Nature Day Updates
... So, Anything Happen While I Had To Put A Couple of Job-Related Fires Out Late Last Week?
-This Tuesday is lining up to be quite special, with two major Midwest elections happening (for Mayor of Chicago and a seat on the WI Supreme Court) and, of COURSE, arraignment of America's first Indicted President, Ex-President Trump. Word is that he will fly to New York from his Mar-a-Lago compound, stay in Trump Tower, then find out exactly what led to a Manhattan grand jury issue 34 felony charges against Trump, all centered around a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels after a three-minute stand in 2006 threatened to become public two weeks before the 2016 election. All while being walked into court (possibly being "perp-walked"), fingerprinted, and getting photographed (it is presumed his mug shot will be released and become one of the most iconic photos of our age already) (FACT CHECK: likely).
-While Republicans have privately messaged allies and some media members that they are relieved to see this first of what is expected to be a series of indictments over a series of potential criminal activity (including trying to rig the 2020 GA election results lost by Trump to Biden, his handing and possible theft of highly-classified documents from the White House, and his role in creating, promoting, and inflaming the January 6, 2021 insurrection), publicly many of these leaders are circling the wagons around the head of the Republican Party. Multiple UltraMAGA leaders are demanding hearings and charges be brought against NYC D.A. Alvin Bragg (Congress has no such jurisdiction), other leaders continue to demand arrests and prosecutions of Democratic leaders from Obama to Hillary to Ted Kennedy (and, as always, Hunter Biden) to try to "whatabout" Trump's arrest, and a Thursday interview of Sen. Lindsay Graham (VapoRs, SC) seemed to show the now-ally of Trump near tears while describing Trump's situation (shrug emoji).
-Even Trump's now-most-hated rival, FL Gov. Ron DeSantis, came out on Friday with an announcement that his state would refuse to extradite Trump for the Tuesday hearing (whatevs), putting him in line with Trump even as Trump claimed a $2.4 million fundraising haul in the 24 hours after the indictment was announced, and polls of GOP voters still showed Trump with a solid lead in the GOP primary (which, for the five of you who care, did increase this morning with the announcement that former AR Gov. Asa Hutchinson is a candidate) (yawn) - all of which indicate that Trump, at least outwardly, welcomes the chance to martyrize himself as he and his latest wave of lawyers begin what is widely expected to be the Trump Legal M.O. of bullying and delay to keep the 76-year-old from any kind of legal comeuppances.
-Trump's family is having an interesting response to daddy's issues, led by Ivanka, who is not responding at all amid reports she has distanced herself from her father so her husband, Jared Kushner, can milk the contacts and billions he has received from Middle Eastern potentates (ALLEGEDLY) and they apparently attempt to continue to reinsert themselves into NYC and FL culture (good luck with THAT). Middle son Eric, meanwhile, has been on right-wing talk shows attempting to show himself as a "man of the people" by decrying that the world has gone so "woke" he can't get a bottle of Advil without getting a store worker to unlock them from a cabinet (apparently Eric's been unaware this has been standard procedure in drug stores for years?). And Donald, Jr. has been on a non-stop hoarse-voiced, air-quote-twitching, social media video ... uhm ... fit? episode? BENDER?!?! ... trying to compare Bragg to murderous Cambodian dictator Pol Pot (yes he did) and generally apparently attempting to get the attention of his father over and over and over again. (Sad!)
-All of this makes tonight's 60 MINUTES episode rather interestingly timed. You see, Lesley Stahl and their producers decided it would be a peachy-keen idea to give 20 minutes of their legendary show to give what appears in the previews to be a rosy and legitimizing profile of GOP House Leader Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Z-Q-R, GA). So for those of you who program your DVRs to the show, feel free to adjust it so the show's viewership is what you think it deserves to be.
-Ending on an unabashedly positive note, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was released from Walter Reed Hospital after treatment for depression and recovery from a 2020 stroke. Fetterman was working at his Senatorial job while in the hospital and is ready to introduce legislation when he returns. Here's to Fetterman and his advocacy for paying attention to your mental health.
-On this date in 1917, MT's Jeannette Rankin became the first woman to be seated in Congress after becoming the first woman to win a Congressional election. On this date in 1968, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY premiered. On this date in 1982, Argentina seized the Falkland Islands, leading to a military excursion by Great Britain to retake them. On this date in 1992, the "Teflon Don," John Gotti, had that Teflon permanently scratched after being convicted of 13 counts including ordering the hit on rival boss Paul Castellano. And on this date in 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor reported a record for one month 6.6 million filed for unemployment in the wake of a national lockdown in the early days of the COVID pandemic.
-Happy Birthday to Roman Emperor Charlemagne, Casanova, Hans Christian Andersen, Emile Zola, Walter Chrysler, Max Ernst, Buddy Ebsen, Honi Coles, Sir Alec Guinness, Jack Webb, Bobby Avila, Whirlaway, Marvin Gaye, Penelope Keith, Hiroyuki Sakai, Leon Russell, Don Sutton, Linda Hunt, Camille Paglia, Emmylou Harris, Ron Palillo, Larry Drew, Christopher Meloni, Clark Gregg, Rodney King, Jon Lieber, Pedro Pascal, Evan McMullin, and Michael Fassbender.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Samuel Morse, Gil Hodges, Georges Pompidou, Carroll Rosenbloom, Buddy Rich, Tomoyuki Tanaka, Edwin Starr, Pope John Paul II, Mike Cuellar, Chuck Fairbanks, Milo O'Shea, Gato Barbieri, Susan Anspach, Winnie Mandela, Arthur Kopit, and today, Ryuichi Sakamoto.