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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #15-9: You Can't Do That In Congress Edition
Last edited Thu Oct 12, 2023, 05:55 PM - Edit history (2)
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #15-9: You Can’t Do That In Congress Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots! Yooooooooooooooooooo!!!! What’s up, Tempe? It is good to be back in Arizona! How you guys doing? You doing fucking good? Great! This was the edition we didn’t think was going to happen. It was originally supposed to be in Barcelona if you can believe that, but we had a falling out with our host venue and the event got canceled. We will be going back to Europe next year, that you can be sure of. We’ve even been floating the idea of going to Brazil next year at some point. But then we were supposed to have this show in New York City but the floods happened this last week and the authorities basically said “you can’t come here for now”. We will also be back to NYC at some point. Thankfully our friends at the Tempe Improv came through for us, so give them a big round of applause! Also too, don’t forget that this weekend, we have Season 2 episode 1 of Holy Shit: The Sunday Sermons. Yes after many delays, we are proud to finally launch the second season of our spinoff series! And yes, last week, I forgot. So sue me. Do we have time for the thing? OK look people, there’s one thing if you’re traveling with your dog or your cat on a flight. But I will tell you what’s not a pet – rats and otters. Yes, I have heard of rats as pets, but come on, let’s face it – they don’t belong on airplanes. No, I don’t care if I am being discriminatory here. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Right, amphibious rodent! Appreciate the Big Lebowski reference! But this was a real story out of Vietnam where a woman brought a rat and an otter onto a plane and they got loose and caused panic among the passengers on that flight. Yeah get these motherfucking rats off this motherfucking plane! Another great reference, thank you! So yeah people don’t bring animals like that on planes because things could and definitely will go horribly, horribly wrong. Yes, Animals On A Plane! That’s the next logical sequel! OK enough of the intro, but we are happy to announce that John Oliver is back! Yay!!! And this week he delves into the topic of homeschooling, or homescholing, as the famous meme puts it:
Holy shit, we take a week off and Congress goes to hell. Not like it hasn’t been there already, but still… holy shit! In the number one slot this week, we have to talk about the MAGA Coup (1) in Congress initiated by Matt Gaetz (Q – Sex Offender) against Kevin McCarthy and guess what? It succeeded, and it’s way crazier than you would ever expect! In the second slot this week, we’re going to predict who the next Speaker Of The House is, and yeah there’s a lot of super cringy suggestions coming from the right, and yes, there’s also that bizarre theory being floated in right wing conspiracy theory circles about Asshole 45 possibly becoming the next speaker. Blech. In the number 3 slot this week, speaking of Asshole 45, we have to talk about his trial going on in New York City right now, and he’s basically just the whiny baby sitting at the end of the table, which is pretty pathetic if you ask us. And in the number 4 slot, when Asshole 45 (4) comes to my hometown, you can bet your ass that we have to cover it, and his speech was absolute insanity. People paid money for this. WTF. In the number 5 slot this week, is Vladimir Putin (5). So if you saw Stephen Colbert this week, he mentioned that he was among some 400 people who simply got banned from ever getting to visit Russia. And if we’re somehow on that list, we’re OK with that. Fuck you Putin! In the number 6 slot this week is of course our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit” (6) and this week, people call MAGA a cult, but you ever wonder why they’re so cult like? It’s because cults of personality are very complicated and they come in lots of flavors. You’d be surprised! In the number 7 slot, we have a new edition of our segment that explores never-ending corporate greed in Late Stage Capitalism (7) and this week, the WGA strike is finally over, but the SGA strike is still going on. What’s next? It’s complicated! In the number 8 slot is our segment exploring the never ending world of online tin foil hat nuttery in Conspiracy Corner (8), and this last Thursday, there was a test of the National Emergency Alert System, and your phones probably went off the same as everybody’s. But did you know that it was all part of an evil scheme to activate the 5G microchips and initiate a zombie apocalypse through the Marburg virus? Yeah we didn’t either, and they would have got away with it too, if… ah, fuck it. This is too weird to even Scooby Doo. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week we have a new “I Need A Drink”, and the numbers from last week’s Chiefs – Jets game are in – the game was a ratings winner by a huge margin! And not because people were actually interested in football, they were tuning in because Taylor Swift was in the audience! And the numbers are even more insane than you could ever possibly imagine! Hey Taylor, you mind attending our show the next time we’re in New York? We’ll comp you! Finally this week, it’s time for Round 2 of our new segment My Governor Is An Idiot (10) and this week we’re pitting Colorado governor Jared Polis against Montana’s body slamming governor Greg Gianforte. Advantage Polis! Plus to cap things off, we have some live music from the great Sleep Token! Buy their album "Take Me Back To Eden" or you are no friend of this program! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!
Ed. Note: We are *NOT* going to cover the horrifying events going on in Israel at least for the time being. The official stance of the Top 10 is that we firmly stand with President Joe Biden against the evil Hamas organization. We are currently attempting to sort fact from fiction and misinformation and will act accordingly. We also do not make fun of any events that are too horrifying to make fun of. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming!
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[font size="8"]House Republicans
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Holy fucking shit. I honestly have to admit that I didn’t see this one coming. I mean seriously, I didn’t see it coming. And I called when the House of Infowars first met at the beginning of the year that it was going to be a long two years, didn’t I? Yeah one guy in the front row is like “WOOOOO!!!”. But seriously, who had “Kevin McCarthy getting fired” on their 2023 MAGA Bingo Card? You? You? You? Hey we’ve got a bingo! Yes, while we were putting together last week’s edition, Matt Gaetz (Q – Florida Man) filed the notion to simply fire House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Q – Batshit). I got to admit that I honestly didn’t see that one coming. But get a couple of professional shit stirrers together and you have a potential powder keg waiting to go off. And last week it did. And in absolutely hilarious fashion, I have to give it to the House Dems who didn’t vote to keep McCarthy as speaker despite the fact that the right wing begged and pleaded them to. That’s what you get for calling us child molesters and groomers, you bunch of psychos. Well, anyway, here’s more.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said Sunday that he intends to file a motion to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy this week after Congress voted to averted a shutdown hours before the deadline.
"I do intend to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week," Gaetz said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I think we need to rip off the band aid. I think we need to move on with new leadership that can be trustworthy."
Gaetz also confirmed that he'll soon file a motion to vacate the speakership in an appearance on ABC News' "This Week," after the Senate and House on Saturday night voted to pass a short-term bill to keep the government funded through Nov. 17.
The legislation authorizes additional disaster relief money and buys Congress more time to reach a funding agreement for the full year. However, it does not include aid to Ukraine. McCarthy removed the provision from the bipartisan Senate bill, saying it should be considered separately at a later date.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-matt-gaetz-says-will-move-oust-mccarthy-speaker-rcna118262
"I do intend to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week," Gaetz said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I think we need to rip off the band aid. I think we need to move on with new leadership that can be trustworthy."
Gaetz also confirmed that he'll soon file a motion to vacate the speakership in an appearance on ABC News' "This Week," after the Senate and House on Saturday night voted to pass a short-term bill to keep the government funded through Nov. 17.
The legislation authorizes additional disaster relief money and buys Congress more time to reach a funding agreement for the full year. However, it does not include aid to Ukraine. McCarthy removed the provision from the bipartisan Senate bill, saying it should be considered separately at a later date.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-matt-gaetz-says-will-move-oust-mccarthy-speaker-rcna118262
Yeah where’s Bugs Bunny when you need him? Yeah so the Infowars Caucus decided that McCarthy wasn’t MAGA enough for his tastes and decided to give him the heave ho that he so richly deserves, but what they weren’t counting on was that 217 democrats voted against him! Hey MAGAs, that’s what you get for calling us child molesters and groomers for 8 years. Payback is a biyatch, ain’t it? But while we’re relishing in the Big Payback (apologies to the late, great James Brown), it could have serious consequences not having a speaker. Especially with the escalating violence in the Middle East and particularly, the current Isreal – Hamas conflict. It’s going to get ugly.
Rebel House Republicans ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a flash last week, but the process of replacing him is poised to be messy and maybe long, creating conflict and chaos until it’s done.
The GOP caucus is set to gather Tuesday to hear from contenders Jim Jordan of Ohio and
of Louisiana, then vote on Wednesday. But there is no guarantee and few indications so far that either of them can command the 217 votes to win, a margin that means losing no more than four of its members.
Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, one of those who voted to kick out McCarthy, suggested a strategy to force consensus.
“I think we lock the doors, and we have very limited bathroom breaks and food breaks and make sure we get the job done," he said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mccarthy-ousted-flash-brace-conflict-092632825.html
The GOP caucus is set to gather Tuesday to hear from contenders Jim Jordan of Ohio and
of Louisiana, then vote on Wednesday. But there is no guarantee and few indications so far that either of them can command the 217 votes to win, a margin that means losing no more than four of its members.
Colorado Rep. Ken Buck, one of those who voted to kick out McCarthy, suggested a strategy to force consensus.
“I think we lock the doors, and we have very limited bathroom breaks and food breaks and make sure we get the job done," he said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mccarthy-ousted-flash-brace-conflict-092632825.html
Oh silly Ken, you’re not going to come to an agreement on who the new speaker is. This is what happens when you replace facts with conspiracy theories and you elect the loudest and stupidest people in this room, or any room for that matter! The GOP are currently being held hostage by a minority of deranged lunatics. Gaetz, Boebert, Greene, Higgins, Luna, and Hageman are all part of that problem. And in case you’re wondering – why yes, McCarthy did throw his hat into the ring to come back as the speaker. I mean hey it’s worth a shot, right?
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Monday that he is willing to resume serving as House speaker if enough of the Republicans who voted in favor of his ouster last week are open to his reinstatement.
“Whatever the conference wants, I will do,” McCarthy said during an interview on Hugh Hewitt’s syndicated radio program when asked about a possible return to the job. He echoed that sentiment hours later at a news conference largely focused on the Israel-Hamas war.
McCarthy made the comments as the House Republican conference prepared to meet for the first time since Tuesday, when eight Republicans joined all Democrats present in voting for McCarthy’s removal. At that point, McCarthy said he would not run for a leadership role again, saying last week: “I will not run for speaker again. I’ll have the conference pick somebody else.”
Now less than a week since McCarthy’s ouster, Congress faces a new challenge — how to respond to the violence that has erupted between Hamas and Israel over the weekend without a speaker in place. Though he’s no longer speaker, McCarthy on Monday attempted to fill the leadership void, prescribing a way forward to support Israel, which many of his allies saw as a signal that he is open to being renominated as speaker.
https://wapo.st/3RQAZc0
“Whatever the conference wants, I will do,” McCarthy said during an interview on Hugh Hewitt’s syndicated radio program when asked about a possible return to the job. He echoed that sentiment hours later at a news conference largely focused on the Israel-Hamas war.
McCarthy made the comments as the House Republican conference prepared to meet for the first time since Tuesday, when eight Republicans joined all Democrats present in voting for McCarthy’s removal. At that point, McCarthy said he would not run for a leadership role again, saying last week: “I will not run for speaker again. I’ll have the conference pick somebody else.”
Now less than a week since McCarthy’s ouster, Congress faces a new challenge — how to respond to the violence that has erupted between Hamas and Israel over the weekend without a speaker in place. Though he’s no longer speaker, McCarthy on Monday attempted to fill the leadership void, prescribing a way forward to support Israel, which many of his allies saw as a signal that he is open to being renominated as speaker.
https://wapo.st/3RQAZc0
Ha ha ha ha ha… oh silly Ken, you know this isn’t going to be solved by depriving people of things like food and bathroom breaks. And what’s even more baffling is that this is the first time the ruling party voted to oust a speaker since 1864. Let that sink in! Not since the fucking Civil War has the ruling party in the House been in such disarray that they fired their own fucking speaker! So when I say that this is the worst Congress ever, I mean just that. It’s only getting worse too! We can’t fire these clowns and end this Fox News sponsored shit show fast enough! I wouldn’t trust these idiots to run a Waffle House at this rate!
