Image 01 Image 03

November 2017

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is currently facing the House Judiciary Committee over the DOJ's decision to review the Uranium One deal and the Clinton Foundation. Of course, the subject has strayed and others have asked about special counsel on FBI's handling of failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's email investigation. One of the biggest revelations so far is that Sessions now remembers a meeting he had with an advisor on President Donald Trump's campaign about Russian contacts. Sessions previously testified "he knew of no such contacts with the campaign."

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) returned to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday after his neighbor allegedly attacked him and broke his ribs and punctured his lungs. He spoke with The Washington Examiner upon his return and opened up about the attack:
“From my perspective, I’m not really too concerned about what someone’s motive is. I’m just concerned that I was attacked from the back and somebody broke six of my ribs and gave me a damaged lung where at least for now I have trouble speaking and breathing and now I’ve hurt for 10 days,” the senator said after arriving back in Washington for a week of critical votes.

The magazine GQ has named former quarterback Colin Kaepernick its citizen of the year since becoming a "powerful symbol of activism and resistance" since he took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality. GQ said that this action has put Kaepernick in the same company of Jackie Robinson, the man who courageously broke the color barrier in baseball and had to endure ACTUAL racial injustice and brutality. Or Muhammad Ali, who protested the Vietnam War and refused to serve when he was drafted, which forced boxing to lock him out. EXCUSE ME?

Israel's elite Air Force instructors are training Indian Special forces, Israeli media reports confirm. Israel Defense Forces' Airborne Rescue and Evacuation Unit 669 is carrying out joint drills with Garud Commando Force, the Special Forces unit of the Indian Air Force. According to Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post, 16 Indian commandos are currently stationed at Nevatim and Palmahim air bases. These personnel are part of a 45-man delegation and a C-130J Super Hercules transport plane that are in Israel to take part in Blue Flag 2017, Israel's largest aerial drill ever, the newspaper added.

Donna Brazile's revelation that the Hillary Clinton campaign co-opted the Democratic National Committee during the primaries was fairly devastating news to those still hoping for a Hillary 2020 run. The primaries being "rigged" further distances Bernie supporters, who provide all the energy in the party, from the Democrat establishment. But make no mistake about it. Hillary WANTS to run again. She feels cheated (a feeling she well knows). She won the popular vote, and in her mind and that of her supporters, the election was STOLEN from her by James Comey and the Russians. To run in 2020 is simply to reclaim what rightfully is hers, in her mind. I can envision a campaign slogan along the lines of: "Hillary 2020, Returning the Presidency to its Rightful Owner."

Attorney Gloria Allred has scheduled a press conference at 2:30 PM EDT with an alleged Roy Moore accuser, adding to the dumpster fire of Alabama's special senate election. An article published by the Washington Post last week featured four women, one of whom allege Moore engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct when she was but a teenager and he was in his thirties. One of his accusers alleged Moore took her out on dates and bought her alcohol. At the time, she was 18 and the legal drinking age was 19. Moore said in an interview on Sean Hannity's radio show last week that he remembers the woman, but doesn't recall if they dated.

The District Court in Hawaii recently granted yet another injunction against a Trump Travel Order, in that case Travel Order No. 3. In light of prior Supreme Court stays of similar injunctions, the Hawaii District Court Order was plainly ridiculous. I noted at the time:
I can’t say I’m surprised by the result, considering that the Judge involved here already has ruled against Trump. The problem in this decision, as it was in prior decisions by this and other lower courts, is that the Judge is substituting his evaluation of risk for that of the executive branch.
Even the 9th Circuit seems to think so, as it just issued a Stay (pdf.) of most of the District Court injunction:

President Donald Trump has picked former drug executive Alex Azar for Health and Human Services secretary to replace Tom Price, who resigned in September after questions arose of his use of private jets. Azar served as HHS deputy secretary in President George W. Bush's administration from 2005 to 2007 when Mike Leavitt worked as secretary.

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the border of Iran and Iraq over the weekend and the death roll has risen to 348 people. From Reuters:
State television said more than 348 people were killed in Iran and at least 6,600 were injured. Local officials said the death toll would rise as search and rescue teams reached remote areas of Iran.