Post by mhbruin on Mar 26, 2022 8:48:48 GMT -8
US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 559 Million Shots (Population 333 Million)
↓ 11.6% Cases, two-week change
↓ 35.0% Deaths, two-week change
980,671 Total confirmed deaths
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California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday March 22)
There was some rain in the Nor Cal. A little more in the ten-day.
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
These are the Kind Of Idiots Who Give Liberals a Bad Name
A Ukrainian band who appealed to Ed Sheeran to take part in a benefit concert have been told they cannot feature.
Antytila, who are serving as soldiers, had asked to be included live from Kyiv in the fundraiser, which takes place in Birmingham next week.
But singer Taras Topolya said they had been refused a slot as the concert had a "purely humanitarian" purpose.
Organisers apologised, saying it must avoid association with the military.
"Because we are standing with guns and helmets, we are soldiers, and this concert is not for soldiers but for helping civilian people," the lead singer said.
In their original appeal from Kyiv, he explained, "in peacetime, our concerts gather at stadiums", but now "we are fighting with weapons against the Russian occupiers".
The band had offered to temporarily join the concert live from the war-torn city adding "we are not afraid to play under the bombs".
But the singer said "first of all we are musicians, helmets and body armour are temporary, but we understand the answer and we accept it."
He added: "The main thing is the people of the United Kingdom must stand with Ukraine."
Concert for Ukraine, which will be shown on ITV, takes place at the Resorts World Arena on Tuesday and will also feature Camila Cabello, Gregory Porter and Snow Patrol.
We Call "BS"
Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting for the Recusal
Legal Scholars Are Shocked By Ginni Thomas’s “Stop the Steal” Texts
Several experts say that Thomas’s husband, the Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, must recuse himself from any case related to the 2020 election.
Stephen Gillers, a law professor at N.Y.U. and a prominent judicial ethicist, described the revelations as “a game changer.” In the past, he explained, he had supported the notion that a Justice and his spouse could pursue their interests in autonomous spheres. “For that reason, I was prepared to, and did tolerate a great deal of Ginni’s political activism,” he said. But “Ginni has now crossed a line.” In an e-mail reacting to the texts, Gillers concluded, “Clarence Thomas cannot sit on any matter involving the election, the invasion of the Capitol, or the work of the January 6 Committee.”
We Have the Answer to Joseph Welch's Question . The QOP Has No Sense of Decency
Imagine for a moment what the Republicans would say if the spouse of a Supreme Court Justice nominated by a Democrat joined in a conspiracy..to overthrow a free and fair American election. Imagine she or he was part of a conspiracy to launch a violent, shock-and-awe attack on the Capitol in its furtherance. An attack that led to lives lost, our Capitol desecrated.
Imagine their response as she was discovered in the days leading up to the attack to be texting and emailing a Democratic White House Chief of Staff, encouraging him to illegally overturn the election and promote lurid conspiracy nonsense. Imagine she promoted the idea Republicans were "being arrested & detained for ballot fraud right now & over coming days, & will be living in barges off GITMO to face military tribunals for sedition.”
Now imagine her husband was the sole vote to protect the losing President from scrutiny. I'll tell you what they'd do.They'd burn Washington to the damn ground.They'd salt the earth.They'd call for sanctions, impeachment, removal.
Their powerful media apparatus would turn it into a 24/7 scandal story that would never ever disappear. Facebook would amplify (and monetize!) a million pages calling for the removal of said Justice.
They'd hold hearings and drag every person involved before them...in a televised Great Spectacle. It would become a centerpiece of their messaging for ages. It would be a drumbeat about the corruption of the opposing party.It would motivate no end of earnest op-eds from the gentry media.
The GOP silence now is telling. They've become masters are working the media refs. This isn't a trivial little scandal. It's real, it stinks, and it's outrageous.
