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Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 07:22:18 AM EST
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I've got a lot to do today, and every time I look at the news, it seems I'm only interested in reading about Ghislaine (hoping her Denver lawyers Laura and Jeff kill it on cross-examination) and events in Central and South America.

Since I doubt many readers are as interested in these topics as I am, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

If you do want my thoughts on these topics or other international criminal cases, let me know in comments. I'm pretty fascinated these days by Alex Saab, kidnapped or extradited from Camp Verde (depending on your point of view); the capture of Otoniel in Colombia (the Colombian President says Pablo Escobar was small potatoes by comparison); and the sentencing of Emma Coronel-Aispuro (El Chapo's wife) to 3 years.

What I'm not interested in: school and workplace shootings, missing white girls, the January 6 events at the capital, or anything having to do with Donald Trump. I barely remember him and I have no desire to be reminded.

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    Open Thread | 201 comments (201 topical)
    My interest is centered on Dobbs (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by oculus on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 12:43:59 PM EST
    v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.  Now that Petito/Laundrie are no longer in the news.

    I'm curious (none / 0) (#17)
    by ladybug on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 01:32:28 PM EST
    How do you connect these two cases?

    Parent
    I mean stories. (none / 0) (#18)
    by ladybug on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 01:34:19 PM EST
    I have to watch my lack of legalese.

    Parent
    I don't. Got a bit carried away on (none / 0) (#19)
    by oculus on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 02:27:53 PM EST
    the Gabby front.

    Parent
    Jeralyn, your disinterest in Jan. 6 is offensive (5.00 / 1) (#55)
    by hilts on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 12:31:49 PM EST
    By your blunt statement, you're telling your readers that you truly don't care about an attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election.  You're openly boasting that you don't care if our representative form of government survives or perishes. Have you no shame? Have you no sense of decency?

    wtaf are you talking about? (none / 0) (#65)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 10:32:17 PM EST
    Quote & link to J's "blunt statement."

    No one here is a mind reader.

    Parent

    Here: (none / 0) (#66)
    by oculus on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 11:09:39 PM EST
    " What I'm not interested in: school and workplace shootings, missing white girls, the January 6 events at the capital, or anything having to do with Donald Trump."

    Parent
    ok thanks, fair enough. My bad. (none / 0) (#67)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 11:35:36 PM EST
    I guess after a topic has been posted on TL for a couple days I just go to the comments instead of re-reading the original post again.

    To "leaps" I can't speak for J but for me I often have different levels of interest and patience for the various news stories that are on TV vs other people.

    Parent

    The subject of the Jan riot (5.00 / 5) (#71)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 08:19:20 AM EST
    is a lot more than a news story.  IMO there is nothing more worthy of discussion.  The "story" is certainly not going anywhere.  Thankfully.

    Parent
    The opinion Thursday from the U.S. Court (5.00 / 1) (#94)
    by Peter G on Fri Dec 10, 2021 at 09:07:25 AM EST
    of Appeals for D.C., rejecting Tr*mp's assertion that as a former president he can block the release of documents to the Congressional investigating committee by asserting executive privilege when the actual President of the United States has waived that privilege, is very strong. And by implication destroys Bannon's, Clark's and Meadows' assertions of that privilege.

    Parent
    It just getting started (none / 0) (#72)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 08:46:05 AM EST
    Ex-Guard Official Says Generals Lied to Congress

    December 6, 2021 at 8:40 am EST By Taegan Goddard 14 Comments

    "A former D.C. National Guard official is accusing two senior Army leaders of lying to Congress and participating in a secret attempt to rewrite the history of the military's response to the Capitol riot," Politico reports.



    Parent
    I said before (5.00 / 1) (#75)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 09:06:22 AM EST
    some of us would like to believe there are no dangerous crackpots amongst the military brass. It's more comforting to believe that.

    People like Michael Flynn and some of the generals during the Vietnam-Bay of Pigs era should disabuse us of that notion.

    Parent

    I think almost everyone (none / 0) (#78)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 09:11:04 AM EST
    will be shocked by how deep the tentacles of this will go.   And for the first time I remember I think the committee is going to go there.  Wherever there is.  Those "weeks of public hearings" next year are going to be scary.

    Parent
    Tentacles (none / 0) (#80)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 09:23:43 AM EST
    Good word. Like Cthulu, or however you spell it.

    Parent
    Milley has receipts (none / 0) (#196)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 02:14:55 PM EST
    So long Walgreens is jealous.

    He took witnesses through everything with him.

    Even if Trump finds a way to block the release of certain records, Milley has his.

    Parent

    Yes. and (5.00 / 1) (#83)
    by KeysDan on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 11:28:46 AM EST
    one of those generals is the disgraced Michael Flynn's younger brother, Charles Flynn.  The Army initially denied Charles was in the meeting at the Pentagon on Jan 6 at which the response to a request for National Guard troops was slow-walked.  It was later revealed that Charles was, in fact, at that meeting.  General Charles is now stationed in Hawaii as head of the US Army Pacific.

    If anything, more, not less, needs to be discovered  about the January insurrection. The House Select Committee appears to be moving ahead--- probably a bit slower than many would like, but then  investigating the overthrow of the US government is complicated, especially if the instigation and orchestration of the putsch is at the very top of the federal government.

    It is unknown if the US DOJ is also conducting an investigation of the insurrection, but it would seem unfathomable that it were not.  Merrick Garland has taken his hits on this matter, but I am buoyed by his response to Senator Whitehouse when asked about this at a Congressional  hearing. However, while appreciative of his cautious language, it would seem that he could state flat out that the Jan 6 insurrection is being investigated for possible crimes committed up to and including the White House. Surely, such officials have more than an inkling, and so should we.

    Parent

    IMO, Merrick Garland is a disappointment (none / 0) (#84)
    by MO Blue on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 11:47:28 AM EST
    and is one of the worse picks Biden has made.

    Parent
    Wow (none / 0) (#86)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 12:23:19 PM EST
    Col Earl Matthews sent a memo to the select committee calling Gens Flynn and Walter Piatt "absolute and unmitigated liars."

    We may be entering a juncture where it would be a good time to lead Garland out to a nice, shady spot in the pasture and let someone with a little more youthful vigor take over

    Parent

    As the young people say (none / 0) (#87)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 12:25:52 PM EST
    sh*t's about to get real.

    Parent
    Cool. I'm still trying to figure out who the (none / 0) (#81)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 10:59:41 AM EST
    missing white girls are.

    Parent
    It's a new punk band (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 11:09:29 AM EST


    Parent
    lol (none / 0) (#85)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 12:15:45 PM EST


    Parent
    Sorry, the above is to "hilts." (none / 0) (#69)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 12:16:00 AM EST


    Parent
    Maybe it's the class warrior (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by jondee on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 03:00:23 PM EST
    in me talking, but my general rule of thumb is, the more lawyers they require, the dirtier they probably are.

    Of course, it's within the realm of possibility that Lady Ghislaine's only charge was to set-up Jeffrey's appointments and make sure 'the help' behaved at all times like a more-cowed version of the submissive one in an S&M relationship.

    Regardless of what the legal system does to her, it's the Scarlett Letter and the end of the VIP invites and lavish receptions at The Met and The Guggenheim.

    She used to ride on a chrome horse with her diplomat, who carried on his shoulder a Siamese Cat..

    So, guilty before proven innocent? (5.00 / 1) (#68)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 11:38:33 PM EST
    seriously, this is a pretty effed up comment:

    but my general rule of thumb is, the more lawyers they require, the dirtier they probably are.


    Parent
    Oh boo hoo (3.00 / 1) (#134)
    by jondee on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 12:36:44 PM EST
    probably doesn't mean definitely.

    Parent
    The more prosecutors and federal agents (none / 0) (#74)
    by Peter G on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 09:05:14 AM EST
    are assigned to prosecute the case, the more lawyers the defendant may need. The defense is almost always outnumbered and out-resourced. Only rarely can a defendant afford to match the prosecution evenly and fairly, as may be the case here. A focus on the number of defense lawyers really misses the mark.

    Parent
    Thanks (none / 0) (#135)
    by RickyJim on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 01:09:30 PM EST
    I didn't think you would bring up one of the glaring weaknesses of the adversary system.  :-)

    Parent
    A little good news (5.00 / 2) (#91)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 07, 2021 at 06:41:48 AM EST
    How Biden Is Reshaping The Courts

    December 7, 2021 at 6:42 am EST By Taegan Goddard 20 Comments

    FiveThirtyEight: "When he took over, 30 percent of active federal judges had been appointed by Trump. He also had just 49 federal court vacancies to fill at that point -- less than half the number that Trump started with."

    "But Biden campaigned on offsetting Trump's conservative stamp by nominating judges from diverse backgrounds, and he's gotten more judicial nominees confirmed through the Senate than any president at this point in his first term in decades. Almost half of the 61 judges he's nominated to the lower courts have been confirmed -- a larger share than Trump or former President Barack Obama -- although there's been far less consensus in the Senate about Biden's picks."

