Althouse: Sunrise — 6:15, 6:16.

August 24, 2022

Sunrise — 6:15, 6:16.

Write about whatever you want in the comments.

34 comments:

Heywood Rice said...: DOJ releases a Mueller-era memo to Barr on the decision to not prosecute Trump

NPR

The Justice Department on Wednesday released a memo from 2019 laying out the case for not prosecuting former President Donald Trump for obstruction of justice in connection with then-special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

The nine-page memo dated March 24, 2019 was written by two senior Trump Justice Department officials: Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel and Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Ed O'Callaghan...

...Then-Attorney General William Barr ultimately declined to prosecute Trump for obstruction of justice stemming from Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Trump and his supporters lauded the decision, but many legal experts questioned the reasoning and conclusion. More than 1,000 former federal prosecutors signed a letter in 2019 saying that the conduct described in Mueller's report would normally lead to multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice.; 8/24/22, 7:21 PM
Joe Smith said...: Libs are saying debt forgiveness is 'fair' because rich folks got a tax cut under Trump.

I'm no accountant, but last time I looked, people were just able to keep more of THEIR OWN MONEY.

It is not the governments money. They don't 'allow' you to keep it.

Your. Fucking. Money.

Not the same thing at all...; 8/24/22, 7:32 PM
Joe Smith said...: I’m just going to say it...thanking a government employee ‘for their service,’ whether in congress, in the armed forces, the police department, or someone like Fauci, is ridiculous.

It’s their fucking job. They get paid. In Fauci’s case, he was apparently the highest-paid federal employee.

People do these jobs for the same reason a plumber or an office worker does theirs; it puts food on the table.

I’ll start thanking them when they start working for free...; 8/24/22, 7:33 PM
Rusty said...: I hope I don't have to explain to Howard again.; 8/24/22, 7:37 PM
Buckwheathikes said...: You really need to abandon Blogger if you wish to be influential. And why spend all that time writing what you do if nobody can read or respond to what you do.

Are you aware of the chaos in this commenting system? One might suspect that Google wishes to limit your reach.; 8/24/22, 7:50 PM
wildswan said...: Glory to Ukraine on Independence day

https://twitter.com/GlasnostGone/status/1562379581792862208?cxt=HHwWgICykfX8164rAAAA; 8/24/22, 8:23 PM
Lurker21 said...: Miami Attorney, 41, Unmasked By FBI As Robber Who Hit 5 Banks In Past 3 Weeks

Poor guy had just turned his life around and was trying to be a productive member of society. If he'd known it was that hard, he might have stayed a lawyer.; 8/24/22, 8:27 PM
Gusty Winds said...: The current high cost of college and massive ($1 Trillion) student debt is the biggest "I sold my soul to the company store" scenario I've every seen.

It traps people into indentured servitude through debt while the company store owners get rich and own you. Steinbeck describes company stores in "The Grapes of Wrath".

Basically a company store sells you necessities (food, booze, etc...or a college degree with booze of course) for more money than you are making picking their crops. You need both to survive. You also live there right on the farm or campus, because that's where they grow the crops and the prestige of the degree. You end up in so much debt, that you're stuck there and you decide to pick more crops for the company in graduate school. Leaving the farm doesn't seem to offer any better options at the moment.

What's another $50K on top of the $80K you already owe? It's only two years. It's only $130K. I'm ok here. Feels safe. I got nowhere else to go. I'm with a lot of people in my same situation.

Farms with company stores preyed on the poorest in society. The Okies, migrants of all ages; also many young people...18-25 years old because they were ripe for the pickin', and pretty good at pickin' too.

The company that owns the farm and the company store, and universities tell you, "you need us or you won't survive". But the universities have figured out how to one up the great American company store owners.

They tell their customers, "Without us, and our prestigious degree, you'll end up pickin' oranges on some corporate farm and buying shit you need to survive from the company store".; 8/24/22, 8:39 PM
tim in vermont said...: There is a pretty cool documentary on Amazon right now about William Colby's life as a spy from WWII on. If you doubt that the CIA and US embassies run coups all of the time in countries, like Bolton said, you might give it a watch.

Here is the transcript of Victoria Nuland picking the leaders of Ukraine after the coup we ran.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26079957

Yes, Glory to Ukraine! We should encourage the burning race hatred that Ukrainian ultranationalists feel for Russians. I never liked the Soviets, anymore than I liked the Nazis, but Russia and Germany have long and rich histories separate from these ideologies that took hold, and BTW, Ukraine was not a simple victim of the Soviet Union, but played a role too, just like it did with the Nazis when Ukrainians, and Stephan Bandera, whom the Ukrainians currently idolize, sent tens of thousands of Jews to their deaths in camps.; 8/24/22, 8:53 PM
Lurker21 said...: Nine Days is a very strange, very long, and (I think) very good picture. I would like to have seen it big screen.; 8/24/22, 8:53 PM
tim in vermont said...: Administration is a large part of the cost of universities; we all know it. Why do colleges hire so many, you ask? Because every time the government promulgates a new regulation on them, they have to hire administrators to ensure compliance or provide reporting. It's a vicious cycle because the Democrats also see these schools as jobs programs for their base, cushy jobs at that.

