Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Brian Tyler Cohen - Democrats Score Huge Win In Special Election

Chris Hayes - ‘Did He Cheat On Melania?’ - Trump Trial Highlights New Text Messages

Backfiring

 Politico: Greene’s bid to topple Johnson veers closer to backfiring - The Georgia Republican now has to make a choice: Either don’t call the ouster vote, or force one and watch it fail. Both options risk hurting her politically. By Jordain Carney and Olivia Beavers

Ari Melber - You Can Go To Prison! Judge Warns Trump Of 'Incarceration' Punishment After Losing Gag Order Clash

Glenn Kirschner - Judge Merchan Finds Donald Trump In Criminal Contempt - Advises Him Jail Is Next If He Persists

Nicolle Wallace - ‘We Are Going To Lay It On Thick For Her’ - New Details Emerge From Scheme In Trump Hush Money Trial

MSNBC - 'Trump Is F****ed' - Stormy Daniels Ex-Lawyer's Texts Shown Amid Hush Money Trial

 F'd, hopefully.

'Break Stuff' - Drum Cover

 That's Anastasia Sereda playing drums to the Limp Bizkit classic. It's a personal favorite, a tune that can bring out the long dormant teen angst in anyone willing to submerge themselves into the intent of the song.

MSNBC - 'One Of The Most Intense Court Days' - What Ari Melber Saw Inside Trump’s Criminal Trial

MSNBC - Trump 'Telling His Lawyers What He Wants' - Why This Lawyer Turned Down Trump

Brian Tyler Cohen - Trump Gets News He's Dreaded In Court

Marijuana

 Washington Post: Attorney general moves to reclassify marijuana as lower-risk drug, officials say By Michael Scherer, Tyler Pager, Dan Diamond, Fenit Nirappil and David Ovalle

Updates

 Gift article available to everyone.

 NY Times: Live Updates: Lawyer for Stormy Daniels Takes Stand in Trump Criminal Trial - Keith Davidson, who negotiated the $130,000 hush-money payment at the heart of the case, is currently testifying. The judge overseeing the trial fined Donald J. Trump $9,000 and warned he could be jailed if he continued to violate his gag order.

Save

 NPR: House Democratic leaders say they would help save Speaker Johnson's job By Barbara Sprunt

BBC News - BBC Reporter Reveals Emotional Toll Of Covering War In Gaza

MSNBC - 'Jail Time Is Always A Possibility' - Trump Violates Gag Order 9 Times

Meidas Touch - Trump Held In Criminal Contempt - Jail Up Net

J-L Cauvin - Donald Trump Reacts To Being Held In Contempt

Chips

 Gift article available to everyone.

 Washington Post: Opinion - The surprising reason few Americans are getting chips jobs now By Heather Long, Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst

Contempt

 

 NY Times: Live Updates: Judge Holds Trump in Contempt Over Gag Order and Warns of Potential Jail Time - The judge overseeing the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump fined him $9,000 and said he could face stronger consequences if he continued to violate the order. A banker who set up the account used to pay Stormy Daniels hush money has finished his testimony.

Before his testimony ended, lawyers for Mr. Trump sought to use Mr. Farro to attack the credibility of Michael D. Cohen, the former president’s former lawyer and fixer, who made the payment.

The Onion - Report - Americans Lead World In Identifying Which One They Want

 The Onion: Report: Americans Lead World In Identifying Which One They Want

Warns

 Axios: Trump could be jailed over gag order violations in hush money trial, judge warns By Erin Doherty

'Lullaby Of Blue'

Have An Excellent Tuesday

 Artwork By Andrew Wyeth 1917-2009 - 'Starfish' 1986 watercolor on paper.


 

Stephen Colbert - Kristi Noem, Puppy Killer - Did Trump Fart In Court? Why Pecker Wouldn’t Pay Stormy Daniels

Rachel Maddow - Republicans Assemble Oddly Insulting Set Of 2024 Candidates With Senate Control On The Line

Rachel Maddow - GOP Bears Big Lie's Deep Scars As Trump Dances To Avoid Accountability

Lawrence O'Donnell - New Trump Docs Transcripts Reveal Lies Detailed In Case's Indictment

John Flannery - April 29, 2024

Jimmy Kimmel - Trump's Miserable In Court - Majority Of Men Think He Respects Women - And Deranged Governor Shoots Puppy

Men

 Business Insider: Why so many men in the US have stopped working By Jacob Zinkula and Andy Kiersz

High Speed

 Good News Network: First High-Speed Rail Line in US Breaks Ground: Brightline Vegas to LA at 200 mph to Save Thousands in Emissions By Andy Corbley

Facts

 The Bulwark: Trump v. the Facts Facts don’t matter to SCOTUS or to House Republicans. But they matter to juries like the one empaneled for Trump’s trial in Manhattan. By Dennis Aftergut

Plastic

 Inside Climate News: A Plastics Plant Promised Pennsylvania Prosperity, but to Some Residents It’s Become a ‘Shockingly Bad’ Neighbor - Shell’s new ethane cracker was supposed to be an economic “game changer” for Beaver County. But some of its neighbors are now fleeing its light, noise and air pollution–and the facility is facing two lawsuits. By Kiley Bense

Trial

 Guardian UK: Banker who worked with Michael Cohen to testify at Trump trial - Gary Farro, who last week described financial arrangements related to alleged catch-and-kill scheme, to resume testimony By Victoria Bekiempis in New York

Protests

 Guardian UK: Pro-Palestinian protesters take over Columbia University building - US campus protests escalate after students suspended, while dozens arrested in Texas, Utah and Virginia By The Associated Press in New York

A.I.

 Gift article available to everyone.

 Washington Post: Opinion AI is coming for the professional class. Expect outrage — and fear. By Megan McArdle

E.V.

 Gift article available to everyone.

 Washington Post: I found a $2,100 EV. Here’s how you can, too. You can spend less than $3,000 if you buy used Advice By Michael J. Coren


Really

Gift article available to everyone. 

 NY Times: The Exit Interviews Twelve departing lawmakers tell us what Congress is really like.

Contempt

 Gift article available to everyone.

 NY Times: Trump Faces Possible $10,000 Contempt Fine as Trial Resumes - As Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial enters its third week, new witnesses will appear and the judge will weigh a request to hold him in contempt for violating his gag order. By Ben Protess and Jonah E. Bromwich

The Market On Tuesday

 Good morning. at 6:52 a.m. ET DOW futures are -3, S&P futures are -7.25, and NASDAQ futures are -22.75. The market is poised to open slightly lower.

