Monday, October 19, 2026

Ukraine πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ Will Defeat Russia

A horrific Russian strike in the Kharkiv region. A “shahed” struck people directly – in a park near an ordinary cafΓ©. Pure atrocity. Six people were killed, including children. A little girl was killed in a stroller – her name was Angelina, she was just over a year old, born in August 2025… Her mother’s name was Inna. She died in the hospital… Another girl who was killed was 11 years old. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Another 14 people were injured, including six more children.

I am grateful to everyone who supports Ukraine under these circumstances and helps us shoot down “shaheds,” shoot down missiles, and stop Russian assaults. These are horrific photos, but behind them are shattered lives and the truth about this war. Lives must be protected. Ukraine needs air defense. You can't think about making money with Russia as long as it continues its asinine war. We ask that sanctions on Russia stay in place as long as the killings continue. We ask America to be strong, and we ask it to apply the Lindsey Graham law. We ask Europe to continue its support. We ask that everything possible be done to bring peace and guarantee security. Ukraine wants peace. It is Russia that has insisted on continuing the killing all this time. The world has enough strength to stop the war. That strength must finally be used – against the murderers.
I will be speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his team this week to discuss Starshield, sanctions, and other matters pertaining to the defense of our strong ally, Ukraine. I will be assuring President Zelenskyy that anyone who attempts to limit the use of Starshield for Ukraine will be fully investigated and will be held fully accountable, to include public congressional oversight hearings, and immediate harsh and punitive budget cuts to any responsible agency or agency head.

Congress will unequivocally reaffirm that Ukraine is an indispensable ally to the United States, that Russia is a self-declared enemy of the United States, and that the United States will 100% support and defend the people of Ukraine in their fight for their own freedom against this brutal, illegal, and unprovoked Russian invasion.

The United States must provide any and all defensive equipment that Ukraine needs to defend itself. The United States must not import a single drop of Russian oil. Sanctions against the Russian regime must be harsher and stronger than they’ve ever been before. Each and every one of these items will be brought to the House Floor—and each and every one of these items will pass on the House Floor by an overwhelming margin.

This is, after all, what Ronald Reagan would do. And this is what we will do now. Ukraine can, and will, defeat Russia. #PeaceThroughStrength
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Like A Broken Record

I can’t get over the fact… ...this has become a feature of every Trump rally since we got within 90 days. Kind of amazing, really. It hasn’t penetrated Trump’s bubble, but it is a strong signal he’s not a king. Or a strong man. Not penetrating the bubble. The rally on October 14 was in the Majestic Valley Arena.  It has a seating capacity of 2600. The highest recorded attendance there is 8500. Not for the first time, he’s confusing the Arizona rally (outdoors) with the Montana rally. Both were on the same day. It just went on and on. 5 times? In Kansas? And then it went to six.
🀫

I’ve skipped over the racism (Somalians) and the fantasy of Canada as the 51st state, the cognitive test (he recognized a giraffe), and the rest of the muttering that is a Trump rally these days.  And it ended the way they all do these days: Yeah, the complete ignorant one he thinks is such a winner. πŸ€”
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What They Are Reduced To

They do not listen to them. QED. πŸ‘† And all it took was one example of Socratic dialogue, to prove it.
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“I’m Not Sayin’ We Aren’t Gonna Get Our Hair Mussed!” (IYKYK)

(He’s talking about finding non-citizens on voter rolls).
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Oh, What A Giveaway!

Doesn’t he have a job? Does that job leave you lots of free time? The only thing missing is the hot dog suit. Susan Glasser will notice Trump’s “pivot” to xenophobic racism sometime in November, 2028. Maybe.πŸ€” 

In the meantime, Trump’s next step will be directing Stephen Miller to get the Mexicans out of New America. As soon as he gets Google to change the name.
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*Chef’s Kiss*

A few months into President Donald Trump’s second term, political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security made an unusual request of its agency focused on cybersecurity: Secretly acquire a voting machine and hack it.