It was roughly 24 hours ago when Rep. Matt Gaetz was asked whether he expected his effort to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to succeed. The Florida Republican was not especially optimistic, telling reporters that the incumbent GOP leader would “probably” survive the far-right effort, at least until the next time Gaetz and his cohorts tried.
As it turns out, the far-right Floridian was overly pessimistic.
In the history of the United States, a sitting House speaker has never been ousted. On Tuesday, that changed as Kevin McCarthy was stripped of his gavel. NBC News reported:
Members of the octet were joined by a unanimous House Democratic conference. In theory, members of the Democratic minority could’ve sided with the incumbent, but in practice, the ousted speaker sealed his fate incrementally over the course of the last 10 months, burning bridges with the Democrats who could’ve rescued him.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/kevin-mccarthy-house-speaker-vote-gaetz-rcna118599
As it turns out, the far-right Floridian was overly pessimistic.
In the history of the United States, a sitting House speaker has never been ousted. On Tuesday, that changed as Kevin McCarthy was stripped of his gavel. NBC News reported:
Members of the octet were joined by a unanimous House Democratic conference. In theory, members of the Democratic minority could’ve sided with the incumbent, but in practice, the ousted speaker sealed his fate incrementally over the course of the last 10 months, burning bridges with the Democrats who could’ve rescued him.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/kevin-mccarthy-house-speaker-vote-gaetz-rcna118599
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[font size="8"]Who’s The Next Speaker?
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So for this entry, we’re going to play a game here. As we’re going live, on October 12th, 2023, we still don’t have a speaker of the house. And it’s when we need one because we need to know which course of action to take as the evil Hamas launched that absolutely gruesome, unfathomable, and absolutely horrifying attack on Israel that if escalated, could put the entire world into World War III before we know it. But that’s neither here nor there. Yeah that’s a good question – what are we going to call this game, you might ask? I’m going for a deep cut on this one and using a show that was popular when I was a kid called “You Can’t Do That On Television”. But let’s change it to “You Can’t Do That In Congress”. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh man… can you imagine Marjorie Greene getting slimed live on C-Span? Gotta love it! in case you’re wondering, just like the 2024 presidential election, there’s a long list of clowns entering the proverbial clown car. Let’s start with the rumored favorite – Ohio rep. Jim Jordan, yes that Jim Jordan. Could he be the speaker with all of the skeletons in his closet and his ongoing criminal trials? Not according to the current House rules.
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a key figure in high-profile House GOP-led investigations, is seeking the speaker’s gavel after Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the role and declined to run again in a major leadership shakeup.
Jordan is known as a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and serves as chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee.
The Ohio Republican gained a key endorsement from Trump on Friday. The former president said Jordan “will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!” in a post on Truth Social.
Jordan has a longstanding reputation as a conservative agitator and helped found the hardline House Freedom Caucus. He has served in Congress since 2007.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/06/politics/jim-jordan-profile-house-speaker-race/index.html
Jordan is known as a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and serves as chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee.
The Ohio Republican gained a key endorsement from Trump on Friday. The former president said Jordan “will be a GREAT Speaker of the House, & has my Complete & Total Endorsement!” in a post on Truth Social.
Jordan has a longstanding reputation as a conservative agitator and helped found the hardline House Freedom Caucus. He has served in Congress since 2007.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/06/politics/jim-jordan-profile-house-speaker-race/index.html
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! It’s absolutely disgusting how low the GOP has sunk since Trump took over that party. Like none of these clowns are qualified to run the House. They’re not even qualified to run a Waffle House. At least their servers serve you professionally and don’t give you attitude and show you dick pics while you’re trying to order the #5 breakfast special. Oh my freaking god! Can we label that one NSFW please? Much better. So that’s Jim Jordan. Behind door #2 – Steve Scalise. Yes, that Steve Scalise, the guy who went hard MAGA after getting shot at a baseball game. That Steve Scalise.
House Republicans agreed Wednesday to nominate Steve Scalise, who once reportedly described himself as “David Duke without the baggage,” for speaker ...
A Scalise victory means that the farthest-right wing of the Republican Party would be in complete control. Scalise has refused to say outright that the 2020 election was legitimate, instead remaining loyal to Donald Trump ...
... At the start of his congressional career, Scalise reportedly described himself as being like Duke, the former head of the Ku Klux Klan, but “without the baggage.”
Scalise also attended a white supremacist conference that Duke organized in 2002 ...
... Duke said Scalise was invited because he would “communicate a lot” and was “friendly” with ... Duke’s political advisor ...
https://newrepublic.com/post/176154/republicans-nominate-steve-scalise-speaker-david-duke-without-baggage
A Scalise victory means that the farthest-right wing of the Republican Party would be in complete control. Scalise has refused to say outright that the 2020 election was legitimate, instead remaining loyal to Donald Trump ...
... At the start of his congressional career, Scalise reportedly described himself as being like Duke, the former head of the Ku Klux Klan, but “without the baggage.”
Scalise also attended a white supremacist conference that Duke organized in 2002 ...
... Duke said Scalise was invited because he would “communicate a lot” and was “friendly” with ... Duke’s political advisor ...
https://newrepublic.com/post/176154/republicans-nominate-steve-scalise-speaker-david-duke-without-baggage
Yeah holy fucking shit. That’s the guy that they want to be the next speaker? A Steve Scalise win would mean that the Alex Jones wing of the GOP would have total control over the House. And this House is already filled with a ton of conspiracy theory lunatics out there, and this would give them fuel for the fire to enact their wildest fantasies come true. Expect two more years of Hunter Biden investigations and attempted Biden impeachments. Holy fucking shit. I need a drink No, we’re not doing I Need A Drink right now, not yet. But in case you’re wondering if the Trump bump helps, the answer, thankfully, is a resounding no.
House Republicans agreed Wednesday to nominate Steve Scalise, who once reportedly described himself as “David Duke without the baggage,” for speaker ...
A Scalise victory means that the farthest-right wing of the Republican Party would be in complete control. Scalise has refused to say outright that the 2020 election was legitimate, instead remaining loyal to Donald Trump ...
... At the start of his congressional career, Scalise reportedly described himself as being like Duke, the former head of the Ku Klux Klan, but “without the baggage.”
Scalise also attended a white supremacist conference that Duke organized in 2002 ...
... Duke said Scalise was invited because he would “communicate a lot” and was “friendly” with ... Duke’s political advisor ...
https://newrepublic.com/post/176154/republicans-nominate-steve-scalise-speaker-david-duke-without-baggage
A Scalise victory means that the farthest-right wing of the Republican Party would be in complete control. Scalise has refused to say outright that the 2020 election was legitimate, instead remaining loyal to Donald Trump ...
... At the start of his congressional career, Scalise reportedly described himself as being like Duke, the former head of the Ku Klux Klan, but “without the baggage.”
Scalise also attended a white supremacist conference that Duke organized in 2002 ...
... Duke said Scalise was invited because he would “communicate a lot” and was “friendly” with ... Duke’s political advisor ...
https://newrepublic.com/post/176154/republicans-nominate-steve-scalise-speaker-david-duke-without-baggage
Yeah so those who want Trump’s help should know that his help doesn’t mean much anymore, and we all know that those who aided in the insurrection shouldn’t be allowed to serve as the speaker, hell they shouldn’t even be in Congress. All of these clowns should be in prison, and so should Trump. The propaganda is protecting these assholes. And there’s absolutely no such thing as “David Duke without the baggage”. If you even compare yourself to David Duke, you’ve got baggage. Steve, you’re a racist fuckwad. Admit it and get over yourself. But this proves just how broken the GOP is, and it’s not getting fixed any time soon. Get used to the shit show.
House Republicans are entering a critical two-day stretch in their quest to elect a new speaker, and they’re mired in a state of total confusion.
Neither candidate — House Majority Leader Steve Scalise nor Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — has anywhere near the requisite support to win a majority inside the Republican conference or on the House floor.
During a meeting Monday night in the basement of the Capitol, Republicans aired recriminations from last week’s vote to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker while scoffing down a pungent barbecue dinner.
Three GOP lawmakers — Rep. John Duarte of California plus Reps. Carlos Giménez and John Rutherford of Florida — stood up during the meeting to vow that they’d only vote for McCarthy for the chamber’s top job. Rutherford even declared he’d vote for McCarthy on the House floor no matter who emerges as the party’s nominee for speaker.
https://punchbowl.news/article/house-gop-mess-jordan-scalise-speaker-race/
Neither candidate — House Majority Leader Steve Scalise nor Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) — has anywhere near the requisite support to win a majority inside the Republican conference or on the House floor.
During a meeting Monday night in the basement of the Capitol, Republicans aired recriminations from last week’s vote to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker while scoffing down a pungent barbecue dinner.
Three GOP lawmakers — Rep. John Duarte of California plus Reps. Carlos Giménez and John Rutherford of Florida — stood up during the meeting to vow that they’d only vote for McCarthy for the chamber’s top job. Rutherford even declared he’d vote for McCarthy on the House floor no matter who emerges as the party’s nominee for speaker.
https://punchbowl.news/article/house-gop-mess-jordan-scalise-speaker-race/
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[font size="8"]The Trial Of Donald J. Trump
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Seriously, does anyone remember that brief period in between when the Insurrection happened on January 6th and Trump’s second impeachment trial when he got banned from social media for threatening to murder people via PM? Yeah I miss those times. We are unfortunately back to pre-2016 levels of Trump saturation in the news media when we have to hear every stupid, hateful, shitty thing that comes out of his garbage mouth. You know what they say – garbage in, garbage out. And it’s ultimately going to be Trump’s garbage in, garbage out lifestyle that does him in. Oh I can’t wait for that day when the Alex Joneses and Sean Hannitys of the world accuse the Deep State of using a heart attack gun on him. I mean seriously, how has Trump not been the victim of a massive coronary yet? All those Big Macs and hate watching Fox 24 hours a day can’t be good for you. But anyway this week has been the trial of Donald J. Trump, and it’s every bit of a shit show as you might expect. But I can already hear the great John Lithgow saying “YOU ARE SO GUILTY YOU STUPID MAN!!!” in the background.
Special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday urged the federal judge presiding over Donald Trump’s Washington, D.C. election-subversion case to implement measures aimed at protecting the confidentiality and safety of potential jurors.
Smith’s team encouraged U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to authorize a questionnaire to begin screening potential jurors in early February, about a month before the case is scheduled to go to trial. That process would help weed out potential jurors who express an inability to participate in the case or judge the matter fairly, but it also would expose their identities to the attorneys in the case. The prosecutors prodded the judge to adopt several measures to prevent jurors’ personal information from being disseminated to the public.
“Given the particular sensitivities of this case, stemming both from heightened public interest and the defendant’s record of using social media to attack others, the Court should impose certain limited restrictions on the ability of the parties to conduct research on potential jurors during jury selection and trial and to use juror research,” prosecutors Molly Gaston and Thomas Windom argued.
The prosecutors took pains to flag an episode that occurred last week in Trump’s ongoing civil fraud trial in New York. Trump, who attended the trial last week, has publicly criticized the state attorneys and judge in the case, and last week he mounted a social media attack on the judge’s top clerk. That attack prompted the judge to issue a limited gag order on Trump, prohibiting him from commenting on court staff.....
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/10/special-counsel-trump-jury-safeguards-00120739
Smith’s team encouraged U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to authorize a questionnaire to begin screening potential jurors in early February, about a month before the case is scheduled to go to trial. That process would help weed out potential jurors who express an inability to participate in the case or judge the matter fairly, but it also would expose their identities to the attorneys in the case. The prosecutors prodded the judge to adopt several measures to prevent jurors’ personal information from being disseminated to the public.
