NATIONAL COOKIE EXCHANGE DAY UPDATES
Although Let's Be Honest - It's Cookie Exchange Season
-Ho-hum, yet ANOTHER recording that sure seems to reveal personal culpability of Ex-President Trump XCI in trying to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in 2020 emerged yesterday. This one came from Michigan, where Trump (assisted by RNC Chair Ronna (ROMNEY) McDaniel) is heard pressuring two of the state's vote canvassers not to certify the results of Biden's win from that state. The call featured Trump's signature bloviating rhetoric ("Fight for our country," "Can't let these people take our country away from us," "Nice tits!") (OK, that last one was a cheap shot and was NOT on the recording) along with (ROMNEY) McDaniel promising to get the canvassers attorneys if they chose not to sign the certification. The canvassers had voted to certify earlier in the day and did try to reverse their votes but were not allowed. It is not clear who had the recording (it is legal in MI to record a phone conversation without the other side knowing it) or how the Detroit Daily News got the recording, nor whether Special Prosecutor Jack Smith has it, but it does reveal yet another state and Trump up to the wrists that hold his wee tiny hands (OK, another cheap shot).
-And, of course, this adds yet another twist to the Supreme Court, now facing both the CO challenge to keep Trump off the ballot for being an insurrectionist and the DC case of Trump's belief that being President means freedom to crime anywhere at any time with no consequences (a paraphrase of his legal argument) - though in his brief challenging the latter case Team Trump also argued that every syllable of the charge needs a month to be analyzed and therefore the case should be delayed until 2837 (again, a paraphrase). Team Smith argued ASAP. Stand by ...
-For the first time in months, new polling indicates that Americans are ... dare we say it? ... feeling better about the economy?!? Indeed, it does - and it makes sense, as inflation has been tempered to the point that analysts ranging from Politico to SHARK TANK veteran Kevin O'Leary admit that the Biden economic team has managed to guide America's economy through the post-shutdown phase and the inflation bump to the point where a recession has been avoided, interest rates are likely headed down going into 2024, prices are stabilizing if not yet going down broadly, and giving President Biden (whose approval ratings ticked up if you believe in that sort of thing) a much-needed boost heading into the holiday season and the 2024 election.
-In writing that last paragraph, this writer had to stop himself from writing "post-pandemic." As if we needed to be told, #CovidIsNotOver - in fact, a new variant - dubbed JN.1 - has emerged that already accounts for 20% of new cases and is expected to become the dominant American variant in a matter of weeks. JN.1 does not appear to have any worse or different symptoms but is, as other variants have been, more transmissible from the previous variants. This is of concern since only about 18% of Americans have received the new Covid vaccine, which does appear to keep JN.1 from the most severe effects.
-But we all know this because if we haven't gotten sick we know others that have - and THAT is because there are not one, but three flu viruses currently rolling through the U.S. In addition to the new Covid variant, it is being joined by seasonal flu and RSV, a respiratory virus that spreads like Covid. Hospitals are seeing increased admissions to the point that there are concerns about straining different symptoms, and masking is now being recommended (but NOT required, Uncle Ernie - go get more egg nog and don't sneeze in the punch bowl!). Doctors continue to recommend vaccinations as the heavy flu season begins.
-While Congress has dismissed and the Kevin McCarthy/Mike Johnson-led UltraMAGA House will go down as one of the least productive Congresses in history (considered a great success in UltraMAGA-world), one area that has emerged as being productive is in the area of ... (checks notes and browser history) ... sex videos. A mini-scandal erupted after a video of two now-former Congressional aides (both men, for what that's worth) having sex in the Senate chambers (reportedly on Sen. Amy Klobuchar's chair, though the aides worked for MD Sen. Ben Cardin), though there are whispers that there are different recordings of different people of all genders getting busy in various Congressional chambers. Seek out at your own risk. No judgment.
-Elsewhere, TN GOP Rep. Tim Burchett claimed on a podcast that numerous Republicans were being blackmailed by Vladimir Putin and supporting policies for Putin (SLAVA UKRAINI?) because Putin was in possession of various lewd and compromising acts (stories also mentioned by disgraced ex-House members Madison Cawthorne and "George Santos").
-And in FL, a second tape has reportedly emerged that shows now-former Moms for Liberty having sexual relations with another woman - this despite (?) Moms for Liberty promoting virulent anti-LGBTQI policies nationally. Getting so busy ...
-And if you thought those stories would wrap up today's updates ... oh, no no no NO ... read on ...
-On Tuesday, former DUKES OF HAZZARD lead John Schneider "won" the latest season of Fox' THE MASKED SINGER. In apparent celebration of this renewal of his career, Schneider posted the following on social media in response to a post by President Biden of Trump's threat to American democracy: "Mr. President, I believe you are guilty of treason and should be publicly hung. Your son too. Your response is..?" While Biden himself did not respond, TMZ reports the government did in the form of the Secret Service did respond to Bo Duke with a Secret Service visit and investigation, and Schneider's press tour touting his Nichole Schlesinger-Robin Thicke-Ken Jeong-voted triumph was cancelled. Schneider deleted the post and now denies he ever made it. Oh, that Duke boy (Cue Waylon Jennings)!
-On this date in 1978, John Wayne Gacy confessed to killing over two dozen boys and burying their bodies in and around his home in suburban Chicago. On this date in 1984, an electrician named Bernhard Goetz became synonymous with "vigilante" after shooting four African-American men he claimed were about to mug him on the New York City subway. On this date in 1989, Nicolae Ceausescu was ousted as dictator of Romania (he did not have a long post-dictator period). Also in 1989, the Brandenburg Gate was open, all but reunifying Germany. On this date in 2001, would-be terrorist Richard Reid attempted and failed to set off explosives in his high-top sneakers while on an airline flight. And on this date in 2010, the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy was repealed.
-Notable premieres on this date: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (1808), the U.S. Golf Association (1894), THE MUMMY (1932), the Mercedes automobile (1900), DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965), the independent republic of Croatia (1990).
-Happy Birthday to Jean Racine, Giacomo Puccini, Connie Mack, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Lady Bird Johnson, Barbara Billingsley, Gene Rayburn, David Pearson, Hector Elizondo, Matty Alou, Steve Carlton, Diane Sawyer, Lynne Thigpen, Rick Nielsen, Steve Garvey, Maurice Gibb, Ray Guy, Robin Gibb, Bernadette Stanis, Susan Powter, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ralph Fiennes, Jordin Sparks, DaBaby, and Meghan Trainor.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to George Eliot, Ma Rainey, Nathaniel West, Beatrix Pottter, Darryl F. Zanuck, D. Boon, Chico Mendes, Samuel Beckett, Butterfly McQueen, Juzo Itami, Virginia Graham, Joe Strummer, and Joe Cocker.
-Feed the Worms: Former Enron CEO Andrew Fastow and humiliation kink fetishist Ted Cruz (R-Cancun) entered Earth on this date.