Politico: “There were 20 open Democratic House primaries with women on the ballot Tuesday night, and voters selected a female nominee in 17 of them.”
Avenatti reveals extensive details of Cohen’s large scale money laundering, bank fraud, wire fraud while working for Trump.[Click] I read the Avenatti “dossier” “preliminary report” last night—but it was deleted minutes later. It was great reading. In addition to being Trump’s attorney, Cohen was also the deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee at the time, so it isn’t just a problem for Trump, but for the entire Republican party as well. What Avenatti released must have been among the information seized from Cohen’s office by the feds, so it means Mueller knows all that and more.
A Bad Night for House Republicans New York Times: “Voters nearly always dislike Congress, but Tuesday was a vivid illustration of just how toxic the taint of Washington may be in 2018. The night was a near-wipeout for members of the House seeking higher office.” Playbook: “Rep. Evan Jenkins got his clock cleaned in the West Virginia Senate primary. Indiana Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita spent months whacking at each other in the Indiana Senate primary, allowing Mike Braun to waltz in and say, ‘wait, both of these guys are D.C. flunkies. Vote for me.’ North Carolina GOP Rep. Robert Pittenger — who piqued the attention of the FBI in the recent past — lost.” “When House Republicans popped their heads up to take bigger roles, voters said ‘no thanks.’”
All in all, it sounds pretty good to me. One thing I have not noticed anyone suggesting is that Trump may [?!] have decided to abrogate the Iran nuclear accord to distract attention from is money laundering problems; that would fit his standard M.O.
HAD to look at the Ohio link because I couldn't tell from what it's called which way it was leaning. One might think the view of wanting to get strict on Gerrymandering might be called Gerrymandering Reform. Anti-Gerrymandering Reform sounds to me more like wanting to reform efforts opposing Gerrymandering, if you see what I mean. So glad it's what I would HOPE it to be!!!
America Keeps Accidentally Helping Iran[Click] I’d say this is somewhat oversimplified, but it does hit a number of the high points. Major takeaway [Not News!] is that US “leaders” are dumb as rocks, have no sense of history, and no concept of strategy. And now to go murder some weeds.
A new CBS News poll finds that “health care tops the list of most important issue for voters, ahead of the economy — and by two to one voters say they’ve been hurt, not helped, by the GOP’s changes to the health care laws. “Few Americans — only 15% — feel that the recent changes to health care laws made by Republicans have helped them and their family.”
Thank YOU, listener; glad you liked them. Don't forget the horseshoe crabs story! I find it therapeutic to extirpate, or better yet eradicate, weeds. It allows me to sublimate hostilities, irritations, etc. Currently hoping that the selective grass killer I tried in our flower beds will work--in another week there ought to be some evidence one way or the other. Among other minor gardening work today I cut back the largely dry leaves of our naked ladies; a really wonderful old flower--I have seen them growing along or near country roads, the only remaining hint of the home that was once there. I just now discovered they are originally from South Africa, but are naturalized in large parts of California because of similar climate. Hardiness zones 6-8, it is said, but I think our front yard might be zone 10, and they do just fine there. They need a dry period during the summer.
In other news, I received my ballot for the "June 5th" election, and will mail it tomorrow. I reconsidered some races, and changed two votes.
And this afternoon I received a phone call from a person who may be a first cousin. She and her sister had been looking for years to find me or someone closely related, and had been tripped up by a change in the spelling of their family name, as well as the [ahem] irregularities surrounding a certain branching in our family tree and what seem to have been measures taken to obscure a scandal. Boy, was she happy to find me! Her grandmother, the day before she passed away at the age of 98, told one of her daughters that her husband had had another family, and some specifics including my grandmother's and father's names; also my father's year of birth. I have a lot of documents and some photos she will be happy to get. And she could answer a question I had--her grandfather had blonde hair--unlike my father and his other possible father (black hair).
P.S.: Now I have found that I have numerous living relatives of both my possible paternal grandfathers; that increases the probability that I will have DNA matches on one line or the other. For more than a hundred years what happened has been covered up; all the people directly involved have passed away--but documents are easier to find thanks to the Internet, and DNA endures. No matter how it turns out, this is going to be very interesting.
Susan—this is particularly (albeit not exclusively) for you: George Will Rakes Mike Pence Over the Coals.[Click] The full column (link to the Washington Post) is fine display of GW’s skill with words.
A few items from here and there:
ReplyDeletePolitico: “There were 20 open Democratic House primaries with women on the ballot Tuesday night, and voters selected a female nominee in 17 of them.”
Avenatti reveals extensive details of Cohen’s large scale money laundering, bank fraud, wire fraud while working for Trump.[Click] I read the Avenatti “dossier” “preliminary report” last night—but it was deleted minutes later. It was great reading. In addition to being Trump’s attorney, Cohen was also the deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee at the time, so it isn’t just a problem for Trump, but for the entire Republican party as well. What Avenatti released must have been among the information seized from Cohen’s office by the feds, so it means Mueller knows all that and more.