The appointees wanted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to procure the machine, examine it and report back the findings so they could be given to the White House, according to two former administration officials with knowledge of the request.

The proposition was shocking to CISA’s career staffers, according to one of the former officials. CISA typically worked to thwart hackers. Moreover, the agency had been directed not to alert the voting machine company if it uncovered flaws, contrary to its standard practices. The request made the CISA employees fear they were being asked to take part in political interference.

“My thought was they could keep it in their back pocket to invalidate any [election] results they don’t like,” one of the former officials said. “This goes against everything CISA represents.”

The CISA employees repeatedly told the political appointees that their request was impossible, in part because the agents capable of pulling off such an operation had just been laid off by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative. The appointees eventually stopped pressing CISA.
It’s the penultimate sentence that makes it art. πŸ–Ό️ 
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🎢I’m Not Sure What It Means…🎢

 So it’s the first day of early voting in Texas. The Lovely Wife and I went to our preferred polling location (a community center). I figured it would be busy, but it was packed. Parking is usually not a problem. We had to wait 10 minutes for an open space.

The line inside was long, but moved quickly. I’d guess there were 4 rows of machines, double sided, and someone voting at every one. The Lege, in its infinite wisdom, outlawed single party some years back, so you have to wade through the federal offices and statewide offices (Gov., AG, Texas Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals ) and district and county judges (criminal and civil), county officers (county commissioners court judge; county clerk, etc.), city offices, and one city referendum. One by one every fucking one. I kid you not, it took 20 minutes to fill out the ballot, then review it for errors.). I was surprised how civil everyone was, and how smoothly it ran.

It was a scene like I used to see, when all voting was done on Election Day. It was mostly old people (of course), and a local news station interviewed the Lovely Wife in the parking lot. 

Whether this turnout keeps up for two weeks or not is an open question. When Beto ran , turnout was heavy; but Cruz is still a Senator. So who knows?🀷‍♂️

We will see what we will see. As the curse has it: “May you live in interesting times.”

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Trump/Elmo: “We’re Still Looking For Who’s Responsible For This.”

Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy says Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and the Kyiv region in several waves overnight, along with more than 200 drones, including jet powered Shaheds, and that Ukraine again received no early warning from its partners.
' Zelenskyy said a medical clinic, a school, a metro station and residential buildings were damaged. He said Russia hit energy facilities in 11 regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Vinnytsia, damaging more than 10 energy sites and leaving at least 550,000 families without power.

Zelensky said Ukraine has accepted every ceasefire proposal, and that Russia’s response has been missiles and drones. He said that blocking deliveries of air defense missiles to Ukraine while Russia gets relief or delays in sanctions is “a denial of reality” by partners. He did not say which partners or which deliveries.

The attack follows a similar overnight barrage October 13th into the 14th, after President Donald J. Trump announced an “energy ceasefire” on October 11th. President Trump said October 13th that the U.S. is still sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
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But Somebody Said El-Sayed Was Smug

So what exactly ARE El-Sayed's so-called ties to terrorism.

His half-sister (raised by his mother) said his mother was a member of it in the 70s.

A few things about that.

1. The Muslim Brotherhood had already denounced terrorism.

2. El-Sayed wasn't even born.

3. El-Sayed was raised by his father and step-mother since he was 3.

5. The specific allegations that led to the designation only happened in the last two years.

So 50 years before these things happened, and 10 years before he was born, his mom belonged to them.

If this sounds like Obama's Brother Part 2, it's because it is.

This isn't about truth. It's about smuggling in racist assumptions.
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“You Have The New Heliport And Ballroom”

What color is the sky on his planet? Time is a fluid concept to old people. It’s a women’s healthcare event. He’s going to win the women’s vote for the GOP with this. She’s flying straight back to NYC.
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Sunday, October 18, 2026

Hot Political Takes

Because I mentioned El Sayed:
Here's the most important detail about mid-20s former @HawleyMO staffer Tommy Teepell getting his ass handed to him by @AbdulElSayed .

