Disney-Owned ABC "News:" You Know Who's Really Responsible for Laken Riley's Murder? Donald Trump

—Ace

Oh really?

This dog claims that there's "no clear link between immigration and violent crime," apparently just blowing over the fact that there is a VERY CLEAR LINK between immigration and this violent crime.

He then claims that the Biden "immigration bill," which was long on hiring more judges to hand-wave illegal aliens into the country and short on spending for actual enforcement and deportation, would have "essentially" fixed immigration.

It is important to note that all this vitriol we're hearing from Republicans and President-elect Trump regarding the Biden administration's policies on illegal immigration, it's important to note that President Trump did force Republicans to essentially tank a bipartisan border security bill that both sides of the aisle said would've essentially addressed border security and immigration issues.

Posted by Ace at 05:08 PM Comments

NYT "Fact"-Check of RFKJr.s Complaint That the US Version of Froot Loops Contains Chemicals Not Present in Foreign Versions: The Ingredients List Are "Roughly" the Same (Except for All the Artficial Chemicals That RFKJr. Specifically Objects To)

—Ace

Imma coin a new term for these false "fact" checks: Fake checks.

This is a few days old.

But let's cover it now, because now Joe Rogan is talking about it, too.

The New York Times offered a baffling fact-check of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s claim that a popular breakfast cereal in the United States contains several artificial ingredients.

The former Democratic-turned-Independent presidential candidate endorsed President-elect Donald Trump after suspending his 2024 campaign in August. On Thursday, Trump announced he had nominated Kennedy to head the Department of Health and Human Services in his incoming administration.

Kennedy has pledged to tackle chronic health issues facing Americans and take on "corruption" within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order to "Make America Healthy Again."

In an interview on MSNBC after Trump's victory earlier this month, Kennedy suggested the second Trump administration could eliminate entire departments within the FDA: "In some categories, their entire departments, like the nutrition department in the FDA, they have to go. They're not doing their job. They're not protecting our kids. Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients, and you go to Canada, and it's got two or three?"

The New York Times published a report on Friday analyzing Kennedy's views on artificial food ingredients that specifically fact-checked the Trump nominee for his claims about Froot Loops using different ingredients in their U.S. product versus Canadian product.

"Mr. Kennedy has singled out Froot Loops as an example of a product with too many artificial ingredients, questioning why the Canadian version has fewer than the U.S. version," the Times' report read. "But he was wrong. The ingredient list is roughly the same, although Canada's has natural colorings made from blueberries and carrots while the U.S. product contains red dye 40, yellow 5 and blue 1 as well as Butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT, a lab-made chemical that is used 'for freshness,' according to the ingredient label."

Is that all?

According to a statement given to the Washington Post by Kennedy spokesperson, Stefanie Spear, Kennedy was referring to the differences in food dyes in the American and Canadian versions of the cereal.

"We can all unify behind the goal of making American food the healthiest and most nutritious in the world," Spear said in her statement.

The NYT's strange fact-check, which seemed to prove rather than disprove Kennedy's point about artificial ingredients being included in the U.S. version of the cereal, drew critics to mock the paper.

"Spitting out my coffee after reading this NYT 'fact check' of RFK Jr.," X user Brad Cohn wrote in a post that drew over 4 million views on the social media platform.

He added in mockery, "'As you see, the ingredient list is just completely identical, except the US product contains formaldehyde, cyanide, and nearly undetectable levels of saxitoxin.'"

Okay that's a parody list of ingredients but it's True In Spirit.

It's worse than that, akshually.

Because if these Fake Checkers had bothered to check any actual facts, they'd have found, which I found by complete accident, that Yellow Dye Number Five is one of the chemicals that RFKJr. is most passionate about getting out of our foods.

And of course, right there in the ingredients list for the American formula for Froot Loops, is Yellow Dye #5.

Below, Kennedy rips adding tartrazine to foods intended for humans.

Tatrazine is more often known by the anodyne name "Yellow Dye #5" in American foods' ingredients lists.

Speaker Johnson Announces: All Women's Bathrooms and Changing Areas Are Reserved for Biological Women Only

—Ace

Good. Enough of this bullshit already.

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday his intention to ban biological males who identify as transgender women from using women's bathrooms and locker rooms on Capitol Hill.

"All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings -- such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms -- are reserved for individuals of that biological sex," Johnson said in a statement.

"It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. Women deserve women's only spaces."

