INTERNATIONAL WAFFLE DAY UPDATES
I Shall Date Myself With This Reference ... but ... WAFFLEWAFFLEWAFFFLEWAFFLEWAFFLEWAFFLEWAFFLE!
-We begin with BREAKING NEWS that has already sent Progressive Social Media wailing with cries of “Injustice!” and “Two-tiered system!” and “He’s getting away with it AGAIN!!?” – the news that a New York appellate court has ruled Ex-President Trump (R-apist) LXXXVIII only has to come up with a $175 million bond payment in order to fully appeal the ruling that ends his ability to run a business in New York, and that he has another 10 days to scratch up the scratch to do it. Frustrating to be sure …
-BUT …
-The full $464M+ fine is still in effect (and gathering interest pending appeals), the ability of New York Attorney General Tish James to appeal the ruling seems possible, and there is also the whole question of whether Trump can find anyone to get him the $175M. About the only thing Trump achieved was his eternal primary legal goal of delay, as it does not appear chances of flipping or reducing the judgment is in the cards in NY – and the nickname “Don Poorleone” on social media.
-Breathe …
-Because in another courtroom in New York City, Judge Juan Merchan seemed more than a little disgusted (per observers) at Trump attorneys attempting yet another delay in the criminal trial surrounding the payment of Stormy Daniels to suppress the ten-minute stand she and Trump had prior to the 2016 election. Recall that this trial was supposed to start today but was delayed when tens of thousands of documents that should have been turned over to the defense were turned over. The judge noted that the delay was apparently of Team Trump’s doing, that the documents in question appear to have little to no impact on this trial, that the arguments being made by Trump’s attorneys to further delay the start of that trial were only angering Judge Merchan, and that a new trial date may be set by the end of the day – and potentially in a matter of days rather than weeks.
-Breathe again …
-It’s not as if Trump doesn’t have things to celebrate. Why, just this weekend, he was crowing on social media about “winning” two golf “tournaments” that were held in his still-his-for-the-moment Mar-a-Lago “golf club” – “THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY AND THE SENIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY. I WON BOTH!” Trump, whose cheating at golf is legendary and whose level of self-fluffing makes Kim Jong-Un blush for its neediness, went so far as to stage an award ceremony that was attended by actual legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus. But the last word came from the Biden campaign, who responded to the announcement with a curt and delicious “Congratulations, Donald. Quite the accomplishment.”
-Stll more BREAKING NEWS, and this is at least symbolically important: with the U.S. abstaining, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution demanding Israel call a cease-fire in its war against HAMAS in Pakistan. In response and apparent retaliation, Israel called back a diplomatic team that was heading to talks with the White House on the situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued to push for a new offensive despite Palestinians in Gaza being in a state of starvation, going so far as to only consult with hard-right factions in his government looking to resume creating Israeli settlements in the area. There is clearly a schism forming between Biden and Netanyahu as the situation in Gaza deteriorates further …
-Things at NBC News seem to be in such tumult over the hiring of Ronna (ROMNEY) McDaniel that her hiring was criticized on the air of MEET THE PRESS by Chuck Todd – CHUCK FREAKING TODD! Stories are now, not surprisingly, coming out of the woodwork of how MSNBC in particular was aghast at the hiring – Joy Reid and Joe Scarborough have come out publicly and loudly against the hiring – and as criticism righteously continues, the likelihood of McDaniel showing up on the ‘liberal’ arm of NBC News is less likely given the Politico story that McDaniel ‘demanded’ that network not televise the GOP ‘debate’ it televised in late 2023. At this moment she is still on the NBC payroll.
