Glenn Kirschner – At campaign stop, Donald Trump figuratively AND literally embraces insurrectionists
Foundation to Combat Antisemitism – Tony (hanky alert)
The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party – April 25, 2023
Brent Terhune – They Fired Tucker Carlson
Two Pregnant Dogs Chase Down A Van
Beau – Let’s talk about Tucker and what we can learn….
Yesterday, I managed to get all 8 questions right on the Conversation’s “Weekly News Quiz.” That has never happened before. Usually I get 6 out of eight, occasionally 7 on a good week, occasionally 5 on a bad week. There weren’t that many I actually knew – the rest I got by elimination, including some logic (ocean-going ships “going downhill” is not a thing, for instance.) It’s a small thing – but it does bolster my confidence a little that I am actually keeping up with the good stuff in the barrage of news.
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Short Takes –
The Warning – Have you ever heard of ‘stealthing?’
Quote – “Non-consensual condom removal,” said Google. A behavior and problem so prevalent that it not only had a nickname — “stealthing” — but a range of definitions largely dependent on geography, the most severe being a rape crime punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison in the United Kingdom. In the United States, however, there was little to no legal definition of this act, which remains the case to this day. The first and only piece of legislation — adopted by California in 2021 — recognizes stealthing in the state’s civil sexual battery code and allows victims to sue for damages.
Click through for article (you may have to click on “Keep reading.”) Yes, I’d heard of it, but relatively recently. There were a couple of terms in the article I had to look up, however. Reading the whole thing will probably mak you angry once or twice. But without anger, there is no change.
Colorado Public Radion – One suspect in fatal rock-throwing case had a history of destructive behavior
Quote – Three teens accused of driving around and throwing large rocks at passing cars, one of which investigators say killed a 20-year-old woman, circled back to take a photo of her crashed car as a “memento,” according to court documents released Thursday…. In a hint at a possible motive, Karol-Chik said all three got excited every time they hit a car with a rock that night but acknowledged he felt “a hint of guilt” passing by Bartell’s car, according to the documents.
Click through for story. Now that there are identified suspects in this crime, we can get a glimpse of what they were thinking – if you can call that “thinking.” It certainly gives a new, though equally pernicious, meaning to the acronym KKK.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Mike Pence testifies to federal grand jury about Donald Trump’s democracy-busting January 6 crimes
MSNBC – Anand Giridharadas: We aren’t just dividing as a society, we are de-developing
Ring of Fire – Texas Republicans Try To Make It ILLEGAL To Report Fossil Fuel Pollution
John Oliver makes his own ad in response (Part II of Bud Light)
Stray Cat Decides To Follow This Dog Home
Beau – Let’s talk about hope…. (I would love to know what happened to the “studio,”but he didn’t mention it. He did mention some months ago they were working on some changes – but this only lasted one video.)
Glenn Kirschner – In two cases, prosecutors & judges try to rein in Trump’s threatening, fraudulent & dangerous posts (While I see his point, I also don’t see a huge difference between this and the way 12-step programs are run.)
The Lincoln Project – The Lincoln Project
Thom Hartmann – Hard Truth! You Fight “Woke” Issues So The Rich Can Rob America
John Oliver Wants To Talk About Budweiser Beer & Bud Light on Last Week Tonight (usually John’s clips are too long to share here. This is a rare exception.)
Prairie Dogs Scream For Cuddles And Hide In Girl’s Laundry
Beau – Let’s talk about the GOP budget being announced….
Yesterday, There was a fair amount of news which was not all that encouraging. One exception was Tucker Carlson’s departure (and I put up a news alert on that as soon as I saw it). But another exception was in an EarthRights International email. There is a Big Oil accountability case going on in Colorado, and Exxon abd Suncor had petitioned SCOTUS to hear it. SCOTUS just told them to pound sand. That doesn’t mean the case is over, but it does mean that it will be proceeding in Colorado’s State Court system. And that is good news. i’m sorry I don’t have a short take which is as good, but it is what it is.
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Letters from an American – April 23, 2023
Quote – About 100 U.S. troops used three helicopters to evacuate about 70 U.S. personnel from the [U.S. Embassy in Khartoum], getting them out of Sudan to Ethiopia without major incident. Such a military evacuation is unusual, but the fight between two rival Sudanese leaders has closed the main international airport and given armed fighters control of the roads leading out of the country, making it impossible for U.S. personnel to leave by civilian routes. Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Saudi Arabia helped to get the Americans to safety. There were no major incidents associated with the evacuation. Other nations have also evacuated their embassies, and the United Nations staffers left by road on a 19-hour trip.