The move comes as Representative Nancy Mace (R., S.C.) pushes to include in the upcoming House rules package a measure to prevent incoming transgender representative Sarah McBride (D., Del.), formerly known as Tim McBride, from using women's facilities. McBride is the first transgender-identifying lawmaker elected to Congress.

The Speaker has the "general control" over the House's physical facilities.

Comcast Announces It's Dumping MSNBC and Other Dying Cable Channels

—Ace

Comcast is making a major play to displace Groomer Corporation Disney as America's top tourist destination with its Epic Universe theme park in Orlando.

What they don't need is Disney's disgusting baggage in the form of toxic extremist politics.

I'm just guessing about the relationship between these stories. No one is saying this.

Whether my guess is true or not, Comcast is attempting to ditch MSNBC, and sooner rather than later.

John Nolte says the move is just for purposes of separating Comcast's viable properties from its dying ones, so that its stock price isn't weighed down by dying cable channels.

Maybe.

With the inevitable death of cable TV accelerating, communications giant Comcast has decided to cut its losses and separate from MSNBC and other cable networks.

"Comcast Corporation today announced its intent to create a new publicly traded company comprised of a strong portfolio of NBCUniversal's cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel," read a company statement.

Also spinning off into the new company are the "complementary digital assets including Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and Sports Engine[.]"

For now, Comcast is calling this new company "SpinCo."

Here's what Comcast will hold onto...

"The planned spin-off will also strategically position NBCUniversal with its leading broadcast and streaming media properties, including NBC entertainment, sports, news and Bravo -- which all power Peacock -- along with Telemundo, the theme parks business and film and television studios."

NBCUniversal is, of course, the NBC broadcast network and the film and TV studio, Universal Studios. Bravo, which originally launched in 1980 as an upscale performing arts network, is now a powerhouse of reality TV. It delivers programming that's cheap to produce (Real Housewives franchise, Top Chef, Project Runway, etc.), that attracts millions of viewers, and makes insane profits. Bravo is vital to Comcast's streaming platform, Peacock (which will also remain with the mother ship), not only because its programming is popular but Peacock subscribers love to dig in and binge those shows.

...

So why is Comcast dumping the rest? Three reasons... 1) stock price, 2) stock price, 3) stock price.

Cable TV is dying. It is a slow death, one I've been documenting for a decade, and we have now reached the beginning of the end.

I saw a claim, either on X or in the comments, that NBC was attempting to distance itself from MSNBC, even though NBC "News" is just as bad as MSNBC and features many of the same "journalists," and supposedly was cutting off ties with MSNBC. But I can't see that being reported anywhere.

The Flagrantly Adulterous Duo of Joe and Mika joked -- or "joked" -- "We can be fired tomorrow," discussing the move.

From your lips to God's ears, Hitler-Lovers.

The Illegal Alien Who Murdered Laken Reilly, With An Assist from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Is Convicted on Ten Counts
Update: Tren De Aragua "Migrant" Arrested for Robbing Manhattan Prosecutor After Masturbating In Her Home

—Ace

If only we had a border at which we could stop foreigners from entering the country until we investigated them and approved their entry.

The illegal Venezuelan immigrant charged in the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley was found guilty on Wednesday.

Prosecutors said during the trial that the defendant, Jose Ibarra, 26, who is linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, was out "hunting for females" on Feb. 22 when he targeted Riley, 22, while she was jogging.

Ibarra faces life in jail without the possibility of parole.

He was convicted on three counts of felony murder, one count of malice murder, one count of kidnapping with bodily injury, one count of aggravated assault with intent to rape and one "peeping Tom" count.

Wednesday Morning Rant

—Joe Mannix

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - a 1966 science fiction book by Robert A. Heinlein, about revolution in a lunar penal colony - spends a lot of time on the general discussion of government as such. This became quite explicit toward the end of the book, but it is peppered throughout the overall work. When I was reading it for the first time, one brief passage - really, more of a quote - stuck with me. As I've returned to the book from time to time, it still stands out as one of the great descriptions of government and its press.

But India keeps quiet because she gets the lion's share from Luna ... and then 'plays politics with hunger' - a phrase you may remember - by using our grain to control her elections. Kerala had a planned famine last year. Did you see it in the news?" "No." "Because it wasn't in the news. A managed democracy is a wonderful thing, Manuel, for the managers ... and its greatest strength is a 'free press' when 'free' is defined as 'responsible' and the managers define what is 'irresponsible.' ...

