Just One Thing: Hunter Biden indicted for his least important crime
Hunter Biden was indicted on felony charges on Thursday related to lying on a firearms purchase background check, lying to a firearms store employee, and illegal possession of a firearm by a drug addict. The left (and former conservatives like former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh) are upset because these sorts of charges are rarely prosecuted. And to a degree they're right. That said, I note a recent post by a US Attorney's office saying that they want to more aggressively pursue and prosecute exactly this kind of crime.
Hunter Biden indicted by special counsel on felony gun charges (msn.com)
The actual indictment: full.pdf (nyt.com)
Still, this is nothing compared to his tax crimes which federal prosecutors allowed to become un-prosecutable by waiting until after the statutes of limitations had lapsed. And, as Rep James Comer put it, this is the only one of Hunter's actual or possible crimes that doesn't involve his dad (as far as we know.)
I have no idea where this goes next. I did hear one pundit put forward a fascinating scenario: Joe Biden simultaneously pardons Hunter and announces that he won't run for re-election. The more I think about it, the less crazy it sounds.
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Today's Guests
Paul Beale is a professor of physics at the University of Colorado and my most frequent show guest, because I'm a nerd. We'll discuss how new data from the James Webb Space Telescope is challenging basic understandings of the origin and nature of the universe.
Opinion | Is There a Crisis in Cosmology? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
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Comedian Chad Daniels is playing at Comedy Works South at the Landmark tonight and tomorrow night at 7:15 PM and 9:45 PM. Info and tickets here: Chad Daniels | Live in Denver | Comedy Works (As of this writing, the 7:15 PM show on Saturday is already sold out.)
And here's Chad's website: Chad Daniels
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Al Pitrelli is a true rock star. Having played with many famous artists such as Alice Cooper, Megadeth and Asia, Al has for 28 years been the lead guitarist and musical director for the massively popular band Trans-Siberian Orchestra. TSO has 4 shows coming up in Colorado: 2 shows in Denver on 11/18 (3 PM and 7:30 PM) and 2 shows in CO Springs on 11/19 (2 PM and 7 PM). More info and tickets available at the links below.
We'll also play Name That Tune with Al!
Trans-Siberian Orchestra | Tour
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Other Stuff
What does the union want? What are the UAW strike demands? Here are issues amid negotiations - The Washington Post
What facilities will be struck first? UAW strike: Key GM, Ford, Stellantis vehicles most affected by action (axios.com)
An unprecedented strike probably starts today: UAW launches strike against GM, Ford, Stellantis (axios.com)
See interesting video below about union membership and income
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Donald Trump had a pretty good day in court yesterday. Two co-defendants in the 19-defendant RICO case filed by Trump-hating Fulton County DA Fani Willis, attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, will have their trials start soon, probably next month, which likely allows Trump's (and the other defendants') attorneys to see a fair bit of the prosecution's case. Also, the judge ruled -- as Andy McCarthy and I had discussed -- that Trump's trial will NOT start in October though he did not set a date yet. The judge also noted that other "severances", meaning allowing some current co-defendants to split off into separate trials, are likely. This is bad news for Willis and good news for Trump. Furthermore, this likely pushes the Trump trial to after the 2024 election. And if somehow Trump were elected president, the trial would almost certainly be delayed until after he serves out his term...at which point Fani Willis may well be gone herself so there's simply no way to predict how that might all play out.
Trump Won't Be Tried With Powell, Chesebro In Georgia Election Case: Judge | HuffPost Latest News
Trump's trial on Georgia election trials won't begin in October, judge rules (msn.com)
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A federal judge in southern California has ruled in favor of two teachers who sued to challenge the Escondido School District's policy of having teachers refuse to disclose to, or even lie to, parents when students ask to be called by different pronouns or addressed as a different gender.
Judge Blocks Blue State School District Policy To Hide Pronouns From Parents (msn.com)
The judge's order is here: Microsoft Word - 23-cv-768 Mirabelli v Olson Order re Prelim Inj MTDs FINAL (webflow.com)
From the judge's conclusion: "The school’s policy is a trifecta of harm: it harms the child who needs parental guidance and possibly mental health intervention to determine if the incongruence is organic or whether it is the result of bullying, peer pressure, or a fleeting impulse. It harms the parents by depriving them of the long recognized Fourteenth Amendment right to care, guide, and make health care decisions for their children. And finally, it harms plaintiffs who are compelled to violate the parent’s rights by forcing plaintiffs to conceal information they feel is critical for the welfare of their students -- violating plaintiffs’ religious beliefs."
This comes just a week after a state judge in California ruled against a different school district's policy that requires the notification of parents when a student asks to be addressed by a differently-gendered name or pronouns.
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"Move the f***ing motion": Kevin McCarthy's profanity-laced tirade overshadowed the special GOP impeachment briefing. - Live Updates - POLITICO
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But just think of how much soap you could sell! Dove Partners with BLM Activist to Promote 'Fat Liberation' Who Ruined UVA Student's Life over 'Misheard' Remark (breitbart.com)
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It's true that there's never been a bigger liar as president than Donald Trump. He basically uttered at least one lie and sometimes many every day while in office. That doesn't mean that Joe Biden should be left off the hook for his repeated lies even though, to be fair, they're usually of less consequence than Trump's in that they're usually embellishments about his own life though sometimes, like Trump, they're about policy.
CNN has actually done a decent job calling Biden out, but other media outlets should do better.
The latest couple were on the 22nd commemoration of 9/11 when he claimed to have gone to Ground Zero the day after the attack even though he didn't and then yesterday when he claimed to have "taught at the University of Pennsylvania for four years" even though he never taught a class there.
Fact check: Biden falsely claims he was at Ground Zero ‘the next day’ after 9/11 (msn.com)
Biden boasts teaching ‘political theory’ at UPenn, but he never taught a single class (nypost.com)
Fact check: A look at Biden's first year in false claims | CNN Politics
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One the one hand, Canada is MUCH more harmfully woke than the US and has no First Amendment. On the other hand, it's easy to imagine this kind of behavior coming to the US: 'Empty shelves with absolutely no books': Students, parents question school board's library weeding process | CBC News
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Reality bites: Book bans: I thought the challenges were hysterical. Then I opened one of the books. (slate.com)
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Ticket wars: Oliver Anthony cancels concert over high ticket prices: 'This will never happen again' (msn.com)
Looks like the Facebook explanation of the ticket pricing from the venue has been deleted...
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Have you tossed them in the trash yet? Your childhood VHS collection could be worth a fortune (nypost.com)
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Today's Videos
A little econ about union membership and national income
This seems like satire but it's not
Well, someone has to do it (but it won't be me)