Glenn Kirschner – Georgia DA Willis states that charging decisions are “imminent” for “defendants” for election crimes
The Lincoln Project – Elise Knew
Thom Hartmann – The Real Reason the Rich Flock to Davos…
Liberal Redneck – The State of Conspiracy Theories
Kitten Who Could Only Scoot Learns To Walk https://youtu.be/rhShLzq46zI
Beau – Let’s talk about Trump paying Clinton….
Yesterday, I heard from James on how he is doing after his amputation. He is working aain, and is taking his beloved dog, Cinnamon, for walkies every day. Last Monday, while the weather was pretty good, they took a walk of four and a half miles. Wow. I have long believed that how well one recovers after surgery, any surgery, is pretty much determined by the amount of work one puts in on recovering (bearing in mind, of course, that varous factors may affect one’s ability to do so.) James has worked hard both in prescribed and self-motivated physical therapy and I would say it shows.
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HuffPo – She Was The Most Powerful Woman In Ohio. But There Was One Big Problem She Couldn’t Fix.
Quote – Out of office, [Maureen] O’Connor hasn’t lost sight of the fight for fair districts. She says she’ll work to build support for a constitutional amendment in the state to create an independent redistricting process and “get the politicians, the elected officials, off the redistricting commission.” But for now, the product of the GOP-drawn maps is clear: It’s a stacked deck.
Click through for details. Unless we want to continue to live under permanent minority rule (and such a deluded minority at that), we need a new voting rights act. Among other things, in needs to require an independent commission to draw new district maps for every state (not necessarily the same commission, just that every state must have one.) Every state. The last I looked, Ohio was not in Alabama.
Wonkette – Could Anything Have Prevented Diabetic Child From Dying In Arizona Foster System? Guess We’ll Never Know!
Quote – Type 1 diabetics are insulin-dependent and require regular blood glucose monitoring. If they are deprived of insulin, they will go into ketoacidosis, which if untreated will result in brain swelling (cerebral edema) causing a coma and eventually brain death. It just wouldn’t happen if the kid had been getting his insulin. Does that really count as a natural death? Richard Blodgett says he believes the Arizona Department of Child Safety failed to take care of his son, which they obviously did. He would very much like to know if his insulin pump was removed, if his blood glucose was monitored, if his regular doctor was consulted. So far, the Department of Child Services has not given him any answers.
Click through for story. This is worse than a tragedy (in a tragedy, the hero brings his fate upon himself through a tragic flaw. Type 1 diabetes does not constituta a tragic flaw.) I would call it a travesty (in the metaphorical sense of destruction through absurdity, not in the original sense of cross-dressing.) I wonder whether there will ever be any accountability here. The author thinks not, and I fear she is right.
Food For Thought
Yesterday, Weather Undergound advised me to maybe expect snow this evening, and maybe also a couple of days from now, during the night. I’m skeptical, but I’m also paying attention. Also, CPR reported that the judge to whom the Elijah McCain murder case is assigned has deemed there need to be three separate trials. Since there are five defendants, it will be interesting to see how that shakes out. Finally, the debt ceiling, but no deal, was reached. Axios has an article about emergency measures. (Did you know that the whole point of having a debt ceiling was to prevent this sort of thing happening?)
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Robert Reich – Back to another horrible, hellish, horrendous, totally absurd battle over the debt ceiling
Quote – Congress could defuse this bomb by simply raising the debt limit, as it has dozens of times under presidents of both parties for decades. But the MAGA radicals now in control of the House of Representatives are refusing to raise the debt ceiling unless President Biden agrees to devastating cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and other key programs. I was involved in a similar fight over the debt ceiling fight twenty-eight years ago, which holds some lessons for what happens now.
Click through for full article. This is not a first rodeo for any of us.
Letters from an American – January 17, 2023
Quote – Today the bill for the elevation of Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to House speaker began to come due. McCarthy promised the far-right members of his conference committee seats and far more power in Congress to persuade them to vote for him. Now they are collecting.
Click through for full letter. She covers multiple abuses, starting with committee assignments, but she does get around to the debt ceiling too.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – ANOTHER Federal Judge calls out Donald Trump for being responsible for the insurrection!
The Lincolm Project – Republicans + Retirement
MSNBC – Police arrest disgruntled Republican candidate in connection with shootings in New Mexico
Farron Balanced – Former Staffer Says George Santos Is DEFINITELY Going To Jail
Mother Dog Reunited With Her Puppies All Grown Up
Beau – Let’s talk about default and the Constitution….