“Given the particular sensitivities of this case, stemming both from heightened public interest and the defendant’s record of using social media to attack others, the Court should impose certain limited restrictions on the ability of the parties to conduct research on potential jurors during jury selection and trial and to use juror research,” prosecutors Molly Gaston and Thomas Windom argued.
The prosecutors took pains to flag an episode that occurred last week in Trump’s ongoing civil fraud trial in New York. Trump, who attended the trial last week, has publicly criticized the state attorneys and judge in the case, and last week he mounted a social media attack on the judge’s top clerk. That attack prompted the judge to issue a limited gag order on Trump, prohibiting him from commenting on court staff.....
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/10/special-counsel-trump-jury-safeguards-00120739
Hoooooooooooooooooooooly shit! He legit had to be told that he shouldn’t try to give special favors to any of the jury members. You just know he’s sitting in his high chair at Mar-A-Shithole and trying to come up with ways to derail this trial any way he can. And by the way, can we straight talk about this picture of him sitting at the trial? He really looks like a two year old whose parents told him that he can’t have a new toy, doesn’t he? Also, why is the attorney sitting next to him using an Asus ROG laptop? A gaming laptop at a trial? Guess she couldn’t wait to play World Of Warcraft once they adjourned for the day, right? Just… what the fuck. And we’re not even getting to his shit about Mar-A-Lago yet. He has a thing with overinflating sizes though.
Court has adjourned for the day, but not before Weisselberg answered that he couldn't recall to several more of the questions from the AG's office.
The former Trump Organization CFO said he could not recall who had final sign-off on the compilation of statements of financial condition after Trump became president, repeatedly saying he could not remember.
The statements during that time period were signed off on by Donald Trump Jr. and Weisselberg. Asked if he did any independent review of the statements, Weisselberg said no.
Asked about Trump Jr., Weisselberg said he relied upon the same people Weisselberg did.
The 76-year-old became animated at one point when asked if appraisals that could have been used for the financial statements had been done for certain properties. "We had no reason to and get an appraisal. There was no purpose for it," he said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/live-blog/trump-fraud-trial-live-updates-rcna119250
The former Trump Organization CFO said he could not recall who had final sign-off on the compilation of statements of financial condition after Trump became president, repeatedly saying he could not remember.
The statements during that time period were signed off on by Donald Trump Jr. and Weisselberg. Asked if he did any independent review of the statements, Weisselberg said no.
Asked about Trump Jr., Weisselberg said he relied upon the same people Weisselberg did.
The 76-year-old became animated at one point when asked if appraisals that could have been used for the financial statements had been done for certain properties. "We had no reason to and get an appraisal. There was no purpose for it," he said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/live-blog/trump-fraud-trial-live-updates-rcna119250
His attorneys got attorneys. It’s a trial within a trail! Trialception? Ha ha ha ha ha ha! But like any fraudster or abuser, Trump’s got enablers. And his enablers of course are his talk show host overlords like Sean Hannity, Alex Jones, and so on. Well, Alex Jones got called to Georgia to testify in the ongoing hearings of his role in Trump’s inner circle. Hey wait a minute, does this mean that the devil really went down to Georgia? We are having way too much fun with this one in case you can’t tell! But of course, Alex Jones being the utterly disgusting, bloviating piece of shit that he is, is always a piece of shit.
Alex Jones intends to resist efforts by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to compel him to testify in this month’s trial of two Donald Trump co-defendants, his attorney said Tuesday.
Norm Pattis, an attorney for the far-right broadcaster, said Jones has nothing to offer in the trial — and that even if a court were to order him to testify, he would simply plead the Fifth, as he did when subpoenaed to testify to the House Jan. 6 select committee last year.
“We’re not going to help Fani’s fantasy life come true any more than we did that of the J6 committee,” Pattis said.
Willis indicated her intent to compel Jones’ testimony in a court filing posted publicly Tuesday. The filing indicated that Jones had contacts with Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who helped craft Trump’s last-ditch strategy to upend Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election and keep Trump in power. Chesebro and attorney Sidney Powell are slated to go on trial Oct. 23, the first batch of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in an alleged racketeering conspiracy to face
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/10/alex-jones-trump-georgia-testimony-00120807
Norm Pattis, an attorney for the far-right broadcaster, said Jones has nothing to offer in the trial — and that even if a court were to order him to testify, he would simply plead the Fifth, as he did when subpoenaed to testify to the House Jan. 6 select committee last year.
“We’re not going to help Fani’s fantasy life come true any more than we did that of the J6 committee,” Pattis said.
Willis indicated her intent to compel Jones’ testimony in a court filing posted publicly Tuesday. The filing indicated that Jones had contacts with Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who helped craft Trump’s last-ditch strategy to upend Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election and keep Trump in power. Chesebro and attorney Sidney Powell are slated to go on trial Oct. 23, the first batch of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in an alleged racketeering conspiracy to face
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/10/alex-jones-trump-georgia-testimony-00120807
Yeah so Alex Jones is a colossal piece of shit, but we all already knew that. I mean come on this is a guy who heckled the parents of murdered children out of existence while he profited and then went bankrupt because they sued his sorry ass. But how does he factor into the latest Clustertrump? It’s complicated. But one thing we do know for certain is that this trial isn’t going anywhere. It’s just getting started! Yup, expect to see the media circus that follows Trump everywhere he goes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week again. Fuck. I hate this timeline.
A New York appeals court declined to temporarily pause former President Trump’s civil fraud trial but did halt the cancellation of Trump’s business licenses until after an appeals court hears his case.
The order follows a Friday motion filed by Trump’s legal team to stay the trial and the enforcement of an earlier ruling issued by the New York Supreme Court that found Trump and his businesses liable for fraud.
In that 1,154-page court filing, Trump’s legal team wrote that Judge Arthur Engoron’s decision imposed “unauthorized, undemanded, overbroad relief” to the New York attorney general’s office, which will result in “significant, irreparable harm” to the former president and his business.
“Supreme Court clearly does not comprehend the scope of the chaos its decision has wrought,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in the filing.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4242026-trump-seeks-pause-in-new-york-fraud-trial/
The order follows a Friday motion filed by Trump’s legal team to stay the trial and the enforcement of an earlier ruling issued by the New York Supreme Court that found Trump and his businesses liable for fraud.
In that 1,154-page court filing, Trump’s legal team wrote that Judge Arthur Engoron’s decision imposed “unauthorized, undemanded, overbroad relief” to the New York attorney general’s office, which will result in “significant, irreparable harm” to the former president and his business.
“Supreme Court clearly does not comprehend the scope of the chaos its decision has wrought,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in the filing.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4242026-trump-seeks-pause-in-new-york-fraud-trial/
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[font size="8"]Trump Goes To Disneyland
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You know, we stopped covering Trump’s idiot rallies after COVID because you know what? He literally goes from town to town in the middle of nowhere and says the same stupid shit at every single rally he goes to. But when he has a pit stop in my hometown of Anaheim, California, we have to cover that shit, because it was some next level crazy. I know people who paid $600 to go watch him barf his brain over a lunch of pre-made boxed sandwiches. Which one, is a step above luke-warm Big Macs served over a heat lamp that failed inspection. And two, it also makes me question why I’m still friends with them because yeah… this political climate in this country is absolutely insane. And where do we start with this one? I know – do we really need a guy who’s been convicted of 91 felony counts and indicted 4 times to lecture us about law and order? The answer to that is a resounding: HELL FUCKING NO ! Get out of here with that shit, Donnie!
Speaking to a friendly crowd in Anaheim, former President Donald Trump vowed “to bring back law” to California if elected back to the White House.
In a speech riddled with Republican talking points but few specifics, Trump vacillated between praising California’s Republicans — from former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon to Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland — to castigating the state for its immigration policies, homelessness, “woke tech tyrants” and more.
“You are the last line of defense standing between this state and total anarchy,” Trump said to some 1,500 people gathered at the Anaheim Marriott to hear him speak on the opening day of the California GOP convention Friday. “Help is on the way.”
“We will end the desecration of your once great state, California,” he said. “The world is being dumped into California, prisoners, terrorists, mental patients.”
https://www.ocregister.com/2023/09/29/former-president-donald-trump-in-anaheim-says-hed-bring-back-law-to-california/
In a speech riddled with Republican talking points but few specifics, Trump vacillated between praising California’s Republicans — from former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon to Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland — to castigating the state for its immigration policies, homelessness, “woke tech tyrants” and more.
“You are the last line of defense standing between this state and total anarchy,” Trump said to some 1,500 people gathered at the Anaheim Marriott to hear him speak on the opening day of the California GOP convention Friday. “Help is on the way.”
“We will end the desecration of your once great state, California,” he said. “The world is being dumped into California, prisoners, terrorists, mental patients.”
https://www.ocregister.com/2023/09/29/former-president-donald-trump-in-anaheim-says-hed-bring-back-law-to-california/
Thank you Walter! Seriously, this is why republicans keep getting their asses handed to them time and time again in elections is because they just make shit up. Does Donny know this state or is he just letting right wing talk show hosts fill his head with garbage? I’m guessing it’s just the latter. And by the way, you ever wonder why the hell Donny doesn’t give his speeches in major cities and has them out in the middle of nowhere instead? Because he’s not allowed in major cities! And here’s the thing, if the GOP is trying to distance themselves from this raving lunatic, they sure aren’t doing a very good job.
Three presidential candidates spoke to Republicans in Orange County on Friday — but the day’s events felt more like a rally for former President Donald Trump.
MAGA hats were a common accessory, and lines to buy Trump-themed merchandise, like shirts that featured his mugshot with the words “Wanted for President,” snaked through the halls in between and during the candidates’ events. Women took photos kissing a cardboard cutout of the former president.
Dueling demonstrations clashed on the streets outside of the Anaheim hotel where the California GOP convention was held — with both sides focused on their support for or opposition to Trump.
And Trump drew the biggest crowd for his lunchtime event. About 1,500 people packed into a ballroom — where salads and chicken and little cakes were served — for what was the most expensive of the ticketed speeches.
In a speech full of conservative talking points but few specifics, Trump vowed to “solve the border problem in 24 hours” and bolster California’s water supply. He praised California Republicans — from former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon to Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland — but castigated the state for its immigration policies, homelessness, “woke tech tyrants” and more.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-09-29/at-california-republican-event-its-former-president-donald-trump-who-stars
MAGA hats were a common accessory, and lines to buy Trump-themed merchandise, like shirts that featured his mugshot with the words “Wanted for President,” snaked through the halls in between and during the candidates’ events. Women took photos kissing a cardboard cutout of the former president.
Dueling demonstrations clashed on the streets outside of the Anaheim hotel where the California GOP convention was held — with both sides focused on their support for or opposition to Trump.
And Trump drew the biggest crowd for his lunchtime event. About 1,500 people packed into a ballroom — where salads and chicken and little cakes were served — for what was the most expensive of the ticketed speeches.
In a speech full of conservative talking points but few specifics, Trump vowed to “solve the border problem in 24 hours” and bolster California’s water supply. He praised California Republicans — from former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon to Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland — but castigated the state for its immigration policies, homelessness, “woke tech tyrants” and more.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-09-29/at-california-republican-event-its-former-president-donald-trump-who-stars
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back the fuck up!!! Right now!!! Women were kissing a cardboard cutout of that bloviating asshole? What the fuck??? I don’t mean to kink shame… oh fuck it, I am kink shaming here – what the absolute fuck is wrong with you people? This isn’t a game or a reality show here. I’ve always wondered what the hell do people see in this guy? Well he’s a criminal whoremongerer so there is that going for him. And of course, Trump continues his bullshit about mail in ballots and rails on how he thinks the 2020 election was rigged. I mean come on, it’s been 3 years. Fucking let it go already! Oh wait, he doesn’t do that sort of thing!
Donald Trump railed against mail-in ballots and repeated falsehoods about a rigged 2020 presidential election in his speech to California Republicans today.
“No way we lose this state in a real election,” said the former president, who lost California to President Biden in 2020 by a 63% to 34% margin.
