2 weeks (more? less? what is Time, anyways???) ago. :)
Mostly, I lurk, scanning the surrounds for Horses and marauding hordes of peas.
_
what is Time, anyways???
An herb. Very good on buttered peas.
All Hail HTMaLia, Acolyte of Tpyos.
The James Webb telescope found ‘Green Pea’ galaxies in the early universe
Reginald Selkirk:
That is cool. The red shift is impressive. The only way I can get my green peas to look red is to douse them in Frank’s Red Hot (one of about ten different hot sauces I use (Frank’s just goes really well with peas)).
It tickles me to think that the mass Twitter exodus might be impacting Pharyngula, too…
Oggie @70: “So did this thread evolve out of the old thread curated by Lynna that focused on politics?”
Yes, sort of. PZ changed the Moments of Political Madness thread to be more encompassing, and thus the resurrection of The Infinite Thread.
We adhere to all of PZ’s usual rules, like avoiding gendered slurs, and in addition we do not advocate violence in any way. Do not advocate violence as a joke, or as satire. Just don’t do it.
Followup to comment 78: Don’t embed YouTube or other videos in this thread.
Each “chapter” of The Infinite Thread runs for 500 comments and then it automatically renews … until it hits a certain Freethought Blogs time limit and then PZ has to resuscitate it.
I usually notice when the thread hits the time limit, and then I send email to PZ asking him to bring us back to life. For this current chapter, I didn’t have to do that. PZ noticed without any prompting.
@Oggie
So did this thread evolve out of the old thread curated by Lynna that focused on politics?
I don’t know exactly? I too was busy with a shit tonne of tragedy and loss for a few years, so I was absent from Pharyngula for several years. I miss Caine. :(
Grand babies are truly wonderful creatures. I adore being Grummy. Don’t worry about the joke, I got it anyway and the offering to typos was obviously mandatory. Traditions must be upheld, even if we retired the porcupines.
NBC News:
Commentary:
Link
Link
George Santos was a small time petty crook, running a variety of scams to eke out a living. Then a year ago, his fortunes changed dramatically.
He managed to raise and spend millions to get elected to the House of Representatives.
No one knows where that money came from or where it went.
But the authorities are on their way to finding out.
At this point, it looks like numerous campaign finance laws were broken.
No surprise.
George Santos is not at all concerned with any rules or laws.
The Mysterious, Unregistered Fund That Raised Big Money for Santos
McCarthy gave the farm away to be speaker
As usual the GOP hasn’t thought things through very far.
Both of the abortion drugs have important non-abortion uses.
Misprostol is commonly prescribed to people who have problems with gastric ulcers.
The GOP always goes a long way out of their way to increase the suffering of the people they govern.
Wonkette: “Did Joe Biden Just Fix Student Loan Debt Going Forward? Mayyyyybe!”
Re: Ukraine Update at 18
Finland hasn’t pledged anything specific, but supports collective action to organize a fleet of Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine.
There is currently discussion on how much we could/should contribute in this project. It’d be likely only a few tanks, or possibly just training/maintenance assistance. There’s the argument that countries that aren’t physically neighboring Russia, like Germany, should give up the actual tanks needed.
Uh-oh.
About all those flight cancellations in the USA yesterday:
Wonkette link
Satellite images hint at Covid outbreak’s true toll in China.
China is just refusing to count the Covid-19 virus dead.
It’s estimated that by April 2023 there will be 1 to 1.7 million dead from this wave of the pandemic.
“Until the pandemic is over, “it is impossible to identify the exact death rate,” he said at a news conference in Beijing.”
This isn’t even remotely true.
It is simple and routine to count the dead. Being alive or dead is a binary condition.
Satellite images hint at Covid outbreak’s true toll in China
About all those flight cancellations in the USA yesterday:
Wonkette link
‘Not An Accurate Description’: MSNBC Anchor Chides Reporter for Using ‘Pro-Life’ On-Air
Followup to comment 89.
The software blamed for FAA outage is three decades old and years from an upgrade, official says
This system, installed in 1993, runs the Notice to Air Missions system, or NOTAM, which sends pilots vital information they need to fly.
Estimate says 19 million US adults have long COVID
I didn’t realize I had.
Sorry.
I’ll back away.
Speaks for itself.
I can’t even…
Poland is Europe’s next great military power.
They are spending large amounts of money on advanced weapons systems.
This is typical of former captive nations of the old Soviet Union.
The Polish have suffered greatly from Russian imperialism over the centuries, even before the USSR. The last Russian invasion came close to ending them forever when Stalin and Hitler divided Poland up before WW II.
Now that they are out from under the Russians, they all say “never again”. This is their big chance to get rid of Russia forever and they are going to take it.
Poland is Europe’s next great military power
Poland is Europe’s next great military power
One nation has learned the lessons of the Russian invasion
January 11, 2023 | 10:18 pm
Written by: John Pietro
As Russia’s war in Ukraine rages into its eleventh month, there is one country that can truly be said to have learned its lesson: Poland. By the mid-2030s, when the majority of its equipment purchases have been delivered, Warsaw will command one of the most modern, well-equipped armies in Europe. It’s not cheap, but Poland is taking decisive action to be able to face the threats of tomorrow.
Poland’s $20.5 billion 2023 defense budget is a huge increase over the previous year, and is over 3 percent of gross domestic product (well above the NATO-suggested 2 percent). Aside from equipment, this money will be used to help expand the manpower that Poland can bring to bear, upping its active-duty forces from 140,000 to 300,000 troops. For a country of about 38 million, this is a significant fighting force.
On the equipment front, 2022 was something of a military renaissance for Poland, seeing Warsaw pursue billions of dollars worth of new advanced weapons. While the US was a major sender, a large share of the equipment was also sourced from South Korea, whose arms industry does not have the backlogs that America’s does. That, however, is not a bad thing: Seoul’s weapons are just as advanced as those offered by Washington.
In July, Poland said that it would buy 1,000 K2 Black Panther main battle tanks and 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers (SPH). In August, Poland and South Korea finalized a contract worth $5.76 billion for 180 K2s and 212 K9s, with deliveries to be finished in a few years. Some have already reached Polish soil.
Tanks are not just coming from Seoul, though. In two separate deals, the Poles purchased 250 of America’s most advanced Abrams variant, the M1A2 SEPv3, and 116 of the older M1A1 variant, worth $4.75 billion and $1.4 billion respectively. This alone would more than double the number of modern Western tanks in Polish inventory. Add 1,000 K2s and Poland’s tank fleet will be virtually unmatched on the Continent.
But if there’s one weapon system the Russian invasion has proven is key on the modern battlefield, it is long-range rocket systems. Poland plans to purchase 288 K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) from South Korea, which are comparable to the HIMARS of Ukraine fame. But the Poles want the HIMARS too, with Warsaw set to have 220 once all are delivered. To put these numbers in perspective, the US had around 400 HIMARS in 2022 (though it will be raising that by 500 soon enough).
Poland’s helicopter fleet, which is still dominated by Soviet-era equipment, is also getting major upgrades. In July, Warsaw purchased 32 new AW149 choppers from Italy for $1.83 billion, which is more or less comparable to the American Blackhawk helicopter. The game-changing purchase, however, was the September decision to purchase 96 Apache attack helicopters from the United States. The capabilities of the Apache are well-documented, having seen massive success against Iraq in 1991 and in its numerous deployments since. A force of 96 will mean Poland will have the largest attack helicopter fleet in NATO after the United States and Turkey.
Finally — and this still only scratches the surface — Warsaw is procuring a brand-new short-range air defense system of the kind that has proven invaluable in defending Ukrainian airspace. The new acquisition will consist of 23 systems, and will allow the Poles to ditch more of their Soviet-era air defense. Defending critical infrastructure and military sites is much harder in the age of drones, so this purchase would pay dividends in any conflict.
There is so much more Poland is doing, from modernizing its army’s service rifles to purchasing F-35s and South Korean jets. But the point is clear: Poland is willing to act on threats to its security in a way very uncharacteristic for European nations post-1991. This is not to discredit the huge strides countries like Germany have made since the Russian invasion, but the Germans have yet to undertake the scale of action that Poland has.
In the coming decades, assuming Poland stays the course and remains stable economically, Warsaw will be able to play a much larger role in NATO than its size would indicate. The security implications for Europe are immense, not least because Poland will be able to act as a firewall against any Russian attack (importantly, Poland borders Russia’s militarized Kaliningrad Oblast). Warsaw’s tank fleet is particularly notable, because such a force would be necessary to break through the Suwalki Gap and reach the Baltic States if Russia ever attacked NATO.
Poland’s military strength will offer Eastern Europe a bit of relief. Nations at the alliance’s flank have long been worried about NATO’s ability to defend them effectively. Warsaw has been an assertive player in the East, particularly in supporting Ukraine, and the other countries in the region — particularly the Baltics — will be able to find some solace in the fact that a stalwart nation like Poland has the capacity and the willingness to stand up to Russia.
Warsaw’s military buildup is an unquestionably expensive endeavor, but it is also a necessary one. And it is certainly less costly than if deterrence were to fail.
Oggie @93, oh no … miscommunication. I did not mean to say that you had in any way broken that rule. It’s just a rule I’ve had to repeat multiple times in the past. I was trying to be thorough while discussing this thread—in case newcomers needed more information. I goofed up. Please accept my apologies.
Trump discussed using a nuclear weapon on North Korea in 2017 and blaming it on someone else, book says
In a new section of his book on Trump’s presidency, The New York Times’ Michael Schmidt details John Kelly’s tenure as White House chief of staff from July 2017 to January 2019.
