speak easy
speak easy's JournalWhat do you see in this cartoon?
I imagine a vampire springing out of the casket to bite 2021 in the neck
Federal Judge: "It's not surprising that a criminal like Trump pardons other criminals".
Federal judge in Iowa ridicules Trump's pardonsIOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge in Iowa who has warned against political corruption is ridiculing President Donald Trump’s pardons, including those issued to convicted Republican campaign operatives and former members of Congress.
“It’s not surprising that a criminal like Trump pardons other criminals,” senior U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt of the Southern District of Iowa told The Associated Press in a brief phone interview Monday. In a bit of humor, he said: “But apparently to get a pardon, one has to be either a Republican, a convicted child murderer or a turkey.”
Pratt was referring to pardons Trump granted to his former campaign aides convicted during the special counsel’s Russia inquiry, former GOP congressmen who committed crimes, and security contractors convicted of killing innocent civilians in Iraq. Trump also pardons turkeys — this year two from Iowa — annually before Thanksgiving.
Pratt has been on the bench since his appointment by President Bill Clinton in 1997. He has had a reduced caseload since 2012, when he assumed senior status.
https://apnews.com/article/iowa-iowa-city-crime-campaigns-political-corruption-969e1ced04b53755d841a1dd4b1a3429
UK records its highest number of new Covid infections, with 53,135 cases
Source: The Guardian.
The UK has recorded a dramatic jump to more than 53,000 Covid-19 cases – its biggest ever daily case count, one day after it crossed 40,000 cases for the first time.
Cases have been on the rise as the fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus makes its presence felt. The UK recorded 53,135 new daily infections, as well as 414 deaths.
While the high numbers may be in part due to a lag in the data that was not reported in full over the Christmas period, Public Health England said the figures were “largely a reflection of a real increase”.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/29/uk-records-its-highest-number-of-new-covid-infections-with-53135-cases
A bit late, but I wish to applaud Pfizer/BioNTech
for making their application for emergency FDA approval after November 3rd.
No, I don't think it would have changed the election result, but it certainly would have sown widespread distrust of the vaccine(s) as an election stunt, rushed through at the expense of safety to benefit Trump.
As events played out, having UK approval before the FDA, along with the fact Pfizer rejected Warp Speed money also helped.
My rule of thumb with this administration was/is to treat every announcement as a lie. That would have gone double for a vaccine miracle announced on election eve.
Anyway - thanks to all concerned.
Has Trump endorsed the House Bill for $2,000 per person payments?
($600 per child) Seems like it.
"On Monday, the House will vote to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000. therefore a family of four would receive $5,2000.
... The Senate will start the process for a vote increases checks to $2,000 ...
(... repeals Section 230 and starts an investigation into voter fraud)
https://cutt.ly/Hh7Nq6h
Ann Telnaes, December 25, 2020.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/12/25/ann-telnaes-trump-presidency-2020/
WaPo: Witnesses timeline of Nashville RV explosion.
As reported to WaPo by Betsy Williams her wife, Kim Madlom.
Woke to the sound of rounds of automatic gunfire
(now believed by the witnesses to be a recording broadcast from the RV)
Witnesses (and others) alerted 911
Then
RV broadcast warning it was armed with a bomb.
RV began countdown: “This vehicle will explode in 15 minutes. And then 14 minutes, and 13 minutes.”
When the countdown ended there was no explosion.
"Unbeknown to them, the RV now was blaring a different message:... 'This area must be evacuated now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now' "
Sometime later, detonation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2020/12/25/nashville-explosion-witnesses/
The timing, predawn Christmas Day, and the elaborate setup, suggests that the bombers wanted to minimize the chance of casualties.
Reminiscent of the IRA in the 1980s.
Trump's bottom line: $2,000 and repeal Section 230.
Slapdog Lindsey tweets his master's voice.
https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1342637767994580992
AT&T outage reported, 911 disrupted in wake of Nashville explosion
Source: Nashville Tennessean
A widespread internet outage was reported in Nashville hours after a massive explosion downtown.
AT&T internet and phone service was disrupted in the area about 12 p.m. Friday.
Users around the country reported disruptions in service but there was a concentration in the Nashville area and Middle Tennessee.
A handful of local police departments reported the outage was disrupting 911 access, including some non-emergency lines, in their jurisdictions.
Read more: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2020/12/25/att-outage-internet-down-hours-after-nashville-explosion/4045278001/
The outages were reported several hours after an explosion in downtown Nashville that took place near an AT&T facility. An AT&T spokesman confirmed the outage was linked to the explosion.
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