Trump repeated many of the same talking points from his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, including criticizing California under “‘far left” Democratic leadership — Gov. Gavin Newsom (“He’s an environmental maniac, but only for political reasons”), “Marxist” district attorneys and “woke tech leaders.”
“I’m here to tell you that help is on its way,” he told more than 1,500 people crowded into an Anaheim convention center ballroom.
To roaring applause, Trump took the stage at the state Republican Party’s convention — the closest thing to a primary debate so far since he’s skipping the actual televised face-offs, including one Wednesday night in Simi Valley.
https://calmatters.org/politics/2023/09/donald-trump-california-republicans/
“No way we lose this state in a real election,” said the former president, who lost California to President Biden in 2020 by a 63% to 34% margin.
Trump repeated many of the same talking points from his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, including criticizing California under “‘far left” Democratic leadership — Gov. Gavin Newsom (“He’s an environmental maniac, but only for political reasons”), “Marxist” district attorneys and “woke tech leaders.”
“I’m here to tell you that help is on its way,” he told more than 1,500 people crowded into an Anaheim convention center ballroom.
To roaring applause, Trump took the stage at the state Republican Party’s convention — the closest thing to a primary debate so far since he’s skipping the actual televised face-offs, including one Wednesday night in Simi Valley.
https://calmatters.org/politics/2023/09/donald-trump-california-republicans/
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Gotta love it. But yeah we can’t get out of here without talking about the protests. In case anyone was wondering, yes, I did drive down to the convention center to check out the scene, and it was wild. One thing, again, we cannot let a 4 times indicted, 91 felony charged career criminal lecture us about law and order. Fuck that asshole. But one thing we can always count on is that both sides showed up in full force in Anaheim to support and also run the orange asshole out of my fair city. But with the amount of people who I know that went to this convention, I’m really starting to think I need to find a new place to live.
Former President Donald Trump is set to make an appearance Friday at the Anaheim Marriott for the GOP convention in Orange County. This event is met with resistance from local Democrats, who are planning a lively protest under the theme of the classic board game Monopoly, complete with signs, costumes, and festive spirit.
Five Democratic Party organizations from across Southern California are joining forces to voice their opposition to Trump's policies and actions. The San Bernardino County Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Orange County, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, California Young Democrats, and Grassroots Democrats HQ are all uniting against Trump's return to the political stage.
One of the key points of contention is Trump's economic legacy. His administration left office with nearly three million fewer jobs than when it began, marking the first time this has happened since the Great Depression. Democrats argue that Trump's economic policies favored big corporations at the expense of the middle class and had a detrimental impact on autoworkers, ultimately leading to job losses and the outsourcing of employment opportunities.
https://www.foxla.com/news/trump-go-directly-to-jail-rally-in-anaheim-on-friday
Five Democratic Party organizations from across Southern California are joining forces to voice their opposition to Trump's policies and actions. The San Bernardino County Democratic Party, Democratic Party of Orange County, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, California Young Democrats, and Grassroots Democrats HQ are all uniting against Trump's return to the political stage.
One of the key points of contention is Trump's economic legacy. His administration left office with nearly three million fewer jobs than when it began, marking the first time this has happened since the Great Depression. Democrats argue that Trump's economic policies favored big corporations at the expense of the middle class and had a detrimental impact on autoworkers, ultimately leading to job losses and the outsourcing of employment opportunities.
https://www.foxla.com/news/trump-go-directly-to-jail-rally-in-anaheim-on-friday
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[font size="8"]Vladimir Putin
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Last I checked, the War In Ukraine is still a thing, sadly, with Vladimir Putin getting his ass handed to him on an almost daily basis. So if you’re the world’s premiere warlord, and you’re attempting to strike fear in the hearts of your enemies, what do you do? Well, if you’re premiere warlord Vladimir Putin, you exercise some authoritarianism and start banning some folks. Well, who gets banned, you might be asking? And I answer you, good sir or madam – you start banning people who might be critical of your people. We all know that that guy who we inexplicably used to call president, Donald J. Trump is one of Vladimir Putin’s people. A ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! Yeah, I could totally see that as one of those special interest stories. Vladimir Putin’s People. So who’s critical of that guy? Well, you have talk show hosts like Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel, and then you have political opponents like Adam Schiff, Gavin Newsom, and Hillary Clinton, and then you have actors like Sean Penn and Ben Stiller. And for some strange reason, they left Jimmy Fallon off the list.
Ben Stiller and Sean Penn are among the latest Americans to be banned from Russia, as both actors were personally sanctioned by the Russian foreign ministry over their support of Ukraine during the current invasion.
Stiller and Penn joined Rob Reiner and Morgan Freeman — both sanctioned in May — on Russia’s ever-growing ban list, a club that also includes President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland and more politicians, journalists, intelligence officers and professors.
“In response to the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the Biden Administration against Russian citizens, against another group of persons from among members of the U.S. Congress, high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as cultural figures (25 people), a ban on entry into the Russian Federation on a permanent basis,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday (via Variety). “The following is a list of names of American citizens who are included in the Russian ‘stop list,’ based on the principle of reciprocity.”
Russia’s list also reunites Stiller and Penn for the first time since 2013’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/ben-stiller-sean-penn-permanently-banned-russia-sanctions-1234586944/
Stiller and Penn joined Rob Reiner and Morgan Freeman — both sanctioned in May — on Russia’s ever-growing ban list, a club that also includes President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland and more politicians, journalists, intelligence officers and professors.
“In response to the ever-expanding personal sanctions by the Biden Administration against Russian citizens, against another group of persons from among members of the U.S. Congress, high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as cultural figures (25 people), a ban on entry into the Russian Federation on a permanent basis,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday (via Variety). “The following is a list of names of American citizens who are included in the Russian ‘stop list,’ based on the principle of reciprocity.”
Russia’s list also reunites Stiller and Penn for the first time since 2013’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/ben-stiller-sean-penn-permanently-banned-russia-sanctions-1234586944/
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! Yeah why do you have to ban Ben Stiller, Putin? What did he ever do to you? Oh wait it’s because he’s Jewish, right? I should have guessed. It always comes back to Nazism with this crowd. With the amount of entries on this program we’ve shit talked Vladimir Putin with, especially in the last year since the War In Ukraine started. But here’s the thing. 1, we can’t go to Russia even if we wanted to. We have sanctions and Aeroflot hasn’t flown here since COVID. And 2, really, why would anyone want to give money to tyrannical war mongerers?
Russia on Monday banned 25 more Americans from entering the country, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, multiple U.S. senators, and actors Ben Stiller and Sean Penn.
The additions, which bring the total number of Americans banned from entering Russia to 1,073, are in response to U.S. sanctions on Russians following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
In addition to Raimondo, Russia’s newest sanctions target multiple senior Commerce Department officials, including Deputy Secretary Don Graves and two assistant secretaries.
The list also includes six senators: Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Russia had previously sanctioned more than a dozen other sitting senators.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/3629942-russia-sanctions-25-more-americans-including-us-officials-and-actors/
The additions, which bring the total number of Americans banned from entering Russia to 1,073, are in response to U.S. sanctions on Russians following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
In addition to Raimondo, Russia’s newest sanctions target multiple senior Commerce Department officials, including Deputy Secretary Don Graves and two assistant secretaries.
The list also includes six senators: Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.). Russia had previously sanctioned more than a dozen other sitting senators.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/3629942-russia-sanctions-25-more-americans-including-us-officials-and-actors/
See? We can joke about that kind of thing here! Because last I checked, America is still the land of the free, and Russia is the land of… whatever the exact opposite of freedom is. They even banned Joe Biden from visiting. I mean come on, what kind of shithole country bans heads of state out of spite? Oh wait, the country that’s bullying its’ next door neighbor through a war that neither side will win just to have a penis measuring contest with the rest of the world, that’s who. But hey there’s plenty of other countries who would welcome our hard earned tourist and head of state dollars. They even banned Barbie! I mean come on!
This summer’s blockbuster “Barbie” has made it to Russia despite not being officially released there due to the war in Ukraine, and it seems Barbiemania has infatuated many Russians even as the movie draws condemnation from officials.
“Barbie” distributor Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, was among the Western studios to pull out of Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. Since Spring 2022, not a single movie from the company has been released in Russia
Russia’s Ministry of Culture said it hasn’t received an application to release “Barbie,” and authorities denied reports that a dubbing studio had started working on Russian voiceovers for the movie, according to state news agency TASS. When approached by CNN, Warner Bros Discovery had no further comment on the story.
While several Russian cinema networks have said they won’t be showing “Barbie” without a proper license and have stayed away from pirated copies, some smaller theaters have chosen to hold screenings of lower-quality pirated versions due to the high demand.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/01/media/barbie-russia-barbiemania-intl/index.html
“Barbie” distributor Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, was among the Western studios to pull out of Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. Since Spring 2022, not a single movie from the company has been released in Russia
Russia’s Ministry of Culture said it hasn’t received an application to release “Barbie,” and authorities denied reports that a dubbing studio had started working on Russian voiceovers for the movie, according to state news agency TASS. When approached by CNN, Warner Bros Discovery had no further comment on the story.
While several Russian cinema networks have said they won’t be showing “Barbie” without a proper license and have stayed away from pirated copies, some smaller theaters have chosen to hold screenings of lower-quality pirated versions due to the high demand.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/01/media/barbie-russia-barbiemania-intl/index.html
Yeah so when the biggest movie of 2023 and one of the biggest movies so far this decade gets banned from Russia, what do you do? Well, if you’re Russian and you want to see the hottest new flick, you go underground. That’s right – while Russia may be banning political figures, bands, actors, politicians and hit movies from entering the country, that still isn’t stopping the people from going to see it. Because we will not be ruled by a megalomaniacal, tyrannical, bloodthirsty dictator, OK? Yeah you can keep your bans, but it will not stop the will of the people!
Russians are flocking to secret screenings of Hollywood box office hit Barbie despite the film being officially banned in the country under Western sanctions.
Children have been spotted posing for photographs next to cardboard cut-outs of Margot Robbie, who plays Barbie, and Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, at a shopping centre in Moscow as Russians show they also have an appetite for the infectious hype that surrounded the film.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Hollywood studios stopped releasing films in Russia but unauthorised copies are getting around the boycott and have been dubbed into Russian, according to reports.
To avoid licensing issues, some cinemas in Russia have sold tickets to Russian-made shorts while showing Warner Bros’ Barbie feature film as the preview, the BBC reports.
https://ca.style.yahoo.com/russians-flocking-underground-showings-barbie-073224184.html
Children have been spotted posing for photographs next to cardboard cut-outs of Margot Robbie, who plays Barbie, and Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, at a shopping centre in Moscow as Russians show they also have an appetite for the infectious hype that surrounded the film.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Hollywood studios stopped releasing films in Russia but unauthorised copies are getting around the boycott and have been dubbed into Russian, according to reports.
To avoid licensing issues, some cinemas in Russia have sold tickets to Russian-made shorts while showing Warner Bros’ Barbie feature film as the preview, the BBC reports.
https://ca.style.yahoo.com/russians-flocking-underground-showings-barbie-073224184.html
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit: Cults Of Personality
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Gather around my fair brothers and sisters! It’s time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate, for the Holy Church Of The Top 10 has convened and it’s time to remind you that the holiest among us are the most full of:
My fair congregation! Please be seated! You know, this week, we’re going to do a bit of investigative reporting here. Too often, especially lately, we’ve been accused of calling out the GOP and MAGA for being a cult, and without any evidence to back it up. Well, this week, we’ve got evidence. And it’s all not exactly what one would call “good”. It’s definitely against supporters of the unholy Dark One! I of course speak of a man so foul, so depraved and disgusting that his name dare NOT be spoken in my church! But today, my friends, we’re going to answer the question – why is the GOP so cult like? And the answer may surprise you. Most cults aren’t just one major cult, they’re usually a collection of smaller cults with even more fervent followers. And cults come in many different forms as well, and can usually be tailored to your level of insanity. But you know before we go any further, let’s first define what a cult of personality is. A cult of personality is one that is defined through a leader and media manipulation through targeted propaganda. Sound familiar?
