NATIONAL BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE AND CHERRY DESSERT DAY UPDATES

Two Delicious Holidays on One Single Date? Who Loses, I Ask You?!

-It may be the American cultural start of the summer season, but negotiators in DC continue to work to hammer out an agreement that will both lift the debt ceiling and cut the budget (this despite the Biden Administration having already lowered the deficit in the last two years). The New York Times report the agreement currently progressing involves a two-year approval of the debt ceiling, a cut of $10 billion from the IRS to help them ferret out tax cheats (previous demands were to zero out the line), and other cuts that both the White House and Kevin McCarthy (SINO-R, CA) are reporting will make their caucuses unhappy. Any bill will likely need at least 72 hours to pass Congress before the June 1 deadline, and even though Republican House members have left DC for the weekend, all are on 24-hour notice to begin working on the legislation. Talks continue.

-In an interview yesterday, GOP Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis (CanYouHeaRMe?, FL) promised to review and, if he so decided to, pardon people who may have been convicted of participation in the January 6, 2021 insurrection. The reply is part of one of his avowed strategies to wrest the nomination from current favorite Ex-President Trump: be like Trump, only competent.

-The problem, of course, were the events of the previous day, where DeSantis' announcement was eclipsed by technological gaffe after technological gaffe (from no audio to hilariously bad audio) courtesy of Twitter and the anointed host of the announcement, billionaire weirdo and CEO Elon Musk - with all the subsequent mocking and meme-ing that ensued thereafter. With DeSantis' numbers already falling, even his fundraising advantage may be weighed down by the perception that DeSantis, like fellow pre-primary GOP favorites like Rudy Giuliani, Jeb! Bush, and The Bastard Scott Walker, is not ready for prime-time (not to mention Trump). DeSantis will be making multiple media appearances in IA and NH this weekend (though whether they involve him meeting live voters remains to be seen).

-As for Trump, more reporting from the Washington Post, among others, continues to paint an ever-closing circle around him and the investigation into his possession of highly-classified documents. Reporting over the last two days revealed that Trump apparently had workers practicing taking moving boxes in and out of various rooms in at least two of his residences in the days prior to the one known search that took place at his Mar-a-Lago golf club and compound - further potential proof that Trump had intent to hide the documents. Most legal observers believe - as, according to other reports, what Trump attorneys remain with Trump - believe Special Counsel Jack Smith is likely to indict on those investigations shortly after Memorial Day.

-In TX Republican news, rumblings of intra-party conflict have erupted into the public in a dramatic way. Days after TX House Speaker Dade Phelan presided over a session slurring his words - raising lots of talk that he was drunk - that same body yesterday dropped 20 Articles of Impeachment against Attorney General Ken Paxton (R, natch) for a variety of what the legislation calls "abuse of public trust." Paxton has been under federal indictment on corruption charges for over two years, with the U.S. Department of Justice now investigating various charges. The TX House, however, is likely the gravest threat to Paxton, who just started his third term in the office. Popcorn popping ...

-Back to the U.S. House for this piece of schadenfreude to wrap today's updates - and it happened during the last full House session on Wednesday, when GOP leader Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Z-Q-R, GA) was presiding over a noisy House well. Greene, who has heckled the President during the State of the Union Address, called Homeland Security Chair Alejandro Mayorkas "uh LIE-ahr!" during questioning, and has been called out for openly berating and bullying members in the hallways of the House, pounded her gavel and asked that "there be some DUH-KORE-UMM on the other side!" The Hill noted that, after a pause and a second demand for "DUH-KORE-UMM!", the Democratic side of the House - and, yes, some Republicans as well - erupted in uncontrollable and louder laughter. Only by recognizing a speaker did the House catch its breath. Greene likely didn't notice, as she has yet to be determined to have any sense of shame.

-On this date in 1521, Martin Luther was branded as a heretic by the Catholic Church. On this date in 1868, KS Sen. Edmund Ross shocked the Senate by voting not to remove Andrew Johnson from the Presidency - the lone vote that ended America's first impeachment trial. On this date in 1913, Actors Equity Association was founded. On this date in 1927, the last Model T rolled off the Ford Motor Company assembly line (which was created in part to build said Model Ts). On this date in 1940, Great Britain began an evacuation of troops from the French town of Dunkirk. And on this date in 1959, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Harvey Haddix threw 12 perfect innings of baseball - only to lose the perfect game, the no-hitter, and the game itself in the 13th inning against the Milwaukee Braves, 1-0.

-Happy Birthday to Isadora Duncan, Al Jolson, Dorothea Lange, John Wayne, Robert Morley, Jay Silverheels, Peter Cushing, Peggy Lee, Roy Dotrice, Miles Davis, Jim Frey, Joe Altobelli, Kazuhiko "Monkey Punch" Kato, Brent Musberger, Levon Helm, Mick Ronson, Stevie Nicks, Dan Pastorini, Hank Williams Jr., Jeremy Corbyn, Pam Grier, Philip Michael Thomas, Sally Ride, Tarsem Singh, Bobcat Goldthwait, Genie Francis, Lenny Kravitz, Helena Bonham Carter, Matt Stone, and Lauryn Hill.

-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Jacob Riis, Jimmie Rodgers, Edsel Ford, Martin Heidegger, Tom Eyen, Friz Freleng, Severn Darden, Eddie Albert, Sydney Pollack, Art Linkletter, Jim Bunning, Zbigniew Brezinski, Ted Dabney, Bart Starr, Alan White, Andy Fletcher, and Ray Liotta.

-Jack Kevorkian was born on this date. You decide if he gets a Happy Birthday or if he Feeds the Worms.