Have an excellent weekend and see you bright and early Monday morning.
Friday, March 31, 2023
Surrender
...the former president would not take a plea deal and was prepared to go to trial, a typically defiant stance that is likely to endear him to his supporters, who see the prosecution as a politically motivated vendetta by Democrats.
Test
Washington Post: Opinion - The unhinged GOP defense of Trump is the real ‘test’ for our democracy By Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman
The careful reader will note that Youngkin’s complaint is not simply that the indictment itself is flimsy. That is not what makes the charges “political.” Rather, it’s that Trump was indicted at all.
Takeaways
NPR: 5 key takeaways from the Trump indictment news By Emily Olson, Emma Bowman
5. This could be just the beginning of Trump's legal woes
Steps
Long story short - 1. voluntary surrender... 2. process as a defendant... 3. arraignment... 4. pretrial hearings... 5. guilty plea or trial... 6. if found guilty at trial then sentencing.
Washington Post: The steps of the Trump indictment process, explained By Nick Mourtoupalas, Lauren Tierney and Julie Vitkovskaya
Trump is expected to appear in court Tuesday afternoon for an arraignment, where he will hear the charges against him. While we can’t be certain what will happen next...
Accountable
NY Times: Even Donald Trump Should Be Held Accountable By the Editorial Board
While Mr. Trump routinely called for his enemies to be investigated by the F.B.I., to be indicted or to face the death penalty, his indifference to due process for others shouldn’t deny him the system’s benefits, including a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.
Indictment
Washington Post: Opinion - The GOP response to Trump is one hell of an indictment By Dana Milbank
“Enough of this witch hunt bulls---,” tweeted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.)
“This is complete and utter bulls---,” asserted Rep. Brian Mast (Fla.).
Popcorn Time
Axios: How Trump plans to fight the indictment By Erin Doherty
"I would think in very short order, you'll see a motion to dismiss, or several motions to dismiss..."
'Bodhi'
My new collaboration with Denise Glover, voice and piano with lyrics based on a classic Buddhist text.
Justice
Washington Post: What we know about the Donald Trump-Stormy Daniels payment case By Mark Berman and Shayna Jacobs
Prosecutors said that the payments were campaign finance violations, and thus excessive contributions to Trump’s campaign. At the time, an attorney for Cohen issued a statement questioning why the payments were criminal for Cohen but not Trump.
Rally
...Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) put out a statement calling the indictment “un-American,” condemning the “weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda” and pledging not to assist any extradition request to his state that results.
Next
While the facts are dramatic and the indictment explosive, the case against Mr. Trump could hinge on an untested legal theory. A conviction is far from assured.
Test
If that were not enough to shake the timbers of the republic, the first may not be the last. Mr. Trump could face a second indictment in Georgia and a third from federal prosecutors and potentially even a fourth.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 6:45 a.m. ET DOW futures are +84, S&P futures are +7.25, and NASDAQ futures are -6. The market is poised to open mixed.
CNN: The final estimate for GDP shows the US economy grew at 2.6% last quarter By Alicia Wallace
Thursday, March 30, 2023
More Than 30 Counts!
CNN: Former President Trump indicted by NY grand jury By Elise Hammond, Tori B. Powell and Amir Vera
Former President Donald Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud in an indictment from a Manhattan grand jury, according to two sources familiar with the case. It marks the first time in US history that a current or former president will face criminal charges.
Lockdown
Washington Post: Joint Base Andrews on lockdown after unauthorized person seen with rifle By Keith L. Alexander
“a white male, wearing a purple sweatshirt, black shorts, carrying a ar-15 style rifle with no orange tip.”
Leave
Washington Post: Opinion - I’m a progressive in Kentucky. I think Republicans want me to leave. By Perry Bacon Jr.
Millions of left-leaning Americans like me live in red states like this one, where the Republican officials are imposing Trump-style policies and looking to “own the libs” whenever possible.
T. Rex
Lipless crocodilians, for example, wear down teeth at an accelerated pace — an American alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in its lifetime. In contrast, Tyrannosaurs and other theropods tended to hang onto their teeth much longer.
