November 16, 2025

Here's the statement, which clearly says that nations have a right to secure their borders. They're condemning the ...

... current treatment of immigrants who are here. Every bad thing they're objecting to is happening. It's a bit long, so I underlined the 'borders' paragraph, but it's a very good statement overall.

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In a vote of 216 votes in favor, 5 votes against, and 3 abstentions, the bishops overwhelmingly approved the Special Message, with sustained applause of the body following the vote.

The full text of the bishops’ Special Pastoral Message follows:

As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones.

Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity.

Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation’s immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together.

We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks.

The Church’s teaching rests on the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). As pastors, we look to Sacred Scripture and the example of the Lord Himself, where we find the wisdom of God’s compassion. The priority of the Lord, as the Prophets remind us, is for those who are most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger (Zechariah 7:10). In the Lord Jesus, we see the One who became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8 ), we see the Good Samaritan who lifts us from the dust (Luke 10:30–37), and we see the One who is found in the least of these (Matthew 25). The Church’s concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants is a response to the Lord’s command to love as He has loved us (John 13:34).

To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:26). You are not alone!

We note with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs. We urge all people of good will to continue and expand such efforts.

We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform.

As disciples of the Lord, we remain men and women of hope,
and hope does not disappoint! (cf. Romans 5:5)

May the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe enfold us all in her maternal and loving care and draw us ever closer to the heart of Christ.

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October 8, 2025

I hope they're searching for boxes in the restrooms in the Justice Department building's basement..

The FBI was located in the DoJ building from its establishment in 1908 as the Bureau of Investigation, until it moved to its own building in 1975.

Earhart went missing in 1937, and was declared dead in 1939. The US Navy and Coast Guard searched for them for more than two weeks.

A short Pathe newsreel detailing her 1937 disappearance: it's a webm file so DU won't embed it, but it should open in a browser.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Amelia_Earhart_Disappears_%281937%29.webm

Perhaps Felony47 will next release the Jimmy Hoffa files. And the Bigfoot surveillance tapes.

September 16, 2025

Under the newish NYS bail reform law, pretrial defendants are released from custody and given a desk appearance ticket

NB: This is very very simplified..

In the past, the need to put up cash bail is largely what kept people in jail before trial. Bail (or measures such as home confinement/monitoring) is now allowed only in cases where someone is considered a flight risk, and where, to begin with, the specific crime is one where bail is even permitted under the law.

Most crimes (including all misdemeanors and most felonies) in NYS fall into the category where a judge cannot require bail.

There are some situations where a judge can remand someone to prison because they present a danger to others, but those are very limited, and have to be run through a process before that can be ordered.

September 12, 2025

"Lu, in 10 minutes I will be dead"...

In the dramatization of Herman Wouk's two part masterwork on the lead-up to WW2 and the war itself, The Winds of War & War and Remembrance, Rommel returns to his house after speaking with the men who came to arrest him, and says that to his wife Lucia.

His teenage son Manfred was also at home. The family lived their lives out without any apparent retribution, which was likely one of the reasons he opted for suicide. The son later became the mayor of Stuttgart from 1974 until 1996.

If you've never read these books, I highly recommend them. Wouk tells the story by weaving the lives of several fictional individuals, with those of real people and the events of the day, from the Anschluss to Hiroshima. Combined, the books are more than 2,000 pages long.

Good post!

April 26, 2025

Live: People are filling the open spaces St Peter's Square and beyond in advance of Francis' 10:00AM funeral service

Note: this live view keeps changing, as the time for the funeral approaches. The funeral stream link is below.

If you're interested, the foreign dignitaries will be seated in the area to the right of the altar, which is under a canopy directly in front of the basilica.

The seating is alphabetical with some exceptions, based on the French version of country names. The exceptions: Francis' native country, Argentina, will be seated first, followed by Italy. Also, foreign monarchs and their spouses from the various constitutional monarchies (as well as some others) will occupy at least the first row, ahead of all the heads of government/state.

The section to the left of the altar is where the senior clergy (cardinals, bishops etc will be seated.

The seated area to the front of the altar is where other invited individuals will sit, as well as clergy and members of religious orders.



Here is the link to the stream of the service:

January 6, 2025

Pandas at the National Zoo: A Merry Moment With Bao Li and Qing Bao

While the new giant pandas are scheduled to meet the public later this month (both in person and on the Panda cam), the Zoo occasionally posts videos of them. This one was posted for Christmas. (Paws crossed that they capture/share a video of them in the snow).

Their habitats, both indoors and out, have undergone extensive renovations, to add more 'playground' diversions for them, as well as larger water pools. As is the case with adult or near adult pandas, they do not share the same space. However, there are some mesh-covered windows in the wall between them, so they can have look/sniff at one another, if they wish.

October 20, 2024

Number 41!

With a 5-2 victory tonight in a 10 inning game over the Cleveland Guardians, the New York Yankees have won their 41st American League Pennant.

They will meet the winner of the National League Pennant next weekend, in search of their 28th World Series championship. The Dodgers lead the NL series over the New York Mets by 3 games to 2, with the action returning to LA tomorrow for Game 6.

May 28, 2024

Way overdue, but good news. It sounds like MLB used $$ to push him into 'retirement'...

... Various articles note something like this:

Hernández and the league have reportedly been negotiating terms of his retirement over the past two weeks. (From Yahoo Sports)

I assume that umpires normally retire under the terms of existing contractual pension arrangements and don't require any negotiations.

He sued the league for discrimination awhile back claiming he was not chosen to work the World Series due to his Cuban ethnicity. The case was thrown out, and subsequent appeals failed as well. He last worked the WS in 2005.

February 12, 2024

When the KC Chiefs visited the White House last spring, after winning Superbowl LVII...

Travis Kelce described the visit to his older brother Jason on one of their podcasts. Jason plays center for the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that the Chiefs played/defeated in that game. (Dr Jill was rooting for them, I believe.) There's a bit of silliness early on, but he was clearly delighted to be there. (He had yet to meet Ms Swift at this point.)

Two players, Kelce and quarterback Pat Mahomes, along with coach Andy Reid and the team president Mark Donovan, met with President Biden in the Oval Office. The ceremony with the entire team took place in the usual area facing the South Lawn. (Joe has already invited them to visit again this year.)

February 9, 2024

It might be in their dna by now!

There's an excellent documentary on them and that performance that's about an hour long:

The one shame is that there isn't a better quality video of the performance in circulation, unsurprising given when it took place, but still a shame.