Washington Post:
They passed a measure requiring women in the chamber to conceal their arms.
WTF?
Missouri Republicans adopt stricter House dress code — but just for women
re Lynna @98: Perhaps those Missouri republicans would also like the women to cover their hair and faces with scarves so that the men would not be driven insane by the women’s irresistible sexuality.
Czech presidential vote
Tweet (thread) o’ the day.
New podcast episodes:
Guardian – “How a far right assault on Brazil’s democracy failed”:
(Also from the Guardian: “Lula says he suspects pro-Bolsonaro staff helped mob enter presidential palace.”)
If Books Could Kill – “The Secret”:
GOP House’s first immigration bill would shut off asylum to all migrants, including children
Republican candidate’s wife arrested, charged with casting 23 fraudulent votes for her husband in the 2020 election
House Republicans want to un-impeach Donald Trump, and Kevin McCarthy is weak enough to let them
A side comment on the classified documents:
This is not a defense of anyone mishandling classified documents, but there’s a hippopotamus in the room: Were the documents properly classified in the first place? Once upon a time, I had responsibility for such, and (a) about 70% of what came in front of me was overclassified, and (b) at least 40% didn’t merit any “classification” at all under the rubric spelled out in (then-effective) DODR 5200.1, or any of the related executive orders… and the definitions for what qualifies for each of the three levels (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret) haven’t changed since 1947. So I’m pretty confident that things have only gotten worse.
None of which excuses mishandling material bearing clear markings. Rule 11.2: Even when one “knows” material is improperly classified, one handles it as marked until the appropriate authorities revise the markings.
Some of what has been disclosed as having been retrieved from Mar-a-Lago was compartmented material (still Top Secret — there isn’t an “above Top Secret” — but requiring greater demonstration of “need to know” than normal; I can neither confirm nor deny the nature or existence of any such knowledge, past or present access, etc.). There haven’t been any such public disclosures regarding material turned over voluntarily by Biden’s people, or any indication of continued personal access. Both could change, but from the perspective of a former Security Manager for [redacted], [redacted], [redacted], AWACS, and [redacted] units and above I know where I’d put my investigative resources… until I learn more, anyway. I’d continue looking at both, but not equally.
Not that surprising or new but confirmation of criminal witholding of predicted knowledge whilst denying its truth here :
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-13/exxon-mobil-accurately-predicted-global-warming/101854578
Also from our ABC news, another one for the ACAB files :
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-13/nt-police-officer-charged-assault-making-threat-to-kill/101854746
Whilst the Catholic extremist Christianist Premier of NSW has a disgusting secret revealed :
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-12/dominic-perrottet-apologises-for-wearing-nazi-costume-to-21st/101849280
Ben Shapiro’s movie considered “too woke” for conservative audiences: https://god.dailydot.com/ben-shapiro-movie/
Pedro Castillo, Peru’s deposed president, may have been incompetent and his deposition may have been legally justified, but protests against his deposition have been met with deadly police violence, and it appears his vice-president, who took over, has alllied herself with far-right forces.
Once in a millennium stellar eclipse for Gaia17bpp here :
Source : https://www.space.com/dusty-white-dwarf-star-dimming-once-in-lifetime
With spectacular space art.
Interesting new exoplanet idea on the formation of super-earths here :
Source : https://www.space.com/super-earth-alien-planet-formation-explanation
Fascinating article on how a couple of Queensland swamps reveal our bushfire related climate history :
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-01-13/bushfires-australia-history-lakes-sediment-cores-charcoal/101588236
Twitter API appears to be down, breaking Tweetbot and third-party clients
Brazil police find draft decree intended to overturn election result in former Bolsonaro minister’s home
Ancient Americans Crossed Back into Siberia in a Two-Way Migration, New Evidence Shows
Re 113: A “scattering of archaeological evidence”? IIRC, the distribution of Inuit languages also extends from Alaska slightly to the Asian side of Bering Strait.
Tesla is having trouble selling its cars right now.
It is a variety of factors including the economy.
But not mentioned in this article is that Elon Musk has come out of his cave after buying Twitter and people have taken a hard look at him and don’t like what they see.
I’ve also read that people are taking a hard look at Tesla cars and they have some problems as well. HIgh price for what they are which is a car, inconsistent build problems, and a plain interior are common complaints. The self driving feature doesn’t work as a self driving feature.
Tesla Cuts Prices Sharply as It Moves to Bolster Demand
Just today I heard a new rocket launch facility was formally opened at an existing space research centre near Kiruna, in Sweden’s far north:
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230113-sweden-inaugurates-new-satellite-launch-site
Paul Ryan: Trump is a ‘proven loser’
Ryan was Mitt Romney’s running mate in 2012 so he knows something about losers.
A reminder: when he is not selling NFTs and dodging court cases, Trump is running for re-election in 2024.
Trump’s Shortlist of VP Picks All Have One Thing in Common
Donald Trump’s company sentenced to pay $1.61 million penalty for tax fraud
Virginia lawmaker introduces legislation to count fetus as passenger in HOV lanes
Bolsonaro party boss says violent Brasilia protesters will be expelled
This is a step the Republican Party never took. It hasn’t expelled anyone and has done its best to block investigation and prosecution of participants.
Bipartisan duo reintroduces bill banning members of Congress, family from trading individual stocks
“‘Putin is crazy’: Chinese officials back away from Kremlin amid grave concerns over Russian President’s mental state”
Or so this article claims.
Since it can’t be confirmed or not, I wouldn’t fully trust it.
But it is at least plausible.
Most of the world has condemned the Russian attempted genocide of Ukraine and Ukrainians.
The Chinese risk being part of the new Evil Empire of outcast states that includes Russia, Syria, Serbia, and Iran.
Russia is on track to be the North Korea of Europe for the forseeable future.
As far as I’m concerned, the USSR’s best idea was to build the Iron Curtain.
We are now at the point, where rebuilding the Iron Curtain is the West’s best idea.
‘Putin is crazy’: Chinese officials back away from Kremlin amid grave concerns over Russian President’s mental state
Ukraine update: Why Bakhmut is not a strategic goal, but is vitally important to Ukraine
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
New Report on Antisemitism In U.S.
January 13, 2023
Religion Clause
Re: raven @ #123…
I suspect that Putin’s problem is that, like so many people who have–or want–absolute control, he is being fed “information” that he wants to hear. He is not being provided with an accurate assessment of the conditions “on the ground”, either militarily in Ukraine, nor about the state of the Russian economy.
An obvious result of this is that the orders issuing from him have little bearing on actual events and conditions. Plus, it will likely only get worse as those around him try to cover up failures, or even minor mis-steps, and Putin’s view of what is going on diverge from reality more and more over time.
One is reminded of one of the exercises for managers that Gerald Weinberg included in his book, “The Secrets of Consulting.” Draw a chart for your organization showing the formal lines of communication. Now add the informal lines of communication. If both sets of lines are the same, get out there on the floor and find out what’s really going on.
Calling politicians ‘clowns’ is a disservice to clowns – yes, really
Trump’s longest-serving Chief of Staff did not realize they made men at Trump’s level of stupid.
Kevin McCarthy tried to explain why he’ll block specific Democrats from serving on the House Intelligence Committee. His pitch went surprisingly badly.
Link
The Republican Party has a platform, and that platform is vengeance.
Anti-LGBTQ attitudes show up again in Idaho:
Link
Link
Yeah, forget about Kayne, Trump, and Fuentes. The REAL antisemitism that threatens Jews is pointing out that Israel is a genocidal ethnostate. Nothing fascist about Netanyahu and Co. at all.
Yeah, who WOULDN’T want to spend time with the cheerleaders for an apartheid state?
People do confuse or forget about the professional versus metaphorical clowns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clown_society
Researchers May Have Uncovered the Long Lost Ancient Temple of Poseidon
Idaho Lawmaker Says Milking Cows Taught Him a Lot About ‘the Women’s Health Thing’
Ukrainian-made attack UAV with range of 1,000 kilometres already tested
Explosions ring out in Berdiansk, occupiers state Russian-appointed governor’s car was blown up
Re: Reginald Selkirk @ #136…
One might well wonder if the demonstration will start by asking said leadership if there is anything Russian in range they’d particularly like to be rid of.
16 Michigan GOP electors sued over documents claiming Trump won 2020 election
CBP seized drugs and weapons valued at nearly $440 million at Texas ports of entry, no thanks to GOP
Good news: CDC and FDA find no increased risk of ischemic stroke for elderly who get Pfizer’s bivalent booster
NBC News:
Just a note† on Israel, Palestinians, settlements, tribalist/royalist decrees, etc.: in the Levant:
(a) Two wrongs don’t make a right. No, three don’t, either. Don’t just keep adding on, it’s not going to change the answer (it’s not some moral/ethical variant on modular arithmetic). That goes for everyone involved.
(b) It is not the privilege of the bullied to become the bully. That it happens (far too often) doesn’t make it healthy or right, concerning individuals or groups. And kicking person/group A because you’re mad at/were abused by person/group B just makes you look stupid.
(c) It’s not only OK, but only intellectually honest, to blame the French and the more-antisemitic elements in the British Foreign Office from the late 1880s all the way up to 1948 for, at minimum, setting the stage for the particulars. (Conflict was, I’m afraid, inevitable; but it didn’t have to be this one.) Side-eye at Türkiye is also appropriate.
† n.b. I probably have/would have had relatives “involved”; one side of the family was, until shortly after Versailles, in and around Lviv and Krakow.
Swiss company that counts Microsoft as a customer says it’s removed CO2 from the air and put it in the ground
Interesting, but it would make more sense if we weren’t mining and pumping much larger amounts of carbon out of the ground.