 Salon: Kristi Noem doubled down on dog-killing to win over MAGA — now her story is backfiring in her face - South Dakota's governor gets the sadism of Trump supporters, but screws up by saying the quiet parts out loud By Amanda Marcotte

Monday, April 29, 2024

Ari Melber - Trump’s Legal ‘Hell Month’ Continues Amid New State Coup Plot Charges

Glenn Kirschner - Why Upcoming Testimony Of McDougal And Daniels May Be Some Of The Most Damning Evidence Against Trump

BBC News - US ‘Hopeful’ Hamas Will Accept New Israel Ceasefire Offer

SNY - The Putback With Ian Begley - Knicks-Sixers Game 4 Reaction With ESPN's Dan Graca And Chuck D

MSNBC - 'Real Danger Zones' - Stormy Daniels And Karen McDougal Will 'Bring The Drama' To The Courtroom

Meidas Touch - Trump Co-Defendant Forgot His Argument In Court

Record

 Washington Post: Taylor Swift breaks records with ‘Tortured Poets’ release - Swift notched her 14th no. 1 album on the Billboard charts, with more than 2.6 million album sales By Herb Scribner

With “TTPD,” Swift notched her 14th No. 1 album on the Billboard charts, tying Jay-Z for the most chart-toppers by a solo artist. Only The Beatles have more No. 1 albums, with 19. 

Dollar

 NY Times: A Strong U.S. Dollar Weighs on the World By Joe Rennison and Karl Russell

High Fed rates, a response to stubborn inflation, mean that American assets offer better returns than much of the world, and investors need dollars to buy them. 

WTF?

 NPR: CDC says 3 women diagnosed with HIV after receiving 'vampire facial' By The Associated Press

Meidas Touch - Trump Submits To NY Judge In Order On His Bond

List

 verywellmind: List of Phobias: Common Phobias From A to Z By Kendra Cherry, MSEd

Leukophobia: Fear of the color white

Alexandr Hrustevich

Сольний КОНЦЕРТ Олександра Хрустевича - Чехія, Литомшль (I have no idea what this means.)

J-L Cauvin - Donald Trump Reacts To The White House Correspondents Dinner

Meidas Touch - Lunatic Trump Keeps Saying It And Now We Know Why…

The Lincoln Project - Guilty

Neo-Isolationist

 Gift article available to everyone.

 Washington Post: Opinion - Despite the Ukraine aid vote, the neo-isolationist threat still looms By Max Boot

War

 NY Times: Middle East Crisis - Israel Appears to Soften Stance in Cease-Fire Talks

Israel has reduced the number of hostages that it wants freed during the first phase of a new truce in Gaza, officials said. Hamas has not commented on the proposal. 

The Onion - Americans Explain Why We Should Call The National Guard On College Protesters

 The Onion: Americans Explain Why We Should Call The National Guard On College Protesters

Oklahoma

 Axios: Tornado outbreak leaves trail of destruction in Oklahoma By Andrew Freedman

Sleep

 "Trump fell asleep 4 out of 6 days of his own trial. Falling asleep is not in and of itself particularly specific to dementia. I fall asleep at dinner parties, because I’m old and work too hard. Bill Clinton was famous for it. But can you remember a criminal defendant repeatedly unable to stay awake at his own trial? I can’t. It’s obviously very rare. Most people are pumped full of adrenaline when they’re in the dock."

Elliptic

elliptic

1. Marked by extreme economy of expression in speech or writing.
2. Cryptic, ambiguous, or obscure.

'Venus Illuminated'

In Space


 

Have An Excellent Monday

 Artwork By Pam Carter



BBC News - Georgia - Thousands Protest Against New Bill

Meidas Touch - Trump Deteriorating In Speeches And Entire World Is Catching On

Jen Psaki - 'One Vote From The End Of Democracy' - Weissmann Sounds Alarm On SCOTUS Immunity Case

Meidas Touch - Trump’s Criminal Eposure Revealed In Unsealed Docs

Politicon With James Carville - Donald Trump - A Fart Or A Shart? That Is The Question

Glenn Kirschner - Week Two Of Trump's NY Trial - Three Ways Trump's Own Words Will Sink Him In His Criminal Cases

John Flannery - April 28, 2024

Mars

 Good News Network: Spiders From Mars? Phenomenon Evokes David Bowie Song in These Photos Taken Near South Pole of Red Planet By Good News Network

Last

 The Bulwark: Everything Has Gone Trump’s Way. Will It Last? He keeps coasting past accountability. By A.B. Stoddard

Games

 Inside Climate News: Climate Change Has Infiltrated Game Night—and That’s a Good Thing, Experts Say - A growing number of developers and designers are introducing climate change elements into games to teach users about climate solutions. By Kiley Price

NOAA

 Guardian UK: Trump will dismantle key US weather and science agency, climate experts fear - Plan to break up Noaa claims its research is ‘climate alarmism’ and calls for commercializing forecasts, weakening forecasts By Dharna Noor

War

 Guardian UK: Middle East crisis live: ‘measurable progress’ in delivering aid to Gaza but ceasefire ‘most effective’ to address humanitarian suffering, says Blinken - US secretary of state says Iran is biggest source of instability in region but adds many nations interested in ‘path of greater peace’ By Martin Belam

The White House Corresponents' Dinner

 Washington Post: Opinion - No joke: Biden turns up the heat on Trump By Karen Tumulty

(Biden said), “I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old.”

Flooding

 Gift article available to everyone.

 Washington Post: The Drowning South - The new face of flooding By Chris Mooney, John Muyskens, Kevin Crowe and Brianna Sacks

There are now more dangerous rain-driven and flash floods reported within 10 miles of the coast in the region. Their numbers increased by 42 percent from 2007 to 2022 — a total of 2,800 events, according to a Post analysis of National Weather Service data.

Long

 Gift article available to everyone.

 NY Times: For Trump, a Long Day and a Long Week Ahead By Katherine Miller - Opinion Writer and Editor

War

 Gift article available to everyone.

 NY Times: As Anger Grows Over Gaza, Arab Leaders Crack Down on Protests - Grief and rage over the war and Israel have led to demonstrations across the Arab world. Arrests suggest governments fear the outrage could boomerang. By Vivian Yee, Vivian Nereim and Emad Mekay - Vivian Yee and Emad Mekay reported from Cairo, and Vivian Nereim from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Market On Monday

 Good morning. At 6:29 a.m. ET DOW futures are +45, S&P futures are +7.5, and NASDAQ futures are +32.25. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

 Salon: The gag "trap" of Manhattan's hush-money trial: "Trump will take the bait" - Will Donald Trump take the stand in his own defense? Experts weigh in on his first criminal trial By Chauncey DeVega

'Vandalist Against The Machine'

Noga Erez

Friday, April 26, 2024

Weekend!

