Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Paul Krugman: Dollars, Cents and Republican Sadism (NY Times Column)
Republican attacks on the safety net are about inflicting pain, not saving money.
Allegra Kirkland: Blackmail Allegedly Slapped Ex-Lover (TPM)
The woman who had an affair with Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens in 2015 told her then-husband that Greitens slapped her against her will, after she told Greitens she had had sex with her husband. A lawyer for Greitens strongly denies the claim. A lawyer for the woman's ex-husband, as well as Roy Temple, a Missouri Democratic operative, told TPM about the husband's claims.
Josh Marshall: This Is Must Watch (TPM)
Please take a moment to watch this video. It's remarkable and important. The words themselves are not terribly surprising. They're really undeniable. But reporters on network or cable network TV simply do not talk this way. They don't cut this close to the reality of situation. It's CNN's Jim Acosta. […] Watch. It's important and remarkable.
Sarah Ruiz-Grossman: People On Twitter Tell Trump No One In Norway Wants To Come To His 'Shithole Country' (Huffington Post)
"@realDonaldTrump no one from Norway wants to come to this shithole country. They have healthcare for all, family leave, free education and real gun control."
Leigh Blickley: What To Expect From 'Paddington 2,' The Live-Action Kids Movie Adults Will Inevitably See (Huffington Post)
"People have been calling it the 'Godfather: Part II' of the family movie genre, which is praise indeed."
Lucy Mangan: I'm a good wife and I should be paid for it (Stuff)
I couldn't put a price on all the things I do for my son out of the pure, unconditional love I bear him. Husbands, though, I thought. Husbands. That's different. I could do a spreadsheet. I did do a spreadsheet.
"'Word to your boss - this overtime has to stop': Lucy Mangan on why we should all work less hard" (Stylist)
I was talking not long ago to the writer Marian Keyes, who recently took the conscious decision to stop working quite so hard. Life since then, she said, "is like walking through into a bigger room that you didn't even know was there".
Nick Coleman: "Janis Joplin: the singer who screamed a very American pain" (The Guardian)
With her raw, anguished voice, Joplin - who would have been 75 this month - was a hippy icon. But on "Piece of My Heart" she became something darker still.
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Presenting
Michael Egan
answered:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
David E Suggests
Magic Kingdom
David
Thanks, Dave!
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
Daily News cover
I'm normally a pacifist...
But I would buy our governor a drink and give him a big hug if he did this:
from Marc Perkel
Marc's Guide to Curing Cancer
So far so good on beating cancer for now. I'm doing fine. At the end of the month I'll be 16 months into an 8 month mean lifespan. And yesterday I went on a 7 mile hike and managed to keep up with the hiking group I was with. So, doing something right.
Still waiting for future test results and should see things headed in the right direction. I can say that it's not likely that anything dire happens in the short term so that means that I should have time to make several more attempts at this. So even if it doesn't work the first time there are a lot of variations to try. So if there's bad news it will help me pick the next radiation target.
I have written a "how to" guide for oncologists to perform the treatment that I got. I'm convinced that I'm definitely onto something and whether it works for me or not isn't the definitive test. I know if other people tried this that it would work for some of them, and if they improve it that it will work for a lot of them.
The guide is quite detailed and any doctor reading this can understand the procedure at every level. I also go into detail as to how it works, how I figured it out, and variations and improvements that could be tried to enhance it. I also introduce new ways to look at the problem. There is a lot of room for improvement and I think that doctors reading it will see what I'm talking about and want to build on it. And it's written so that if you're not a doctor you can still follow it. It also has a personal story revealing that I'm the class clown of cancer support group. I give great interviews and I look pretty hot in a lab coat.
So, feel free to read this and see what I'm talking about. But if any of you want to help then pass this around to both doctors and cancer patients. I need some media coverage. I'm looking for as many eyeballs as possible to read these ideas. Even if this isn't the solution, it's definitely on the right track. After all, I did hike 7 miles yesterday. And this hiking group wasn't moving slow. So if this isn't working then, why am I still here?
I also see curing cancer as more of an engineering problem that a medical problem. So if you are good at solving problems and most of what you know about medicine was watching the Dr. House MD TV show, then you're at the level I was at when I started. So anyone can jump in and be part of the solution.
Here is a link to my guide: Oncologists Guide to Curing Cancer using Abscopal Effect
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
WHEN WILL "THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE"...
"WHAT A CRAZY STORY."
