U.S. Senate Results

Republicans will regain the Senate majority. As of Thursday, November 14, they hold 53 seats (when including Pennsylvania, where Democrat Bob Casey has not conceded).

Unless otherwise indicated, the AP has called these races:

Arizona. Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego is projected to have defeated the execrable Kari Lake.

California. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff is projected to win. Schiff will have won both the general election and a special election to fill the seat of former Sen. Dianne Feinstein, deceased, which is currently held by Laphonza Butler, a "placeholder" appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Schiff will be seated immediately.

Connecticut: Democrat Chris Murphy is projected to win re-election.

Delaware: Democrat Lisa Blunt is projected to win.

Florida: Republican Rick Scott is projected to win re-election.

Hawaii. Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono is projected to win re-election.

Indiana: Republican Jim Banks is projected to win.

Maine: Independent Sen. Angus King is projected to win re-election. King caucuses with Democrats.

Maryland. Democrat Angela Alsobrooks is projected to win over former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin (D) is retiring.

Massachusetts: Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren is projected to win re-election.

Michigan: Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin is projected to win.

Minnesota. Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is projected to win re-election.

Mississippi: Republican Roger Wicker is projected to win re-election.

Missouri. Republican Road Runner Sen. Josh Hawley is projected to win re-election.

Montana. Republican Tim Somebody-Shot-Me-Sometime Sheehy is projected to have defeated Sen. Jon Tester.

Nebraska. Republican Sen. Deb Fischer has held off a challenge from an Independent candidate.

Nebraska. Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts is projected to win re-election. This is a special election.

Nevada: Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is (at long last) projected to win re-election.

New Jersey: Democrat Rep. Andy Kim is projected to win the seat previously vacated by Democrat Bob Menendez, who resigned in disgrace after being convicted on federal bribery & corruption charges. Kim will be the first Korean-American to hold a U.S. Senate seat.

New Mexico. Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich is projected to win re-election.

New York. Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is projected to win re-election.

North Dakota. Republican Sen. Kevin Kramer is projected to win re-election.

Ohio. Republican Bernie Moreno is projected to have defeated Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. This is the second pick-up for Republicans Tuesday.

Pennsylvania. Republican Dave McCormick is projected to have defeated incumbent Democrat Bob Casey, although Casey has not conceded.

Rhode Island: Democrat Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is projected to win re-election.

Tennessee: Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn is projected to win re-election.

Texas: Republic Sen. Ted Cruz, the most unpopular U.S. senator, is projcted to win re-election.

Utah. Republican Rep. John Curtis is projected to win the seat currently held by Sen. Mitt Romney (R).

Vermont: Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders is projected to win re-election.

Virginia. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine is projected by NBC News to win re-election.

Washington. Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell is projected to win re-election.

West Virginia: Republican Gov. Jim Justice is projected to win the seat currently held by Independent Joe Manchin, who is retiring.

Wisconsin. Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin is projected to win re-election. Hurrah!

Wyoming. Republican Sen. John Barrasso is projected to win re-election.

U.S. House Results

By 2:00 pm ET Saturday, the AP had called 213 seats for Democrats & 220 seats for Republicans. (A majority is 220 218.)

Trump is removing some members of the House & Senate to serve in his administration, which could -- at least in the short run -- give Democrats effective majorities.

Gubernatorial Results

Delaware: Democrat Matt Meyer is projected to win.

Indiana: Republican Sen. Mike Braun is projected to win.

Montana. Horrible person Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte is projected to win re-election.

New Hampshire. Republican Kelly Ayotte, a former U.S. Senator is projected to win.

North Carolina. Democrat Josh Stein is projected to win, besting Trump-endorsed radical loon Mark Robinson.

North Dakota. Republican U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong is projected to win.

Utah. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox is projected to win re-election.

Vermont: Republican Phil Scott is projected to win re-election.

Washington: Democrat Bob Ferguson, the Washington State attorney general, is projected to win.

West Virginia: Republican Philip Morrisey is projected to win.

Other Results

Colorado. NBC News projects that the abortions-rights constitutional amendment will pass.

Florida. NBC News projected the abortion-rights state constitutional amendment will fail.