 Have an excellent weekend and see you bright and early Monday morning.

'Daft Punk'

Pentatonix

Meidas Touch - Trump Loses Biggest Supporter Because Of This…

Ari Melber - Trump Lawyer Indicted For Elector Fraud After Admitting It On Live TV

John Flannery - April 26, 2024

Meidas Touch - Trump Lawyer Makes A Fool Of Herself At Interview On Trial

'April'

MSNBC - 'Purpose Was To Influence The Election' - Prosecution 'Scored A Lot Of Points' In Trump Trial Today

Talking Feds With Harry Litman - Supreme Court Conservatives Show Their True Colors

MSNBC - 'Gold Mine Of Information' - Trump's Former Assistant Rhona Graff Called To Stand

MSNBC - 'Gag Order Is A Big Part Of This Case' - Friend Of Judge Merchan Weighs In On Hush Money Trial

Corals

 Gift article available to everyone.

 Washington Post: Can corals be saved? As record ocean heat threatens corals off Florida and across the globe, conservationists are shifting their strategy By Amudalat Ajasa, Whitney Leaming and Carolyn Van Houten

Taunt

 NY Times: Biden Taunts Trump, Calling Him a ‘Loser,’ Trying to Get Under His Skin - President Biden has been trying to hit his opponent where it hurts, critiquing everything from his hairstyle to his energy levels in court. Katie Rogers By Katie Rogers - Katie Rogers has covered the Trump and Biden administrations. She reported from Washington.

Net Neutrality

 NPR: Net neutrality is back: U.S. promises fast, safe and reliable internet for all By Emma Bowman

The Lincoln Project - Freezing

Brian Tyler Cohen - Lifelong Republican Drops Nightmare News On Trump

The Warning With Steve Schmidt - Rudy Giuliani Indicted For Election Interference

MSNBC - 'Scary And Mortifying' For Trump If Hope Hicks Takes The Witness Stand

'Ain't Nobody's Business'

 Tuba Skinny playing at The Hyatt Hotel Pool in New Orleans

Ponlop Rinpoche At Google - Why Are We Distracted?

Arkansas

 Washington Post: Inside the long-odds push to undo an abortion ban in ruby red Arkansas - After winning campaigns in both red and blue states, abortion rights activists are facing a test of the limits of their success in what is sometimes ranked as the most ‘pro-life state in America’ By Hannah Knowles

Direction

 NY Times: Conservative Justices Take Argument Over Trump’s Immunity in Unexpected Direction - Thursday’s Supreme Court hearing was memorable for its discussion of coups, assassinations and internments — but very little about the former president’s conduct. By Adam Liptak - Reporting from Washington

The Onion - Mall Still Hasn’t Removed Rotting Santa Claus

 The Onion: Mall Still Hasn’t Removed Rotting Santa Claus

What To Know About A Pecker

 Axios: What to know about David Pecker, the first witness in Trump's trial By Sareen Habeshian, Natalie Daher

Mickey

 “During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball.” — Mickey Mantle

Calm

 Paul Klee 1879 - 1940 - 'Calm Sea'


 

 

'Love'

Have An Excellent Friday

"Flying under the south pole of Jupiter, taken by NASA's Juno spacecraft"


 

BBC News - China’s Xi Jinping Meets US Secretary Of State Antony Blinken

Rachel Maddow - Murder, Coup, Bribery - Trump Team Stands By Extreme Hypotheticals In Supreme Court Immunity Case

Lawrence O'Donnell - Supreme Court Justices Can Protect The Constitution Or Trump

Brian Tyler Cohen - Bombshell Update At US Supreme Court

Meidas Touch - Fed Up Navy Vet Done With MAGA Sellouts

John Flannery - April 25, 2024

Friends

 Get Pocket: Men Have No Friends and Women Bear the Burden - Toxic masculinity—and the persistent idea that feelings are a “female thing”—has left a generation of straight men unable to forge intimate relationships with other men. It’s women who are paying the price. By Melanie Hamlett

Pluto

 Good News Network: Did You Know Pluto Has a Heart? Scientists Solve Mystery as to Why By Andy Corbley

Transform

 The Bulwark: Supreme Court Poised to Transform the Presidency, Empower Trump if Re-Elected - Based on oral argument in the presidential immunity case, the Court’s conservative justices seem prepared to effectively reward Trump for January 6th. By Kim Wehle

Lost Chance

 Inside Climate News: Nixon Advisers’ Climate Research Plan: Another Lost Chance on the Road to Crisis - A 1971 plan for a global carbon dioxide monitoring network never came to fruition. The proposal is detailed in a document newly unearthed by the National Security Archive. By Marianne Lavelle

NOAA

Guardian UK: Trump will dismantle key US weather and science agency, climate experts fear - Plan to break up Noaa claims its research is ‘climate alarmism’ and calls for commercializing forecasts, weakening forecasts By Dharna Noor

Verdict

 Guardian UK: Judge upholds $83m E Jean Carroll defamation verdict against Trump - The former president’s motion for a new trial was denied and his argument deemed ‘entirely without merit’ By Coral Murphy Marcos

Rallies

 Washington Post: More arrests and a canceled commencement as college antiwar rallies spread By Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Jennifer Hassan, Richard Morgan and Karin Brulliard

Those students on Thursday showed little appetite for folding up their tents and signs as the academic year comes to a close. In some places, the police action drew recruits to their cause.

 

Asia

 Washington Post: Asia’s next war could be triggered by a rusting warship on a disputed reef By Rebecca Tan, Regine Cabato and Laris Karklis

The BRP Sierra Madre, which has remained on Second Thomas Shoal ever since, has now become the epicenter of escalating tensions between the Philippines and China...

Agenda

 NY Times: Xi Meets Blinken With Tough Issues on the Agenda - The direct meeting with China’s leader is a sign of continued effort to ease tensions, but officials expect little progress on core issues like Taiwan, trade and Chinese support of Russia. By Ana Swanson and Vivian Wang - Reporting from Beijing

“China is happy to see a confident, open, prosperous and thriving United States. We hope the U.S. can also look at China’s development in a positive light,” Mr. Xi said, according to Chinese state media.