    "But perhaps even more significantly, Biden has delivered on his promise of diversity in a big way. According to our analysis, the vast majority of the judges who have been confirmed under his presidency are women or people of color. And the judges he's named to the courts also have nontraditional professional backgrounds."
    A good one (5.00 / 1) (#113)
    by jondee on Sun Dec 12, 2021 at 01:52:23 PM EST
    I heard Bob Dylan tell on the Theme Time Radio Hour (great show, btw) :

    When it's 30 degrees in New York, it's 70 in LA. And when it's 100 in New York, it's 70 in LA. But there's still 6 million interesting people in New York, and 70 in LA.

    RIP (5.00 / 1) (#123)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 06:34:07 PM EST
    Anne Rice.  

    Vampires... (5.00 / 2) (#133)
    by desertswine on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 12:24:41 PM EST
    will never grow old.

    Parent
    This is good (5.00 / 1) (#129)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 07:24:29 AM EST
    Biden Will Surpass Trump In First-Year Judicial Nominees

    December 15, 2021 at 8:41 am EST By Taegan Goddard 1 Comment

    "President Joe Biden will soon announce his latest wave of nine judicial nominees, capping a year where the selections -- and an effort to establish an imprint on the federal courts -- served as a focal point for his administration," CNN reports.

    "Biden plans to announce his intent Wednesday to nominate nine district court nominees, bringing the administration's total for the year to 73 -- one more than former President Donald Trump nominated in his first year in office."

    Chuck has been threatening making theme work through the holidays if they don't stop the delaying tactics.

    Happy Birthday... (5.00 / 3) (#136)
    by desertswine on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 01:49:59 PM EST
    Bloody Mary!  

    PARIS (AP) -- Harry's Bar in Paris is celebrating the 100th birthday of the bloody mary, the vodka-tomato juice cocktail believed to have been invented at the iconic watering hole in 1921.

    I'll drink to that.

    Yellowjackets gets season 2 (5.00 / 1) (#144)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 16, 2021 at 04:26:11 PM EST
    This is the best thing on TV right now.  And I like new Dexter a lot.

    Yellowjackets' Gets Early Renewal: Showtime's Gary Levine On Series' Breakout Success & Season 2 Surprises

    Agree about Dexter (none / 0) (#166)
    by Yman on Sun Dec 19, 2021 at 07:50:22 AM EST
    So many times these reboots aren't very good, so my expectations were not high.  They seem to have stayed pretty true to the original show's formula.

    Hadn't heard of "Yellowjackets", but the reviews look good - thanks.

    Parent

    A change in messaging (5.00 / 2) (#164)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Dec 19, 2021 at 07:05:30 AM EST
    Biden Eyes Stark Shift in Messaging on Pandemic

    December 19, 2021 at 7:54 am EST By Taegan Goddard 12 Comments

    CNN: "Biden and his team have all but ruled out new lockdowns, and behind the scenes, administration officials have been debating how to shift public attention from the total number of cases -- which appear likely to surge, even if many are mild -- toward the number of severe infections that are overloading health systems and causing interruptions to normal life."

    "Some of Biden's advisers are encouraging the administration to begin discussing publicly how to live alongside a virus that shows no signs of disappearing, a potentially stark shift in messaging for a White House that once touted `freedom from the virus.'"

    "Steering public attention away from the total number of infections and toward serious cases only -- as some Biden advisers have encouraged -- could prove a challenge after nearly two years of intense focus on the pandemic's every up and down. It is a part of a growing conundrum that Biden faces as the Covid-19 pandemic refuses to abate."

    I have my own idea about a new message.

    If you get it and die it's almost certainly your own damn fault.  I would talk about the difference in the death numbers in red and blue states.  Which  is now huge and growing.
    And finally I would say stop blaming me because you are to stupid and hateful to get a safe free vaccine.  Blame yourself.

    This is why I'm not a politician.

    I saw a number yesterday (5.00 / 1) (#165)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Dec 19, 2021 at 07:16:41 AM EST
    That said if you only count democrats we are the most vaccinated country on earth.  

    I might mention that to just to burn them.

    Parent

    I'm with you (none / 0) (#167)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 19, 2021 at 09:21:42 AM EST
    on this. I would have the same messaging. I also would throw the whole "personal responsibility" meme back at conservatives telling them they are personally responsible to get a free vaccine and they are personally responsible for getting sick. Conservatives remind me of my oldest ADHD son as a teenager where he had to learn the lesson the hardest possible way and that hard way many times. So many times to him I said doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result is insanity.

    And it is also why I am not running for office or a politician. Nobody would vote for me.

    Parent

    As Covid (none / 0) (#168)
    by KeysDan on Sun Dec 19, 2021 at 10:31:19 AM EST
    moves to endemic from pandemic it is reasonable pubic health policy to focus on hospitalizations and death.  The number of cases of infectious diseases, such as influenza or measles. Is important to monitor in the sense of trends and a potential for wider spread; however, it is the number of serous ramifications  of an infectious disease that become more essential to public heath concerns.

    The treatment of milder cases at home, for example, the common cold, impact the economy in terms of days off of work, but such infections are manageable in terms of public heath and the capabilities of the heath care system.

    I do not think it would be too difficult to roll out a change in keeping track of, and reporting, the course of Covid.  As more information on the omicron and any emerging variants becomes available it can be integrated into the transitional process.  Moreover, the likely prospect of a second booster and/or annual vaccination should be incorporated into transitional thinking. And, of course, the continued campaign for vaccination, especially mandates.  

    PS I would vote for both the Captain and Georgia, anytime.

    Parent

    LOL (5.00 / 2) (#169)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 20, 2021 at 07:52:41 AM EST
    North Korea Bans Laughing for 11 Days

    December 20, 2021 at 7:31 am EST By Taegan Goddard 55 Comments

    North Korea banned laughing for 11 days during national mourning for the 10th anniversary of Kim Jong-il's death, The Guardian reports.
    Alban Arthan... (5.00 / 1) (#181)
    by desertswine on Tue Dec 21, 2021 at 06:18:37 PM EST
    In the Welsh language, "Alban Arthan" means for "Light of Winter," according to the Farmers' Almanac. It might be the oldest seasonal festival of humankind. Part of Druidic traditions, the winter solstice is considered a time of death and rebirth.

    It's the longest night of the year. Oooooo...   lock your doors.

    Need a binge? (5.00 / 2) (#182)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 22, 2021 at 10:43:19 AM EST
    The Most Terrifying Show on TV Right Now? It's `Midnight Mass'
    Netflix's horror series about a small island community, a visiting priest and unexplained "miracles" is the perfect must-see mix of beautiful and bloodcurdling

    Also (none / 0) (#190)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 08:17:31 AM EST
    I think the new Matrix movie might be the best of the four.  Nostalgic and relevant.

    Parent
    Yes, it is a slow build (none / 0) (#191)
    by MKS on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 09:06:40 AM EST
    You are unnerved by the priest character in the beginning but can't quite put a finger on it.

    Very scary....low key and then horror.  For a horror show, pretty good stuff--without the special effects that so many films rely on for drama.

    Parent

    Yes (none / 0) (#192)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 09:19:55 AM EST
    The one big effect "the angel" looks pretty great.  But it's pretty basic.

    The HBO show Station Eleven is also pretty great.  It's dropping in a weird way.  Three episodes last Thursday three more today.

    Parent

    This is just great (5.00 / 1) (#189)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 07:29:59 AM EST
    an early Xmas present

    Far-Right Group Fantasizes They've Been Attacked With Anthrax

    Flynn and Eric and a whole bunch of them.

    Because it couldn't possibly be the highly contagious virus sweeping the country.

    Do these people understand they are a joke I wonder.

    If they were (none / 0) (#195)
    by KeysDan on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 01:17:05 PM EST
    attacked with anthrax, it would he highly unlikely that they would still be around to talk about it.

    Although, anthrax scares are a good Republican hysteria tactic.  Worked for George W. Bush as part of the Iraq war plan---all those anthrax letters surely traceable to Saddam.  Not a germ of truth to it, of course.


    Parent

    A good excuse to clean house (5.00 / 1) (#193)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 11:59:27 AM EST
    long overdue.

    More Marines Discharged Over Vaccine Refusal

    December 23, 2021 at 12:48 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 53 Comments

    "The Marine Corps discharged 66 Marines in the past week for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine as mandated by the military, outpacing the other services at discipline related to the shots," the AP reports.

    "The latest Corps actions brought the total number of Marines booted out of the service for vaccine refusal to 169."
    I wonder what the characterization of (none / 0) (#197)
    by Peter G on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 03:20:57 PM EST
    the discharge will be. If for refusing a direct order, it would have to be other than honorable, I would think. Which then has consequences in terms of veterans' benefits, if I'm not mistaken, and future employment, typically.

    Parent
    They are probably being given (5.00 / 1) (#199)
    by Chuck0 on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 05:07:59 PM EST
    General discharges under honorable conditions if these are being handled as administrative discharges. A general discharge under other than honorable conditions is an administrative discharge (no court martial) that usually requires some kind of criminal conduct or security violation.

