Please Read This
The second-worst thing about the murder of Iryna Zarutska
I started thinking about this last night, woke up at 2 AM thinking about it more, and put my thoughts together.
I hope you'll read and share and subscribe:
How can one not cry? - by Ross Kaminsky - The Ross Report
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Just One Thing: Russia pushes the limits
I don't know if we'll ever find out whether it was accidental or intentional, but this happened on Tuesday: Poland shoots down Russian drones after 'huge number' violated airspace, PM says - live updates - BBC News
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones Deep Inside NATO Member’s Territory - WSJ
Per BBC News, Belarus, which is a puppet state of Russia, claims that the Russian drones "lost their way" after their systems were electronically jammed. Who knows if that's true...
The president of Poland posted this on X:
Interesting how many comments are folks saying either that it's just a lie or that the drones were sent by Ukraine into Poland, either of those claims being meant as "this is just a way for (warmongers or Ukraine or some other apparent villain) to push NATO into war against Russia". That seems very unlikely.
As of this writing (very early Weds morning in Denver), things appear to be calm and European stock markets are very slightly higher so clearly investors don't think this is about to precipitate war.
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One More Thing: What did he know and when did he know it?
A lot of confusing reporting on Tuesday about whether Donald Trump knew in advance about the Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar. At this point, I suspect ABC News has the right answer. Read about that and more in my Substack, and please subscribe (for free!)
No place is safe for Hamas - by Ross Kaminsky
Trump tries to soothe Qatar after Israeli strikes but stops short of decrying another ally
Also, they may not have gotten the primary targets: Israeli sources said to be increasingly dubious of Qatar strike's success | The Times of Israel
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Today's Guests
Leland Vittert is the host of "On Balance" on News Nation which airs weeknights at 7 PM MT and again at 10 PM MT. His daily "War Notes" newsletter is a must-read (and it's free). And his new book, Born Lucky, is truly remarkable. I just finished reading it over this past weekend. It's not officially published yet but please order yours in advance.
"On Balance with Leland Vittert" on NewsNation
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Abby Corrigan is CEO of Colorado Faith Alliance. She'll tell us about an interesting event she has coming up about how to protect kids, both from online harm and even with some physical self-defense moves!
The event is Saturday, September 20 from 9 AM to noon in Lone Tree...more details in link below.
Events - Colorado Faith Alliance Day of Defense: Child Safety Event in Colorado | CFA
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Barb Kirkmeyer is a Republican state senator, former Weld County commissioner, and now a Republican candidate for governor of Colorado. Looks like her tag line is "Better Days Ahead". I like it. See more in "Other Stuff" below...
Home | Barbara Kirkmeyer for Colorado
The Dems have the long knives out for Barb already. Kinda seems like they're a bit afraid of her: Colorado Dems on X: "Republican State Senator Barbra Kirkmeyer, who once wanted to secede from Colorado, is announcing her run for governor today. Here’s what you should know about this dangerous, extreme and billionaire-first Republican🧵
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Al Pitrelli is the musical director and lead guitarist for the incredible Trans-Siberian Orchestra who will be back on the road in 2025 with their annual holiday tour which will include 106 PERFORMANCES in 64 markets - in just 48 days!!
Colorado shows:
Saturday, November 15th at 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM at Ball Arena in Denver
Sunday, November 16th at 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs
On today's show I'll give away a pair of tickets to each show!
This year's tour will feature an all-new production of their beloved "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve" alongside a special second set of hits and fan-favorites that includes a 25th-anniversary salute to "Beethoven's Last Night." The "Ghosts Of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO & More" tour promises to continue TSO's tradition of captivating audiences nationwide with an unparalleled blend of rock, classical, and theatrical spectacle, complete with dazzling pyrotechnics, lasers, and incredible storytelling which has captured the hearts of multiple generations. The tour launches on November 13th. The public on-sale date for the tour will be Friday, September 12th at 10:00a with pre-sales for select groups beginning on Thur., Sept. 11th at 10:00a.
Tour – Trans-Siberian Orchestra Fan Club
And here's a 24-year-old interview: Al Pitrelli says that Megadeth is back to making aggressive, snotty, purist heavy metal again - earofnewt.com
Al gives guitar lessons:
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Other Stuff
Now that State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer has entered the race to be the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, it will start getting interesting. At this point, although I haven't made up my mind and don't know who else might still get in (a bunch of others are in already), Barb seems like the most credible Republican.
CO Attorney General Phil Weiser, one of two credible Democratic candidates (though I suspect Michael Bennet is more likely to be the nominee and governor than Phil is), put out a silly statement yesterday about Barb's entry into the race:
We need fighters—not rubber stamps for Trump. State Sen. Kirkmeyer loudly defended Trump’s new law that blew a billion-dollar hole in our state budget, cut Coloradans’ healthcare funding, and put our rural hospitals at risk. And when I sought more tools to fight back against Trump and his cabinet, she tried her best to block me from defending our state. I have a different vision for Colorado–focused on freedom and opportunity for all–and will fight hard for it. I welcome Sen. Kirkmeyer to the race and look forward to a debate about the values and leadership Colorado needs and deserves in this moment.