U.S. National Parks, including Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, will be free on MLK Day—and 4 other days this year
Kari Lake Says If She’s Not Made Arizona Governor, America Will ‘Turn Into A Venezuela’
Indiana Lab Worker Fired Following Vicious Threats To Rep. Eric Swalwell, Family
T-72 tank self-destructs during fire at repair base in Belgorod Oblast, Russia
A large number of people see Twitter as seriously wounded and heading towards death or Myspace territory, all thanks to Musk and the Nazis.
And, there are already a large number of companies trying to take over their space on the internet.
Here is a new startup called T2, whose main feature is that it is Twitter without Elon Musk.
“That concept is less set in stone than you might think. Speaking to Cselle, the idea with T2, he said, is to create a “familiar place that is very close to the original.”
I just use Twitter to read the headlines for news stories.
It’s already been overrun with trolls, notably it is now full of Russian trolls bashing Ukraine and the West.
Twitter rival ‘T2’ raises its first outside funding, $1.1M from a group of high-profile angels
Ukraine update: It’s a done deal. UK is sending its ‘invincible’ Challenger 2 tank to Ukraine
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
Campaigns Linked To Santos Left Donors Feeling Ripped Off After Questionable Credit Card Charges
Followup to comment 150.
More updates from Ukraine:
Ukraine updates from the Washington Post:
Washington Post link
Artist behind ‘This is fine’ meme can’t escape it 10 years later — and he’s fine with that
Rep. Paul Gosar targets Joint Chiefs of Staff chair as ‘traitor,’ vows investigation
Gosar has been re-elected repeatedly since first joining Congress in 2011.
Assistant attorney general who launched dubious Arizona election probe ousted
Also welcome back, Audley and Oggie! I’ve lurked on Pharyngula since 2009, but almost never commented prior to 2017.
Re 78 and 79:
The time limit is three months, so we get four new threads a year, each accumulating many pages. Since the current thread is numbered XXVI, I think the series started over six years ago, ie. in late 2016. I don’t remember for sure if this same series was originally titled Moments of Political Madness (as opposed to MPM being a prior series), but the timing seems to check out. IIRC, when the MPM started we had a separate social thread, but it soon fizzled out.
Next suburb over from me last night :
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-15/mounty-lofty-ranges-fires-threat-reduced/101856642
Phew. Contained quickly but close and a worry.
There are 500 comments per page.
It’s the same thread until PZ makes a new thread.
You can tell it’s a new thread when the Roman numeral changes.
Most of us have heard about the rocket attack on a 9 story apartment building in Dnipro.
The death toll is up to 25.
It is ominous that 43 people are missing.
Most of those are going to end up in the death toll column.
Kansas Republicans kick off bold new agenda: Ignore the public, advance hate agenda
Followup to raven’s comment 160:
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1614357807758979073
Federal court rejects challenge to California’s ban on marketing guns to kids
Jon Parton / January 13, 2023
Courthouse News Service
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1614335364671348736
The Ukrainian Army leaders still maintain that they hold a position at the west end of the town of Soleder.
Putin says Russian military operation going well in Ukraine
Sure, Jan.
Updates from Ukraine:
Conservatives Threaten Brewery For Canceling MAGA Killer Kyle Rittenhouse Event
George Santos/Anthony Devolder/ George Devolder/George Glass May Be Dirty Rotten Scarf Thief
Followup to comments 160, 162 and 166.
Excerpt from a Washington Post article:
Sigh. “Woke M&Ms”
Link
Ukraine updates from understanding war.org:
Yellen Says US Will Reach Debt Ceiling Next Week As GOP Prepares To Take It Hostage
Boris Johnson testimony to be broadcast live.
He will be under oath
https://youtu.be/LJ3UBqdcYUs
The BBC and other Boris-friendly media will not be able to filter the content.
Ukraine Update: Russia’s campaign against civilians may prove its undoing
@170
Chasten Buttigieg rips Fox News over interest in partner’s paternity leave: ‘Go yell at an M&M’
Hamline University has been praised here in the past. But the school recently did not renew the teaching contract for instructor Erika López Prater who displayed a 14th-century painting showing Muhammad’s face in her art-history survey class. President Fayneese Miller is vigorously defending the contract non-renewal and Islamophobic interpretation in the face of criticism by NYT, U Minn art history tenure faculty, FIRE, etc. Was this Islamophobic? Do students and outside groups get to decide what can be taught? More importantly, if a Creationist student complained, would the Biology, Geology, etc classes and faculty all be reformed?
Re: teal4two @ #176…
From what I’ve seen it’s worse than you have presented it. That there were going to be image of Mohammed was included in the (printed) syllabus and announced in class prior to the picture being shown.
Interesting article here :
https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/yes-world-its-that-bad-here-in-america-and-worse-adf852b6a6e
I hope.
Only heard about this exoplanet find the other day :
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-tess-discovers-planetary-system-s-second-earth-size-world
TOI 700 e, 5% smaller than Earthand in its stars potentially habitable zone joining an earlier larger earth-sized exoplanet TOI 700 d. Bad news is that it orbits a red dwarf so potentially flares may have stripped its atmosphere away or otherwise make it uninhabitable. Also 100 light years away.
Twitter starts auction to flip the bird, furniture, pizza ovens, gadgets galore
Save the planet,
Save the trees,
Save the oceans,
Save the bees,
If we don’t we’re in trouble,
All us ‘u’s’ & us ‘me’s’ so please?
With an arrow back to the first line looping it after the last sentence.. Too complicated, too simple? Can we not just please do these things for all our sakes?
Some doggrel in the Dr Suess style.. Curtailed to not lose my fb colour background – &, no, I haven’t seen the Lorax movie..
Feel free to use as y’all see fit folks as best suits for doing what the lines suggest.
Oh and from .. a coupel of years ago .. already?! This :
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-03-21/ecosystem-collapse-mangroves-gidgee-desert/13234044
If something as tough as The Mulga is dying we really are in deep in the brown and stinky stuff…
Wyoming wants to phase out sales of new EVs by 2035
Oil industry fans say “No I’ m not, you are.”
A cartoon. By someone whose signatiure I cannot make out. Sums up Humanity and our stupidity perfectly.
Shows a tree, a big tree, in a desert.
There are two people, sitting underneath it having a cup of tea (or maybe coffee or something else.
There is yellow sand everywhere. There is a blue sky with a few clouds in it.
The tree is casting the only shade around.
The men are sitting in the shade of that one and only tree.
Their axes are on the ground in the tree’s shade.
They are cutting the tree down and about two thirds or so the way through its trunk.
@ 183. Reginald Selkirk : “Oil industry fans say “No I’ m not, you are.”
Meanwhile Oils* fans be singing River runs Red song live in front o’ Exxon’s skyscraper here – 7 min 50 secs long.
.* Midnight Oils band variety..
Ark. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders says US would be better now with Trump
A Russian sergeant accidentally detonated a hand grenade in his dorm on Ukraine’s border, killing 3 and injuring 16
GOP House Oversight Chair Can’t Explain Why He’s Investigating Biden Classified Docs But Not Trump’s
Trump Hails Jan. 6 Insurrectionists As ‘Great Patriots,’ Calls Prison Sentences A ‘Disgrace’
Brazil’s crowdfunded insurrection leaves paper trail for police
Despite La Nina :
https://www.space.com/nasa-2022-fifth-hottest-year-on-record
Emphasis on those first three words.
Now. What will happen when we get an El Nino? As is likely and forecast now..
I’m dreading it already.
Cartoon: Spot the mistakes
Surprise (Not): George Santos has ties to sanctioned Russian oligarch
The New York Times interviews random Republican voters for the millionth time, still learns nothing
Petr Pavel wins the first round of Czech presidential elections
An anti-Russian politician won the first round of elections for the Czech President. His main opponent is a lot more sympathetic to Russia.
This position is largely ceremonial so he doesn’t have much actual power. But it shows which way the Czech people are leaning.
I’m always surprised at how many pro-Russians there are in the West. After what Russia did to Czechoslovakia with their invasions and captive nations status, there shouldn’t be any.
Russo-Ukrainian War
Petr Pavel is often asked about the current situation in Ukraine. He admitted that he was surprised by a direct military clash between the two countries. He stated that under specific circumstances, he would also promote declaring a no-fly zone or sending NATO troops to Ukraine to protect humanitarian corridors.
Petr Pavel wins the first round of Czech presidential elections
Ukraine Update: Ukrainian forces inch closer to Kreminna, a city with actual strategic value
As part of the Republicans’ debt-ceiling plot, the party has come up with one of the worst ideas in the history of bad ideas: a debt prioritization scheme.
The news according to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy:
Facts and commentary from Steve Benen:
Link
Trump’s deposition in Carroll case clearly does him no favors
Followup to comment 197.
Link
Science and Roman-era concrete:
Link
The richest 1% of people amassed almost two-thirds of new wealth created in the last two years, Oxfam says
Is that all?
The Genetic Mutation That Makes ‘Kraken’ Covid XBB.1.5 So Contagious
We have a good evolutionary history of the current dominant Covid-19 virus. It is called XBB.1.5 or sometimes nicknamed Kraken.
It’s a recombinant between two Omicron strains that then picked up a mutation in the spike protein that then mutated once again to become more transmissable.
There is no way that this will be the last variant we have to deal with.
