Headlines

Ginsberg’s death just blew up the 2020 campaign

Trump wants to move ‘without delay’ to replace Ginsburg, setting up epic fight over Supreme Court

The left threatens violence, rioting if SCOTUS vacancy if filled before election

Biden’s reluctance to release SCOTUS shortlist complicates fight over RBG seat

Trump hits FBI Director again over testimony on Antifa, Russia

Ginsburg’s dying wish was not to be ‘replaced’ until there is a new president

Biden calls for SCOTUS vote to wait until next year

Cruz: ‘We risk a Constitutional crisis’ if  Ginsburg successor not confirmed before election

House Dems call for an ‘emergency’ DOJ watchdog review of Durham probe

CDC reverses controversial coronavirus guidance that said people without symptoms may not need a test

U.S. to send more troops to Syria amid withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan

Pew: 77 percent of Catholic Democrats support legal abortions


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Headlines

Poll: Biden up 9 points in Pennsylvania

Biden leads in six swing states as Trump sees no convention bounce, CNBC/Change poll finds

President Trump to release updated SCOTUS shortlist soon

UK: Gatherings of more than six banned ... govt. mulls curfew!

U.S. to reduce troops in Iraq to 3,000 as Trump looks to fulfill campaign promise

Coronavirus live updates: WHO stresses safety and Dr. Fauci says pause in major vaccine trial is ‘not uncommon’

Peter Strzok: The FBI did nothing wrong

Trump earns Nobel nom for Israel-UAE deal

AstraZeneca halts Covid-19 vaccine trials to assess safety issue

Mortgage demand from home buyers surges 40% from a year ago amid sales spree

Entire Rochester Police Department command staff announces retirement

Poll: Darrell Issa in close race with grandson of Palestinian terrorist

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Headlines

Tech sell-off resumes, NASDAQ down more than 8 percent in 3  days

Senate to vote on coronavirus stimulus plan as soon as this week

U.S. marshals have found 72 missing children in past two weeks

Mystery: Piles of mail dumped in California

Trump defends his campaign spending as cash advantage evaporates

Apple announces Sept. 15 event where it’s expected to reveal new iPhones

Iraqi forces kill two senior ISIS militants in raid

Lightfoot’s Chicago: At least 51 shot, 7 killed over Labor Day weekend

Vaccine makers promise safety amid shaky public confidence in Covid developments

Oil drops 8% to multi-mont low on demand fears

China offers to build the Taliban a road network in exchange for peace

Joe Biden touts Wall Street support for plan to abolish suburbs

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Headlines

Biden names new campaign manager

NHL suspends season due to coronavirus

Market -25% since Trump said ’buy’ ...

Fauci: Coronavirus in U.S. would be ‘worse’ without travel bans

Fed announces massive cash injection to relieve U.S. debt markets

Coronavirus live update: Senate cancels recess, professional sports upended

Patients contagious up to 37 days ...

Bernie Sanders: Coronavirus shows why America needs Single Payer

Pentagon leaders warn of military response after deadly [Iraqi] rocket attack

Human trials testing coronavirus vaccine could begin ‘within a few weeks.’ top US health official

Trump re-election chances suddenly look shakier ...

‘The E.U. disapproves’: Brussels angry Trump acted without their permission

Headlines

Deep cracks appear in Biden’s firewall

Coronavirus live update: WHO chief calls on global leaders to ‘stop stigma and hate’

Exclusive: Bloomberg considers Hillary running mate

Expert: China can shut down our pharmacies and hospitals in months

France confirms first coronavirus death in Europe

White House considering tax incentive for more Americans to buy stocks, sources say

Border Patrol will deploy elite tactical agents to ‘sanctuary’ cities ...

Iraqi women take to streets in Baghdad’s against powerful Shite clerics

Dems will hold mid-March debate in Alabama

Pelosi warns US allies,: ‘Don’t go near Haiwei’

Disease modelers: Maybe 4,400,000 cases ...

65% of French believe French civilization will collapse

Too Much News

Baghdad embassy attack, Kobe’s tragic death, Trump’s Senate trial, Bezos’ iPhone hack, China’s coronavirus global spread, Grammys, swooning stock markets, Bolton book disclosure, Iowa caucuses, March for Life

Headlines

Bernie campaign slams Warren as candidate of the elite

Protesters in Iran demand leaders quit after military admits it shot down passenger plane

Trump tweets in Farsi ... ‘Do not kill your protesters’ ...

