Sen Dianne Feinstein passes away at the age of 90
US Sen. Dianne Feinstein dead at 90 (nypost.com)
For a San Francisco Democrat, she could have been worse. She was not terrible on issues related to intelligence. (I don't mean IQ but things like the CIA.) The last few years have been more of a challenge as she was clearly unfit to continue to hold her position as senator due to significant physical and cognitive frailty. The governor of California will appoint someone to fill her seat. If I had to guess, his choice will be a person who says (s)he will not run to hold the seat after filling the interim role.
Feinstein was the first female mayor of San Francisco and the first woman to represent California in the Senate. (Though maybe because she's been there since it became a state.) In photos: Sen. Dianne Feinstein's historic career (axios.com)
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Just One Thing: Know what YOUR witnesses will say
It was a tough day for House Republicans yesterday in a huge hearing trying to justify their impeachment inquiry. Two witnesses, called by the GOP not the Dems, said that there isn’t enough evidence to claim with any confidence that Joe Biden has committed a crime. I know there’s an immense amount of smoke but so far, despite the claims of some, there just isn’t an impeachable fire. A good lawyer never asks a witness a question he doesn’t already know the answer to. Clearly the GOP questioners didn’t expect their own witnesses to torpedo their claims that Biden probably deserves to be impeached. I suspect that Biden failed as a father and a politician but probably didn’t commit a crime. I could be wrong. But with just a couple of days until a government shutdown, spending time on impeachment is a bad look for the GOP.
GOP's own witnesses say no evidence to impeach Biden yet (axios.com)
Good reporting by WSJ supports, for now, the view of the witnesses yesterday (which I share): How Joe Biden’s Kin Profited Off the Family Name. ‘The Big Guy Is Calling Me.’ - WSJ
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Today's Guests
Nadine Strossen is the former president of the ACLU, professor of law emerita at New York Law School, and host of the new 3-part documentary "Free to Speak" which rolls out on public TV stations this Sunday.
See the trailer just below
Free To Choose Network | Free To Speak
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Christian Toto, Colorado's very own non-leftist movie and media analyst/critic, is host of the Hollywood in Toto podcast. The Hollywood in Toto Podcast - Hollywood in Toto
We'll discuss the travails of iconoclastic British comedian Russell Brand as well as what to expect in TV and movies now that the writers strike is over but the actors strike isn't.
Russell Brand's Career Is Officially Over (...but) - Hollywood in Toto
Russell Brand: I Won't Stop Targeting Corrupt Media, Big Pharma - Hollywood in Toto
Russell Brand: Police receive further allegations against comedian - BBC News
A movie nostalgia story of sorts: Netflix's DVD-by-mail service will officially shut down | AP News
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Bill O'Reilly is arguably the most successful cable TV anchor of all time. He's also a multi-time best-selling author with is "Killing" series, the newest of which is "Killing the Witches."
Killing the Witches: The Horror of Salem, Massachusetts (Bill O'Reilly's Killing Series)
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Other Stuff
Changing the dress code for Fetterman was insane to begin with: Senate establishes official dress code days after ditching it - CBS News
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Colorado's law is an outrageous overreach by the radical left and should be overturned: Suit against Colorado abortion pill "reversal" law could be a big deal (coloradosun.com)
A little background: Colorado Pharmacy Board issues last 'abortion reversal' rule | Legislature | coloradopolitics.com
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Unlikely, maybe just short of impossible: Prominent conservative donors ramping up efforts to urge Glenn Youngkin to enter GOP presidential race - CBS News
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Racist grifter Tay Anderson was paid $3,500 by Denver Public Schools Board of Directors but the president of the board says she didn't know about it and it was never voted on. Also, the district is illegally trying to keep it secret: Auon’tai Anderson paid $3,500 settlement by Denver school board - Chalkbeat Colorado
This guy has no shame: DPS board president calls out members' "exorbitant" travel spending (denverpost.com)
The school board is utterly dysfunctional: Why is Denver’s unanimous school board so divided? - Chalkbeat Colorado
I suppose this is what counts as good news for Tay: Court revives part of Auon'tai Anderson's defamation lawsuit (denverpost.com)
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Do your freakin' homework: Trudeau calls praise for Nazi-linked veteran 'deeply embarrassing' - BBC News
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What the heck is a "news" organization like the AP doing propagandizing against a particular social media platform? RNC's livestreaming partner for the GOP debate is a haven for disinformation and extremism - ABC News
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Yesterday a listener emailed me to say that looters causing stores to close is no different from Amazon's aggressive competition putting stores out of business. I think that's very wrong. If you think about this story a little, I'm sure you can come up with lots of ways that this is different from a company being competed out of business: Target to close nine stores across four states because of theft and crime (startribune.com)
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I agree: Calls to eliminate gasoline/diesel taxes are misguided. They are, as this writer notes, "classic user fees": The Gas Tax Should Not Be Eliminated | American Enterprise Institute - AEI
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Not a really important story but I like it: Farmer protecting chickens captures creature considered locally extinct for 130 years (yahoo.com)
By the way, "chooks" means chickens.
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David takes on Goliath in East Asia: How a Tiny Crew Struck a Blow Against China With a Wooden Boat and a Knife - WSJ
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Gov. Jared Polis orders plan to keep national parks open in shutdown (denverpost.com)
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Wait, what?!?
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Today's Videos
Ben Williams of FEE on stupid gun laws
Well that's the biggest stingray I've ever seen
(And this is a picture, not a video, but that's OK)