Teepell's Daddy was just offering people $200 to make just THOSE KINDS of stupid comments.

Tommy is a paid agitator and he STILL stepped all over his own dick.
Pretty sure El Sayed knew this, or at least wasn’t surprised by, Teepell’s question. Yeah, about those polls and the models they’re using: Early voting in Texas starts tomorrow. As my uncle used to say: “Clever, these Chinese.” Trump can’t walk in a straight line. (This should be a baseline qualification to run for the office.) We’ll always have Paris. News Nation is dumb enough to believe this. But given the track record of this Administration, it’s still credible. “[B]eyond anything the public has understood the case to be about” just means the models of our expectations are as unprepared for reality as the Texas election polls. Well, very likely. The future is still the Great Unknown. And News Nation is still as credible as Trump.
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October 9

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that he, President Donald J. Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet next month to discuss the war in Ukraine, without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to people familiar with the discussions who spoke to The Wall Street Journal. A former Russian intelligence officer said Putin raised it in an Oct. 9 call with Trump.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed discussions are taking place, saying there is “no clear understanding yet regarding the meeting itself or its potential agenda.” A senior U.S. official said Trump has not agreed but could be receptive. The White House declined to comment.

The Kremlin suggested holding it on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China, Nov. 18 and 19, the sources said. Others close to the talks said China indicated it would not object if Trump is on board.
Earlier:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier today that he held a phone call with White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and White House Envoy Jared Kushner. Per the statement from President Zelensky, discussions were centered on peace negotiations and past contacts that were had recently in Florida.

This comes amidst this past week’s U.S. waiver of key Russian sanctions and the throttling of Ukraine’s Starshield access which hampered Ukraine’s offensive capabilities significantly.
Context is all.
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This Is The “Genius”…

Trump: "My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table. Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations! Signing that document at this time will do that, and I can sign it later, or any time that I want! Perhaps more importantly, Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to keep it that way, and will, unless stupid people get in the way. Lastly, Zelenskyy is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States. Farmers, ranchers, and businesses of all kinds are suffering greatly from this, but Russia is, nevertheless, sending, at a low price, millions of barrels of diesel to the World. Zelenskyy doesn’t care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him, and that Crooked Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did. He could have made a better deal two years ago than he can now. His country is in shambles, a large portion of his land is lost, his oceans and seas are gone, and his male population is low, wounded, and/or dead. I WANT THIS WAR END! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP"
... who is going to declare “martial law”* because he won’t like the election returns, and intimidate millions of voters (most of whom will have voted by Election Day) with ICE and DOJ monitors, and armed military personnel, and seize voting machines and force Mike Johnson to force the House clerk to refuse to seat the entire House; or just the new members; or just the Democrats; or just the New Democrats (the conspiracy theory hasn’t worked out those details yet, even though its most prominent proponent is a retired federal judge), or Trump will cancel elections because “NATIONAL SECURITY!”**

The guy who lost 60+ futile and bootless court cases in 2020, and wholly failed to change a THING!, is going to succeed this time in an election in which HE HAS NO ROLE WHATSOEVER!  This guy:
Funny, that. It’s barely an alteration on this: He’s been saying that for at least a month now, at every rally. No one seems to notice that IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO FUCKING SENSE in a healthcare system where you need health insurance to see a GP, or buy anything stronger than aspirin,  a system that’s been that way for the past 50 years (yes, I do remember when “health insurance” meant “hospitalization,” and pharmacies were places doling out prescriptions for acute, seldom chronic, conditions.).  So what he’s really saying is : “FUCK YOU, DROP DEAD! GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT HELP YOU!” I swear, if it wasn’t for AARP, he’d have shuttered Medicare in the One Big Ugly Disaster.

