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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:22:04 GMT -8
I'm pining for a good tree pun. I wish they were more poplar. Why aren't they? Just Aspen. Ukraine Enters LymanAll through Friday into the evening, Russian sources on Telegram were repeating the same stories: Ukrainian forces were everywhere; Russians troops were trying to escape, but the artillery was gone; the armor was gone; the officers were gone. Ukrainian forces were coming at them in waves, and even though the Russians were bravely holding their ground and mowing the Ukrainians down with machine guns, the Ukrainians just got back up and kept coming. Because drugs. Or zombies. Or zombie drugs. In any case, the Ukrainians were unstoppable killing machines. Please send help. At the same time, Russian fan channels were telling a very different story. Russia had reinforced Lyman. Ukrainian soldiers were dying by the thousands. Russia forces had lured Ukraine into a “killing field.” Lyman would ever remembered as a disaster for Ukraine. Lyman was a clever trap. Lyman was Russia forever.  There are also reports that Ukrainian forces have entered Zarichne and Torske, with Russian forces retreating from that area. Fighting reportedly continues outside of Kreminna, and there are reports of Russian forces also leaving that location in large numbers. While some reports indicate that as many as 5,000 Russian and LPR forces remained within the shrinking “pocket” at Lyman, that seems highly unlikely. Any Russian forces that remain likely number in the hundreds. On Saturday afternoon in Ukraine, there are continued reports of fighting in Lyman. Though why any Russian forces would be fighting at this point seems unfathomable. Here is how one Russian source describes it. The media and the government Telegram channels are beginning to casually admit there was some problem at Lyman, but they’re not making a big deal about the situation. Actually, it’s a disaster. Ukrainian Telegram channel Ukraine365 is reporting that Russian forces have retreated from Kreminna. Waiting on confirmation. |
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:23:14 GMT -8
Really, QOP? Really?
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:25:17 GMT -8
From Nate Cohn, the NYT Version of Nate Silver (Maybe Steve Kornacki Should Be Renamed "Nate", Too.)
Gerrymandering Isn’t Giving Republicans the Advantage You Might Expect
Yes, the G.O.P. has a structural edge in the House, but it isn’t anything near insurmountable for Democrats.
There is no shortage of reasons Republicans are expected to retake the House this year, including President Biden’s low approval ratings and the long history of struggles for the president’s party in midterm elections.
But there’s another issue that looms over the race for the House, one that doesn’t have anything to do with the candidates or the voters at all: the fairness of the newly redrawn congressional maps.
You might assume that the House map is heavily gerrymandered toward Republicans, especially after Republicans enacted aggressive gerrymanders in critical states like Texas and Florida. Many of you might even presume that this gerrymandering means that the House isn’t merely likely to go to the Republicans, but that it’s also out of reach for Democrats under any realistic circumstances.
In reality, Republicans do have a structural edge in the House, but it isn’t anything near insurmountable for the Democrats. By some measures, this is the fairest House map of the last 40 years.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:27:59 GMT -8
Liz Has Trussed It Up
Truss Tried to Reassure Britons With Media Blitz. Her Woes Multiplied.
In a round of interviews, the prime minister showed little sympathy for the pain that high interest rates could inflict on mortgage holders, critics said.
For Prime Minister Liz Truss, it was a chance to steady the waters after days of turmoil in the financial markets over her new fiscal plan: eight rapid-fire interviews with local BBC radio stations from Leeds to Nottingham.
By the time Ms. Truss signed off from the last one on Thursday morning, her political woes had multiplied, leaving her new government in a state of disarray almost without precedent in recent British politics.
She was, critics said, robotic in defending a tax-cut plan that had been eviscerated by the markets, and showed little sympathy for the pain that high interest rates could inflict on mortgage holders. One host described her as a “reverse Robin Hood.” A listener on another station asked, “Are you ashamed of what you’ve done?”
Barely three weeks into her job, Ms. Truss has suffered a dizzying loss of public support. Her Conservative Party now trails the opposition Labour Party by 33 percentage points, according to a new poll by the market research firm YouGov. That is the largest Labour lead since Tony Blair’s early days as prime minister in 1998, and the kind of gap that usually results in a landslide election defeat.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:29:32 GMT -8
The Mental Health Issue Is With the QOP Crazies
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:31:37 GMT -8
Matt Gaetz Votes Against Helping Floridians
Just days after Hurricane Ian ravaged his home state, Representative Matt Gaetz was one of many Republicans to vote against a stopgap measure that would continue funding the government and provide billions of dollars in extra disaster assistance.