King

 Gift article available to everyone.

 NY Times: This Whole King Trump Thing Is Getting Awfully Literal By Jamelle Bouie

In delaying the trial, the Supreme Court may well have denied the public its right to know whether a former president, now vying to be the next president, is guilty of trying to subvert the sacred process of presidential succession...

The Market On Friday

 Good morning. At 6:22 a.m. ET DOW futures are +60, S&P futures are +35.25, and NASDAQ futures are +163.75. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

 Salon: Trump's isolation deepens after his coup crew is hit with Arizona criminal indictments - The January 6 co-conspirators are likely too wrapped up in their criminal cases to help Trump with another coup By Amanda Marcotte

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Black


 

Meidas Touch - Trump Gets Crushed By Pecker At Trial

CNN - 'Big Mistake' - Former Trump Lawyer Reacts To Trump's Remark Outside Court

Five

 Gift article available to everyone.

 NY Times: Five Moments That Have Defined Donald Trump’s Trial So Far - Trials are wars of words. These are some of the most memorable that have been spoken as a jury hears the criminal case against Donald J. Trump. By Wesley Parnell

Nicolle Wallace - Trump Administration Officials Were Consulted On ‘Catch And Kill’ Well After 2016 Election

MSNBC - ‘Complete Lack Of Remorse’ - Weissman Breaks Down David Pecker’s Testimony

Andrea Mitchell - Not Just About 'Business Records' But 'Election Interference' - Paul Butler On Hush Money Trial

J-L Cauvin - Donald Trump Responds To David Pecker's Testimony

Meidas Touch - Trump On Trial - Day 7 Recap

Soon

 Washington Post: Supreme Court seems poised to allow Trump’s D.C. trial, but not soon

Bullsh*t

 NY Times: Supreme Court Live Updates: Conservative Majority Seems Ready to Limit Election Case Against Trump - Such a ruling in the case, on whether the former president is immune from prosecution, would probably send it back to a lower court and could delay any trial until after the November election.

The arguments signaled further delay and complications for a Trump trial.

Immunity

 NPR: Supreme Court appears skeptical of blanket immunity for a former president By Nina Totenberg

A Real S**t Show

 Salon: MAGA begins to panic: Trump may not make it to the ballot “It’s a real s**t show to consider” By Brian Karem

Crayons

"Diem Chau sculpts detailed figures on the top of crayons"


 

 

Meidas Touch - Trump Caught In New Possible Hush Money Scheme

CBS Mornings - Inside Knicks Star Jalen Brunson's Journey As A Franchise Player Under His Father's Coaching

Morning Joe - Neal Katyal - I Really Hope The Supreme Court Moves Fast On Immunity Case

Brian Tyler Cohen - Republican Group Hit With Humiliating News

Rallies

 Washington Post: Police arrest 108 at Emerson College protest as antiwar rallies spread By Jennifer Hassan, Justine McDaniel and Emily Davies

A total of 108 arrests were made, and four officers were injured, Sgt. Detective John Boyle of the Boston Police Department said in an email. He said there were no reports of injuries among the protesters. 

Trial

 NY Times: Live Updates: Tabloid Publisher Resumes Testimony in Trump Trial - David Pecker is testifying about concealing the Playboy model Karen McDougal’s claim of a sexual relationship with Donald J. Trump. Prosecutors say the deal to buy her story and bury it was part of a broader conspiracy.

Pecker said that Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, encouraged Pecker to buy her story, and that Trump described McDougal as “a nice girl,” leading Pecker to believe Trump knew her. 

The Onion - Teenagers Explain What It's Like Partying With Matt Gaetz

 The Onion: Teenagers Explain What It's Like Partying With Matt Gaetz

Downtown

 Axios: Visitors are returning to most — but not all — of America's downtowns By Alex Fitzpatrick, Alice Feng

'Harvest Bell Ride'

Have An Excellent Thursday

 Artwork By Max Ernst 1891-1976


 

CNN - Former Trump Aide Describes Impact Of Being Attacked By Trump

The 11th Hour With Stephanie Ruhle Highlights - April 24

Meidas Touch - Trump White House Insider Miles Taylor Debunks Biggest Trump Lie

Brian Tyler Cohen - Trump Makes Devastating Mistake In NY Criminal Trial

Meidas Touch - Journalist Speaks Out On Trump’s Courtroom Secret

Jimmy Kimmel - Trump Milks Gag Order For Every Drop - MyPillow Mike Loves Jimmy’s Wedding Gift

Choosing

 Vox: Why couples are choosing cohabitation over marriage - First comes love, then comes … moving in together. By Allie Volpe

Voyager

 Good News Network: ‘Hello, Voyager!’ Celebrated Spacecraft Is Once Again Transmitting After Nasa Repair from 15 Billion Miles Away By Andy Corbley

How

 The Bulwark: Here’s How Trump Will Try to Defend Himself in the Hush-Money Case Plus: Why tabloid kingpin David Pecker’s testimony matters. By Kim Wehle

Alabama

 Inside Climate News: Alabama Coal Mine Keeps Digging Under A Rural Community After Hundreds of Fines and a Fatal Explosion. Residents Are Rattled - Following the death of a grandfather, Crimson Oak Grove Resources has left a community afraid for their homes and lives. An expert warns one resident may need to evacuate her home while she still can. By Lee Hedgepeth, James Bruggers

Optics

 Guardian UK: The Trump family’s latest side hustle: Melania’s selling $245 Mother’s Day necklaces By Arwa Mahdawi - With her husband on trial over hush money payments – and desperate for cash – the ex-first lady isn’t worried about optics

Billionaires

 Guardian UK: World’s billionaires should pay minimum 2% wealth tax, say G20 ministers - Brazil, Germany, Spain and South Africa sign motion for fairer tax system to deliver £250bn a year extra to fight poverty and climate crisis By Larry Elliott - Economics editor

Another Biden Win

 Washington Post: Aid to Ukraine seemed dead. Then secretive talks revived it. In one meeting, Biden and others sprang a surprise effort to persuade Speaker Johnson to pass the aid package By Liz Goodwin , Yasmeen Abutaleb and Tyler Pager

The bipartisan pile-on showed results Wednesday, when Biden signed the $95 billion foreign aid package into law — just weeks after it seemed dead and beyond any hope of revival.

Arizona

 Washington Post: Meadows, Giuliani and other Trump allies charged in Arizona 2020 election probe By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez

Trump was not charged, but he is described in the indictment as an unindicted co-conspirator.