Mid-Morning Art Thread [Kris]

—Open Blogger

The Fire of Troy
Frederik van Valckenborch

A lot of Frederik van Valckenborch’s work seems to consist of wide, sprawling, detailed landscapes and populated with melodramatic human figures. They have dominant foregrounds with supporting middle- and backgrounds. I got the impression that he was particularly interested in intense subject matter, such as wars or tragedies. A source I read categorizes his style as Mannerist, the period of art history immediately following the High Renaissance where artists experimented with the rules and innovations of art developed during that earlier era. The intense drama of The Fire of Troy, its swirling forms and color, and figures melting into others, also foreshadow the coming Baroque era.

In The Fire of Troy, van Valckenborch creates a scene of terrible slaughter. This is the very end of the Trojan War. The Greeks have emerged from the Horse and rampage through the city at night, catching the Trojans totally by surprise. The main scene is in the foreground center left. Warriors attack a group of women and girls who will be taken back to Greece as slaves. All the males of the city, adults and children, will be killed.

Behind this group is the battle. The Greeks flow like a flash flood from the Horse into the city while the Trojans try to dam the flow. There is panic and chaos. This section is interesting to me. At first, it was hard to tell which way the action was moving. When I first looked at it, it looked like the mass was charging from upper-left to bottom-right. Then when I refocused my gaze, it switched, going from bottom-right to upper-left. Looking closer, I saw that this flood has currents. Some groups charge to the right, some countercharge to the left — and slicing through the mass is a troop of cavalry. It is chaos and it highlights the confusion of battle and the realities of open, hand-to-hand combat. It’s a neat effect and it gives The Fire of Troy energy and noise.

The Trojan Horse in the background is almost lost in all the chaos. It’s a small, tan shape that blends into the scenery. It is the source of the action, though. The raging flood flows from it and around it. If you embiggen the painting, you can see Greeks still emerging from the Horse. It gives the effect that the Greeks just keep coming with no end in sight. It’s a neat detail.

The confusion of battle is replicated in van Valckenborch’s technique. His loose brushstrokes complement and exaggerate the action on the ground. Fire becomes a raging inferno when painted like this. It feels hot and out of control. The limited use of color helps, too. The Fire of Troy is a night scene lit by the fire, so the colors are mostly yellows, oranges, and some reds. They glow against the blackness.

I like the details of this painting. The main scene of the warriors and women in the front is complemented by others: the Greeks descending from the Trojan Horse, the cavalry battle in the middle, the screaming women on the balcony to the right, the architecture, etc. The flow of the action leads my eye around to take it all in. My favorite scene, however, might be the black and red group of buildings near center right. I really like van Valckenborch’s use of silhouette to brighten the flames, and the red glowing through the windows flickers. It looks like something out of Dante and compounds the horror and tragedy of the scene. Van Valckenborch then added groups of people fleeing in panic from this blaze into the heart of the slaughter. It is Hell. This black and red contrasts with the large area of yellow and white to the left, enhancing both.

There are a few things that feel off about this painting. The perspective is wrong. Distances and scale also feel inaccurate. Since Mannerists liked to play around with the viewer’s expectations, Van Valckenborch could be using these distortions to create a sense of imbalance in the viewer in another attempt to depict the realities of war.

The cityscape itself is a fantastical Renaissance setting. The real Troy was a late Bronze Age fortress without elaborate Romanesque architectural details such as domes. It isn’t a contemporary city either. It’s something Van Valckenborch made up. He seems to fill his city with references to specific monuments, however. The columns dotting the scene are similar to the Column of Trajan. The large round building in the left background behind the Trojan Horse looks like an exaggerated version of the Temple from Raphael’s The Marriage of the Virgin. It was common for artists to use contemporary or familiar places and props as sit-ins for their ancient subject matter. Notice that the armor of the soldiers is not period specific either. Van Valckenborch clothed his figures in a mixture of styles and time periods. He needed a powerful city and two powerful armies. For art like this, historical accuracy is secondary to the message: the drama and climax of a great story and the fall of a great city.

The Morning Report 11/20/24

—J.J. Sefton

open thread this morning. Well it certainly looks like they're pulling out all the stops to steal a senate seat in PA. Just as was likely the case here in Wisconsin. We'll see if they can pull it off. So far from What I can tell it might not go their way. Hovde here in Wisconsin conceded far too early. And where was the GOP???? yeah.

