April 17, 2023
California Super Bloom:
CNN explains.
Morning/Afternoon Update:
** Chris Panella & Brent Griffiths of Business Insider, republished by MSN: "Clarence Thomas' mother is living rent-free in the home GOP megadonor Harlan Crow bought from the family, according to CNN. And that deal may have saved her more than $150,000 in rent for the property, according to Zillow estimates.... An occupancy agreement allows Thomas' 94-year-old mother, Leola Williams, to stay in the home without paying rent for the rest of her life, CNN reported. While Williams doesn't pay rent, she's responsible for other expenses such as property taxes and insurance, CNN added. According to Zillow's estimates for what the property would cost to rent, Williams could have saved as much as $154,900 over the years." MB: CNN's reporting contradicts what ProPublica found last week. According to ProPublica, "A Crow Holdings company soon began paying the roughly $1,500 in annual property taxes on Thomas' mother's house, according to county tax records. The taxes had previously been paid by Clarence and Ginni Thomas." From what I gather, Clarence is either Leola Willaims' only living child or the only one with the means to help with her support. If that's true -- and ProPublica checked the public records, then that adds at least another $15,000 to the $155K that Harlan Crow has put directly in Clarence's pocket. ~~~
~~~ Ariane De Vogue of CNN: "Justice Clarence Thomas intends to amend his financial disclosure forms to reflect a 2014 real estate deal he made with a GOP megadonor -- an acknowledgment that the transaction should have been disclosed almost a decade ago, a source close to Thomas tells CNN. The deal between Thomas and Harlan Crow, a Dallas real estate magnate and long-time friend of Thomas, involves the sale of three Georgia properties, including the home where Thomas' mother, Leola Williams, 94, currently lives. Thesource said Thomas has always filled out his forms with the help of aides, and that it was an oversight not to report the real estate transaction. Thomas believed he didn't have to disclose because he lost money on the deal...." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I'm sorry, Clarence, but amending your forms to reflect one of the deals the press caught you hiding does not solve your massive disclosure fail. You need to retire. Today. On the bright side, now you'll have plenty of time to go camping in the Walmart parking lots.
~~~~~~~~~~
Sarah Burris of the Raw Story: "The Wall Street Journal revealed that one of the people that helped promote and spread the leaked Pentagon documents was a former Navy noncommissioned officer on U.S. soil who developed a pro-Russia network on social media. 'A purported Russian blogger known as Donbass Devushka, which translates as Donbas Girl, is the face of a network of pro-Kremlin social-media, podcasting, merchandise and fundraising accounts. But the person who hosted podcasts as Donbass Devushka and oversees these accounts is a Washington-state-based former U.S. enlisted aviation electronics technician whose real name is Sarah Bils,' the report revealed. Bils, who is 37 years old, served at the naval air station on Whidbey Island until last year. All the while, she was promoting the Russian military and paramilitary Wagner Group, which WSJ described as 'among the most widely followed English-language social-media outlets promoting Russia's views.'... Read the full report at The Wall Street Journal." Firewalled.
Meredith Hill of Politico: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's new debt limit negotiating proposal set to be unveiled Monday morning will include broad moves to restrict food assistance for millions of low-income Americans. His GOP colleagues in the Senate aren't optimistic any of those measures will survive. McCarthy's initial list calls for expanding the age bracket for people who must meet work requirements in order to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Food Assistance Program or SNAP, while closing what Republicans say are 'loopholes' in existing restrictions.... But Senate Democrats have said such measures are dead on arrival in the upper chamber, and with the help of key Senate Republicans, they have killed off a series of similar House GOP efforts over the years...." See related story linked under "Beyond the Beltway -- Iowa, et al."
Luke Broadwater & Hurubie Meko of the New York Times: "House Republicans are descending on New York on Monday for a hearing that will use the issue of crime as a political cudgel against Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who charged ... Donald J. Trump with falsifying business records.... 'The pro-crime Republican Party's latest political stunt is to come to New York City and interfere in an ongoing criminal investigation,' Representatives Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, both Democrats of New York, said a statement 'At the explicit direction of Donald Trump, they are coming to the safest big city in America with the sole aim of abusing their power to serve as a taxpayer-funded arm of Donald Trump's legal defense team.'"
At the 11th Hour, Rupert Blinks. Rosalind Helderman, et al., of the Washington Post: "The beginning of the much-anticipated defamation case between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News has been delayed by one day, until Tuesday, to allow both parties to hold conversations about the possibility of a settlement, according to two sources.... No reason was officially given for the delay, which was announced Sunday evening by the judge overseeing the case. Jury selection had been scheduled to conclude on Monday and then both sides were expected to give opening arguments....: A Deadline story is here.
