Josh Marshall: "Understanding the Policy and Politics of 'Tax Reform'" (TPM)
What Republicans are calling "tax reform" is shaping up as the worst kind of legislative mess. To the degree we know specifics, the plan would amount to a massive windfall for the wealthiest Americans. This is hardly surprising. What is surprising are the ways the chaos and disorganization within the GOP (and perhaps also a sense of invulnerability) have led to the creation of a law which would actually hurt a lot of people who really don't need to be hurt and are politically powerful to boot.
David Kurtz: The Great Unraveling (TPM)
… President Trump will end Obamacare's cost-sharing reduction payments. This move, in combination with the executive order Trump signed earlier in the day, threatens to begin the unraveling of the Obamacare marketplaces. CBO projects cutting off the payments will make premiums 20 percent higher by 2018 and 25 percent higher by 2020, while raising the budget deficit by nearly $200 billion by 2026.
Allegra Kirkland: How The Heck Did A Black Man Beaten In C'Ville End Up Facing Assault Charge? (TPM)
An odd statute tucked into the Virginia state code has led to a rather mind-boggling situation in which a neo-Confederate leader appears to have gotten a young black man who was brutally beaten in a Charlottesville, Virginia parking garage at August's "Unite the Right" rally arrested this week on an assault charge.
Andrew Tobias: Mikey's Last Breakfast
Trump is hard at work wrecking the health care system - which could make sense if he had even a notion of what he'd like to see in its place. (Could his secret plan be "great, great health care for everybody at a tiny fraction of the cost" - which is not too much of an exaggerated description of what they already have in Canada and throughout Europe, Great Britain, Singapore and Japan? No, I don't think so. He has no idea what he's doing.)
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera (the Ancient Greek: cheir, "hand" and Ancient Greek: pteron, "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, can only glide for short distances. Bats are less efficient at flying than birds, but are more maneuverable, using their very long spread-out digits which are covered with a thin membrane or patagium.
Bats are the second largest order of mammals (after the rodents), representing about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with about 1,240 bat species divided into two suborders: the less specialized and largely fruit-eating megabats, including flying foxes, and the highly specialized and echolocating microbats. About 70% of bat species are insectivores. Most of the rest are frugivores, or fruit eaters. A few species feed from animals other than insects, with the vampire bats being hematophagous, or feeding on blood.
Bats are present throughout most of the world, with the exception of extremely cold regions. They perform the vital ecological roles of pollinating flowers and dispersing fruit seeds; many tropical plant species depend entirely on bats for the distribution of their seeds. Bats are economically important, as they consume insect pests, reducing the need for pesticides.
Source
Mark. was first, and correct, with:
The second largest order of mammals would be chiroptera -- bats.
Randall wrote:
BATS
Alan J answered:
Chiroptera. Bats.
Gene said:
Bats. These guys.
Deborah replied:
The mighty Wikipedia tells me the answer is bats. I had no idea.
A couple evacuation orders were reduced to advisories. I hope people find their homes unscathed. More strong north winds are predicted tonight and through Saturday, and who knows what those will do to the fires.
Jim from CA, retired to ID, responded:
Bats are the second largest order of mammals
Billy in Cypress said:
Bats are the second largest order of mammals and that is fitting for the month that contains Halloween.
Dale of Diamond Springs, Flambeed Norcali, replied:
Again it's the Bat…the winds will be picking up tonight and tomorrow…maybe rain by the end of next week.
zorch responded:
Bats, sometimes found in your belfry. But according to Felines, Bats are just flying mousies, making them rodents.
Joe S answered:
I suspected, but not completely sure, that they are bats. Bats are my friends, we have a lot of them around here but you know what we don't have? Mosquitoes, that's what we don't have. I can sit out on my porch any time, day or night, and not be bothered by a single bug.
Patriot Act NSA Spying Unconstitutional Section 215 National Security Letters Must End
My name is Marc Perkel and I have decided to announce that I will not comply with the so called "Patriot Act" laws requiring me to disclose information about my customers. If I receive a national security letter I will immediately photograph it, post it online everywhere I can, and then make a video of me burning it. I will then await my arrest. If you want to put me in jail then come get me mother fucker.
CBS begins the night with a RERUN'SEAL Team', followed by a RERUN'NCIS: The Expendable One', then '48 Hours'.