"IT'S ALL-RIGHT TO PREY AS LONG AS YOU PRAY."
'THE BIG SICK'
"YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A SHRINK…" IF YOU WANT TO SMELL THE STI...
WHAT A CLASSY GUY!
CRAZY.
CRAZY. PART TWO.
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Running late, as usual.
Drilling Plan
Florida
The Trump administration may have violated federal law by exempting Florida from a national plan to expand offshore drilling, a Democratic senator charged Thursday.
Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's decision to give Florida a last-minute exemption while ignoring at least 10 other states that made similar requests may violate requirements of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which governs drilling in U.S. coastal waters.
Zinke's action is especially outrageous because Florida - unlike California, Washington and other states - did not expressly oppose the drilling proposal in written comments submitted to the Interior Department, Cantwell said.
While Florida Gov. Rick Scott voiced opposition soon after the plan's Jan. 4 release, a letter submitted by the state Department of Environmental Protection last year did not oppose the drilling plan or ask for Florida to be exempted. Instead, the letter warned about the effects of oil and gas activities on the environment and urged that "long-term protection of Florida's sensitive coastal and marine resources should be of paramount concern" in developing a drilling plan.
By contrast, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington told Interior they "strongly oppose any new leasing" off their coasts and asked to be removed from the plan.
Florida
Woman With An Opinion
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King thinks one of the main venues at the Australian Open should be renamed because of Margaret Court's comments about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
King, a trailblazer for equality and diversity in tennis, said she had initially been a proponent of having Margaret Court Arena named in 2003 in recognition of the 24-time Grand Slam singles winner's contribution to the sport.
"I was fine until lately when she said so many derogatory things about my community - I'm a gay woman - about the LBGTIQ community," King said at news conference Friday. "That really went deep in my heart and soul.
"I personally don't think she should have (her name on the stadium) anymore."
King is attending the Australian Open for the first time in eight years, marking the 50th anniversary of her win over Court for the Australian title.
Billie Jean King
2 Dog Breeds Added
American Kennel Club
A spirited Dutch duck-luring dog and a friendly French rabbit hound are now running with the American Kennel Club's pack.
The club announced Wednesday that it's recognizing the Nederlandse kooikerhondje and the grand basset griffon Vendeen. They're the first breeds added to the roster since 2016.
They're eligible for many dog shows this year but can't compete at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club show until next year.
The Nederlandse kooikerhondje (pronounced NAY'-dehr-lahn-seh KOY'-kehr-hahnd-jeh) goes back hundreds of years in Holland. The smallish, brown-and-white, spaniel-style dogs can be seen in some Dutch Old Master paintings.
The grand basset griffon Vendeen (pronounced grahnd bah-SAY' grihf-FAHN' vahn-DAY'-ahn) goes by "GBGV" for short. It's one of a number of long, low-to-the-ground basset breeds with centuries-long roots in Europe. A smaller cousin, the petit basset griffon Vendeen, and the long-eared basset hound have been recognized by the AKC for decades.
American Kennel Club
Fish and Wildlife Service
Canada Lynx
Wildlife officials in the United States declared Canada lynx recovered on Thursday and said the snow-loving wild cats no longer need special protections following steps to preserve their habitat.
The Fish and Wildlife Service said it will begin drafting a rule to revoke the lynx's threatened listing across the Lower 48 state under the Endangered Species Act. Wildlife advocates said they would challenge the move in court.
First imposed in 2000, the threatened designation has interrupted numerous logging and road building projects on federal lands, frustrating industry groups and Western lawmakers.
Canada lynx are about the size of bobcats, but with huge paws to help them navigate deep snow. The animals also are found in Montana, Minnesota, Idaho and Washington state.
There's no reliable estimate of their population, leaving officials to rely on information about habitat and hare populations to gauge the species' status
Canada Lynx
Blindsided Banking Agency
Justice Department
When the U.S. Justice Department said last week it was reversing policy on the $7 billion marijuana business, it failed to first notify federal officials who advise banks in states where the drug is legal, sources in Congress said.
The announcement by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime critic of legalizing marijuana, caused confusion among banks about how to do business with marijuana growers, processors and distributors without running afoul of federal money laundering laws.
The uncertainty unleashed a flood of phone calls to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), an office within the U.S. Treasury Department, from congressional offices with questions from lawmakers and constituents.