Beyond the Beltway
Iowa, et al. Comes Now to America a New Dickensian Age. Kyle Swenson, et al., of the Washington Post: "The state legislature, with the support of the Republican supermajority, [is] poised to approve some of the nation's harshest restrictions on SNAP. They include asset tests and new eligibility guidelines. By the state's own estimate, Iowa will need to spend nearly $18 million in administrative costs during the first three years -- to take in less federal money. The bill's backers argue the steps would save the state money long term and cut down on 'SNAP fraud.' The measure is part of a broader national crackdown on SNAP, the federal program at the heart of the nation's welfare system. The proposed legislation was not a homegrown effort but the product of a network of conservative think tanks pushing similar SNAP restrictions in Kentucky, Kansas, Wisconsin and other states. But experts say Iowa's represents the boldest attack yet on SNAP, and Republicans in Congress have signaled a similar readiness to impose limits on federal food assistance."
Louisiana. What We Need Is White People's Fake History. Katie Balevic of Business Insider, republished by MSN: "Republican officials in Louisiana are proposing a ban on teaching about racism at the state's higher education institutions..., claiming the 'inglorious aspects' of American history are too divisive, according to NOLA.com, which cites a GOP resolution on the matter.... The state GOP leadership also wants to nix diversity, equity, and inclusion departments at colleges and universities, claiming without evidence that such agencies stir political tensions on campuses and have overgenerous budgets, NOLA.com reported. A third of Louisiana residents are Black, according to the US Census Bureau."
Way Beyond
Sudan. Abdi Dahir of the New York Times: "The forces of rival generals battling for control of Sudan clashed for a third day on Monday in the capital, Khartoum, as one of Africa's largest nations descended deeper into violence. The fighting has pitted a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces against the Sudanese Army -- a longstanding rivalry between Sudan's two top generals who have been vying for dominance over the northeast African nation. It was still not clear who was in control of the country even as both sides claimed crucial victories. The death toll from the first two days of fighting rose to 97, according to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors."
Ukraine, et al. The New York Times live updates of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine are here. The Guardian's live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here. ~~~
~~~ The Washington Post's live briefing for Monday is here: "A Russian court issued its harshest penalty yet for an opponent of the Ukraine war, sentencing Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison on Monday on charges of treason. Murza, a longtime opposition politician and Washington Post Opinions contributor, called the closed trial 'unfounded, illegal and politically motivated.' Meanwhile, China's defense minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, is in Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday. Li hailed the 'substantial achievements' of close cooperation with Russia's military and said China is ready to deepen the partnership to 'make new contributions to stability and security,' in the latest sign of Beijing's commitment to its relationship with Russia despite the war in Ukraine.... Russian operators of fake social media accounts, many of which spread disinformation, claim they are detected only about 1 percent of the time, according to an analysis of the effectiveness of the Kremlin's propaganda. The document was part of a trove of sensitive U.S. government materials circulated in a Discord chatroom and obtained by The Post."
News Ledes
Washington Post: "A Black teenager was shot in the head in Kansas City, Mo., after showing up at the wrong house to pick up his siblings, lawyers for his family said. Family members identified the victim online as Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old high school junior. Kansas City Police were called to a residence shortly before 10 p.m. on Thursday where the teenager was shot by a homeowner, Police Chief Stacey Graves said in a news conference Sunday. The teenager was transported to a hospital to be treated for his injuries, Graves said. She did not name the victim. Police said the teenager's parents asked him to pick up his siblings at a residence on 115th Terrace, in the city's northeast, but that he instead went to a residence on 115th Street, the Kansas City Star reported. Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, who are representing Yarl and his family, said in a statement that Yarl 'is alive and recovering' but that he has severe injuries." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Here's some advice for homeowners who get an unexpected knock on the door at night: if the person/people knocking on your door frighten you for some real or imagined reason, don't open the damned door! You have a moral, ethical and possibly legal obligation, no matter how tight the stand-your-ground and "castle doctrine" laws in your state are, not to murder people because they scare you.
Washington Post: SpaceX decided "to scrub the [Starship test] launch came just minutes before launch [this morning] when a valve froze. A new effort won't come for at least 48 hours, SpaceX said. The test would have been the first test for SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket and Starship spacecraft together, an endeavor that, if successful, would make it the most powerful rocket in the world and could remake space exploration in coming years. No one was on board...." This is a liveblog.