Revealed: McCabe pushed ‘golden shower’ hoax — and Comey approved ...

Australia turns from defense to offense in wildfire battle

Trump tell Iranian protesters he stands with them and warns Tehran: ‘The world is watching’

Last Den [candidate] all in on Medicare for All ...

Andrew Yang blasts DNC after missing polling threshold

Trump suggests he’d invoke executive privilege to block Bolton testimony

The stock market has not been as richly valued or avidly loved in two years

USA warns Iraq about losing bank account access if troops told to leave ...

USA celebrates Taiwan leader’s reelection ... blackeye for Beijing ...

Imminent

Schimminent! Whether any “imminent” Irani-sponsored attack was to be forthcoming is irrelevant in America’s decision to take out Qasem Soleimani. This Irani terrorist deserved to die for his decades of killing our soldiers and sailors in the Mideast ... including the Lebanon Marine barracks bombing, the Saudi Khobar Towers explosion, the USS Cole attack, hundreds of Iraqi, Syrian and Afghanistan killings of Americans by Iran-supplied IEDs ... capped by many tens of thousands of innocent Muslims murdered for sport.

Our only regret should be that his death was instantaneous and not lingering ... as occurred in many of his killings. Good riddance! And those who question his demise are overcome by Trump hatred to the point of irrationality. Damn them too!

Headlines

How Trump created a credibility problem for the Pentagon

Trump says: Iran ‘appears to be standing down’ after missile attacks on US targets in Iraq

Two quakes strike near [Iranian] nuclear plant ...

Iran claims it’s ‘not seeking escalation’ after multiple attacks ...

Ukrainian airplane crashes near Irani’s capital, killing 176

Oil falls 4% after Trump says Iran is ‘standing down’  in Mideast fight

Survey: Fewer than third of American voters can point to Iran on the map ...

POTUS: Iran deserves a great future of prosperity and peace ...

Barbara Boxer joins D.C. lobbying firm

Private payroll growth surges in December, to end 2019 strong, ADP says

Cancer death rate drops by largest amount on record ...

NY  may give automatic voter registration to illegal aliens with drivers licenses

Ping Pong

Most of our problems in the Middle East have to do with our inserting ourselves in the middle of the centuries-long conflict between the Shia and Sunni Muslims. Our overturning of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, made the Iraqi Shia believe we were on their side ... and Obama’s sucking up to Iran (Shia) reinforced this notion.

But Trump’s dumping of the Iran nuclear deal seemed to indicate we favored the Sunnis. However, the ISIS caliphate was Sunni-based ... and Hillary, with Obama’s permission, seemed to favor these butchers.Then Trump destroyed this caliphate ... with some help from Iran.

And the Shia-Sunni blood feud is also being replicated elsewhere throughout the Middle East ... Saudi Arabia. Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Oman, Turkey, Yemen, Pakistan, Egypt, Gaza ... all but Pakistan predominately Sunni ... where America has difficult problems ... making things even more complex.

And so it goes, back and forth between these Muslim sects (and other offspring sub-sects) like a ping pong match on an Islam table covered in blood. Unfortunately, our troops represent the ping pong ball ... batted back and forth at the cost of U.S. soldiers’ lives and limbs.

President Hothead ...

... cools it down. Last night Iran launched missiles at Iraqi bases housing American soldiers which killed and injured no one. This seems a calculated charade designed to save face. Iranians are very proud people ... so prideful that they would risk destroying themselves to prove themselves manly.

One could liken this possible ruse to a participant in a duel first shooting into the ground. Once President Trump realized what Iran was doing, however risky, he proclaimed, “All is well.” In other words, you have displayed your masculinity and regained a measure of your pride ... now I will step back and see what you do next. If the ayatollah is satisfied with this charade, Trump unlikely will respond in force. He, known as an unpredictable hothead, seems satisfied with cooling things down. He has unloaded his bazooka and seems to want to see what Iran does next.

Perhaps, this bunch of testosterone-crazed mullahs will now be finally ready to sit down and negotiate a real nuclear treaty ... and stop their reign of terrorism? Wouldn’t that be nice ... and a real win for Trump’s foreign policy.