    Dishonorable and Bad Conduct can only be handed out by a court martial

    Parent

    According to Marine Times (5.00 / 1) (#200)
    by BGinCA on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 05:43:03 PM EST
    "Marines discharged solely for refusing the vaccine will receive either an honorable or general discharge, according to provisions in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act"

    Parent
    I'm trying hard (none / 0) (#198)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 04:07:05 PM EST
    to care.

    Parent
    That's 169 fools out of ... (none / 0) (#201)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 25, 2021 at 04:47:43 PM EST
    ... 219,458 active duty and reserve USMC personnel. They are nothing but a loud little handful. "Merry Christmas from your U.S. Marine Corps. Semper fi, except to you. You're fired."

    Parent
    Would be nice (none / 0) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 09:53:12 AM EST
    to have a memory that selective.  I guess.

    Busy year (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 09:55:22 AM EST
    Select Panel Will Hold `Multiple Weeks' of Hearings

    December 2, 2021 at 10:25 am EST By Taegan Goddard 53 Comments

    "The Jan. 6 select committee plans to hold `multiple weeks' of public hearings in 2022 to lay out how the violent attack on the Capitol took shape -- and how Donald Trump attempted to overturn the election, " Politico reports.

    "It's the first indication of the committee's plans for 2022 and how it intends to reveal the findings of its intensive, closed-door probe. And it's a further signal that the panel intends to finalize its work by the spring, as Chair Bennie Thompson has previously said."
    Captain, (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by KeysDan on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 10:36:14 AM EST
    when is your hip procedure?  Wishing you all the best.

    Parent
    Ah (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 10:49:16 AM EST
    The plot thins.

    It's not, I'm told, entirely clear it is my hip that is the problem.   You asked so I'll give the the shortest version I can.

    There are reasons to think it is a back problem.  A nerve problem.  Not a hip problem.  I definitely have what's been described, twice in xrays, as a minor case of arthritis.  I've been saying, hey, what ever it is it's not minor.  There is a long history I won't go into about other problems with that leg.  Taken together with some new info, namely my right leg is now smaller than my left leg, we now think it's likely two problems.  At least.  The only good news from that is hip replacement might not be in my future at all.

    The bad news is it would probably be some kind of back surgery.  

    Parent

    An MRI (none / 0) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 10:51:57 AM EST
    of the hip is next.  Probably next week.  I'm really pushing them to try to get some answers before the hospitals start shutting down again for Omicron.

    Parent
    Is physical (none / 0) (#6)
    by KeysDan on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 11:00:08 AM EST
    therapy helpful?   In my view, it is advisable to be conservative in the treatment of back issues. At least for starters.

    Parent
    Hard to say (none / 0) (#8)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 11:11:49 AM EST
    I have only had two sessions.  The doctor who only started thinking back problem yesterday said this kind of PT would not help a back problem.  I guess he wants to be sure it's not a hip problem and only an MRI will do that.

    The PT people are just a floor below so they are supposedly all looking at the same info.

    Parent

    Warning: anecdote. Friend had severe back pain. (none / 0) (#14)
    by oculus on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 12:46:12 PM EST
    Ortho:  scoliosis.  Go to PT. Eventually PT opine, I think it is your hip. PT was correct.

    Parent
    The PT person actually said it was my back (none / 0) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 01:17:35 PM EST
    last week.  My Dr has been away for a few days. Finally saw him yesterday.  Kay at PTsaid last week it's two different problems.  Not primarily arthritis in my hip.

    Parent
    The Ghislaine trial (none / 0) (#7)
    by ladybug on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 11:00:53 AM EST
    From the little I've read so far the defense is  very strong. I think that the comparison of the   MSM coverage and the actual facts that may come out during cross-examination will be fascinating. The defendant may not have been underage, she does not remember a lot of what happened clearly, the defense challenges a lot of her statements with contradictory facts. I sure wish that Jeralyn would cover this trial.

    In my haste and zeal (none / 0) (#9)
    by ladybug on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 11:14:40 AM EST
    I again get the words wrong. I meant the witness for the prosecution! LOL I am not a lawyer.

    Parent
    The only thing interesting (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by jondee on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 11:32:45 AM EST
    at all about this case of entitled, self-indulgent rich people acting badly is whether or not Epstein was an intelligence asset and if so, for who and what his duties entailed.

    The rest of it falls into the tawdry bread-and-circuses media show category  that we're already inundated with.

    Parent

    Intelligence asset (none / 0) (#16)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 01:19:56 PM EST
    I am curious about that too. Was Epstein using sex trafficking to create kompromat for Israel? I also have a feeling we may never get an answer to that one.

    Parent
    Kompromat for Israel (none / 0) (#20)
    by BGinCA on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 04:38:34 PM EST
    What leads you to believe this?

    Parent
    This has been (none / 0) (#21)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 04:59:16 PM EST
    a subplot.  

    For writer who broke Epstein case, a rumored Mossad link is worth digging into
    Reporter Julie K. Brown isn't convinced the accused sex trafficker took his own life, and says associate Robert Maxwell may not have been the only one tied to Israeli intelligence



    Parent

    Ari Ben-Menashe (none / 0) (#33)
    by jondee on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 06:11:43 AM EST
    an ex-Israeli intelligence guy is adamant that Epstein was running a honey pot blackmail operation.

    One thing's for sure. None of the people in a position to confirm or deny what Epstein was actually up to are talking. And the most prominent outlets are adopting a 'won't touch it with a ten-foot pole attitude' attitude about the intelligence angle.

    Parent

    I should add (none / 0) (#22)
    by jondee on Fri Dec 03, 2021 at 08:20:38 AM EST
    that I might just keel over in shock if the espionage angle is publicly delved into at all, sans Ms Maxwell blurting something out that she can't take back, which probably won't happen.

    A clear answer hasn't even been provided yet as to where Epstein's seeming unlimited funds came from. Besides the close-mouthed, unaccountable Les Wexner, what other clients did Epstein have?

    Parent

    Well (none / 0) (#25)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Dec 03, 2021 at 02:14:15 PM EST
    it certainly is not going to be delved into during this trial but that should not keep the press from exploring it. However the fact that Epstein had IIRC a Israeli passport was just mentioned at the time it was found and then shrugged off by the press shortly thereafter.

    Parent
    Austrian passport I believe (none / 0) (#27)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Dec 03, 2021 at 02:33:18 PM EST


    Parent
    comment in response to this (none / 0) (#49)
    by Jeralyn on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 01:39:32 AM EST
    deleted for stating rank speculation/gossip. Please don't do that here.

    Parent
    Thank you. (none / 0) (#50)
    by ladybug on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 07:53:45 AM EST
    I put that in the heading because I wanted it to be clear that this is what we are reading, but it is all speculation. I will be more careful. There is so much news but so little information.

    Parent
    Rand Paul (none / 0) (#11)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 11:48:54 AM EST
    That guy.  I've noticed an interesting thing on the social media of my right wing relatives and their friends.  Rand Paul.

    There has been a quiet battle going on in the fever swamp for who can be even more crazy and dangerous than Trump for 2024.  Ted Cruz is a player.  Marco wants to be but no.  DeSantis, Tom Cotton, etc.

    The winner is Rand Paul I think.  He is showing up more and more.  Riding the really crazy stuff.  The latest is evil Dr Fauchi.

    Anyway, don't be surprised if Rand Paul is a threat in the Republican primary.  He could also be a threat nationally unlike some of the others.

    Rand Paul.  

    I guess (none / 0) (#12)
    by ladybug on Thu Dec 02, 2021 at 11:49:55 AM EST
    Jeralyn knows her audience well. But I hope she takes it on as a topic nevertheless. This is a criminal case where someone's freedom is at stake.

    I just read (none / 0) (#24)
    by ladybug on Fri Dec 03, 2021 at 12:44:06 PM EST
    Dershowitz's book, available for free on Amazon kindle, detailing the accusations against him by Giufree and others. The litigation between Dershowitz and Giuffre will be interesting. But his claims and evidence seem convincing to me. I wonder what Jeralyn thinks? This is really a complicated story. If Mary Farmer was accosted by Epstein on Wexner's property and held there by Wexner's staff, why wasn't Wexner ever charged?

    I have yet (none / 0) (#26)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Dec 03, 2021 at 02:16:19 PM EST
    to figure out why Wexner has not been charged with someone unless his involvement is so vast they are still investigating. I never bought into the fact that George W. Bush let Epstein off the hook because of the Royal Family. I always thought Wexner being probably the highest donor to the GOP was the reason.

    Parent
    But isn't this the case (none / 0) (#28)
    by ladybug on Fri Dec 03, 2021 at 02:36:31 PM EST
    with all the well-connected rich men who have been named, or not named, in the press? Which brings me back to my main question: why is a woman being treated as the proxy and scapegoat for Epstein and all the men who participated in his alleged sex trade? I also wonder who the defense will call to the stand.

    Parent
    Maxwell (none / 0) (#32)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 05:40:30 AM EST
    is not being prosecuted as a "proxy". She is being prosecuted for what she did which is procure girls and actually participate in the crime of sex trafficking. And just because other people were "named" doesn't mean they committed a crime.

