The Conversation -- April 17, 2024

Arizona. Elizabeth Dias & Kellen Browning of the New York Times: "State House Republicans in Arizona on Wednesday scuttled another effort to repeal the state's 1864 law banning abortion, defying pressure from prominent Republicans, including ... Donald J. Trump, who had urged them to toss the ban that many voters viewed as extreme and archaic. 'The last thing we should be doing today is rushing a bill through the legislative process to repeal a law that has been enacted and reaffirmed by the Legislature several times,' House Speaker Ben Toma, a Republican, said as he blocked an effort to vote on the repeal. The Arizona Supreme Court's ruling last week to uphold the Civil War-era near-total abortion ban infuriated supporters of abortion rights, exhilarated abortion opponents and set off a political firestorm in Arizona."

Catie Edmondson of the New York Times: "Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday told Republicans that the House would vote Saturday evening on his foreign aid package for Israel and Ukraine, pushing through resistance in his own party to advance a long-stalled national security spending package for U.S. allies. His announcement came amid a crush of opposition from Republicans who are vehemently against sending more aid to Ukraine, and have vented for days as congressional aides race to write the legislation Mr. Johnson proposed on Monday.... The legislative package Mr. Johnson is trying to advance roughly mirrors the $95 billion aid bill the Senate passed two months ago with aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other American allies, but broken into three pieces that would be voted on individually. There would be a fourth vote on a separate measure containing other policies popular among Republicans, including conditioning Ukraine aid as a loan and a measure that could lead to a nationwide TikTok ban.... After Mr. Johnson released the text of the aid plan on Wednesday afternoon, President Biden endorsed it in a statement and urged its swift passage." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It's almost official: Johnson has resigned from the Putin party.

** Senate Democrats Quash Fake Impeachment. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The Senate on Wednesday dismissed the impeachment case against Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, voting along party lines before his trial got underway to sweep aside two charges accusing him of failing to enforce immigration laws and breaching the public trust. By a vote of 51 to 48, with one senator voting 'present,' the Senate ruled that the first charge was unconstitutional because it failed to meet the constitutional bar of a high crime or misdemeanor. Republicans united in opposition except for Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the lone 'present' vote, while Democrats were unanimous in favor. Ms. Murkowski joined her party in voting against dismissal of the second count on the same grounds; it fell along party lines on a 51-to-49 vote. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, moved to dismiss each charge, arguing that a cabinet member cannot be impeached and removed merely for carrying out the policies of the administration he serves." ~~~

~~~ Marie: Okay, I'm back from my "out-sick" day, and I see Congress has not let me down in my hour of need: they're up to their usual stunts. ~~~

~~~ Earlier: Well, senators are working on trying Secretary Mayorkas. You can consult Akhilleus' commentary in today's thread in search of "reasons" for Mayorkas' impeachment, but good luck. As to how this will play out, here's CNN's best guess as of about 1:20 pm ET: ~~~

~~~ "Senators should be at their desks on the Senate floor at 1 p.m. ET for a live quorum... The chamber will proceed to consider the articles of impeachment.... Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the most senior Republican, will administer the oath to the President Pro Tempore, Senator [Patty] Murray of Washington, the most senior Democrat. Murray will administer the oath to all senators in the chamber.... The clerk will call the names in groups of four, and senators will present themselves at the desk to sign the oath book. The Sergeant at Arms will make [a formal] proclamation.... Democrats could pass a motion to dismiss or table the articles on a simple majority vote.... Senate Republicans are seeking to reach a time agreement with Democrats that would allow floor debate and for GOP senators to have votes on procedural motions. If a time agreement is not reached, it's unclear clear how long the process will take as Republicans could attempt any number of procedural delays, although at some point the presiding officer could rule those efforts dilatory and cut them off." This is a liveblog. ~~~

"Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made a motion to table or kill the first impeachment article against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandr Mayorkas because 'it does not allege conduct that rises to the level of a high crime or misdemeanor' as required in the Constitution. The Senate will vote soon to kill that first article but it remains to be seen if Republicans will try to delay the vote."

"An amendment to debate the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a closed session has failed on a party-line vote. Sen. Ted Cruz proposed the motion. The final vote was 49-51."

"The Senate voted to kill the first article of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas. He still faces one other article in the Senate. The vote on the Schumer motion to kill Article 1 passed 51 to 48 to 1. Notably, centrist Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted 'present' a sign of discontent with the impeachment effort but for some reason not deciding to vote no."

[Republicans made at least three motions to adjourn (to dates in April, May & November], all of which failed.]

"The Senate voted to kill the second and final article of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Lawmakers voted 51 to 49 on party lines. The chamber voted to kill the first article of impeachment earlier today."

"The Senate voted to end Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' impeachment trial on a party-line vote of 51-49."