And yet Here we are. Inauguration will be lit! Maybe by a Russian icbm. Meanwhile per Breitbart a paper shredding truck was seen outside the DoJ. You think maybe they fear the coming of Matt Gaetz?

Have a great day.

Daily Tech News 20 November 2024

—Pixy Misa

• Two undersea communications cables in the Baltic Sea, one between Germany and Finland and the other connecting Lithuania and Sweden, were cut on the same day and absolutely nobody believes it was an accident. (Tom's Hardware)

  "Nobody believes that these cables were accidentally severed," said [German Defense Minister Boris] Pistorius. "We have to know that, without knowing specifically who it came from, that it is a hybrid action, and we also have to assume that, without knowing by whom yet, that this is sabotage."

  
  
  
• Yeah, it was China. (MSN)
  
  The Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, en route from Ust-Luga in Russia to Port Said, was in the exact location of both cables at the moment they were cut, and was also tracked as slowing down both times.
  
  

Tuesday Overnight Open Thread (11/19/24) [Doof]

—Open Blogger

Howdy Hordelings! I didn’t expect to be back behind the wheel of the ONT again so soon, but based on the reaction to my recent debut post, I’m giving it another go. Glad you stopped by!

*****

The People’s President
Check out this video clip from 1992. Trump was already a pop culture legend back then. 30-some years later, NFL players who weren’t even born at that time are proudly imitating his goofy dance during games. The guy is an enigma!

Legend! https://t.co/hrLERaDFuC

— AoS_Doof (@doof2112) November 19, 2024

*****

While it’s great to see Trump enjoying wins among the people, this is important to keep in mind:

*****

Random Historical Trivia Nugget of the Night

How many of you can name all 50 State Capitals? I get mixed up on a few,
but for the most part, I can. But over the years, some states have relocated
their capital to a different city for various reasons. Do you know that last
time this occurred? If you said Oklahoma in 1910, give yourself a high-five!
Admitted to the United States in 1907, Oklahoma’s first capital was Guthrie.
Then in 1910, voters approved a ballot measure to move the capital 30-ish
miles south to Oklahoma City.

25 states have relocated their capital at least once – here’s a lighthearted judgment of each of those states.

For our Oklahoma Hordelings:

“There’s no perfect state.”

Oklahoma: “Hold my beer.” pic.twitter.com/bOBzvQVrKr

— Dr. Simon Goddek (@goddeketal) November 7, 2024

*****

Gen X Callback

Many of you reacted favorably to my recent trip down memory lane, Gen X style. This will likely resonate with a lot of you.

*****

D.J. Doof -' 90s Alt-rock (non-grunge) Edition

*****

*****

*****

Tonight's ONT brought to you by distractions.

That's all for tonight. Thanks for having me back!

Close it up

It's Two Weeks Since the Election and I Can't Stop Doing "The Trump" Cafe

—Ace

Belfast

Here's another compilation of The Trump. I've listened to "YMCA" a lot more than a heterosexual man probably should.

Fluffy white fox.

Baby hippo dental exam.

Steve Inman: When you're a soyboy all jacked up on White Claw and you don't realize the bouncer at the bar you're busting up is a former British heavyweight champion.

When you exceed the recommended weight maximum on your cheap Amazon backyard slide for life.

NPCs vs. Environment mode.

Big ol' cruise ship that NeverTrump couldn't book 15 cabins on. In case you're thinking, as I did, that that looks too sci-fi and must be one of those Cheapfakes, here's the webpage for the dingy.

Sometimes it's Shark Week IRL.

Horse doesn't see the wire fence until the last second. (Don't worry, he's okay.)

Stroking the rodent, if you catch my drift.

There be whales here!

A stream in the Dolomites.

If you're wondering why I'm always posting the Dolomites, Patagonia, Edinburgh, the Faroe Islands, etc.: I think the algorithm has noticed me clicking on these and now just floods me with them.

Let's tune into The Ocho: If it's almost a sport, it's The Ocho!

Update: Mike Johnson Has "Privately Committed" to Blocking Men From Using Women's Bathrooms and Locker Rooms

—Ace

I wrote in the last post that his line about "kindness and dignity" seemed to signal he would give in to the lunatic left on this issue.

But Breitbart reports he's privately assuring people he won't.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has privately committed to back an effort led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) to block biological men from using women's restrooms in the U.S. Capitol.