A cult of personality, sometimes referred to as a personality cult, is defined as “exaggerated devotion to a charismatic political, religious, or other leader.”1
Authoritarian figures, such as Benito Mussolini of Italy and Vladimir Putin of Russia, are often associated with cults of personality, as are totalitarian regimes such as the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, Germany under Adolf Hitler, and North Korea under Kim Jong-Un.
Leaders of cults of personality often use imagery and the manipulation of mass media to form an exalted, even superhuman, version of their persona in the minds of their followers.2 Their followers accept the leader's persona and authority, which leads to their devotion to the leader and their mission to bring about an imagined future.3
The term “cult of personality” was popularized after Nikita Khrushchev used it in a 1956 speech to the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, in which he denounced the ongoing cult of personality surrounding Joseph Stalin, who had died three years prior.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-cult-of-personality-5191337
Authoritarian figures, such as Benito Mussolini of Italy and Vladimir Putin of Russia, are often associated with cults of personality, as are totalitarian regimes such as the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, Germany under Adolf Hitler, and North Korea under Kim Jong-Un.
Leaders of cults of personality often use imagery and the manipulation of mass media to form an exalted, even superhuman, version of their persona in the minds of their followers.2 Their followers accept the leader's persona and authority, which leads to their devotion to the leader and their mission to bring about an imagined future.3
The term “cult of personality” was popularized after Nikita Khrushchev used it in a 1956 speech to the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, in which he denounced the ongoing cult of personality surrounding Joseph Stalin, who had died three years prior.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-cult-of-personality-5191337
You know that’s one thing about modern MAGA conservatives is that they think that they want a rock star president. But the one thing about cults of personality is that they don’t just “appear” out of thin air overnight. This was a creation. This was the product of 50 years of heavily one sided propaganda. It’s been at least one or maybe two generations since Rush Limbaugh first started infecting the airwaves and it was manifested on Fox News and mutated on the dark corners of the internet. So it’s not just Trump who’s the ring leader. As we’ve seen with past cults, every cult leader has enablers and they all allow the cult leader to get away with abuses of power.
A top Republican figure has warned that the party under Donald Trump has become a “cult of personality” and it could not afford to try and put the former US president back in the White House in 2024.
Larry Hogan, a former Maryland governor, had been widely tipped to enter the party’s nomination race but instead used an op-ed in the New York Times on Sunday to announce he would not be running and to warn against Trump’s own 2024 campaign.
“I would never run for president to sell books or position myself for a cabinet role. I have long said that I care more about ensuring a future for the Republican party than securing my own future in the Republican party,” Hogan wrote.
He went on to warn that the Republican party cannot be successful if it puts “personality before principle, if our elected officials are afraid to say publicly what they freely admit behind closed doors, and if we can’t learn from our mistakes because of the political cost of admitting facts to be true”.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/05/larry-hogan-republican-will-not-enter-2024-race
Larry Hogan, a former Maryland governor, had been widely tipped to enter the party’s nomination race but instead used an op-ed in the New York Times on Sunday to announce he would not be running and to warn against Trump’s own 2024 campaign.
“I would never run for president to sell books or position myself for a cabinet role. I have long said that I care more about ensuring a future for the Republican party than securing my own future in the Republican party,” Hogan wrote.
He went on to warn that the Republican party cannot be successful if it puts “personality before principle, if our elected officials are afraid to say publicly what they freely admit behind closed doors, and if we can’t learn from our mistakes because of the political cost of admitting facts to be true”.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/05/larry-hogan-republican-will-not-enter-2024-race
And therein lies the problem with the modern GOP – they did just that. They saw how successful President Obama was in getting his message out to the people, and that they showed up and showered him with praise when he held rallies. The Dark One, on the other hand, attempted that, only to discover that a small handful of people want to hear a deranged, old white male spout the same white supremacist internet conspiracies they’ve heard a thousand times. But one thing we know about authoritarian cults is that they never end well.
Nearly two years later — after a riot, an impeachment, and a monomaniacal campaign to punish the Republicans who tried to hold him accountable — Ben-Ghiat has ample proof of her thesis. And she professes even more concern that Trump’s sway over the GOP has permanently transformed the party’s political culture. “He’s changed the party to an authoritarian party culture,” she told me. “So not only do you go after external enemies, but you go after internal enemies. You’re not allowed to have any dissent.”
With the midterms and some key governors races approaching, Ben-Ghiat is looking around the corner again. She sees dangerous signs of autocracy seeping into state houses and governors’ mansions where leaders such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are executing policies and enacting laws that mimic Trump but with a smoother, less bombastic style.
She insists her urgent warnings should not be construed as fatalism. Throughout our interview she leavened her direst predictions with a pragmatic if not sunny optimism. Political violence is more likely than an actual civil war; a Republican takeover in November would be catastrophic but she remains heartened by the ability of American voters to “interrupt an autocratic personality who’s in the middle of his project;” and ballot box victories alone don’t stop autocrats but the law can. “It takes prosecution and conviction to deflate their personality cults,” Ben-Ghiat said. “That’s what it takes.”
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/04/16/history-shows-trump-personality-cult-end-00024941
With the midterms and some key governors races approaching, Ben-Ghiat is looking around the corner again. She sees dangerous signs of autocracy seeping into state houses and governors’ mansions where leaders such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are executing policies and enacting laws that mimic Trump but with a smoother, less bombastic style.
She insists her urgent warnings should not be construed as fatalism. Throughout our interview she leavened her direst predictions with a pragmatic if not sunny optimism. Political violence is more likely than an actual civil war; a Republican takeover in November would be catastrophic but she remains heartened by the ability of American voters to “interrupt an autocratic personality who’s in the middle of his project;” and ballot box victories alone don’t stop autocrats but the law can. “It takes prosecution and conviction to deflate their personality cults,” Ben-Ghiat said. “That’s what it takes.”
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/04/16/history-shows-trump-personality-cult-end-00024941
But that’s the thing with cults – they don’t worship a deity, they worship the leader. And the leader is all knowing and all powerful. It doesn’t take a religious scholar, or even an armchair religious scholar, to figure this one out. And I’m not even going to point out the irony of the fact that a group of people who claim to despise tyranny want to be ruled by an authoritarian dictator. But despite the fact authoritarian cults never end well, what about getting their leader out of power and into prison? The Dark One is an indicted felon 91 times over. What’s it going to take to finally bring him down?
None of those legal matters involve the true OG of Trump cases: what has gone down in history as the Mueller investigation. From 2017 until 2019, former FBI Director Robert Mueller led a special counsel inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in order to help Trump win, probing whether Trump or any of his campaign aides or allies collaborated with the Russians. The inquiry found multiple connections between Trump allies and Russian officials and intelligence agents, while also uncovering strong evidence of obstruction of justice by Trump, who was seeking to impede Mueller’s inquiry.
Mueller did not issue criminal charges against Trump, but he made it clear that Trump could have been charged with obstruction if he had not been the sitting president at the time. In his final report, Mueller pointed to a Justice Department guideline against federal indictments of sitting presidents, strongly suggesting that was the only reason he didn’t charge Trump with obstruction. He later told Congress that a president could be charged with obstruction of justice after he left office, but the Biden administration has not revived those charges.
None of the legal cases address Trump’s unrelenting racist demagoguery, his mentally unbalanced embrace of conspiracy theories, or his casual use of lies and disinformation to defend himself and attack his enemies. In 2021, the Washington Post’s fact-checking team concluded that Trump had made 30,573 false or misleading claims over the four years of his presidency.
https://theintercept.com/2023/06/09/trump-indictment-republicans/
Mueller did not issue criminal charges against Trump, but he made it clear that Trump could have been charged with obstruction if he had not been the sitting president at the time. In his final report, Mueller pointed to a Justice Department guideline against federal indictments of sitting presidents, strongly suggesting that was the only reason he didn’t charge Trump with obstruction. He later told Congress that a president could be charged with obstruction of justice after he left office, but the Biden administration has not revived those charges.
None of the legal cases address Trump’s unrelenting racist demagoguery, his mentally unbalanced embrace of conspiracy theories, or his casual use of lies and disinformation to defend himself and attack his enemies. In 2021, the Washington Post’s fact-checking team concluded that Trump had made 30,573 false or misleading claims over the four years of his presidency.
https://theintercept.com/2023/06/09/trump-indictment-republicans/
Yes, because they’re all worshipping the unholy Dark One! It’s going to take a lot to bring down a cult leader, but we are confident that it can be done! Mass has ended, may you go in peace! That’s it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Late Stage Capitalism: The End Of The Strike
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Top 10 Conservative Idiots Presents:
“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” – Gordon Gekko, Wall St. (1987)
When corporate profits are at an all time high, there is nowhere else to go but to make more millions.
There is corporate greed, and then there is:
Welcome back to our segment on the relentless pursuit of never-ending corporate greed, Late Stage Capitalism! Sure, it’s not enough to make $50 billion, you need $150 billion! You need to be able to tank entire countries while you jet off in your penis-shaped rocket to the vast emptiness of deep space! Well it finally happened, folks! Our long, national nightmare is finally over! I’m of course talking about the WGA strike. Now as we are airing this segment, the SAG strike is still going on. So as our entertainment starts slowly returning, we have to remind you that excessive corporate greed, and in particular, CEO greed, is still very much a real thing. The WGA strike has ended, but the SAG strike is still ongoing, so what does that mean for the intermediate future of Hollywood? Well, it’s complicated. So what did the writers get out of the deal? Well the contract has yet to be released to the general public, but it was definitely met with some great enthusiasm. And it’s definitely a win for the side of labor, because we definitely need some!
Following the leadership’s vote to end the strike and recommend the membership ratify the contract, the WGA released details of the new agreement via a simplified memorandum of agreement (MOA). “We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” they announced.
The exact language of the contract is yet to be released. But from the WGA summary, it appears the union was successful in its effort. The MOA includes increases to minimum wage and compensation, increased pension and health fund rates, improvements to terms for length of employment and size of writing teams (which had been shrinking drastically in recent years), and better residuals (which are like royalties), including foreign streaming residuals.
The MOA also lays out terms for artificial intelligence, with an agreement that doesn’t prevent writers or productions from making use of generative AI but prohibits using software to reduce or eliminate writers and their pay. “A writer can choose to use AI when performing writing services, if the company consents and provided that the writer follows applicable company policies, but the company can’t require the writer to use AI software (e.g., ChatGPT) when performing writing services,” the MOA states.
https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/9/24/23888673/wga-strike-end-sag-aftra-contract
The exact language of the contract is yet to be released. But from the WGA summary, it appears the union was successful in its effort. The MOA includes increases to minimum wage and compensation, increased pension and health fund rates, improvements to terms for length of employment and size of writing teams (which had been shrinking drastically in recent years), and better residuals (which are like royalties), including foreign streaming residuals.
The MOA also lays out terms for artificial intelligence, with an agreement that doesn’t prevent writers or productions from making use of generative AI but prohibits using software to reduce or eliminate writers and their pay. “A writer can choose to use AI when performing writing services, if the company consents and provided that the writer follows applicable company policies, but the company can’t require the writer to use AI software (e.g., ChatGPT) when performing writing services,” the MOA states.
https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/9/24/23888673/wga-strike-end-sag-aftra-contract
Yeah so it basically all comes down to money, and the more we take out of our billionaire CEO masters’ pockets, the better! And yes, I admit that I was wrong about not getting to see our favorite shows anytime soon. I have to say that having shows like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel and John Oliver back has been very refreshing out of a sea of Fox-ified garbage news programs out there. So you might be wondering now that the seemingly never ending strike has been settled, what comes next? Well, it’s not so much just keeping the writers on staff, it’s keeping them happy. While the billionaires bleed us dry and get richer off of us, the need to keep people happy and productive is definitely a challenge in the post-COVID era.
