Ross' 2025 listener trip!
We're going to the incredible Galapagos Islands from March 12-22, 2025.
Great itinerary, great travelers, great fun, and great value for a trip that's almost all-inclusive.
I sure hope you can join us!
Discover the Galapagos Islands with Ross Kaminsky - Cruise & Tour (cruise-tour.com)
-
Just One Thing: Daring Israeli rescue and Kamala's moral confusion
On Saturday morning, Israeli security forces rescued 4 hostages from two different buildings in Gaza, in what the IDF called a “daring operation in the light of day.” (Today's blogcast picture is the "bring them home" posters of the four who are now home.) The hostages were found in good physical condition but one senior officer of the Yamam counter-terrorism unit, 36-year-old Arnon Zmora, was critically wounded during the raid and died a few hours later. All 4 hostages had been taken from the Nova music festival; one was a young woman named Noa Argamani who was last seen by the public in a video showing her screaming while being taken away on a motorcycle. Now she’s seen reunited with her family. Meanwhile, not to be upstaged, Kamala Harris spoke this weekend and said “we all mourn all the innocent lives that have been lost in Gaza.” I can’t say on the radio what I think of her. (Of course, she was speaking to the Michigan Democratic Party, home of the egregious hater of Jews and of America, Rep Rashida Tlaib (D-Palestine) And if Gazans don't want to be injured or killed in raids, then simply return the hostages. This isn't complicated.
If you only read one thing about the raid, read this: Inside Israel’s hostage rescue: Secret plans and a deadly ‘wall of fire’ - The Washington Post
Hostage Noa Argamani recalls harrowing captivity under Hamas (nypost.com)
Rescued hostages suffering from malnutrition, possibly Stockholm syndrome | The Times of Israel
US VP Harris welcomes rescue of hostages, mourns innocent lives lost in Gaza | The Times of Israel
Blaming Israel for Rescuing Its People - WSJ
Meanwhile, the Israeli government is fracturing though appears not to be collapsing yet: Urging elections, Gantz quits emergency government, accuses PM of botching war effort | The Times of Israel
And Israel must be ready for a second (and bigger) war in the north: IDF prepares for escalation with Hezbollah, northern enemies - Israel News - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)
Today's Guests
Dan Gates is with Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management. He joins us to discuss what many hunters see as a significant threat posed by the upcoming ballot measure known as Initiative 91.
Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management (savethehuntcolorado.com)
Colorado Initiative 91 - Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management (savethehuntcolorado.com)
Results for Proposed Initiative #91 (coloradosos.gov)
Text of Initiative 91: 2023-2024%20%2391.pdf (colorado.gov)
Stephen Gould is owner of Golden Moon Distillery and Speakeasy in Golden. The distillery is shutting down and the future of the speakeasy remains uncertain. We'll discuss what drove the businesses to this point.
Golden Moon Distillery in Colorado closing after 16 years (kdvr.com)
'It breaks my heart': Golden Moon Distillery shutting down after 16 years (denver7.com)
Other Stuff
Get this grifter and political cancer out of Colorado GOP leadership: Colorado GOP leader Dave Williams facing calls to resign | Elections | denvergazette.com
I like being in the news, and in all transparency Producer Dragon gets 100% credit for making this news, but it sure makes you wonder why reporters think certain things are important: Lauren Boebert Greeted by Beetlejuice Music During Live Interview - Newsweek
Trump is a bad dude and probably has committed crimes and impeachable offenses…but NOT in the case where he was convicted. Yesterday, I heard a CNN anchor say “former president and now convicted felon Donald Trump…” This really seems insane, impossible, for the gross but distinctly non-criminal activity of having a 10-minute affair with a porn star and paying her to keep quiet about it. Trump to undergo probation interview Monday, a required step before his New York sentencing | AP News
European elections: right-wing parties gain in much of Europe (though not in Scandinavia); French president calls for "snap" parliamentary (but not presidential) elections at the end of this month. That's quite a risky move on his part...