In Fact, the QOP Has No Sense at All
In a suburban Fort Worth House runoff, Republicans debate killing women over abortion
Should Texas punish abortions by putting teenage girls and women to death? Or not? That’s the current debate in the Republican Party of Texas, where outlawing abortion is no longer a question of “if” or “when” but a question of whether to kill women for getting one. North Richland Hills Republican David Lowe swears his campaign in the May 24 runoff election has nothing to do with killing women. “I’m not even a fan of the death penalty,” he told a Republican women’s club luncheon last week in downtown Fort Worth. $2 for 2 months Subscribe for unlimited access to our website, app, eEdition and more CLAIM OFFER But then he went on to praise a House bill last session that would have made ending a pregnancy a potential capital crime.. In other words, Texas could kill the woman, along with anyone who encouraged her or helped. Lowe’s final comment was chilling. “Do we all agree that abortion is murder?” he asked the crowd. “Absolutely. There should be consequences for it.”
Let Them Eat Polish Sausage
Fox News’ Laura Ingraham and a guest pushed back on Friday against President Joe Biden’s pledge to accept 100,000 refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Obviously, our hearts break for the people in Ukraine. It is absolutely horrific what has happened to them,” said Ingraham, before asking guest Todd Bensman: “But is bringing them all the way to the United States in their best interest? And what about the U.S. taxpayers?”
Bensman, a senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies ― a far-right anti-immigrant group that’s known for its ties to white nationalists ― suggested the refugees would be better off staying in Europe where they have been offered three-year residencies with associated health care, rights to work and housing.
“So there’s really no reason whatsoever for Ukrainians to be coming to our border or for us to be bringing in huge swells, numbers of Ukrainians here,” he argued. “They’re doing great for a group of war refugees.”
“The issue is that they are not asylum-seekers,” Bensman added. “They have asylum, right in their own neighborhood, so it’s a little bit disingenuous.”
“Then that makes more sense. OK,” Ingraham agreed.
Another Taliban Ban. Or Is It a Tali-Ban?
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers refused to allow dozens of women to board several flights, including some overseas, because they were traveling without a male guardian, two Afghan airline officials said Saturday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions from the Taliban, said dozens of women who arrived at Kabul's international airport Friday to board domestic and international flights were told they couldn't do so without a male guardian.
Some of the women were dual nationals returning to their homes overseas, including some from Canada, according to one of the officials. Women were denied boarding on flights to Islamabad, Dubai and Turkey on Kam Air and the state-owned Ariana Airline, said the officials.
The order came from the Taliban leadership, said one official.
The Devil's Going Down to Georgia
In Donald Trump's push to fundamentally reshape the Republican Party, few places are a higher priority than Georgia.
The former president has issued highly-coveted endorsements in races ranging from governor to state insurance commissioner. His backing of football legend Herschel Walker essentially cleared a path to the party's nomination for a critical U.S. Senate seat.
Trump has taken a particularly active role in shaping the governor's race, recruiting former Sen. David Perdue to challenge incumbent Brian Kemp as retribution for his not going along with lies about the 2020 election being stolen. And in an effort to clear a path for Perdue, Trump pressed another Republican in the race — Vernon Jones — to run for Congress instead.
Trump returns to Georgia on Saturday night for a rally with Walker, Perdue, Jones and other Republicans he's backed ahead of the state's May 24 primary. The campaign is emerging as an early, critical test of whether the former president can live up to his professed role as a kingmaker in the GOP.
“I think it could be the start of, I don’t want to use the word downfall, but it could be the start of his influence waning,” said Eric Tanenblatt, former chief of staff to ex-Georgia Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue and a former fundraiser for David Perdue who is backing Kemp in the primary.
--------------
Today's Best Person in the World Nominees
The Servant of the People is Available on Netflix
In the second episode of Volodymyr Zelensky's very funny comedy series, The Servant of the People, one of the spooky bad guys says of Zelensky's character, the newly elected President of Ukraine: "He's known for being iron clad and brave."