    Parent
    What GA6 said, except (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by Peter G on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 11:45:21 AM EST
    for the presumption of guilt. Maxwell is being prosecuted for her alleged active participation in Epstein's alleged crimes. On this site, I am surprised someone would say that she is "being prosecuted for what she did, which is ...." Until the evidence is in (at an anticipated six-week trial, which has just begun), the defense has been heard, and the jury decides, we do not know "what she did."

    Parent
    I was intrigued (none / 0) (#40)
    by ladybug on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 12:16:57 PM EST
    by Jeralyn's lede of trial by proxy, and so I have been trying to look at it from the defense side since we get enough of the prosecution side in the news.

    Parent
    Peter (none / 0) (#42)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 12:54:05 PM EST
    I fully admit my bias in this case and believe Maxwell is guilty from what I have read. However since I am not on the jury it's just my opinion.

    Parent
    Which is why (none / 0) (#36)
    by ladybug on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 09:14:21 AM EST
    I wish we could watch the trial. I don't trust the news coverage of it. I am especially interested in the defense too.

    Parent
    Dershowitz (none / 0) (#34)
    by jondee on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 06:59:22 AM EST
    in my estimation, is a snake. His stock-in-trade is methodically weaving half-truths, lies of omission, and libelous innuendo into a superficially persuasive whole.

    He's like a sleazy politician with a slightly better vocabulary and bottomless chutzpah. You can see where Ted Cruz got it from.

    See Dershowitz v Prof Norman Finkelstein for a glimpse into what levels Dersh is willing to sink to in defense of his twisted agenda and vanity.

    Parent

    I wasn't familiar with it so I went to (none / 0) (#37)
    by ladybug on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 09:50:50 AM EST
    Wikipedia for an overview. I know, Wikipedia is not a good source but it is quick. They had an academic dispute about plagiarism which seems to have been decided in Dershowitz's favor. Harvard, including Lawence Tribe, took his side. His book, Guilt by Accusation, is very short and easy reading. The claims and evidence he presents are interesting. The litigation with Giuffre will also be interesting.  

    Parent
    A poll of the Harvard student body (none / 0) (#38)
    by jondee on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 11:26:12 AM EST
    came down in favor of Dershowitz as plagiarist. If you review the evidence Finkelstein presented, there are, at the very least, striking coincidences between Peters's book and Deshowitz's, down to the same footnotes and replication of the same factual errors and distortions.

    What a coincidence.

    Meanwhile the ever-vindictive Dershowitz took it upon himself to campaign to have Finkelstein denied tenure against the recommendations of Finkelstein's own department and campaigned (unsuccessfully) to have Finkelstein's book suppressed - even sinking so disgustingly low as to suggest Finkelstein's mother survived the Holocaust by being a concentration camp Kapo.

    The man is vile. He should go get another message from an "old, old Russian woman."

    Parent

    Was he always (none / 0) (#41)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 12:52:00 PM EST
    like this? I remember him from back in the 80's concentrating on getting people out of jail and of course representing Claus Von Bulow. Just my impression but it seems he really flipped a switch when he got involved with Epstein.

    Parent
    The switch flipped (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by jondee on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 04:27:06 PM EST
    when he became a full-fledged, semi-rational, holy warrior for Israel - to the point where he's accused people like Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu of anti-semitism for not being as militant as he is.

    Parent
    How about this? (none / 0) (#56)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 02:18:38 PM EST
    Perdue to Challenge Kemp In GOP Primary

    December 5, 2021 at 3:07 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 17 Comments

    "Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue plans to challenge Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in the Republican primary next year, according to multiple people with knowledge of his decision, setting up a divisive contest between two of the state's leading GOP figures ahead of a likely general election matchup with Stacey Abrams," the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.

    "Perdue's decision is expected to be delivered Monday and comes days after Abrams, an icon to many Democrats, announced she would run for governor for a second time. Perdue has told allies he was motivated to join the race because he fears Kemp can't defeat the Democrat again."

    Daily Beast: Perdue to spark new GOP civil war by challenging Kemp.



    Parent
    It is going (none / 0) (#58)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 03:25:21 PM EST
    to be very ugly. I may turn off my TV for quite a few months. LOL.

    LOL at Perdue afraid Kemp can't defeat Stacey again. Both of them have electoral problems but for entirely different reasons. Kemp is already accusing Perdue of being an insider trading criminal and an expert at losing elections.  

    Parent

    I (none / 0) (#59)
    by FlJoe on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 03:30:21 PM EST
    presume tRump will back Perdue, or will he make them both beg?

    Parent
    Yes. (none / 0) (#61)
    by KeysDan on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 04:21:33 PM EST
    Perdue is Trump's revenge.  

    Parent
    Trump (none / 0) (#64)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 06:32:03 PM EST
    is apparently the one that has been pushing Perdue to run. Apparently they don't think Kemp can win and Perdue can.

    Already high profile Republicans are attacking Perdue for losing to Jon Ossoff who wears a Star Wars costume and his insider trading. I expect Kemp to use all the Jon Ossoff talking points against Perdue. They also were making fun of Perdue for not showing up for a debate.  

    Parent

    Governor Stacey (none / 0) (#77)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 09:07:38 AM EST
    David Perdue Blames Brian Kemp for His Loss

    December 6, 2021 at 10:13 am EST By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

    Former Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) kicked off his campaign for Georgia governor blaming Gov. Brian Kemp (R) for his loss in the U.S. Senate race in January and claimed Kemp gave Joe Biden "free rein."

    Said Kemp: "Look, I like Brian. This isn't personal. It's simple. He has failed all of us and cannot win in November."



    Parent
    Buy low. (none / 0) (#60)
    by KeysDan on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 04:19:32 PM EST
    sell high.... Perdue stock tip.   Works for him.

    Parent
    Dershowitz (none / 0) (#35)
    by jondee on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 06:59:29 AM EST
    in my estimation, is a snake. His stock-in-trade is methodically weaving half-truths, lies of omission, and libelous innuendo into a superficially persuasive whole.

    He's like a sleazy politician with a slightly better vocabulary and bottomless chutzpah. You can see where Ted Cruz got it from.

    See Dershowitz v Prof Norman Finkelstein for a glimpse into what levels Dersh is willing to sink to in defense of his twisted agenda and vanity.

    Parent

    I'm sure he's a great guy deep-down (none / 0) (#54)
    by jondee on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 10:34:10 AM EST


    Parent
    jondee, enough with the (none / 0) (#70)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 06:40:01 AM EST
    name-calling. Here, he is not a snake, nor any of the other names you have called him. Name-calling is against our rules, and I know you are smart enough to say what you mean without stooping to that level.

    Parent
    Sorry (none / 0) (#73)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 08:55:44 AM EST
    Suffice it to say he's generally not my cup of tea.

    I suppose the most generous way of saying it is that he's a mixed bag, as we all are.

    Parent

    Go Ducks... (none / 0) (#29)
    by fishcamp on Fri Dec 03, 2021 at 02:43:21 PM EST


    I had to turn it off (none / 0) (#30)
    by Chuck0 on Fri Dec 03, 2021 at 09:18:40 PM EST
    At halftime.

    Parent
    My son goes to the U (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Dec 03, 2021 at 09:40:53 PM EST
    Go Utes.

    Parent
    SDSU Aztecs looked (none / 0) (#47)
    by Chuck0 on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 07:35:28 PM EST
    As bad today as the Ducks last night.

    Parent
    They looked horrible. (none / 0) (#62)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 06:21:56 PM EST
    It was not unlike the Aztecs' game a few weeks ago against Fresno State. I don't understand how such a high-octane team as San Diego State just swoons like that in a conference championship game. They have a history of big-game pratfalls. Two years ago as a 12-pt. favorite in the 2019 regular season finale in Honolulu, the Aztecs handed the division crown to a decent but hardly great Hawaii team with a similarly anemic offensive performance. The 'Bows offense sputtered as well that night; the O/U was 70+ and the final score was 14-11.

    Parent
    Something completely different? (none / 0) (#43)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 04:22:02 PM EST
    NETFLIX Brand New Cherry Flavor

    Hate the title.  Only looked because I would watch Cathrine Keener do just about anything.  

    Saw her in Burn This in NY. Complete cypher. (none / 0) (#48)
    by oculus on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 07:59:12 PM EST


    Parent
    Did I just hear on NPR that there is a blizzard (none / 0) (#45)
    by Peter G on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 06:10:33 PM EST
    of snow falling in Hawai'i?  WTF?  Does this happen regularly, and somehow I never heard of it?

    It happens nearly every winter. (5.00 / 1) (#63)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 06:29:43 PM EST
    Here on the Big Island, our mountains are often snowcapped at Christmas.

    Parent
    Boy, did we get walloped by the rain this week! (none / 0) (#107)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 11, 2021 at 07:53:21 PM EST
    The Kona low monsoon started on Sunday and lasted until Thursday. We received about 12 inches, but Maui and Oahu got absolutely pounded. The ground is still soggy.