Pence
Washington Post: Opinion - Pence must testify. What he’ll have to reveal is an open question. By Jennifer Rubin
The order is under seal, so we don’t know how specific Boasberg was in laying out what Pence can and cannot be asked about.
Finland
NY Times: Finland’s accession to NATO would be a diplomatic and strategic setback for Russia.
Turkey’s Parliament was expected to ratify Finland’s bid to join NATO on Thursday, removing the Nordic nation’s last obstacle toward membership and sharply enlarging the alliance’s border with Russia.
United
This is a multi-genre playlist I put together. All the musicians on this playlist wanted to be on it.
Have An Excellent Thursday
Artwork By "Erin Hanson, contemporary US painter known for her modern impressionism"
Of Course
Washington Post: Nashville shooting exploited by right to escalate anti-trans rhetoric By Fenit Nirappil
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) speculated on Twitter, as well as during a congressional hearing Wednesday, that hormone treatment may have played a role in the shooting, even though there is no evidence the shooter was on hormone therapy.
Norm
Washington Post: Opinion - Lower fertility rates are the new cultural norm By Charles Lane
The percentage who say that having children is very important to them has dropped from 43 percent to 30 percent since 2019.
War
“Before, they could assault in all directions simultaneously and in groups of not less than 20, 30 or 40 people, but gradually it is dying down.”
Letter
What promises of reform would you offer? What vows before God that nothing like this would ever happen to another family on your watch? To another innocent child?
I waited to hear.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 7:10 a..m ET DOW futures are +204, S&P futures are +24, and NASDAQ futures are +62.75. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Unbearable
If I were a young person living in the USA with some skill or training, I would move to Europe.
This Is Ridiculous
While the grand jury may hear other cases over the next week, the soonest jurors are expected to hear the Trump case again is April 24, said the two people, who were briefed on the plans.
State
If you can get access to this article, I highly recommend it. If you can't contact me and I will get some of it to you. This is important information.
...“‘tight’ states would exhibit a higher incidence of natural disasters, greater environmental vulnerability, fewer natural resources, greater incidence of disease and higher mortality rates, higher population density, and greater degrees of external threat.”
The South dominated the tight states...
Police
Those potentially conflicting impulses reflect a policing paradox deepened by America’s obsession with the AR-15...
Have An Excellent Wednesday
Scottish painter Bessie MacNicol, Under The Apple Tree, 1899, member of the Glasgow Girls group of artists affiliated with the Glasgow School of artists
Drinking
Washington Post: Even moderate drinking is bad for us. Enter nonalcoholic beer. Perspective By Tamar Haspel
The World Health Organization says unequivocally that “there is no safe amount.” The American Cancer Society says, “it is best not to drink alcohol.”
Nothing
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.)...said he didn’t see anything else that Congress could do on the issue, dismissing calls to expand background checks and Biden’s plea to ban assault weapons.
War
“We are committed to working with Ukraine, and peace-loving countries around the world, to stand up, staff and resource such a tribunal in a way that will achieve comprehensive accountability for the international crimes being committed in Ukraine..."
Know
The timing of an indictment might also depend on the availability of the jurors themselves. Sixteen of the 23 grand jurors must be present to conduct any business (and a majority must vote to indict for the case to go forward).
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 5:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +248, S&P futures are +35.75, and NASDAQ futures are +115. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: US consumer confidence improved in March By Alicia Wallace
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
The Mary Trump Show - WACO
It's long but these ladies really lay down the reality of Trump. It's way beyond what you get on TV or articles.
Result
Washington Post: Opinion - On guns, conservatives are winning. This nightmare is the result. By Paul Waldman
Can they defend what they have wrought?
The answer: They can’t, and they don’t. They have gotten almost everything they wanted on guns, and this nightmare is the result.
Testify
...largely sweeping aside two separate legal efforts by Mr. Pence and Mr. Trump to limit his testimony, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Apocalypse
Washington Post: Opinion - Donald Trump is promising the apocalypse By Karen Tumulty
“He’s positing himself as the long arm of the Lord, the long arm of divine vengeance.”