That was the point I reached for the remote, pressed pause, and took a deep breath.
The 2015 series has just starting airing here in America, and for those of us who are new to it, it's a bit surreal. Every time you catch yourself chuckling, you then start to feel sad. It's emotionally draining. I find I can't watch more than an episode at a time and I do so with a certain dread. Friends have told me they can't watch it at all.
And it's not because it's bad. It's a good show and Zelensky is a talented actor. He's charming and self-deprecating. No, it's hard to watch, because we fear what's going to happen to the real President of Ukraine.
It's the Best Leadership Since George H. W. Bush Put Together a Coalition After Saddam Invaded Kuwait.
The current trip to Europe is a good an example of leadership in action from a US president as we have seen in many years. Not just confidence, competence, and a clear vision at a critical moment but leading by example. We're not just talking the talk, we're walking the walk.
In critical area after critical area, we've seen concrete steps to ratchet up support for Ukraine, for Europe and to increase pressure on Europe, meaningful measures on military & humanitarian aid, sanctions, energy security for our allies.
As importantly, thanks to effective diplomacy and a real commitment to being a good partner, @potus, @secblinken, @secdef, @jakesullivan46 & their teams have helped usher in an era in which the Atlantic Alliance is more unified than it has been for years.
What is more in an evolving crisis, the steps taken by the US and our allies have been robust--the strongest response ever to Putin's abhorrent behavior--and they have evolved swiftly as circumstances have warranted.
--------------
Invasions Have Consequences
He's Probably Down to His Last 5 Private Jets
Private jets owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch have been detained indefinitely by the British government.
The two jets belonging to billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler had been under investigation at Farnborough and Biggin Hill airports for three weeks.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said [Russian President Vladimir] "Putin's friends" should not "enjoy luxuries" while innocent people die in Ukraine.
Maybe Ukraine Should Ask for Some Russian Territory
Those who assumed that Ukraine would be unable to resist the formidable Russian military machine also assumed that Ukraine would therefore have to offer big concessions to escape being crushed. That assumption lingers on in laments that Zelensky and his Western backers are being unrealistic in refusing to recognise the compromises that will need to be made to end the war. If nothing else, according to this argument, without something to show for all this effort Putin dare not withdraw for fear of a loss of face.
It is however extremely difficult to identify a compromise solution that can be made to work. Moreover, as Ukraine is not being crushed, and the tide of war may be turning in its favour, instead of asking Kyiv what is it prepared to do to stop the war, perhaps it is time to direct that question to Moscow.
Russian Soldiers Say "Tanks a Lot."
Russian soldiers have attacked and injured their commanding officer after their brigade suffered heavy losses in the fighting outside the capital, Kyiv, according to a Western official and a Ukrainian journalist.
Troops with the 37th Motor Rifle Brigade ran a tank into Col. Yuri Medvedev, injuring both his legs, after their unit lost almost half its men, according to a Facebook post by Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk. The post said the colonel had been hospitalized.
Russian State TV’s talking heads have tried in vain to paint a rosy picture of the Kremlin’s invasion, but the cracks are starting to show. On Thursday, with screens depicting dramatic images of demolished Mariupol flashing behind them, hosts of the state television show 60 Minutes, Olga Skabeeva and Evgeny Popov, tried to point out the “positives.” They noted that Russia promised to pay compensation to some Ukrainians from the “affected” territories—10,000 rubles each, amounting to a mere $100 dollars.
Ten thousand rubles, huh? What’s that going to be worth in early May? Or June? By next fall you may have trouble converting it to anything resembling currency. You’ll have to take your payment in rubles,
Political analyst Vitaly Tretyakov concluded: “The situation is serious... We have to admit that there was no psychological breakthrough in our operation, where the opposing side would lose their will to resist... The resistance from the Ukrainian side is neither stopping nor weakening.” Tretyakov pointed out that despite the Russian media’s attempted depictions of Zelensky as a drug addict, he is being perceived by the West as a leader of a country that has been attacked. He also questioned the wisdom of “liberating” Ukrainians who don’t seem to want to be “liberated” and vehemently hate seeing the Russian troops on their territory.