~~~ Ring 1. As Akhilleus wrote today, "Hey, nice parade in the Capitol building. A whole bunch of lazy, do nothing traitors got off their asses and did a circus parade to present the Senate with their lazy nothing burger impeachment thingies against a cabinet secretary for ... um ... foooorrr ....ahh ...I dunno, drinking coffee too late at night? Using a split infinitive in a report? Putting an empty milk carton back in the fridge? Not putting the toilet seat back down? Who knows?" Then RAS found video of the clowns' parade which includes the audio missing in earlier taped versions:

~~~ MEANWHILE, Ring 2. Nicholas Fandos and Sharon Otterman of the New York Times: "Columbia University's president is facing tense questioning from a Republican-led House committee on Wednesday about what they called a pervasive pattern of antisemitic assaults, harassment and vandalism from students and faculty on its campus since the Israel-Hamas war began. Republicans accused the university of tolerating antisemitic chants from student protesters and remarks glorifying Hamas from professors. It was the latest in a campaign to try to prove that college campuses have done little to combat bias against Jews. In her testimony, Nemat Shafik, Columbia's president, tried to reassure the House Committee on Education and the Workforce that she was changing policies and punishing offenders, while also protecting free speech. It was a stark contrast to the presidents of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard, who in a Dec. 5 hearing struggled to answer whether students would be punished if they called for the genocide of Jews. That failure helped lead to their resignations." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: You might think it is strange that a political bloc that is slavishly devoted to a Hitler-admiring wannabe-dictator with antisemitic proclivities would be so worried about antisemitic and suspected antisemitic expressions of university campuses. Well, it is. Republicans fail Scott Fitzgerald's test of a first-rate intelligence; instead, they hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time because they have lost the ability to function in the real world.

And Over in Ring 3, Scott Lemieux in LG&$ notices that House Republicans are threatening Speaker Mike "Johnson with loss of [his] speakership for being insufficiently pro-Putin."

Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Donald Trump could have cleared up confusion and hastened the arrival of National Guard troops to quell the Capitol riot if he'd called Pentagon leaders on Jan. 6, 2021, according to recent closed-door congressional testimony by two former leaders of the D.C. guard. Michael Brooks, the senior enlisted leader of the D.C. guard at the time of the riot, and Brigadier Gen. Aaron Dean, the adjutant general of the D.C. guard at the time, told House Administration Committee staffers that if Trump had reached out that day -- which, by all accounts, he did not -- he might have helped cut through the chaos amid a tangle of conflicting advice and miscommunication."

Donald Trump Has Been Asking, "Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago?" Let's Check. Top News in the NYT, April 17, 2020. Nicholas Kristof: "... lines of cars stretch for miles to pick up groceries from a food pantry; jobless workers spend days trying to file for unemployment benefits; renters and homeowners plead with landlords and mortgage bankers for extensions; and outside hospitals, ill patients line up overnight to wait for virus testing. In an economy that has been hailed for its record-shattering successes, the most basic necessities -- food, shelter and medical care -- are all suddenly at risk. The latest crisis has played out in sobering economic data and bleak headlines -- most recently on Thursday, when the Labor Department said 5.2 million workers filed last week for unemployment benefits."