Mace announced Monday she would introduce a resolution to ban transgender women (biological men) from using biological women's restrooms at the U.S. Capitol.

Johnson, during Tuesday morning's weekly House Republican Conference meeting, said transgender women won't be allowed to use women's restrooms in the Capitol, Politico reported.

"He said there's not going to be any biological men using our restrooms," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) told Politico.

Mace confirmed Greene's account, telling Axios that Johnson "said to me last night that he would include it in House Rules."

Speaking of MTG: Leftwing controlled opposition traitors John Cornyn and James "Comprehensive Amnesty" Lankford are attempting to derail Gaetz's nomination:

Quick Hits

—Ace

The Pentagon is shredding all records and evidence of its DEI agenda.

The Pentagon is in "absolute disarray" with "generals scrambling" due to the incoming Trump administration's plans to fire woke senior military leaders who prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) over combat readiness, according to sources.

One source compared it to a hornet's nest being kicked over and that "DEI pages are starting to disappear off the main websites."

The scramble to hide evidence comes as President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has begun gathering names of senior officers who pushed DEI.

...

Shoemate, who is soliciting names of senior military officers from his vast network of service members and veterans, said in a phone interview with Breitbart News, "They are interested full speed on DEI."

"They want to lop off the head of the Marxist snake. And so that's the primary criteria that I'm trying to focus on," he said.

Shoemate said he is differentiating between officers who have promoted DEI to the detriment of the force, and those who simply have gone along with it.

"We're looking for those who have aggressively pursued DEI policies, and then potentially been the worst about retaliation against troops for the COVID mandate and stuff like that."

A shredding company truck also pulled up today in front of the corrupt criminal DOJ:

(Anti-)Scientific American's woke incompetent Editor in Chief has resigned after attacking half of the country as fascists -- and having turned the once-respected journal into a gonzo leftwing agitprop site little different from Pink News.

Earlier this week, Laura Helmuth resigned as editor in chief of Scientific American, the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. "I've decided to leave Scientific American after an exciting 4.5 years as editor in chief," she wrote on Bluesky. "I'm going to take some time to think about what comes next (and go birdwatching), but for now I'd like to share a very small sample of the work I've been so proud to support (thread)."

Helmuth may in fact have been itching to spend more time bird watching--who wouldn't be?--but it seems likely that her departure was precipitated by a bilious Bluesky rant she posted after Donald Trump was reelected.

In it, she accused her generation, Generation X, of being "full of fucking fascists," complained about how sexist and racist her home state of Indiana was, and so on.

"Fuck them to the moon and back," she said of the dumb high school bullies supposedly celebrating Trump's victory.

Whether or not Helmuth's resignation was voluntary, it should go without saying that a few bad social media posts should not end someone's job. If that were the whole story here--an otherwise well-performing editor was ousted over a few bad posts--this would arguably be a case of "cancel culture," or whatever we're calling it these days.

But Helmuth's posts were symptoms of a much larger problem with her reign as editor. They accurately reflected the political agenda she brought with her when she came on as EiC at SciAm--a political agenda that has turned the once-respected magazine into a frequent laughingstock.

Sometimes, yes, SciAm still acts like the leading popular science magazine it used to be--a magazine, I should add, that I received in print form every month during my childhood.

But increasingly, during Helmuth's tenure, SciAm seemed a bit more like a marketing firm dedicated to churning out borderline-unreadable press releases for the day's social justice cause du jour. In the process, SciAm played a small but important role in the self-immolation of scientific authority--a terrible event whose fallout we'll be living with for a long time.

When Scientific American was bad under Helmuth, it was really bad. For example, did you know that "Denial of Evolution Is a Form of White Supremacy"? Or that the normal distribution--a vital and basic statistical concept--is inherently suspect? No, really: Three days after the legendary biologist and author E.O. Wilson died, SciAm published a surreal hit piece about him in which the author lamented "his dangerous ideas on what factors influence human behavior." That author also explained that "the so-called normal distribution of statistics assumes that there are default humans who serve as the standard that the rest of us can be accurately measured against." But the normal distribution doesn't make any such value judgments, and only someone lacking in basic education about stats--someone who definitely shouldn't be writing about the subject for a top magazine--could make such a claim.