And people still don’t think he means what he says, because he sounds so stupid saying it. And then others attribute massively stupid possible actions to him. It’s like they can’t get out of their own way to see him clearly.


*So do the people counseling Trump to declare “martial law,” or who fear he will. It’s not a legal concept countenanced by our constitution, legal system, or legal history. He might as well declare the landing of Apollo 11 secured the entire moon for the United States of America. But then MAGA would be upset because they all know the moon landing was faked.

**Yeah, that’s not a “GET OUT OF ELECTIONS FREE” card, either.
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πŸ’©

Yeah, but it doesn’t hurt when this happens:Rogers wants to hide behind the Sacred Narrative.  So, in his own way, does Bessent.
WELKER: Zelenskyy just said he believes the US government slowed Starlink. Can you definitely say no one in the Trump administration ordered restrictions?

BESSENT: President Trump and Secretary Rubio have categorically said that no one in the Trump administration did that. President Zelenskyy should be very careful about making reckless statements like that
"Reckless statements”? Coming from this administration, that’s hilarious. (Trump said he doesn’t know what’s going on. Elmo said Starshield is run by the Pentagon, not SpaceX. So apparently, nobody’s in charge? That’s a good look.) (Elmo doesn’t want people to realize he can cut off their StarLink, too. Starshield is a government contracted program. If Musk arbitrarily decided to slow down Ukraine, then that’s yet another problem. Bessent is covering himself in all kinds of shit, here.)
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Hit Dog’ll Holler

It’s better (pardon my pettiness, but I don’t disavow that!) in context: Hewitt objects to a real answer rather than a fake answer. An answer like this is more comfortable? (And the attack was in March, and Vance still hadn’t heard of it?) Even CBS had to get in on it; So, the Sacred Narrative* must be preserved, must be bowed down to, and “disavowal” must be ritually performed according to the rites approved by the right wing. El Sayed failed to complete the ritual. Therefore , he failed to “disavow.” Pay attention: he disavowed the Muslim Brotherhood twice in that conversation, but he shredded the basis for the requirement that he do so. And that’s the problem for Tommy and Jan and Hugh and Ari.

Yeah, Tommy was not a concerned voter, he was a plant looking to score points. El Sayed proved he’s fit to stand on the floor of the chamber of “the greatest deliberative body in the world” and stand his ground.

I call that a win.

*Yes, the tweet was deleted, but the text remains. The powers that be at CBS were less than pleased. There are many Sacred Narratives that must be observed.


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Saturday, October 17, 2026

🀦‍♂️

I used to tell people I’d been yelled at in court by judges, Id learned could handle  anything.

Seriously, if you’re in court as a lawyer, expect the judge to yell at you. I don’t mean it’s a common occurrence, but judges run their courtrooms. And sometimes they do that by yelling. You just move on. 

Whinging, in print, in court pleadings, that the judge was mean to you, is frankly unprofessional. Even if the judge is a demented asshole, you preserve your error and make the best of a bad situation. One of the first trials I worked on involved two defendants and a complicated set of facts. All the parties planned on a trial lasting at least three weeks.  The federal judge announced he had a trial set in Pecos (we were in Austin) in a week, and that was all the time he had for this trial. The plaintiff got two days to make their case, each defendant got one day for their defense, with the first day for jury selection. That was arguably more error than berating incompetent counsel (who are always fodder for any judge’s ire.). 

All this pleading really establishes is that the DOJ now has to look up to see bottom.  It’s gonna be a long time recovering from Trump.
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The Important Thing

Does any of that make any sense? The arena holds 8500, at best. He seems to be confusing Montana with Arizona, which was an outdoor event. SOCIALISM! Texas has almost 20,000 windmills, more than any state in the country. The windmills are real, the factories are only of his mind. That’s the important thing.
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All They’ve Got

Trump: "We have 5 states where your child goes off to school as Tim and comes back as Tammy 3 or 4 days later. It's true. And teachers make a decision. 'Goodbye Timmy I love you so much, I'll see you later.' And you say, 'Where's my son? My son is in the hospital.' Can you imagine? They don't even need approval"
Only Trump can imagine it. What nobody else can imagine, is what this sick fantasy has to do with the price of gas, or diesel, or food. Or how it addresses blatant corruption and government of, by, and for the billionaires.

