Balloon Juice

Sunday Morning Open Thread: Objects in Media May Be Smaller Than They Appear

by Anne Laurie| December 1, 20249:16 am| 114 Comments

This post is in: Elections 2024, Media, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You, Trumpery

(Clay Bennett via GoComics.com)

This suggestion by Mark Cuban caught my eye; might work, certainly worth floating, but I think insufficiently cynical. Opposition to phasing out coal isn't about jobs; it isn't even, mostly, about profits. It's a front in the culture war. 1/

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— Paul Krugman (@pkrugman.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 7:47 AM

Coal mining stopped being a major way of life a long time ago — not because of eco-freaks, but because strip mining and mountaintop removal made most workers unnecessary 2/

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— Paul Krugman (@pkrugman.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 7:51 AM

Coal output didn't begin falling until around 2010, mainly because of fracking and to some extent renewables. But by then there were already very few miners (the personal training industry employs about 20X as many people as coal) 3/

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— Paul Krugman (@pkrugman.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 7:54 AM

But coal as an idea — big, tough men (approaching Trump with tears in their eyes) has outlasted coal as a reality. West Virginia thinks it's a coal state, when in reality it's mostly a health care state (supported by Medicare and Medicaid, which the people it votes for want to cut) 4/

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— Paul Krugman (@pkrugman.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 7:59 AM

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Sunday Morning Open Thread: Objects in Media May Be Smaller Than They AppearPost + Comments (114)

Sunday Morning Garden Chat: Urban Wildflower Pockets

by Anne Laurie| December 1, 20245:49 am| 22 Comments

This post is in: Garden Chats

From doggedly determined urban gardener JeffG166:

Top photo: The trifoil camellia I planted in spring. Will flower anywhere from January to April. Planted out the dinning room window in a bed I can see easily. This is the second plant I bought. The first one worked.

Celosia cockscomb heads. The self seeding flamingo creatures found a recessive gene somewhere and produce them:

Celosia flamingo feather seeds. Self seeded into the brick sidewalk on the street for the third year in a row. The dogs water and feed them. I think I have several thousand seeds.

===========

“Small patches of wildflowers sown in cities can be a good substitute for a natural meadow, according to a study which showed butterflies, bees and hoverflies like them just as much.” I love wildlflowers, that’s the post. (via @bug-gwen.bsky.social) [theguardian.com]
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— kottke.org (@kottke.org) November 22, 2024 at 4:22 PM

This particular study was done in Poland, but I’m assuming — hoping — the results would be approximately the same on our side of the Atlantic. Per the Guardian, “Patches of wildflowers in cities can be just as good for insects as natural meadows – study”:

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Sunday Morning Garden Chat: Urban Wildflower PocketsPost + Comments (22)

Late Night Schadenfreude Open Thread: They Did Nazi That Coming

by Anne Laurie| December 1, 20244:32 am| 78 Comments

This post is in: Information Warfare, Open Threads, I Can't Believe We're Still Talking About Fucking Nazis, Schadenfreude

https://t.co/FHadEY4hUJ pic.twitter.com/lV6Fpl5Ae7

— vituperativeerb (@vituperativeerb) November 26, 2024

Per the Columbus Dispatch, “Body cam footage: Neo-Nazis who marched in Short North claimed to be victims of violence”:

A group of neo-Nazis who marched through the Short North this month were not arrested because police determined they were not the aggressors in a fight that broke out, according to documents and video footage.

In body camera footage Columbus police released Monday, the neo-Nazis told police they had never experienced a response like the one they received in Columbus. They said people pulled guns on them and threw cans and vegetables as they marched, waved flags and yelled racial slurs. One of the officers noted the men were “covered in” pepper spray.

The Nov. 16 march drew stern condemnation from city hall to the White House, but no arrests were made. A group of Black men organized a counter-march the next day, following the same route in the Short North with a message of peace. In a statement, Columbus police previously said they could not find sufficient probable cause to file any charges against the neo-Nazis.

