WORLD CIDER DAY UPDATES

Whether Hard or Gentle, Dry or Sweet, Any Other Time of the Day or in the Fall as God Intended – HOORAY CIDER!

-The details on Ukraine’s jaw-dropping drone attack on Russian aircraft continue to come out, and the mix of audacity, genius and potential impact on Russia’s invasion continue to impress and reverberate.

-The attack was labeled Operation Spiderweb, and it took 18 months of patience and plotting to execute. Six trucks were retrofitted with beds that carried a total of 117 drones (and batteries and guidance systems and wifi) by a Russian company with ties to Ukraine, which enabled all the trucks to be in position a short distance from the five bases chosen – two located nearly 3,000 miles from Ukraine.

-The goal, as military analyst Malcolm Nance described, was to “kill the archer” – destroy and disable the means by which Russia could use what missile systems they had. To do that, the targets were aircraft and support aircraft (think AWACs) that allowed Russia to launch ballistic and cruise missiles and their own drones well within Russian air space that could then hit Ukrainian civilian targets (which is all Putin is targeting these days) far enough away to be safe from Patriot missile systems and antiaircraft defense systems.

-The execution of the attacks were flawless. Videos released by the Ukrainian military showed lines of drones dropping onto lines of sitting ducks and drone POV cameras gliding over aircraft that were just hit as if they were looking to find a different plane to plunge just under the wings where missiles were attached and fuel tanks were located – and the visual in the camera of WARNING NO DATA, the message one gets when a drone hits its target. And when the drones were done, the drivers of the trucks were long gone and the trucks themselves self-destructed.

-As mentioned Sunday, at least 41 aircraft – fully a third of the Russian Air Force dedicated to long-range and ballistic attacks - were damaged or destroyed. The price tag is tentatively tallied at over $2 billion in materiel lost. The publicity of the attack also continues to roll hard against Russia and in favor of Ukraine. And on top of all that, Russian trucking has ground to a crawl as new checkpoints have been erected country-wide to see whether or not there are any other Trojan semis zooming around airports.

-Not bad for an expenditure of approximately $250,000!

-Of COURSE Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not tell Team Trump about any aspect of the attacks (though we do not know what kind of help President Biden or NATO gave them), and no, there is no report of Presidential Intern JD Vance telling Zelenskyy thank you for the further exposure of the paper tiger that is the Russian Army, nor any questions about what anyone connected with the attacks were wearing.

-And just as all of that news was settling, THIS JUST In - Ukraine pulled off another successful stealth attack today! Video from the vital Kurch Bridge that connects Russia with the Ukrainian territory of Crimea showed a structural pylon destroyed by an underwater explosion that has imperiled the structural integrity of that occupied territory, believed by many to be the one thing Putin absolutely must have before even considering ending his attacks in Ukraine.

-The move cuts off the lone critical supply and personnel line between the island and Russia, and is yet another loss for a military that is now being consistently outflanked, outthought, outfought – at a cost of economic devastation, military weakening, over one million men killed and wounded, and a few kilometers of area too small.

-The question is now how much pressure is on Putin. Most believe if he can continue to believe he can “win” he will continue, especially if his puppet Krasnov Donald Trump can continue to be on his side to stymie American aid to Ukraine and drive a wedge into NATO. Unfortunately, NATO is unified and supplying Ukraine and even Trump has been making noises about Putin being “crazy,” so whether Putin may now need to be the one to stay away from windows or tea will merit watching.

-Not to mention what other cards Zelenskyy plays, as it appears he has quite a deck to play.

-SLAVA UKRAINI!!!

-Now we have to return to events in this country and the … (gestures wildly) …

-Discussions continue in Republican meeting rooms regarding the Big Bill O’Crap – and the first confirmed GOP NO has come from Rand Paul, who will not vote for it because of how it explodes the deficit (and which he was ‘rewarded’ with a Trump attack on social media). The word “reconciliation” is being used – which, if true, means that the bill that came from the House is being modified significantly enough that a second vote would be needed from MAGA in the House. That is dicey given the 215-214 margin the current version passed by, and at least six other GOP Senators have expressed deep issues with different parts of the bill.