Georgia. Fani Willis is projected to win re-election as Fulton County District Attorney.

Missouri. The New York Times projects that Missouri voters have passed a measure to protect abortion rights.

Nebraska. New York Times: "A ballot amendment prohibiting abortion beyond the first three months of pregnancy passed in Nebraska, according to The Associated Press, outpolling a competing measure that would have established a right to abortion until fetal viability."

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Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."

Help!

To keep the Conversation going, please help me by linking news articles, opinion pieces and other political content in today's Comments section.

Link Code:   <a href="URL">text</a>

OR here's a link generator. The one I had posted died, then Akhilleus found one, but it too bit the dust. He found yet another, which I've linked here, and as of September 23, 2024, it's working.

OR you can always just block, copy and paste to your comment the URL (Web address) of the page you want to link.

Note for Readers. It is not possible for commenters to "throw" their highlighted links to another window. But you can do that yourself. Right-click on the link and a drop-down box will give you choices as to where you want to open the link: in a new tab, new window or new private window.

Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.

New York Times: “Chris Wallace, a veteran TV anchor who left Fox News for CNN three years ago, announced on Monday that he was leaving his post to venture into the streaming or podcasting worlds.... He said his decision to leave CNN at the end of his three-year contract did not come from discontent. 'I have nothing but positive things to say. CNN was very good to me,' he said.”

New York Times: In a collection of memorabilia filed at New York City's Morgan Library, curator Robinson McClellan discovered the manuscript of a previously unknown waltz by Frédéric Chopin. Jeffrey Kallberg, a Chopin scholar at the University of Pennsylvania as well as other experts authenticated the manuscript. Includes video of Lang Lang performing the short waltz. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The Times article goes into some of Chopin's life in Paris at the time he wrote the waltz, but it doesn't mention that he helped make ends meet by giving piano lessons. I know this because my great grandmother was one of his students. If her musical talent were anything like mine, those particular lessons would have been painful hours for Chopin.

New York Times: “Improbably, [the political/celebrity magazine] George[, originally a project by John F. Kennedy, Jr.] is back, with the same logo and the same catchy slogan: 'Not just politics as usual.' This time, though, a QAnon conspiracy theorist and passionate Trump fan is its editor in chief.... It is a reanimation story bizarre enough for a zombie movie, made possible by the fact that the original George trademark lapsed, only to be secured by a little-known conservative lawyer named Thomas D. Foster.”

Washington Post: “Comedy news outlet the Onion — reinvigorated by new ownership over this year — is bringing back its once-popular video parodies of cable news. But this time, there’s someone with real news anchor experience in the chair. When the first episodes appear online Monday, former WAMU and MSNBC host Joshua Johnson will be the face of the resurrected 'Onion News Network.' Playing an ONN anchor character named Dwight Richmond, Johnson says he’s bringing a real anchor’s sense of clarity — and self-importance — to the job. 'If ONN is anything, it’s a news organization that is so unaware of its own ridiculousness that it has the confidence of a serial killer,' says Johnson, 44.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I'll be darned if I can figured out how to watch ONN. If anybody knows, do tell. Thanks.

Washington Post: “First came the surprising discovery that Earth’s atmosphere is leaking. But for roughly 60 years, the reason remained a mystery. Since the late 1960s, satellites over the poles detected an extremely fast flow of particles escaping into space — at speeds of 20 kilometers per second. Scientists suspected that gravity and the magnetic field alone could not fully explain the stream. There had to be another source creating this leaky faucet. It turns out the mysterious force is a previously undiscovered global electric field, a recent study found. The field is only about the strength of a watch battery — but it’s enough to thrust lighter ions from our atmosphere into space. It’s also generated unlike other electric fields on Earth. This newly discovered aspect of our planet provides clues about the evolution of our atmosphere, perhaps explaining why Earth is habitable. The electric field is 'an agent of chaos,' said Glyn Collinson, a NASA rocket scientist and lead author of the study. 'It undoes gravity.... Without it, Earth would be very different.'”