How

NY Times: In Immunity Case, Trump Can Lose in Ways That Amount to a Win - After the justices hear arguments on Thursday, how they decide may be just as important as what they decide. By Adam Liptak - Reporting from Washington

In July 2020, Mr. Trump lost the case. But the loss was a kind of victory. The court sent the case back to the lower courts for more analysis, running out the clock.

Absolutely Not

 NY Times: Supreme Court to Hear Trump’s Claim to ‘Absolute Immunity’ - The justices will consider on Thursday whether the former president must face trial on charges that he tried to subvert the 2020 election. By Adam Liptak - Reporting from Washington

Most legal experts do not expect Mr. Trump to prevail on his broadest arguments. But when and how he loses may turn out to be as important as whether he loses.

The Market On Thursday

 Good morning. At 6:24 a.m. ET DOW futures are -120, S&P futures are -28, and NASDAQ futures are -154. The market is poised to open significantly lower.

 Salon:  "Where's Melania?": Missing wife is why Trump's lawyers can't pull off the "family man" defense - National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that Trump's wife was the last thing on his mind By Amanda Marcotte


Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Meidas Touch - Arizona Prosecutors Indict Trump Co-Conspirators

Glenn Kirschner - If NY Judge Holds Trump In Contempt, Trump Will Have Violated Release Conditions In DC And GA Cases!

Conspirator

 Why is Trump not indicted?

 CNN: Trump is unindicted co-conspirator in 2020 Michigan fake electors probe, investigator testifies By Marshall Cohen

New Indictments

 CNN: Meadows, Giuliani among indicted in Arizona in latest 2020 election subversion case By Zachary Cohen and Holmes Lybrand

'Angel Band'

 The Brothers Comatose and AJ Lee

Brian Tyler Cohen - Trump Dealt Surprise Nightmare News

Nicolle Wallace - 'Eye Popping Numbers' - Donald Trump’s Electoral Math Problem That Will Not Go Away

BBC News - War In Ukraine - US To Send New Aid Within 'Hours' Joe Biden Says

Meidas Touch - Trump Gets More Bad News About Trial From Fed Up Judge

Glenn Kirschner - 2024 - The Year Of The Trump Trials - My Remarks At Allison Gill's MSW Media Gathering In DC

Morning Joe - 'It's Sleazy, It's Tawdry' - Donny Deutsch On Exhaustion Factor From Trump Trial

Problem

 Washington Post: The right starts to reckon with its Marjorie Taylor Greene problem - A GOP senator has now called her a ‘horrible leader’ and a ‘waste of time.’ Conservative media outlets worry she’s kneecapping the party’s 2024 hopes. Analysis By Aaron Blake

“She is dragging our brand down,” Tillis (Senator Tom Tillis R-N.C.) said. “She — not the Democrats — are the biggest risk to us getting back to a majority.”

Tillis added, “I’m embarrassed to have actually lived geographically in her district at one time before she was there.”

Within Hours

 NY Times: Biden Says Weapons Will Flow to Ukraine Within Hours as He Signs Aid Bill - The $95.3 billion measure comes after months of gridlock in Congress that put the centerpiece of President Biden’s foreign policy in jeopardy. By Zolan Kanno-Youngs - Reporting from Washington

“In the next few hours — literally, the few hours — we’re going to begin sending in equipment to Ukraine,” Mr. Biden said.

Aid

 NPR: Biden signs $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan By Greg Myre

'Como La Flor'

The Brothers Comatose with Losanna

MSNBC - 'Donald Trump Is Incapable Of Running Anything' - Union Slams Trump In New Ad

Meidas Touch - Trump Has Massive Tantrum Over Criminal Trial

Morning Joe - Lisa Rubin - Expect To See An Opinion From Judge That Fines Trump On Gag Order Violation

Brian Tyler Cohen - Secret Service Plans For Trump Jailing

Biden

 Washington Post: Biden to address building trades unions following fresh endorsement

Arizona

 NY Times: Arizona Democrats Consider 3rd Attempt to Repeal 1864 Abortion Law - The almost-complete ban on abortions in the state could go into effect as early as June 8, the state’s attorney general said. By Jack Healy - Reporting from Phoenix

The Onion - Female Athletes React To Nike’s Revealing Olympic Uniforms

 The Onion: Female Athletes React To Nike’s Revealing Olympic Uniforms

Secretly

 Axios: Top Israeli and Egyptian officials secretly meet to discuss possible Rafah invasion By Barak Ravid

'Golden Eyes Waltz'

Have An Excellent Wednesday

Artwork By Giotto di Bondone - 'Saint Francis Preaching to the Birds' c. 1297-99


 

BBC News - TikTok Faces US Ban As Bill Set To Be Signed By Biden

Stephanie Ruhle - 'They Blew It' - Judge Shreds Trump's Defense In Gag Order Hearing

Meidas Touch - Trump Stunned In Pennsylvania Primary - Biden Soars

Lawrence O'Donnell - Stormy Daniels Has Humiliated Donald Trump Again

Meidas Touch - Lincoln Project Co-Founder Reveals Key To Driving Trump Insane

Jimmy Kimmel - Trump Violates Gag Order Again - Fox News Can’t Believe The Injustice - And No Crowds Show Up For Trial

AI

 Wired: A National Security Insider Does the Math on the Dangers of AI - Jason Matheny, CEO of the influential think tank Rand Corporation, says advances in AI are making it easier to learn how to build biological weapons and other tools of destruction. By Lauren Goode

Surgery

 Good News Network: Despite War, Surgeons in Ukraine Perform Brain Surgery to Save 4-Year-old Irish Girl’s Life By Andy Corbley

Bank

 The Bulwark: How “The Nelson Mandela of America” Is Making Bank Off of His Criminal Trial - “I’m catching up on my fucking sleep ’cause I’m bored,” Trump told one source. By Marc A. Caputo

Gore

 Inside Climate News: ‘Pathetic, Really, and Dangerous’: Al Gore Reflects on Fraudulent Fossil Fuel Claims, Climate Voters and Clean Energy - The former presidential candidate spoke privately with reporters in New York while helping to train the next generation of climate activists. By Kristoffer Tigue

Outages

 Guardian UK: US seeing surge of climate-related power outages, report says - High winds, rains, winter storms and tropical cyclones accounted for 80% of power interruptions over the last 20 years By Aliya Uteuova

Takeaways

 Guardian UK: Skeptical judge and tabloid deal: key takeaways from Trump trial day six - Judge admonishes ex-president’s lawyer, and first witness confirms Trump enlisted National Enquirer for 2016 campaign - Pecker says he was ‘eyes and ears’ of Trump campaign - Judge reprimands Trump lawyer but delays gag order ruling By Hugo Lowell

Other

 Washington Post: It’s not that Trump beat Clinton. It’s all the other stuff. Analysis By Philip Bump

Trump is aided by another dynamic here: the willingness of his allies to reframe his dubious actions as innocent. Watters spent a healthy chunk of time trying to explain campaign finance law in a way that was favorable to Trump; it was not terribly convincing.

