03/25/24

Good morning! It’s Monday, March 25th.

The first day of Holi! Holi is a two-day Hindu festival that celebrates the eternal and divine love of the Radha and Krishna as well as the triumph of good over evil. Holi is also knows as the Festival of Colors, and each of the colors have different meaning. Blue represents the color of Lord Krishna's skin, green symbolizes spring and rebirth, red symbolizes marriage or fertility, and both red and yellow symbolize auspiciousness.

And now, the news.

Russian Concert Attack

-via NPR (Moscow attack) and NY Times (Russia and China)

This weekend was truly packed with news. We’ll start with an attack at a concert in Moscow, where at least 133 people were killed, with at least another 145 injured.

As with all things Russia, it’s hard to report on what’s going on because what’s fact and what’s being altered a little to protect Russia and the Kremlin’s image. On top of that, after Friday’s shooting, an ISIS affiliate group known as ISIS-K took credit for the shooting.

A U.S. official has confirmed to NPR that they do believe ISIS-K is behind the shooting, but it’s worth noting that they have, in the past, taken credit for attacks that they were not behind.

U.S. intelligence officials added that they’d warned the Kremlin about a possible attack last month.

In his address to the country on Saturday, Putin accused Ukraine of trying to help the four assailants. Per the Kremlin, all four suspects have been arrested.

Yes, they were arrested near the Ukrainian border, but White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adreinne Watson had this to say: "There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever."

And then in additional Russia news – also over the weekend Russia and China vetoed the cease-fire resolution that the US led and was put up for a vote in the UN. Russia and China have permanent veto power in the UN (which someone should consider reevaluating) and our U.S. ambassador claims that they vetoed the cease-fire because they refused to condemn Hamas and they “simply did not want to vote for a resolution that was penned by the United States because it would rather see us fail than to see this Council succeed.”

France is up to bat next – President Macron said the country will work with Arab nations, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, to try to get China and Russia on board with a French Security Council resolution

Princess Kate

-via NBC News

And then sticking with international news – we now have kind of an answer to why Princess Kate has been out of the public since Christmas. Well, I mean, we have answer but not an answer for why the Palace was so shifty.

Unfortunately it turns out that the reason she’s been out of the public is because she’s been diagnosed with cancer. They have not released what kind of how far along it is.

So here’s the thing – obviously this is none of our business. She’s young and has three young kids, it’s a very sad situation.

But make it make sense that they put out the weird photoshop picture (and then had this woman, recently diagnosed with cancer, take the fall for it!) and just fully fumbled the whole thing.

I’ve talked about this story a couple times and each time mentioned that something like this was rife for conspiracy theories. The Palace’s handling is weird, but we’ve seen a video of Kate, we’ve heard what’s going on, and at the end of the day this is just a sad, and unfortunately very common story that as had the unfortunate additive of a terrible PR.

Obviously here’s hoping that they caught it early and she’ll be okay.

Spending Bill Signed

-via CBS News

On Saturday the President signed the spending package that was voted out of the House on Thursday, out of the Senate of Friday, and got to Biden’s desk on Saturday.

Though it was after the deadline, the White House said that agencies would not shut down since both houses of Congress had signed the bill and the President’s signature was imminent.

So the government is funded until September. Great.

Murkowski Joins the Resistance, Gallagher Bails

-via CNN (Murkowski) and CNN (Gallagher)

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, one of seven Senators who voted to convict Trump in the Senate because he did insurrection, told CNN that she is not voting for Trump and, when asked if she was leaving the Republican party, she said “I am navigating my way through some very interesting political times. Let’s just leave it at that.”

This is great but I want to specifically point out what she said about Trump: “Oh, I think I’m very independent minded. I just regret that our party is seemingly becoming a party of Donald Trump.”

And I just wonder if that’ll make a difference with people who don’t love Trump, are Biden curious, and more than anything just want to align their ideals with an independent mindset.

So while we may see a shakeup in the Senate, the House Republican majority will shrink once again next month when Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher retires. He didn’t give a reason for it, just that he spoke with his family.

With Gallagher out next much, and Ken Buck out at the end of this week, this brings the Republicans lead over the Democrats to 217-213.

Good things the Republicans are soOoOoOo united. Jkjk on Friday Marjorie Taylor Green filed a motion to vacate the Speaker seat, which this absolute bing bong called a “warning and a pink slip” even though those are two different things!

The motion has been filed but with the House once again going on vaca, so presumably the motion will be recognized when they come back.

What a mess this is. What a chaotic mess this is. Hope no one tells Marjorie Taylor Green because, when asked about the motion to vacate and what a chaotic mess that would be, she said this: “I do not wish to inflict pain on our conference and to throw the House into chaos.”

Imagine spending time with her. No thanks!

Trump’s Big Money Trouble

-via NY Times (appellate court) and NY Times (TruthSocial)

Something to look out for today:

Today is the day Trump’s bill comes due in his more than half a billion New York money crimes punishment.

Trump is appealing the ruling, but he needs to put up the money or a bond first. Last week he said he hasn’t been able to secure a bond and is asking an appellate court to accept a smaller amount of money for the appeal.

The court usually rules on Tuesday and Thursdays, so it’s highly unlikely there will be a ruling from them on this today. In the meantime, without a ruling from them, or bond from Trump, Tish James is free to being seizing Trump’s assets. However, don’t expect to get the image we all want – Tish James putting Trump Tower in one of the garbage bags that fit a Christmas tree – if the appellate court gives the thumbs up emoji to Trump’s request to put up a small amount, James will have to backtrack and return what she’s taken.

So it’s presumed that she will wait.

What won’t help him immediately is that TruthSocial, lame name, lame app, has gone public and, unfortunately, will possibly increase his wealth by billions.

Isn’t that so gross?

However Trump Media’s board may not let him sell his shares so early, since that would deflate their worth.

Still though, the point is… TruthSocial is going public and I think there should be some sort of app that tells me who I know that bought a share, so I know that that’s someone I don’t really want to hang out with.

That’s it. That’s the news.

I’m proud of waffles… it’s also national waffle day and let me tell you – I love a waffle. Unlike a pancake, I don’t make waffles a lot. But a frozen waffle? Straight out the toaster? Yes please!

But more than that… because you’re… great… I’m proud of you.