The Genetic Mutation That Makes ‘Kraken’ Covid XBB.1.5 So Contagious
Far reichwing architect of our xenophobic, racist, evil anti-Refugees “Operation Sovereiegn Borders” policy, ( See : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sovereign_Borders ) LNP Senator & General known by the nickname the “Butcher of Fallujah” apparently Jim Molan has died today. His life made the world a worse place and the avoidable misery, torment and human suffering he caused is incalculable. Molan was also a Climate Reality Denier famously admitting he doesn’t rely on evidence – 4min 8 seconds mark here – in a Q&A show and a notorious Islamophobe who shared racist neo-nazi material unapologetically. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Molan#Political_career.) Things that will no doubt be glossed over in the post mortem eulogising of a man who was evil and caused so much harm to innocent people.
Ex-GOP candidate arrested in shootings at homes of Democratic New Mexico elected officials
Marjorie Taylor Greene Warns Enemies of God’s Vengeance
Trio of news tales :
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-17/wagner-medvedev-seeks-asylum-in-norway-after-fleeing-russia/101865628
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-17/republican-candidate-arrested-over-new-mexico-shootings/101865212
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-17/scientists-use-laser-to-guide-lightning-bolt-for-first-time/101861990
Bold original.
Laser guided lightning. Rather impressive tech. Got potential here..
More on the late unlamented Molan :
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-06/greens-attack-new-liberal-senator-jim-molan-over-iraq-record/9401416
Plus :
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-05/liberal-senator-jim-molan-shares-anti-muslim-videos/9397246
Oh & a reminder who ‘Britian First’ are here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain_First
Re; Reginald Selkirk @ #208…
Hey, MTG…how about you let your god take care his vengeance on his own? On the other hand, watching Republicans tear each other apart is amusing. Now if only they weren’t getting ready to crash the US economy while they do it.
Ukraine update: Russia finally redefines ‘success’ downward far enough to score a ‘win’
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
Link
Followup to comment 212.
More Ukrainian updates:
Most Detailed Radio Image Yet of Our Galaxy Reveals Ghosts of Supernovas
We found out the hard way that pregnancy and Covid-19 virus was a bad combination.
Here is another study.
Pregnant women were 7 times more likely to die.
They were also at much higher risk of having babies with medical problems such as low birth rate or preterm birth.
“Across the studies about 3% of pregnant women with Covid-19 needed intensive care, and about 4% needed any kind of critical care, but this was far higher than the numbers of pregnant women who needed that kind of care outside of a Covid-19 infection.
Compared to pregnant individuals who weren’t infected, those who got Covid-19 were nearly 4 times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit. They were 15 times more likely to be ventilated and were 7 times more likely to die.”
Large new review underscores the risks of Covid-19 during pregnancy
Putin: I Could Never Have Foreseen 2022’s ‘Unexpected’ Crises That I Created
Trump Turns On Evangelical Leaders For ‘Disloyalty’ In Angry New Rant
Ukraine boasts that it used a drone to steal a radio from a dead Russian soldier, letting it listen in on enemy plans
Link
China tells the world that the Maoist madness is over – we can all make money again
Parents angry as Texas football practice sends students to hospital
“Rhabdo” for short.
More updates from Ukraine:
Link
Satire from Andy Borowitz:
New Yorker link
Mass shooting updates:
Information comes from NBC News and from the Associated Press
Associated Press:
Bloomberg:
Things are not okay in Oklahoma public schools, thanks (yet again) to Republicans
Somebody who knows more about economics, please correct me if/where I’m wrong.
If the US – as the Republicans apparently want – defaults on its debt payments, part of the ensuing financial chaos will include a significantly lowered international credit rating, meaning higher interest rates on American bonds and other borrowing. Since (especially in case of default) increased social needs and reduced tax revenue will necessitate even more borrowing, that will move an even greater stream of dollars to major US creditors and bondholders, primarily big banks and capital funds, thus providing further incentives for those institutions to support the GOP’s high-stakes game of chicken.
However, aforesaid chaos would also do a lot of damage to those institutions’ portfolios all the way around, especially by flattening consumer demand for practically everything as well as tearing apart corporate revenues and planning, thereby harming the financiers’ interests much more than they might reasonably expect to gain from raised federal borrowing rates. That not only bollixes my nascent conspiracy theory, but raises the question of why Wall Street (et alia) allows even one major US political party to strew such bombs across the monetary landscape.
What have I missed here?
Elon Musk Warns of ‘Massive Danger’ Looming Over the World.
Musk is an idiot.
This is beyond any doubt by now.
The earth’s population is 8 billion and it is wrecking our biosphere and climate. It’s also still going up and is projected to peak at 9.7 billion around 2050.
The reason why China’s and many other places birth rates have fallen is because it is becoming harder and harder to support a family of 4 or more. And the future doesn’t look so great much of anywhere.
Elon Musk Warns of ‘Massive Danger’ Looming Over the World
Students Can Carry Guns at the University of Texas — But They Can’t Use TikTok
By Nikki McCann Ramirez / Rolling Stone
January 17, 2023
Re: tomh @ #231…
So…. Texas policy is “Shoot a TikToker for Abbott”?
Re: whheydt @ #232
Sounds about right for Texas. Not sure I’d look forward to going to class in those classrooms.
Helicopter crash near Kyiv kills 16, including Ukrainian interior minister
Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar get plum committee assignments in GOP-led House
George Santos gets two committee assignments
Controversial Kyle Rittenhouse event at Venetian Resort Las Vegas cancelled
NASA Reveals Tantalizing Details About Webb Telescope’s Successor
“Necessity”? Srsly. I think scientific exploration is good, but I think “necessity” is overstating the case.
US preps another major Ukraine aid package but Kyiv pleads for tanks
I would just send them the tanks. And the long range missiles.
The Ukrainians are fighting for us against the world’s major enemy right now, Russia.
This incrementalism in providing weapons and help is just making the war last longer.
I’ve been spending too much time lately on Ukrainian war focused websites.
There is no doubt the Russians are taking heavy casualties.
AFAICT, so are the Ukrainians.
They don’t announce their numbers of dead but everything says it is now very high.
That really stops an army for a lot of reasons.
One key reason is that experienced and trained soldiers are hard to produce but a lot more valuable than just handing a rifle to some kid. The soldiers that Ukraine is losing are their best.
US preps another major Ukraine aid package but Kyiv pleads for tanks
This Dutch general is claiming the Russians are mobilizing for an all out offensive this spring.
Maybe, I wouldn’t know one way or the other.
But what choice do the Russians have anyway?
“Former Army Commander Mart de Kruif thinks a new offensive is inevitable. “Putin is going all out and preparing a major mobilization, all-out war. He is running his industry at full throttle, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.” There is no other way, says De Kruif. “The only option he has to win this war is to let time work for him. Mobilize everything he has and hope that in that war of attrition the West will give up support for Ukraine.
Whoever starts, as soon as the terrain and weather permit, the Grand Operation will begin.”
New Russian offensive? ‘The Grand Operation will start this spring’
This is behind a paywall.
I don’t care anyway.
This is a fallacy we’ve been seeing for a while.
Ukraine is always a few dollars and a few weapons short of winning their war.
If we just send them the magic weapons, they will win.
(Russia says the same thing about their army.)
It isn’t that easy.
We sent them the highly effective HIMARS and they helped a lot.
We sent them a lot of air defenses recently and they helped a lot.
I’m sure more modern tanks and other weapons will help a lot.
I doubt that any of that is going to be all that decisive though.
We should do it anyway, since no one has any better ideas right now.
We saw the same thing in Vietnam.
Just a few more tanks, a few hundred thousand more soldiers, a few millions of tons of more bombs dropped, a few million more dead Vietnamese, a few more years and then…we will win.
After a while, no one believed this any more.
Just popping in to say hello from the vicinity of the private club and residence of one lying idiot fascist in a state “governed” by another lying idiot fascist (no gummies allowed but COVID can run riot – freedom!). But I’m in a pretty spot and the weather’s lovely! I hope to have a chance to check in more later.
Here’s a link to today’s Guardian Ukraine liveblog. From their latest summary:
Ukraine update: The floodgates are already open, Wednesday could bring the flood
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
Anton Gerashchenko:
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1615633416300404736
Photos at the link.
Krzysztof Kwiatkowski:
The pandemic is not over if you are rich and powerful, they know better, and they protect themselves, with fresh air, HEPA filters, PCR tests and quick access to Paxlovid. Check out the pics on SocMed today of politicians, billionaires etc sitting in thick jackets in rooms protected by max ventilation, air filters and screening PCR tests at the Davos economic forum. You are being lied to.
About the helicopter crash mentioned in comment 244, and Reginald’s comment 234:
A few more details about the tanks being offered to Ukraine:
Link
Voter suppression news from Richmond, Virginia:
Link
George Santos raised money for a disabled vet’s dog’s surgery, then pocketed the money? What next?
Re: Lynna, OM @ #243…
A comment on the Russian penchant for attacks on civilians… In the 1920s, Italian general Guilio Douhet propounded the theory that, using the emerging air power, it would be possible to defeat a country by bombing the civilian population into giving up and collapsing your enemies economy, especially war materiel production.
During WW2, both sides bought into this theory…with respect to their opponents, all while maintaining that their own civilian population was “tough” and could take it without morale cracking and keep working to support the war effort. Eventually, the Allies did manage–in some localities–to break the German civilian morale, but it took 1000 bomber raids and firestorms (which no one had realized would happen until they did) to do it.
It appears that Putin and the Russian high command still hold to Douhet’s theory, and without the means to truly deliver what that theory requires in sheer munitions delivery.
None of the reports we’ve been getting have, so far as I’ve seen, made this connection to a hundred year old theory of warfare and it’s history as it applies to Russian military theory.
Wonkette link
Republicans Launch Wingnut Trench War For Open Indiana Senate Seat
Re: Lynna, OM @ #247….