The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

 

Contact Marie

Email Marie at constantweader@gmail.com

Sunday
Feb212021

The Commentariat -- February 22, 2021

Late Morning/Afternoon Update:

Michael Balsamo, et al., of the AP: "Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's attorney general nominee, vowed Monday to prioritize combating extremist violence and said his first focus would be on the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol as he sought to assure lawmakers that the Justice Department would remain politically independent on his watch.... 'The attorney general represents the public interest, particularly and specifically as defined by the Constitution and the statutes of the United States,' Garland said. 'I do not plan to be interfered with by anyone.'"

Ed Pilkington of the Guardian: "Neera Tanden, president of the left-leaning Center for American Progress, seemed unlikely to be confirmed as budget director in the Biden administration after Susan Collins and Mitt Romney, two moderate Republican senators, said they would not vote in her favour."

Robert Barnes of the Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Monday rejected ... Donald Trump's last-chance effort to keep his private financial records from the Manhattan district attorney, ending a long and drawn-out legal battle. After a four-month delay, the court denied Trump's motion in a one-sentence order with no recorded dissents. District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. has won every stage of the legal fight -- including the first round at the Supreme Court -- but has yet to receive the records he says are necessary for a grand jury investigation into whether the president's companies violated state law." Thanks to Ken W. for the link. As Ken writes, "Whoopie!" Update: The New York Times' story is here. Politico's story is here. ~~~

     ~~~ "What's Next?" William Rashbaum, et al., of the New York Times: "Terabytes of data. Dozens of prosecutors, investigators and forensic accountants sifting through millions of pages of financial documents. An outside consulting firm drilling down on the arcana of commercial real estate and tax strategies. That is the monumental task that lies ahead in the Manhattan district attorney's criminal investigation into ... Donald J. Trump and his family business after a United States Supreme Court order on Monday cleared the way for prosecutors to obtain eight years worth of Mr. Trump's tax returns and other financial records.... The crucial next phase in the Manhattan inquiry will begin in earnest this week when investigators for the district attorney's office collect the records from the law firm that represents Mr. Trump's accountants, Mazars USA...."