But FinCEN had no ready answers because it received no advance warning of Sessions' Jan. 4 announcement rescinding an Obama-era policy that had eased up on federal enforcement of marijuana laws, said congressional aides who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The abrupt announcement by Sessions was the latest example of sudden actions by the Trump administration that have blind-sided its own government agencies on major policy shifts. In 2017 the administration blindsided the Defense Department with a decision to ban transgender Americans from serving in the military. It also took many by surprise at the Department of Homeland Security by barring people from some predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.
Justice Department
Fabricating Praise
T-rump
Journalists are accusing Donald Trump (R-Corrupt) of again fabricating praise, saying he falsely claimed to have received laudatory letters from television anchors.
Earlier this week, Mr Trump presided over an extended meeting on immigration with members of Congress that, in an unusual twist, was left open to members of the media.
In subsequent remarks the President said the "tremendous" meeting was "reported as incredibly good," adding that television network anchors "sent us letters saying that was one of the greatest meetings they've ever witnessed".
"They probably wish they didn't send us those letters of congratulations. But it was good. I'm sure their ratings were fantastic," Mr Trump said.
The claim drew skepticism from journalists who cover Mr Trump. The White House did not respond to The Independent'srequest for copies of the congratulatory letters.
T-rump
More Conservative Family Values
Missouri
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican who stands accused of blackmailing a woman with whom he admitted to having an affair, worked closely during his campaign with two other men accused of sexual misconduct.
Jimmy Soni and Kaj Larsen provided communications and campaign support for Greitens, respectively. The political newcomer defeated Democratic candidate for governor Chris Koster in 2016 largely on a platform of ethics reform.
Soni, a former HuffPost managing editor, worked for Greitens as his administration's top communications adviser for around three months in early 2017, leaving his post quietly with no announcement. Months later, he drew subsequent checks for communications work from Greitens' campaign fund totaling about $8,000, Riverfront Times reported.
Larsen, Greitens' best friend during their service as Navy SEALs, campaigned for his friend during the tail end of Missouri's 2016 gubernatorial race, speaking about their work on the veterans nonprofit The Mission Continues. The pair helped launch the group in 2007.
Greitens admitted to being "unfaithful" in his marriage on Wednesday night through a statement issued jointly with his wife, Sheena.
Missouri
Carrier Lays Off
A 'Con Man' And 'Liar'
A former Steelworkers union leader has blasted Donald Trumpas a "con man," an "idiot" and a "liar" as Indianapolis air-conditioning and furnace company Carrier Corp. laid off 215 more workers Thursday. The company has sent a third of its jobs to Mexico since Trump boasted a year ago about a $7 million state tax incentive deal for the company to keep jobs in the U.S.
"I think everybody ought to respect the president of the United States and the office he holds. But Donald Trump is a liar and an idiot," Chuck Jones, former president of United Steelworkers 1999, said at an Indianapolis town hall meeting on Wednesday that was streamed live on Facebook.
"When he was saying these jobs would not be leaving this country, not at any point in time did he say, 'I'm bringing back my jobs I've got outside the country. I'm going to bring back my daughter's jobs,'" added Jones, referring to overseas manufacturing for Trump and Ivanka Trump products. "He's a pure and simple con man ... and I'm sorry people bought into his message. He sold us a bag of shit, and now we're stuck with it," Jones added, The New Yorker reported.
The town hall meeting was organized by labor advocacy group Good Jobs Nation so workers could vent about the latest round of cuts and the administration's lack of action.
Trump attacked Jones in a Tweet just over a year ago when Jones expressed skepticism about the Carrier deal. Jones received death threats after the tweet.
A 'Con Man' And 'Liar'
Top 14
Global Concert Tours
The Top 20 Global Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows Worldwide. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
1. The Rolling Stones; $9,996,473; $158.81.
2. U2; $8,640,263; $117.51.
3. Paul McCartney; $5,206,084; $139.39.
4. Bruno Mars; $2,809,362; $108.85.
5. Guns N' Roses; $2,250,934; $131.78.
6. Roger Waters; $2,225,025; $117.94.
7. Lady Gaga; $1,841,933; $112.43.
8. Dead & Company; $1,667,123; $111.11.
9. Jay-Z; $1,505,729; $101.29.
10. Depeche Mode; $1,505,581; $89.06.
11. Elton John; $1,392,640; $124.57.
12. Neil Diamond; $1,313,396; $112.95.
13. Timbiriche; $1,236,602; $71.75.
14. The Weeknd; $1,157,594; $87.13.
Global Concert Tours
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