Silly Ukrainians. Who wouldn’t want to be liberated by Vladimir Putin? Look what a bang-up job he’s done with his own country!
On Thursday, military analyst Igor Korotchenko acknowledged that the war may actually take a bit longer than 11 minutes.
Korotchenko surmised, “It’s obvious that the process of denazification of Ukraine will take the minimum of 15-20 years.” He predicted that the Russian troops would have to remain on Ukrainian territory, with the Russian military in charge of the entire country for the foreseeable future: “Whether this will take 15, 20 years or more, time will tell.”
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Today's Driving Safety Tip: Avoid Hitting Alligators
A Florida man has died after crashing his car into an 11-foot alligator.
The crash occurred after midnight on Thursday, according to a statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
John Hopkins (no relation to the hospital), 59, was driving east on County Road 672 in LIthia, about two miles west of County Road 39, when he struck an 11-foot alligator in the roadway. Lithia is about 25 miles east of Tampa.
Hopkins' car "veered off the road" and turned into a ditch, where a passing driver noticed it and called 911, the sheriff's office said.
Hopkins and the alligator were both deceased when detectives arrived on the scene.
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Will they Call It "Previous Guy International"?
Donald Trump's luxury hotel near the White House, which drew diplomats, lobbyists and plenty of controversy while he was president, received government approval Friday to hand the keys to a Miami investment fund, a last hurdle to a sale that many industry experts doubted would ever go through.
The federal government agency overseeing the building said an “extensive and exhaustive” review found no problem with Trump Organization plans to sell to a fund led by CGI Merchant Group. The Associated Press has reported that investors include former New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez. The $375 million price tag is far more than many expected for a hotel that lost tens of millions of dollars while Trump was president.
The deal is a significant victory for the ex-president's company after business partners cut ties following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by Trump supporters last year. The sprawling real estate company, owner of golf courses, clubs and office towers, had also been reeling from the impact of pandemic shutdowns.
The $375 million would more than make up for the $200 million Trump’s company put into renovating the historic, federally owned Old Post Office into a hotel, as well as the $70 million that a congressional oversight committee says the hotel lost during Trump’s four years in office.
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↓ 11.6% Cases, two-week change
↓ 35.0% Deaths, two-week change
980,671 Total confirmed deaths
New Cases 7-Day Average | Deaths 7-Day Average | |
| Mar 25 | ||
| Mar 24 | 27,784 | 732 |
| Mar 23 | 27,134 | 753 |
| Mar 22 | 27,545 | 787 |
| Mar 21 | 28,657 | 861 |
| Mar 20 | 27,786 | 901 |
| Mar 19 | 27,747 | 909 |
| Mar 18 | 28,274 | 972 |
| Mar 17 | 29,317 | 1,035 |
| Mar 16 | 30,040 | 1,052 |
| Mar 15 | 30,934 | 1,107 |
| Mar 14 | 32,458 | 1,186 |
| Mar 13 | 34,113 | 1,187 |
| Mar 12 | 34,253 | 1,210 |
| Mar 11 | 34,805 | 1,198 |
| Mar 10 | 35,269 | 1,197 |
| Mar 9 | 37,146 | 1,179 |
| Mar 8 | 37,879 | 1,161 |
| Mar 7 | 40,433 | 1,208 |
| Mar 6 | 42,204 | 1,259 |
| Mar 5 | 43,665 | 1,281 |
| Mar 4 | 45,555 | 1,319 |
| Mar 3 | 49,888 | 1,413 |
| Mar 2 | 53,016 | 1,558 |
| Mar 1 | 56,253 | 1,674 |
| Feb 28 | 68,480 | 1,832 |