If this doesn't prove that the Democrats are the party of the rich, I don't know what would.

Just one thing I noticed, I did a tweet today that got almost 600 impressions, two tweets below it I replied to somebody and mentioned 'unter-Hay iden-Bay's aptop-Lay' and that tweet got about 20 impressions, and I am willing to bet that some of those were me checking analytics on it. I had to click twice passed barriers to see my own Tweet that mentioned it. If that laptop is "Russian disinformation." it's the greatest work of art of the century so far.; 8/24/22, 9:09 PM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: I graduated from college in 1977 with $15,000 in student loans. My starting salary at Boeing was also $15,000. My father paid for one quarter, I paid for a second quarter with a summer full time job and a school part time job. The third quarter I got a student loan. I paid off all the loans after 5(?) years. I didn't like making those payments but they were made.

Tuition is high because the Federal government subsidizes the students with low-cost loans. That increases demand and since there's only a finite supply of top-grade schools, the schools can increase tuition and still fill all of their seats. Reducing tuition costs means reducing demand by reducing the student subsidies. To do that:

- Require that students and family fund at least part of the tuition themselves. How much is TBD.

- The colleges/universities must supply the capital to fund the student loans. Those student loans should be dischargeable in bankruptcy court. That gives them skin in the game with the realization that the classes they offer must result in a money-making degree. Degrees in Underwater Basket Weaving have negative ROI and would result in jobs that could not payback the loans.

-The student loans should require interest payments while the student is attending college so the principal does not grow and the students are aware of the financial burden they are accruing. That's like a home construction loan.

No forgiveness of loans unless the originating college/university supplies the capital to payoff the loan.; 8/24/22, 9:27 PM
Richard Dolan said...: Petitioners filed their reply briefs in the discrimination cases against Harvard and UNC today. The writing, particularly the one in the Harvard case, is simple and direct, at times almost colloquial in its use of language. Very punchy and sharply worded, conveying total disdain for euphemisms or high minded blather intended to disguise a grubby reality. Almost the complete opposite of the prose style in Harvard’s brief, and not at all what you might expect to see in that forum particularly given the high profile nature of the case. On the substance it’s masterful. They really want the court to see this as Brown v. Board redux, with Grutter as just a sad echo of Plessy. The brief is also sharply aimed at getting Kavanaugh’s vote. I suspect they will succeed in that too, along with the five other persuadables. And it’s being argued on Halloween- who says the court doesn’t have a wicked sense of humor!; 8/24/22, 10:07 PM
Lurker21 said...: It turned out that the Russian dissident who said that Putin's FSB assassinated Darya Dugina had left Russian for Ukraine years ago and taken Ukrainian citizenship. So things are more -- or less -- complicated. You really can't trust anything coming from that part of the world. Or this part of the world either, apparently.; 8/24/22, 10:37 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: I got a new iPhone. As I began to get acquainted, I had an old 8 version, this one is a 12. I began to see the multiverse metaphor I commented about some days ago, come to life.

Everything you open stays open. The off button doesn't appear to do what it used to do. There's no home button. It's lighter. It's bigger. If you really want to turn it off, you have to burrow/thumb slide thru to the end of settings. The multiverse is always meant to be on all at once. It can't be "all at once" if you turn it off.; 8/24/22, 11:49 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: If we play along with the Justice Dep Trump-top-secret-stolen-docs charade.

(Trump took 700 pages, I like how news reports make 700 pages sound like there's enough to circle the earth twice and still have enough left over to make a paper mache sculpture.)

Trump taking docs home is consistent with a man who truly believes the election was stolen from him.

Apparently, somebody leaked a pic of Trump and the documents alone together.; 8/25/22, 12:09 AM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/25/22, 12:09 AM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/25/22, 12:09 AM
gadfly said...: Forgiving student loans is discriminating "reverse bankruptcy." Only those who borrowed to attend schools are having their debt lowered by as much as $10K when there is no evidence that bankruptcy status has been or ever will be achieved. These ex-students already pay the lowest interest rates, make the most money, and have not made a payment since the coronavirus struck.

This is a Biden vote bribe that will kick us right back into the highly inflationary times that real workers will have to continue to take on the chin. Biden steps in it yet again since there are more active voters by far than the total votes attainable from student loan holders.; 8/25/22, 12:14 AM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: Would Trump relish the idea of testifying in his own defense?

I think he would.; 8/25/22, 12:33 AM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: Loan forgiveness also lines up with the multiverse metaphor.

We’re in the universe that has outlawed bankruptcy. The one where printing more money reduces inflation.