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "The Biden administration is expected to deny permission for a 211-mile industrial road through fragile Alaskan wilderness to a large copper deposit, handing a victory to environmentalists.... The Interior Department intends to announce as early as this week that there should be 'no action' on the federal land where the road known as the Ambler Access Project would be built.... A formal denial of the project would come later this year, they said. The road was essential to reach what is estimated to be a $7.5 billion copper deposit buried under ecologically sensitive land. There are currently no mines in the area and no requests for permits have been filed with the government; the road was a first step." Politico's story is here.

Jacqueline Alemany & Liz Goodwin of the Washington Post: "House Republicans delivered articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on Tuesday afternoon, commencing what is likely to be a brief trial in the upper chamber that could conclude as soon as Wednesday. Led by 11 impeachment managers appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Republicans have demanded a full trial, while Senate Democrats, who hold a 51-49 majority, are planning to band together to dismiss or table the trial. Most Senate Republicans, despite previously voicing concerns about the substance of the two articles of impeachment..., have echoed the lower chamber's calls for the Senate to adhere to precedent and hold a trial." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Miss Margie looked elegant as she accompanied the articles across the hall, resplendent in an outfit that would be appropriate for a quick trip to Walmart. Video included with WashPo story.

Marianna Sotomayor & Leigh Ann Caldwell of the Washington Post: "Two far-right members are now threatening to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson just as the embattled Republican leader has introduced a complex plan intended to fund key foreign allies during wartime. Johnson (La.) introduced a four-part proposal Monday night to decouple aid for Israel, which faced a barrage of missiles and drone threats from Iran over the weekend, and help for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, along with two other measures. But his right flank is also vowing to sink a procedural vote allowing any of the measures to be considered on the floor. During a weekly Republican meeting Tuesday morning, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) stood up and called on Johnson to resign after signing on to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-Ga.) plan to depose him, known as a motion to vacate. That means that if Democrats choose not to rescue Johnson, Republicans would need just a simple majority to oust their second speaker in six months...." (Also linked yesterday.)

Screw the First Amendment. GOP Senator Promotes Violence Against Protesters. Robert Jimison of the New York Times: "Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, on Monday urged people whose routes were blocked by pro-Palestinian protesters to 'take matters into your own hands' and confront the offenders, endorsing the use of physical force against peaceful demonstrators. In a series of social media posts after protesters shut down traffic in cities across the country..., Mr. Cotton called those responsible 'pro-Hamas' and 'criminals.' He also shared a clip of himself during a recent interview in which he said that if protesters had disrupted public roads in his home state of Arkansas, they would have been met with force from citizens." An NBC News story is here. ~~~