| Feb 27 | 62,556 | 1,686 |
| Feb 26 | 66,053 | 1,719 |
| Feb 25 | 69,203 | 1,751 |
| Feb 24 | 72,111 | 1,720 |
| Feb 23 | 75,208 | 1,674 |
| Feb 22 | 79,539 | 1,602 |
| Feb 21 | 78,306 | 1,872 |
| Feb 20 | 98,012 | 1,872 |
| Feb 19 | 100,129 | 1,890 |
| Feb 18 | 103,462 | 1,920 |
| Feb 17 | 112,653 | 1,998 |
| Feb 16 | 121,664 | 2,020 |
| Feb 15 | 134,468 | 2,100 |
| Feb 14 | 146,921 | 2,208 |
| Feb 16, 2021 | 78,292 |
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | % of Vaccinated W/ Boosters | |
| % of Total Population | 76.8% | 65.5% | 44.7% |
| % of Population 5+ | 81.7% | 69.6% | |
| % of Population 12+ | 86.5% | 73.9% | 46.4% |
| % of Population 18+ | 88.3% | 75.4% | 48.1% |
| % of Population 65+ | 95.0% | 89.0% | 67.1% |
California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday March 22)
There was some rain in the Nor Cal. A little more in the ten-day.
| Percent of Average for this Date | 2 Weeks ago | 3 Weeks ago | |
| Northern Sierra Precipitation | 79% (62% of full season average) | 84% (61%) | 87% (60%) |
| San Joaquin Precipitation | 69% (54%) | 74% (53%) | 76% (51%) |
| Tulare Basin Precipitation | 65% (51%) | 71% (51%) | 70% (48%) |
| Snow Water Content - North | 46% | 55% (52%) | 59% (53%) |
| Snow Water Content - Central | 55% | 59% (64%) | 58% (66%) |
| Snow Water Content - South | 52% | 60% (66%) | 54% (63%) |
--------------
Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees
These are the Kind Of Idiots Who Give Liberals a Bad Name
A Ukrainian band who appealed to Ed Sheeran to take part in a benefit concert have been told they cannot feature.
Antytila, who are serving as soldiers, had asked to be included live from Kyiv in the fundraiser, which takes place in Birmingham next week.
But singer Taras Topolya said they had been refused a slot as the concert had a "purely humanitarian" purpose.
Organisers apologised, saying it must avoid association with the military.
"Because we are standing with guns and helmets, we are soldiers, and this concert is not for soldiers but for helping civilian people," the lead singer said.
In their original appeal from Kyiv, he explained, "in peacetime, our concerts gather at stadiums", but now "we are fighting with weapons against the Russian occupiers".
The band had offered to temporarily join the concert live from the war-torn city adding "we are not afraid to play under the bombs".
But the singer said "first of all we are musicians, helmets and body armour are temporary, but we understand the answer and we accept it."
He added: "The main thing is the people of the United Kingdom must stand with Ukraine."
Concert for Ukraine, which will be shown on ITV, takes place at the Resorts World Arena on Tuesday and will also feature Camila Cabello, Gregory Porter and Snow Patrol.
We Call "BS"
Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting for the Recusal
Legal Scholars Are Shocked By Ginni Thomas’s “Stop the Steal” Texts
Several experts say that Thomas’s husband, the Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, must recuse himself from any case related to the 2020 election.
Stephen Gillers, a law professor at N.Y.U. and a prominent judicial ethicist, described the revelations as “a game changer.” In the past, he explained, he had supported the notion that a Justice and his spouse could pursue their interests in autonomous spheres. “For that reason, I was prepared to, and did tolerate a great deal of Ginni’s political activism,” he said. But “Ginni has now crossed a line.” In an e-mail reacting to the texts, Gillers concluded, “Clarence Thomas cannot sit on any matter involving the election, the invasion of the Capitol, or the work of the January 6 Committee.”