A Bad Night for House Republicans
New York Times: “Voters nearly always dislike Congress, but Tuesday was a vivid illustration of just how toxic the taint of Washington may be in 2018. The night was a near-wipeout for members of the House seeking higher office.”
Playbook: “Rep. Evan Jenkins got his clock cleaned in the West Virginia Senate primary. Indiana Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita spent months whacking at each other in the Indiana Senate primary, allowing Mike Braun to waltz in and say, ‘wait, both of these guys are D.C. flunkies. Vote for me.’ North Carolina GOP Rep. Robert Pittenger — who piqued the attention of the FBI in the recent past — lost.”
“When House Republicans popped their heads up to take bigger roles, voters said ‘no thanks.’”
Axios: “One big warning for Republicans in the midterm elections: Democrats got more votes for their money in every competitive special election since President Trump took office.”[Click]
All in all, it sounds pretty good to me. One thing I have not noticed anyone suggesting is that Trump may [?!] have decided to abrogate the Iran nuclear accord to distract attention from is money laundering problems; that would fit his standard M.O.
—Alan
Is This How Avenatti Found Out?[Click]
ReplyDeleteDrugmaker Novartis [and other companies [Say They] Paid Cohen, [Have] Cooperated With Mueller’s Team[Click] Well, that’s enough about that sort of thing for a while.
Ohio Voters Pass Anti-Gerrymandering Reform By Huge Margin[Click]
And in science news:
The Last Days of the Blue-Blood Harvest[Click]
—Alan
HAD to look at the Ohio link because I couldn't tell from what it's called which way it was leaning. One might think the view of wanting to get strict on Gerrymandering might be called Gerrymandering Reform. Anti-Gerrymandering Reform sounds to me more like wanting to reform efforts opposing Gerrymandering, if you see what I mean. So glad it's what I would HOPE it to be!!!
DeleteThe How Avenatti Found Out link is verrrry innnnteresting!
DeleteAmerica Keeps Accidentally Helping Iran[Click] I’d say this is somewhat oversimplified, but it does hit a number of the high points. Major takeaway [Not News!] is that US “leaders” are dumb as rocks, have no sense of history, and no concept of strategy. And now to go murder some weeds.
ReplyDelete—Alan
Republicans Move to Force DACA Vote In Defiance of Ryan[Click] Jeff Denham? David Valadao? Are they trying to protect their skins? Could be.
ReplyDelete[The] list reads largely like a who’s who of vulnerable members from diverse districts. [Click]
A new CBS News poll finds that “health care tops the list of most important issue for voters, ahead of the economy — and by two to one voters say they’ve been hurt, not helped, by the GOP’s changes to the health care laws. “Few Americans — only 15% — feel that the recent changes to health care laws made by Republicans have helped them and their family.”
Alan (who is really going to kill weeds now.)
Great links today, Alan!! Many thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteWe may end up a nation with fabulous gardens, given the need to vent angst among the weeds!!
Thank YOU, listener; glad you liked them. Don't forget the horseshoe crabs story! I find it therapeutic to extirpate, or better yet eradicate, weeds. It allows me to sublimate hostilities, irritations, etc. Currently hoping that the selective grass killer I tried in our flower beds will work--in another week there ought to be some evidence one way or the other. Among other minor gardening work today I cut back the largely dry leaves of our naked ladies; a really wonderful old flower--I have seen them growing along or near country roads, the only remaining hint of the home that was once there. I just now discovered they are originally from South Africa, but are naturalized in large parts of California because of similar climate. Hardiness zones 6-8, it is said, but I think our front yard might be zone 10, and they do just fine there. They need a dry period during the summer.
DeleteAlan
In other news, I received my ballot for the "June 5th" election, and will mail it tomorrow. I reconsidered some races, and changed two votes.
ReplyDeleteAnd this afternoon I received a phone call from a person who may be a first cousin. She and her sister had been looking for years to find me or someone closely related, and had been tripped up by a change in the spelling of their family name, as well as the [ahem] irregularities surrounding a certain branching in our family tree and what seem to have been measures taken to obscure a scandal. Boy, was she happy to find me! Her grandmother, the day before she passed away at the age of 98, told one of her daughters that her husband had had another family, and some specifics including my grandmother's and father's names; also my father's year of birth. I have a lot of documents and some photos she will be happy to get. And she could answer a question I had--her grandfather had blonde hair--unlike my father and his other possible father (black hair).
Alan
P.S.: Now I have found that I have numerous living relatives of both my possible paternal grandfathers; that increases the probability that I will have DNA matches on one line or the other. For more than a hundred years what happened has been covered up; all the people directly involved have passed away--but documents are easier to find thanks to the Internet, and DNA endures. No matter how it turns out, this is going to be very interesting.
DeleteAlan
Susan—this is particularly (albeit not exclusively) for you:
ReplyDeleteGeorge Will Rakes Mike Pence Over the Coals.[Click] The full column (link to the Washington Post) is fine display of GW’s skill with words.
—Alan
Here is Mr. Avenatti’s Preliminary Report of Findings—back online.[Click] Good fun!
ReplyDelete—Alan