Far-right gains trigger elections in France, reckoning in Europe (axios.com)
What happened in some key countries in the EU Parliament elections | AP News
EU elections: Far right makes gains in Germany, France – DW – 06/10/2024
The truth hurts (reporters): Journalists Realize Unions Are Progressive Activist Groups | National Review
I might offend some people with this, but I think the objections to IVF, including to the possible discarding of "fertilized eggs" is nuts. But whether or not you think it's nuts the point is that most people do. Every time some hardcore "pro-life" group pipes up about this sort of stuff, a Democrat gets another vote. I don't know what these folks don't understand about "you're going to get people elected who will undo everything you're happy about that happened regarding this issue so far because you're pushing a wildly extreme agenda. For folks on the right who don't understand why people don't share their view, I'd just note that the far left doesn't understand why you don't want fully socialized medicine or government-funded abortion. People on the extremes of both sides really don't believe that anyone can disagree with them. The job of a political arty, at least one that wants to succeed, is to make them understand that 1) they're not getting everything they want and 2) they should "take the win" rather than be self-destructive.
The GOP/pro-life coalition frays amid backlash to abortion limits (axios.com)
A few things I didn't get to on Friday:
Why does anyone still listen to Dinesh D'Souza? He devolved from conservative intellectual to the worst sort of grifter. (I had him on the show after the movie came out and even though I challenged him, I debated (with myself) for some time before agreeing to have him, and I feel kinda dirty for having done so.) A Belated Apology for ‘2000 Mules’ - WSJ
I can't believe that "diversity statements" were ever (and still are in plenty of places) a real thing: Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences Will No Longer Require Diversity Statements | News | The Harvard Crimson (thecrimson.com)
Read this, laugh and cry and scream, and don't send your kid to any college where any such statement is required of someone applying for a job: Diversity Statements | Derek Bok Center, Harvard University
A few years ago, the NY Times would actively have prevented this article from running: Opinion | The Pandemic Probably Started in a Lab. These 5 Key Points Explain Why. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
This blew up bigly -- but very briefly -- over the weekend: ‘Cousin’ Of Trump Juror’s Facebook Comment: Conspiracy Explained (forbes.com)
2016 on steroids (Trump winning an election based on immigration): At scorching Las Vegas rally, Trump bashes migrants — and courts Latinos - The Washington Post (May require subscription)
Don’t promise stuff you’re unlikely to deliver...I know, it's pointless to say that to a politician. And separately, I hate the idea of lowering tax rates even more on people who likely pay little to no income tax as it is: In Nevada, Trump proposes ending taxation of tips - The Washington Post
Trump Vows To Eliminate Taxes For ‘People Making Tips’ At Vegas Rally (forbes.com)
The only upside is that the current system often involves trying to enforce the unenforceable. One can imagine the giant-government types trying to require that no tips be left in cash!
Meanwhile, there’s a LOT of dumb stuff in here: (Again, subscription may be required.) Americans are tipped out. Here’s when to tip. - The Washington Post
(If you can't read that, there's a version of it here: [June 7, 2024] WaPo: Has tipping gone too far? Here’s a guide on when to tip. | ResetEra)
I don't know who was responsible for what but this puts a different light on GOP claims that Nancy Pelosi blocked the National Guard from coming to the Capitol on Jan 6. That said, maybe the debate is about pre-positioning the Guard rather than the reaction on the day itself, which was obviously unacceptably slow...though likely not due to the Guard but rather to McCarthy and Trump, based on this information: Unaired footage shows chaos, anger of congressional leaders amid Jan. 6 evacuation - POLITICO
Better late than never: Stanford Finally Wakes Up to the Anti-Israel Vandals - WSJ
Today's Video
This is freakin' hilarious. The last minute is advertising, which you can skip (or watch if you want to!)
Remarkable drone videos of Iceland lava flow
Iceland lava flow engulfs road, advances slowly towards coastal town | AP News
Can you pronounce the 5th word in the first sentence of the main paragraph? Grindavíkurvegur went under lava for the third time since the volcanic activity started at Sundhnúkur | News | Icelandic Meteorological office (vedur.is)