We Have the Answer to Joseph Welch's Question . The QOP Has No Sense of Decency
Imagine for a moment what the Republicans would say if the spouse of a Supreme Court Justice nominated by a Democrat joined in a conspiracy..to overthrow a free and fair American election. Imagine she or he was part of a conspiracy to launch a violent, shock-and-awe attack on the Capitol in its furtherance. An attack that led to lives lost, our Capitol desecrated.
Imagine their response as she was discovered in the days leading up to the attack to be texting and emailing a Democratic White House Chief of Staff, encouraging him to illegally overturn the election and promote lurid conspiracy nonsense. Imagine she promoted the idea Republicans were "being arrested & detained for ballot fraud right now & over coming days, & will be living in barges off GITMO to face military tribunals for sedition.”
Now imagine her husband was the sole vote to protect the losing President from scrutiny. I'll tell you what they'd do.They'd burn Washington to the damn ground.They'd salt the earth.They'd call for sanctions, impeachment, removal.
Their powerful media apparatus would turn it into a 24/7 scandal story that would never ever disappear. Facebook would amplify (and monetize!) a million pages calling for the removal of said Justice.
They'd hold hearings and drag every person involved before them...in a televised Great Spectacle. It would become a centerpiece of their messaging for ages. It would be a drumbeat about the corruption of the opposing party.It would motivate no end of earnest op-eds from the gentry media.
The GOP silence now is telling. They've become masters are working the media refs. This isn't a trivial little scandal. It's real, it stinks, and it's outrageous.
In Fact, the QOP Has No Sense at All
In a suburban Fort Worth House runoff, Republicans debate killing women over abortion
Should Texas punish abortions by putting teenage girls and women to death? Or not? That’s the current debate in the Republican Party of Texas, where outlawing abortion is no longer a question of “if” or “when” but a question of whether to kill women for getting one. North Richland Hills Republican David Lowe swears his campaign in the May 24 runoff election has nothing to do with killing women. “I’m not even a fan of the death penalty,” he told a Republican women’s club luncheon last week in downtown Fort Worth. $2 for 2 months Subscribe for unlimited access to our website, app, eEdition and more CLAIM OFFER But then he went on to praise a House bill last session that would have made ending a pregnancy a potential capital crime.. In other words, Texas could kill the woman, along with anyone who encouraged her or helped. Lowe’s final comment was chilling. “Do we all agree that abortion is murder?” he asked the crowd. “Absolutely. There should be consequences for it.”
Let Them Eat Polish Sausage
Fox News’ Laura Ingraham and a guest pushed back on Friday against President Joe Biden’s pledge to accept 100,000 refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Obviously, our hearts break for the people in Ukraine. It is absolutely horrific what has happened to them,” said Ingraham, before asking guest Todd Bensman: “But is bringing them all the way to the United States in their best interest? And what about the U.S. taxpayers?”
Bensman, a senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies ― a far-right anti-immigrant group that’s known for its ties to white nationalists ― suggested the refugees would be better off staying in Europe where they have been offered three-year residencies with associated health care, rights to work and housing.
“So there’s really no reason whatsoever for Ukrainians to be coming to our border or for us to be bringing in huge swells, numbers of Ukrainians here,” he argued. “They’re doing great for a group of war refugees.”
“The issue is that they are not asylum-seekers,” Bensman added. “They have asylum, right in their own neighborhood, so it’s a little bit disingenuous.”
“Then that makes more sense. OK,” Ingraham agreed.
Another Taliban Ban. Or Is It a Tali-Ban?
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers refused to allow dozens of women to board several flights, including some overseas, because they were traveling without a male guardian, two Afghan airline officials said Saturday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions from the Taliban, said dozens of women who arrived at Kabul's international airport Friday to board domestic and international flights were told they couldn't do so without a male guardian.
Some of the women were dual nationals returning to their homes overseas, including some from Canada, according to one of the officials. Women were denied boarding on flights to Islamabad, Dubai and Turkey on Kam Air and the state-owned Ariana Airline, said the officials.
