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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." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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Thursday
Nov302023

The Conversation -- December 1, 2023

AP: "Retired Justice Sandra Day O"Connor, the first woman on the Supreme Court, died Friday, the high court said. She was 93." MB: I'll post a link to an obituary when it becomes available. ~~~

     ~~~ Update: O'Connor's New York Times obituary, by Linda Greenhouse, is here.

Rachel Weiner & Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post: "Donald Trump can be held civilly liable for the actions of the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, an appeals court ruled Friday in a long-awaited decision that could clear the way for lawsuits seeking financial damages from the former president.... Trump and his lawyers have argued that he is protected from both the lawsuit and the criminal charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith because of the absolute immunity conferred on a president for anything done as part of his official duties.... [But the judges] compared former presidents to judges, who enjoy protection from lawsuits but are 'subject to criminal prosecutions as are other citizens.' Trump is 'not above the law,' they wrote.... The unanimous decision by a federal appeals court in Washington is expected to be appealed...." CNN's report, by Katelyn Polantz, is here.

Clare Foran & Haley Talbot of CNN: "The House voted Friday to expel GOP Rep. George Santos, a historic vote that makes the New York congressman the sixth lawmaker ever to be expelled from the chamber. The vote brings an end to a scandal-plagued and tumultuous tenure on Capitol Hill for the freshman New York congressman.... The resolution passed 311 to 114, with 105 Republicans voting with the overwhelming majority of Democrats in favor of expulsion. Two Democrats voted 'no,' and two Democrats voted present.... 'To hell with this place,' [Santos] said [after the vote]." ~~~

Nothing Says "Get Out!" Like ~~~

~~~ Adeus, Jorge. Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "The House is expected to vote in about an hour on the resolution to expel George Santos. But the outcome is far from clear. Leaders in both parties are flying blind, having chosen not to conduct a formal whip count ahead of the vote." This post, written at about 9:40 am ET, is part of a liveblog. ~~~

Fandos: "... as his biography unraveled and criminal charges piled up, Mr. Santos remained securely in his seat for nearly a year thanks to the protection of two consecutive House speakers, Kevin McCarthy of California and Mike Johnson of Louisiana."

Grace Ashford: "With roughly 45 minutes left until the vote, no one is quite sure how it will go. But in recent days, some Republican leaders have indicated that they oppose expulsion, which appears to have offset some of the momentum following the release of the Ethics Committee report."

Michael Gold: "In a letter to his House Republican colleagues this morning, Max Miller of Ohio said that Santos's campaign charged his and his mother's credit card for campaign contributions that neither of them approved and that were above the legal limit. He said the scheme, which he alluded to in a floor speech yesterday supporting Mr. Santos's expulsion, was his main reason for deciding to vote 'yes' today."

Gold: "Santos was just expelled from the House, 311-114-2."

Fandos: "Speaker Mike Johnson is in the speaker's chair to deliver the tally.... That's it. The gavel falls and George Santos of New York has been expelled from the House of Representatives less than a year after he took the oath of office."

Fandos: "Santos's expulsion opens a highly competitive House seat in New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is expected to call a special election to fill Santos's seat early next year, likely in February."

Fandos: "Representatives of the Architect of the Capitol, which maintains the congressional complex, arrived promptly Friday afternoon to change the locks on the door to Santos's House office. C-SPAN got footage of the work, not long after Santos left the building."

Gold: "Santos's official House website is no longer live. The link redirects to a page on the House clerk's site that tracks vacancies in Congress, though Santos's former seat has not yet been added.

     ~~~ CNN's Santos liveblog is here. "The House has voted to expel New York Republican Rep. George Santos over ethics violations, making him only the sixth lawmaker ever to be kicked out of the chamber. The resolution required a two-thirds majority vote to succeed. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that 311 members of the House voted to expel Santos. Another 114 voted against the expulsion, with two members recording themselves 'present.' He is the first member of Congress to be expelled since the Civil War who wasn't first convicted of a felony."

     ~~~ Marie: We already know that it is possible for a completely fabricated person can become a Republican member of Congress. Today, we'll find out if at least one total fake will be expelled.

