NATIONAL CAT LADY AND NATIONAL DOG PARENT APPRECIATION DAY UPDATES
Talk About Cats and Dogs Co-Habitating Together - and What About Those Who Are Bi-Pet, Huh?!
-The attacks by Israel against what appears to be a nuclear facility in Iran has been downplayed by Iranian media after the initial reports of the attack being launched yesterday. Aside from a handful of on-the-ground video, there appears to be very little agitation in the wake of the bombing runs, leading some observers to exhale that this will be the extent of the exchange that came after last week's drone strikes by Iran, most of which were taken down before they got to Israel itself. Also of importance: the price of oil futures bumped up a little but are now going down in relief that the retaliation does not appear to have resulted in escalation of military activity.
-It is expected that there will be a full 12-member, 6-alternate jury in place today in New York to begin the first of (someway) (hopefully) four criminal trials against Ex-President Trump (R-apist) LXXXVIII, this one involving the catch-and-kill payment to suppress the story of Stormy Daniels' sexual dalliance before the 2016 election. Trump is NOT HAPPY about how things are going - waddling out of the courtroom after at least one nap with a large pile of paper printouts full of right-wing stories all fawning over Dear Leader's innocence, while also whining about how cold the courtroom is and how he "should be" campaigning rather than being in jail (not that he couldn't, y'know, hop on HIS plane to throw a rally like he did in 2016 and 2020).
-In the real world, however, observers continue to marvel at Trump's cavalier behavior, from constantly looking at his cell phone (which is not supposed to happen) to refusing to stand and face the jury and jury aspirants when they enter the room - something prosecutors warn will not likely endear him to the jury.
-But Trump may not be worried about that since many now suspect members of his team may be working in concert with Fox News to intimidate jurors - a suspicion re-enforced after a juror was described closely enough by Fox News cretin Jesse Watters that she was excused for fear of her and her family's safety. A hearing about Trump breaking Judge Juan Merchan's gag order will take place next Tuesday after opening statements, tentatively scheduled for Monday morning.
-Two critical vote that will finally bring a bill for Ukraine aid (as well as aid for Israel and Taiwan) to the floor of the House passed last night and this morning when three Democrats replaced three MAGA members of a committee to move the bill to the floor, followed by a 319-94 floor vote with a large Democratic majority doing the heavy lifting. The unusual measures are hopefully signals of how the legislation is likely to pass tomorrow, with DC observers still picking their jaws up off the floor after the apparent 180-degree turn from opposition of House Speaker-for-now Mike Johnson (R-Jay-EE-Zuz!, LA), who is now in full support of passing aid to Ukraine.
-Speculation as to why Johnson flipped range from the influence of outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (with many noting how Johnson's language about "America's place in history" is very much from McConnell) to facing the reality that an America that would need to defend Ukraine with its forces would include his son, who has recently enlisted in the Navy. But his rhetoric and his legislative steps have so far made it appear the bottleneck is about to end.
-Oh, but that bottleneck will not be removed without maximum anguish and hilarity from the UltraMAGA base who has been en-RAAAAAAGED! at the "SELLOUT!" and "CAPITULATION!" and "COWARDICE!" the Putin allies now hurl at Johnson, with MAGAt Supreme Rep. Matt Gaetz (HeyGuRl, FL, man) all but admitting defeat but gearing up for the amendment fight that will come.
-Which is strange, because the MAGA Caucus seemed to be ready to defend Putin – er, I mean, stop all this aid to go so Ukraine can fight on their own! Yesterday, in an effort to show that yes they CAN legislate and protect their power, the Caucus proudly announced the creation of a team to monitor floor votes and stop bad legislation that would actually do things in the country. This team’s first act was to give themselves a name to strike fear into the hearts of potential wayward legislators, and they … kind of did so … by officially calling themselves the Floor Action Response Team! And ... well ... yes … indeed … they are already widely known throughout DC and the media as … The FART Team!
-Anyway, FART will be busy, as they focus on the Ukraine/Israel/Taiwan bills, as amendments are now being filed. That amendment fight will be a thing, as the only Ukrainian-born member of the House, IN MAGAt Victoria Spartz, announcing she will work on an amendment to reduce the total aid to go to her home country, and TN Rep. Andy Ogles, who is working to strip the military aid bill of allowing monies to be spent on the Ukrainian military.
