Just One Thing: It's on, no wait it's over!
Yesterday we learned that the Fox-Dominion lawsuit had been settled, with Fox paying Dominion $787.5 million for their opinion hosts, particularly Dobbs, Bartiromo, Carlson, Hannity, and Ingraham lying and allowing guests to lie, claiming that Dominion was part of fraud in the 2020 election. While we can discuss media behavior around the Hunter Biden laptop, all the original claims of true fraud were lies. Anyway, it seems like a fair number to me. Fox was likely to lose, but Dominion probably got a big % of what they might have won, and can stop paying lawyers and don’t have to take the slight risk of not winning. Fox lied to viewers because they thought viewers wanted the lies. I don’t know if that says more bad about Fox or about America right now.
Per Axios: "...Fox News will not be required to give any apologies or retractions on its air as a part of the settlement deal."
Also from Axios: "Smaller cable networks, including Newsmax and One America News (OAN), also face defamation lawsuits from Dominion, as do individuals including Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Mike Lindell and Patrick Byrne."
One More Thing: Hypocrites piss me off more than liberals do
So what have Republicans been working on lately? (Make sure to read my whole commentary)
The Parents Bill of Rights, already passed by the House, has a lot of policies that I support: Parents Bill of Rights: 5 things to know about the House GOP’s legislation | The Hill
Another bill, to be debated by the House soon, and which Dems are calling "creepy" is the "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act" which "generally prohibits school athletic programs from allowing individuals whose biological sex at birth was male to participate in programs that are for women or girls." I understand the motivation here but since my issue is fairness in competition I think it's pointless to impose such a policy on elementary school kids where 1) the competition isn't important in the sense of risking a college, or even high school, scholarship, and 2) there's much less physical advantage of boys over girls before puberty.
I also note that Mike Pence cheered the Texas judge's ruling against one of two medications used to cause a non-surgical abortion: Mike Pence Cheers Abortion Pill Ruling In Texas (msn.com)
These all show to some degree why I'm not a conservative but to a HUGE degree why I'm not Republican. Republicans have argued for years that 1) the federal government should get out of education, and 2) that judges should not legislate. But when they can score brownie points with the base, all such pretense of principle is out the window. It's nonsense, and not just because it's hypocritical but because it's harmful. It creates precedents that Democrats will use whether for actual "governing" or as propaganda, showing that Republicans mean so very little of what they say.
I'm proud to be a libertarian in terms of political philosophy, but I'm exceptionally proud not to be a Republican. And, of course, I'm double-extra-wildly exceptionally proud to never have been a Democrat. They suck too, just in ways that aren't my topic today.
Today's Guests
Mona Treyball is a retired US Air Force colonel, a nurse with a PhD in public policy, and Professor of Clinical Teaching Specialty Director of Veteran and Military Health Care Program at the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Center's College of Nursing.
We'll discuss the Partnerships for Veteran and Military Health's upcoming "Strengthening Networks conference", which is this Friday through Sunday and our particular focus today will be on the PACT Act and help available to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances (like burn pits, for example) during their time in service and who are suffering, or one day might suffer, medical consequences from such exposure.
Mona Pearl Treyball PhD, RN, CNS, CCRN-K, FAAN
PVMH Conference | CU Nursing (cuanschutz.edu)
The PACT Act And Your VA Benefits | Veterans Affairs
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Gregory Angelo is a gay Republican/conservative and president of the New Tolerance Campaign who, earlier in his professional life, was a major force being getting corporations to involve themselves in cultural issues like gay rights. Now he says he regrets it.
Comment from Ross: I think a big part of the problem is that in the old days, even though many of us were annoyed at the constant nudges to be "tolerant" and "accepting", when it comes to the current push on behalf of transgender folks the activists skipped asking for acceptance and went right to demanding celebration. I'm exceptionally tolerant and accepting of trans folks, but I feel no need to celebrate them and I resent being pushed by businesses to do so. (I don't feel a need to celebrate straight people either, nor black or white or purple, nor left-handed or right handed, etc.)
New Tolerance Campaign - Be Consistent. Be Transparent. Be Tolerant.
I Helped Make Corporations Woke, and I Regret It - WSJ
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Other Stuff
The bill still sucks: Housing density requirements dramatically pared back in Colorado governor’s major land-use use bill
Here's the legislative page for the bill but so far it does not have the amended text; just the original horrific version: Land Use | Colorado General Assembly
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So this is what it's come to: Colorado parents asked to step in, guard middle school after nearby shootings | Fox News
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A bit of entertainment history reaches its end: Netflix Gains 1.75 Million Subscribers, Axes DVD-Rental Business - WSJ
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Abortion stuff:
It's not just anti-abortion folks who are extreme. In blue states like Colorado, the left isn't as much pro-choice as pro-abortion. One new law prevents a woman who has taken the "abortion pill" (after first dose only) from taking another pill (that's just a high dose of progesterone) in order to be able to safely continue the pregnancy. Yes, they leave open the possibility that the rule could change if: "...the Colorado medical board, the state board of pharmacy, and the state board of nursing, in consultation with each other, each have in effect rules finding that it is a generally accepted standard of practice to engage in medication abortion reversal. The specified boards shall promulgate applicable rules no later than October 1, 2023, in consultation with each other, concerning whether engaging in medication abortion reversal is a generally accepted standard of practice." I note that this use of progesterone is not broadly accepted but I'd still allow a woman to try if she reached the decision that she wanted to. See the lunacy of reason #2 in this article why some people oppose women having this choice: Abortion Pill Reversal | American Pregnancy Association
Here's the bill: Deceptive Trade Practice Pregnancy-related Service | Colorado General Assembly
A lot of complexity in this story. A range of outcomes, and every one of them will be viewed through the lens of politics. The right answer is obvious to me: SCOTUS should take the case and toss out the Texas ruling. They could do so simply based on standing and never reach the merits, but I also suspect that, like a statute of limitations in criminal law, the judge cannot reach back 20 years and say he didn't like an approval process that long ago.
Supreme Court to decide whether to jump into abortion debate, again (msn.com)
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Is it a disorder or are we just too busy? Never delete emails? You might be a digital hoarder (nypost.com)
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Always scurry away from government, not towards it: Tiny troubles: Toddler infiltrates White House grounds | CNN Politics
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Seriously, I think I'd struggle to do this many in a week: Australian dad does 3,206 push ups in an hour to break record | Guinness World Records
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This bear agrees with my son about diet soda: Black bear breaks into vehicle, guzzles 69 cans of pop | CBC News
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Cages:
I don't mind occasional experimental and edgy art, but this just seems like narcissistic exhibitionism to me: Swedish artist locks herself in a cage alone and naked for three days in bizarre public exhibition | Daily Mail Online
I like this cage story better: Lions escape into the AUDIENCE, sparking stampede out of the show at Chinese circus | Daily Mail Online
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Today's Videos
I love this concept: Unnecessary Inventions
Holy moley
A parking garage collapsed in NYC yesterday, killing one. I haven't found video of the collapse happening but someone did capture video moments after as well as video of the police robot dog sent in to look for survivors, etc.
NYC Parking Garage Collapse: Doorbell Camera Footage Investigated – NBC New York
It was announced Wednesday morning that the building will be demolished.
This will bring a smile to your day