Police initially made contact with the neo-Nazis in a chaotic scene on a sidewalk near Goodale Park at about 1:15 p.m., according to a radio log printout from Columbus police. There the neo-Nazis, wearing black and red clothing and carrying black flags with red swastikas, told police they were leaving because they were under attack. In the background, bystanders shouted at them to take off their masks.

They told police they were marching because “our country is being invaded and white people are being ostracized.” While they refused to tell police where they lived, they referenced past marches in other cities.

Police said they’d received a report that they were spraying people with pepper spray and hair spray. The neo-Nazis said they were pepper sprayed first, and hadn’t instigated any violence. Footage previously obtained by the Dispatch showed one of the neo-Nazis spraying something in a person’s face, and 911 callers said the neo-Nazis had pepper sprayed people.

Several officers, including multiple Black officers, were present at the scene on the sidewalk. One Black officer tried to reason with the marchers, pointing out that they were bound to see confrontation from people for shouting hateful things.

“I definitely feel your First Amendment rights to say whatever nonsense this is, but c’mon, man,” the officer said. “The Buckeyes are playing. Man, come on.”…

A police report identified the group as “Hate Club 1844.” The driver is the only neo-Nazi named in the report. The others are identified only as about 10-11 unknown white men.

“We do this all over the U.S., and we’ve never been attacked like this, man,” the driver told police from his seat in the U-Haul.

Late Night Schadenfreude Open Thread: They Did Nazi That ComingPost + Comments (78)

War for Ukraine Day 1,011: “The Russians Are Very, Very Busy in Ukraine… Thank God for the Ukrainians.”

by Adam L Silverman| November 30, 20249:52 pm| 24 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Military, Open Threads, Russia, Silverman on Security, War, War in Ukraine

Two quick housekeeping notes. First, Rosie is doing great. We did an additional 1/1oth mile during today’s walk and she did great. We’ll hold that for the week then add another 1/1oth. She’s also jumped up onto the bed again. Thank you all for the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations to help with her chemo.

Second, I said I’d only cover what is going on in Syria if it started becoming related to what is going on in Ukraine. I was thinking along the lines of actual evidence or confirmation that MG Budanov’s merry band of mirth makers were working with the rebel forces or taking advantage of the rebel advances to further degrade Russian capabilities. None of that has happened. The Russians are complaining on Telegram that both of those are happening. There’s no actual confirmation or evidence from legit sources that it is. Rather, the simple reality of Ukraine’s stout hearted defense against Putin’s genocidal re-invasion has changed the dynamics in a battle space almost 3,000 km/1,800 miles away.

“The Russians are very, very busy in Ukraine, and that’s a big part of it,” said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a group that advocates for democracy in Syria. “Thank God for the Ukrainians.” www.wsj.com/world/middle…

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 3:39 PM

So, now Russia can’t handle the Aleppo offensive because its air power is tied up in Ukraine? Is this what they call a second front?

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— Maria Avdeeva (@mariainkharkiv.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 8:43 AM

There are a lot of things going into the rebel assault over the past several days. For instance, the anti-Assad forces spent month’s planning and shaping the battlespace.

I just want people to know that my friends in Idlib literally told me this offensive was going to happen, it was telegraphed weeks if not months ahead of time.

The Regime lines still collapsed the moment they came into contact with the offensive.

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— Oz Katerji (@ozkaterji.bsky.social) November 29, 2024 at 9:51 AM

Israel’s degradation and reduction of Hezbullah is also a huge contributing factor.

However, the ripple effects of Putin’s genocidal re-invasion are continuing to be felt. For instance, the loss of Prigozhin and a significant amount of the top layer of Wagner is now being felt in Syria. And that is all the result of events that began with the genocidal re-invasion of Ukraine and events in Ukraine.