In any competent military organization (yeah, I know…that lets Russia out right there), those going into combat are going to be provided with the best knowledge their side has gleaned about enemy equipment.
During the Battle of Britain, the British, using parts from crashed and shot down German aircraft to reconstruct working examples and let their top pilots fly them and report on what they could discover about them. The Germans did the same work on Spitfires. Thus you get people like Adolf Galland who was quite familiar with the Spitfire and British ace Douglas Bader who knew how to fly a Bf-109.
If you’ve read Chuck Yeager’s first autobiographical book, you know about his sudden trip to Taiwan to check out the Mig fighter that a defector flew there.
So–at least in theory–along about March or April, those Russian tank crews should look out there and be able to identify any current Western main battle tanks they see and adjust their munition choice and aiming point accordingly. I don’t expect that to happen in practice, though.
“They come we pick them off”: Edelweiss assault brigade on killing of “expendable Wagnerites”
Canadian Defence Minister announces passage of 200 Senator APCs to Ukraine
Man is own lawyer in trial over threat to Kansas lawmaker
Trump tries to get back on Facebook, claims ban is electoral “interference”
AZ Law
Appeals Court UPHOLDS Arizona’s Mail-In Voting Laws, Blasts AZGOP/Kelli Ward Arguments
Ukraine Update:
Link
Mohammed bin Salman ‘has been paying Donald Trump unknown millions for the past two years’
Jon Stewart discusses George Santos:
Link
Wonkette:
Trump wants to be back on Twitter and Facebook in order to spread this kind of toxic disinformation.
Parts of Greenland now hotter than at any time in the past 1,000 years, scientists say. (That’s a Washington Post link.)
New research in the northern part of Greenland finds temperatures are already 2.7 degrees warmer than they were in the 20th century
More at the link.
Trump’s presidential campaign formally petitioned Facebook’s parent company Tuesday to unblock his account, according to a letter reviewed by NBC News.
Link
Senate committee rejects Hochul’s pick for NY chief judge
Church of England refuses to back same-sex marriage
The Very Serious Party speaks again:
Texas Republican Wants Food Made Of Aborted Fetuses Labeled
Lynna already posted about the newest findings for the Greenland ice sheet.
This article from CNN adds some details and perspective.
Temperatures on Greenland haven’t been this warm in at least 1,000 years, scientists report
Lynna already posted about the newest findings for the Greenland ice sheet.
This article from CNN adds some details and perspective.
Temperatures on Greenland haven’t been this warm in at least 1,000 years, scientists report
Some good news for once.
A school board in Newberg, Oregon was taken over by right wingnuts in 2021. They promptly fired the school administration and banned Black Lives Matters and Rainbow Pride flags and symbols.
This is a First Amendment violation and the teachers union took them to court.
They lost in court.
“The Yamhill County Circuit Court ruled earlier that the school board’s policy violated the state constitution’s free speech guarantee.”
Usually if you stand up and fight the right wingnut extremists, they end up losing. They usually get voted out of office, sometimes in recall elections, and/or they lose in court.
Newberg school board drops ban on gay pride and other symbols
From raven’s comment 269:
“7 billion” really! Yikes!
Sort of related: The Greenland Ice sheet lost 18 billion tons of water in 3 days after unusually warm temperatures between July 15 and 17 [2022].
Satire from Andy Borowitz:
New Yorker link
NBC News:
So far, good news.
‘What the f**k we gonna do?’: Leslie Jones talks honestly about new MLK memorial
Scroll down at the link to view the videos.
I’ve seen multiple such reports.
Here:
Well, the UK Government has blocked the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, passed 86-39 by the Scottish Parliament. Their claim is that it would interfere with the operation of the Equalities Act, which applies at UK level. There justifications, which are set out here, look pretty feeble to me, but they may have scraped up enough for the court (this is bound to go to the UK Supreme Court once the Scottish Government sets the legal process going) to rule in favour of the UK Government. Basically, Sunak and those around him are using transgender people as a political football. They hope to use opposition to aspects of the bill in Scotland (because of the overwhelmingly hostile and often blatantly misleading media coverage) against the SNP, and internal divisions within both Labour (most Labour MSPs voted for the bill, while Starmer has been distinctly negative) and the SNP (which suffered its worst rebellion among the party’s MSPs) for electoral advantage. Scum – and I doubt whether it will make a significant difference, relative to the cost of living and collapsing health and transport services. The SNP transphobes, and the We-Hate-Nicola-Sturgeon-And-Transgender-People Party (“Alba”) of former First Minister Alex Salmond will be in a tricky position, as they should clearly oppose the UK Government’s intervention, but they would have blocked the bill themselves if they could.
New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern announces shock resignation before upcoming election
John Morales @275, please do not embed videos in this thread. Provide a link to the video, not the video itself. Thanks.
Ukraine update: Western nations are still playing games, Ukraine is still paying the price
More updates will be added later today.
Laughable.
Trump posted about his 2024 campaign for president:
So, he knows his campaign is floundering already … and he knows that he is boring everyone.
New York’s Democratic Governor May Sue Her Own Party to Force Through Anti-Abortion Judge
Republican leaders keep comparing the debt ceiling to families’ credit cards. That makes far less sense than they seem to realize.
“Cartels” Control Arizona and Stole the Gubernatorial Election from Her, Kari Lake Claims without Evidence
Rick Hasen / January 19, 2023
Election Law Blog
Re: tomh @ #283…
I’m not convinced that Kari Lake actually knows what a cartel is.
Kremlin Spars With Ukrainian President Zelensky Over Whether Putin Is Still Alive
Projection. It is pretty clear which country is trying to make the other not exist.
Ukraine’s Defence Forces kill group of Russians and destroy equipment on Kinburn Spit
Followup to comment 279.
More updates from Ukraine:
Mystery night divers vanish after rescue near key energy infrastructure
Followup to Reginald @277.
https://www.wonkette.com/tucker-carlson-jacinda-ardern-resignation
Kadyrov, Prigozhin slam prohibition on Russian soldiers’ beards
McCarthy puts a spin on spending math to justify debt limit fight.
Washington Post link
Yep, this is true: “the budget deficit also increased because of the tax cut passed by the GOP-led Congress in 2017.”
Church of England rejects same-sex marriage, says union is between “one man and one woman for life”
Srsly? As I recall, the motivation for the founding of the Church of England was that Henry VIII wanted to get a divorce.
First look: U.S. wants to help export Ukraine’s e-governance app to other countries
JFC:
Washington Post link
Increase Our Taxes: Global Millionaires Demand To Have Their Wealth Taxed More
US Coast Guard tracking suspected Russian spy ship off coast of Hawaii in international waters
Link
Josh Marshall:
Link
Ukraine Update:
Ford Lost a Multibillion-Dollar Deal Over Right-Wing Governor’s ‘Communism’ Fears
This headline is misleading.
The small brained GOP governor of Virginia was the one who lost the multibillion dollar deal.
Ford with a Chinese company were planning on a large lithium phosphate EV plant in Virginia.
The governor Youngkin vetoed it because of the commies.
I’m no fan of the Chinese government either, but we are talking about a battery plant here, not a TV station for Chinese media or a chip plant for Huawei.
I’m sure Ford and CATL will find some other state that wants a multi-billion dollar EV plant.
“While Ford is an iconic American company, it became clear that this proposal would serve as a front for the Chinese Communist Party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginians’ personal privacy,”
Followup to comments 199 and 294
https://www.wonkette.com/e-jean-carroll-trumps-type
As egg prices rise, so do seizures at US border
COVID Leading Cause of Death Among Law Enforcement for Third Year
Satire from Andy Borowitz:
New Yorker link
Cartoon: Election Lies
Ukraine update: The growing list of new equipment for Ukraine is Vladimir Putin’s worst nightmare
RIP David Crosby
Nice selection of videos at the link.
From Variety:
Link in comment 307. There’s also a video of Crosby talking about getting old and about dying. Crosby was 81, and was a founder of two of the most important rock groups of the 1960s, The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
Associated Press:
Florida nixes African American studies course, claims it ‘lacks educational value’
Ah, David Crosby. I’m bummed.
I’ve been listening to the Byrds since about 1966. Still have half a dozen 45s. Bought my first Byrds album in 1971.
I could say it’s that time of my life, when my childhood heroes start dying off, but of course some of them died when I was still a kid.
Just a few months ago I was thrilled to get a “like” on Twitter from Mr. Crosby. Someone had tweeted at him a couple of drawings of him, saying, “a friend of mine drew these. Do you like them?”
Crosby replied, “No. They are bad copies of photographs.”
I replied, “Don’t sugarcoat it, Dave. Give it to them straight.”
Always loved his harmony work with the Byrds. Most guys have to really punch it to hit those notes, but Crosby did it almost effortlessly, creating a graceful, gentle, subtle sound.
So long, Dave. If there’s a Rock ‘n Roll Heaven, you know they’re probably arguing about some shit right now. You’ll fit right in.
Trump, lawyers sanctioned nearly $1 million for ‘political’ lawsuit vs Clinton
Jury deliberates; man says threat to lawmaker was from God
@313
Kansas man convicted of threatening to kill congressman
3 Active-Duty Marines Who Work in Intelligence Arrested for Alleged Participation in Jan. 6 Riot
Russian arrested in Miami on charges of illegally transmitting millions in cryptocurrency
Americans want to know what Gov. DeSantis’ definition of ‘woke’ is. He’s not saying
Woke is so scary people who are afraid of it can’t speak of the threat.
That’s a vulnerability in addition being an expression of bigotry. That’s a defective sense of social threat at best, especially when DeFascist is willing to legislate with the word in names of legislation.