The order came from the Taliban leadership, said one official.
The Devil's Going Down to Georgia
In Donald Trump's push to fundamentally reshape the Republican Party, few places are a higher priority than Georgia.
The former president has issued highly-coveted endorsements in races ranging from governor to state insurance commissioner. His backing of football legend Herschel Walker essentially cleared a path to the party's nomination for a critical U.S. Senate seat.
Trump has taken a particularly active role in shaping the governor's race, recruiting former Sen. David Perdue to challenge incumbent Brian Kemp as retribution for his not going along with lies about the 2020 election being stolen. And in an effort to clear a path for Perdue, Trump pressed another Republican in the race — Vernon Jones — to run for Congress instead.
Trump returns to Georgia on Saturday night for a rally with Walker, Perdue, Jones and other Republicans he's backed ahead of the state's May 24 primary. The campaign is emerging as an early, critical test of whether the former president can live up to his professed role as a kingmaker in the GOP.
“I think it could be the start of, I don’t want to use the word downfall, but it could be the start of his influence waning,” said Eric Tanenblatt, former chief of staff to ex-Georgia Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue and a former fundraiser for David Perdue who is backing Kemp in the primary.
--------------
Today's Best Person in the World Nominees
The Servant of the People is Available on Netflix
In the second episode of Volodymyr Zelensky's very funny comedy series, The Servant of the People, one of the spooky bad guys says of Zelensky's character, the newly elected President of Ukraine: "He's known for being iron clad and brave."
That was the point I reached for the remote, pressed pause, and took a deep breath.
The 2015 series has just starting airing here in America, and for those of us who are new to it, it's a bit surreal. Every time you catch yourself chuckling, you then start to feel sad. It's emotionally draining. I find I can't watch more than an episode at a time and I do so with a certain dread. Friends have told me they can't watch it at all.
And it's not because it's bad. It's a good show and Zelensky is a talented actor. He's charming and self-deprecating. No, it's hard to watch, because we fear what's going to happen to the real President of Ukraine.
It's the Best Leadership Since George H. W. Bush Put Together a Coalition After Saddam Invaded Kuwait.
The current trip to Europe is a good an example of leadership in action from a US president as we have seen in many years. Not just confidence, competence, and a clear vision at a critical moment but leading by example. We're not just talking the talk, we're walking the walk.
In critical area after critical area, we've seen concrete steps to ratchet up support for Ukraine, for Europe and to increase pressure on Europe, meaningful measures on military & humanitarian aid, sanctions, energy security for our allies.
As importantly, thanks to effective diplomacy and a real commitment to being a good partner, @potus, @secblinken, @secdef, @jakesullivan46 & their teams have helped usher in an era in which the Atlantic Alliance is more unified than it has been for years.
What is more in an evolving crisis, the steps taken by the US and our allies have been robust--the strongest response ever to Putin's abhorrent behavior--and they have evolved swiftly as circumstances have warranted.
--------------
Invasions Have Consequences
He's Probably Down to His Last 5 Private Jets
Private jets owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch have been detained indefinitely by the British government.
The two jets belonging to billionaire oil tycoon Eugene Shvidler had been under investigation at Farnborough and Biggin Hill airports for three weeks.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said [Russian President Vladimir] "Putin's friends" should not "enjoy luxuries" while innocent people die in Ukraine.
Maybe Ukraine Should Ask for Some Russian Territory
Those who assumed that Ukraine would be unable to resist the formidable Russian military machine also assumed that Ukraine would therefore have to offer big concessions to escape being crushed. That assumption lingers on in laments that Zelensky and his Western backers are being unrealistic in refusing to recognise the compromises that will need to be made to end the war. If nothing else, according to this argument, without something to show for all this effort Putin dare not withdraw for fear of a loss of face.
It is however extremely difficult to identify a compromise solution that can be made to work. Moreover, as Ukraine is not being crushed, and the tide of war may be turning in its favour, instead of asking Kyiv what is it prepared to do to stop the war, perhaps it is time to direct that question to Moscow.