The Hollywood screenwriters' strike has formally ended.
Writers Guild of America West announced Monday that 99% of its members voted in favor of ratifying the three-year contract deal agreed upon last month by the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group that represents studios, streaming services and production companies.
"Of the 8,525 valid votes cast there were 8,435 'yes' votes and 90 'no' votes (1%)," the labor union said in a statement. "The term of the agreement is from September 25, 2023, through May 1, 2026."
Two weeks ago, the WGA board unanimously voted to affirm the strike-ending deal with the AMPTP after a nearly five-month strike that shut down film and TV productions. The tentative agreement allowed writers to get back to work, with late-night TV shows such as "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" making a swift return.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2023/10/09/wga-strike-ends-writers-ratify-contract/71124196007/
Writers Guild of America West announced Monday that 99% of its members voted in favor of ratifying the three-year contract deal agreed upon last month by the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the group that represents studios, streaming services and production companies.
"Of the 8,525 valid votes cast there were 8,435 'yes' votes and 90 'no' votes (1%)," the labor union said in a statement. "The term of the agreement is from September 25, 2023, through May 1, 2026."
Two weeks ago, the WGA board unanimously voted to affirm the strike-ending deal with the AMPTP after a nearly five-month strike that shut down film and TV productions. The tentative agreement allowed writers to get back to work, with late-night TV shows such as "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" making a swift return.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2023/10/09/wga-strike-ends-writers-ratify-contract/71124196007/
So now that the WGA strike is over and we’re finally seeing things get back to normal on the talk show circuit, what about the other half of the equation? The actors? Yes, the SAG strike is still a thing. Hell, it seems like everyone’s on strike these days. In 2023, so far, we’ve had the WGA strike, the SAG strike, the UPS strike, Kaiser Permanente is on strike, Southwest Airlines pilots are going on strike, the UAG is on strike, the list goes on and on. But again, all of these have one thing in common: they’re all products of the economic policy that’s failed us for the last 50 years: trickle down economics. And if that SCOTUS decision, Moore V US, goes through, things will get that much worse. So get used to rolling strikes and labor disputes, they’re going to be with us for a long time!
There was no picketing Monday by SAG-AFTRA members due to the Indigenous Peoples Day holiday, but the leadership of the actors guild did return to the bargaining table with the studios and streamers.
After wrapping up its latest negotiation session at SAG-AFTRA’s Wilshire Boulevard offices, chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and other guild leaders will meet again with the CEOs Gang of Four and the AMPTP in two days.
“SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP held negotiations and have concluded for the day,” the parties said in an increasingly common joint statement this evening. “Bargaining will continue on Wednesday, Oct. 11, with the parties working independently on Tuesday.”
The one-day-on, one-day-off approach has been the norm for SAG-AFTRA and the studios since they began renewed talks a week ago.
“It’s a process, we’re working through the process,” a source close to the talks told Deadline on Monday. The three polite but intense bargaining sessions last week involved monologues from both sides of the table and a deep divide over SAG-AFTRA’s revenue-sharing proposal. Today saw the guild and studio reps return to talks from a weekend examining proposals as they aim to end the actors’ almost three-month-long strike.
https://deadline.com/2023/10/actors-guild-talks-update-sag-aftra-studios-meetings-1235568131/
After wrapping up its latest negotiation session at SAG-AFTRA’s Wilshire Boulevard offices, chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and other guild leaders will meet again with the CEOs Gang of Four and the AMPTP in two days.
“SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP held negotiations and have concluded for the day,” the parties said in an increasingly common joint statement this evening. “Bargaining will continue on Wednesday, Oct. 11, with the parties working independently on Tuesday.”
The one-day-on, one-day-off approach has been the norm for SAG-AFTRA and the studios since they began renewed talks a week ago.
“It’s a process, we’re working through the process,” a source close to the talks told Deadline on Monday. The three polite but intense bargaining sessions last week involved monologues from both sides of the table and a deep divide over SAG-AFTRA’s revenue-sharing proposal. Today saw the guild and studio reps return to talks from a weekend examining proposals as they aim to end the actors’ almost three-month-long strike.
https://deadline.com/2023/10/actors-guild-talks-update-sag-aftra-studios-meetings-1235568131/
Yeah so hopefully SAG doesn’t fall into the same trap as the WGA strike did. I think there were plenty of lessons learned there. But again, we say this with the utmost sincerity – this all is the end result of a policy that has failed the United States for 50 years – trickle down economics. It is an utter failure and it screws over the working class while enriching the people who have more money than the rest of us will ever see in a lifetime. If we ever want to see real change in this country, we have to start going after the real criminals in this equation – the CEOs.
Workers of all stripes have chafed at the stratospheric pay of their CEO bosses for years, even decades.
This year, unions are calling out the pay disparity between workers and CEOs in negotiation after negotiation with management, as they demand more.
It's at the core of the United Auto Workers' messaging, as the union pushes for substantial pay raises for its roughly 150,000 members, who work at the Big Three automakers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler).
And after their contract expires this Thursday, workers are prepared to go on strike if their demands aren't met.
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/13/1198938942/high-ceo-pay-inequality-labor-union-uaw-workers
This year, unions are calling out the pay disparity between workers and CEOs in negotiation after negotiation with management, as they demand more.
It's at the core of the United Auto Workers' messaging, as the union pushes for substantial pay raises for its roughly 150,000 members, who work at the Big Three automakers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler).
And after their contract expires this Thursday, workers are prepared to go on strike if their demands aren't met.
https://www.npr.org/2023/09/13/1198938942/high-ceo-pay-inequality-labor-union-uaw-workers
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[font size="8"]Conspiracy Corner
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Welcome back to our segment that attempts to explain the unexplainable, Conspiracy Corner! Of course conspiracies exist when people simply don’t want to read the article past the headlines and just flat out make shit up. We of course are coming to you live from our underground doomsday shelter from deep within the New Mexico badlands. Undisclosed location, of course! Let me just adjust my trusty tin foil hat for maximum government interference. Ah, there we go! They are trying to read yours and my thoughts after all! This Wednesday, you may have seen an alert on your phone that was a test of the National Emergency Alert System. Everyone’s phones went off at the same time. Can you imagine that interrupting a school play or a lecture for a minute? Well apparently according to online conspiracy theorists, there was a much more sinister and evil application for the use of the NEAS. Did you know that it was all a test to activate the 5G microchips that were implemented in us through use of the COVID vaccines?
Conservative conspiracy theorists are apparently convinced that an upcoming emergency broadcast is going to turn everyone with a Covid-19 vaccine into zombies.
FEMA's national Emergency Alert System — recognisable by the startling beep heard on the radio or television prior to an announcement — will test its delivery capabilities on Wednesday at approximately 2.20pm est. The test will include both the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts.
While the EAS will be broadcast to radios and televisions, the WEA will be sent to mobile phone users bearing the text “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Despite the fact that the emergency broadcasts are intended to keep Americans safe and informed, there is something unsettling when a mundane moment is upended by an EAS beep. There's a moment of anticipation that hangs in the air — will it be announcing a thunderstorm, or have the Russians finally decided to invade?
Thankfully, conspiracy-minded Americans will spare us that anticipation, as they insist they know the answer; the vaccinated will become zombies.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/emergency-alert-system-test-conspiracy-vaccine-zombies-b2424345.html
FEMA's national Emergency Alert System — recognisable by the startling beep heard on the radio or television prior to an announcement — will test its delivery capabilities on Wednesday at approximately 2.20pm est. The test will include both the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts.
While the EAS will be broadcast to radios and televisions, the WEA will be sent to mobile phone users bearing the text “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Despite the fact that the emergency broadcasts are intended to keep Americans safe and informed, there is something unsettling when a mundane moment is upended by an EAS beep. There's a moment of anticipation that hangs in the air — will it be announcing a thunderstorm, or have the Russians finally decided to invade?
Thankfully, conspiracy-minded Americans will spare us that anticipation, as they insist they know the answer; the vaccinated will become zombies.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/emergency-alert-system-test-conspiracy-vaccine-zombies-b2424345.html
Yeah… think about it… zombies. They think that the FEMA emergency test was a way to activate a zombie apocalypse! See… it’s all connected! And this is the kind of story that this segment was born for, because online conspiracy theorists are a bunch of fucking insane lunatics who have way too much free time on their hands. Come on, guys. It’s way past time to put down the bong and back away from the computer very slowly, because you full blown crazy. But it doesn’t just stop at zombies. Apparently they also feared that it unleash another pandemic on us, in the form of the brain-eating Marburg virus.
Other rumours were spread by conspiratorial accounts - with an assist from people mocking them.
False rumours about the test "activating nanoparticles" swirled on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and other social networks.
One post on X, viewed more than 5 million times and mocked by thousands, claimed the test "using 5G" would "activate the Marburg virus in people who have been vaccinated. And sadly turn some of them into zombies".
The post, debunked by the site's Community Notes feature, seemed to be a mash-up of a number of Covid pandemic conspiracy theories, and quickly became an easy target for sarcasm. The mockery continued after the most dire predictions about the test failed to come true.
"So what's the next great conspiracy we have to look forward to now that the great zombie apocalypse was a dud," one post read.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66990739
False rumours about the test "activating nanoparticles" swirled on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and other social networks.
One post on X, viewed more than 5 million times and mocked by thousands, claimed the test "using 5G" would "activate the Marburg virus in people who have been vaccinated. And sadly turn some of them into zombies".
The post, debunked by the site's Community Notes feature, seemed to be a mash-up of a number of Covid pandemic conspiracy theories, and quickly became an easy target for sarcasm. The mockery continued after the most dire predictions about the test failed to come true.
"So what's the next great conspiracy we have to look forward to now that the great zombie apocalypse was a dud," one post read.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66990739
Yeah seriously, remember the good old days when conspiracy theories revolved around zombies, Bigfoot, UFOs, and maybe the Kennedy Assassination? And you knew that those people had a screw loose or two? Yeah we miss those days. And of course in the day and age of social media, it always starts with just one Facebook post that gets reposted 1,000,000 times and eventually people start believing it, it’s truly insane to watch just how quickly misinformation spreads in the digital age. But the key ingredient that the conspiracy theorists are saying is what is going to activate the Marburg Virus, is something called “graphine oxide”. Which was used in the testing phase of the vaccine, but doesn’t translate to the final product. SMDH.
Stanley Perlman, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, said the claims appear to be referring to old myths about the contents of COVID vaccines.
These baseless conspiracy theories claim -- without evidence -- that the vaccines contain various materials, such as graphene oxide or other nanoparticles, that can interact with wireless communications technology. They claim that the materials, when activated, can allow governments to control and monitor people.
But graphene oxide — a material made by oxidizing graphite — isn’t an ingredient in the COVID vaccine, notes Matthew Laurens, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
“Graphene oxide is not in the mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19 manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna,” he wrote in an email Monday. “Graphene oxide was used to study vaccine structure only, and is not part of the vaccine formulation.”
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-fema-test-graphene-oxide-covid-vaccine-517946413392
These baseless conspiracy theories claim -- without evidence -- that the vaccines contain various materials, such as graphene oxide or other nanoparticles, that can interact with wireless communications technology. They claim that the materials, when activated, can allow governments to control and monitor people.
But graphene oxide — a material made by oxidizing graphite — isn’t an ingredient in the COVID vaccine, notes Matthew Laurens, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
“Graphene oxide is not in the mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19 manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna,” he wrote in an email Monday. “Graphene oxide was used to study vaccine structure only, and is not part of the vaccine formulation.”