NBC on the East Coast opens the night with a RERUN'Superstore', followed by a RERUN'Will & Grace', then an old 'Dateline', followed by a RERUN'SNL'.
NBC on the left coast opens the night with a RERUN'Will & Grace', then a LIVE'SNL', followed by a RERUN'SNL'.
'SNL' is FRESH, with Kumail Nanjiani hosting, music by Pink.
ABC fills the night with LIVE'College Football', then pads the left coast with local crap and maybe an old '20/20'.
The CW offers an old 'Friends', followed by another old 'Friends', then an old '2½ Men', followed by another old '2½ Men'.
Faux fills the night with LIVE'MLB Baseball', then pads the left coast with local crap.
MY recycles an old 'Major Crimes', followed by an old 'Rizzoli & Isles'.
A&E has 'Live PD', followed by a FRESH'Live PD: Rewind', then a FRESH'Live PD'.
AMC offers the movie 'Stephen King's Thinner', followed by a FRESH'Halt & Catch Fire', then another 'Halt & Catch Fire'.
BBC -
[6:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 2-Initiations
[7:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 3-Projections
[8:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 4-Elogium
[9:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 5-Non Sequitur
[10:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 6-Twisted
[11:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 7-Parturition
[12:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 8-Persistence of Vision
[1:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 9-Tattoo
[2:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 10-Cold Fire
[3:00PM] A KNIGHT'S TALE (2001)
[6:00PM] VAN HELSING (2004)
[10:01PM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW - SEASON 22 - EPISODE 2
[11:00PM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 4-Elogium
[12:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 5-Non Sequitur
[1:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 6-Twisted
[2:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 7-Parturition
[3:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 8-Persistence of Vision
[4:00AM] STAR TREK: VOYAGER - SEASON 2 - EPISODE 9-Tattoo (ALL TIMES EDT)
Bravo has the movie 'Sex & The City 2', followed by the movie 'The School Of Rock'.
Comedy Central has 'South Park', followed by the movie 'Superbad', then the movie 'Superbad', again.
FX has the movie 'The Wolverine', followed by the movie 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past'.
History has 'Pawn Stars', another 'Pawn Stars', followed by a FRESH'Pawn Stars: Pumped Up'.
IFC -
[6:00AM] JEEPERS CREEPERS 2
[8:30AM] BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW-I Can't Vote
[9:00AM] BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW-Don't Make Me Send a Lawyer Up There
[9:30AM] BALLS OF FURY
[11:30AM] HOT ROD
[1:30PM] BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE
[3:45PM] BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE 2
[6:00PM] OFFICE SPACE
[8:00PM] RUSH HOUR
[10:00PM] RUSH HOUR
[12:00AM] SUPER TROOPERS
[2:15AM] BORAT
[4:15AM] PEEP WORLD (ALL TIMES EDT)
Sundance -
[6:15AM] The Andy Griffith Show-The Rehabilitation of Otis
[6:50AM] The Andy Griffith Show-The Lucky Letter
[7:25AM] The Andy Griffith Show-Goober and the Art of Love
[8:00AM] The Andy Griffith Show-Barney Runs for Sheriff
[8:35AM] The Andy Griffith Show-If I Had a Quarter-Million
[9:10AM] The Andy Griffith Show-TV or Not TV
[9:45AM] The Andy Griffith Show-Guest in the House
[10:20AM] The Andy Griffith Show-The Case of the Punch in the Nose
[10:55AM] The Andy Griffith Show-Opie's Newspaper
[11:30AM] The Da Vinci Code
[3:00PM] M*A*S*H-The General's Practitioner
[3:30PM] M*A*S*H-Movie Tonight
[4:00PM] M*A*S*H-Souvenirs
[4:30PM] M*A*S*H-Post Op
[5:00PM] M*A*S*H-Margaret's Marriage
[5:30PM] M*A*S*H-Fade Out, Fade In
[6:00PM] M*A*S*H-Fade Out, Fade In
[6:30PM] M*A*S*H-Fallen Idol
[7:00PM] M*A*S*H-Last Laugh
[7:30PM] M*A*S*H-War of Nerves
[8:00PM] M*A*S*H-The Winchester Tapes
[8:30PM] M*A*S*H-The Light That Failed
[9:00PM] M*A*S*H-In Love and War
[9:30PM] M*A*S*H-Change Day
[10:00PM] M*A*S*H-Images
[10:30PM] M*A*S*H-The M*A*S*H Olympics
[11:00PM] M*A*S*H-The Grim Reaper
[11:30PM] M*A*S*H-Comrades in Arms
[12:00AM] M*A*S*H-Comrades in Arms
[12:30AM] M*A*S*H-The Merchant of Korea
[1:00AM] M*A*S*H-The Smell of Music
[1:30AM] M*A*S*H-Patent 4077
[2:00AM] M*A*S*H-Tea and Empathy
[2:30AM] Dirty Harry
[4:45AM] Magnum Force (ALL TIMES EDT)
SyFy has the movie 'Insidious: Chapter 3', followed by the movie 'The Sandman'.
