NATIONAL GUMBO DAY UPDATES
If You Can't Get A Bowl, Put Some Zydeco On!
-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to get support for his efforts to defend the country from Hamas' terrorist attacks - and the time will come when we can debate about the wisdom of that - but, yesterday, he got attacked for his leadership. And, YOU'LL NEVER GUESS who attacked him!
-Of course you will, and ... you're right.
-In an appearance in NH yesterday, Ex-President Trump XCI dusted off another one of his personal 'wounds,' calling both Netanyahu and Israel "WEAK!" for allowing the attacks by Hamas (which Trump referred to at least twice as "Hummus"). Trump's anger reportedly stems from Netanyahu's decision not to help the U.S. in an air strike in 2020 that killed Iran Revolutionary Guard leader Qassim Sulemani ("That didn't make me too happy!" punctuated Dear Leader) - and Trump piggybacked on the Netanyahu attack to also praise Iran-backed Hezbollah for being "tough!", an interesting choice given strong suspicions that Hezbollah helped Hamas in the attacks last week, as well as the timing.
-That said, yesterday's speech continued a trend of bizarre Trump statements punctuated with clear periodic slurring. Yesterday, Trump continued to parrot a QAnon- and right-wing conspiracy theory that President Biden is secretly being manipulated by "Barack Hussein Obama," a phrase Trump repeated at least five consecutive times before then claiming Washington DC "looks like SHIT!" (Trump has not been in Washington since he left the White House having lost the 2020 Presidential election) and repeating the lie that $6 billion in Irani funds the U.S. has released for humanitarian spending was used by Iran to fund the Hamas attacks (the $6B has not been touched and is in a bank in the United Arab Emirates under the control of South Korea).
-Meanwhile, House Republicans are nowhere close to electing a new Speaker despite their caucus' endorsement of Steve Scalise over Jim "Gym" Jordan. A vote scheduled for yesterday on the House floor was cancelled since at least 12 UltraMAGA Representatives are reportedly a "Hard NO" on Scalise - triple the amount needed to block his election. For his part, Jordan has offered to nominate Scalise on the floor, though that does not appear to make Scalise's election that much closer. Observers have no idea whether a vote will take place or whether an alternative to either of these men - one palatable to Democrats (who continue to be unified behind Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker) - is being floated.
-Mean-MEANwhile, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moves from the Democratic primary to an independent 2024 Presidential candidate, a new candidate may be throwing his hat into the ring to challenge the "too old" President Biden and "too somethingsomethingsomething" Vice President Harris: Cenk Uygur. If you don't know the name you haven't spent way too much time on liberal/progressive internet in the last 15 years - Uygur created one of the first Internet radio/TV progressive networks, The Young Turks, who morphed from hardcore opposition to George W. Bush to hardcore opposition to Obama for being too corporatist to third-party supporter in 2016. How much support he can get may soon become moot, as it is believed that Uygur was born in Turkey - which, if true, will make him ineligible to run for President. Don't bother to wait for more info ...
-The Ukraine conflict continues, and the Russian Navy has another own-goal, as reports circulate that a billion-dollar patrol ship was destroyed in the Black Sea after it hit a mine laid by ... Russia. That Russia's fleet has been severely compromised by a country that does not have a Navy is a sign that said country is probably doing a pretty good job of defeating one of, if not the single, fulcrum of authoritarianism in the world today ... just sayin' ...
-SLAVA UKRAINI!
-We turn to labor news, and a reminder that in collective bargaining, there can be highs ... and lows. And there are lows, as we discovered last night with the news that Hollywood producers and striking actors cut off negotiations after a week and a half of talks. Producers are claiming demands by actors to share in streaming profits are too much, while SAG-AFTRA claim the producers' most recent offer was smaller than their initial offers when the walkout began in May. It is not clear when talks may resume. Additionally, the UAW strike continues to spread to other plants as the Big Three automakers and UAW battle over a 32-hour work week, raises for newer workers, and the total rate of increase.
-SOLIDARITY to all still on the lines!
-And we end, as we absolutely must, with the latest news from The Biggest Star In The Firma-mint, Taylor Swift. Her filmed version of THE ERAS TOUR opens tomorrow, and pre-release ticket sales have already made the movie a $100 million smash - great news for Swift and AMC, who cut a deal for distribution that will give them a decent percentage of the ticket sales as well as (of course) concession sales. Taylor premiered the flick in a red-carpet Los Angeles showing last night attended by The Other Biggest Star Out There, Beyonce. Taylor will further celebrate tonight by going to the Kansas City/Denver NFL Thursday night game to watch her looks-like-it's-REAL-folks! BF (???), Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce. (Don’t look at me like that - that’s what he plays!)
-On this date in 1492, mainland Europeans first caught site of land not in Europe when Christopher Columbus noticed what is now El Salvdor. On this date in 1810, the first Oktoberfest was celebrated in Munich. On this date in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt renamed the "Executive Mansion" in Washington as "The White House." On this date in 1960, Nikita Khruschev responded to criticism of Soviet actions in Eastern Europe by taking off his shoe and pounding on his desk with said shoe. And on this date in 1999, suicide bombers rammed a boat into the U.S.S. Cole, killing 17 and wounding 39.
-Happy Birthday to Joe Cronin, Cesar Pelli, Dick Gregory, Luciano Pavarotti, Sam Moore, Tony Kubeck, Glenn Beckert, Dusty Rhodes, Chris Wallace, Susan Anton, Pat DiNizio, Carlos Bernard, Adam Rich, Hugh Jackman, Leon Lett, Charlie Ward, Marion Jones, Bode Miller, and Josh Hutcherson.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Tom Mix, Sonja Henie, Dean Acheson, Gene Vincent, Nancy Spurgeon, Johnny Olson, Ricky Wilson, Alf Landon, Jay Ward, Rene Lacoste, John Denver, Matthew Shepard, Wilt Chamberlain, Ray Conniff, Bill Shoemaker, and Oscar Hijuelos.
-Feed the Worms: Dred Scott decider Chief Justice Roger B. Taney and Robert E. Lee bought it on this date.
-Reported occultist Aleister Crowley and child-actor-turned-uber-right evangelist Kirk Cameron were born on this date. You decide if they get a Happy Birthday or if they Feeds the Worms.
-The Number One Non-Fiction Book in the Country ... in 2023, GOING INFINITE by Michael Lewis ... in 2013, KILLING JESUS by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard ... in 2003, WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR YOU? by Bill O'Reilly ... in 1993, SEINLANGUAGE by Jerry Seinfeld ... in 1983, IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. ... and in 1973, HOW TO BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND by Mildred Newman and Bernard Berkowitz with Jean Owen.