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-fema-test-graphene-oxide-covid-vaccine-517946413392
It’s so easy to fuck with internet conspiracy theorists, isn’t it? Because they believe the dumbest, most out there shit. Whether it’s flat earth, or bees aren’t real, or birds are a deep fake – yes I have heard this one. But if you believe even one conspiracy theory, no matter how batshit off the wall insane and removed from reality it is, you’re likely to believe all of them. So if you believe that the earth is flat or that JFK Jr survived his plane crash and is going to reveal himself at the site in Dallas where his father was assassinated, chances are pretty good that you’ll believe that the 5G microchip inserted into every vial of COVID-19 vaccine is going to be the cause of a zombie apocalypse. The truth is out there!
“Is there a Zombie Apocalypse activated by 5G towers on the way?!?!” wrote the QAnon influencer behind a Telegram channel called The Patriot Voice, which is followed by more than 50,000 people, in a post shared at the end of September. The message cites a supposed military expert’s claim that Covid-19 vaccines contain “sealed pathogens” including E. coli bacteria and the viruses Marburg and Ebola, all of which can be released by an “18 Gigahertz 5G frequency.”
“FEMA plans on doing a ‘test’ of the EBS on Oct 4 or 11 at 2:22PM. I would turn OFF ALL 5G devices,” the writer concluded. Similar claims about a test alert that will “activate” deadly diseases within vaccinated people — and warnings to turn off phones — have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Virtually nothing in these comments is accurate, save for the fact that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Communications Commission are conducting tests of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Oct. 4. (The Emergency Broadcast System, or EBS, was replaced by the EAS in 1997.) The wireless portion, to occur at approximately 2:20pm ET, “will be directed to all consumer cell phones,” and consist of a simple message: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” At most, it will be a mild surprise or annoyance. And it certainly won’t turn you into a zombie (which the often fatal Marbug virus doesn’t do in any case).
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/oct-4-fema-alert-test-5g-anti-vaxx-conspiracy-theory-1234838377/
“FEMA plans on doing a ‘test’ of the EBS on Oct 4 or 11 at 2:22PM. I would turn OFF ALL 5G devices,” the writer concluded. Similar claims about a test alert that will “activate” deadly diseases within vaccinated people — and warnings to turn off phones — have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Virtually nothing in these comments is accurate, save for the fact that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Federal Communications Commission are conducting tests of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on Oct. 4. (The Emergency Broadcast System, or EBS, was replaced by the EAS in 1997.) The wireless portion, to occur at approximately 2:20pm ET, “will be directed to all consumer cell phones,” and consist of a simple message: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” At most, it will be a mild surprise or annoyance. And it certainly won’t turn you into a zombie (which the often fatal Marbug virus doesn’t do in any case).
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/oct-4-fema-alert-test-5g-anti-vaxx-conspiracy-theory-1234838377/
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[font size="8"]I Need A Drink
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Hey everyone, I don’t know about you, but I could really use a drink!
So of course, you know by now that the idea behind this segment is that we have some drinks, and while we are drinking, we talk about literally anything in the news as long as it doesn’t relate to politics. As I keep saying, there’s a lot of really dark shit in the news right now, and sometimes the only solution is to say “fuck it”, go to the bar, grab a glass of your favorite beverage, and wait for this whole thing to simply blow over. Only rules we got in this bar – no fighting, no cussing, and no politics. Some mild swearing is allowed, as long as it’s never at someone. We do allow the occasional “fuck off!”. Don’t worry, my sober brothers and sisters, we got ya covered too! Just grab a glass of your favorite coffee, tea, or energy drink and get wired with us! So this week, Taylor Swift is once again dominating the headlines. Not for music, but apparently the Taylorverse is much bigger than her albums would suggest! Tell me, bartender, what goes well with a story about Taylor Swift and football? The Lover Cocktail? What’s in that? Uh… no thanks, I’ll stick with my usual Jack Daniels mixed with Jack Daniels. I call it the Double Jack. So the NFL is getting a huge ratings boost, but for one specific team. That team happens to be the Kansas City Chiefs, and for reasons other than football. Why? Because Taylor Swift happens to be dating Chiefs linebacker Travis Kelce. And her presence at last week’s Chiefs and Jets game caused some absolutely bizarre things to happen to the ratings. Here’s more.
NBC‘s Sunday Night Football game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the New York Jets averaged approximately 27 million viewers, making it the most-watched Sunday show since Super Bowl LVII on Fox in February.
According to preliminary data across NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL Digital platforms, that’s a 22% lift from last year’s Week 4 game (22.2 million as the Chiefs faced Tom Brady and the Buccaneers). Last night’s game also registered a national TV household rating of 12.9/35 — up 15% from last year’s Week 4 matchup.
Viewership peaked at an estimated 29.4 million viewers between 9:30-9:45 p.m. ET as the Jets climbed their way within eight points of the Chiefs in the second quarter of the game. Though, Kansas City ultimately took home the win with a 23-20 final score.
With another appearance from Taylor Swift, who was joined by friend Blake Lively, amid romance rumors with Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, NBC’s “Taylor Made for Sunday Night” Sunday Night Football game promo was viewed approximately 8 million times.
In relation to her appearance last week at the Chiefs blowout against Chicago, which aired on Fox as the featured “America’s Game of the Week” faceoff, Fox’s telecast aired to an audience of 24.32 million total viewers and scored the highest among female demographics across the ages of 12-17, 18-49 this week.
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/chiefs-jets-nfl-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-ratings-1235742304/
According to preliminary data across NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL Digital platforms, that’s a 22% lift from last year’s Week 4 game (22.2 million as the Chiefs faced Tom Brady and the Buccaneers). Last night’s game also registered a national TV household rating of 12.9/35 — up 15% from last year’s Week 4 matchup.
Viewership peaked at an estimated 29.4 million viewers between 9:30-9:45 p.m. ET as the Jets climbed their way within eight points of the Chiefs in the second quarter of the game. Though, Kansas City ultimately took home the win with a 23-20 final score.
With another appearance from Taylor Swift, who was joined by friend Blake Lively, amid romance rumors with Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, NBC’s “Taylor Made for Sunday Night” Sunday Night Football game promo was viewed approximately 8 million times.
In relation to her appearance last week at the Chiefs blowout against Chicago, which aired on Fox as the featured “America’s Game of the Week” faceoff, Fox’s telecast aired to an audience of 24.32 million total viewers and scored the highest among female demographics across the ages of 12-17, 18-49 this week.
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/chiefs-jets-nfl-taylor-swift-travis-kelce-ratings-1235742304/
Holy shit!!! Let’s think about this here. So just the presence of Taylor at the Chiefs game conjured up a ratings goldmine. And from groups that normally wouldn’t give a shit about a regular Monday night game between last year’s champions and this year’s… well, whatever the opposite of being a champion is. Maybe the Jets can swap notes with the Angels. Yeah my team sucks, what can I say? And by the way, it’s not just the ratings, either. Travis Kelce just became the most sought after merchandise of any player in the NFL. By like a huge margin!
Taylor Swift isn't just sending Eras Tour merchandise flying off shelves, she's now boosting sales of NFL apparel, too.
Swift attended a Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears Sunday to show her support for NFL star, Travis Kelce, amid speculation that the two are dating. The pop princess' appearance at the game sent sales of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end's No. 87 jersey soaring roughly 400%.
"Yesterday, Travis Kelce was one of the top 5 selling NFL players and saw a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com," a Fanatics spokesperson told the Associated Press via email.
Swift, a long-time Philadelphia Eagles fan, watched the Chiefs face off against the Bears from Kelce's suite at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The pop princess donned a Chiefs windbreaker and cheered on her rumored beau alongside his mother, Donna Kelce. Swift and the two-time Super Bowl champion were spotted leaving the stadium together.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-jersey-spike-in-sales/
Swift attended a Chiefs game against the Chicago Bears Sunday to show her support for NFL star, Travis Kelce, amid speculation that the two are dating. The pop princess' appearance at the game sent sales of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end's No. 87 jersey soaring roughly 400%.
"Yesterday, Travis Kelce was one of the top 5 selling NFL players and saw a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com," a Fanatics spokesperson told the Associated Press via email.
Swift, a long-time Philadelphia Eagles fan, watched the Chiefs face off against the Bears from Kelce's suite at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The pop princess donned a Chiefs windbreaker and cheered on her rumored beau alongside his mother, Donna Kelce. Swift and the two-time Super Bowl champion were spotted leaving the stadium together.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-jersey-spike-in-sales/
Yes, we can’t wait until these hit eBay next year and they sell for $50 and people paid thousands for them. We’re calling it right now. And by the way, conspiracy theorists, we won’t even get to the fact that Travis Kelce is doing commercials for Pfizer yet. We’ll save that shit for another segment. So the Chiefs got a huge ratings boost and Travis Kelce merchandise is quite literally flying off the shelves faster than they can stock it. To which we say, hey Taylor, you want to hang out with us? Don’t worry, we’re friendly, and we’ll get you and your crew comped! So the Chiefs have probably got to be loving this.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce didn't crack the top 10 of the NFL's best-selling jerseys for 2022, but after three weeks he might have already captured the crown for the entire 2023 season, thanks to Taylor Swift.
A spokesperson for apparel manufacturer Fanatics told The Associated Press that sales of Kelce's jersey blew up Sunday with "a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com."
Kelce had a nice day on the field with seven catches for 69 yards and a touchdown during a 41-10 rout of the Chicago Bears. But having Swift, a 12-time Grammy Award winner, sitting in an Arrowhead Stadium suite with his mom, Donna, and cameras catching her numerous reaction shots was a big factor in the sales boost.
After the game, Kelce did not speak to the media but was spotted leaving the stadium with Swift before the two drove away in a convertible.
The dinner Kelce and Swift reportedly had came after months of courting by Kelce who, after rumors began bubbling up that the two were dating, went on "The Pat McAfee Show" last week and revealed he had put the invitation out there.
https://sports.yahoo.com/taylor-swift-effect-travis-kelce-jersey-sales-spike-400-chiefs-tv-ratings-rise-160001011.html?guccounter=1
A spokesperson for apparel manufacturer Fanatics told The Associated Press that sales of Kelce's jersey blew up Sunday with "a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com."
Kelce had a nice day on the field with seven catches for 69 yards and a touchdown during a 41-10 rout of the Chicago Bears. But having Swift, a 12-time Grammy Award winner, sitting in an Arrowhead Stadium suite with his mom, Donna, and cameras catching her numerous reaction shots was a big factor in the sales boost.
After the game, Kelce did not speak to the media but was spotted leaving the stadium with Swift before the two drove away in a convertible.
The dinner Kelce and Swift reportedly had came after months of courting by Kelce who, after rumors began bubbling up that the two were dating, went on "The Pat McAfee Show" last week and revealed he had put the invitation out there.
https://sports.yahoo.com/taylor-swift-effect-travis-kelce-jersey-sales-spike-400-chiefs-tv-ratings-rise-160001011.html?guccounter=1
So while the Kansas City Chiefs are having a day getting that extra boost from Taylor Swift and her wild army of crazy fans, some of the other teams in the NFL aren’t exactly having any of it. One team in particular has been very vocal about the presence of Ms. Swift at NFL games, and that team in particular is her hometown team and her original NFL favorite, the Philadelphia Eagles. And cornerback Darius Slay, wants a Chiefs and Eagles rematch. And he wants the Eagles to be undefeated in order to get to the Super Bowl. Oh come on, if this is a dream scenario, at least be somewhat realistic here!
The Philadelphia Eagles are set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs next month — and one NFL star really doesn't want Taylor Swift showing up.
In a video shared via social media on Wednesday, October 4, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay playfully begged the Chiefs' new No. 1 fan to avoid Arrowhead Stadium when the Super Bowl LVII rematch takes place on November 20.
"She might not miss a game this year. She might not," the 32-year-old athlete teased in the clip, which was uploaded by sports podcast The Volume. "It looks like they are 2-0 with her. ... I know we play them [at] home."