    Parent
    on the high (none / 0) (#46)
    by leap on Sat Dec 04, 2021 at 06:43:58 PM EST
    summits

    The warning only applies to Hawaii's tallest peak, Mauna Kea, which is 13,803 feet, as well as Mauna Loa, the second-tallest at 13,679 feet.

    The snow is part of a weather pattern forecast to bring heavy rain, giant swells and flooding to lower elevations across the islands this weekend, NBC affiliate KHNL reported Friday.



    Parent
    A legal question? (none / 0) (#51)
    by ladybug on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 08:07:23 AM EST
    The news reports describe an extensive sex trafficking ring, so I wonder why more people are not indicted. Shouldn't the other men involved face charges? That is just one of the reasons I am looking at this through the prism of trial by proxy. Other women recruited the girls and other men participated. If everything was taped, they must have some proof.  And does anyone know why just these four victims are testifying?

    I realize that this (none / 0) (#52)
    by ladybug on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 09:07:35 AM EST
    is alleged sex trafficking. It may be too early to ask these questions. The trial is new. The evidence will come out.

    Parent
    Sorry about the declarative sentence. (none / 0) (#53)
    by ladybug on Sun Dec 05, 2021 at 09:58:35 AM EST
    We don't know if there are more people involved. I will answer my own question so you can just ignore me. I assume this is a trial with a very narrow focus and charges so any other concerns are not a part of it. I am just curious about a lot of it, but it is early and it is an uncomfortable subject to talk about.  

    Parent
    Buck O'Neil and Bud Fowler elected to MLB (none / 0) (#76)
    by McBain on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 09:07:20 AM EST
    Hall of Fame
    Negro League baseball players Buck O'Neil and Bud Fowler were elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

    My first thought was it's about time for Buck O'Neil but then realized I had confused him with Buck Leonard who had been elected in 1972.  Apparently, O'Neil's election had a lot to do with what he did for the game after he retired...
    O'Neil, who was known as an ambassador for baseball, played 10 seasons with the Memphis Red Sox and Kansas City Monarchs, according to the Hall of Fame. After his playing career, O'Neil became a scout for the Chicago Cubs and would go on to become the first Black coach in American League or National League history with Chicago.

    O'Neil, who died in 2006, also helped found the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

    I didn't know anything about Bud Fowler...

    Fowler has been acknowledged as the first Black professional baseball player, according to the Hall of Fame. He pitched and played second base for different teams in more than a dozen leagues before his death in 1913.

    I have mixed feelings about the MLB Hall of Fame in general but it's good to see these guys get in.

    My grandparents (none / 0) (#79)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 09:21:49 AM EST
    used to live a couple of miles from the Hall of Fame, so I went there a lot.

    I still can't believe those uniforms the old-timey players wore in the dog-days of summer. I don't know if they were wool, but they looked like it.

    Parent

    I've played in old fashioned leagues (none / 0) (#88)
    by McBain on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 12:50:24 PM EST
    with the baggy uniforms in 100 degree heat.  They weren't wool but still not ideal for hot weather. Even modern baseball uniforms are kind of silly. How many other sports have the coaches wearing full uniforms?  

    It's still my favorite sport but they might need to do something to make it more interesting.  Too many strikeouts, home runs and extreme infield shifts.  Not enough triples and stolen bases. One idea I heard was moving the pitcher's mound back a few feet.

    Parent

    Query: why do basketball coaches wear (5.00 / 1) (#90)
    by oculus on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 05:05:29 PM EST
    business suits to games?

    Parent
    Jeez (none / 0) (#89)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 06, 2021 at 01:11:47 PM EST
    And make it even rougher on pitchers?

    They already lowered the mound and tightened the strike zone after 1968.

    Ted Williams used to say hitters didn't take the art of hitting seriously enough. Maybe that's the problem. Get paid like a rockstar and start thinking you're a rockstar.


    Parent

    I don't have the answer (none / 0) (#92)
    by McBain on Tue Dec 07, 2021 at 05:22:25 PM EST
    I just know it's hard to watch a game when at bats take forever.  


    Parent
    Ali blabbing (none / 0) (#93)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 08, 2021 at 05:11:13 PM EST
    Rally Planner Will Cooperate In January 6 Inquiry

    December 8, 2021 at 5:02 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 25 Comments

    "Ali Alexander, a prominent organizer of Stop the Steal rallies with ties to far-right members of Congress who sought to invalidate the 2020 election results, is cooperating with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, pledging to deliver a trove of documents that could shed light on the activities that preceded the attack," the New York Times reports.

    "The participation of Mr. Alexander, who is scheduled to be deposed by the panel on Thursday, could provide insight into the nature and extent of the planning by President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress for their bid to overturn the election on Jan. 6. It could also help clarify whether and to what degree the prospect of violence was discussed or contemplated before or during the rampage."
    Supreme Court Ruling on Texas SB 8, (none / 0) (#95)
    by KeysDan on Fri Dec 10, 2021 at 02:05:34 PM EST
    the fugitive uterus act.  In an 8 to 1 (Thomas dissenting) decision, the justices permitted abortion providers to sue "executive licensing officials" who would take action against clinics that violate the Texas law.

    Concurrently, the Supreme Court, by a 5 to 4 vote (Gorsuch, Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh, Barrett/Roberts, Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan), refused to let providers sue the Texas Attorney General, or state court clerks. The Court dismissed the US Justice Department's separate challenge to SB 8 without explanation. And, the Texas law was allowed to remain in effect until the lower courts act.

    The abortion providers can ask US District Judge Robert Pitman to block SB8, which he did initially in a powerful ruling, with an injunction against "executive licensing officials", which will likely be appealed again  to the 5th US Circuit Court, which may or may not be upheld.

    Allowing providers to sue "executive licensing officials" is a positive step; however, as Chief Justice Roberts wrote: "...the state's court clerks and the AG were proper defendants"  "...If legislatures can annul the judgments of the courts of the US, then the constitution itself becomes a solemn mockery".  

     Justice Sotomayor's dissent criticized the majority for failing to "put an end to this madness months ago, before SB8 first went into effect."  "My disagreement with the Court runs far deeper than a quibble over how many defendants these petitioners may sue.  The dispute is over whether States can nullify federal constitutional rights by employing schemes like the one at hand..."

    This case may be subsumed by the overturning of Roe v Wade in the Mississippi case to be decided by June 2022. But, this ruling is a mess and may become a means for States to undermine rights by using bounty hunters for enforcement.

     

    " .......a solemn (none / 0) (#109)
    by KeysDan on Sun Dec 12, 2021 at 12:04:29 PM EST
    Mockery." Chief Justice. Roberts.

    Bad law begets......California Governor Gavin Newsom: if states can shield their laws from review by federal courts, then California will use that authority to help protect lives.  We will work to create the ability for private citizens to sue anyone who manufacturers, distributes, or sells an assault weapon or ghost gun kits or parts.

    All too predictable as set forth by dissents of Supreme Court justices.   To quote Justice Sotomayor, "...stop the madness".

    Parent

    Will it work. (none / 0) (#110)
    by KeysDan on Sun Dec 12, 2021 at 12:15:52 PM EST
    No.  Even if the Texas fugitive uterus act is followed to a T, this Supreme Court will find such a California law to be unconstitutional in an emergency midnight ruling, presented without explanation.  And, Alito will protest that he is not a political hack during a speech at a Trump rally.  

    Parent
    Newsom left out the provision (none / 0) (#111)
    by Peter G on Sun Dec 12, 2021 at 01:31:40 PM EST
    that allows suits against anyone who "aids and abets" the underlying (supposedly protected) conduct: like giving someone a ride to the gun shop to purchase an automatic weapon, or offering instructions on how to use it, or sharing ammunition, or providing a place for target practice.

    Parent
    Yes, (none / 0) (#114)
    by KeysDan on Sun Dec 12, 2021 at 01:53:42 PM EST
    but he can still squeeze those in.  Apparently, the gun owner equates to the women getting the abortion.  Governor Newsom may be suggesting bad lawing but he is great at trolling.

    Parent
    Predictable and predicted. (none / 0) (#132)
    by KeysDan on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 10:07:51 AM EST
    Florida's Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, is proposing a "Stop Woke Act" which would permit private citizens to sue School Boards and receive bounties and recover legal costs incurred.  The bill is modeled after the Texas Fugitive Uterus Act so as to catch the teaching of Critical Race Theory.

    Parent
    Senator Elizabeth Warren, (none / 0) (#137)
    by KeysDan on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 02:55:05 PM EST
    writing in the Boston Globe, called for the expansion of the Supreme Court.  "The current Court threatens the Democratic foundations of our nation".  

    "With each move, the Court shows why it's important to restore America's faith in an independent judiciary committed to the rule of law."  "To do that, I believe it's time for Congress to yet again use its constitutional authority to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court."