And we have a correction regarding President Zelenskyy’s NATO accession remarks:

Ukraine corrected Sky News interview translation. To secure a peace deal, he said a NATO invitation should extend to all recognized territory of Ukraine, but NATO protection only territory under Kyiv’s control. He’d then work diplomatically to regain territory held by Russia bbc.com/russian/live…

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— Glasnost Gone (@glasnostgone.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 3:10 AM

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

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There Are Decisions That Can Be Implemented in The Coming Weeks and Months for the Sake of Our Shared Security – Address by the President

30 November 2024 – 20:15

Dear Ukrainians!

Currently, a rescue operation is underway in the Dnipro region after a missile strike. Ordinary civilian buildings have been damaged: an apartment building, a shop in the village of Tsarychanka. So far, we know of four people killed by this Russian strike. I express my deepest condolences.

Today, the Russians continued their most heinous terror against the residents of Kherson – against ordinary people. A drone drop on a bus. Four people have been wounded.

And this happens almost every day. Ukraine defends itself against this absolutely inhuman pressure. I am grateful to everyone who helps us go through all this, defend ourselves against terror, and save people’s lives.

This week, we can highlight the contribution of Lithuania: a new batch of military aid. Arms, including ammunition, spare parts for armored vehicles. As well as the Netherlands – I am very grateful for the Patriot launchers. The United States is preparing a strong and important military package worth USD 725 million. This is something that will significantly support our guys at the front. We also see the willingness of the Nordic and Baltic states to increase investments in our defense industry, particularly in the production of our domestic drones. I am grateful for this!

Norway has decided to provide more financial support to Ukraine in the coming year, and this boosts our confidence, over three billion. There is a decision from Luxembourg to provide funds for arms procurement for our Ukrainian Defense Forces. We also appreciate the decision by the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on the Russian shadow tanker fleet. This is what keeps the entire world on the right course towards justice. Towards making Russia feel accountable for this war and its consequences, and towards compelling Russia to make peace. The world has the power to make this happen.

Today, as every day, there was a report by Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi regarding the frontline situation and developments in the Kursk operation areas. I want to thank our brigades who are defending our positions, who are destroying the occupier. And today I would like to especially commend the 38th Separate Marine Brigade, the 68th Separate Jaeger Brigade and the 14th Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine for their outstanding performance in combat this week. Thank you, warriors! Thank you for your bravery, especially in the Pokrovsk direction.

Now we are preparing for quite active work in December – work with partners: negotiations, meetings. There are decisions that can be implemented in the coming weeks and months for the sake of our shared security – for the sake of Ukraine and all those who genuinely want this war to end as soon as possible, and, above all, justly.

Glory to Ukraine!

The cost and the reason:

Six hundred teddy bears were placed near the Washington Monument to honor Ukrainian children killed, injured, or abducted by russia. A bell was rung and the names of children who died due to russian aggression were read out💔

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— Sofia (@sofiaukraini.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 8:21 AM

After the ceremony, the teddy bears will be going to Ukraine to comfort children in orphanages

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— Sofia (@sofiaukraini.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 8:27 AM

🇺🇦❤️

Several Ukrainian children returned from occupation, – Lubinets ombudsman.

Eight children were returned to Ukraine from Crimea, as well as from Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
👇👇

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— Adina R (@adyna.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 3:31 PM

Georgia:

@Zourabichvili_S: “I remain as a president, there is no legitimate parliament that will legitimately elect a president, therefore there can be no inauguration. my mandate continues until there is a legitimately elected parliament that will legitimately elect who should replace me”

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 11:43 AM

Father Shalva Kekelia of the most prominent faces of the Patriarchate of Georgia, never a sympathizer for our cause, gave a sermon deeply condemning this morning’s disturbing violence and rebuking a state that allows that. It’s significant. #GeorgiaProtests

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 7:14 PM

Georgians countering the Russian regime police! Just watch! #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 6:23 PM

My comment is: you never know what you’ve got in you until you actually have to do it. I mean individually as well as collectively as a society! ✊🏻🇬🇪🇪🇺 More such videos on Jay’s X. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 6:18 PM

People stop a fire engine and make it lose water. They apparently chant “thank you” to the cooperating firefighters. This engine won’t be able to supply the hellish water cannon anymore! ✊🏻 #GeorgiaProtests
📷 Shotiko Tadumadze

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 6:07 PM

🇬🇪Georgian protesters shoot at police with a fireworks cannon.