Which seems to be what people are ready to vote against.
Pretty they aren’t motivated by fear of forced trans surgeries.
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(Im)Plausible Deniability

Following Russia’s devastating overnight attacks that heavily targeted Ukraine’s energy grid, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to X today to decry recent actions by the White House that saw additional Russian sanctions waived on top of the current 6 month oil and gas export waiver implemented in the last two weeks.
Latest: ​Zelenskyy tells reporters over WhatsApp that restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink systems remain. Interceptor drones can't function, logistics and operations hobbled. The maximum speed is 161 kph; "exceeding this limit causes the Starlink connection to cut out completely, resulting in the loss of the drone."

He says Ukraine has done tests to determine whether SpaceX is truly facing technical issues, as has been told Kyiv by the US side, or if this is a "deliberate operation... to restrict us, cut us off, and prevent us from defending ourselves and protecting our people, both at the front and among the civilian population."

He says Ukraine "sent a couple of vehicles equipped with Starlink terminals into European Union territory."

"They moved at speeds exceeding 180kph, and the Starlink systems worked perfectly. We have the relevant logs and evidence to prove this."

He adds: "The conclusion is clear: the restrictions are in effect within Ukraine but do not apply within the European Union. In other words, this is a planned operation."
Elon Musk proposed slowing down Starlink for Ukraine to President Trump, according to four sources familiar with the discussions who spoke to The Telegraph. One said Trump “agreed,” paving the way for the Pentagon to put speed limits on Starshield, the military version of Starlink that Ukraine uses to intercept jet powered drones and strike behind enemy lines. A European official and two Ukrainian sources confirmed that version to the paper.

The report conflicts with public statements. Musk wrote on X Wednesday that “any limits on speed or usage” are “decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” Trump said Friday that neither he nor Musk was responsible. A senior U.S. official told AFP the president made no such request. Reuters reported Thursday, citing two U.S. officials and a Western official, that the order came from inside the White House and reached Pentagon leaders as a message that Starshield needed to be slowed. The Pentagon has not publicly explained the restrictions.

Ukraine says the limit, about 100 mph (160 km/h), disrupted strike missions and the drones it uses to intercept Russia’s jet powered drones. Zelensky said Friday that Kyiv received signals from the White House that capabilities would be returned, but that speeds had not gone back to the previous limit.

The limit came as Washington pressed Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries in an effort to relieve strained supplies.
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🎢Somethin’ Happenin’ Here🎢

🎢Everybody look at what's goin' down🎢
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Seems Like Old Times

Rep. Omar’s lawyers sent a letter to DOJ prosecutors
They also sought the preservation of any records from a 2019 inquiry into Omar’s immigration history, which unfolded during Trump’s first administration. The Post reported Thursday that as part of that review, career immigration officials examined many of the same issues at the heart of the current probe — including questions over Omar’s birth date and her father’s military record in Somalia — and determined there was insufficient evidence of wrongdoing to warrant a full investigation.

“The political motivations behind this pre-election investigation and search are clear as day,” Omar’s attorneys wrote, adding: “This search was neither justified nor lawful.”
Desperately searching for something in the last seven years they can use to establish a RICO violation. Everything old is old again.

As for the search itself:
Among the restrictions the attorneys said agents did not follow were provisions requiring investigators to provide Omar’s lawyers with a copy of the warrant and to contact the House Office of General Counsel before carrying out the search. That would have given Omar the chance to consult with congressional attorneys on any legislative work product that might have been exempt from federal seizure, her lawyers said.
Her lawyers say she wasn’t given that opportunity until an hour into the search. Now ordinarily, DOJ would decline comment. But this is Trump’s DOJ:
A Justice Department spokesperson dismissed the letter as “riddled with false allegations and inaccuracies.”