(I decided that name mockery that incorporated the bad behavior in question was worth thinking about. It punches up too. If the disparagement means something useful I’m good with it)
I’ve made a routine of demanding what magas mean by “woke” on nextdoor. Every single one fails and I mock their insincerity.
The cowardice of otherwise aggressive magas here is very amusing and useful.
@319: I find that a translation of “insufficiently racist” or “insufficiently bigoted” usually works pretty well.
@Reginald Selkirk
I don’t get the reference. Can you explain it?
@322: That is my understanding of what they mean by “woke.”
And to me, that puts it in an unfavorable (and correct) light.
I see now. Thank you. Guessing at their meaning is useful too, I do that after their opportunity to fail to show a social threat. I’m working on pressing the fact that an honest person would already have concrete and useful evidence for social threats.
I figure it identifies wolf crying sooner, but that’s useful too. I like to be explicit about the fact that I’m guessing because they are defiant about showing a supposedly bad thing.
I did not know this: The Kinks, Elevator Man, 1977
Trump drops lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James
Probably has something to do with @312, the sanctions for his case against Hillary.
Ukraine update: The Great Tank Standoff is foolish politicians fiddling while Ukraine bleeds
I’ll post more updates soon.
The fact that Donald Trump called for the incarceration of innocent journalists was predictable. The public pushback from the Biden White House was not
Good news:
More good news:
As summarized from NBC News articles.
Followup to comment 327.
Additional updates from Ukraine:
Passage of such a bill would also cause administrative challenges for grocery stores.
Republicans Propose Flurry Of Stupid Bigot Anti-Trans Laws, And When We Say Flurry We Mean 167.
More at the link, including anti-trans news from North Dakota, South Carolina, and Nebraska.
Re: Lynna, OM a@ #328…
A good ggrilling of Clarence and Ginni Thomas might very well reveal who released the Dobbs decision. My money is still on Ginni Thomas, as provided by Clarence.
“Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND) is alarmed by the losses the Ukrainian army is suffering in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut,”
“The army is losing a three-digit number of soldiers every day fighting against Russian forces in Bakhmut, …” It is obvious that Ukraine is suffering huge losses in the war these days. In close encounter combat that is what happens.
This article isn’t very definite on the losses, since three digit numbers can be anything from 100 to 999.
It is clear though that Ukraine is losing huge numbers of soldiers. It’s a lot for a country of 44 million people.
It will also likely continue since lately, the war seems to be a draw or stalemate. The lines barely move from day to day.
Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND) is alarmed by the losses the Ukrainian army is suffering in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut,
The Fyre Festival fraudster is launching his latest thing, and it looks like a party on an island
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/nyt-whitewatering-very-strongly
Ukraine updates:
The force behind Trump’s stacked Supreme Court is stinkier and more corrupt than we knew
Trump to GOP: Don’t touch Medicare or Social Security in debt ceiling fight
Does he know or care that no one listens to him any more?
Nikki Haley exploring 2024 presidential run
I expect there will be many more in the next 12 months.
Re: Reginald Selkirk @ #339…
I keep wondering what would happen if Biden cut the hell out of Federal transfer funds to states? So many red states run on a net intake of Federal money, basically being subsidized by blue states.
Md. Gov. Moore releases millions in held funding; issues executives orders
Suspects wanted by FBI for attacking Orange County (California) Planned Parenthood
As part of the Supreme Court’s leak investigation, the institution’s marshal conceded this afternoon that while sitting justices spoke to investigators, none of the jurists signed sworn affidavits, even as other employees at the high court did.
Bloomberg:
Followup to comments 327 and 330.
Ukraine Update:
Link
@345: Cut him some slack, he’s just a guy. It’s not like he has a staff to do research for him, and all the resources of the U.S. Congress to draw upon.
‘Constitution Loving’ Capitol Rioter Flunks Basic Bill Of Rights Question At Trial
There’s a big debate over whether to provide Ukraine with Western tanks, but meanwhile, Russia has a time machine.
Russian propagandists claim they already destroyed Abrams tank near Soledar
Idaho Republican who vowed to protect ‘traditional marriage’ wants to eliminate licenses
Xposted from the N. Dakota library thread.
More fascist anti-Trans trash from North Dakota.
I’m sure the GOPers compete to see who can be the most bigoted, hate filled creep in the state.
Use the wrong pronoun, go to jail.
They must have never heard of freedom of speech in North Dakota.
N. Dakota bill would bar people from using pronouns according to gender identity; $1,500 fines threatened
raven@334,
I wonder if the BND is trying to push the German Government into sending Leopard tanks.
“China says COVID outbreak has infected 80% of population”
Maybe.
China’s statistics are unreliable.
This 80% number is at least plausible.
The death toll is unknown and may neve be known.
Modeling says it will be between 1 million and 1.7 million dead by April 2023.
It would be a lot higher if most Chinese weren’t vaccinated. Their vaccines don’t work very well but they are a lot better than no vaccines.
China says COVID outbreak has infected 80% of population
Reginald @347, LOL.
In other news: State employee alleges Florida sidestepped process in excluding gender-affirming care from Medicaid
Ukraine update: To save Ukraine this year, there is something the United States could do right now
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
Link
Here is a story about antivaxxers getting killed with extra points for style and a Darwin award.
“They planned to ‘ride out the end of the world.’ They wound up dead at sea.”
“This guru clown convinced them to fly to Hawaii and join him on this journey across a huge portion of the Pacific Ocean to find a Covid free place where they could start again and escape Satan’s grand plan,” author and journalist David Wolman,…”
These two guys jumped off a boat in the ocean and drowned rather than take a Covid-19 virus test.
On the advice of a low level internet preacher on Youtube.
The youngest one was 20.
They were literally guilty of, “Too Stupid to Live”.
They planned to ‘ride out the end of the world.’ They wound up dead at sea
https://www.wired.com/story/tmobile-data-breach-again/
Ukraine Update:
Link
Turkey condemns ‘vile’ Sweden Quran-burning protest
“We cannot tolerate free speech in someone else’s country.”
Here’s what Norwegian archaeologists discovered in 2022
It’s been 230 years since British pirates robbed the US of the metric system
Sen. Lindsey Graham said he’s ‘tired of the s*** show’ and that the US and Germany should send tanks to Ukraine: ‘World order is at stake’
Is he aware of which political party is threatening to cut off aid to Ukraine?
Moldova mulls joining NATO
Missouri’s abortion ban declares ‘Almighty God is the author of life.’ Faith leaders beg to differ in new suit.
If we had a properly functioning court, language like that would easily lead to overturning the law on church|state separation grounds.
India blocks BBC documentary on Modi from airing in India
Brazil and Argentina to start preparations for a common currency
Why Vietnam Is Celebrating the Year of the Cat, Not the Rabbit
“10 people killed, 10 injured in mass shooting at Monterey Park dance studio.”
Another one.
What is different about this one is that it happened in a city that is 65% Asian on Chinese New Year. Montery Park is in east Los Angeles. AFAICT, all the victims were Asians.
The shooter is still at large.
Without knowing more, we can’t yet call this a hate crime targeting Asians but it is likely.
10 people killed, 10 injured in mass shooting at Monterey Park dance studio
Restaurant lobby group has siphoned off $25 million from workers to support its anti-worker efforts
YouTube link to video of sketch from Saturday Night Live.
NFL on Fox Cold Open – SNL The skit skewers George Santos.
YouTube link to a Weekend Update sketch in which Colin Jost interviews Representative George Santos.
Wonkette link
Some good news for once.
“About 4,500 Protestant churches closed in 2019, the last year data is available, with about 3,000 new churches opening, according to Lifeway Research. “
In my local area, the number of churches is about the same even though the population is still slowly growing.
I doubt if the number of members in those churches is all that large though.
I went by the Mormon church one Sunday and the parking lot was pretty empty.
My parents old church is in a well to do area. It was usually about half full with everyone being very old. A Boomer would be considered young there.
Losing their religion: why US churches are on the decline
Link
Ukraine update: Why tiny little Novoselivs’ke is so important to both Ukraine and Russia
Voters told them no, but Kansas Republicans are advancing wild new anti-abortion legislation anyway
More at the link.
Secretly Made Brett Kavanaugh Sexual Assault Doc Premieres at Sundance
DeSantis has a history that kind of echoes that of “I like beer” Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. And there’s more questionable behavior if you look at DeSantis’s time in the military:
[…] Then there is this about his military stint at Gitmo from therealnews.com/…
link
More at the link. Additional resources are provided via embedded links in the article at the main link.
Followup to raven’s comment @370.
Updates concerning the mass shooting in California:
Link
Trump responded to the Monterey Park mass shooting by complaining about the treatment of Jan. 6 rioters
What a classy, classy guy.
Sen. Joe Manchin says he hasn’t ruled out a presidential bid in 2024: ‘Everything is on the table’
Who is asking for that?
The ‘JR-15,’ an AR-15 rifle for kids, is being marketed again weeks after a 6-year-old shot a teacher
!@$%!$% I can’t keep up with the mass shootings.
12 people injured in shooting at Louisiana nightclub
Monterey Park mass shooting live updates: Gunman left to reload, survivor says
Russia orders Estonian ambassador to leave country
Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego announces Senate bid in challenge to Kyrsten Sinema
Man who disarmed Monterey Park shooter speaks out: ‘Something came over me’
Subpoena granted in Reno mayor’s suit over tracking device
Russian sabotage and recon group’s boat hit by defense forces while trying to land on Dnipro island
Via Aussie ABC :
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-23/trump-s-maga-forces-threaten-to-upend-vote-for-rnc-chair/101885084
Wait, what? We’re doing .. what the F, why?
