Agnes had surgery
Thanks to everyone who's asking about Agnes.
She had TPLO surgery 11 days ago and seems to be recovering very well. TPLO is fascinating. It's a way to make a dog's leg functional again after the dog wrecks the doggie equivalent of the ACL ligament without repairing the ligament.
I'm VERY happy with our doggie orthopedic surgeon (who's also an aspiring country music singer...see video just below!)
Veterinary Surgeon and Orthopedic Vet in Littleton, CO | TPLO2GO
Here are a few pictures...two x-rays of her leg after the surgery and one of Agnes a few days after recovery wearing a "leg sleeve" to prevent her from licking or biting the incision/sutures/staples.
1 of 3 X-ray of Agnes' right leg with the TPLO plate and screws installed
2 of 3 X-ray of Agnes' right leg with the TPLO plate and screws installed
3 of 3 Agnes is a wonderful patient.
The surgeon has talents!
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Just One Thing: The boneheaded indictment of James Comey is in big trouble
(And it should be)
The federal magistrate in the current James Comey case utterly slammed the indictment process Monday, criticizing DOJ actions going back years as well as in the recent process.
Comey Wins Access to Grand Jury Records as Judge Slams Probe
Judge Says Justice Dept. May Have Committed Misconduct in Comey Case - The New York Times
I can’t stand Comey but Trump and his bogus US Attorney must not get away with a banana-republic style prosecution of a political opponent in which the government appears to have broken multiple rules and committed multiple constitutional violations.
Read more (and subscribe) at my Substack: Comey indictment hangs by a (fraying) thread
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Today's Guests
Dick Wadhams is former Chairman of the Colorado Republican Party and long-time Republican strategist. I'll ask him about his new piece for the Denver Gazette including challenging him somewhat on criticism of cutting Medicaid spending. Yeah, the GOP can snipe from the cheap seats since there's no chance of them getting any relevant power in Colorado, but I'm not OK with Republicans saying "don't cut Medicaid" spending. Instead, they're welcome to offer "don't cut Medicaid spending in that particular way; instead this is the way"...but I'm not hearing that yet.1
Bennet won’t blame Polis for Medicaid cuts | Dick Wadhams - Denver Gazette
This is from Jon Caldara
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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. And the timing is also "lucky" with autism being a big part of a national conversation about health right now.
"On Balance with Leland Vittert" on NewsNation
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David McCloskey is a former CIA analyst and the author of "The Persian", one of the best espionage novels I've read in a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think you will too. I need to read his prior books now, which is something I almost never do. He's also the co-host of the podcast "The Rest is Classified".
The Persian: A Novel: McCloskey, David: Amazon.com
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Other Stuff
This is a big deal for Israel and the Middle East...and perhaps for Trump's chances at the Nobel Price for Peace: UN Security Council approves Trump plan for Gaza security force
U.N. Security Council Adopts Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza - The New York Times
Good timing: Saudi crown prince marks return to US after 7 years
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Holy moley: Lawrence Summers faces new scrutiny over ties to sex offender Epstein
The details are even more cringeworthy: As Summers Sought Clandestine Relationship With Woman He Called a Mentee, Epstein Was His ‘Wing Man’ | News | The Harvard Crimson
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The Colorado state budget is going to have BIG problems. And the Democrats who created all of the massive overspending, since they will remain completely in charge, will be on the hook to fix it. It won't be easy for a group that always wants to tax and spend more. And it will be particularly difficult when the driver of the explosion of spending is "free" healthcare. Medicaid MUST be cut. Governor Polis proposed some cuts in the budget for next year and got opposition across the political spectrum, including from Republican candidate Barb Kirkmeyer. When she was on the show recently to talk about the issue, she said she opposed cutting funding for maternal and obstetric care because of "maternal care deserts" where pregnant woman can't find a doctor (for those issues) anywhere nearby. I told her that sounds like a legit issue (though a listener noted that there's another serious financial problem for such practices because so few people are having kids these days) but that it is absolutely incumbent (if you'll pardon the political pun) on her to explain how she would actually cut Medicaid...because it MUST be cut...and I told her I'd hope she would have an answer for that question the next time we talked on air.
This is gonna get ugly: “Even worse than we thought”: Colorado is stuck in a cycle of annual, $1B state budget shortfalls - The Colorado Sun
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How soon is too soon? And why people hate HOAs: Holiday Décor Uproar at Air Force Base Housing Complex - The New York Times
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Shedeur Sanders' Sunday wasn't awesome: Browns QB Shedeur Sanders on 'rough' NFL debut: 'I don't think I played good at all'
But it got worse: Shedeur Sanders' house burglarized during NFL debut on Sunday
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Ethically this is right. The problem is that there really isn't a "conservative movement" anymore. There are just factions that align from time to time, just like on the left: William F. Buckley, Jr. and Tucker Carlson | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
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Oh boy: Denver Summit's stadium is at risk of going elsewhere
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The lock-in is real: They Got Low Mortgage Rates During the Pandemic. Now They Can’t Move. - The New York Times
I get the concept but it really only makes sense if you don’t understand the mortgage market: Portable mortgages explained: What they are and how they work | New York Post
Speaking of unclear on the concept, this is a TERRIBLE idea: Trump promises $2,000 tariff checks by mid-2026
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Epstein vote today, but interesting point – Trump could tell DOJ to release it without needing a vote of Congress: Trump says he would sign law to release Epstein documents
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I'd want my puppy back, too, and especially if it were that expensive! Stolen puppy found after nearly 3 weeks; family reunited with $4K-10K bully breed | FOX31
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Could be worth it if at least two people split the cost, but even then that's a LOT: “Uber Ski” launches for some Colorado mountains, but it’s going to cost you
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Today's Videos
Thanks to listener Greg for both of these...
First: online betting on almost anything
Second, let's remember what unites us
(The problem is that an increasing number of Americans don't believe it)