~~~~~~~~~~

~~~ Darlene Superville of the AP: “The president and his wife, Jill, participated Thursday in the annual tradition of lighting the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, an area known as President's Park, on the south side of the White House.... [President] Biden said the White House holiday theme of 'wonder, magic and joy' captures the essence of Christmas, which he said is about rediscovering simple joys like familiar songs and favorite recipes, performing acts of kindness, and strengthening bonds with family and friends as well as with one's faith."

Katie Rogers, et al., of the New York Times: "On June 22, as [President] Biden pulled out all of the diplomatic stops to bring [India's Prime Minister Narendra] Modi closer, a senior official in the Indian government was offering the 'go ahead' approving the murder-for-hire plot surrounding a Sikh American on U.S. soil, according to a Justice Department indictment filed in a federal court in New York Wednesday.... The suspect, an Indian national accused of trying to arrange the killing, was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30, eight days after [Biden's] state dinner [for Modi].... The audacious scheme illustrates how complicated it can be for American presidents to balance their relationships with deeply imperfect allies, while also trying to preserve a commitment to the values of human rights and democracy.... Publicly ... the episode has not caused a rupture.... It is clearly Mr. Biden's preference to hold friends closer, using positive reinforcement to try to change their policies."

Erica Green of the New York Times: "President Biden hosted President João Lourenço of Angola at the White House on Thursday, promoting a major U.S. investment in the country as he tries to shore up his pledge to revitalize relations with African nations. The visit marked three decades of diplomatic relations between the countries, and the two leaders discussed cooperation on critical issues such as trade, energy, climate and a $1 billion U.S.-backed infrastructure project that would aid Angola's economy."


Michael Gold & Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "As the House of Representatives opened the floor on Thursday to debate the fate of George Santos, Republican of New York, the arguments over whether to expel him took an immediate and indecorous turn. Mr. Santos's use of Botox was invoked several times, even by those defending him. His detractors pointed to falsified ties to the Holocaust and to his claims, contradicted by paperwork, that his mother was at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. The final speaker calling to expel Mr. Santos concluded with the briefest of remarks: 'You, sir, are a crook.'... Mr. Santos offered a minimal defense, again refusing to provide evidence that would counter the laundry list of misdeeds and 23 criminal charges that Republicans and Democrats cited to support his removal. Instead, as a group of lawmakers repeatedly cited the findings of the ethics report, Mr. Santos and his defenders argued that removing him before his criminal case is resolved could open the floodgates to a raft of frivolous expulsion efforts, overriding the will of voters.... The House is scheduled to vote on a resolution to expel Mr. Santos, 35, following the release of a damning and detailed report from the House Ethics Committee that found 'substantial evidence' that he had violated federal law." ~~~

~~~ Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "A defiant Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) said Thursday that House members were 'bullying' him as a vote on his expulsion from Congress loomed and warned that if a third effort to remove him were successful, it would lead to the downfall of several other lawmakers down the line. At a news conference, Santos continued to insist he would never resign and railed against a House Ethics Committee report -- which detailed a litany of fraud and ethics violations allegations against him -- as incomplete and 'littered with hyperbole.'... Santos said he planned to introduce a resolution to expel Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who pleaded guilty last month to pulling a false fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building." The AP's report is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ann Marimow of the Washington Post: "Senate Democrats voted Thursday to subpoena two prominent allies of conservative Supreme Court justices, an unusual attempt to learn more about undisclosed gifts to the justices that Republican lawmakers said would not ultimately succeed before the full Senate. The contentious hearing on whether to demand information from Texas billionaire Harlan Crow and conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo featured forceful pushback from Republicans who defended the court's conservatives.... At the hearing Thursday, Democrats said the [new Supreme Court 'ethics'] code does not go far enough and that it is still necessary to subpoena and press for more information from Crow and Leo to inform proposed legislation. 'Without an enforcement mechanism, this code of conduct, while a step in a positive direction, is insufficient to restore the public's faith in the Court,' committee Chairman Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) said in his prepared opening statement.... If Leo and Crow do not comply, Democrats can seek enforcement of the subpoenas in court. That step requires a vote of the full Senate, with 60 votes needed to break a filibuster." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Alexander Bolton of the Hill: "The Republican members of the committee stormed out of the hearing room in the Hart Building shortly before Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) called a vote on authorizing the subpoenas. The motion passed with 11 Democratic votes. Not a single Republican was left in the room by the time the roll call ended.... Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) set the tone of the meeting, calling the authorization of subpoenas 'garbage' and Democratic efforts to address the court's ethics a 'complete joke' and 'crap.'" MB: So I don't think we'll have any trouble picturing Lindsey -- or for that matter, Ted Cruz & Mike Lee -- "storming out." (Also linked yesterday.)