Afterward: Just read the Diplomad’s take on things. He has an even more interesting spin ... the Iranians actually gave up Soleimani  ... see: The Diplomad.

Headlines

Iran official says Israeli cities can be revenge targets

Iraqi parliament calls for US troops to be expelled — coalition suspends operations against ISIS

CARR: Trump ordered the strike, and came down to dinner cool, collected ...

Carlson: ‘Washington has wanted war with Iran for decades’

Flush with cash Yang wrestles with where to spend it

Trump threatens to hit 52 Iranian targets if Tehran retaliates over top general’s death

Patriots eliminated ...

Britain backs Trump on Iran, deploys Royal Navy to Persian Gulf

Britain orders navy to protect ships after Soleiman's killing

Graham wants to start Trump impeachment trial in days: ‘We need to take matters into our own hands’

Netanyahu, in apparent stumble, calls Israel ‘nuclear power’ ...

Iranian ex-pats in Canada celebrate [Soleimani’s] death ...

Headlines

NATO suspends Iraq training mission

Trump says US not seeking war or regime change in Iraq, but is still ready to act if ‘necessary’

Iran unveils red flag at mosque warning of severe battle to come ...

Zumwalt: Soleimani demise could end Iran’s long, one-way war with America

Booker raises $6.6 million in fourth quarter

Oil prices surge to highest level since April after US kills Iran’s top commander in airstrike

Poll: Bloomberg pops to third place in Dem race ...

Russian pranksters: Maxine Waters fell for call from ‘Greta Thunberg’

Fed officials saw decreased recession risk in December meeting

Australia fires kill half a billion animals as crisis mounts

Worst flu season in decades ...

Gaetz: The world is witnessing a ‘change in doctrine’

Puppet-Masters

The strategy is simple. Russia and China use surrogate puppet states ... Iran and North Korea ... to distract America and draw down our resources rebuffing the crazed antics of their puppets while they plan their world domination.

America has for many years been cowed by the bluster emanating out of Iran and North Korea. These two nut-job countries have continually threatened mayhem in order to get their way. And they have been egged on by their puppet-masters, Russia and China. And the United States, fearing World War 3, has backed down. This brinkmanship, of course, has exacerbated the situation ... for every capitulation and appeasement has led to the next confrontation.

It was inevitable that the limit of American patience had to be reached ... and it was last week ... when President Trump cut the head off of the Iranian snake ... namely Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard ... while he was in Iraq planning more lethal mischief.

Of course, it is unclear whether this dramatic step will trigger the escalations that Iran has threatened. Trump and most Americans hope it doesn’t. But, if it does, it is only precipitating what would have happened eventually anyway, as the bluster-ers would have done something horrendous that they could not retract. So Trump’s calling Iran’s bluff has only changed the timing of things ... not the actual event itself ... whatever it may turn out to be.

Our president has busted the bluster that kept us backing up...  both in Iran and North Korea ... at what cost is still to be determined. Will their puppet-masters now step in to cool things down before the world ends? One would expect so. But, at least America is no longer groveling and our attention can be focused on our real adversaries, China and Russia ... more so China ... for Russia I think sees the wisdom in counteracting China’s growing threat.

Headlines

Why Pete Buttigieg enrages the young left

Small business pay checks are growing at a fast pace as job gains slow

Tear gas fired at pro-Iran mob ...  Retreat [from US Baghdad embassy]

Iran: Trumps $200BN sanctions have wiped out Obama’s $150BN nuclear deal

Lewandowski won’t run for Senate in New Hampshire

Pete Buttigieg raised a huge $24,7 million haul in forth quarter, campaign says

Iran defiant ... Taunts Trump ... ‘Can’t do damn thing’ ...

Sweden: Over 230 bombings and explosions in 2018

Susan Collins says she’s ‘open to witnesses’ in impeachment trial

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un warns of ‘shocking’ action, new strategic weapon

Militia leader who led attack on U.S. embassy a White House visitor [under Obama]

Pentagon: US. to deploy 750 troops after embassy attack in Iraq

Headlines

The Fed could face a possible ‘inflation scare’ in 2020 with commodity prices on the rise

3 years in, no sign of Trump’s replacement for Obamacare ...

Pete Buttigieg knocks Joe Biden’s support of the Iraq war

Bill De Blasio calls NYC ‘the safest big city in America’

The battery decade: How energy storage could revolutionize industries in the next 10 years

GALLUP: Obama, Trump tied as most admired man ...