-The trick that John Thune and Mike Johnson have is that if one piece of the bill is rewritten to appease one faction (fewer horrific Medicare cuts, which actually impact MAGA states far more than non-MAGA states) may mean alienating another gaggle of MAGAts (who would love to see poor people have to pay cash for one insulin shot after first vowing to always venerate Dear Leader and his manly masculine manhood), not to mention poison pills like the you-can’t-sue-anyone-anymore provision that would in theory give Trump and his minions even more legal immunity than they feel they already have. And the margins are razor-thin – the aforementioned single vote in the House, and three other NO votes in the Senate make the entire edifice crumble.

-As for the Democrats … while they have been quietly working to slow down as many under-the-radar Trump nominees and measures as they can, recent claims by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer to “do what they can” to “fight” or “protest” the vote is leaving most observers staring at them like a Justin Timberlake meme - another sternly-worded letter? More talking filibusters? Perhaps singing on Congress’ steps?

-It is yet another indication that, while individual Democrats’ Congressional stars (AOC, Jasmine Crockett, Chris Murphy, Elizabeth Warren) and outside DC Dems (Pete Buttigieg, JD Pritzker, Tim Walz) have been rising for their willingness to go after Trump and company (I don’t count Bernie Sanders because he’s not a Democrat) (stop asking), the continued lack of unity or even daily talking points continue to make rank-and-file Dems frustrated and yearning for more from what most want to be a more oppositional party.

-Today is a self-imposed deadline by Trump that, if not met by a variety of countries, may mean escalating tariffs on aluminum and steel – yet another touch point of potential inflation and erosion of standing in the world economic marketplace. There is no indication of whether any negotiations are going on with any of the countries in question, and we now know one of the likeliest reasons why is because TACO!

-The newest nickname and what it means – ‘Trump Always Chickens Out’ – shows that most people are waiting for panicked monied interests to start to threaten Trump with economic collapse that would be blamed on Trump and Republicans, which would force Trump to concoct a reason to back down and claim a “victory” only Trump and the hardest-core MAGAts would buy as a win. Something to keep an eye on as the next couple of days roll on …

-If it’s a day ending in a ‘-y,’ it’s a day that means another Petty Atrocity involving someone in the Trump regime. Today, the Petty Atrocity Award goes to Acting FEMA Chair David Richardson. Dave, whose background involves logistics in Afghanistan while being a member of the Marine Corps, was given the FEMA chair to replace her first choice, “Internet personality” Cameron Hamilton.

-Amazingly, Hamilton may have been more qualified, as in one of his first briefings, Richardson was warned about how unprepared FEMA now is with hurricane season beginning. In response, Richardson was gobsmacked … at the notion there was something called a hurricane season at all. The note left staffers aghast, highlighted how pathetic FEMA has been in completing requests for non-hurricane aid in other red states (ask Arkansas), and led to the standard Trumpist response by Richardson of “I was only JOKING!”

-If you’re curious, the head of FEMA under President Biden was Deanne Criswell, who only brought experience running New York City’s Emergency Management Department during the COVID outbreak and lockdown, the head of emergency management in Aurora, CO, and a two-time-deployed National Guard firefighter to the job. But she was a woman, so … too woke and DEI for Trump, whose two white male made-for-TV nominees are … (gestures disdainly).

-There are glimpses of summer arriving in Chicago – two straight 80-degree days after a couple of weeks of dank chilly weather that made it feel more like late March/early April than late May/early June – but the calendar says the winter sports leagues are ready for their Finals, with one looking far more compelling than the other heading into them this week.