Pact

 Washington Post: A secret pact at Trump Tower helped kill bad stories in 2016 - Fighting two legal battles at his trial, Trump seems poised to be punished for allegedly violating a gag order By Shayna Jacobs , Tom Jackman , Devlin Barrett and Hannah Knowles

“I said what I would do is I would run or publish positive stories about Mr. Trump, and I would publish negative stories about his opponents,” Pecker testified. 

Humbling

 Not sure she's capable of being humbled, she's got a pretty thick and dense skull.

 NY Times: The Humbling of Marjorie Taylor Greene By Michelle Cottle

She has, in very little time, undermined the influence of her party’s entire right flank, driving less unhinged Republicans — most notably the House speaker, Mike Johnson — to brush back her and her ilk like the poo-flinging chaos monkeys they are. 

Aid

 NY Times: Senate Approves Aid for Ukraine and Israel, Sending It to Biden’s Desk - The overwhelming bipartisan vote for the long-stalled $95.3 billion aid package capped a tortured journey for the legislation on Capitol Hill. President Biden is expected to quickly sign it. By Catie Edmondson Reporting from the Capitol

The Senate’s action, on a vote of 79 to 18, provided a victory for the president, who had urged lawmakers to move quickly so he could sign it into law. 

The Market On Wednesday

 Good morning. At 6:00 a.m. ET DOW futures are -24, S&P futures are +3, and NASDAQ futures are +72. The market is poised to open mixed.

 Salon: NASA is officially headed to Saturn moon as it greenlights $3.35 billion space rotocraft mission - Visiting this mysterious ocean world could revolutionize what we know about alien life on other planets By Rae Hodge

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Glenn Kirschner - With Contempt Decision Imminent - Law Enforcement Agencies Meet About Potential Trump Incarceration

The Lincoln Project - Last Week In The Republican Party - April 23, 2024

Prison

 NY Times: Could Trump Go to Prison? If He Does, the Secret Service Goes, Too - Officials have had preliminary discussions about how to protect the former president in the unlikely event that he is jailed for contempt during the trial. By William K. Rashbaum

That’s at least in part because if Mr. Trump is ultimately convicted, a drawn-out and hard-fought series of appeals, possibly all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, is almost a certainty. That would most likely delay any sentence for months if not longer, said several of the people, who noted that a prison sentence was unlikely. 

Brian Tyler Cohen - Trump Team Crashes And Burns In Disastrous Clash With Judge

Takeaways

 CNN: Takeaways from Day 6 of the Donald Trump criminal hush money trial By Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle and Kara Scannell

Pecker Payment

 Salon: Trump discussed hush payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal with David Pecker, jurors hear -Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that Trump was initially hesitant to pay her off By Nandika Chatterjee

Meidas Touch - Lev Makes Stunning Claim On Trump Crimes

Brian Tyler Cohen - Trump Hit With Surprise Consequence Of NY Criminal Trial

'Dead Flowers'

 The Brothers Comatose with Jim Lauderdale, cover The Rolling Stones

MSNBC - ‘Bit Of A Sleazy Guy’ - Political Analyst Says People Are ‘Worn Down’ By All Of Trump’s Legal Woes

MSNBC - 'Mad Credibility Issues' - David Pecker Questioned About Michael Cohen At Trump Hush Money Trial

MSNBC - 'Detrimental To Reputation' - Judge Merchan Says Trump's Lawyer Is 'Losing All Credibility'

Trial

 Gift article available to everyone, the link is good for 30 days.

 NY Times: Live Updates: Tabloid Publisher Testifies Trump Asked Him to ‘Help the Campaign’ - The jury heard testimony about what prosecutors say was a conspiracy to bury negative news, including a porn star’s claim of a sexual encounter with Donald Trump. The longtime publisher of The National Enquirer will resume his testimony on Thursday.

Pecker

 Washington Post: Ex-publisher details ‘catch and kill’ at Trump’s hush money trial

The sound (of laptop keystrokes) grew louder during key moments, like when Pecker described his direct interactions with Trump, when the Trump Tower doorman’s salacious story was mentioned, and when Playboy model Karen McDougal, an alleged former Trump mistress, entered the narrative.

Publisher

 NPR: Ex-National Enquirer publisher says he pledged to be Trump's 'eyes and ears' By Ximena Bustillo

Meidas Touch - Trump Incriminates Himself After Trial With His Own Words

MSNBC - Judge Warns Trump Lawyer Is 'Losing All Credibility' During Gag Order Hearing

Brian Tyler Cohen - Major Update In Trump's New York Trial

Morning Joe - Trump Calls On His Supporters To Protest In NYC - But He's Not Getting The Circus He Wants

Always The Victim

 Washington Post: Trump’s transparent attempt to play the victim on ‘election interference’ Analysis By Aaron Blake

This from a man who is accused of that crime in three of his four criminal indictments, was impeached twice for alleged election interference-related offenses, and experienced his first big controversy as president for the same. Trump has also unapologetically solicited political favors involving electoral opponents from foreign governments, despite foreign election interference being illegal.

Contempt

 I already hold Trump in complete and total contempt.

 NY Times: Live Updates: Prosecutors Say Trump’s Attacks Are Threat to Trial - Prosecutors in Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial want him held in contempt for attacking witnesses and others close to the case, which centers on a hush-money payment to a porn star. Testimony is set to resume later Tuesday morning.

Manhattan prosecutors are urging the judge in the criminal case against Donald J. Trump to hold the former president in contempt of court for attacking witnesses and jurors, saying his statements pose a “threat” to the landmark trial.