“Our attorneys and law enforcement partners complied with all court orders and legal obligations, as they always do,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Leaking a letter to the press right after sending it is not good faith. It is a publicity play.”
Trump’s DOJ can’t resist an opportunity to try this case in the court of public opinion. 

Omar's lawyers said:
“There is no legitimate basis for any suggestion that she has violated any law concerning her citizenship status,” the letter read. “Still, recent experience teaches that the absence of a proper predicate has not stopped this Administration from pursuing politically motivated criminal investigations into President Trump’s opponents.”
Trump’s DOJ seems determined to prove them right.
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This Is Fine

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Friday, October 16, 2026

πŸ‚ πŸ’© All The Way Down

Yikes. In a desperate-sounding video, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper insists the Strait of Hormuz is “controlled by the United States… not Iran” and “open for business,” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary:

“Let me be clear. The Strait of Hormuz is controlled by the United States and our regional partners, not Iran, and it remains open for business. Over the last seven days alone, about 400 merchant ships have sailed through the strait. U.S. forces have also assisted Gulf partners in shipping over 100 million barrels of crude oil during the same period, adding to the more than 1.3 billion barrels of crude.

We have helped regional allies ship through the strait in recent months.”
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Admiral Brad Cooper has issued an update on operations against Iran. Adm. Cooper says the U.S. naval blockade has denied Iran at least $25 billion in oil revenue and that, apart from humanitarian assistance, Iran has no imports or exports by sea. He says about 400 ships have transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past seven days, and that U.S. forces have helped Gulf partners ship more than 100 million barrels of oil. Cooper also said U.S. efforts have helped freeze about $350 million in Iranian cryptocurrency, and that more than 20 civilian mariners have been killed by Iranian attacks on shipping since February.

The update comes as Iran continues to target vessels. Windward counted at least 23 attacks on commercial ships in and around the strait in the two weeks ending October 14, and Iran claims control of the area.
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Dumb And Dumber

A criminal RICO action requires a predicate act cataloged in the RICO statute. One of those is 18 USC 1028, which reads (as the lawyers say) in pertinent part:
(a) Whoever, in a circumstance described in subsection (c) of this section— (1) knowingly and without lawful authority produces an identification document, authentication feature, or a false identification document;

(2) knowingly transfers an identification document, authentication feature, or a false identification document knowing that such document or feature was stolen or produced without lawful authority;

(3) knowingly possesses with intent to use unlawfully or transfer unlawfully five or more identification documents (other than those issued lawfully for the use of the possessor), authentication features, or false identification documents;

(4) knowingly possesses an identification document (other than one issued lawfully for the use of the possessor), authentication feature, or a false identification document, with the intent such document or feature be used to defraud the United States;

Subsection C of 1028 reads:
The circumstance referred to in subsection (a) of this section is that— (1) the identification document, authentication feature, or false identification document is or appears to be issued by or under the authority of the United States or a sponsoring entity of an event designated as a special event of national significance or the document-making implement is designed or suited for making such an identification document, authentication feature, or false identification document;

(2) the offense is an offense under subsection (a)(4) of this section; or

(3) either—

(A) the production, transfer, possession, or use prohibited by this section is in or affects interstate or foreign commerce, including the transfer of a document by electronic means; or

(B) the means of identification, identification document, false identification document, or document-making implement is transported in the mail in the course of the production, transfer, possession, or use prohibited by this section.
I’m guessing they mean to make a case on (a)(4) based on the incorrect birthdate. Which is going to require proof she knew the birthdate she used to apply for citizenship was in error, and that error defrauded the American government.

Yeah, sure.