Porn king Larry Flynt is offering a $10 million reward for dirt on President-for-now Trump (R-Pendejo) if the info gets him booted from the Oval Office, a new report said Friday.
The creator of Hustler Magazine, whose porn empire also produces XXX-rated videos, offered the cash "for information leading to the impeachment and removal from office of Donald J. Trump," according to a Flynt statement tweeted by Fox Business News reporter Liz Claman that was later retweeted by the 74-year-old Flynt.
The pornographer-turned-First Amendment activist called Trump's presidency "illegitimate," and said that "after nine tumultuous months in office, Trump has proven that he's dangerously unfit to exercise the extreme power accrued by our new 'unitary executive,'" according to the statement.
Flynt points to the president's firing of James Comey, lukewarm rebuke of violent neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville, Va., "hundreds of bald-faced lies" and "complete ignorance of world affairs" as the purported reasons for his latest effort to meddle in politics.
California's deadly wildfires have destroyed the home and memorabilia collection of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz although his widow escaped the blaze.
His son, Monte Schulz, said flames claimed the house in Santa Rosa on Monday, where his step-mother Jean Schulz, lived.
He said he had been told there was nothing left of their collection of Charlie Brown drawings and keepsakes.
However, most of his father's original artwork is in the Charles M Schulz Museum nearby which has so far escaped the fires that destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, and killed 29 people.
The Schulzes built the California split-level home in the 1970s and the cartoonist lived there until his death in 2000.
After years of debate, a U.S. government board has voted to rename Utah's Negro Bill Canyon, overruling a recommendation by Utah officials to keep the name.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names decided Thursday to rename it Grandstaff Canyon to get rid of an offensive name, The Salt Lake Tribune reports . The vote was 12-0, with one member declining to vote. The decision comes 16 years after the board voted to keep the name.
The new name honors black rancher and prospector William Grandstaff, whose cattle grazed there in the 1870s.
"His name was Grandstaff; it was not Negro Bill," said Wendi-Starr Brown, a member of the federal board who is Native American. "I'm pretty sure that's not how he wanted to be addressed in life."
The Utah Committee on Geographic Names had recommended keeping the name, citing a lack of consensus from state minority groups.
Archaeologists found a copper blade in Switzerland that's just like the ax Ötzi the famous "Iceman"was carrying when he died.
Like Ötzi's ax, this tool was made with copper that came from hundreds of miles away, in present-day Tuscany in central Italy. The discovery could shed light on Copper Age connections across Europe.
Bad fortune eventually made Ötzi the Iceman famous. About 5,300 years ago, he was shot with an arrow, struck in the head and left to die near a mountain pass high in the Alps. He was entombed in a glacier until 1991, when hikers near the Italian-Austrian border discovered his body.
Ötzi is the oldest mummy in Europe, and scientists have studied nearly every possible aspect of his life and death, from his tattoos and tools to his diet and DNA. Among the equipment Ötzi carried was an ax of almost pure copper, remarkable because its wooden handle and leather straps were still preserved.
This past summer, researchers traced the source of the metal in Ötzi's ax to southern Tuscany, which came as a surprise to them. The huge mountains of the Alps were thought to be a "neat cultural barrier" separating the metal trade, the authors of that study wrote in the journal PLOS One; people living around the Alps at that time were believed to have gotten their copperlocally or from the Balkans.
Shortly after taking over the U.S. government office that oversees facilities for unaccompanied immigrant children, Scott Lloyd told a subordinate what to do with a teenager who wanted an abortion.
Facilities under HHS "should not be supporting abortion services pre or post-release," but rather "life-affirming options counseling," Lloyd wrote in an email. And the person seeking an abortion "should not be meeting with an attorney regarding her termination" or seeking a waiver exempting her from a state requirement that minors get a parent's consent, he wrote in another.