Georgian citizens are protesting against a pro-Russian party that seized power in parliament by rigging elections.

The authorities gave the order to disperse the protesters by force. But Georgians fight back in response.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 5:18 PM

Tonight was a watershed, and we passed this test successfully whatever happens by dawn hours: after the morning’s horrifying vicious assault aimed at intimidating us, people weren’t intimidated, they came in larger numbers and more organized than ever. #GeorgiaProtests

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 6:56 PM

Not gonna lie, I was quite worried in the morning whether that would scare people. You actually never know what you’ll do as a society until the process happens for real.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 7:11 PM

⚡️Protests erupt across Georgia in defiance of government’s anti-EU stance.

Protests have now spread from Tbilisi to Batumi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi, Telavi, Gurjaani, and other Georgian cities, sparked by the government’s decision to postpone EU accession talks.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 30, 2024 at 3:11 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story.

Mass protests against the pro-Russian government have broken out in major cities across Georgia, despite police attempts to disperse demonstrators, the Georgian outlet Sova News reported on Nov. 30.

The protests were sparked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s decision to postpone Georgia’s accession to the European Union until 2028.

Police reportedly used pepper spray and water cannons to disperse demonstrators in Tbilisi on Nov. 29, but protests have now spread to Batumi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi, Telavi, Gurjaani, and other Georgian cities.

Thousands of protesters have again amassed in Tbilisi’s Freedom Square on Rustaveli Avenue, completely blocking the street.

Protesters have begun erecting barricades near the parliament building, Echo of the Caucasus reported. Demonstrators also launched fireworks at parliament, causing a fire to break out.

Police have reportedly launched smoke bombs against protesters and used water cannons in response.

In response to the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to suspend EU accession talks, the U.S. State Department announced on Nov. 30 that it was suspending the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership.

“Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership … As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism,” the statement read.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili responded to the decision, calling it the “tragic result” of the pro-Russian Georgian Dream’s anti-democratic decisions.

“It’s clearer than ever that the course they pursue leads only in one direction — toward Russia,” she said on X.

The Georgian Dream party, now led by Kobakhidze, has faced accusations of democratic backsliding and steering the country closer to the Kremlin. Earlier this year, the controversial “foreign agents” law prompted mass protests and violent crackdowns by police.

The October parliamentary elections kicked off another round of protests, amid accusations that Georgian Dream perpetrated widespread fraud and rigged the vote.

Following the vote, the European Commission suspended Georgia’s EU accession process, highlighting the growing rift between Tbilisi and the West.

While pro-EU Georgians took to the streets in protest, Kobakhidze defended his decision to delay EU accession and said that a “Maidan situation” would not happen in Georgia.

“(U)nlike Ukraine in 2013, Georgia is an independent state with strong institutions and, most importantly, experienced and wise people whose power no one can shake. The Maiden scenario cannot be realized in Georgia,” Kobakhidze said during a government press conference.

His remarks refer to Ukraine’s 2013 EuroMaidan Revolution, a months-long popular uprising provoked by former President Viktor Yanukovych’s refusal to sign a much-anticipated Association Agreement with the EU.

“For the third year now, specific European politicians and bureaucrats who have failed to achieve the Ukrainization of Georgia have been constantly trying to use the candidate status and the issue of opening negotiations to weaken the country, so-called provoke polarization, and artificially depopulate society,” Kobakhidze said.

Rustaveli Avenue right now: *”If you go home, they’ll crush [physically] your children again.”*

Photo by Dodie Kharkheli.

#GeorgiaProtests

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— Tatia Tsuladze (@tsuladze.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 4:58 PM

Special ops beat and detained 17 y.o. minor in front of his parents. This is his dad telling how it happened. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Tatia Tsuladze (@tsuladze.bsky.social) November 29, 2024 at 5:21 PM

BREAKING: The Ambassador of Georgia to the United States, Davit Zalkaliani, has resigned from his position.

