Just One Thing: Was it murder?
UPDATE: Important update/context from the NY Times offers a bit of a reprieve to Hegseth: Hegseth Ordered Lethal Boat Strike but Not the Killing of Survivors, Officials Say - The New York Times
Keep that in mind when reading the rest of this, written before the NY Times story was published...
From my latest Substack: Was it murder? - The Ross Report
When the various senators and House members put out that video exhorting members of the military to ignore “illegal orders”, not a single one of them could name an illegal order when asked to by reporters. (@RepJasonCrow, @SenatorSlotkin, @SenMarkKelly and maybe others but I saw those three).
Now with the revelation of Hegseth’s (alleged) order to carry out a second strike to kill two people who survived a first strike on a boat (allegedly) carrying drugs, it seems the administration has handed these Dems the poster-child of illegal orders.
Please read the rest of my note and subscribe (for free!) to my Subtack! The Ross Report | Ross Kaminsky | Substack
UPDATE: On Monday evening, the Washington Post reported this: Hegseth attempts to distance himself from boat strike fallout - The Washington Post
Pete Hegseth authorized second strike on drug boat, White House confirms
White House insists follow-up strike on alleged drug boat was lawful | AP News
The article starts with this: "Officials in Congress and the Pentagon said Monday they are increasingly concerned that the Trump administration intends to scapegoat the military officer who directed U.S. forces to kill two survivors of a targeted strike on suspected drug smugglers in Latin America, as lawmakers made initial moves to investigate whether the attack constituted a war crime."
And includes this: "'This is ‘protect Pete’ bulls---,' one military official, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations, told The Post."
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Today's Guests:
Jonathan Sabar is Business Manager of Blue Star Recyclers
Blue Star is a non-profit that hires people on the autism spectrum and others with disabilities to take apart computers and other electronics and sort the components for recycling.
My KOA news team colleague Brenda Stuart, whose son works at Blue Star, will match donations up to the first $500. Please email me your digital receipts without your credit card number at ross@iheartmedia.com and I'll pass them along to Brenda.
Donate here and get a SECOND match from Colorado Gives! Blue Star Recyclers | ColoradoGives.org
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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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Robert Bryce is one of the world's leading experts on electricity generation and the power grid. Robert joins me in studio and we'll talk about Small Modular (nuclear) Reactors and the massive electricity needs of data centers.
Data center energy demand forecasted to soar nearly 300% through 2035
SMR Stocks Got Hammered In November - Robert Bryce
Other Stuff
I support this: Trump administration renames NREL to National Laboratory of the Rockies
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A little more information about the crash that killed State Sen Faith Winter: Colorado senator was killed in secondary crash on I-25, witnesses sought: Sheriff's office
I do hope we learn that she was not driving under the influence.
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I support this too: Zillow Removes Climate Risk Scores From Home Listings - The New York Times
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Updated collared wolf map shows travel closer to the Denver metro area - But it’s important to point out how it’s tracked via “watersheds”
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More on one of Trump's most ridiculous and outrageous pardons, as he continues to use the presidential pardon power in previously unthinkable ways: Trump wields pardon authority as absolute power — to help loyalists
As Trump positions himself as the most aggressive war-on-drugs warrior ever, blows up boats that might be carrying drugs (even though that particular drug route apparently is more for drugs going to Europe than to the US), and pressures/threatens Venezuelan dictator Maduro, he pardons a guy who was part of an enormous drug smuggling operation and probably got millions of dollars in bribes while pretending to be an American ally on the issue. This pardon is absolutely nuts, even for Trump, and it shows how easily manipulated he is: Letter led to Trump pardon of Honduras' ex-president for drug trafficking
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An enjoyable article if you like alternative rock and, obviously, Paramore: True Believer: Hayley Williams Interviewed | Features | Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews
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AI is making a big impact on shopping: Can AI pick the perfect gift? Here's what experts say
A.I. Can Do More of Your Shopping This Holiday Season - The New York Times
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I didn't get to this yesterday...imagine the idiocy of wrapping buildings in highly flammable material: A visual guide to how the Hong Kong fire spread - BBC News
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Hard to tell if this is Dems and the media trying to get a Trump-appointee scalp or if he's really misusing government resources. It isn't a great look, for sure. House Democrats investigate Kash Patel's use of FBI jet
And this is a bad look too: FBI Ousts Leader as Patel Fumes Over Attention to Agency Jet Use
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Wait, the museum of WHAT? LoDo landlords look to sweeten downtown with Museum of Ice Cream (may require subscription)
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This isn't for everyone, but if you're interested in the intersection of politics, religion, and history: The Golden Age of Humanity? We’re Living in It.
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Republicans seem like they're in serious trouble for the midterms: Mike Johnson's red alert on members quitting Congress
There's a special election today in Tennessee. The Republican SHOULD win but if he doesn’t that would be a massive earthquake. Indeed, if the Democrat comes within 10 (which seems likely based on polling but special elections can be pretty crazy) that would be a very bad sign for the GOP given that Trump won this district a year ago by 22 points.
This is what's being thrown against the Dem and it's typically the sort of thing that would make a real difference but given that the reprehensible Democratic candidate for Attorney General in Virginia won his race, it seems that the voting public doesn't care about anything but their tribe anymore.
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They're definitely not moving to Colorado the way they used to...but it's not just us: Fewer people are moving — and it may be reshaping America
Hard to sell a home for less than a significant price, or "too high" a price if it means you're going to give up a 3% mortgage and need a 6% (or higher) mortgage for the next place, so this lock-in effect persists. Sellers are yanking their homes off the market as delistings jump 28%
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I don't hate EVs. They're very cool technology. But I do hate burying our children in debt so that people can buy them when they otherwise wouldn't buy them: The October EV Sales Crash - WSJ
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Today's Videos
A large male version of my doggie, Agnes. I wonder if Agnes would like to meet him.
I have to say I actually got a little anxious just watching the video, sitting in my office chair