The apparent new policy is being put to the test, as lawyers have gone to court to try to force the government to allow a 17-year-old Central American being held at a Texas facility to get an abortion. They accuse the Trump administration of trying to stop any immigrant teens in government custody from terminating a pregnancy.
"She's being used as a pawn," Rochelle Garza, a lawyer appointed to represent the interests of the teen, told The Associated Press on Thursday. She declined to give her client's name and native country due to privacy concerns.
HHS didn't respond to questions about whether it has a formal policy restricting immigrants in its care from seeking abortions. But last month, it issued a draft of its department-wide strategic plan for 2018 to 2022 that defines its mission as "serving and protecting Americans at every stage of life, beginning at conception."
A lush vineyard, left, is seen next to a scorched wasteland near Vintners Inn, just north of Coffey Park, Sonoma County near Santa Rosa, Calif., on Oct. 11, 2017.
Photo by George Rose
Donald Trump (R-Execrable) is to address the annual conference of an anti-LGBT group which has been classified as a hate group.
The US president-for-now will become the first sitting president to address social conservative activists and elected officials at the Value Voters Summit in Washington DC on Friday.
Trump has addressed the event which is hosted by the Family Research Council three times in total and did so last year as the Republican presidential candidate.
The Family Research Council opposes and actively lobbies against equal rights for LGBT persons. The conservative Christian group campaigns against same-sex marriage, same-sex civil unions, LGBT adoption, abortion, embryonic stell-cell research, pornography and divorce.
Every year the conference sparks controversy for its choice of speakers and in 2010 the Southern Poverty Law Centre, a legal advocacy organisation which specialise in civil rights, went so far as to classify the Family Research Council as an anti-gay hate group.
Jared Kushner, President-for-now Donald Trump's (R-Odious) son-in-law and senior adviser, made so many omissions on the security clearance forms he submitted that the governmental body responsible for reviewing them is incredulous.
"I have never seen that level of mistakes," Charles Phalen, the director of the National Background Investigations Bureau, told a House subcommittee hearing on Wednesday.
The initial SF-86 form Kushner submitted left out about 100 contacts with foreigner nationals, including his June 2016 meeting he and Donald Trump Jr. had with Kremlin-linked lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. He had to update it twice.
He also omitted ownership of a real estate tech business, which enabled him to "enrich himself" in the meantime while the company raised millions of dollars, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said in the hearing.
Kushner's attorney Jamie Gorelick said Thursday in a statement that the omissions were the result of an "administrative error."
Mass starvation has wiped out thousands of penguin chicks in Antarctica, with unusually thick sea ice forcing their parents to forage further for food in what conservationists Friday called a "catastrophic breeding failure".
French scientists, supported by WWF, have been studying a colony of 18,000 pairs of Adelie penguins in East Antarctica since 2010 and discovered only two chicks survived the most recent breeding season in early 2017.
They attributed the disaster to extensive sea ice late in the summer, meaning the adult penguins had to travel further to find food, with the chicks dying as they waited.
Yan Ropert-Coudert, senior penguin scientist at Dumont D'Urville research station, adjacent to the colony, said the region was impacted by environmental changes linked to the breakup of the Mertz glacier.
Four years ago, the same colony, which numbered 20,196 pairs at the time, failed to produce a single chick.
President-for-now Donald Trump (R-Loathsome) is the worst executive branch leader the United States has seen in a very long time, according to the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
Representative Adam Schiff, a longtime opponent of Trump's policies, made his claim Friday morning after the president touted his executive order targeted at health care costs.
"Latest reason why President Trump is the worst President in modern history: Deliberately undermining people's health care out of spite," Schiff said.
"Today's executive order will allow health insurance plans that cover fewer benefits and offer fewer consumer protections," the executive vice president of the American Hospital Association, Tom Nickels, said in a statement. "In addition, these provisions could destabilize the individual and small group markets, leaving millions of Americans who need comprehensive coverage to manage chronic and other pre-existing conditions, as well as protection against unforeseen illness and injury, without affordable options."
The first-term president has heard many other complaints about his job performance throughout his nearly 10 months in office. Trump's approval ratings have spiraled to historical lows, with an average of 37.9 approving compared to 56 percent disapproving of his work in the White House, according to the website FiveThirtyEight's latest tabulations.
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