Virginia. Laura Vozzella & Gregory Schneider of the Washington Post: "Two bills to abolish the death penalty in Virginia won final approval in the state General Assembly on Monday and were headed to Gov. Ralph Northam (D), who is expected to sign them. Virginia -- historically one of the nation's most prolific death penalty states -- would then become the first in the South to abandon the ultimate punishment. The state Senate approved by a vote of 22 to 16 a House bill that bans executions and establishes a maximum punishment of life in prison without the possibility of parole. A judge would have discretion to suspend part of that sentence -- a sticking point for some Republicans, who pushed unsuccessfully to make life without parole a mandatory minimum. An identical Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax), passed the House by a 57-to-43 vote, with two Republicans joining all Democrats. Del. Michael P. Mullin (D-Newport News), a prosecutor for the city of Hampton, carried the House version."

~~~~~~~~~~

Today is the anniversary of George Washington's birth. He was a slaveholder all of his adult life, but he still was a better president than used-prez* Fatso.

Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "Attorney general nominee Merrick Garland plans to tell the Senate on Monday that if confirmed to become the nation's top law enforcement official, he will strive to lead an agency committed to battling discrimination in American life and extremist attacks on democracy. In written remarks prepared for delivery at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Garland, 68, highlighted the history of the Justice Department, noting that the agency was formed in the aftermath of the Civil War, and that many of the issues it confronted then remain pressing concerns today." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

All the President*'s Lawsuits. Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "The state of Michigan and the city of Detroit have asked a federal judge to sanction attorneys who filed lawsuits that falsely alleged the November vote was fraudulent, the first of several similar efforts expected around the country.An Atlanta-area prosecutor has launched a criminal investigation into whether pressure that ... Donald Trump and his allies put on state officials amounted to an illegal scheme to overturn the results of the presidential election. And defamation lawsuits have been filed against Trump's allies -- the start of what could be a flood of civil litigation related to false claims that the election was rigged and to the subsequent riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan.& 6. Although Trump was acquitted by the Senate on a charge that his rhetoric incited the deadly Capitol siege, public officials and private companies are pursuing a multi-front legal effort to hold him and his allies accountable in other ways. The actions target the former president and numerous others -- including elected officials, media pundits and lawyers -- who indulged and echoed his falsehoods that President Biden did not win the election."

** "The Lost Hours." Mark Mazzetti & Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "At 1:09 p.m. on Jan. 6, minutes after protesters had burst through the barricades around the U.S. Capitol and began using the steel debris to assault the officers standing guard, the chief of the Capitol Police made a desperate call for backup. It took nearly two hours for officials to approve the deployment of the National Guard. New details about what transpired over those 115 minutes on that dark, violent day -- revealed in interviews and documents -- tell a story of how chaotic decision-making among political and military leaders burned precious time as the rioting at the Capitol spiraled out of control.... This period is likely to be a focus of a congressional hearing on Tuesday, when lawmakers will publicly question Steven A. Sund, the Capitol Police chief at the time, and other current and former officials for the first time...."

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, et al., of the New York Times: "As federal prosecutors unveil charges in the assault on the Capitol last month, they have repeatedly highlighted two militant groups -- the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys -- as being the most organized, accusing them of planning their strategy ahead of time and in some cases helping escalate a rally into an attack. The two organizations stand in contrast to a majority of the mob. Of the more than 230 people charged so far, only 31 are known to have ties to a militant extremist group. And at least 26 of those are affiliated with the Oath Keepers or the Proud Boys.... Conspiracy charges, among the most serious levied so far, indicate that members of these groups may have worked together and planned their activities, potentially in ways that made them more dangerous than other rioters." MB: And isn't it odd?: both groups have known ties to Roger Stone who has known ties to Donald Trump.

Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "A leader in an alleged Oath Keepers conspiracy in the US Capitol insurrection claims she was given a VIP pass to the pro-Trump rally on January 6, had met with Secret Service agents and was providing security for legislators and others, including in their march to the Capitol, according to a new court filing. Attorneys for Ohio Oath Keeper Jessica Watkins detail how the efforts among paramilitants who are now accused of conspiracy on January 6 were closer to the apparatus around ... Donald Trump and his rally than was previously known.... The US Secret Service, in response to Watkins' claims in the Saturday filing, denied that private citizens were working with the Secret Service to provide security on January 6." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: "By taking part in the riots at the U.S. Capitol, Pennsylvania officer Joseph W. Fischer did not just break the laws he was tasked with enforcing, the FBI says -- he was also allegedly at 'the front of the pack pushing against the police.'... Fischer, a patrolman with the North Cornwall Township [east of Harrisburg] Police Department, is charged with obstructing law enforcement during 'civil disorder,' accused of aiding the insurrection that resulted in the deaths of one police officer and four others and left many others wounded. More than a dozen off-duty members of law enforcement are suspected of participating in the Jan. 6 riots.... But the allegations against Fischer stand out for how directly they pit him against members of his own profession."

A Mysterious Reversal of Fortunes. Eric Lipton of the New York Times: "A mining magnate who had been accused for years of corruption in deals he struck with leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, [Dan] Gertler had been slapped with stiff sanctions by the Trump administration in 2017, effectively cutting off his access to the international banking system and freezing money held in U.S. banks. He had unsuccessfully tried since then to get the sanctions rolled back by hiring high-powered lobbyists and lawyers, including Alan Dershowitz ... and the former F.B.I. director Louis Freeh. But with time running out on the Trump administration and the incoming Biden administration unlikely to give his pleas much of a hearing, Mr. Gertler put one last offer on the table.... In mid-January..., Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin granted Mr. Gertler much of what he wanted.... The decision stunned and angered American diplomats ... and government officials and human rights activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo.... The outcome was also distinguished by the secrecy of the process, which ... appeared to have been handled largely at the level of Mr. Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The decision became public only after Mr. Trump had left office."

Shawna Mizelle, et al., of CNN: "Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had amassed $4.7 million in her fundraising efforts to help Texans hard hit by last week's winter storm as of Sunday evening, her press secretary Ivet Contreras confirmed to CNN. The New York Democrat launched her fundraiser Thursday.... While in Texas [over the weekend], the progressive lawmaker and other Democrats visited food distribution centers, water delivery sites and toured the damage left behind from an unprecedented storm." MB: What's Ted Cruz doing? Unpacking? Licking his wounds? -- it's unlikely the dog will do it.

