MEMORIAL DAY UPDATES

Taking A Moment ...

-As a child of a father who was a medic in World War II, helped liberate one of the internment camps, and nearly lost a foot to frostbite, I will start and add my voice with a moment of silence and appreciation to all who serve and all who sacrificed to serve. This little endeavor I do can be done in part because of folks like Dad, whom I will toast with a boilermaker (his fave) later today.

-But the news moves, and so let’s do some random catching up on what has been a busy weekend …

-We shall start in TX, where an incredibly unusual set of circumstances is playing out: a supermajority Republican body working to punish a fellow Republican for corruption. On Saturday, TX Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has been under federal indictment for various charges of bribery and graft, was impeached 121-23 by the TX House, who added to some of the federal charges with, among other things, charges that Paxton got a job for a mistress while AG, and even charges that, as the vote was about to take place, Paxton was calling legislators to threaten them if they voted for impeachment. 60 Republicans did, defying Paxton, his pal Ex-President Trump, and fellow Paxton backers including Steve Bannon, Ted Cruz (R-Cancun), and Party Leader Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Paxton is currently not Attorney General, vacating the office pending the trial in the Texas Senate, which has yet to be scheduled. There has been no comment from TX Gov. Greg Abbott.

-There is also the deal, now in full text form, that combines the lifting of the U.S. debt ceiling and budget provisions for the upcoming year, hammered out by representatives of the White House and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (SINO). President Biden, noting several parts of the agreement, including a ‘freeze’ on some social safety net payouts over the next two years that amount to a decrease given current inflation rates and some expansion of work requirements for food aid (although, again, those provisions end in 2025), will upset Democrats – but that compromise was necessary given the House UltraMAGA majority, and that they would have needed to be done even if he had invoked the 14^th Amendment to attempt to unilaterally lift the debt ceiling (and he said he remains open to finding a way to kill the debt ceiling), as he and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries begin persuading Democrats to vote for the bill (which is expected).

-As for the GOP side, well, cries of “SELLOUT!” and calls to end McCarthy’s speakership have been ringing throughout right-wing social media, as they see McCarthy’s refusal and/or inability to get “everything – even the kitchen sink!” as demanded by Trump – particularly since the agreement extends the debt ceiling throughout January 2025, taking it out of play for the Presidential campaign season – as a betrayal of why it took them 15 ballots to install McCarthy. McCarthy insists it is a good deal, that the US will not default, and that the vote on the bill will be Wednesday, with the Senate ready to take it up and send it to Biden’s desk almost immediately.

-As for the math: if all Democrats hold – not 100% guaranteed – McCarthy will need to find five votes for the bill to pass. Stay tuned …

-Ukraine continues to roil as Russia continues attacking major cities with drone attacks, the Wagner Group ‘turns over’ the besieged city of Bakhmut to severely depleted Russian forces, the health of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko (and the loyalties of that Army) continue to be speculated about as Russia claims they have begun moving nuclear weapons into the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues receiving munitions and training from all sectors of NATO (and receiving a visit – and support – from SC Sen. Lindsay Graham) (?!?), and the world wonders when and how the long-rumored Ukrainian counteroffensive will begin. Lots and lots and lots of moving parts in that area of the world right now, but as always – SLAVA UKRAINI!

-And in pop music gossip news – OMG! Did you HEAR what Taylor Swift did over the weekend?! Okay, okay, SO, Taylor, I don’t know if you know, but she’s on this huge tour, and she’s hitting Chicago this week, and last weekend in New York she debuted a song by this singer Ice Spice and they sang together! It’s a big deal because Ice Spice is the first black singer Taylor’s collaborated with, which is cool! BUT, it’s also weird, see, because Ice Spice was mocked for being a bad rapper in a podcast by this other singer, Matty Healy, who’s like the lead singer of this band The 1975, and they’re pretty good if you ask me cuz they’re headlinng Lollapalooza this year – BUT, the thing IS, Taylor and Ice Spice doing something together is CRAZY, because IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW, Matty Healy is like supposedly GOING OUT WITH TAYLOR SWIFT?!?!?!!!

-I KNOW!

-RIGHT?!?!

-And they say this stuff I do isn’t hip …

-On this date in 1851, Sojourner Truth delivered her first speech for black women’s rights in Akron, OH. On this date in 1942, Bing Crosby recorded “White Christmas.” On this date in 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgays became the first humans to climb Mount Everest. On this date in 1999, the space shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station for the first time. And on this date in 2014, Laverne Cox became the first transgender person to be featured on the cover of TIME.

-Happy Birthday to Patrick Henry, Bob Hope, T.H. White, Ralph Metcalfe, Stacy Keach, Tenzing Norgay (huh!), John F. Kennedy, Sylvia Robinson, Fay Vincent, Al Unser, Bob Simon, Anthony Geary, Danny Elfman, Karla DeVito, Randy Walker, Mike Porcaro, LaToya Jackson, Annette Bening, Rupert Everett, Melissa Etheridge, Lisa Whelchel, Noel Gallagher, Laverne Cox (!), Melanie Brown, Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, Carmelo Anthony, and Riley Keough.

-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to W.S. Gilbert, John Barrymore, Fanny Brice, Moe Berg, Mary Pickford, Romy Schneider, Billy Conn, Margaret Chase Smith, George Fenneman, Jeff Buckley, Barry Goldwater, Archibald Cox, Steve Mizerak, Harvey Korman, Dennis Hopper, Doc Watson, B.J. Thomas, and Gavin MacLeod.

-Feed the Worms: John Hinkley Jr. entered Earth on this date. Manuel Noriega bought it on this date.