Just One Thing: Joe pardons Hunter
In the least surprising news of the week or month or year, Joe Biden pardoned his son on Sunday, sort of an early Christmas present for the young grifter-addict extraordinaire, as I (and everybody else) predicted he would. (Not that I predicted it would be this weekend, but that it would be after the election and before the inauguration.)
Hunter was just days from sentencing: Hunter Biden's sentencing on firearms charges delayed | AP News
In Joe Biden’s statement, he claims that “Hunter was singled out only because he’s my son.” But remember that Hunter almost got the best plea deal of all time only because he’s Joe’s son and wasn't charged with a FARA violation even though he should have been. An alert judge stopped that miscarriage of justice. Hunter’s tax crimes in particular would have landed any normal American in prison. Biden adds that politics has infected the process and, I quote, “enough is enough.” If that’s true he should pardon Donald Trump and urge New York prosecutors to drop their cases.
Finally, I don't wish Hunter ill. He's been sober for more than 5 years and seems happily married and I wish him well...though I think he should have paid some real price for his crimes. (Especially the tax crimes; I'm not sure many people would have faced charges for the gun law violations but that's primarily because not many people would sign a form (to get a firearm) that says you're not addicted to, or a user of, illegal drugs, and then post videos of doing drugs while waving around a pistol.)
Biden's statement: Statement from President Joe Biden | The White House
President Joe Biden issues pardon for son Hunter Biden
Joe Biden Pardons Son Hunter Biden before Sentencing For Gun, Tax Crimes | National Review
I'm old enough to remember this: Biden still does not plan to pardon his son Hunter, White House says - CBS News
Biden says that his son was convicted because of politics and he doesn't like political impacts on the justice system. If that were true, he should pardon Trump and urge New York and Georgia prosecutors to drop their cases.
Interesting reaction by CO Gov Jared Polis, and interesting reaction to his reaction (if you read the replies)
Today's Guest (Maybe)
We're not sure if this will work out but I'm putting it in the blog just in case. Former Deputy Director, and twice Acting Director, of the CIA, Michael Morell, may join me in studio to talk about what's involved running the world's most famous spy agency. He may or may not comment on Trump's nominees for CIA Director (John Ratcliffe) or Director of National Intelligence (Tulsi Gabbard).
Yes, Mr Morell is known by many for his signing the letter from former intelligence officials stating that the Hunter Biden laptop might have been Russian disinformation. (They didn't say it WAS, just that it could have been, but politically there was basically no difference.) Still, I know Morell as a guy who loves his country, who spent years protecting the nation, and who is politically centrist and unaffiliated.
Michael Morell - Beacon Global Strategies
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Other Stuff
Congrats to the CSU Rams Women's Volleyball team!
Colorado State beats San Jose State to win Mountain West volleyball tournament
The team CSU beat is the team that had so much controversy due to having a transgender player. (That player, Blaire Fleming, is a senior so this was the last game of her collegiate career.) Outkick suggests that by SJSU losing, they don't then go to the NCAA tournament, which is a big relief for the NCAA versus having to make some kind of ruling where no matter what they did, many people would be unhappy: CSU Beats SJSU In MWC Final, Saves NCAA From Transgender Controversy | OutKick
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Kash Patel is Donald Trump's nominee to be FBI director. He has a lot of folks in the FBI nervous (which isn't all bad.) Trump won the election and unlike Matt Gaetz, Patel is at least close to almost qualified. But still not really qualified. To call him a "reformer" is putting it mildly. He's said he'd shut down the FBI building and reopen it as a "museum of the deep state" and he's said he'd use the FBI to go after the media and others he perceives as enemies of Donald Trump. (See WSJ note below about this concern.) He doesn't have significant management experience but he does have experience as a federal prosecutor and, believe it or not, as a public defender and has held relevant jobs in the federal government, especially related to our anti-terrorism efforts. He has not been an FBI agent. The more interesting question, then, is whether current FBI Director Chris Wray will resign, if the Senate is willing to approve Patel, or whether Wray will force Trump to fire him (because Wray's term isn't up until 2027.) I suspect Wray will get out of the way.
Kash Patel, the FBI and Retribution - WSJ
Some conservatives love the choice; others are concerned: Trump Picked Patel for FBI After Some Aides Warned It Could Backfire - WSJ
Kashyap P. Patel > U.S. Department of Defense > Biography
Meet Kash Patel, Trump’s Nomination for FBI Director | TIME
Conservatives cheer Kash Patel's FBI nom as critics mobilize against him
Grassley: Trump pick Patel must restore public faith in the FBI
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Football fun: Josh Allen given two touchdowns on one play as rarely-used NFL rules explained
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This might get some play in America. But what do Americans REALLY want? How RFK Jr’s Fight Against Processed Food Put Froot Loops at Center of U.S. Politics - WSJ
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Like all technologies, ChatGPT will create losers. Here's a dramatic example: Chegg Is On Its Last Legs After ChatGPT Sent Its Stock Down 99%
The key, though, even though it's more difficult, is to think of the winners. Imagine, or try to imagine, new jobs and opportunities that will be created by AI. I'm not arguing for a moment that it won't be extremely disruptive. It absolutely will, but so were machines that took the nation from being something like 90% farmers in the 1700s to about 1.5% farmers now, and yet we don't have massive unemployment. AND we're producing more from farms than ever.
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The smoldering Syrian civil war reignites: More Russian strikes as Syrian rebels advance after taking Aleppo
After entering Aleppo, Syrian insurgents advance to nearby province | AP News
Bashar Asaad is a bad dude but don't assume that the rebels are the good guys here: Who are Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, HTS, the rebels seizing control of Aleppo?
It's likely that the Israeli decimation of Hezbollah made things easier for the Syrian rebels: Syria rebels appear to credit Israeli strikes on Hezbollah with aiding shock advance | The Times of Israel
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I don't mind the concept of paying people to use less water but some of these folks seem a little too enthusiastic which makes me think they're being paid too much: Colorado River program pays $28.6 million to cut water use
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Retailers really hate your returns, and especially the fraudulent ones:
Rising Online Returns Have Stores Tightening Policies and Raising Fees - WSJ
Return fraud: The $100 billion problem facing retailers - Ekata, a Mastercard company
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The latest data from The Tax Foundation reemphasize what I say frequently: the political left is correct that the income tax system is unfair, but in exactly the opposite way from what they claim. The rich pay too big a share of federal income taxes. A couple of key highlights: The top 1% pay just over 40% of all federal income taxes, twice their share of national income. The top 1% pay more than the bottom 95%. It's an outright lie that the top earners pay a lower rate than lower earners.
What the Top 1% Really Pays the IRS - WSJ
Who Pays Federal Income Taxes? Latest Federal Income Tax Data
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Amazing: Hundreds more Nazca Lines emerge in Peru’s desert | The Seattle Times
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Glad the oil/gas companies got ahead of this so it didn’t look like they were involved: Colorado looks into alleged false environmental data on oil, gas sites (may require subscription)
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A fascinating story that I didn't get to last week. I would not want to be the judge who has to make this decision: Court says birth parents of girl born in IVF mix-up must give her to genetic parents | The Times of Israel
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Keep an eye out for Dems trying to boost labor unions at great cost to Colorado businesses (and therefore to their customers.) Jared Polis is headed for another showdown with Democrats at the Colorado Capitol over union issues - The Colorado Sun
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Today's Video
That's an odd looking (but great sounding) cow
You can't help but smile