-The compelling matchup is the NHL, which is a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Final. In 2024, the Florida Panthers ran off to a 3-0 lead – and stunningly, the Edmonton Oilers than drew even with Florida, threatening to make them the first team to ever win four in a row after losing the first three. Alas, in Game Seven they fell short and gave Florida back-to-back Cups.

-The rematch begins tomorrow with Edmonton holding home ice and the acknowledged best player in the league right now, Connor McDavid, looking to seal his legacy and give a Canadian team the Stanley Cup for the first time since Montreal in 1993 (?!?). Given what Canada has had to take from the U.S. and who lives in Florida, I know who I’m rooting for!

-The NBA Finals starts Thursday, and officials are quietly concerned because the matchup is of two teams from two of the smallest media markets in the country: Oklahoma City and Indiana. The Pacers are somewhat of a surprise – a three seed, they rode the catastrophic injury of Jayson Tatum, a nuclear-hot Tyrese Halliburton proving the poll calling him “the most overrated superstar in the league” to be a crock, and exposing my Cleveland Cavaliers as being too soft in May to be trusted (and, sadly, that stays true until they prove otherwise) to make the franchise’s first Final since Reggie Miller led them there in 2000.

-But that is likely where it ends. The Pacers now have to face a Thunder team with the reigning MVP (Shai Grigorious-Alexander), a dominant run through a far-harder Western division, a ten-deep team that is still the youngest team in the league, and draft picks by the bushel. Indiana may be fortunate to win one game, and whatever the size of the city, OKC may be on the verge of a true dynasty in a newly salary-cap-and-penalty age. Should be fun … ish …

-SPORTSBALL! Let’s get to the day’s history updates …

-NEWS ON THIS DATE: In 1937, the newly-abdicated Prince Edward married Wallis Simpson. In 1943, Los Angeles’ Zoot Suit Riots erupted between Mexican Americans and U.S. servicemen. In 1965, Ed White became the first American to take a spacwalk. In 1989, tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square in Beijing to crush a nascent call for democracy, killing hundreds in attacks that have been memory-holed in China. In 1992, candidate Bill Clinton jammed to “Heartbreak Hotel” on the saxophone during an appearance on THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW. In 2001, THE PRODUCERS won a record 12 Tony Awards. In 2019, Forbes named Jay-Z the first rapper to become a billionaire.

-DEBUTS ON THIS DATE: Electric power lines in America (1889), “Light My Fire” (1967), EXODUS (1977), LARRY KING LIVE (1985), BIG (1988), WU-TANG FOREVER (1997), Montenegro (2006),

-HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Josephine Baker, Paulette Goddard, Ellen Corby, Leo Gorcey, Colleen Dewhurst, Jimmy Rogers, Tony Curtis, Allen Ginsberg, Chuck Barris, Larry McMurtry, Ian Hunter, Curtis Mayfield, Billy Cunningham, Hale Irwin, Penelope Wilton, Suzi Quatro, Deneice Williams, Melissa Mathison, Dr. Jill Biden, Lawrence Lessig, Anderson Cooper, Travis Hafner, Al Horford, Rafael Nadal, and beabadoobee.

-REST IN PEACE/POWER: Georges Bizet, Franz Kafka, Pope John XXIII, Ozzie Nelson, Roberto Rossellini, Stiv Bators, Eva LaGallienne, Robert Morley, Anthony Quinn, David Carradine, Koko Taylor, Rue McClanahan, Andrew Gold, James Arness, Deacon Jones, Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Piersall, Johnny Majors, and F. Lee Bailey.

-FEED THE WORMS: Jefferson Davis entered Earth on this date. The Ayatollah Khomeini bought it on this date.

-Raul Castro was born on this date. Dr. Jack Kevorkian died on this date. You decide if they get a Happy Birthday/Rest in Peace or if they Feed the Worms.

-TODAY’S MUSIC INTERLUDE: Happy Birthday to Boots Randolph. You may not know the name, but you sure know his most famous tune!