Peter Baker of the New York Times: Liz Cheney's "book offers a rare peek inside the Republican cloakroom at what Ms. Cheney, a former representative from Wyoming, heard from her colleagues about 'the Orange Jesus,' as one wryly called Mr. Trump. Here are a half-dozen stories she tells in the book...." Fairly interesting. MB: I am sort of surprised everyone is making such a big deal about the Orange Jesus. I think it's funny, but Cheney mentioned this remark months ago, although she had not previously said which GOP member of Congress had uttered it. (Also linked yesterday.)

A True-life Story with a Self-Certified Ophthalmologist Playing the Hero. No, Really. Praveena Somasundaram of the Washington Post: "While hosting a luncheon Thursday featuring dishes from her state, Senate Republican Joni Ernst of Iowa choked on some of the food, a spread of corn, rib-eye and pork chops. But Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) came to the rescue, Senate colleagues said, moving swiftly to perform the Heimlich maneuver." A Mediaite item is here. MB: Ernst used the incident to diss Democrats. ("Can't help but choke on the woke policies Dems are forcing down our throats.") Because that's what life-threatening, self-inflicted accidents are for. There is something really wrong with these people.


STFU! Shayna Jacobs of the Washington Post: "A New York appeals court on Thursday reinstated a limited gag order on Donald Trump, preventing him from making public comments about the law clerk in a civil business fraud case brought by the state. The court in a two-page decision upheld New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron's set of orders that prevented Trump and his defense team from mentioning the clerk, who has been the subject of anti-Semitic and other threats and messages since the case began.... A temporary pause on the gag order issued Nov. 16 gave Trump two-week window in which to discuss the clerk publicly. That day, he resumed his complaints and accusations against her on social media." The AP's report, which characterizing the ruling as a "one-sentence decision," is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In case you are moved by Donald the Aggrieved's argument that the courts are depriving him of his First Amendment rights, Andrew Weissmann, appearing on MSNBC, says he thinks of the orders less as "gag orders" and more as a condition of bail. People who are out on bail generally have usual Constitution rights constrained. For instance, they are not allowed to carry weapons so faggedaboud the Second Amendment. "Unreasonable search and seizure," proscribed by the Fourth Amendment, may become "reasonable" for folks "free" on bail. IOW, legally, Donald Trump really is not like you and me; he has fewer rights than do those of us not currently accused of 91 crimes.

Yvonne Sanchez & Amy Gardner of the Washington Post: "Kenneth Chesebro, one of ... Donald Trump's co-defendants in the Georgia election-interference case, plans to meet with investigators in Arizona and Nevada, where similar probes are underway, according to three individuals with knowledge of the arrangements. Chesebro, who pleaded guilty in the Georgia case to a single felony count of participating in a conspiracy to file false documents, had been charged primarily in relation to his 2020 role in organizing slates of pro-Trump state electors. Those electors met and voted in seven states where Joe Biden had won the presidential election -- actions that they hoped would allow Congress to award those states' electoral votes to Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. As part of his pleading, Chesebro avoids prison time but must testify in the case.... [An] individual said Nevada officials have offered Chesebro a 'proffer' agreement in which they have pledged not to charge him in exchange for truthful testimony.... [Chesebro] plans to travel to the state this week."

** Isaac Schorr of Mediaite: "... Donald Trump seemingly endorsed a call for Capitol Police officers who repelled rioters on January 6, 2021 to be prosecuted.... Trump's post [on Liars Social] linked to another one from earlier this week on X, which showed officers grappling with and using their batons to pushback on the rioters. 'The Capitol cops beat the hell out of innocent J6 protesters, and the videos are finally coming out,' asserted the original poster. 'The cops should be charged and the protesters should be freed This is why the uniparty didn't want the videos released.'" MB: This won't get much attention, but it should.