Barack Obama picks his own documentary among favorite movies of 2019

Hunter Biden owed $113,000 in unpaid taxes for year he served on Burisma board

Ivanka Trump may not return to the White House if her father wins in 2020

Shooting at church in Texas ... Gunman shot dead by parishioner ...

Suspect arrested, drenched in blood, in Hanukkah machete attack ...

CBS reporter says Trump’s record with minorities is one ‘any president after 3 years would want to claim’

Headlines

‘No choice’: Pelosi proceeds with articles of impeachment

‘Don’t mess with me’: Nancy Pelosi rips reporter who asks if she hates Trump

Melania slams [Nadler]  witness who joked about Baron’s name ...

Biden sides with world leaders mocking Trump: ‘The world is laughing’

U.S. envoy to Iran says as many as 1,000 protesters killed in government crackdown

Elizabeth Warren is preparing a plan to ban mega mergers, allow gig workers to unionize

NKorea: ‘Very dangerous’ if Trump calls Kim ‘Rocket Man’ again ...

Hillary Clinton dismisses lesbian rumors on Howard Stern

John Kerry throws his support behind Biden

‘Damn liar’ — Joe Biden blasts Iowa voter, calls him ‘fat’ after Ukraine accusation

Iran secretly moving missiles into Iraq ...

U.S. factory orders rebound

Headlines

Iraq’s prime minister says he’ll resign amid worsening crisis

UK police shoots suspect dead after terrorist attack at London Bridge

Black Friday flat? Crowds thin out

Afghan President: Defeating Baghdadi more significant that Bin-Laden

Sondland not resigning over sexual misconduct allegations

Warren Buffet is sitting on $128 billion, raising questions about whether the market is overvalued

Sales move online ... Third of [online] reviews fake?

Iran arrests eight as it blames CIA conspiracy for recent riots

Trump pushes new Taliban negotiations during surprise Afghanistan trip

Stocks fall to end November, but post the largest monthly gain since June

FBI issues warning about smart TVs ...

BET founder: No Democrat candidate can beat Trump

Headlines

Maybe Trump isn’t solely to blame for your angry Thanksgiving

‘They don’t know we’re here’: In Britain’s most pro-Brexit town, voters are still angry

Queen on the brink: Retirement plans could see King Charles in two years ...

Chick-Fil-A donates to extremist Southern Poverty Law Center

Trump signs Hong Kong bill denounced by Beijing

Hong Kong is the biggest geopolitical threat to markets, economist warns

Tucker [Carlson] serves turkey on Trump ... ‘A full-blown BS artist’ ...

Ousted Navy Secretary rips Trump over Navy SEAL case

British poll projects landslide for Boris Johnson

North Korea fires unidentified projectiles, South Korea military says

28 Iraqi protesters shot dead in 24 hours, violence spirals ...

NY to free 125K accused criminals, give them taxpayer-funded benefits

Civilization

“There is such a thing as too much civilization.” — Anon.

Do you get the sense that the patina of the world’s civilization is wearing thin? Watching cable TV would certainly lead one to conclude that it is ... given the barrage of insults that one hears there.  Of course the obvious culprit is President Trump who is not shy about expressing his thoughts, however hostile. This encourages his haters to wade even deeper into the wallow ... and so the back and forth.

A validation of this swing toward vulgarity is that Trump’s VP, Mike Pence, possibly one of the most honorable politicians around, hasn’t a snowflake’s chance in South Chicago of taking over from his boss in the 2024 election.

But is Trump’s behavior  a cause or a symptom? I suggest the latter. Civility is disappearing all around the world ... Hong Kong, Paris, Ecuador, Iran, Chile, London, Iraq, Venezuela, the House Intelligence Committee, etc. And Trump is but a bystander to these events.

Perhaps it is because civility must run in cycles? As civilization’s veneer is built up layer after layer with fairy-tale memes, it finally becomes too ridiculous for commoners to tolerate ... and the people revolt ... and this precious pretentiousness is scuttled.

To me, kind reader, it seems that we have hit this silliness ceiling ... which has spawned a huge partisan food-fight ... at the obvious cost of our country’s comity. Things won’t return to sereneness until all the fops are guillotined.