~~~ God Bless the Second Amendment. Not to Be Outdone. Chris Cameron & Kellen Browning of the New York Times: "Kari Lake, a top ally of Donald J. Trump who is running for a Senate seat in Arizona, called on her supporters on Sunday to arm themselves ahead of ... the [November] election.... 'The next six months is going to be intense,' Ms. Lake said during a rally in Lake Havasu City. 'We're going to strap on our seatbelt. We're going to put on our helmet -- or your Kari Lake ball cap. We are going to put on the armor of God. And maybe strap on a Glock on the side of us just in case.' The crowd roared its approval, and she continued, 'You can put one here,' gesturing to the side of her hip, 'and one in the back or one in the front. Whatever you guys decide. Because we're not going to be the victims of crime. We're not going to have our Second Amendment taken away. We're certainly not going to have our First Amendment taken away by these tyrants.'"

Marie: You cannot expect to live in peace in a country where leading politicians, in defiance of the rule of law, endorse and encourage violence against people who disagree with them.

** Thom Hartmann on Republicans' weird antipathy to relieving student debt: "Forgiving student debt is ... righting a moral wrong inflicted on millions of Americans by Ronald Reagan and his morbidly rich Republican buddies. Student debt is evil. It's a crime against our nation, hobbling opportunity and weakening our intellectual infrastructure. It maintains and in many cases rigidifies the racial and class caste systems today&'s Americans inherited from our eras of slavery and indenture. Combine this decision with the six Republicans on the Court ending affirmative action and legalizing discrimination and it's clear this is exactly what the rightwing billionaires who put them on the Court and support their lavish vacations and lifestyles want." Thanks to Akhilleus for the link. (Also linked yesterday.)

Ben Protess, et al., of the New York Times: "The daunting work of selecting a jury for the first criminal trial of a former American president rapidly gained momentum on Tuesday as seven New Yorkers were picked to sit in judgment of Donald J. Trump, accelerating a crucial phase of the case that many had expected to be a slog.... The first seven members of the panel ... were picked in short order after the lunch break. The lawyers quizzed them on their politics, views about the former president and ability to remain impartial in a case that could offend their sensibilities. And Mr. Trump's lawyers examined their digital footprints, bringing several jurors into the courtroom one by one to ask them about past social media posts that seemed as if they could betray a negative opinion of the former president.... [The selected jurors] include a man originally from Ireland who will serve as foreman, an oncology nurse, a grandfather originally from Puerto Rico, a middle-school teacher from Harlem, two lawyers and a software engineer for Disney." ~~~

~~~ On Day 2 at the Trump Sleepy Time Day Care Center in lower Manhattan, New York Times reporters were there to keep us abreast of developments. (Also linked yesterday.) See yesterday's Conversation for some citations of reporters' remarks. ~~~

~~~ Jesse McKinley & Kate Christobek of the New York Times with five takeaways from Day 2.

#SleepyDon pic.twitter.com/2S2VBqBzhZ

— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) April 15, 2024

Linda Qiu of the New York Times: Donald Trump "has described the cases against him with colorful hyperbole, defended his conduct with faulty comparisons and lobbed false attacks and baseless accusations at opponents and adjudicators alike. Asked for evidence of Mr. Trump's claims, the campaign did not directly address the matter but continued to insist, with no evidence, that Mr. Trump was the target of a 'witch hunt' led by the Democratic Party. Here's a fact-check of some of his most repeated claims."

Michael Kranish & Jonathan O'Connell of the Washington Post: "Representatives for the firm that posted a $175 million bond for Donald Trump pushed back against objections raised by New York's attorney general, saying in a court filing late Monday that the deal is 'adequately secured' by the former president's cash. The filing sets the stage for a court hearing next week in Trump's New York civil fraud case, where Justice Arthur Engoron will decide whether the bond has met state requirements -- allowing Trump to appeal a massive civil judgment and preventing state authorities from seizing his properties in the meantime. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) on April 4 raised concerns about the arrangement, including whether Knight Specialty Insurance Company, whose owner is billionaire Trump supporter Don Hankey, is properly licensed in the state. Knight and Trump's representatives said in the new filing that the bond is backed by Trump's Charles Schwab brokerage account, which has just over $175 million in cash. The filing also argues that Knight is properly licensed, including a statement from New York's former superintendent of insurance, Gregory V. Serio, that Knight is qualified to do business in the state."

Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Marshall Cohen & Oliver Darcy of CNN: "Voting technology company Smartmatic and the far-right network One America News said Tuesday that they had settled a defamation lawsuit stemming from the outlet's lies about the 2020 election.... Both parties declined to share details about the settlement.... Smartmatic filed its lawsuit against OAN in 2021, alleging that the right-wing conspiracy network 'victimized' the company and spread lies about its role in the 2020 election to 'increase viewership and revenue.'... Smartmatic still has pending lawsuit[s] against Fox News, the smaller conservative channel Newsmax, and several pro-Trump figures who also pushed lies about the election." MB: Looks as if the right-wing news business model is to lie first and settle later. Surely there's some kind of payoff for investors in these smaller outlets.