Click through for details and more. Been there, done that, and yes, this is a major undertaking, not just for the evacuators and those being evacuated, but for support personnel in more stable areas who contribute in various ways to readying the team. I had no idea it was this bad.
NBC News – Capitol rioter shot at local deputies after FBI informed him of Jan. 6 charges
Quote – Nathan Donald Pelham, of Greenville [TX], who initially faced four misdemeanor charges tied to the insurrection, faces an additional felony charge of being a felon in possession of firearm after the incident April 12, a criminal complaint filed this week shows. An FBI special agent wrote in a filing that he had called Pelham on April 12 and asked him to surrender in a few days. That evening, according to the agent, local authorities went to Pelham’s home after his father requested a welfare check. When the deputies arrived, Pelham fired several shots toward them, prosecutors said.
Click through for story. Pro tip: Shooting at law enforcement when you are already under indictment will never make things better for you.
Slate – Chief Justice John Roberts’ Mockery of Stalking Victims Points to a Deeper Problem
Quote – The reasonableness of that fear was vividly illustrated by the Supreme Court oral arguments in Counterman v. Colorado on Wednesday morning, as members of the highest court of the land joked about messages sent by a stalker to his victim, bemoaned the increasing “hypersensitivity” of society, and brushed aside consideration of the actual harm of stalking to focus on the potential harm of stalking laws.
Click through, but have antacid at hand. This was an egregious stalking case whch happened in Colorado. It had gotten to the point where a message of “Hi. Have a nice day” would be perceived as a threat by any rational person.
Food For Thought
Yesterday, I got to see Virgil, and he returns all greetings. The drive was uneventful both directions. We played Scrabble – or I guess I should start saying we played with a Scrabble set, because the object of our playing was not to win but to use all the letters, which requires cooperation. We succeeded three times and started a fourth but did not have time to get very far. The last unfinished game, I picked up the Q, the X, and the Z all in the first 7 letters I picked up. I could not have done that ifI had tried. I managed to play the third just as it was time for us to pack it up, which I’d call an accomplishment.
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HuffPost – Hakeem Jeffries Tears Into ‘Totally Out Of Control’ Marjorie Taylor Greene
Quote – The leadership apparently supports Marjorie Taylor Greene. The rank-and-file Republicans apparently support Marjorie Taylor Greene. She’s allowed to lie. She’s allowed to debase the institution. Apparently, Marjorie Taylor Greene is even allowed to elevate someone who appears to have engaged in espionage and treason against the United States of America.
Click through for more. Keeping it truthful without invective or smears. The article also notes that one Republican, Green without an e, did come down on her on Wednesday for some truly vile stuff. But mostly, they don’t.
The Nib (Levi Hastings) – Overfishing, pollution, and urban development are causing the Resident Orca population in the Pacific Northwest to plummet.
Quote – In summer 2018, a female orca known as Tahlequa (J35) made national headlines when she traveled over 1,000 milies through the waters of the Pacific Northwest while dragging the lifeless body of her stillborn calf. She refused to abandon her baby for 17 days. Later that season, scientists and locals watched helplessly as the malnourished four-year-old juvenile known as Scarlet (J50) slowly starved and eventually disappeared, never to resurface.
Click through for the rest. This is another graphic article which I’m sharing a little late for Earth Day.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Trump-appointed Judge sides w/Jim Jordan against DA Alvin Bragg; uses Trumpian rhetoric in opinion
Politics Girl – To My Republican Friends…
Twitter – Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC)
I’ve been in Congress for 100 days.
Most of the really angry voices here are faking it. pic.twitter.com/fdWgve81FZ
— Rep. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) April 17, 2023
Farron Balanced – Trump Admits Asking 5 Year Old Child For Foreign Policy Advice
Police Cat Keeps A Close Eye On All The Officers
Beau – Let’s talk about rights, grinding to a halt, and a republican question….
Glenn Kirschner – Dominion takes Fox to the cleaners, then Smartmatic, then Fox’s own shareholders. Will Fox survive?
The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party – April 18, 2023
Thom Hartmann – He Lied His Way To Power To Take Your Healthcare
Ring of Fire – Republican Governor Says Her 2-Year-Old Granddaughter Already Owns 2 Guns
Guy Gives Squirrel CPR
Beau – Let’s talk about the RNC, Milwaukee, trouble, and loyalty….