Bill Whitaker of CBS' "60 Minutes" interviews federal judge Esther Salas. "Half the time someone is unhappy with a judge's ruling. The normal recourse is an appeal. But in the caustic atmosphere of today's politics, there's a real chance the disgruntled party will threaten the judge. In the last five years, threats of federal judges have jumped 400% to more than 4,000 last year -- many of them death threats, sometimes ending in violence. Now, judges are breaking with tradition and publicly calling on lawmakers to provide more protection. One of the strongest voices is federal judge Esther Salas. This past July, she was at home in New Jersey, in the basement with her son Daniel, cleaning up after his 20th birthday party, when a man disguised as a FedEx driver pulled up outside." This is a transcript of the interview and includes video.

Niraj Chokshi & Ben Dooley of the New York Times: "Boeing said on Sunday that all 128 of its 777 jetliners powered by a particular Pratt & Whitney engine model should be grounded worldwide until the Federal Aviation Administration determines the best way to inspect the engines. The aerospace giant issued its recommendation late Sunday, a day after a 777 operated by United Airlines suffered a dramatic engine failure over Colorado and hours after the head of the F.A.A. said he was requiring 'immediate or stepped-up inspections' of planes equipped with the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 family of engines, which are used only on 777s. The vast majority of Boeing 777s are equipped with engines made by GE Aviation. United, which is the only American carrier affected by the F.A.A. order, said it would temporarily ground the two dozen 777s powered by that Pratt & Whitney model that it had been flying. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the crash."

The Pandemic, Ctd.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Monday are here.

Daniel Arkin of NBC News: "The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus topped 500,000 on Sunday, according to an NBC News tally -- a milestone that underscores the grave threat the virus still poses nationwide even as more Americans get vaccinated. The coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 2,462,000 people worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The death toll in the U.S. is the highest in the world, even though the country has less than 5 percent of the global population.... More than 28,206,600 cases have been confirmed in the U.S., according to the NBC News tally." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Chris Pollard of the Sun: "WEARING glasses makes you up to three times less likely to catch Covid, a study has found. Researchers found people with spectacles rub and touch their eyes less, which is a 'significant route of infection'. The analysis also found poor and uneducated people are more likely to get the virus - partly because they don't wear glasses as much. According to the report, published in India, people touch their faces 23 times an hour and their eyes three times an hour on average. Lead researcher Amit Kumar Saxena wrote: 'Transmission occurs by touching the face, nose, mouth and eyes.... 'Touching and rubbing of the eyes with contaminated hands may be a significant route of infection for the virus'." MB: Sorry to cite a British tabloid, but it was the only paper I found that carried a story I could access. One of the stories is a more reliable paper (-- the U.K. Independent or Telegraph --) noted that the study has not been peer-reviewed.

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Sunday are here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Beyond the Beltway

Florida. Shopping While Hispanic. Miami Herald in a Tampa Bay Times publication: "A Mount Sinai Medical Center anesthesiologist has been arrested and charged with a hate crime after police say she attacked a Hispanic man at a Hialeah Publix, vandalizing his car, calling him a racial slur and vowing to 'get rid of every single one of you.' She became enraged, police say, after the man asked her to maintain social distancing while in line at the supermarket. Dr. Jennifer Susan Wright, 58, a white ardent supporter of ... Donald Trump, has been charged with criminal mischief, tampering with a victim and battery with prejudice, a 'hate crime' enhancement that upgraded the charge to a felony." MB: I grew up in Hialieah; it makes me so proud to see my old home town make the news. Wright, BTW, is not from Hialeah, but from contiguous Miami Springs. Back when I went to high school, the Miami Springs kids went to Hialeah High; they were the (relatively) "rich kids," and many looked down their noses on us poor kids who lived in Hialeah. More than five decades later, it appears the demographic 'tude hasn't changed. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Native Americans settled in Florida about 14,000 years ago. Somebody should tell Dr. Wrong that the first white people known to have gone ashore in what is now Florida were in an expedition headed by a Spaniard named Juan Ponce de León. It was he who named the region "la Florida." Dr. Wrong doesn't seem to know as much as schoolchildren do as to where she's at, the kids say.

Illinois. Maria Cramer of the New York Times: "Illinois has become the first state to completely eliminate cash bail, a result of a push by state legislators to end a practice they say keeps poor people in jail for months awaiting trial and disproportionately affects Black and Latino defendants. The change is part of a sweeping law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, on Monday. He said the legislation would transform the state's legal system and increase accountability measures for police officers, such as requiring the use of body-worn cameras by police departments statewide."

Louisiana. Shootout at the Gun Shop. Stacey Plaisance of the AP (Feb. 20): "A person entered a gun store and shooting range in a New Orleans suburb and fatally shot two people Saturday, prompting customers and staff to open fire on the shooter, a sheriff said. The shooter also died. The shooting happened around 2:50 p.m. at the Jefferson Gun Outlet in the suburb of Metairie, according to a release from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said the shooter initially struck two people inside, and then several other people -- whether employees or store customers -- opened fire on the shooter, both inside and outside of the building."

Oregon. Dick VanderHart of Oregon Public Broadcasting: "A conservative state senator from Myrtle Creek is the new chair of the Oregon Republican Party, following an event Saturday in which Republicans overhauled their top party leadership. According to multiple Republican sources, state Sen. Dallas Heard handily won the job, beating three-term chair and Adair Village Mayor Bill Currier.... The in-person election of top party officials was held Saturday at a VFW hall in Salem. Photos sent to OPB from a person who reported attending the event showed a hall packed with people in close quarters, none of them wearing face masks. The leadership swap comes at a time the Oregon GOP has gained national attention for passing a resolution claiming the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was a 'false flag' operation by leftist forces -- a conspiracy theory that has been debunked in the weeks since the incident."

Texas. Annie Gowen, et al., of the Washington Post: The deadly winter storm disaster "is one in a series that [Gov. Greg] Abbott has faced in his six years as governor: Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which resulted in the deaths of 68 people, at least six major mass shootings that left more than 70 people dead and a pandemic that has killed 42,000 in the state. In each crisis, Abbott often carefully studied the situation -- and its political ramifications -- before taking action, usually demanding future legislative changes that may never happen. He is known to deliver different messages to the various constituencies in his state, all while trying to build a national profile as a conservative leader. In the past, this approach seems to have worked.... [But] the Arctic chill of 2021 will probably loom large in next year's gubernatorial race, analysts say." ~~~