Yesterday, I got to see Virgil – and we got the deck of cards. It was just us for a while, but by the time I left 5 others inmates had received visitors (the guests included two toddlers, but not more than one at a time. I’m sure no one planned that – it was just a matter of who could get there when and who had to leave when.) Colleen remarked she hoped the weather was nice, and it was – for me. It was cold but not freezing, and there was no precipitation, but lots of cloud cover. I know, it sounds dismal – but it meant I didn’t have to have sun in my eyes driving back, but it was plenty light enough to see to drive. Actually there was a teeny tiny bit of rain, but so little that the slowest wiper speed (the one that is one slow swipe and then a fifteen second pause) took care of it, and it lasted less than three minutes total.
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SPLC – Unhealthy Homes: ‘Gutted’ New Orleans ordinance allows landlords to neglect run-down properties
Quote – “I can’t imagine having to put in a card opposing a healthy homes ordinance offered by the city of New Orleans, but we find ourselves here today after this very effective and very essential legislation has been effectively gutted by the vote you just took,” HousingNOLA Executive Director Andreanecia Morris told Morrell at the city council meeting where the revised ordinance was adopted. “We rise in opposition. What you have today is not good enough. It is not good enough for the people of New Orleans.”
Click through for story. And we all know those most affected will be the most vulnerable. Is there an emoji for spitting in disgust?
Salon – Ex-GOP candidate’s wife hit with 52 felony charges after casting 23 votes for husband: DOJ
Quote – Her actions took place ahead of the June 2020 primary election, in which Jeremy Taylor unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for Iowa’s 4th District Congressional seat as well as during the November general election in which Taylor defeated incumbent Democrat Marty Pottebaum for the District 3 seat on the county board.
Click through for details. More than one election was affected by thiese shenanigans.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Georgia DA Fani Willis takes important next step toward indicting Donald Trump for election crimes
The Lincoln Project – Presidential Citizens Medal Ceremony
MSNBC – Supreme Court hears case threatening workers’ rights
Farron Balanced – George Santos Paid Someone To Impersonate A Kevin McCarthy Staffer To Swindle Donors
Senior Pittie Gives Birth In Foster Mom’s Hand
Beau – Let’s talk about 2 years, Trump’s lawsuit, and medals….
Glenn Kirschner – Scott “Pardon Me” Perry wants on the congressional committee to oversee DOJ’s criminal probe of HIM!
The Lincoln Project – Violence
Ring of Fire – Republicans Plan To Gut IRS And Ethics Office To Protect Themselves And Their Donors (I’m not sure why he pictured Mitch, when it’s the House that’s pushing this. It will never get through the Senate.)
Armageddon Update – New Year, New World! (First new one for some time)
Woman Rescues Feral Kittens From An Abandoned Mansion
Beau – Let’s talk about what national interests are….
Yesterday, the Daily Beast newsletter was a gosip rag, and Steve Schmidt wrote about January 6. Rep. Scott Perry told us that the adage “Be nice to people you meet on the way up; you’ll meet them again on the way down” even applies to Republicans like Kevin McCarthy. In other news, Bold Progressives is collecting signatures for a Get-Well message to Jamie Raskin.
Also yesterday, my new space heater (and a spare) arrived 5 days earlier than promised. They are larger than I expected but they fit in the space, and they are most definitely adequate for the job. So I expect to be able to qui wearing socks with my (faux of course) fur lined shoes and boots.
And I would add Cavin’Kevin was finally elected on the 15th ballot … but it was after midnight in DC, so it actually happened today.
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Crooks and Liars – Now It’s The Proud Boys’ Turn To Find Out
Quote – The seditious conspiracy trial of Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and four [other] members of the Proud Boys … is underway. Opening statements have not yet begun, however. Instead, jury selection has moved at a glacial pace at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C…. [They] face nine charges apiece including seditious conspiracy; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of an official proceeding; conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging their duties; obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder; destruction of government property; and aiding and abetting, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.
Click through for story. The seating of the jury is taking longer, because the Proud Boys are a tad more notorious than the Oath Keepers – otherwise, we can hope this trial will go pretty much like that one.
Wonkette – Dipsh*ts Charged In Christmas Attacks On Four Washington Substations
Quote – Matthew Greenwood, 32, and Jeremy Crahan, 40, were charged in federal court Tuesday with conspiracy to damage energy facilities, and Greenwood also caught charges of possessing unregistered firearms. When Greenwood was arrested, he was found with an illegally modified short-barreled rifle with a homemade silencer, as well as a short-barreled shotgun, neither registered as required by law. In the Justice Department press release announcing the charges, US Attorney Nick Brown noted, “We have seen attacks such as these increase in Western Washington and throughout the country and must treat each incident seriously. The outages on Christmas left thousands in the dark and cold and put some who need power for medical devices at extreme risk.”
Click through for details. Basically, these people are murderers who are too cowadly to face their victims. There are colder places than Western Washington (the ocean to its west gives it some protection from the kind of blizzarda and sub-zero temperatures we see on the prairie and in the northeast) but it can still get cold enough fot hypothermia to kill- even if one doesn’t need oxygen or other electric-powered medical support.
Food For Thought