Ay Yi Yi
“You know what Donald Trump said a couple of weeks ago?” Mr. Christie said. “‘I am your retribution.’ Guess what, everybody? No thanks.”
Effect
Not an easy article to read.
A single bullet lands with a shock wave intense enough to blow apart a skull and demolish vital organs. The impact is even more acute on the compact body of a small child.
Woke
Washington Post: Opinion - ‘Wokeness’ is winning By Eugene Robinson
What I would call the “anti-woke” view, that we have “gone too far” in accepting transgender people, is held by 43 percent of those surveyed.
And it just gets more woke from there.
Rights
NY Times: What the Push for ‘Parents’ Rights’ Is Really About By Jamelle Bouie
“By signing this legislation, which is the first in the nation to end corporate wokeness and Critical Race Theory in our schools, we are prioritizing education, not indoctrination...We will always fight to protect our children and parents from this Marxist-inspired curriculum.”
Israel
And his coalition of the far right and religious ultraconservatives will stagger on, at least until the next crisis.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 6:55 a.m. ET DOW futures are -14, S&P futures are -5.5, and NASDAQ futures are -30.75. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Commercial real estate is in trouble. Why you should be paying attention By Nicole Goodkind
Monday, March 27, 2023
Nashville
I wonder what the story is here. Unusual that a woman would be a mass shooter.
A 28-year old woman armed with two rifles and a handgun killed at least three children and three adults at a private Nashville grade school where she was previously a student...
Woke
As Obama-era liberalism became dominant, a more righteous progressive discourse emerged — one that didn’t accommodate and even “called out” its opposition.
Michigan
Washington Post: Opinion - In Michigan, an agenda countering the anti-woke GOP frenzy takes shape By Greg Sargent
...Democrats are using the majorities they won in 2022 to advance an agenda that’s economically and socially liberal — as developments that can complement one another.
Shooting
Three children and two adults were killed in a shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville on Monday morning, a hospital spokesman said.
Mississippi
Washington Post: ‘Everything is gone’: Loss and destruction in a small Mississippi town By Anumita Kaur and Emmanuel Felton
Now, little is recognizable, buried under fallen branches and power lines, disembodied roofs and twisted cars and trucks.
Stuck
Washington Post: Why we’re still stuck in Trump’s world By E.J. Dionne Jr.
There were no widespread Republican criticisms of Trump’s unhinged attacks on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as an "animal" and "a degenerate psychopath..."
Control
NY Times: MAGA, Not Trump, Controls the Movement Now By David French
...aging rock star Ted Nugent was warming up the crowd. “I want my money back,” he yelled. “I didn’t authorize any money to Ukraine, to some homosexual weirdo.”
Constipated
NY Times: What Did We Learn From Trump’s Waco Rally? He’s Stuck in the Past. By Charles M. Blow
A decade ago, when President Barack Obama jokingly called Kamala Harris the “best-looking attorney general in the country,” he was so roundly criticized that he was forced to apologize.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 6:50 a.m. ET DOW futures are 184, S&P futures are 23.25, and NASDAQ futures are 42.25. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
Intranasal
This is about a nasal spray that is effective against catching Covid.
Nature.com: Intranasal trimeric sherpabody inhibits SARS-CoV-2 including recent immunoevasive Omicron subvariant
Friday, March 24, 2023
Testify
A federal judge ordered ex-President Donald Trump’s former aides to testify before a grand jury in Washington, D.C., NBC News reported.
Again
Washington Post: Opinion - Trump makes suckers of House Republicans. Again. By Dana Milbank
House Republicans didn’t wait to see whether Trump was speaking the truth about his imminent arrest. They did as he commanded, leaping to his defense...
Daniel Ellsberg
"President Biden is right when he says that this is the most dangerous time, with respect to nuclear war, since the Cuban missile crisis. That’s not the world I hoped to see in 2023."