    Parent

    By 8-1 vote, the Supreme Court has allowed (none / 0) (#96)
    by Peter G on Fri Dec 10, 2021 at 02:37:56 PM EST
    the abortion-providers' lawsuit against enforcement of Texas SB8 to go forward against certain state officials. (Justice Thomas alone voted to throw out the challenges to the law entirely.) As a result, the Court apparently deemed it unnecessary to decide whether the US DoJ could also sue Texas over SB8, and so dismissed that part of the case from their docket. Having by-passed the reactionary Fifth Circuit by taking up the challenges immediately this fall, the Court remanded the case directly to the federal district court (which is favorable to the challengers). Chief Justice Roberts and the three "liberal" Justices filed a concurrence lambasting Texas for seeking to undermine and defy binding Supreme Court precedent. But only Sotomayor, Kagan and Breyer protested against the Court's failure to enjoin the blatantly unconstitutional SB8 in the first place. So despite allowing the challenge to go forward, as of now the threat to women's rights in Texas is not enjoined.

    oops, sorry I didn't see that KeysDan (5.00 / 1) (#97)
    by Peter G on Fri Dec 10, 2021 at 02:40:16 PM EST
    beat me to the punch by 15 minutes. Interesting minor differences in how we summarized and presented the decision(s).

    Parent
    Reports are (none / 0) (#98)
    by KeysDan on Fri Dec 10, 2021 at 05:30:22 PM EST
    that President Biden's Commission on Supreme Court reform, at least as now drafted, will not make any definitive recommendations, but rather, will present the pros and cons of various reforms.  The major reform discussed, the addition of members, or as pejoratively presented as Court packing, will get the pros and cons treatment.  

    May be just too hard for the members of the Commission to make a decision on a critically important matter.   President Biden could just have an aide go to the library and work up a report.  

    What more is needed to see that the long-term fascist goal has been reached.  Overturn of Roe, taxpayer funding of religious schools, if the right religion, John C Calhoun jurisprudence.  And, the cert. to hear cases they really, really want.  

    And, free reign.  No worries about Court reform for moderation.  If the Congress goes to Republicans, fasten your seatbelts. When John Roberts is the sane conservative, there will be a bumpy ride ahead.

    Parent

    We will (5.00 / 2) (#99)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Dec 10, 2021 at 08:04:59 PM EST
    no longer have a legitimate court if the supreme court goes the way it seems to be going. People are just going to ignore their edicts as they will have been from something seen as an illegitimate institution. A complete breakdown of the country. You can't allow some to crime and some people to have freedom while others suffer consequences and lose freedoms.

    Parent
    Tornado Armageddon in mid Dec (none / 0) (#100)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 11, 2021 at 07:55:41 AM EST
    Live Updates: Kentucky Governor Says Up to 100 May Be Dead After Tornadoes Rip Through South, Midwest

    Not close to me but I sure heard it go through last night.  They are saying it might be the longest track ever.  100 miles I think.  Amazing.

    It was so hot here last evening (none / 0) (#101)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 11, 2021 at 07:57:50 AM EST
    I had all the windows open and fans on and seriously considered turning on the air when I went to bed.  In just a few hours it was 39.

    Parent
    Strangely satisfying (none / 0) (#102)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 11, 2021 at 08:03:42 AM EST
    to watch them burn.

    Fortunately got that done yesterday before the rain.

    well, damn (5.00 / 1) (#103)
    by leap on Sat Dec 11, 2021 at 09:10:23 AM EST
    It's sad to see all that organic gold go up in smoke. Every November, I drive around the neighborhood looking for bags of leaves put out by the curb. I ask the home-owner if those are leaves, and could I have them? At first, they are wary, don't know who this person is, but when I ask that, oh they get so lit up. Here, I'll go put on my shoes and help you load them into your car! Oh hey, I can deliver them to your house! If there's more than fits in the yard waste bin, they get charged by the excess bag. That's why are are so excited.

    Once I get home, I mulch them in a chipper, right into my vegetable garden. Leaves make the best mulch. Chopped up, they break down really fast over the winter, turn into soil, the worms love it. The birds love it because...insects.

    Also, around these parts, we aren't allowed to burn leaves and brush in town. The waste management people pick up yard waste and take it to a big commercial mulching operation where much of the end product gets spread on orchard lands. You can also buy it by the truck load.

    You have no yard waste recycling in your area?

    Parent

    Not for leaves (none / 0) (#104)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 11, 2021 at 09:35:32 AM EST
    That was just my front yard.  I still have to do the back yard.  Which is even more buried because there is forest on three sides not just two.

    And what you there see is about half what was in my front yard.  I blew all I could (electric blower) off into the forest on both sides.

    I also use them for mulch.   You are right it works great.  There is always enough for that after I blow most of them into piles and burn them.   Otherwise I have enough mulch for half of North America.


    Parent

    The only downside (none / 0) (#105)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 11, 2021 at 09:43:11 AM EST
    of living in a forest

    And they are still falling.

    Parent

    That looks beautiful to me (none / 0) (#106)
    by leap on Sat Dec 11, 2021 at 11:02:26 AM EST
    and to ground-foraging birds--towhees, flickers, quail, thrushes, sparrows, veery, crows, wrens, robins...

    What few leaves I have on the ground from my own and nearby trees, I leave on the ground. I forage the neighborhood for the garden mulch.

    Parent

    So Chris Wallace quit FOX this morning (none / 0) (#108)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Dec 12, 2021 at 10:54:53 AM EST
    On air I guess.

    Chris Wallace leaving Fox News after 18 years for new CNN streaming service
    "I want to try something new to go beyond politics, to all the things I'm interested in. I'm ready for a new adventure," he told viewers.

    One wonders (none / 0) (#112)
    by jondee on Sun Dec 12, 2021 at 01:34:56 PM EST
    why he was ever there in the first place.

    Maybe Old Man Murdoch is running a honey-pot blackmail scheme, the way people say Epstein was - to give Wallace the benefit of a doubt.

    Parent

    You're forgetting (none / 0) (#115)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 12, 2021 at 05:37:54 PM EST
    the same Wallace platformed a lot of fascists over the years. I guess when the hammer came down he went with democracy.

    Parent
    Yeah, point taken (none / 0) (#116)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 12:27:44 PM EST
    what I said was meant more tongue-in-cheek.

    Trying really hard to give Wallace the benefit of a doubt.

    We should also mention that things are in turmoil tight now at Fox, after that Pearl Harbor-anti-Christian hate-crime attack on the Fox Christmas tree.

    Parent

    Fake (none / 0) (#117)
    by KeysDan on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 12:37:23 PM EST
    Christmas tree, in keeping with Fox modus operandi. But, a serious crime---as SNL's FOX character said: the arsonist should be executed.

    Parent
    Michael Che said (5.00 / 1) (#118)
    by jondee on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 01:07:59 PM EST
    nothing says 'Fox' like a rich, white lady commentator calling a mentally ill homeless person "Scrooge".

    Parent
    Isn't it funny how ... (5.00 / 1) (#146)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 12:11:00 PM EST
    ... Fox News hosts focused their attention like a laser beam on their burning Christmas tree at the very moment that Rep. Liz Cheney publicly released their Jan. 6 text messages to then-Trump WH CoC Mark Meadows?

    Parent
    I don't see how they avoid voting rights (none / 0) (#119)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 02:46:14 PM EST
    Manchin to Discuss Filibuster Exemption for Voting Rights

    December 13, 2021 at 3:52 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

    Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) will take part in a meeting tomorrow to discuss how Senate Democrats may be able to alter the filibuster to advance national voting rights legislation, Punchbowl News reports.

    "Voting-rights advocates want to see if Manchin would be open to a `carve-out' to the Senate's filibuster rule for voting rights legislation. The idea gained more urgency for voting rights advocates after the chamber approved a `one-time exception' to its rules to approve a debt-limit increase by a simple majority vote."
    I can imagine him saying (none / 0) (#120)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 03:37:18 PM EST
    something like, `I will vote for an exemption for voting rights if you delay BBB until next year'.

    Parent
    That is something (5.00 / 1) (#121)
    by KeysDan on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 04:40:05 PM EST
    Mr. Manchin had better be prepared to take if he proposes it. Passage of the For the People Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act for a delayed but an assured vote for the BBB until next year would be a very good deal.  

    Next year is coming up pretty soon, and even passage of a good BBB bill in late spring of 2022 would be just fine--closer to the midterms for the short-memoried voters.

    .  And, the voting rights acts are critical. And, there are lots to get going on with the passage of the first infrastructure bill.

    Parent

    That would be the rub (none / 0) (#122)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 06:02:11 PM EST
    can he be trusted to do it.

    What Joe Manchin Is Reading This Morning

    December 13, 2021 at 7:07 am EST By Taegan Goddard 68 Comments

    A new poll shows that nearly two-thirds of West Virginia voters think BBB will make inflation worse and a slightly larger share think Congress "should slow down and get the Build Back Better Act right."

    I like the House are taking these contempt votes in prime time.  I hope it's means the coming hearing will also be in prime time.

    Parent

    They (none / 0) (#124)
    by FlJoe on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 06:34:59 PM EST
    did a good with this "hearing", just hearing Liz say sh!t on live tv was worth it,

    Parent
    Agreed (none / 0) (#126)
    by KeysDan on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 07:04:29 PM EST
    If  the language of the call is sanitized with a bleep, it losses the urgency and impact of the dire circumstances..