I don’t know enough of the argument to opine, but search warrants are fishing expeditions, to some degree. I can give you an example from civil litigation. Before law school, I was a legal assistant working with two lawyers on a case involving civil engineering design for a then new building at UT Austin. It was a very large building that had generated a lot of documents. UT was the plaintiff, so we (representing the engineers who designed the drainage system that failed to contain a heavy rainfall) asked UT for all documents related to the project. They complied, and I was ushered into a very large room filled with documents.  Letters, memos, blueprints, change orders (this was long before electronic communications lie email). I was given 8 hours to find what I wanted, and UT would copy it.

Fishing expedition. I was looking not only for a history of the project, but anything that would provide us a defense. I’ve never worked a criminal case involving a search warrant, but that’s what HSI was looking for in Omar’s home. Basically, anything that would be incriminating.

But it still sounds like a very thin reed. It’s my understanding Omar was a minor when she came to this country, and later she applied for citizenship. She may have relied on what she was told by her family as to her birthdate . If she did, it’s hard to say she committed fraud by using that date in her citizenship application. There’s also the question of fraud, which does not simply mean you got your birthdate wrong. If she knew, say, the year was off (apparently HSI thinks she’s younger than she says she is), is that fraud? Or just an error?

When does an error in paperwork rise to a RICO violation? It’s just a little hard to see how this plays out in court, except as a vindictive prosecution.

BTW, this is why the plumber says the statute of limitations doesn’t apply:
5) “pattern of racketeering activity” requires at least two acts of racketeering activity, one of which occurred after the effective date of this chapter and the last of which occurred within ten years (excluding any period of imprisonment) after the commission of a prior act of racketeering activity;
That is, actually, a kind of statute of limitations. Under RICO, HSI has to show Omar committed two acts of fraud, the last being within the last 10 years. That would be a fraud per (a)(4), above. This is not getting any easier to prosecute, because the fraud (it seems) was committed on her citizenship application. When else did she fraudulently misidentify herself for the purpose of defrauding the government? When she filed to run for office? If they can’t prove at least two acts, one within the last 10 years, they can’t bring a RICO prosecution. So the application error/“fraud” would be over 10 years old, and that is barred by the statute. Pretty sure that’s what they’re looking for.

Fishing expedition.

Getting her birthdate wrong there ain’t the same thing as getting it wrong on her application. And it’s not clear yet that either could be fraudulent.

But it doesn’t have to be clear yet. HSI still has to make its case to a grand jury. And it may, or may not, have documents that further that case.

Granted, this may all be eyewash. This Reuters article indicates Omar became a citizen at 17 as a minor, via her father’s naturalization. That was in 2000. So what has happened since 2016 that is a predicate act which could connect to what her father did in 2000, and connect to her acts in 2000? When she was 17?

All the hallmarks of another Trump hard fail.
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The Briar Patch

 I mentioned the BBC lawsuit, and this popped up:

“The Court has admonished Plaintiff for his lack of participation to no avail. Going forward, the Court expects strict compliance with its … Order, the failure of which will lead to sanctions,” Lett wrote.

Lett had warned Trump in June, after he failed to give the BBC his side of a joint motion, writing that lawyers “are not permitted to disregard the Court’s orders and procedures” and that failing to respond “may result in sanctions including granting the relief by default,” meaning she could rule for the BBC without hearing from Trump.
The short version is, Trump sued the BBC, and has since refused any and all discovery requests. He even dropped his claim that his businesses had been damaged, to avoid discovery of his business records (to prove any damages). Now he’s refusing to give a deposition until sometime next year; and the court is threatening sanctions that could include dismissal of the case.

A consummation Trump now devoutly wishes, so he can blame someone else for this stupid venture and its squalid failure. If he tried to drop it, the court might demand a hearing. If the court dismisses, Trump can whine and walk away, whining.

It’s what he does best.
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Do They Think This Will Win The Midterms?

I guess clapping isn’t working? Maybe that’s what’s going on. There were two reports that Patel was in Moscow, when he hadn’t left the country. And this is an opinion piece, not WSJ front page reporting.