-ISIS has shown a video of four of the perpetrators who have been arrested in Moscow in connection with the terrorist attack on in a rock club that killed 113 – further corroboration as to the perpetrators of the atrocity. Yet, Vladimir Putin continues to assert that Ukraine was actually responsible for the attack – a move some observers think may be used as a way to try to find more troops for the ongoing Ukraine invasion. Ukraine continues to wait for aid from the United States, which continues to be delayed on the orders of Trump and his foot soldier, the embattled and endangered House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Jay-EE-Zuz!, LA). The House has recessed for Spring Break for two weeks as MAGA forces who want to oust him for keeping the government open circle and Democrats hungry to get Ukraine aid passed mull whether to help Johnson keep the gavel or wait for two more GOP resignations that would throw the chamber to them and allow Hakeem Jeffries to become Speaker.
-In football rules news, a league meeting is discussing two major changes to the game. One involves the hip-drop tackle – a method where a defensive player grabs a ball carrier around the hips and simply drops his full weight to the ground. The move can result in legs getting tangled and the weight of the defender landing full on offensive player’s legs, and is considered one that causes a lot of often-catastrophic bone and knee ligament injuries. The other is a major change to the kickoff, which is adopted from the USFL, has been described as “wild” by all kinds of news outlets, and is kind of too complicated to summarize here – but to try, it involves a combination of players not being able to move until the ball is kicked, where players have to line up prior to kickoff, and where a ball can be placed if it is not returned (that depends on where the ball lands). Both changes have goals of fewer injuries and more scoring. The tackle ban passed unanimously; the kickoff rule may be tabled until May but still seems likely to pass.
-And in basketball news, how are your NCAA Men’s brackets after week one? Sure, there have been upsets here and there, and heartwarming stories of plucky smaller schools getting into the second round (see Duquesne, Grand Canyon, James Madison, Yale), but all in all, the higher seeds have prevailed in a way they have not in recent years. There is only one double-digit seed still playing – 11 seed North Carolina State, a national champion who has already won seven straight games to both get into the tourney and go to where they are right now. All #1 and #2 seeds are still in the tourney, and while there are no perfect brackets in all the online betting sites that take money on the tourney, all in all this tourney has gone according to plan. (SO FAR …)
-On this date in 1807, the British Empire abolished the slave trade. On this date in 1911, a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City killed 146 and created the first wave of legislation to protect workers from such disasters thanks to the work of, among others, future Secretary of Labor (under FDR) Frances Perkins On this date in 1965, the third attempt to complete a civil rights march to Selma, AL, was completed. And on this date in 2001, Bjork caused a sensation at the Academy Awards while wearing a gown that featured a swan that appeared to curl around her neck and torso.
-Debuts on this date: Easter (31 AD), Venice Italy (founded in 461), Maryland (settled 1634), the Billboard country music chart (1939), the color television (1954).
-Happy Birthday to Arturo Toscanini, Bela Bartok, Ed Begley Sr., Bridget D’Oyly Carte, David Lean, Howard Cosell, Simone Signoret, Flannery O’Connor, Cecil Taylor, Gloria Steinem, Johnny Burnette, Hoyt Axton, Aretha Franklin, Richard O’Brien, Paul Michael Glaser, Bonnie Bedelia, Sir Elton John, Michael Stanley, Jean Potvin, Mary Gross, Daniel Bouloud, James McDaniel, Avery Johnson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeff Healey, Tom Glavine, Doug Stanhope, Sheryl Swoopes, Wladimire Klitschko (SLAVA UKRAINI!), Danica Patrick, Katherine McPhee, Big Sean, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Pavel Andreivich Chekhov.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Claude Debussy, Ida B. Wells, Eddie Collins, Roland Barthes, Bob Waterfield, Robert Joffrey, Nancy Walker, Warren Burger, Cal Ripken Sr., Paul Henning, Buck Owens, England Dan Seals, Bert Sugar, Mark Blum, Beverly Cleary, Larry McMurtry, Stan Albeck, and Taylor Hawkins.
-Feed the Worms: Jack Ruby and Anita Bryant entered Earth on this date. Saudi Arabia King Faisal was assassinated on this date.