The Onion - Tesla Fans Explain Why Elon Musk Deserves $56 Billion Payout

 The Onion: Tesla Fans Explain Why Elon Musk Deserves $56 Billion Payout

Google

 Axios: Google fires more employees over protest of cloud contract with Israel By Jacob Knutson

'Slowly Turning Your Head'

Have An Excellent Tuesday

Artwork By Sarah Evans


 

Rachel Maddow - Trump's Defense Stumbles Out Of The Gate With Interruptions To Opening Statement

Lawrence O'Donnell - 'What Have We Done?' - Shocking Trump Evidence Revealed In Trial

The 11th Hour With Stephanie Ruhle Highlights - April 22

Meidas Touch - Trump Very Bad Day At Trial As Witness Called

John Flannery - April 22, 2024

Jimmy Kimmel - Many People Say Trump Farts In Court And Privately Stews Over Jimmy

Stress

 Get Pocket: Is Stress Contagious? Studies Say Yes—And Here’s How to Deal With It - Emotions can pass from one person to another as easily as a cold. Here’s how to stay balanced and free from the negative vibes. By Kari Molvar

Frogs

 Good News Network: Fungus Devastating Frogs on Nearly Every Continent May Have an Achilles Heel–and Scientists Think it Could Save the Amphibians By Andy Corbley

Johnson

 The Bulwark: Johnson Will Pay for Defying Trump on Ukraine - An election year provocation that won’t be forgotten. By A.B. Stoddard

Alps

Inside Climate News: Reduced Snow Cover and Shifting Vegetation Are Disrupting Alpine Ecosystems, Study Finds - Climate change is disrupting the nitrogen cycle between some plants and soil microbes, bringing “false springs” during the day that leave plants more vulnerable to frigid nights. By Moriah McDonald

Earth Day

 Guardian UK: Biden marks Earth Day with $7bn ‘solar for all’ investment amid week of climate action - Funds will be targeted at disadvantaged areas to create 200,000 jobs, after last week’s oil and gas lease restrictions in Alaska By Richard Luscombe

Takeaways

 Guardian UK: Trump’s hush-money trial: key takeaways from opening statements - The ex-president appeared uncomfortable at times as his criminal trial finally got under way in New York on Monday - Hush-money was ‘election fraud pure and simple’, prosecutors say By Hugo Lowell in New York

Isolated

 Washington Post: How Trump has become angrier and more isolated on Truth Social By Derek Hawkins, Clara Ence Morse, Drew Harwell, Irfan Uraizee and Adrián Blanco

And he has reason to believe his efforts are paying off: Polling shows that Trump has convinced as many as 70 percent of Republicans that Biden won the 2020 election because of voter fraud.

Deal

 Washington Post: Prosecutor: A tabloid pact led to Trump faking business records - A deal to quash stories about sex scandals and boost Trump’s candidacy allegedly led to hush money crimes By Devlin Barrett, Shayna Jacobs, Tom Jackman and Hannah Knowles

“It was election fraud, pure and simple,” Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told the jury inside a packed and heavily guarded courtroom, illustrating the sky-high stakes of a criminal trial in which the defendant is also the presumptive GOP nominee for president in the November election. 

Rioters

 NY Times: Jan. 6 Rioters Should Not Catch a Break From the Supreme Court By Randall D. Eliason - Mr. Eliason is a former chief of the fraud and public corruption section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Prosecutors charge that by participating in the Capitol riot, Mr. Fischer corruptly obstructed and impeded the joint congressional proceeding to certify the election, in violation of 1512(c)(2). More than 300 other Jan. 6 rioters have faced the same charge.  

Trial

 NY Times: Trump Will Fight Attempts to Silence Him Before Key Witness Testifies - Justice Juan M. Merchan will hear arguments over whether the former president violated his gag order before The National Enquirer’s former publisher takes the stand. By Jonah E. Bromwich and Ben Protess

The order, imposed by the judge overseeing the case, Juan M. Merchan, bars the former president from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, jurors and court staff, as well as their relatives. 

The Market On Tuesday

 Good morning. At 6:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +26, S&P futures are +5.75, and NASDAQ futures are +32.5. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

 Salon: Trump's humiliation deepens: In court, he can't hide from his tabloid roots - If there was a hell, Trump's punishment would be a trial where people tell the truth about him all day By Amanda Marcotte

Monday, April 22, 2024

Breakthrough

 Good News Network: Cancer Breakthrough Found to Boost Immune Cells Without Harmful Side-Effects By Directing Protein Cytokines By Good News Network

Glenn Kirschner - Opening Statements In Trump's First Criminal Case - The Trial Started With A Bang And A Whimper

Homelessness

 NY Times: Supreme Court Seems Poised to Allow Local Laws That Penalize Homelessness - A majority of the justices appeared skeptical of courts wading into the thorny policy questions around when local governments can punish people for sleeping and camping outdoors. By Abbie VanSickle Reporting from Washington

The conservative majority appeared sympathetic to arguments by the city of Grants Pass, Ore., that homelessness is a complicated issue best handled by local lawmakers and communities, not judges. The liberal justices strongly resisted that notion. 

Nicolle Wallace - Prosecution Plan To Make Trump Look Like ‘Jerk And A Sleazeball’ With Access Hollywood Tape

Andrea Mitchell - 'Miserable' And 'Annoyed' - What Rachel Maddow Saw Inside Trump's Criminal Trial

MSNBC - 'No Way' Alvin Bragg Would Have Brought Trump Hush Money Case Unless 'Facts Were Strong'

Meidas Touch - Judge Quickly Makes Move On Trump Bond

MSNBC - Trump, Cohen And Pecker Made 'Calculated Effort' To Win 2016 Election - Matthew Dowd

J-L Cauvin - Donald Trump Delivered His Own Opening Statement

Trial

 Washington Post: The Trump Trials: Live from New York, it’s opening day By Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett

It was an extra short day in the Manhattan criminal courthouse. Court was supposed to adjourn at 2 p.m. for the Passover holiday. The judge ended up dismissing everyone at 12:30 so an alternate juror could address a health issue. 

Trial

 NY Times: ‘Criminal Conspiracy’ Alleged as Jury Starts Hearing Trump Trial - Court adjourned for the day after opening statements from both sides and the start of testimony from the longtime publisher of The National Enquirer. A lawyer for Donald Trump told jurors the former president did nothing illegal.

A prosecutor, Matthew Colangelo, began by telling jurors that Mr. Trump had conspired with his former fixer, Michael D. Cohen, and the publisher of The National Enquirer, David Pecker, to conceal damaging stories during his 2016 campaign. 