    Parent
    Judging (none / 0) (#128)
    by FlJoe on Tue Dec 14, 2021 at 06:12:30 AM EST
    by the coverage on CNN, the committee hit one out of the ballpark, it sure didn't hurt that Meadows threw them a big fat hanging curve.

    Parent
    Mark Meadows was never ... (none / 0) (#130)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 09:58:30 AM EST
    ... the brightest bulb in the chandelier. If he thought he was knee-deep in scandal prior, he now finds himself up to his neck.

    Parent
    Dog-paddling (none / 0) (#131)
    by jondee on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 10:02:23 AM EST
    in sewage treatment plant.

    While over at Fox, they're performing synchronized swimming in it.

    Parent

    Correct me here (none / 0) (#125)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 06:59:19 PM EST
    if I'm wrong but my understand is even if these voting bills pass they are going to be held up in court and wont' have any effect on the 2022 elections.

    Parent
    The fascist (5.00 / 2) (#127)
    by KeysDan on Mon Dec 13, 2021 at 07:13:47 PM EST
    strategy includes law suits.and their associated delays.  And, certain provisions of the laws may be particularly subject to challenge given their adoption of Calhoun jurisprudence---states can nullify those federal laws with which it disagrees.  But, some provisions can be tied up by pro-democracy groups as well, such as implementation of wacko gerrymandering.  They.need to be passed.

    Parent
    Why should he? (none / 0) (#147)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 12:43:37 PM EST
    KeysDan: "That is something Mr. Manchin had better be prepared to take if he proposes it."

    I mean, this is the same Joe Manchin who only last Jan. 19 publicly suggested that the incoming Biden administration float a $ trillion infrastructure bill for congressional consideration. The guy's all over the map.

    While this is obviously my own opinion, I think Manchin is a shameless attention wh*re who wants so desperately to be taken seriously as a player by his colleagues and the general public that he will say anything, even if he ends up contradicting what he said earlier.

    The sad part about Manchin is that he is so friggin' tone-deaf to the urgency of a given moment that he will sabotage his own caucus and country just to assert his own perceived self-importance.

    I swear, had he been in the Senate 77 years ago, Joe Manchin would have probably held up funding for the D-Day invasion on the grounds that it somehow cost too much, and then publicly demanded that Gen. Eisenhower scale back the assault on Nazi-occupied France from five landing beaches in Normandy to three. And then later that evening, he'd have attended a high-end fundraiser hosted for him by Prescott Bush.

    ;-D

    Parent

    Anyone see Power of The Dog yet? (none / 0) (#138)
    by McBain on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 03:04:59 PM EST
    I thought it was awful even though I'm a fan of several of people involved. I was shocked to find out it was up for several Golden Globes including best Drama.  

    A recent film I did like was Nomadland with Frances McDormand about a woman who decides she wants to live the van life.  

    A very different take. (none / 0) (#139)
    by KeysDan on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 03:57:51 PM EST
    Cinematic poetry. A special film experience of haunting and disquieting story-telling and outstanding performances by Benedict Cumberbatch and Kodi Smit McPhee.  Kirsten Dunst was in her element and Jesse  Plemons offered the needed contrast to Cumberbatch's character in appearance and performance.

    Not your average western!  A gothic thriller that may have seemed slow moving at times, but  those moments were part of the movie's intensity and--- crescendo.

    Parent

    I saw "The Last Duel"... (none / 0) (#140)
    by desertswine on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 04:48:30 PM EST
    Fuggedabowdit.

    Parent
    Amazing (none / 0) (#141)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 15, 2021 at 05:17:58 PM EST
    It will win most things f those Globes.

    Parent
    Jane Campion is a great film director. (none / 0) (#148)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 01:12:33 PM EST
    That said, she can also be an acquired taste. I felt pretty much the same way about her film "The Piano" (1993) the first time I saw it, that you do right now about "The Power of the Dog." I was, like, "WTF is this Sch!TT?"

    Of course, "The Piano" then went on to garner a number of Oscar nominations including Best Director for Ms. Campion and eventually, two Academy Awards for Best Actress (Holly Hunter) and Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin).

    But honestly, it was only upon a much later viewing of the film that I came to appreciate Campion's vision and skill as both an artist and filmmaker. I don't know, maybe I just had to be a little older and have more personal experience as a discerning film viewer to do so.

    On another film note, we just saw Steven Spielberg's remake of "West Side Story." Now, I'm normally not a fan of remakes in general, particularly when the 1961 Robert Wise film is considered such a classic. But in this instance, I think Spielberg may have actually improved upon the original.

    Of course, it probably helped Spielberg to have the great Rita Moreno - who won an Oscar in Wise's 1961 film for her exuberant performance as Anita - by his side as both an actor and executive producer. I saw an interview in which he said that she had considerable influence upon his direction of his version. And her role as Valentina in Spielberg's remake, which was written just for her, is not a one-off cameo appearance but a key character in the storyline.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I'm really surprised (none / 0) (#149)
    by jondee on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 01:26:01 PM EST
    they haven't done a remake of Breakfast at Tiffanys, if we're talking about films that deviated drastically from the original novel.

    Maybe actresses are afraid of taking on a character that Audrey Hepburn made so iconic.

    I could see someone like Carey Mulligan killing it in that role.

    Parent

    If you're looking for a great perforamance ... (none / 0) (#171)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Dec 20, 2021 at 08:37:00 PM EST
    ... by actors playing iconic characters, I'd recommend seeing "Being the Ricardos" with Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. I was skeptical when I first heard of their casting in the film, but I must admit they nailed it.

    Parent
    I never saw The Piano (none / 0) (#159)
    by McBain on Sat Dec 18, 2021 at 12:01:53 PM EST
    I did enjoy the first season of Campion's Top of the Lake.  In general, I like filmmakers who take chances are aren't afraid of doing something mainstream audiences aren't into.  She seems to do that.

    Either version of West Side Story is a tough sell for me because I rarely go for musicals.  However, I did see Singin in the Rain for the first time about a year ago and was impressed with skill of the performers, especially Donald O'Connon.

    Parent

    Arguably, ... (none / 0) (#170)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Dec 20, 2021 at 08:28:58 PM EST
    ... "Singing in the Rain" is likely the best traditional musical ever made. "Cabaret" would be my choice as the most avant-garde, with "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" a close second.

    "West Side Story" is notable both for its music and for its choreography, which revolutionized the Broadway musical in 1957. Its storyline also showed an increased willingness to be topical in addressing social issues such as racism and misogyny, and audiences responded positively.

    That said, I tend to be a lot more discerning about movie musicals than I am of other motion pictures, for the simple reason that what works well on the Broadway stage in a musical is the seeming spontaneity of the moment, which is often a lot harder to replicate in a musical number onscreen.

    Aside from those films and the aforementioned "West Side Story", Other movie musicals I like are "Bye Bye Birdie", "Mary Poppins", "The Sound of Music", "Oliver!", "Tommy" and "Chicago".

    Aloha.

    Parent

    The Blues Brothers (5.00 / 1) (#174)
    by McBain on Tue Dec 21, 2021 at 08:59:21 AM EST
    wasn't a typical musical but the musical scenes were pretty good.  

    Parent
    Finian's Rainbow (5.00 / 1) (#177)
    by KeysDan on Tue Dec 21, 2021 at 12:07:10 PM EST
    is an underrated Broadway to Film that suffered from  being released at a time musicals were losing popularity.  Francis Ford Coppola's early effort was a mix of old Hollywood and new.  Filmed in1968 based on the Broadway stage production of the 1940s, it was ahead of its time in presenting social issues of racism and the divide between rich and poor.  

    Fred Astaire's last movie in which he dances and sings.  At age 68, he may have missed a step in comparison to "Singing in the Rain" but he was just right for the elderly character of Finian.  Astaire was not the only star, a role shared by the then pop singers Petula Clark and Tommy Steele, who plays, or so nicely overplays, the leprechaun.  

    Lot's of memorable tunes, such as "How Are Things in Glocca Morra", Old Devil Moon", "When I Am Not Near the Girl I Love, I Love the Girl I Am Near", and "When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich."

    I saw this recently on Turner Classics and found it to be a little silly, even campy, but enjoyable and fun to watch.

    Parent

    "Singin' in the Rain" features (none / 0) (#178)
    by Peter G on Tue Dec 21, 2021 at 12:23:35 PM EST
    Gene Kelly, not Fred Astaire.

    Parent
    Oops (none / 0) (#180)
    by KeysDan on Tue Dec 21, 2021 at 02:30:30 PM EST
    thanks.

    Parent
    High school musical production. Loved it. (none / 0) (#188)
    by oculus on Wed Dec 22, 2021 at 10:55:02 PM EST


    Parent
    Oklahoma n/t (none / 0) (#172)
    by leap on Mon Dec 20, 2021 at 10:10:57 PM EST
    -

    Parent
    Any great movie musicals list (none / 0) (#173)
    by Peter G on Mon Dec 20, 2021 at 10:21:20 PM EST
    ought to go back into the 1930s: Rogers & Astaire, Busby Berkeley, Deanna Durbin, Wizard of Oz, even the Marx Brothers arguably.