~~~ Nomaan Merchant of the AP writes a good overview of the Texas power crisis. (Also linked yesterday.)

News Ledes

Guardian: "Dutch authorities are investigating after a Boeing 747-400 cargo plane dropped engine parts shortly after takeoff from Maastricht airport. The Longtail Aviation Flight 5504 cargo plane scattered mostly small metal parts over the southern Dutch town of Meerssen on Saturday, causing damage and injuring a woman. The Bermuda-registered plane, which was headed from Maastricht to New York, was powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines, a smaller version of those on a United Airlines Boeing 777 involved in an incident in Colorado on Saturday."

New York Times: "Arturo Di Modica, a Sicilian-born sculptor best known for 'Charging Bull,' 3.5 tons of bronze belligerence that he illegally deposited in Lower Manhattan one night in 1989, died on Friday at his home in Vittoria, Italy. He was 80.... 'Charging Bull,' which Mr. Di Modica had made with his own hands and his own money, quickly became one of the most famous works of art in the country.... "

Reader Comments (20)

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered Commenterunwashed

@unwashed: Yeah, surprise, surprise. Fat fees for plumbers. But what a nightmare for residents. The NYT article cited one customer-in-need who said she couldn't get an appointment April 22. That's an awfully long time to go without running water.

I don't think we winterize pipes much in this country. The power went out in my house in New Jersey when my husband and I were away, and I came home to burst radiators, even though the system was relatively new. When I've had houses up north that I left for the winter, I've always had to have the pipes drained (or leave the heat on low all winter).