Trial

 NPR: First day of Trump's hush money trial kicks off with opening statements and a witness By Ximena Bustillo

BBC News - Elon Musk's Tesla Cuts Prices In Major Markets As Sales Fall

Morning Joe - New Exhibit In New York Re-Creates Israeli Music Festival Attacked On Oct. 7

Meidas Touch - Trump Faces Witness He Fears Most At Criminal Trial

CNN - Prosecutors Accuse Trump Of Criminal Conspiracy In Opening Statements

Trial

 Washington Post: Opening statements underway in Trump hush money trial

Then-candidate Trump “orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election,” Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told jurors. “Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy and lied in his New York business records over and over and over again.”

Case

 NY Times: Live Updates: Jurors in Trump Criminal Case Told That He Lied ‘Over and Over and Over’ - Donald J. Trump is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to derail his 2016 campaign. Lawyers on both sides are giving their initial presentations to the jury on Monday.

...saying Donald J. Trump lied “over and over and over” to cover up a sex scandal as part of conspiracy to get him elected president in 2016.

The Onion - Ways Robot Wives Will Solve The Western Dating Crisis

 The Onion: Ways Robot Wives Will Solve The Western Dating Crisis

Statements

 Axios: Jury in Trump’s N.Y. criminal trial hears opening statements By Erin Doherty

Morning Joe - Trump 'Couldn't Get A Job At The Local Mall' - New Ad Hits Trump's Legal Woes

Proprioception

proprioception 

PRONUNCIATION:(pro-pree-uh/oh-SEP-shuhn) 

MEANING: noun: The awareness of location of parts of one’s body.

Morning Joe - What To Expect From Opening Statements In Trump Hush Money Trial

'July Walking'

Have An Excellent Earth Day

 Artwork By Philip Wilson Steer 1860 – 1942





 

 

Jen Psaki - 'Death Knell To The Case' - Weissmann On Possible Trump Testimony In Criminal Trial

MSNBC - Why The Hush Money Case Against Trump Is 'Extraordinarily Strong'

Glenn Kirschner - Opening Statements In Trump's 1st Criminal Trial Will Present Real Challenges For Trump's Attorneys

Meidas Touch - MAGA Host Learns He’s Been Lied To In Real-Time Live On Air

Meidas Touch - Con Man Trump Screws Himself With Bad Bond

John Flannery - April 21, 2024

AI Vocabulary

 GZ.com: AI has a lot of terms. We've got a glossary for what you need to know - GPU? TPU? LLM? All the important AI vocabulary to know By Laura Bratton and Britney Nguyen

Maze

 Good News Network: Mesmerizing Photo Shows Gardeners Perfecting a Maze at 625-Year-old British Castle By Good News Network

Lapdog

 The Bulwark: My Kevin Should’ve Listened to the Never Trumpers - He thought becoming a Trump lapdog was the only way to lead the House GOP. Mike Johnson showed there’s another way. By Tim Miller

Arapaho Tribe

 Inside Climate News: In Wyoming, a Tribe and a City Pursue Clean Energy Funds Spurned by the Governor - The Northern Arapaho Tribe and City of Cheyenne are seeking money for solar panels, emissions cuts and expenses reductions. Grant managers say any amount would create jobs and diversify the energy portfolio. By Jake Bolster

Research

Guardian UK: Louisiana’s flagship university lets oil firms influence research – for a price By Sara Sneath in New Orleans

Trial

 Guardian UK: Historic Trump criminal trial to hear opening statements - Jury of seven men and five women to weigh testimony related to $130,000 payment from ex-fixer Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels By Victoria Bekiempis in New York

Coalition

 Washington Post: The House has a bipartisan governing coalition Analysis By Leigh Ann Caldwell and Theodoric Meyer

The Republican majority has been unable to unite around must-pass bills and has thus repeatedly relied on Democrats to push bills past the finish line. 

Pandemic

 Washington Post: The pandemic cost 7 million lives, but talks to prevent a repeat stall By Frances Stead Sellers

An unknown future pathogen could have far more devastating consequences than SARS-CoV-2, which cost some 7 million lives and trillions of dollars in economic losses. 

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Of Italy

 NY Times: The Far Right Wants to Take Over Europe, and She’s Leading the Way By David Broder - Mr. Broder is the author of “Mussolini’s Grandchildren: Fascism in Contemporary Italy.” He wrote from Rome.

Ms. Meloni is already an inspiration to the European far right. As the head of the right-wing coalition in Italy, she has overseen attacks on L.G.B.T.Q. groups and migrant-rescue organizations, a takeover of the public broadcaster and a continuing attempt to change the Constitution to expand executive power.

Trial

 NY Times: Opening Statements in Trump’s Criminal Trial to Begin Monday - Prosecutors for the Manhattan district attorney’s office will go first, giving a preview of the evidence and seeking to persuade and charm the 12 jurors. By Jonah E. Bromwich and Ben Protess

Opening statements at a trial are like overtures: Both sides present a preview of what the jurors will hear from witnesses and what they will see in documentary evidence.
 

The Market On Monday

 Good morning. At 6:29 a.m. ET DOW futures are +185, S&P futures are +28.75, and NASDAQ futures are +124.25. The market is poised to open significantly higher.

 Salon: Marjorie Taylor Greene's "space lasers" show how the GOP gets away with escalating violence - From Kari Lake's "strap on a Glock" to the Supreme Court coddling Capitol rioters, GOP threat levels are growing By Amanda Marcotte

Friday, April 19, 2024

Weekend!

 Have an excellent weekend and see you bright and early Monday morning.

Chris Hayes - Inside Trump’s Courtroom Nightmare - ‘He Has No Power In There’

LOL

MSN: Odor in the Court!: Trump Reportedly Passed Gas During Criminal Trial Story By Troy Matthews

Sentient

 NBC News: Scientists push new paradigm of animal consciousness, saying even insects may be sentient - Far more animals than previously thought likely have consciousness, top scientists say in a new declaration — including fish, lobsters and octopus. By Evan Bush

Ari Melber - Criminal Trial Begins! Prison Fears Get Real For Trump As Full Jury Sworn In After Losing Delay Bids

Nicolle Wallace - ‘Epically Offensive’ - What Happens When Trump Testifies Under Oath

The GOP Dies

 Guardian UK: The death of the Republican party is not a tragedy to be celebrated By Robert Reich - Richard Nixon infected the modern Republican party with a sickness that would kill it – Donald Trump has finished the job

It Gets Real

 NY Times: Live Updates: Full Jury Is Chosen in Trump Criminal Trial - Twelve jurors and six alternates have been chosen in the Manhattan trial of Donald J. Trump. Outside the courthouse, a man set himself on fire.

The first week of Trump's first criminal trial is over. Openings will be next week.