-And then there are the Trump-esque pile of amendments filed by ultimate MAGA Leader Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Z-Q-R), whose amendments include everything from demands that Ukraine stop "persecuting Christians" or funding abortions and hold "free and fair elections" (the last election, of course, was fair and is how Volodymyr Zelenskyy became President), to a demand that all members of the U.S. Congress who vote for Ukraine aid also become members of the Ukrainian military, to demanding the monies instead be used for mass deportations in the United States, to an amendment that actually also demands funding go to "the development of space laser technology on the southwestern border."
-Needless to say, it is not expected that any of these amendments will pass - although this writer is hopeful of an amendment filed by Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz. The self-appointed troller of all things MAGA and wonderful thorn in the side of buffoonish Rep. James Comer (HunteR!, KY) has filed two amendments as part of the Ukraine/Israel bill package:one that would rename Marge's House offic as "The Neville Chamberlain Room," and the other which would designate Marge as "Vladimir Putin's Special Envoy to the United States Congress." While funny, Moskowitz is also following up on a hearing this past week in which Marge insisted funding Ukraine is supporting Nazis, and Moskowitz demanding she try to educate herself by visiting the Holocaust Museum (because, as all of you know, the Nazi sympathizers in the Ukraine conflict are fighting on Putin's and Marge's side).
-Bravo, Rep. Moskowitz - and SLAVA UKRAINI!
-In Sports Franchise News, the end of the NHL regular season comes with the first franchise relocation since 2011 (when the Atlanta Thrashers became the Winnipeg Jets), as the NHL approved the sale of the Arizona Coyotes to a group that will move the franchise to Salt Lake City. The move comes after a series of attempts to build a new arena in the Phoenix area failed, and the previous franchise owner has yet to make a bid for land that he wants to build an arena in. The deal will take the current Arizona franchise in the Delta Center (where the NBA's Jazz play) and set up a situation that a new arena, which may be built as part of a bid for the 2034 Winter Olympics, will host the to-be-renamed team. Hockey in Arizona, odd as it may seem, is not yet over - the area is actually a hotbed (pun semi-intended) for youth hockey, and the sale has been attached to a promise that, if an arena is built, an expansion team will return to the desert.
-And in closing, as if you need to be told if you have someone in your life who is a Swiftie (the odds are quite good that you do), Taylor Swift has dropped her newest album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, last night (along with, already, a double-album of alternate takes and other songs). As has often been the case, Taylor's 11th album seems to be dealing with her romantic life, specifically the end of her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn and a reported rebound affair with The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy. Reviews seem to be pretty decent as of this writing, and while the release likely sets up yet another Grammy Best Album duel with Beyonce, your friends are absorbing the music while Taylor continues landing on her feet by dating a man from Cleveland, Travis Kelce, and resuming The Eras Tour overseas.
-Smart girl, that Taylor Swift!
-On this date in 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord began, launching the American Revolutionary War. On this date in 1943, the Warsaw Ghettto Uprising began in defiance of actual Nazi occupation, MARGE. On this date in 1995, a rented van filled with fertilizer was detonated outside of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, killing 168 and wounding 500. On this date in 1993, a standoff with the FBI ended in Waco, TX, when members of the Branch Davidian cult - set fire to their compound as FBI agents moved on the building, killing 80. And on this date in 2011, Fidel Castro resigned.
-Debuts on this date: The Boston Marathon (1897), Shirley Temple's first movie (STAND UP AND CHEER, 1934), BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935), CAROUSEL (1945), the ABC television network (1948), the Grace Kelly/Prince Rainier marriage (1956), "Ring of Fire" (1963), CASINO ROYALE (1967).
-Happy Birthday to Ole Evinrude, Eliot Ness, Frank Fontaine, Hugh O'Brien, Dick Sargent, Jayne Mansfield, Dickie Goodman, Dudley Moore, Jack Pardee, Jonathan Tunick, Genya Raven, Bernie Worrell, Tim Curry, Frank Viola, Al Unser Jr., Ashley Judd, James Franco, Kate Hudson, Hayden Christensen, Ali Wong, Joe Mauer, Maria Sharapova
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Lord Byron, Benjamin Disraeli, Charles Darwin, Charles Scribner II, Charles Bidwill, Percy Lavon Julian, Daphne Du Maurier, Octavio Paz, Norris McWhirter, Doc Blanchard, Grete Waitz, Greg Ham, Levon Helm, Allan Arbus, Milt Pappas, Jim Steinman, and Walter Mondale.
-Feed the Worms: Epicenter of the 90s rap wars Suge Knight entered Earth on this date. The aforementioned David Koresh bought it on this date.