Some of the magazine's Helmuth-era output made the posthumous drive-by against Wilson look Pulitzer-worthy by comparison. Perhaps the most infamous entry in this oeuvre came in September 2021: "Why the Term 'JEDI' Is Problematic for Describing Programs That Promote Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion." That article sternly informed readers that an acronym many of them had likely never heard of in the first place--JEDI, standing for "justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion"--ought to be avoided on social justice grounds. You see, in the Star Wars franchise, the Jedi "are a religious order of intergalactic police-monks, prone to (white) saviorism and toxically masculine approaches to conflict resolution (violent duels with phallic lightsabers, gaslighting by means of "Jedi mind tricks," etc.)"

You probably think I'm trolling or being trolled. There's no way that actual sentence got published in Scientific American, right? No, it's very real.

But her greatest sin was claiming there was scientific proof that sex-change hormones reduced suidiciality -- there is no such proof at all, just repetitions of this dogma by Big Chop -- and making all other kinds of anti-scientific claims about the wonders of cutting off children's healthy body parts so that they can stop feeling uncomfortable in their bodies and begin a new life of feeling uncomfortable in mutilated, chemically-castrated bodies with a lifetime dependency on drugs and further surgeries. See the link for that.

"Jaguar" Company Saw What Dylan Mulvaney Did For Bud Light's Sale and Decides It Wants to Jump On That Sinking Ship Too
Plus: Tesla Launch

—Ace

It's almost like one of those business comedies where the owner wants to tank the brand so that she can buy the outstanding shares for a pittance.

Like Major League but with a Trannymobile.

Corrected: I thought I read this was the British sportscar maker Jaguar. Now I don't know what it is. The account doesn't have any links to Jaguar cars so maybe it's just a website. I don't know how they snagged the "@Jaguar" twitter handle.

Biden Gives Ukraine the OK to Use Long-Range US Missiles (Using US Targeting Information) To Strike Targets Deep Within Russia;
Putin Announces He Is Changing Russia's Nuke Rules to Allow Using Nukes Against Ukraine

—Ace

Russia had previous followed a no-first-use doctrine that stated that would not use nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear country.

Now that Biden has decided to escalate to Defcon 2 and give Ukraine the OK to use the missiles we're giving them to hit Russian targets deep inside of Russia, Putin has changed the doctrine: Now Russia says it can use nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear country, if that country is using weapons supplied to it by a nuclear country. America, in other words.

Biden is hoping Putin, the man he screams is a rogue leader, is just bluffing about dropping a nuke on Ukraine.

Hope is not a plan.

Putin Lowers Russia's Threshold for Using Nuclear Arms

A decree signed by the Russian leader, though long planned, came days after President Biden authorized the use of U.S.-supplied missiles by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia.

President Vladimir V. Putin on Tuesday lowered Russia's threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, a long-planned move whose timing appeared designed to show the Kremlin could respond aggressively to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with American missiles.

The decree signed by Mr. Putin implemented a revised version of Russia's nuclear doctrine that Mr. Putin described in televised remarks in September. But the timing sent a message, coming just two days after the news that President Biden had authorized the use of U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia.

Asked whether Russia could respond with nuclear weapons to such strikes, Dmitri S. Peskov, Mr. Putin's spokesman, repeated the new doctrine's language that Russia "reserves the right" to use such weapons to respond to a conventional-weapons attack that creates a "critical threat" to its "sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Russia's Ministry of Defense later announced that Kyiv had used the ballistic missiles known as the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, in a pre-dawn attack on an ammunition depot in southwestern Russia. A senior American and a senior Ukrainian official, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations, confirmed that the strikes used ATACMS, which have a range of 190 miles, the longest of any munitions the West has given to Ukraine.

Biden is escalating dangerously and once again urging Ukraine to risk losing hundreds of thousands of people. Remember, though, it's Trump who's the out-of-control maniac who will bring on World War III.

CNN has a problem: It's telling its few remaining viewers that Trump will start World War III, when Russia just announced it might drop nukes on Ukraine owing to Biden's provocations and escalations.

How to fix?

Simple, downplay the whole "Russia might use nukes" aspect of the story.

CNN reports only that Putin is "fine-tuning" his "nuclear doctrine."

Fine-tuning it how? CNN doesn't want its braindead zombie cultist viewers to know!

Putin fine-tunes Russia's nuclear doctrine after Biden's arms decision on Ukraine, in clear signal to West

Stay gold, CNN.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden, the world's greatest foreign policy expert as rated by a panel of people named "Joe Biden," has brought so much peace and stability to the world that Sweden is stockpiling food and water in fear of a nuclear attack by Russia.