Situation Normal. Matt Friedman of Politico: "A former server at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster alleges she was sexually harassed and coerced into sex by a supervisor, then tricked into signing an illegal non-disclosure agreement by Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba. The former server, Alice Bianco, made the allegations in a lawsuit against Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster filed Wednesday in New Jersey's Middlesex County Superior Court. Trump is not named as a defendant in the suit.... Habba, according to the lawsuit, encouraged Bianco to fire [her own] lawyer and forwarded her a negative article about him. 'Is this the guy? Be careful,' she wrote, according to text messages appended to the lawsuit. Habba then allegedly invited Bianco to her car during her shift and discouraged her from going public with her story, saying she could 'protect her' if Bianco signed a 'simple' non-disclosure agreement that included a penalty of $1,000 a day if she violated it, in exchange for what the lawsuit described as a 'paltry sum.'... 'Alina Habba used the unethical silencing of my client, Ali Bianco, as a way to propel herself into Trump's inner circle. Her behavior was predatory. Pretending to be "neutral" when acting on behalf of one party is clearly unethical,' Bianco attorney Nancy Erika Smith said in a statement"

The feminist movement is not about women, it's always been about abortion and communism. -- Fox "News" host Rachel Campos-Duffy

News to me. BTW, Rachel, how come you use your birth name professionally? That's such a feminist thing. Is that about abortion or communism? -- Marie Burns

Presidential Race 2024

Holly Ottenbein & Gary Fineout of Politico: "Florida appears poised to hold no presidential primary election for Democrats this cycle after the state party submitted only President Joe Biden's name as a candidate up for the nomination. The move to leave Rep. Dean Phillips off the primary ballot left the Minnesota Democrat enraged on Thursday. In a statement..., Phillips, who has launched a longshot primary bid against Biden, accused Florida Democratic Party officials of rigging the primary. He threatened a lawsuit and a convention fight if he didn't win ballot access in the state.... Under state law, it is left up to the parties to decide who makes the primary ballot. The deadline for parties to submit a list of approved candidates to state election officials is Thursday. But Florida Democrats acted before then, sending a notice on Nov. 1 to the state that had Biden as the only primary candidate.... Under state law, if a party only signs off on one candidate for the primary ballot, the contest is not held."

Allan Smith of NBC News: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom duked it out in a roughly two-hour debate Thursday that was heavy on contrasts between their leadership of two of the nation's largest states but lighter on references to the ongoing presidential primaries.... The showdown -- dubbed 'The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate' by Fox News -- featured spirited exchanges on tax, education, abortion, energy, immigration, Covid and crime policy, with both DeSantis and Newsom warning that their opponent's models would be disastrous for the country if they were exported nationwide." ~~~

     ~~~ Eric Bradner of CNN has some takeaways from the fake presidential debate: "The highly unusual debate -- one moderated by Fox's conservative host Sean Hannity ... -- was a window into an alternative political universe; one in which President Joe Biden and ... Donald Trump were not on course for a 2024 rematch of the 2020 presidential race.... [Gov. Gavin] Newsom went to bat for Biden, defending the president's record on the economy, immigration and more in front of Fox's right-leaning audience.... Newsom also lobbed a series of attacks that sounded like they could have come from any of DeSantis' primary opponents, accusing the Florida governor of shifting positions on issues like immigration and environmental protections as he began to eye a presidential run. Those attacks -- clearly designed to damage DeSantis in front of an audience of likely Republican presidential primary voters -- were among the debate's most memorable moments."

Trump Is Not as Bad as Putin -- Yet. Charlie Nash of Mediaite: "Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie assured his rival Nikki Haley that it is safe to call out ... Donald Trump by name, as he had not yet been poisoned for doing so. During a town hall at Concord, New Hampshire on Thursday, Christie declared, 'The frontrunner in this race is Donald Trump. I just said his name out loud and lightning did not strike me. I did not fall dead of a heart attack. I have not been poisoned by a member of his staff.'"