Russian Soldiers Say "Tanks a Lot."
Russian soldiers have attacked and injured their commanding officer after their brigade suffered heavy losses in the fighting outside the capital, Kyiv, according to a Western official and a Ukrainian journalist.
Troops with the 37th Motor Rifle Brigade ran a tank into Col. Yuri Medvedev, injuring both his legs, after their unit lost almost half its men, according to a Facebook post by Ukrainian journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk. The post said the colonel had been hospitalized.
Russian State TV’s talking heads have tried in vain to paint a rosy picture of the Kremlin’s invasion, but the cracks are starting to show. On Thursday, with screens depicting dramatic images of demolished Mariupol flashing behind them, hosts of the state television show 60 Minutes, Olga Skabeeva and Evgeny Popov, tried to point out the “positives.” They noted that Russia promised to pay compensation to some Ukrainians from the “affected” territories—10,000 rubles each, amounting to a mere $100 dollars.
Ten thousand rubles, huh? What’s that going to be worth in early May? Or June? By next fall you may have trouble converting it to anything resembling currency. You’ll have to take your payment in rubles,
Political analyst Vitaly Tretyakov concluded: “The situation is serious... We have to admit that there was no psychological breakthrough in our operation, where the opposing side would lose their will to resist... The resistance from the Ukrainian side is neither stopping nor weakening.” Tretyakov pointed out that despite the Russian media’s attempted depictions of Zelensky as a drug addict, he is being perceived by the West as a leader of a country that has been attacked. He also questioned the wisdom of “liberating” Ukrainians who don’t seem to want to be “liberated” and vehemently hate seeing the Russian troops on their territory.
Silly Ukrainians. Who wouldn’t want to be liberated by Vladimir Putin? Look what a bang-up job he’s done with his own country!
On Thursday, military analyst Igor Korotchenko acknowledged that the war may actually take a bit longer than 11 minutes.
Korotchenko surmised, “It’s obvious that the process of denazification of Ukraine will take the minimum of 15-20 years.” He predicted that the Russian troops would have to remain on Ukrainian territory, with the Russian military in charge of the entire country for the foreseeable future: “Whether this will take 15, 20 years or more, time will tell.”
--------------
Today's Driving Safety Tip: Avoid Hitting Alligators
A Florida man has died after crashing his car into an 11-foot alligator.
The crash occurred after midnight on Thursday, according to a statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
John Hopkins (no relation to the hospital), 59, was driving east on County Road 672 in LIthia, about two miles west of County Road 39, when he struck an 11-foot alligator in the roadway. Lithia is about 25 miles east of Tampa.
Hopkins' car "veered off the road" and turned into a ditch, where a passing driver noticed it and called 911, the sheriff's office said.
Hopkins and the alligator were both deceased when detectives arrived on the scene.
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Will they Call It "Previous Guy International"?
Donald Trump's luxury hotel near the White House, which drew diplomats, lobbyists and plenty of controversy while he was president, received government approval Friday to hand the keys to a Miami investment fund, a last hurdle to a sale that many industry experts doubted would ever go through.
The federal government agency overseeing the building said an “extensive and exhaustive” review found no problem with Trump Organization plans to sell to a fund led by CGI Merchant Group. The Associated Press has reported that investors include former New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez. The $375 million price tag is far more than many expected for a hotel that lost tens of millions of dollars while Trump was president.
The deal is a significant victory for the ex-president's company after business partners cut ties following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by Trump supporters last year. The sprawling real estate company, owner of golf courses, clubs and office towers, had also been reeling from the impact of pandemic shutdowns.
The $375 million would more than make up for the $200 million Trump’s company put into renovating the historic, federally owned Old Post Office into a hotel, as well as the $70 million that a congressional oversight committee says the hotel lost during Trump’s four years in office.
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