Sweden is sending out five million pamphlets to residents urging them to prepare for the possibility of war, with instructions on how to stockpile food and even seek shelter during a nuclear attack, as fears grow of a conflict between Russia and NATO.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Stockholm has repeatedly urged Swedes to prepare both mentally and logistically for a possible conflict, citing the worsening security situation in its vicinity.

It comes as tensions between Moscow and the West have escalated to new heights after Joe Biden gave Kyiv the green light to blast targets deep inside Russia with US-supplied long-range missiles, which Donald Trump's son has criticised as making sure 'they get WWIII going before my father has a chance to create peace'.

The booklet 'If Crisis or War Comes', sent out by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), contains information about how to prepare for emergencies such as war, natural disasters, cyber attacks and terrorism.

'An insecure world requires preparedness. The military threat to Sweden has increased and we must prepare for the worst - an armed attack,' its new introduction states.

In one of the more worrying excerpts, which harks back to advice given by governments during the darkest days of the Cold War, it informs people of the risk of nuclear weapons.

'The global security situation increases the risks that nuclear weapons could be used. In the event of an attack with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, take cover in the same way as in an air attack,' the pamphlet instructs readers.

'Shelter provides the best protection. After a couple of days, the radiation has decreased significantly,' it advises, adding that people will be warned of attacks over the radio and should go to basements or subways if there is no better option.

Another message, which has been brought forward from the middle of the booklet in the updated version, reads: 'If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false.'

@amuse @amuse

WAR: Biden is Escalating Ukraine War to Protect His Legacy, Risking WWIII. Michael Waltz, the incoming National Security Advisor under President Trump, has accused the Biden regime of deliberately escalating the war in Ukraine to preserve its legacy at the expense of global stability. Speaking on Fox News, Waltz criticized President Biden's secretive decision to allow U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to be used against targets inside Russia--a move Waltz says he was not briefed on, despite daily intelligence updates as part of the transition process.

"This is another step up the escalation ladder, and no one knows where this is going," Waltz warned, pointing out that Biden's actions appear to prioritize political optics over diplomacy. "How do we get both sides to the table? To end this war. What's the framework for a deal? And who's sitting at that table? These are the questions I and President Trump are working to answer, but Biden's actions are making that almost impossible."

Critics have raised concerns that Biden fears Trump will successfully broker peace in Ukraine, a move that would overshadow Biden's legacy and his failed foreign policy. Waltz echoed this theory, suggesting Biden is willing to risk World War III rather than allow Trump to achieve what he could not.

"It's clear Biden doesn't want Trump to inherit a path to peace. Instead, he's doubling down on a war that no one--Biden included--seems to have an endgame for," Waltz said.

Waltz also called out the Biden regime's refusal to cooperate with the Trump transition team, describing it as a deliberate attempt to obstruct efforts for a smooth transfer of power during a critical time. He further highlighted the global ramifications of Biden's recklessness, citing rising tensions with North Korea and the broader risk of spiraling instability.

"This isn't just about Ukraine; this is about global leadership. Biden's unwillingness to engage with the incoming administration is dangerous and shortsighted," Waltz concluded.

The Biden regime's decision to escalate without consultation, combined with its failure to coordinate with Trump's team, raises serious questions about its priorities. Waltz's warnings signal growing fears that Biden's focus on preserving his legacy could lead to catastrophic consequences for the United States and the world.

h/t @DavidSacks

Creaky Ancient Leftist Mike Barnicle Tells MSNBC: "I Don't Know How We Make Ourselves Relevant Again"

—Ace

MSNBC has lost half of its audience. It's not just that the Democrats lost an election. It's that MSNBC essentially guaranteed their audience that the Democrats would win, finally convincing the slow-witted cultists who watch the network that it has been feeding them nothing but lies for ten years.

So of course they're whining about alternative news sources beating them.

At least they're finally grasping that they're no longer relevant:

Nancy Mace Introduces Bill to Ban Trans-Identifying Men From Using Women's Bathrooms on Capitol Hill
Update: Mace Clarifies: "You're Damn Right This Is About Tim McBride!"

—Ace

J.K. Rowling used the term "trans-identifying men." It's a good term. I guess you can just shorthand that to "men," but she's making a stab at attempting to comport herself with PC nonsense while emphasizing, at the end, that these are men and we shouldn't forget that.