Kate Conger & Tiffany Hsu of the New York Times: "Advertisers said on Thursday that they did not plan to reopen their wallets anytime soon with X ... after its owner, Elon Musk, insulted brands using an expletive and told them not to spend on the platform. At least half a dozen marketing agencies said the brands they represent were standing firm against advertising on X, while others said they had advised advertisers to stop posting anything on the platform. Some temporary spending pauses that advertisers have enacted in recent weeks against X are likely to turn into permanent freezes, they added, with Mr. Musk's comments giving them no incentive to return." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Who could have known that urging your biggest advertisers' CEOs "to go fuck themselves" was not the best way to coax them back to your product? It's almost as if very rich people don't give unconditional love to super-rich people. Nonetheless, as RAS expressed some time back, just how long it takes these advertisers to return to the X fold is an open question. ~~~

Not for nothing, but how long do we morons need to be informed that X used to be know as Twitter? I never Xitted, and never will. Elon can go f*ck himself... -- unwashed, in yesterday's Comments

My view precisely. I've been ellipsisizing this particular historical lesson for a while now. -- Marie Burns

Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. Jeremy Barr of the Washington Post: "MSNBC faced a blizzard of backlash Thursday after announcing that popular liberal host Mehdi Hasan would lose his Sunday-night show as part of a broader restructuring of the network's weekend lineup. The network said the changes, which include a new weekend panel show, were made with 2024 election coverage in mind. But fans and prominent liberals questioned whether Hasan, one of the few Muslim hosts in cable news, was being penalized for his criticism of the Israeli government's actions in Gaza and strong support for the Palestinian people.... His segments often went viral on social media, where users celebrated his takedowns of conservatives such as former Trump adviser John Bolton and Israeli government adviser Mark Regev. During a Nov. 16 interview on his show for NBC's Peacock streaming service, Hasan pressed Regev on the children killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes. When Regev said that Hasan had seen photos of dead children 'because they're the pictures Hamas wants you to see,' the host responded, 'and also because they're dead, Mark. They're also people your government has killed.'...