Waiting
Washington Post: Opinion - Waiting for a Trump indictment has become an arresting comedy By Kathleen Parker
Never mind the utter seediness of Trump — election laws exist to protect us from thugs and criminals, some of whom wear nice suits and, apparently, own tanning booths.
Garden
The top photo is The White House Rose Garden 60 years ago. The bottom photo is The White House Rose Garden in 2020, colorless and lifeless, and remodeled by Trump.
Undo
Washington Post: Opinion - Biden moves to undo Trump’s political play on the Space Command By David Ignatius
Rep. Mo Brooks...“Evidence growing that fascist ANTIFA orchestrated Capitol attack with clever mob control tactics.”
Around
Washington Post: Opinion - As in 2016, Trump’s GOP rivals haven’t figured out a way around him By Eugene Robinson
The RealClearPolitics polling average has Trump with a 14-point lead over DeSantis, 43.9 percent to 29 percent.
War
Industry consolidation, depleted manufacturing lines and supply chain issues have combined to constrain the production of basic ammunition like artillery shells...
DeSantis
NY Times: Don’t Be Fooled. Ron DeSantis Is a Bush-Cheney Republican. By Jamelle Bouie
As a lawyer at Guantánamo Bay, according to a report by Michael Kranish in The Washington Post, DeSantis endorsed the force-feeding of detainees.
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 6:40 a.m. ET DOW futures are -292, S&P futures are -31.25, and NASDAQ futures are -59. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Five big takeaways from the Fed’s extraordinary meeting By Nicole Goodkind
Thursday, March 23, 2023
No Comment
Responding to a new law allowing for "pornographic" books to be removed from school libraries, a Utah parent has moved to have "one of the most sex-ridden books around" removed as well, namely, the Bible.
Next Week
It is unclear whether Mr. Bragg’s office has completed its presentation of evidence to the grand jury, or if another witness might still testify.
Arizona
Washington Post: Opinion - This Arizona town captures America’s deepening rural-urban divide By Henry Olsen
Arizona’s rapid transformation from a Republican bastion to a swing state is largely a story about the divergence between suburban and rural values.
Have An Excellent Thursday
Icelandic photographer Sigga Ella's portrait series of adults and children with Down's Syndrome called 'First and foremost I am' featuring 21 images, a number she chose as people with the condition have an extra copy of chromosome 21
Prohibit
Washington Post: Size discrimination may limit job prospects. New York City may ban it. By Anumita Kaur
The New York City Council is poised to pass legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on height and weight in the workplace, housing and public accommodations.
War
Washington Post: Ukraine, pumped up by Western weapons, is held back by slow deliveries By Siobhán O'Grady, Alex Horton, Isabelle Khurshudyan and Anastacia Galouchka
“What’s clear is that time is on Russia’s side, meaning it has the soldiers and materiel to grind out a long war along a massive front..."
More
NY Times: Sex, Lies and … Trump. What More Can You Ask For? By Gail Collins
Nobody cares whether or not the two of them once had an, um, intimate assignation. Although I do enjoy recalling that Daniels has referred to it as “the worst 90 seconds of my life.”
Test
NY Times: Trump May Face Prosecution. America Faces a Test. By Charles M. Blow
He tries — and often succeeds — to spin his negatives into positives, to deny his misdeeds while charging that those trying to hold him accountable are the real culprits.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 7:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +31, S&P futures are +16.25, and NASDAQ futures are +114.25. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Swiss central bank says crisis halted as it hikes interest rates By Mark Thompson
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Rules
...Evan Corcoran, must provide evidence to prosecutors because his legal services may have been used to facilitate a possible crime — obstruction of government attempts to recover highly sensitive documents...
'In Dreams' - Live At Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Sierra Ferrell - I must say of all the miserable news I look through each week day, Sierra Ferrell is one of the most refreshing musicians I've stumbled across. She is the real deal. I love her outfit in this clip and my sense it that in a way it represents the collective confusion in America. Her outfit is like everything from a Dollar Store, junk in a sense, yet on her it's like original jewelry, beautiful and precious. You may or may not like western music, I'm not especially a fan, but you can't help but tune into Sierra's authenticity and flawless talent.
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