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-23/australia-to-fast-track-purchase-of-high-tech-sea-mines/101885168
Meanwhile under the radar story that’s had sod all publicity but is making the world predictably worse – & not just for us humans given the impact on other living things evolved for enjoying and using starlight and what Carl Sagan dubbed inhis Pale Blue Dot book “Sacre Noir” here :
Source : https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-01-20/light-pollution-increasing-stars-citizen-science-night-sky/101780314
Oklahoma Republicans Propose Making Fathers Pay ‘Prenatal Child Support’
That this sounds bizarre and novel is proof that “life begins at conception” has never been the status quo at any time or place in human history.
OMFG.
Link
Trump Reportedly Wants to Abandon Truth Social and Return to Twitter
NYT:
Supreme Court Puts Off Considering State Laws Curbing Internet Platforms
By Adam Liptak / Jan. 23, 2023
This op-ed from the Washington Post makes an important and obvious point.
China’s withholding of medical information about the Covid-19 virus pandemic is both dangerous and counterproductive.
We need that information to contain the pandemic and treat the patients.
It also doesn’t work for long.
At the start of the pandemic, China tried to keep it quiet. And how did that work? Tens of millions of dead people later, everyone knows about the pandemic.
We don’t know now exactly how many people are dying but we know it is a lot, over a million at least.
The world needs China to come clean about its covid deaths
Ukraine update: The Tankies have a rough one, as Ukraine’s allies open the spigot
Utah plastic surgeon, 3 others charged on alleged COVID-19 vaccine fraud scheme.
And now they are in big trouble.
I’m sure the money they made by providing fake vaccination cards isn’t enough to make up for losing their medical licenses.
Then again, it is Utah, so maybe they won’t lose their licenses.
Utah Plastic surgeon, 3 others charged on alleged COVID-19 vaccine fraud scheme
Jeffries submits Schiff, Swalwell for Intel panel, forcing fight with McCarthy
German IRIS-T air defense system shoots down all targets during Ukraine’s first use
Explainer: Germany’s IRIS-T air defense system
Jury finds Jan. 6 rioter who sat at Nancy Pelosi’s desk guilty of all charges
Jury convicts four Oath Keepers of seditious conspiracy for roles in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack
Secret Brett Kavanaugh Documentary Sparks New Tips Almost Immediately After Premiering at Sundance
Is the White House hosting debt ceiling talks with McCarthy or not?
Spoiler: Not. But Republicans are claiming they are.
Josh Marshall:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/interesting-detail
DOJ Accuses FBI Official Of Concealing Massive Cash Payments From Foreign Gov’t
Yep. We knew at the time that something sketchy was going on at the New York FBI office. Too bad this didn’t come out before Trump was elected. The news might have reduced the Trump vote.
OMG.
Link
Another shooting in America the Deadly:
Link
33 mass shootings in the USA so far this year.
Wonkette: “Abortion Ban States Best At Killing Newborn Babies, Mothers” [map at the link]
https://www.wonkette.com/abortion-ban-states-maternal-mortality
Despite an injection of funding, the agency [the Environmental Protection Agency] still has not recovered from an exodus of scientists and policy experts […]
New York Times link
Efforts are being made to correct the situation. I hope they succeed—otherwise we’re looking at another win for Trump.
WTF?
NBC News link
Satire from Andy Borowitz:
New Yorker link
And we aren’t even out of January, yet.
:(
_
Re: cicely @ #413….
:-( Indeed. Does that number include the one today in Half Moon Bay, CA?
Trump campaign denies he knew convicted mob boss he posed with in photo
Four Ukrainian MPs to be deprived of deputy’s seats for holding Russian passports
“Estonia is considering introducing a zone in the Gulf of Finland, up to 24 nautical miles from the coast, where inspections of any passing ships will be carried out.”
Estonia and what navy?
Estonia only has 1.3 million people to Russia’s 144 million.
I’m guessing here that this isn’t aimed at Russian ships but merchant ships from other countries that are trading with Russia through St. Petersberg.
It is a brave move nonetheless.
I’ve noticed that Poland and the Baltics are all in on this war with Ukraine.
They’ve suffered for centuries and recently from Russian rule and might well have followed Belarus and countless other nations in eventually disappearing as distinct peoples.
This is their best and last chance to get out from under Russia and they are going to take it.
“Russia Behind Bars: Wagner Group’s losses 80 percent of 50K inmate-recruits”
This source in Meduza is quoting a Russian source.
Meduza is Russian but based in Latvia and generally not a fan of the current dictatorship.
Other than that, I can’t confirm those numbers but they are at least plausible.
I’m sure the convicts learn very quickly that they are to be cannon fodder and killed in pointless battles as speed bumps.
At that point, surrendering, deserting, or getting wounded are their three best options.
Some of them have been executed by Wagner for not following the script that has them dying at the front.
Russia Behind Bars: Wagner Group’s losses 80 percent of 50K inmate-recruits
As reported by Steve Benen:
That segment from the Rachel Maddow show is just incredible.
From the news about the connection with dunderhead Elise Stefanik:
As summarized by Steve Benen, Mike Pompeo is despicable:
James Comer’s rare skill: He can connect Hunter Biden to anything
Ukraine update: Biden reportedly about to announce shipment of M1A2 Abrams to Ukraine
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
So … classified materials were found at the home of a former vice president, Mike Pence.
Maybe Hunter Biden put them there.
Classified documents found at Pence’s Indiana home
Politico reports House Republicans are ‘weighing’ committing abuses they’ve already committed to
Re 417:
<
blockquote>“Estonia is considering introducing a zone in the Gulf of Finland, up to 24 nautical miles from the coast, where inspections of any passing ships will be carried out.”
I found that tweet, but it’s unsourced and smells like a bullshit rumor. I don’t see any mention of such plan on Finnish news, and it sounds legally and practically implausible. There’s Finnish territorial waters on the gulf, and then there’s a narrow lane of international area leading to Russian waters. For Estonia’s own territorial waters, “up to 24 nautical miles” would be about right.
Rep. Jim Banks doesn’t think you should be able to go out of state for an abortion
@423: Interesting. I hope they search Mitch McConnell’s home next.
Followup to comment 422.
More updates:
Followup to comments 423 and 427 (Reginald).
Link
At this point I am asking which elected officials in federal government do not have classified documents stored with their holiday decorations and seldom-used sports gear?
Does Mike Pence get more points because he stored his classified documents in an unlocked, unsecured area? Is that worth more points than Biden’s locked garage, next to his camero?
Ukraine Update:
Lynna, OM@429,
Will any former US POTUS or VPOTUS who does not have any classified documents in their possession please stand up?
Followup to comment 420.
Wonkette:
Followup to comment 419.
Link
https://twitter.com/mmfa/status/1617547694947590145
Media Matters posted a montage of Fox News doofuses like Tucker Carlson fulminating about candy cartoons. [video at the link]
From comments posted by viewers:
I cannot be the only one who thinks sexualizing M&Ms is weird….
_
@428 Corruption in Ukraine
I believe reducing corruption would be a necessary step for Ukraine to seek NATO membership at some future time.
re Lynna @429:
PUH-LEEZE!! It is a Corvette!! No one would need to lock up a Camaro!!
Mars created the Green sexy female character because of the strange folk wisdom that the green M&Ms make you horny.
It’s rather amazing that there are multiple modern folk tales about individual colors of M&Ms, and some of them are actually true.
https://amyth.com/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-mms/
Give me a late 60’s Camaro over the Vette any day, unless it’s a 65 Stingray.
That Corvette model is a gorgeous, classic big block of the muscle car era. Drop it into third gear and Vroom!
WaPo:
McCarthy says he’ll block Schiff, Swalwell from Intelligence Committee
“The US and its allies want Ukraine to change its battlefield tactics in the spring ”
Well, sure.
Right now this war is a draw or stalemate.
Both sides are taking huge casualties.
The Russians don’t much care since most of theirs are convicts and draftees from the hinterlands. The Ukrainians are losing their best and brightest every day now.
Easier said than done though.
I’m sure if the Ukrainians had a better idea, they would be doing it right now.
The last time they tried something new, it worked really well, when they took back the area around Kharkiv by running through unprepared and thin Russian forces.
The US and its allies want Ukraine to change its battlefield tactics in the spring
Germany to send 14 tanks to Ukraine, will permit exports by other countries. If they’d done this even last week, they’d have got a lot of international credit for it – now, it’s obvious that they’ve done it under foreign pressure. Scholz is such a numpty.
Genocide.
Dispossession.
Blood on the wattle.
Took their children away.
HG Wells based his ‘War of the Worlds’ on what was done to Indigenous Tasmanians back in the day.
Assimilation.
Language, culture, art; denigration, dismissal and theft.
They survived.
Keep their culture.
Live on now deadly.
Respect.
Acknowledge truths
That I say.
Voice. Treaty. Truth.
I live on Kaurna Country near and maybe overlapping with Peramangk land.
I acknowledge our Indigenous Peoples who never ceded their sovereignty.
It is long overdue that they were empowered.
That they were heard and their wishes respected.
Voice. Treaty. Truth.
We cannot change the past.
We are only responsible for what we choose to do now.
So, what will it be?
Our choices now we start to realise the truth, start to hear their voices at last?
Accept the reality of past wrongs and their lingering legacies, lingering ongoing damage. Work to stop that damage, reverse it, change things.
Can our mindset change to match Country and can we have the courage to really face up to what happened and say sorry & just listen?
Time we heard and respected and gave proper power to our First Australians here. Who were here for tens of thousands, fifty thousand years and more before Europeans arrived. 50,000 plus years of dreaming, 200 and a bit of nightmare as graffiti I saw once went.
