The government sent a 40 page statement to a tRump appointed judge telling her why a "special master" is not needed to review the documents the government seized at Mar a Lago. Inside the statement the DOJ says its investigation is ongoing and the special master could possibly compromise the government's case.
As many have pointed out, if anyone other than the failed former guy stole and retained classified documents they would likely be led away in handcuffs. Enough already. Lock him up!
In a recent poll, only 3% of respondent asserted climate change was the number one issue facing America today. Meanwhile, 10 of the 15 fastest growing counties in the country are located in the Southwest which is suffering the effects of a 1000 year drought. The other 5 counties are located in the Southeast and Northwest. The counties losing population are in the Midwest and Northeast, both areas suffering the least from climate change.
Most people know in their hearts there is a problem. But with one of the two political parties denying any connection between weather disasters and climate change, confusion reigns. Outside of authoritarian regimes, there is no political party like the GOP and its attitude toward climate. Unless and until Republicans have a change of heart, people will continue to move to vulnerable areas and we will be heading for disaster.
Still transplanting fall lettuce and greens like chinese cabbage and broccoli. I finished harvesting a 20 foot row of potatoes. H/t to Ralph Childs for the seed. It was a bumper crop of beautiful spuds. Planted spinach to follow. It is late for spinach at this point, but a warmer than normal fall is predicted, so we will see. The summer squash is about to succumb to downy mildew, but the plants produced like champions all summer. Cucumbers, ditto.
I'm still getting used to a constrained garden situation with shade a major problem. The garden beds produced really well with 6 hours of direct sunshine per day. Having gardened with full sun for many years, I was surprised many vegetables performed so well. I guess it's never too late for old dogs to learn a few new tricks!
California has said it will ban the sale of gas powered vehicles starting in 2035! With a car market as large as that of many European countries, this is a BFD. Also, 16 states usually follow California's lead, putting pressure on carmakers to ramp up their EV programs. If I am still driving in 2035, it will definitely be electric.
Of course the most conservative Supreme Court in a century will probably find some way to block California's initiative, but the idea of an EV future is a genie which will not go back into the bottle without a fight. The Court threw incentives to the states when it came to abortion law and will reap the whirlwind from the Dobbs decision. Let's see if they can step on their collective robe when it comes to saving the planet.
Joe Biden stepped firmly on the new third rail of American politics yesterday. He unveiled a plan to help former college students struggling with up to 1.5 trillion in student debt. Virtually all will get $10 thousand in forgiveness. Students who took advantage of Pell grants will receive an additional 10 thousand in relief.
Many of my fellow baby boomers are against giving any forgiveness to student debt. We paid our own way and paid off any loans goes the argument. Unfortunately, this attitude flies in the face of real world experiences of my generation.
When i graduated high school in 1969, tuition, room and board and books at a New York state public university ran about $2500.00 per year. I had a regents scholarship and some savings and was able to graduate in 1973 with about $1500. in debt at 4% interest. All told, in today's dollars it cost me about 50 thousand to graduate. That's about the equivalent of one year of expenses today. Much of the difference is the bloated administrations in today's universities and colleges. We need to reform higher education to reflect our priorities.
The sacrificial lamb was selected in NY 21cte last night. Matt Castelli earned the dubious honor of running against Elise Stefanik to represent the district in the next Congress. Castelli is a former CIA agent who is betting a moderate democrat can defeat the MAGA candidate in a district which continues to trend bright red. Outside of Democratic enclaves surrounding universities and hospitals in the district we might as well be in the backwoods of Tennessee or Alabama as far as voting proclivities. Guns are the major issue in this area and even "moderate" Republicans are worried the government is coming for their AR-15s.
At one time a Democrat actually broke through and won this district for the first time since the Civil War. Bill Owens, a Clinton Democrat with strong ties to the business community sneaked through when Republicans split their vote between two candidates. Unless Castelli has some secret plan or Stefanik is embroiled in a shocking scandal, the latter is basically a shoe in. I can almost sympathize with downstate Republicans in Blue districts who probably feel the way I do. Democracy for thee, but not for me.
The old axiom regarding stupidity is keep your mouth shut or open it and remove all doubt. Ron Johnson has chosen the latter, although there was never any doubt. When asked by a reporter if he had intended to deliver a competing slate of Wisconsin electors to VP Mike Pence on January 6, Johnson said he only intended to do it for a matter of seconds, therefore there was no attempt to interfere with the orderly transition of government to Joe Biden.
I guess in Johnson's mind there must be a time limit on treason and 2 seconds doesn't cut it.