Nancy Mace would like women's bathrooms on Capitol Hill to be reserved for women only.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on Monday introduced a bill to bar transgender women from facilities on Capitol Hill that match their gender identity.

The resolution, which would prohibit members, officers and employees of the House from using single-sex facilities that correspond to their gender identity, comes just a week after Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.) made history as the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.

The measure charges the House sergeant-at-arms, William McFarland, with enforcing the ban, according to text previewed by The Hill, but it is unclear how the House's chief law enforcement officer will determine who can and cannot use the Capitol's facilities.

Are you serious? Are you suggesting we can't tell who the transgenders are? The one who just got elected ran on being transgender. Does he look so much like a woman that you think we'll forget he's a dude?

All we need to do is resurrect Ted Knight and we've got a Too Close for Comfort reunion going!

State laws that bar transgender people from using public restrooms that match their gender identity often rely on anonymous complaints, a notoriously unreliable enforcement mechanism. LGBTQ rights activists in May flooded a tip line designed to alert officials in Utah to possible violations of the state's bathroom ban with thousands of false complaints.

"This is a blatant attempt from far right-wing extremists to distract from the fact that they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing," McBride said in a statement. "We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care and child care, not manufacturing culture wars."

Sarah McBride @SarahEMcBride

Every day Americans go to work with people who have life journeys different than their own and engage with them respectfully, I hope members of Congress can muster that same kindness.

Muh Dude, why is it always other people who have to show respect and deference towards you? Why can't you respect women enough to acknowledge they are entitled to having bathrooms free of men?

I'm tired of this "just be polite" and "just show respect" jive. Politeness goes both ways. It's not polite or respectful to coerce someone into repeating your lies and validating your delusions.

Let alone making them feel uncomfortable while they're in a vulnerable, isolated place.

Open Thread

—Ace

The Morning Rant: Minimalist Edition

—CBD

The Biden/Obama junta's last gasp of relevance is functionally identical to a toddler smashing his toy because he didn't get the correct scoop of ice cream.

There is no logic to our Ukraine policy, other than a maniacal drive to fatten the coffers of the defense industry and their grifting, grasping, graft beneficiaries, while simultaneously satisfying the masturbatory fantasies of "Pax Americana" among the neo-neocons in D.C. Why did we and the Brits push Ukraine to end their negotiations and fight to the bitter end? Why is NATO membership for Ukraine so important?

The reality is that Putin is a regional bully, but we are giving him ample pretext to set in motion his heated rhetoric about an imperial Russia by pushing constantly against his borders. If Mexico launched Russian missiles at one of our military bases on our southern border, we might get a bit upset. Yet the mid-wits in the halls of power see nothing untoward about providing advanced weapons to Ukraine and then giving them the green light to use them in Russia?

We have cranked up a border dispute between neighbors into a global proxy war, and the rationale for this is...what? That Putin is a big fat meanie and we need to slap him down? If Putin got his way, he would have taken some Ukrainian land and exacted a pledge that Ukraine wouldn't join NATO. Or if the original peace plan had been accepted, he would have withdrawn his forces for that pledge. Sounds reasonable to me.

But no, the West has decided that it will fight to the last Ukrainian and the last dollar! So hundreds of thousands of deaths and hundreds of billions of dollars later, what have we gotten? An angry senile fool and his arrogant handlers stoking the fires of conflict.

Ukraine fires first US-made missile into Russia: WW3 fears as Kremlin threatens 'nuclear response' if long-range Western weapons are used on its territory

A fiery explosion at an ammunition depot in Karachev around 75 miles from the Ukrainian border in Russia's Bryansk region lit up the night sky early this morning on what is the 1,000th day of war in Ukraine.

Eyewitnesses along with Russian and Ukrainian military bloggers first reported the attack, with anonymous Ukrainian military officials later telling RBC Ukraine the strike was conducted with the US-manufactured ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System).

Kyiv is yet to officially confirm the ATACMS strike, but Russia's Defence Ministry claimed they shot down five missiles. A sixth missile was damaged but ultimately landed on the military facility, it said.

Is it a crappy situation? Yes. Geopolitics is a nasty business, and sometimes the bad guys win. We haven't sent troops into Venezuela or Libya or onto the India-Pakistan border or into Mexico to combat its growing narco-state or into Sudan or a dozen other places across the globe. What makes Ukraine so special?

Yup...we all know the answer to that question.

[Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter]

Mid-Morning Art Thread

—CBD

Mrs. Mary Arthur
Thomas Eakins