I love my country. Warts, dark past and all.
I want to make it better, make it as right and as good as we can.
That starts with..?
Voice. Treaty. Truth.
Please.
See :
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/lest-we-forget-why-we-need-to-remember-the-frontier-wars/jxy8d78ve
&
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/uluru-statement-is-a-true-gift-for-all-australians-20220125-p59qzn.html
&
https://www.erc.org.au/survival_day
United States Postal Service raises prices of forever stamps, priority mail
Ukraine update: It’s finally official—Germany will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
Satire from Andy Borowitz:
New Yorker link
https://twitter.com/mspopok/status/1617991253752438784
Good news:
Information summarized from a CNBC article.
Sinema used to be a Democrat who seemed to paradoxically cater to corporate bigwigs and to the wealthy at DAVOS. Now she says she is an Independent candidate. Mostly she is a doofus who sides with Joe Manchin too often in order to defeat major Democratic Party agendas. Let’s hope she loses the next election.
From coverage of President Joe Biden’s address today:
Link
Followup to comment 450:
Followup to comment 446: More updates from Ukraine.
Followup to comment 405.
Wonkette:
Ohio Republicans Still In Disarray!
https://www.wonkette.com/ohio-republicans-still-in-disarray
South Dakota Will Prosecute Pharmacies That Dispense Abortion Drug
January 25, 2023
Religion Clause
Republicans sue now that Biden is extending humanitarian parole to Black and brown migrants
“the anti-immigrant judicial pipeline” — that’s scary. As is Stephen Miller and his America First Legal (and seemingly white supremacist) organization.
NYT:
New Lawsuit Challenges State Bans on Abortion Pills
By Pam Belluck / Jan. 25, 2023
Aaron Rupar:
https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1618276273314467840
Video is available at the Twitter link.
Commentary:
Link
Followup to comments 450 and 451.
Ukraine update:
Wonkette: “Adam Schiff Reminds That Twit Kevin McCarthy That He Got FBI’s Eric Swalwell Briefing Too”
Anti-Drag Laws Spreading Like Kudzu, So Here Are THIS WEEK’S Stories About Straight Christians Abusing Kids
In U.K. Cost-of-Living Crisis, Some Workers Struggle to Feed Children
New York Times link
Facebook and Instagram end Trump’s suspension from platforms
Trump’s accounts, which were suspended by Meta after the Jan. 6 riot, will be reinstated “in the coming weeks” and come with “new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses.”
Elon Quickly Finds Out Nick Fuentes Is Just Too Hateful for Twitter
‘Crazy-looking cat’ caught by Missouri farmer is wild African animal, rescue group says
Texas senator proposes gun laws allowing school shooting victims to sue state, impose firearms tax
This has no chance of passing, but the bit about allowing people to sue reminds me of the stupid Texas anti-abortion law.
Re: Reginald Selkirk @ #465….
The bit about repealing the Federal law protecting manufacturers and sellers is beyond stupid. No state action is going to override or repeal a Federal law. While the rest of it is interesting, one would think that the usual malfeasance laws would do what he is after.
COVID Toll: Big Jump in Cardiovascular-Related Deaths Reported by American Heart Association
This data is from the first year of the pandemic.
It is noteworthy that you can’t blame this on the vaccines because they didn’t exist yet.
The increase was substantial and set a record for number of dead people from CV disease.
“The number of deaths from cardiovascular disease in the US increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 874,613 in 2019 to 928,741 in 2020.”
“COVID-19 has both direct and indirect impacts on cardiovascular health. As we learned, the virus is associated with new clotting and inflammation. We also know that many people who had new or existing heart disease and stroke symptoms were reluctant to seek medical care, particularly in the early days of the pandemic.”
Get vaccinated and don’t get Covid-19 virus.
COVID Toll: Big Jump in Cardiovascular-Related Deaths Reported by American Heart Association
Lockheed Martin demos 50kW anti-aircraft frickin’ laser beam
No sharks involved
It’s like Twitter, Elon, and others want to explore the far reaches of slander, libel, and other fraudulent speech.
Arizona Senator Introduces Bill To Make Bitcoin Legal Tender In The State
re Reginald Selkirk @468: I did not see any mention in the article of a range for the laser. If it does not hit a target, how far will the beam continue until it is dissipated or diminished? Just something I always wondered when watching Star Wars or something similar where the sheer number of shots made would seem to preclude that they all hit the target. So now that laser weapons are becoming a reality, it becomes a real question.
““One quarter” of today’s $31.4 trillion federal debt “was accumulated in the four years of my predecessor,” Donald Trump.”
Trump did more for increasing the National debt than anyone since Reagan and Bush.
It is 8 trillion USD over 4 years.
This is true.
From the Politifact article.
“According to the Treasury Department, when Trump was inaugurated in January 2017, the gross federal debt stood at $19.9 trillion. When Biden took office, it was $27.8 trillion. So, the $7.9 trillion added on Trump’s watch was about 25% the amount of today’s total debt.”
Politifact calls Biden’s statement half true.
They are just wrong here.
They blame spending on Social Security and Medicare.
Social Security and Medicare are self funding programs that don’t increase the National debt at all. They are simply irrelevant.
They also claim that a lot of the annual deficit spending is due to past mandates. While this is correct, it is correct for all presidents and all presidents still get blamed for it.
If you are going to blame Biden and Obama for this, you also have to blame Trump, Bush, and Reagan as well for this.
Video at the link. No translation, but it is easy to see the main point of the broadcast.
https://twitter.com/leopolitan/status/1618204381379457024
Commentary:
Business Insider link
Ukraine update: Russia is so worried about Western tanks, it called on King Tankie for help
More updates from Ukraine coming soon.
Rick Scott’s line on taxes manages to become even less coherent
Rick Scott apparently believes a key to balancing the budget is more tax breaks. He doesn’t appear to be kidding.
Washington Post:
Yes, education is needed. I’m not sure that some of those House Republicans are educable. They made the same mistake in 2010.
The Washington Post goes on to note that some Republicans “have made statements on social media or in interviews that show a lack of understanding about the policy details regarding the legal limit on how much the government can borrow and what could happen if that cap isn’t increased in time.” Yep, that’s what I’m seeing.
The ACA sets its most impressive record to date
Good news.
@471 I don’t have numbers, but my understanding is that the beam(s) are focused, not columnar, and so should disperse beyond the focal point.
Followup to comment 474.
More updates regarding Ukraine:
Link
Peter Backer’s opening paragraphs in a New York Times article:
Commentary:
Link
Palm Beach Post:
Are you surprised that Trump attended “Diamond’s” funeral? He delivered a eulogy that consisted mostly of him complaining about the 2020 election. So, for Trump the funeral was a campaign event.
From the summary of former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly’s book Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump:
New sanctions:
Link
Ship-based generators could bolster Ukraine’s damaged grid
Sounds like a good temporary solution.
Another WTF moment courtesy of Republican members of the House of Congress:
Link
Wonkette:
Cluelessness courtesy of Fox News hosts: “Maria Bartiromo And Pals Rage Over A&W Root Beer Covering Up Cartoon Bear’s Wanger, Because They’re Idiots”
Link
Lynna, OM @ #479…
On the bit about T-34s vs. modern tanks… Sounds more like they’re trying to channel Dean Mclaughlin’s A Hawk Among the Sparrows, but from the other direction. (That story has a modern–as of when the story was written–supersonic jet flipped back to WW1 and the pilot’s difficulty in actually making his weapons effective against the aircraft of the day.)
U.S. economy continues to grow and beat expectations
On another subject, whheydt @487, interesting!
Some of the worst internet personalities are wining and dining at Mar-a-Lago
Followup to comments 405 and 452.
From Timothy Snyder @TimothyDSnyder
Civil Rights Lawyer Ben Crump Might Take Ron DeSantis To AP ‘Sue Your Ass’ Class Over Black History Course
Justice Department disrupts group behind thousands of ransomware attacks
Marjorie Taylor Greene aims to be Trump’s VP pick in 2024
Putin’s Former Speechwriter Predicts Military Coup in Russia
Good afternoon (or evening/night/morning as your locale may dictate).
Went to visit my elderly parents in Maine. And my sister. I arrived on Friday (the 13th). My sister began to feel sick on Saturday. I, and my mother and father, began to feel ill on Monday night. On Tuesday, my sister took a covid test. Positive. Within an hour, we had all tested positive.
What are the odds? With about a week-long gestation period before symptoms, my sister and I had to have been independently infected. Me in Pennsylvania, her (and my parents) in Maine. I called my doctor who called in the antiviral to a local pharmacy and started in Tuesday night.
I drove home, just under 600 miles, on Wednesday. With covid (yes, I masked and distanced and washed and disinfected my hands the whole way down). I slept Thursday. And Friday. And by Saturday felt like I was almost fully recovered. I tested negative on Sunday.
This is the second time I have had covid. Possibly the third. The Paxlovid is vicious stuff but it certainly works. The last time I had confirmed covid, it took me three weeks to even function again.
Anyway, that is why I disappeared for a while.
===========
While up in Maine, I made mussels and clams over linguine, using locally sourced seafood. I made German sausage (from the Alpine in Honesdale, PA) over sauerkraut, apples, and onion. I also made sauerbraten. My parents like it when I am there as they get almost gourmet food with very little effort.
New York City will require Uber and Lyft to go 100 percent electric by 2030
@495: The time to symptoms has shortened with each round of variants.
Omicron symptoms: What science tells us about the illness caused by new subvariants
@497: So I might have gotten it there. Interesting. Something else I can blame on my older sister.