Presidential Race

If Trump';s stock in Truth Social -- his company -- drops any lower, he might do better under my tax plan than his. -- President Biden, in Scranton yesterday ~~~

~~~ Nicholas Nehamas of the New York Times: "President Biden delivered a flurry of attacks on ... Donald J. Trump during a Tuesday speech in Pennsylvania about taxes and economic policy, painting his Republican rival as a puppet of plutocrats who had ignored the working class. Visiting his hometown, Scranton, in a top battleground state that he has visited more often than any other, Mr. Biden laid out his vision for a fairer tax code, including raising rates on the wealthy and corporations and using the money to expand the economy and help working families. But in a speech that signaled the Biden campaign's intention to make the 2024 election a referendum on his polarizing Republican opponent, the president returned again and again to Mr. Trump. His jabs at his predecessor took aim at the former president's wealthy upbringing, his friendships with billionaires and his 2017 tax cuts that disproportionately benefited America's upper crust." ~~~

~~~ President Biden visits his modest childhood home in Scranton during a campaign swing through Pennsylvania:

Supreme Extremists. Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "The Supreme Court seemed wary on Tuesday of letting prosecutors use a federal obstruction law to charge hundreds of rioters involved in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. A decision rejecting the government's interpretation of the law could not only disrupt those prosecutions but also eliminate half of the charges against ... Donald J. Trump in the federal case accusing him of plotting to subvert the 2020 election." MB: It's wrong, see, to prosecute violent protesters who are on our side. ~~~

     ~~~ Ian Millhiser of Vox: "The Supreme Court spent about an hour and a half on Tuesday morning arguing over whether to make it much harder for the Justice Department to prosecute hundreds of people who joined the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. It appears, after Tuesday's arguments, that a majority of the justices will side with the insurrectionists -- though it is far from clear how those justices will justify such an outcome.... Approximately 330 [insurrectionists] have been charged under the obstruction statute at issue in Fischer. One of them is Donald Trump. As a federal appeals court held in its decision in this case, the obstruction statute is pretty darn clear that it applies to an effort to obstruct any congressional proceeding intended to certify the result of a presidential election -- like the proceeding that the January 6 rioters attacked.... The obstruction statute's plain text clearly applies to January 6 defendants, but it's unlikely that's going to matter...." Read on. MB: It's sad, the contortions the extremist Supremes have endure to get their way.

Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: "The states' rights case for determining abortion access -- let the people decide -- falters on the fact that in many states, the people cannot shape their legislature to their liking. Packed and split into districts designed to preserve Republican control, voters cannot actually dislodge anti-abortion Republican lawmakers." (Also linked yesterday.)