Here's my reply to Phil, which I emailed to him directly:
What do governors have to do with Trump? And I really dislike the mendacity about blaming Republicans for the Colorado budget. We spend too much, period. And the only reason that the bill impacted the state budget is that we’re one of four states that immediately accepts almost all federal tax cuts, so by blaming the GOP for the CO budget problems what you’re really saying is that you don’t want Coloradans to get tax breaks, that you want taxes on tips and overtime, that you don’t want more pro-growth tax rules for businesses. (By the way, I DO want taxes on tips and overtime but I bet you wouldn’t say that in public.)
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Sorry, but no: Teachers, farmers, advocates urge voters to approve new tax for school meals and food stamps in November - The Colorado Sun
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This seems like a lot in one day: Ellison Rivals Musk as World’s Richest Man After $70 Billion Gain in One Day
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Cracker Barrel backs down all the way. Can the CEO keep her job? We Hear You | Cracker Barrel
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I didn't get to this yesterday. Unsurprisingly, Trump used this news to attack BLS and to try to lower the bar for the economy by saying that he inherited a weak economy from Biden (which is probably somewhat true, though as the WSJ notes below, Trump's trade wars will make the economy even weaker.)
Job Growth Revised Down by Nearly a Million, Updated BLS Data Shows - The New York Times
Job Revisions and the Trump Economy - WSJ
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I probably won't talk about this on the show but I think it's a very interesting article: How to find employment after incarceration in Colorado - The Colorado Sun
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This could cause some very noticeable changes: FDA Launches Crackdown on Deceptive Drug Advertising | FDA
I don't know if it's true but FDA head Dr Marty Makary said (in an interview with Leland Vittert) yesterday that sometimes, someone watching a football game will see more minutes of pharma ads during a game than minutes of football. I doubt that's actually true but it sure feels that way sometimes.
I struggle with this because I do think corporations have free speech rights. The question really comes down to whether the ads are so misleading as to be properly prohibited, though that would seem to be a case-by-case thing. What it seems like RFK Jr wants to do is make rules, or enforce existing rules, that require all (or at least all potentially significant) side effects to be mentioned in an ad, and not in a way that's designed to prevent a viewer from actually comprehending them, which sure does seem to be the case now.
Again, I struggle with it: I think all companies that are selling legal products have the right to advertise but no companies have the right to intentionally mislead consumers, so where are pharma ads right now on that latter question? And, while this is not an argument in favor of more regulation, it sure wouldn't break my heart to see a lot fewer ads for drugs. I mean, it's absolutely nuts what a high percentage of ads, especially on stations that tend to have older viewers (such as cable news), are drug ads. The fact that the drug companies are willing to spend so much says a lot about how overpriced (or at least how profitable; perhaps "overpriced" is unfairly pejorative) the drugs are. And, the fact that the ads are so ubiquitous means that the media outlets running the ads also have a lot on the line if they lose that revenue.
Another question, as Axios notes, is whether efforts to cause "death by disclosure and rulemaking" of pharma ads will be challenged in court, and then of course which side would win. Trump targets deceptive pharma ads: FDA sends companies warning letters
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What you need to know about Burnham Yard, the site of the (eventual) new stadium for the Denver Broncos: What is Burnham Yard, the proposed site of the new Broncos stadium?
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I think this is right. Although I think the people who recruited the fake electors are a different story. They knew they were trying to do something illegal.
Michigan Judge Tosses Out Cases Against Fake Trump Electors - The New York Times
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I missed this a few months ago but given that the story overall is 700 years old, I don't think my delay makes it less interesting: Harvard Law School’s ‘copy’ of Magna Carta revealed as original - Harvard Law School | Harvard Law School
And a badass response by the head of one of the colleges at Oxford: Statement from the Provost on the original Magna Carta discovery at Harvard Law School - Oriel College
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Absolutely must consider charging the parent(s) in this case. I'm not saying there's enough info in the article to say "for sure, charge the parents" but there's enough to say "these deserves a long, hard look." I mean, in the world we live in today, what is a parent supposed to think when a young teen is stockpiling guns and seems fascinated by (or enamored of) school shooters? The mother's denials seem somewhere between naive and delusional, but again I don't know anything other than what's in this article and that's not enough to be certain of any conclusion other than that a 13-year old shouldn't have all that.
Police say they seized 23 guns from the home of a 13-year-old who appeared to idolize mass shooters
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Wow: 102-year-old becomes the oldest person to summit Mount Fuji | AP News
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Safeway closing 10 stores in Colorado, including at least 2 that I've shopped at: Safeway to close 10 stores in Colorado by Nov. 7 | FOX31
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They changed their minds: Anthem and Rocky Mountain Health Plans won't pull back in Colorado
(Note, I had Shane Thomas from Integrity Health Advisors on the show recently to talk about those two health plans getting out of the state after they said they would, though there was always some chance they'd find a way to stay. Usually those ways involve taxing citizens to subsidize underpriced (but still expensive) health insurance.
If you have questions about health insurance or about Medicare or Medicare Advantage enrollment, especially with the enrollment periods coming up soon, get in touch with Shane and his team: Health Insurance Agents | Medicare Plans | Family Plans
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Today's Video
Watch: Ontario restaurant cooks up 81-foot ground beef kebab wrap - UPI.com
That's a lot of kebab (or kbabab) wrap!