    Parent
    I Have Seen Most of These (none / 0) (#175)
    by RickyJim on Tue Dec 21, 2021 at 10:02:47 AM EST
    Link
    The earliest is the 1933 "42nd Street."

    Parent
    We just saw the new Westside Story (none / 0) (#176)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Dec 21, 2021 at 11:54:57 AM EST
    we were not impressed.

    Parent
    Which "A Star is Born"? (none / 0) (#179)
    by RickyJim on Tue Dec 21, 2021 at 12:45:37 PM EST
    I watched the 1954 Judy Garland, James Mason, George Cukor version recently. I think it is generally regarded as the best. There are 4 others from 1937, 1976, 2013 and 2018.  Are any these great?  

    Parent
    "A Star is Born" is literally ... (none / 0) (#202)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Dec 25, 2021 at 04:59:23 PM EST
    ... a star vehicle for the female lead, no pun intended. They're all good, though not necessarily great. It's what Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Lady Gaga did with the material that makes their respective versions memorable.

    Parent
    He will (none / 0) (#142)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 16, 2021 at 03:03:34 PM EST
    One Last Decision for Manhattan's Top Prosecutor

    December 16, 2021 at 4:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 21 Comments

    Associated Press: "After a dozen years in office, one piece of unfinished business remains for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. before he retires at the end of the month: Will the prosecutor known for his caution go out with a bang by bringing criminal charges against Donald Trump?"

    "Vance, who has spent more than two years investigating the former president, has been coy about whether he'll seek Trump's indictment or leave the decision to the next district attorney, Alvin Bragg, a fellow Democrat who takes over Jan. 1."
    Today (none / 0) (#143)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 16, 2021 at 03:52:56 PM EST
    I was in a pet store buying fish food when a woman came up and interrupted my conversation with a sales person to ask where the de-wormer was.  She looked exactly like the person you would expect to ask that.   After she told her I ask the sales person if she ever asked if they were buying it for themselves.  She said I don't even want to know but we have been told not to ask.

    Republicans (smart ones) are beginning (none / 0) (#145)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 06:40:30 AM EST
    to realize that light at the end of the tunnel is a train.  

    Mitch said this yesterday.  I couldn't find this exact quote.  It was on MJ.  But he is now saying similar things a lot.  

    "I think the fact finding is interesting we are all going to be watching it.  It was a horrendous event.  I think what they are seeking to find out is something the public needs to know.  I read the reports every day and it will be interesting to see what they conclude."

    No mention of witch hunts.  I think this is significant.

    We know (5.00 / 2) (#156)
    by KeysDan on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 04:44:00 PM EST
    the turtle is evil and a conniver.  So he smells blood in the water.

    Parent
    Many republicans hate Trump (5.00 / 1) (#157)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 18, 2021 at 07:29:09 AM EST
    and want him gone.  Mitch included.  The enemy of our enemy might be our friends but impartial bystanders will do.

    Mitch has historically been unwilling to even admit the House exists.  

    Parent

    Who knows (none / 0) (#150)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 03:13:39 PM EST
    what Old Moscow is thinking here but I guess the whole witch hunt thing is significant. Some former Republicans are saying that Mitch is sick of being attacked by Trump and this is his way of getting back at him.

    Parent
    Mitch is 79 (none / 0) (#151)
    by jondee on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 03:27:27 PM EST
    maybe he's caught a glimpse of WC Field's "Man in the Bright Nightgown" down the hall, and doesn't wanna leave this world without acknowledging the cold, hard truth at least once.

    Parent
    Nah (none / 0) (#152)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 03:41:04 PM EST
    He is smart.  He doesn't give a shite about anything but power.  I think he is starting to see the train wreck that is Trump.  Not just the House committee but the investigations in NY.  I would make a pretty large bet a Trump indictment is coming.  Soon.  Before the new year and from Cy. I hope.

    I even think this might be the reason the DOJ is NOT aggressively looking into charges against him.  As far as we know.

    Much better for the country to let Cy do it.  And for something that people go to jail for every day.  Not Sedition or conspiracy but for tax, mail, and/or bank fraud.

    Parent

    I don't know (5.00 / 1) (#153)
    by jondee on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 04:01:33 PM EST
    there's some history of the Wheels of Justice going way too easy on these ex-Republican presidents - almost as if someone's worried about setting a more-spiteful-than-usual right-wing vendetta in motion..

    I'll be pleasantly shocked if Trump incurs any serious consequences for all his machinations and insanity.

    Parent

    That's true (none / 0) (#154)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 04:11:45 PM EST
    IMO this is a special case.

    I think indictment is coming,  of course indictment is not conviction.  But it seems clear they are trying to make a "paper case".  They seem to have receipts.

    Parent

    Like the guy from Forbes (none / 0) (#155)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Dec 17, 2021 at 04:14:18 PM EST
    getting questioned by prosecutors about trying to get him to lie about his worth and Forbes rating.   They are trying to prove not just that he lied but he did it to defraud.

    Parent
    10 billion just looks better than 4 (none / 0) (#158)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 18, 2021 at 07:35:39 AM EST
    Here's why a six-year-old interview could doom Trump in fraud case

    Parent
    Not to be a wet blanket (none / 0) (#160)
    by jondee on Sat Dec 18, 2021 at 02:45:23 PM EST
    but you have to prove intent in fraud cases, no?

    That can be very tricky, from my understanding.

    Parent

    Not really. Intent (when not admitted) is (none / 0) (#161)
    by Peter G on Sat Dec 18, 2021 at 03:01:35 PM EST
    readily inferred from conduct and circumstances, such as repeatedly making false statements, with personal gain a likely result, that the person knows are false, or deliberately avoids ascertaining the truth of. And particularly when surrounded by other act of dishonesty.

    Parent
    Rawstory (none / 0) (#162)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Dec 18, 2021 at 06:01:41 PM EST
    Former president Donald Trump will soon be indicted for criminal racketeering under New York state law, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist David Cay Johnston.

    Johnston indicated Saturday afternoon that the charges will stem from Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's ongoing investigation into whether Trump's company misled lenders or tax authorities about the value of its properties.

    "I anticipate they're going to bring a racketeering charge against Trump," Johnston said. "Certainly Trump's team, when he's indicted, and I'm certain he will be indicted, is going to try to lay the blame on everybody else, and so what the prosecutors want to show that is if (Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer) Allen Weisselberg phonied up documents, it was at the direction of Donald Trump."

    MSNBC host Yasmin Vossoughian then pressed Johnston to confirm that he is certain about an impending indictment.

    "Oh, yeah," Johnston responded. "They would not have done all of this and know how much they know ... if they weren't going to to do this. Yeah, they will indict him. Exactly when? I don't know. I don't expect it will be on a straight tax charge. I think there will be a tax charge, but the key charge will be racketeering."

    Just another opinion.  But a pretty smart guy.

    Parent

    interesting (none / 0) (#163)
    by BobTinKY on Sat Dec 18, 2021 at 08:14:04 PM EST
    "What I'm not interested in: school and workplace shootings,"

    Universal vaccine.... (none / 0) (#183)
    by desertswine on Wed Dec 22, 2021 at 02:36:19 PM EST
    Scientists at Walter Reed's Army Institute of Research expect to announce within weeks that they have developed a universal vaccine that works against COVID-19 and all its variants, as well as from previous SARS-origin viruses that have killed millions of people worldwide.

    I'm not sure how reliable this is, it's from Crooks and Liars. But it would be great news indeed.  
    Coming soon... Nazis need not apply.

    I had the same reaction to this (none / 0) (#184)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 22, 2021 at 02:57:57 PM EST


    Parent
    based on this (none / 0) (#185)
    by leap on Wed Dec 22, 2021 at 03:04:12 PM EST
    article. And this one that has links to different studies.

    Both publications are defense and national security-related, so take that for what you will.

    Parent

    SpFN (Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle) (none / 0) (#186)
    by KeysDan on Wed Dec 22, 2021 at 03:11:45 PM EST
    This is exciting news. The concept is the use of ferritin as a vaccine platform, with polyvalent spiking, rather than monovalent.  Ferritin is a universal intracellular protein that stores iron and releases it in a controlled fashion.  It is my understanding that a vaccine is being tested on laboratory mice.


    Parent
    Based oh Israeli (none / 0) (#187)
    by KeysDan on Wed Dec 22, 2021 at 03:21:28 PM EST
    studies, that government is moving to a second booster (fourth vaccination of Moderna or Pfizer) for those  over 60 years of age, health care workers and other vulnerable people.

    Israel has been ahead of the curve for vaccination protocol  so it is likely that the US will soon follow suit.  And, we need to be prepared for annual vaccination.

    new open thread is up (none / 0) (#194)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Dec 23, 2021 at 12:05:33 PM EST
    I know I've been absent, I'll be back for the holidays, for sure.

    Open Thread | 201 comments (201 topical)