Robert McFadden of the New York Times: "Bob Graham, a Florida Democrat who as a little-known state senator cleaned stables and waited on tables in a clever populist strategy that helped to boost him into the governorship, the United States Senate and a run for the presidency, has died. He was 87."

~~~~~~~~~~

Michigan. Mitch Smith of the New York Times: "Michigan Democrats started 2023 with full control of state government for the first time since the 1980s. They ended the year in a political bind after two House members left to become mayors of suburbs, leaving that chamber with an even partisan split and making it impossible for Democrats to pass bills without Republican support. On Tuesday, five months after their House majority evaporated, Democrats won two special elections to reclaim those seats and full control at the Michigan Capitol. The Associated Press said the Democrats Mai Xiong, a Macomb County commissioner, and Peter Herzberg, a Westland City Council member, defeated their Republican opponents."

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Palestine, et al. The Washington Post's live updates of developments Wednesday in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "Western nations are weighing fresh sanctions against Iran after its unprecedented weekend attack against Israel. The United States plans to impose new sanctions in the coming days, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who said the aim was to 'degrade Iran's military capacity.' The European Union is also considering increasing sanctions, said Josep Borrell, its top diplomat.... British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock were in Israel on Wednesday and met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Baerbock also met with families of hostages held by Hamas, Germany's ambassador to Israel said." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Wednesday are here.

Comments

[Akhilleus]

The Supremely Idiotic Court continues its descent into MAGAdom.

Now they’re (the traitors, anyway) clutching their nasty pearls over what “obstruction” means when applied to J6 thugs and insurrectionists.

Here’s Gorsuch:

"Would a sit-in that disrupts a trial, or access to a federal courthouse, qualify? Would a heckler in today's (Supreme Court) audience qualify, or at the State of the Union address?"

He also asked about someone making noise in a movie theater, sniffing that that poor soul might be arrested and jailed for 20 years under this rule. Oh my. Such concern! Mind you, this is the same guy who insisting that a truck driver who left his broken down vehicle in order not to freeze to death had done so illegally because of some tiny codicil in employee regulations and should have died for the corporation who employed him because he had not been given permission to save his own life.

But now he’s soooo concerned that someone farting in a movie theater or participating in a peaceful sit-in might be jailed for 20 years.

No. You know what IS obstruction, you niggling, casuistry spewing disgrace to the law? Violent insurrection at the behest of a would be dictator. Bringing weapons into the Capitol in an effort to overturn democracy. Screaming “Where’s Nancy Pelosi? We’re gonna drag her out by her hair!” Looking high and low for the Vice President of the United States to hang him.

Does that meet your definition of obstruction? These fuckers weren’t engaged in a peaceful protest or making noise at the movies. They were trying to KILL PEOPLE!!!

But, oh, we have to be soooo careful with our words. Every day it seems, they find loopholes for their side by suggesting that words are “too vague”. See, the idea is this. They would happily and willfully “misunderstand” words if they thought they could get away with smacking down their enemies, so they figure the other side would toss out discretion and do the same thing.

But that’s giving them a certain philosophical out. What’s more likely is that this is just another blatant misuse of the law to help out right wing extremists.

Maybe Sam Alito can find some precedent in prehistoric cave paintings.

[Akhilleus]

Gobsmacker of the Day

So you guys all know what a rat Nazi bastard Stephen Miller is, right? This baby-caging racist piece of shit is one of Fatty’s premier pricks. A would-be killer if democracy, a white supremacist thug. But bet you didn’t know that he is also a fashion expert.

Yup.

And guess who he picks as the Most Stylish President “in our lifetimes”!

You got it. Mr. Fat Ass Blue Suit Red Tie.

Donald Trump: Fashion icon! Okay. Supine sycophantic ass kissing is one thing. This is a whole different level of tongue up the butt buttering up. Donald Trump…fashion icon? Say what?

Okay, class, what words come to mind when you think “Donald Trump”?

Crook?
Cheat?
Dictator?
Adulterer? Rapist? Pussy grabbing, sexual predator?
Fraud?
Con man?
Liar?
Narcissist?
Traitor?