I have a sneaking suspicion that manufacturers have known for decades how to build pipes that will expand & contract when the water freezes so that the pipes don't burst, but they don't make them because it would be bad for the plumbing business. Maybe it is rocket science, but if we can get a man to the moon....

Anyway, I'll bet the person who patents X-pando-Pipe gets filthy rich. And she'll deserve it.

February 22, 2021 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

Have lived through generations of freeze proofing water pipes up here in the mostly, but not alway mild northwest, through various pipe materials (galvanized iron, copper and plastic) and methods of keeping the pipes from freezing (wrapping with insulation to heat tape).

No water is bad, but burst pipes with the prospect of no water for weeks to come is worse. (It's little compensation, but I can say from personal experience the sound of bursting copper pipes has a not-unpleasant musical ring to it. Fortunately that time we had a creek on the property that never froze solid and a wood stove to heat it on.)

The latest pipe material, though, might have done the trick. Can't find a rating for it, but I know that for the last fifteen years or so, plumbers have gone to PEX, freeze resistant plastic...

https://extremehowto.com/will-pex-pipe-break-if-it-freezes/

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

Our plumber told us that she can't get decent pipe and
other supplies because they mostly come from China now.
Don't know if she's right about that, but it seems like every
winter heating season we get a pinhole size leak in a pipe.
We've become very experienced in wrapping with rubber
membrane and clamping over the leaks, keeping a supply
on hand at all times.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterForrest Morris

"I have a sneaking suspicion that manufacturers have known for decades how to build pipes that will expand & contract when the water freezes so that the pipes don't burst, but they don't make them because it would be bad for the plumbing business. Maybe it is rocket science, but if we can get a man to the moon...." says M.B. and I says high fives! Yes! I think this same thing––my list involves much more than plumbing problems when I learn about another planet landing and what exactly it is that they discover–––all that money–-all that effort–-–and meanwhile our own backyard needs attention.

Hmmm–-looks like the little lady ain't into space travel much.

@RAS: I left a comment for you in yesterday's comment section.

Last night 60 minutes was riveting–-covered the murder of a female judge's* son and injuries to her husband by a disgruntled, extremely sick man who ended up shooting himself. (Marie had this story here yesterday); Syria's killing fields–-graphic pictures included; a story on QAnon. Catch it if you can–-in case you missed it last night.

* This story brought forth the many judges ––and I would add people like Dr. Fauci––who get hate mail, threats to their lives and to their families and are hounded negatively on tweeter and need police protection. In the judge story the papers that were found in the murderer's possession had a dossier on Sonia Sotomayor ––she was to be the next target.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

More whoopee! news from those occasionally disloyal Supremes:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-trump-tax-returns/2021/02/22/05053b14-751c-11eb-8115-9ad5e9c02117_story.html

Goes along, I believe, with the GOP fracturing I noted yesterday...another element in the party's big question they avoided for four years: Oh, what to do with the woefully embarrassing Pretender?

Seems the emerging answer is to pretend he never happened.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

@Ken Winkes: Thanks for telling us about PEX pipes. I'm having a house replumbed sooner or later, and I'll see if my plumber will use PEX for all intake pipes. I read that 60% of new construction uses it.

Marie

February 22, 2021 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

Re: tax-returngate, please tell me there will be a perp walk, in shackles, pretty please, when they come to drag the little king off to the hoosegow. It would make my entire century. Do you think they have XXXL orange jumpsuits for fat prisoners?

One of the Orange Menace’s whining complaints rejected by the court was that releasing his tax returns was an effort to “embarrass the (ex) president”. So, is there something to be embarrassed about? Seems like it, especially judging by the recent articles in the Times about Fatty’s tax shenanigans. Well, as the Decider and his pet shark, Darth Cheney, used to sniff when they were spying on Americans without warrants, “If you have nothing to hide, you got nothing to worry about”.

Clearly little King Fat Fuck has quite a lot on both counts.