The House of Representatives approved a continuing resolution on Friday, giving the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) the ability to spend through the Disaster Relief Fund, freeing up $15 million more in aid for disaster relief. Only 10 Republicans voted for the measure, two days after a Category 4 hurricane barreled through Florida, killing dozens and causing billions in economic damage.
Gaetz indicated he'd vote against funding to benefit government agencies earlier this week. He joined dozens of his colleagues in signing a letter that they would "do what is necessary" to prevent additional funding for the Biden administration.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:34:20 GMT -8
Does the FDA Approve Drugs That Haven't Been Proven Effective to Help Patients or the Drug Companies?
A much-debated drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease won U.S. approval Thursday, a long-sought victory for patients that is likely to renew questions about the scientific rigor behind government reviews of experimental medicines.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals based on results from one small, mid-stage study in which patients with the debilitating disease appeared to progress more slowly and survive several months longer. Typically, the FDA requires two large studies or one study with “very persuasive” survival results for approval.
“This approval provides another important treatment option for ALS, a life-threatening disease that currently has no cure,” FDA’s neurology drug director Dr. Billy Dunn said in a statement.
The drug, Relyvrio, is the third U.S.-approved medicine for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, which destroys nerve cells needed for basic functions like walking, talking and swallowing. About 20,000 people in the U.S. are living with the disease.
The FDA’s review has become a flashpoint in broader debates about the regulatory agency, including how flexible it should be when reviewing drugs for deadly diseases and how much weight it should give to appeals from patients and other outside voices.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:36:34 GMT -8
Yanqui Go Home! But We Wouldn't Mind a Few Dollars.
The Cuban government in a rare petition is asking the Biden administration for US aid to deal with the damage of Hurricane Ian, which pummeled the island nation earlier this week, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:40:27 GMT -8
Here's What Waiting For Those New, Untrained Russian Soldiers
Human Bodies Are Soft Targets
This isn’t the kind of rocket that’s designed to take out Russian bridges or Russian supply depots. It’s the kind that’s designed to take out Russians. And you really need to watch the following video to get some understanding of just how frightening it is.
This is a weapon that is designed to clear enemy forces from an area greater than 100 meters by 100 meters with one shot. And it can be delivered with a range up to 90 kilometers.
Meanwhile, this is how Russia is using its few high-precision weapons.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 8:43:42 GMT -8
Two Things Are Helping Dems in the Midterms. Independent Women.
When the Supreme Court decision dropped in late June, the two parties were roughly tied with independent women at around 39%. But around mid-August, Democrats started gaining traction with the cohort, leading to their current 8-point advantage, 47% - 39%.
Second, Voter Enthusiasm
With less than six weeks to go before the elections for Congress, voter enthusiasm is at its highest level during any midterm in more than two decades. And a record share of registered voters – 72% – say the issue of which party controls Congress will be a factor in their vote.
Voter enthusiasm rises – especially among Democrats. Opinions about Donald Trump also continue to be an important consideration for voters. A 60% majority views their midterm vote as an expression of opposition or support toward Trump – with far more saying their midterm vote will be “against” Trump (37%) than “for” him (23%).
The new national survey by Pew Research Center, conducted among 1,754 adults, including 1,439 registered voters, finds that the Democrats have several advantages at this point in the campaign.
First, Democrats hold a 10-percentage point lead over the Republicans in the generic ballot. About half of registered voters (52%) say if the election were today, they would vote for the Democrat in their district or lean toward the Democratic candidate; 42% say they would support the Republican or lean Republican. In June, the Democrats’ lead in the generic ballot was five percentage points (48% Democratic, 43% Republican).
Second, while voter enthusiasm is relatively high among voters in both parties, it is somewhat higher among voters who favor the Democratic over the Republican candidate. Overall, 61% of all registered voters say they are more enthusiastic about voting than in past congressional elections, higher than at any point during midterms in the past two decades, including at later points in those elections.
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 10:46:45 GMT -8
Thinks That Make You Go Hmm!
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Post by mhbruin on Oct 1, 2022 10:48:44 GMT -8
Beto Kicked Him in the Ab-Butt
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