Sure. All of those. But…fashion icon? Styl-ish? Hey, I guess if you think a hundred pound overweight fat man wearing the same Ill fitting, boxy blue suit every day, with an 80’s red tie that hangs down to your knees is stylish, well…your opium is waaay better than mine. Christ, I’ve seen homeless guys with more style than that blowser. Circus clowns have more fashion sense.

Miller goes on to say that after Trump appeared on that crappy reality show, “everyone wanted to look like him!” Um…really? Who? I don’t recall thousands of guys walking around in shitty suits with six foot red ties and an orange bird’s nest on their heads.

But don’t forget, speaking of hair, this pronouncement comes from the same guy whose spray on hair style was modeled after Eddie Munster.

Still…fashion icon…Fat Donald….hahahahahahaha. Steve…yer killin’ me…

[RAS]

Guardian

"‘Water is more valuable than oil’: the corporation cashing in on America’s drought
The Colorado River near Cibola, Arizona, where Greenstone bought hundreds of acres. Photograph: Caitlin O’Hara/The Guardian
In an unprecedented deal, a private company purchased land in a tiny Arizona town – and sold its water rights to a suburb 200 miles away. Local residents fear the agreement has ‘opened Pandora’s box’"

[RAS]

But what about all the birds? And the poor depressed whales.

"2023 was a record year for wind installations as world ramps up clean energy, report says

The world installed 117 gigawatts of new wind power capacity in 2023, a 50% increase from the year before, making it the best year for new wind projects on record, according to a new report by the industry’s trade association.

But the authors warned that the wind industry must increase its annual growth to at least 320 gigawatts by 2030 in order to meet the COP28 pledge to triple the world’s installed renewable energy generation capacity by 2030, as well as to meet the Paris Agreement’s ambition of capping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit)."

[RAS]

JUDD LEGUM AND TESNIM ZEKERIA

"Meet the people spending $800,000 or more to make Trump the next president"

[Akhilleus]

Hey, nice parade in the Capitol building. A whole bunch of lazy, do nothing traitors got off their asses and did a circus parade to present the Senate with their lazy nothing burger impeachment thingies against a cabinet secretary for…um…foooorrr….ahh…I dunno, drinking coffee too late at night? Using a split infinitive in a report? Putting an empty milk carton back in the fridge? Not putting the toilet seat back down? Who knows?

But hey! A parade! Cool. But where was the marching band? They had clowns and jugglers (always got those) but no marching band.

Maybe next time.

Well, that’s it for this year. A lot of hard work, that walk. Now…

Nap time!

Really, it’s all about the show. “Let’s all march to the senate! It’ll be live on Fox! We’ll look like heroes, bravely marching, doing…stuff. Yeah.” Performing seals work harder. Your GOP, ladies and gentlemen.

Zzzzzzzzz….

[Ken Winkes]

A local amusement:

https://saveouryachts.com

Wish it were just funny.

[Ken Winkes]

How old are you?

Just talked to a (presumably young) lady who works somewhere in the vast warren of my credit union. Wanted to order checks. She was very helpful and the process went smoothly.

But along the way she said that she had never written a check or had a checking account.

Probably didn't know what flatirons were either.

[Akhilleus]

Ken,

Holy anachronism, Batman! (Itself an anachronistic expression, I’m sure*)

At least she had heard about checking accounts. It’s not as if you had asked her about a butter churn.

Anyway, I’m trying to catch the news about Fatty’s third day in court, but the dang TV isn’t picking up much. Gotta go adjust the rabbit ears.

*Attempting to expose my 13 year old to some of the pop cultural artifacts of my youth, I once explained (with help from YouTube, of course) the concept of the Bat Turn , employed whenever Batman and the Boy Wonder required a quick change of direction when in the Batmobile, in pursuit of colorfully clad bad guys. Often, after just such a maneuver, a voiceover would break in to announce “One Bat Turn later…”, which my kid now employs after turns onto a different road, to my anachronistically tuned amusement. It’s the little things…

[RAS]

Akhilleus, here is your parade courtesy of the Lincoln Project

[RAS]

Mehdi Hasan, Trump's first 100 days

[Akhilleus]

RAS,

Hahahahaha…thanks, man. That was great.

Here’s Charles Ives’ version of the GOP circus parade.

The singer asks “Where is the lady all in pink? Last year she waved to me…I think. Can she have died? Can that rot! She passes but she sees me not!”

MTG? Of course. She sees no one but herself. And the Orange Fat Man.

“Oh ain’t it a grand and glorious noise!”

Hahahaha.

[Ken Winkes]

Not even a whimper.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/17/mayorkas-impeachment-senate-immigration-border/