Slay went on to address Swift directly. "Taylor, do not come to the game," he quipped. "Cause it seems like you bring the energy of winning, so do not come to that game."
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/eagles-darius-slay-really-hopes-162743432.html
In a video shared via social media on Wednesday, October 4, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay playfully begged the Chiefs' new No. 1 fan to avoid Arrowhead Stadium when the Super Bowl LVII rematch takes place on November 20.
"She might not miss a game this year. She might not," the 32-year-old athlete teased in the clip, which was uploaded by sports podcast The Volume. "It looks like they are 2-0 with her. ... I know we play them [at] home."
Slay went on to address Swift directly. "Taylor, do not come to the game," he quipped. "Cause it seems like you bring the energy of winning, so do not come to that game."
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/eagles-darius-slay-really-hopes-162743432.html
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[font size="8"]My Governor Is An Idiot Round 2: Polis V Gianforte
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Welcome back to our segment that’s putting America’s governors in a competition to see who the best and worst governor in the country is – My Governor Is An Idiot! Yes, this competition was inspired by a bumper sticker we see way too often in my home state of California. Last week, we pit Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer against Arkansas governor Sarah Sanders! And the conclusion that we reached? Maybe it’s me, but I think I’d rather have the governor that wants to give kids school lunch, vs the governor that wants to give kids shitty factory jobs in terrible working conditions for no or very little pay and benefits. Yeah because that’s how we roll around here. This week, we’re putting Montana’s body slamming governor Greg Gianforte against Colorado governor Jared Polis! Let’s get ready to rumble!
[font size="4"]Gianforte [/font]
So in case anyone forgot, Greg Gianforte body slammed his way into fame back in 2017 when a reporter asked him questions about what he plans to do about health care for the Big Sky State. And yes, if you’re a long time viewer of this program, you know that we’ve made fun of Gianforte a lot on this program since that incident. And I do mean a lot. And we’re not surprised in the least that he was endorsed by a guy who’s appeared on WWF specials in the past. But that’s neither here, nor there. We’re here to find out if Gianforte is really an idiot or not. Well, in case you’re wondering how strong his MAGA credentials are, he passed some seriously draconian anti-LGBT and especially anti-trans legislation, which his openly gay son has been actively lobbying against. And he wants to strengthen them. This is some evil shit!
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday recommended amendments be made to Senate Bill 99, the legislature’s proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors, calling the term “Orwellian Newspeak” and asking lawmakers to “strengthen” the bill by tweaking certain language around the definitions of “male” and “female.”
“I share your profound commitment to protect Montana children from invasive medical treatments that can permanently alter their healthy, developing bodies, and I appreciate the Legislature’s effort to that end with Senate Bill 99, the Youth Health Protection Act,” Gianforte wrote in his veto letter requesting amendments.
In his letter to the Republican Senate president and House speaker, the Republican governor says that he has met with transgender children and adults and understands their struggles.
“I firmly believe that, as with all of God’s children, Montanans who struggle with their gender identity deserve love, compassion and respect,” he wrote in the letter to the legislative leaders.
He further claims that SB99 does not prohibit “thoughtful, noninvasive care as a response to those who struggle with gender identity;” “social affirmation;” or “providing or accessing psychotherapy to treat young Montanans struggling with their gender identity.”
https://dailymontanan.com/2023/04/17/gianforte-asks-legislature-to-strengthen-bill-banning-gender-affirming-care-before-signing-it/
“I share your profound commitment to protect Montana children from invasive medical treatments that can permanently alter their healthy, developing bodies, and I appreciate the Legislature’s effort to that end with Senate Bill 99, the Youth Health Protection Act,” Gianforte wrote in his veto letter requesting amendments.
In his letter to the Republican Senate president and House speaker, the Republican governor says that he has met with transgender children and adults and understands their struggles.
“I firmly believe that, as with all of God’s children, Montanans who struggle with their gender identity deserve love, compassion and respect,” he wrote in the letter to the legislative leaders.
He further claims that SB99 does not prohibit “thoughtful, noninvasive care as a response to those who struggle with gender identity;” “social affirmation;” or “providing or accessing psychotherapy to treat young Montanans struggling with their gender identity.”
https://dailymontanan.com/2023/04/17/gianforte-asks-legislature-to-strengthen-bill-banning-gender-affirming-care-before-signing-it/
And by the way, in case you’re wondering, Gianforte isn’t even from Montana. He’s actually from Pennsylvania. And he only got to be governor by pandering to the religious right crowd. Which if you can command that crowd, getting elected to any office you want is like shooting fish in a barrel. It’s insane how much more cult-like the GOP has become since 2016 and it’s only getting crazier. But moving to Montana and running for office is a smart move if you’re a hardcore Christian nationalist. Montana’s definitely got themselves a problem and it’s not getting resolved with this guy at the helm.
The fifth season of the hit show “Yellowstone” premiered on the Sunday after the midterm elections, with Kevin Costner’s character, the rancher John Dutton, assuming Montana’s governorship. “This was never my plan,” he says, wearing a cowboy hat outside the State Capitol building in Helena. Dutton has reluctantly entered politics in part to stop an influx of rich outsiders he believes are transforming his home. In the last three years, Montana has become the second-fastest-growing state in the nation, largely because of the arrival of wealthy transplants. Unlike Dutton, many influential figures in the state’s real Republican Party have welcomed them, sometimes calling them “political refugees” fleeing blue states. Montana’s actual governor, the Republican Greg Gianforte, is himself a multimillionaire who was raised in Pennsylvania. Since assuming office in 2021, Gianforte has presided over this period of demographic change and economic growth, which has coincided with a hard shift to the right in state politics.
Montana has a tradition of ticket-splitting and has long been one of the most politically independent states in the union, resisting the kind of single-party rule that has flourished in the neighboring states of Idaho and Wyoming. But in recent years, Republicans have managed to secure an ironclad grasp over state government, and the religious right is ascendant. “We’re a country founded on Christian ideals,” Austin Knudsen, the attorney general, told me. “That’s what’s made us the country that we are.” In 2021, the Montana Legislature passed a bill banning transgender athletes on sports teams at public schools and universities, an increased tax credit benefiting private Christian schools and numerous anti-abortion laws. “They’re trying to convert the state,” said Whitney Williams, who ran for governor as a Democrat in 2020. When the state G.O.P. gathered in Billings last July to formalize its platform, Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, told those assembled that Montana was “a symbol for the nation.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/montana-became-testing-ground-christian-155720362.html
Montana has a tradition of ticket-splitting and has long been one of the most politically independent states in the union, resisting the kind of single-party rule that has flourished in the neighboring states of Idaho and Wyoming. But in recent years, Republicans have managed to secure an ironclad grasp over state government, and the religious right is ascendant. “We’re a country founded on Christian ideals,” Austin Knudsen, the attorney general, told me. “That’s what’s made us the country that we are.” In 2021, the Montana Legislature passed a bill banning transgender athletes on sports teams at public schools and universities, an increased tax credit benefiting private Christian schools and numerous anti-abortion laws. “They’re trying to convert the state,” said Whitney Williams, who ran for governor as a Democrat in 2020. When the state G.O.P. gathered in Billings last July to formalize its platform, Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, told those assembled that Montana was “a symbol for the nation.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/montana-became-testing-ground-christian-155720362.html
[font size="4"]Polis [/font]
Colorado shocked the world in 2012 when it flipped from being a hard red state to a blue state, and since then it’s only got that much bluer with every presidential election. Yes, the biggest and loudest idiot in the entire state, Lauren Boebert, commands Colorado’s largest district. And the governor of the state that’s the home of the Great American Beer Festival, the Colorado Avalanche, the Colorado Rockies, and the Denver Nuggets certainly hasn’t been without his challenges. In fact, much like Gianforte’s infamous body slamming scandal, Polis is also wrapped up in a scandal of his own and it’s not going away any time soon.
Colorado's Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is under fire after a new trove of documents revealed he used loopholes to avoid paying federal income taxes for years.
Driving the news: A ProPublica report published Thursday found Polis, a tech entrepreneur and former congressman, used donations and financial arrangements to get out of paying federal income taxes in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Of note: His wealth reached an estimated $306 million in 2017, and he was ranked the third-wealthiest member of the U.S. House.
From 2010 to 2018, Polis' tax rate was just 8.2% even though his income averaged $1.5 million during that period. The rate is far below the 19% level owed by an average worker, the investigative news outlet wrote.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2021/11/05/propublica-colorado-gov-jared-polis-avoided-paying-taxes
Driving the news: A ProPublica report published Thursday found Polis, a tech entrepreneur and former congressman, used donations and financial arrangements to get out of paying federal income taxes in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Of note: His wealth reached an estimated $306 million in 2017, and he was ranked the third-wealthiest member of the U.S. House.
From 2010 to 2018, Polis' tax rate was just 8.2% even though his income averaged $1.5 million during that period. The rate is far below the 19% level owed by an average worker, the investigative news outlet wrote.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2021/11/05/propublica-colorado-gov-jared-polis-avoided-paying-taxes
So yeah Polis has a bit of a money scandal going on but that’s really about it. Now here’s where Polis and Gianforte differ – guns. Montana loves themselves some firearms. Hell, the guy who’s running against Gianforte on the democratic ticket in 2024 is a guy who was a former firearms executive turned firearms safety advocate. Yeah that shows you how entwined Montana is with the firearm. Colorado loves them some guns too, especially up in the mountains. But Colorado’s definitely working to make some strides in gun safety in spite of the 2A absolutionists. So Jared Polis does have that going for him!
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed four bills into law Friday morning regulating firearms in the state.
“Coloradans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, our grocery stores, nightclubs and everywhere in between,” Polis said during the signing ceremony at the Capitol, surrounded by gun-control advocates.
The new laws raise the minimum age to buy a gun to 21, impose a three-day waiting period for gun purchases, expand the state’s Extreme Risk Protection Order law and make it easier for gun violence survivors to sue the gun industry.
“Yes, it is about the guns. And it’s about so many other things also. That’s why these bills are so important because it really does address it from multiple angles,” Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat, said. “It’s obviously not one bill, or four bills, that’s going to make the difference to end the tragedies in our communities. It’s a collection of policies and changes.”
https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/colorado-gov-jared-polis-signs-four-gun-control-bills-into-law/
“Coloradans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, our grocery stores, nightclubs and everywhere in between,” Polis said during the signing ceremony at the Capitol, surrounded by gun-control advocates.
The new laws raise the minimum age to buy a gun to 21, impose a three-day waiting period for gun purchases, expand the state’s Extreme Risk Protection Order law and make it easier for gun violence survivors to sue the gun industry.
“Yes, it is about the guns. And it’s about so many other things also. That’s why these bills are so important because it really does address it from multiple angles,” Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat, said. “It’s obviously not one bill, or four bills, that’s going to make the difference to end the tragedies in our communities. It’s a collection of policies and changes.”
https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/colorado-gov-jared-polis-signs-four-gun-control-bills-into-law/
[font size="4"]And The Idiot Is: [/font]
Man this was a hard one because both governors have their issues, but we’re definitely going to say that MAGA body slammer Gianforte is the clear idiot here! Maybe also a psychopath too!
[font size="4"]Next Week: [/font]
Next week it’s a battle for Beltway supremacy as Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin takes on North Carolina governor Roy Cooper! Is Virginia for lovers? Only one way to find out!
[font size="4"]And Now This: [/font]
[font size="4"]Sleep Token [/font]
Folks, my next guest just finished a huge tour in support of their excellent new album "Take Me Back To Eden"! You can see them next year at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Apr. 27th! Playing their song "The Summoning", give it up for Sleep Token!
Thank you Tempe! And a big, huge shout out to the folks at the Tempe Improv for that last minute addition! We owe you guys big! We’re off to Traverse City, Michigan next week with the famous Wheel Of Corruption! See you next week!
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I'm not even counting loudmouth shitbags like Alex Jones and Sean Hannity in the mix. 