But chickens have yet to hatch. Let’s wait and see what other illegal roadblocks are thrown up by this crook. How about “Gee, the dog ate my tax returns”? “I told junior to file those records in my office. I guess he thinks I work in a dumpster. Sorry...”

Nonetheless, this is, to recall a real president’s past comment, “A big fucking deal”.

Diapers will be changed hourly at Marred-a-Lardo.

I think I can hear the china smashing from here...

Tee-hee.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

One old truck we used to employ to keep pipes up north from bursting was to turn on the taps ever so slightly, just to keep water moving through the system. Can’t ever remember that trick not working if we were without heat for a spell.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Old trick, not old truck. Jesus. Maybe the old truck can come in handy to drive away from a flooded house.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Ak: Driving away from a flooded house in an old truck
with an old trick. I have to stop reading so fast.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterForrest Morris

@Akhilleus: Apparently part of the reason water systems had so much trouble providing water was that as soon as it got cold, 90% of Texans turned on their spigots to keep the pipes from freezing. (The other big reason was that the water systems themselves had no power.)

February 22, 2021 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

@PD Pepe: I'm glad that you found the article useful. Unfortunately there are no easy answers to getting people to truly listen to each other.

It's nice that the Supreme Court finally got around letting New York get Trump's taxes, but I can't help but notice that it was only after the media put a spotlight on the fact that they were sitting on the case for four months.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Because I can't help myself with you all talking pipes:https://www.click2houston.com/consumer/2015/03/02/plumbers-warn-about-cpvc-piping-problems/. PEX still blows apart; much cheaper and faster to install than copper. I put different drain-outs in my system to as well as heat tape for my on-demand hot water, assuming I have electricity.

Yes, I was smiling and thinking of a forensic accountant crawling up the Orange Monkey's taxes. I bet the folks in Vance's office are going for a beverage this evening.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered Commentercitizen625

@Akhilleus: I think in the Supremes, Trump has come to a roadblock he can't just schooch out of the way. Vance has asked Trump's accountant Mazur's, not Trump himself, to turn over the tax returns, and Mazur's has said (mostly) all along, that they will abide by court decisions. Unless Trump engineers a heist of his returns at Mazur's (and the returns are probably on computer anyway), I think he's SOL.*

* But of course it's Trump, so I'll admit anything can happen.

February 22, 2021 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

PD: "I, of course, being of the "Childhood is Destiny" class think of how children are many times made to feel as though what they say or do feel is not worthy. No wonder we cling to our beliefs as adults and will fight to the death to defend them." Has it occurred in the popular imagination that the demise of the single earner family has mirrored the decline of civil discourse? Moms and parents have only so much time.

Also, From RAS's article: Edward T. Hall's "Silent Language" was as awe inspiring to my young mind as "Night" and "1984". The greatness possible from the best of us should encourage all of us.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered Commentercitizen625

Our Pin Point "Georgia on my mind" guy trumps his other fellows on the S.C., namely, Alito, Gorsuch & Kavanaugh who tag along singing the same old song that promotes Trump's voter fraud lies in alarming dissent. Amy was too late to get in with the gang, so we don't know what she would have done.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/02/clarence-thomas-voter-fraud-trump-pennsylvania.html

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterPD Pepe

Mariachi Band visits Ted Cruz. Maybe his girls booked them?

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Will the media ever learn?

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

I'm sure the traitors (all R's) listening to Merrick Garland were thrilled to hear that he doesn't intend to be the president's lawyer. If this were a hearing for an AG for Trump or some other confederate/traitor president, it would be a different story. They expect that their guys will be protected at all costs. But hearing that Garland isn't going to be Biden's personal lawyer makes them happy.

What makes them less happy (a lot less) is that he intends to go after their white supremacist and secessionist pals.

What I would most love to see is that the Treasonous Turtle's anti-Constitutional scam comes back to pound these scumbags in the ass.

If Garland can tie the Proud Boys-Roger Stone-Trump-Republican insurrection to treasonous R's in the congress that ultimately results in their aggressive defenestration, we might have a tiny bit of justice.

Still, it won't come close to having Garland on the court in place of Rape Boy O'Kavanaugh.

We'll take what we can get.

February 22, 2021 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus
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