"Hasan will remain with the network as an analyst and fill-in host. And though his time segment will be absorbed by fellow host Ayman Mohyeldin -- who has also gone viral for segments about the conflict in Gaza and Israel -- criticism of the decision was sharp. 'It is bad optics for MSNBC to cancel @mehdirhasan's show right at a time when he is vocal for human rights in Gaza with the war ongoing,' Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), wrote on X." The Guardian's story is here. MB: Fortunately, according to the WashPo story, we're going to get to see more Michael Steele, the former RNC chair. and more Alicia Menendez, who currently (and in the foreseeable future) has to tiptoe through the stories about political corruption inasmuch as her dad Senator Bob is under criminal indictment for some (alleged!) really sleazy, traitorous stuff. I agree with the critics. While I also am a fan of Ayman's, MSNBC didn't need to cut Mehdi for more Ayman. But, hey, the suits wear those costly duds so's you might not notice their teensy brains. Thanks to Ken W. for the link.

~~~~~~~~~~

California. Phil Helsel of NBC News: "A former Marine pleaded guilty Thursday in a 2022 firebombing attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in California, federal prosecutors said. Chance Brannon, 24, is one of three men charged in the Molotov cocktail attack on the building in Costa Mesa, which occurred while Brannon was an active-duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, officials said. No one was hurt in the March 13, 2022, incident, which occurred in the early morning when no one was there. The front entrance had some burn damage, and the clinic had to reschedule about 30 appointments."

Florida. Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times: "Florida's Republican Party found itself roiled on Thursday after the police said they were investigating an accusation made two months ago that the party's chairman had engaged in sexual battery. The chairman, Christian Ziegler, was elected to the post this year as top Florida Republicans were fretting over whether to support Gov. Ron DeSantis or ... Donald J. Trump for their party's 2024 nomination. Mr. Ziegler was seen as the choice of Mr. Trump's allies. No charges have been filed against Mr. Ziegler.... In response to requests for the [Sarasota Police Department] sexual battery incident report, the police released a heavily redacted, 12-page document from Oct. 4 with names, addresses, identifying information and most other details blacked out. Unredacted in the report are two mentions of the word 'raped,' and a reference to someone reporting being 'sexually battered' at home on Oct. 2." ~~~

     ~~~ And Now for the Sordid Details. Bob Norman of the Florida Center for Government Accountability: "Christian Ziegler, Florida's GOP chairman and husband of Sarasota County School Board member and Moms of Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, is under criminal investigation after a woman filed a complaint with the Sarasota Police Department alleging the longtime Republican official had raped her, according to a heavily redacted police report obtained by the Florida Trident.... The woman, according to sources close to the investigation, alleged that she and both Zieglers had been involved in a three-year consensual three-way sexual relationship. The incident under investigation by Sarasota police occurred when Christian Ziegler and the woman were alone at the woman's house, without Bridget Ziegler present, the sources conveyed.... Christian Ziegler is also alleged to have secretly videotaped the sexual encounters between the couple and the woman, sources said....

"The Zieglers are one of Florida's top political power couples in the GOP. Christian Ziegler is a longtime Republican Party official who served as vice chairman of the state party prior to his election as chair in February. Prior to that he was a Sarasota County Commissioner who ran on a 'family values' platform. Bridget Ziegler has become a star within the MAGA movement who was personally endorsed for her school board seat by Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, who also appointed her in March to the state board that oversees the special district previously overseen by Disney World prior to DeSantis's politically motivated feud with the entertainment company.... [Bridget]Ziegler has been a leading anti-trans activist and 'critical race theory' opponent who has said her aim is to bring 'religious values' into public schools that she claims are 'indoctrination centers for the radical left.'"

     ~~~ Marie: Admit it. You're not all that surprised. Great posed pix of DeSantis & Trump smiling away with these "family values" superstars. Aggravating, BTW, that the Gray Lady doesn't think these details are fit to print. And how 'bout that "expletive deleted" crap editorial decision as demonstrated once again in the Times' Go-Fuck-Me story linked above?

Florida. Christine Sexton of Florida Politics: "A new poll of Florida voters shows a proposed abortion rights initiative could pass in 2024 if it makes the ballot -- results show it's picking up support across gender, racial and party lines. The University of North Florida poll found that 62% of all respondents would vote 'yes' on the proposed amendment while 29% oppose the proposal. Nine percent didn't answer the question. Florida requires that constitutional amendments receive approval from 60% of voters in order to pass. The numbers from the poll, which has a margin of error of 4.37%, show that the amendment is hovering around the margin it needs." MB: Of course, even if the amendment gets on the ballot & passes, Republican legislators could and probably would do all they can to gut the new constitutional law, as they did a few years back when Florida voters passed an amendment restoring voting rights to most former felons. Because pure democracy is so wrong.

Montana. Sapna Maheshwari of the New York Times: "A federal judge in Montana on Thursday blocked a statewide ban of TikTok from taking effect next year, at least temporarily preventing the nation's first such prohibition on the popular video app. The judge, Donald W. Molloy, said Montana could act as a leader in protecting its residents from harm but must 'act within the constitutional legal context,' and he granted a preliminary injunction to stop the TikTok ban. He said a ban of the Chinese-owned app most likely violated the First Amendment and a clause that gives Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations."

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Palestine

The Washington Post's live updates of developments Friday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The seven-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas ended early Friday. Each side blamed the other. Israel said Hamas had 'violated the operational pause and, in addition, fired toward Israeli territory,' while a Hamas official said talks to extend the pause were 'thwarted by the Israelis' who had 'refused' an offer to release elderly male hostages and the bodies of three Israeli hostages. The Washington Post could not immediately verify either claim. Several airstrikes were reported across Gaza on Friday morning; a Post photographer witnessed a strike 200 meters from a hospital in Khan Younis in the south."

Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "The Israeli government agreed to form a 'clear plan' for averting civilian deaths before resuming its assault of southern Gaza, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday, a sign of the intensifying U.S. pressure that Israel faces to recalibrate its approach amid the war's grave humanitarian toll. Blinken's conversations with Israeli leaders were the toughest to date and, by his account, resulted in concrete assurances that they would change how their war is waged against Hamas.... At the same time, the Israelis left no doubt that they intended to abandon the week-long pause in their military campaign as soon as Hamas stops releasing hostages." ~~~

     ~~~ CNN's live updates for Friday are here.

** Ronen Bergman & Adam Goldman of the New York Times: "Israeli officials obtained Hamas's battle plan for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack more than a year before it happened, documents, emails and interviews show. But Israeli military and intelligence officials dismissed the plan as aspirational, considering it too difficult for Hamas to carry out. The approximately 40-page document, which the Israeli authorities code-named 'Jericho Wall,' outlined, point by point, exactly the kind of devastating invasion that led to the deaths of about 1,200 people. The translated document, which was reviewed by The New York Times, did not set a date for the attack, but described a methodical assault designed to overwhelm the fortifications around the Gaza Strip, take over Israeli cities and storm key military bases, including a division headquarters." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Sounds even worse than Dubya's daily briefing titled, "Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US," issued 36 days before 9/11.

Katherine Rosman, et al., of the New York Times: "As some hostages captured ... in the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel have been released, they have relayed ... stories of their captivity to family members. While their individual experiences differ in some details, their accounts share features that corroborate one another and suggest that Hamas and its allies planned to take hostages. Some of the hostages were held in sweltering tunnels deep beneath Gaza, while others were squeezed into tight quarters with strangers or confined in isolation. There were children forced to appear in hostage videos, and others forced to watch gruesome footage of Hamas's Oct. 7 terrorist attack. They bore physical and psychological wounds.... The freed hostages, many of them children, were deprived of adequate food while in Gaza. Many said they had received just a single piece of bread per day for weeks. Others were fed small portions of rice, or pieces of cheese. The Red Cross said it was denied access to the hostages. Many of the hostages who have returned to Israel in the past week ... have come home malnourished, infested with lice, ill, injured and deeply traumatized." (Also linked yesterday.)

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Reader Comments (7)

Huzzahs to the appeals court decision that determined the Pretender can be sued for liability for his hand in the insurrection.

But there will be yet another appeal and the fundamental basis of our legal system will not change a whit.

Those with money can run out the clock. And if you're lucky enough to have sufficient wealth to keep those wheels grinding, you can avoid consequence for seeming ever.

And in this case, it seems likely justice will be served post mortem.

********

And on the Newsom-DeSantis "debate."

After having skipped all the R primary debates, actually tried to watch it but gave up after 20 minutes or so. Seemed more like two school boys in a shouting match...it hurt both my ears and my battered sense of decorum.

December 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

Apparently the debate on Faux News was a real shut show. DeSantis brought out a map plotting out nearly a decade of reported public poops in San Francisco.

December 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

How every Congressperson voted on the Santos expulsion:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/01/us/politics/santos-expulsion-vote.html

Lessons (which we already learned) in the roll call tally...

December 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

@Marie: I obviously didn't give Elmo enough credit for how stupid and self-destructive he is in my original post about the advertisers. Though the companies' greed will still try draw them back eventually like flies to shit as long as Musk doesn't totally burn Xitter to the ground in the meantime.

*edit: it's supposed to be shit show not shut show

December 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

The Daily Show debates who is the GOAT of war crimes.

December 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Why?

Still wondering why extreme right wing evangelicals love a lying, cheating, philandering traitor? Aren’t they worried that god will punish them for adoring a walking, talking, grifting (almost)human embodiment of the seven deadly sins?

Why don’t they vote for Democrats who strive to make life better for everyone rather than fucking over billions of other humans?

Well here’s why…

December 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Jaime O'Neill

"It’s not easy being a liberal. Trying to live up to humanistic ideals can cause liberals no end of shit, starting with guilt about never doing enough. So-called conservatives appear to have been born without guilt generators.

When I first started figuring out how conservatives differ from liberals, someone shared the idea that liberals saw the human race as flawed, but essentially good, or at least salvageable. Even the atheists among the libs believe in being good for goodness sake. Goodness doesn't absolutely require a vengeful god to keep people in line.

Conservatives, on the other hand, see human beings as essentially no damn good. People were born to be bad, stigmatized with original sin that had to be expiated even while new sins were being committed, always running ahead of what sinners could slip out from under with a confession, or a random act of kindness. Redemption being easy, conservatives were quick to decide that seeking to be good was a candy ass pursuit, a sucker's game."

To Akhilleus's question about evangelicals, "There’s just no percentage in being good, though it’s can be useful to pretend you are, to show up for church on Sunday after a Saturday night debauch and week spent ripping people off. Hypocrisy is as necessary to conservatives as cunning. And since the reward for being good is paid off in an afterlife they can’t be assured would turn out to be real, they just let the dogs out, the wolves out, too, letting those beasts run free, snarling and gnashing their teeth.

“Anyone can be a barbarian; it requires a terrible effort to remain a civilized man.”
— Leonard Woolf"

December 1, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRAS
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