OTOH, if it buys Ukraine intelligence access, they could take out some more troll farms. I mean, it’s useless, except it appeases Trump until a new Congress can take over.
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CLAP HARDER, GODDAMMIT!

YOU’RE KILLING TINKERBELLE! When pigs fly, AND Hell freezes over. You don’t sound like you know what day it is. Who can bother with details? Do you know what day it is, Grandpa?
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New Time Measure: A Zacharia!

A Zacharia is half a Scaramucci.* Yeah, that’s what did it. πŸ™„ 

“YOU’RE FIRED!” No, this was not reality TV.πŸ“Ί 
When you’ve lost Hannity AND Kilmeade….. WOW. He’s really pissed with Brian and Sean.


*Just doing what I can.
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People Just Aren’t Believing Hard Enough!

And they don’t understand it’s all Biden’s fault.
CBS: Vance had to face a lot of questions from voters on the administration's handling of the economy. We had a small business owner who was wondering — and they were Trump voters — when the economic wave that Trump is talking about, this "A+ plus economy," is going to show up in her pocketbook.
"REMAIN CALM! ALL IS WELL!!” Because AI is going to make everybody rich! πŸ€‘  I guess they didn’t get the memo. πŸ“ 
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Pardon Me?

 Library of Congress:

Whether Presidents may pardon themselves is an unresolved legal question for which there is no judicial precedent. Some federal officials discussed the prospect of a self-pardon during the Nixon, Clinton, and first Trump Administrations;nhowever, no President has issued a self-pardon, and no federal court has directly addressed the matter. Legal scholars and commentators have debated the question and reached differing conclusions. Proponents of the view that the President may pardon himself often emphasize the lack of limitation in the constitutional language, as well as certain historical views and pronouncements of the Supreme Court as to the breadth of the President’s pardon power in general.

By contrast, those asserting that the President lacks the power to pardon himself raise competing textual arguments and suggest that self-pardons could be inconsistent with other constitutional provisions, such as the Article I provision stating that officials convicted in an impeachment trial shall . . . be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment, and Punishment, according to law. A Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel opinion issued shortly before President Nixon’s resignation concluded that the President cannot pardon himself [u]nder the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, and some scholars subsequently have supported this opinion. Even if a President were to pardon himself, there is some debate as to whether a court would issue a definitive ruling on the pardon’s lawfulness given practical considerations and separation-of-powers concerns. Some Members of Congress have introduced constitutional amendments that would preclude self-pardons, but no proposals have been adopted.
I really expect the end of Trump’s term, if not the next two years alone, is going to trigger a series of constitutional amendments to rival the post-Civil War era. A self-pardon would make amending the presidential pardon power a no brainer, but the evidence of “pay to play” pardons would do just as well. Definitively revoking presidential immunity should be another. The 14th amendment revoked Dred Scott and Plessy. The 16th amendment revoked Pollock v Farmer’s Loan and Trust. There’s clear precedent for the authority.

Changing the Court itself? Congress has all the Art. III authority it needs to do that. Maybe we need to bury the “unitary executive” theory, too. Even clarify the authority of the 15th… as long as we’re writing a wish list. (Don’t get too starry eyed. Only 17 amendments have been added after the first 10, though over 11,000 have been formally, and informally, proposed. Such as:
What if we elected the President of the United States by lot—by pulling a ball representing a candidate out of a bowl? A constitutional amendment introduced in Congress in 1846 proposed precisely that.

In 1838, one member of Congress shot another, prompting the introduction of an amendment to the Constitution to deny public office to duelers.

A citizen wrote to Congress in 1963 to advocate for a constitutional amendment to require that Americans “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Anyone who failed in that duty would be sentenced to 20 years of hard labor.
Serious and unserious, IOW. But still, only 17 since 1791. And one repealed another (21 repealed 18), so that’s only 15 still active. Clearly time for a few more, though.)
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