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Reader Comments (8)
Gee, it's almost as if once they are proposed or enacted Republican policies don't seem very nice.
No food. No shelter. No healthcare. No books. No history. No clean water or air. No abortion. No accountability. But lotsa, lotsa guns.
Tough platform to run on, I'd think. Maybe that why Republican platforms and budgets have become rare birds, indeed.
EVIL masquerading as public policy
And here I was thinking Republicans had no policy ideas beyond weak-ass, exploding cigar show trial hearings that no one watched or cared about. But, surprise, surprise…here comes My Kevin with his plan to balance the budget by starving children. Even Dickens would have shied away from inventing something so evil and draconian. And that would have been for a work of FICTION!!
These fuckers want to do this shit in the real world.
Climate change?
Nah.
Gun violence and mass murder?
Meh.
Stunning income inequality?
Nope.
Taking food away from babies?
Oh yeah! Sign us up!
He could have said “You know what, guys? I don’t have the first clue about coming up with a budget plan that would satisfy our base.” Instead he said “Budget plan? Sure. Let’s pick a vulnerable, largely powerless, non-voting group to beat up on to show our commitment to fiscal responsibility. Starve those little bastards.” Incredibly, both of those statements are completely honest indexes of Party of Traitor weltanschauung. Stupid AND evil.
I think Ken and Ak should put their grievances together, contact The Lincoln Project , and design a video for them. Show all those Republican policies -–-Ken's listing–– adding a huge question mark asking: "Is this what you want? Is this WHAT YOU NEED?" You might want to add "IS it Punks?" but that wouldn't be very nice ––-kind of counterproductive. Might just want to add a few children who are holding out their empty bowls.
Want to thank Unwashed for the video yesterday featuring Gov. Shapiro––good man and had positive ideas going foreword.
So Clarence is recanting? Sorta like saying years ago that he was not the one who took out all those porn films–--some of his fellow workers used his name. OR "Ginni and I never discuss political matters that would matter on the court." OR when accused of anything remotely unsavory, he pulls out the "High Tech Lynching" mantra––the shield that has protected him for all these years.
So let me get this straight.
A GS-6 assistant office manager for some backwater on the State Department org chart is required to correctly and honestly fill out the proper financial disclosure forms, without the benefit of a battery of legal aides, on pain of immediately losing her job if she lies, and being escorted out of the building by armed guards, carrying a box with her favorite coffee mug and pictures of her kids, but a Supreme Court Justice, ostensibly one of the nine most legally astute people in the country, fucks it up (ie lies), not once, not twice, but multiple times, WITH, according to him, the help of that battery of legal aides, and he gets a big “Meh”, and “No worries, Clarence, see you tomorrow for your decision on that case involving traitors your insurrection loving wife supports”.
Just imagine the banshee screams were this a liberal Justice who tried to hide millions of dollars of gifts from a BLM supporting billionaire. They’d be demanding the death penalty.
Butter knife to a gunfight Democrats need to DEMAND a subpoena for this criminal asshole to appear before the Senate Judiciary committee and answer questions. Then, after he lies, like he did at his confirmation hearing, he needs to be impeached.
Will that happen?
Never.
I cannot imagine why Dominion is thinking of letting Faux off the hook by possibly accepting a settlement, if that’s what’s going on right now. This will allow Murdoch and his band of malicious liars to escape punitive damages and be able to declare victory and go right back to lying. Dominion, of course, won’t be allowed to say a word. If they accept a settlement, Faux will demand that they be required to shut their mouths and never again complain about the lies.
Thus is perhaps the most clear cut case of defamation by a media company in American history. Letting them off the hook gives them carte blanche to scream that it was all a hoax and that they were right.
How is it that these right-wing traitors, liars, and creeps keep getting away with things? I just don’t understand.
Take them before a jury!
Akhilleus,
I share your fear...as I'm sure do most of us.
Ak: they keep getting away with everything because Dems will never make them go away legally. They still, 50 years later, just can’t believe people act like they do. No, DCCC. I will never give you money. Can you imagine that a lout like like Gym Jordan is a “leader” of that POS party? Are you surprised Clarence is majorly corrupt? I have always hated him and this is biz-as-usual— POS will always be POS. I don’t see any changes happening. Go back to sleep, Merrick…
Jeanne,
Merrick can’t go back to sleep. He has never woken up.