Truly amazing 🥲; 8/25/22, 12:57 AM
Ralph L said...: I saw somewhere that UW-M has removed their racist rock. I feel better already!; 8/25/22, 1:30 AM
gadfly said...: Joe Smith said...
I’m just going to say it...thanking a government employee ‘for their service,’ whether in congress, in the armed forces, the police department, or someone like Fauci, is ridiculous.

Dr. Fauci led the effort to devise, manufacture and distribute the coronavirus vaccines. Did you think that Trump used his brilliant scientific mind?; 8/25/22, 4:40 AM
Humperdink said...: I would get donation requests from PSU annually. I would answer with the same response: "quit raising tuition at double the rate of inflation and I will donate".

As an aside, I see in Biden's speech yesterday regarding the student loan giveaway he said the system is "broken". Broken? Gee, where I have heard that word before? Oh yeah, the immigration system.; 8/25/22, 5:18 AM
Andrew said...: "Dr. Fauci led the effort to devise, manufacture and distribute the coronavirus vaccines."

Actually, he invented the vaccine singlehandedly in his basement laboratory. Only his humility prevented him from taking credit.

Fortunately, he had the COVID-19 blueprint, courtesy of Wuhan.; 8/25/22, 6:07 AM
tim in vermont said...: Looks like Blinkin has already decided that any referendums for independence from the Ukraine is going to be a "sham." Just because Ukrainians have been fighting a civil war to complete their 2014 coup all this time, killing thousands of civilians is no reason for those people to want to separate.

If Quebec voted for separation, Canada would let them leave, per international norms. They wouldn't head in with heavy artillery and white phosphorus to make them change their minds or make French illegal.; 8/25/22, 7:01 AM
wendybar said...: DeSantis on Fauci: "I'm just sick of seeing him. I know he says he's gonna retire. Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac!”; 8/25/22, 8:00 AM
wendybar said...: "Johnson quoted FBI management as telling employees “You will not look at that Hunter Biden laptop” and promising the bureau would not alter the 2020 election outcome — a reference to the FBI reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server days before the 2016 election."

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2022/08/25/whistleblower-fbi-officials-ordered-agents-to-steer-clear-of-hunter-biden-laptop-n2612219; 8/25/22, 8:11 AM
wendybar said...: In 1965, columnist and commentator Paul Harvey wrote an interesting piece titled, "If I were the Devil." This was basically a commentary on what Harvey would do if he were Satan and wanted to destroy America.

Nearly 60 years later, most of what Harvey predicted has come to pass. While America has not been completely destroyed, our nation is clearly in decline. In 2022, here's what I would do if I wanted to finish the job.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2022/08/what_would_the_devil_have_to_do_today_to_destroy_america.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9NoQHgjM_0; 8/25/22, 8:26 AM
Narr said...: When I started college in '71, there was actually no tuition--for a while we paid "maintenance fees" but at some point they started calling it tuition. (Overgrown Normal School University; a railroad runs through it.)

I don't recall the details, but after my father's SocSec survivors' benefits for minor children stopped when I was 18, his VA benefit remained until I was 21 (IIRC) as long as I remained in good standing at school.

Well, okay. I was used to working already, and enjoyed learning history, so I worked and stayed in school. Then I started working in the library, and eventually did three master's programs (only two degrees, long story) while working. Two or three night and weekend courses a year, "paid for" by taking advantage of the employee ed bennies, not by taking out loans. We took loans for things like cars, and houses, in my family. (The astute will note that yes, I was a state employee taking advantage of state fringe bennies--the same as when I got discounts for state park lodge or cabin rentals. All glory to the Volunteer state!)

We did put away quite a nice little tax-deferred sum for our son's college, but he flunked out and has stayed out, so we spent it on ourselves.

I have fifty-something ex-colleagues who are still paying grad school loans. As humanities nerds, they make substantially less than 125k/year.; 8/25/22, 10:30 AM
Joe Smith said...: 'Dr. Fauci led the effort to devise, manufacture and distribute the coronavirus vaccines.'

Fauci does not know how to devise a vaccine.

At best, he knows how to tell drug manufacturers to do it.

Either way he should spend the rest of his life in prison for funding gain of function research that led to the release (accident or no) of a man-made virus.

He also has blood on his hands with AIDS.

The man is a preening, egomaniacal cocksucker...ask me what I really think.; 8/25/22, 10:53 AM
wendybar said...: SAMIAM
@SAMIAM24429015

"They knew that" .....
Hence the great censoring
12:29 AM · Aug 25, 2022

https://twitchy.com/samj-3930/2022/08/25/they-knew-shock-poll-shows-how-much-damage-media-social-media-hiding-the-hunter-biden-story-actually-did-to-2020-election/; 8/25/22, 12:03 PM
wendybar said...: This explains it.

https://twitter.com/redstateflyover/status/1562824216218849280?; 8/25/22, 12:05 PM
stephen cooper said...: PEOPLE WHO FLY IN JETS HAVE NO REGRETS FOR SPOILING THE SUNRISES OF THE POOR.

ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE, THE RICH AND POWERFUL HAVE ACTED THIS WAY.; 8/25/22, 9:23 PM