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— Tatia Tsuladze (@tsuladze.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 1:28 PM

I’m guessing Ambassador Zalkaliani’s resignation is related to this:

⚡️US suspends strategic partnership with Georgia amid mass protests.

“Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership … As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism.”

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 30, 2024 at 3:27 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

The United States is suspending the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership due to the anti-democratic actions of the ruling Georgian Dream party, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller announced on Nov. 30.

The announcement comes amid mass anti-government protests across Georgia, sparked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s decision to delay Georgia’s accession to the European Union.

“Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership,” Miller said.

“As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism.”

Miller criticized Georgian Dream’s decision to suspend EU accession talks and denounced the government’s crackdown on protesters.

“By suspending Georgia’s EU accession process, Georgian Dream has rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin. … The United States condemns the excessive use of force by police against Georgians seeking to exercise their rights to assembly and expression, including their freedom to peacefully protest.”

Tbilisi’s ties with the U.S. and other Western countries have steadily deteriorated since the pro-Russian Georgian Dream adopted a controversial “foreign agents” law in May. Tensions only mounted after Georgian Dream declared victory in the Oct. 26 parliamentary elections despite widespread accusations of a rigged vote.

The Georgian government’s democratic backsliding and shift toward Moscow has led the U.S. to halt cooperation projects and cutt financial assistance, deepening the chasm between former allies.

Norway:

Norwegian government and party leaders have agreed to increase aid for Ukraine to min $3.2 billion in 2025, with supporting Ukraine’s defense industries as a top priority. This funding will save countless lives! Dear people of Norway, thank you for your help!

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— Olena Halushka (@halushka.bsky.social) November 29, 2024 at 4:52 AM

The US, the EU, and NATO:

⚡️West provided enough aid for 2.5 brigades out of requested 10, Zelensky says.

“They speak about mobilization, but the real problem [is] with 10 brigades which our partners didn’t equip,” President Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 30, 2024 at 5:05 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

Western allies provided enough aid to fully equip only 2.5 out of the 10 Ukrainian brigades that Ukraine had requested support for, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News published on Nov. 29.

“Just equip the brigades,” Zelensky said in response to the question on what NATO or the U.S. could do to help tackle Ukraine’s manpower shortages.

The statement follows media reports suggesting that Washington is urging Ukraine to lower its minimum mobilization age from 25 to 18 in an effort to replenish military ranks. Kyiv said that Ukraine’s mobilization strategy is regularly discussed with allies but dismissed suggestions of tension over the issue.

In the interview with Sky News, Zelensky said that if the West doesn’t provide enough aid, Ukraine will “never have enough resources.”

“How do you want me just to mobilize young guys, [as] they don’t know where to go – in which brigade, with which weapon they will fight?” he added.

“They speak about mobilization, but the real problem [is] with 10 brigades which our partners didn’t equip.”

Zelensky said that he had asked the U.S. and Europe to help equip the Ukrainian brigades over a year ago.

He cited bureaucracy and allies’ other priorities as reasons why the aid hasn’t been fully provided.

Zelensky also said the control over the situation in the east of Ukraine is solely dependant on these brigades.

In the interview on July 4, Zelensky said that 14 Ukrainian brigades were underarmed as the Western aid was arriving too slowly.

Ukraine has been steadily losing ground in the east the past months, as Russia has ramped up assaults in multiple areas.

For want of a nail!

Tsarychanka, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast:

⚡️UPDATED: Russian attack in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast kills 4, injures 21.

Russia targeted the village of Tsarychanka with a missile strike the evening of Nov. 30, killing four people and injuring at least 21 others.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 30, 2024 at 1:49 PM

Here are the details from The Kyiv Independent:

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Russia attacked the Dniprovskyi district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast the evening of Nov. 30, killing four people and injuring at least 21 others.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia targeted the village of Tsarychanka with a missle strike, killing four civilians.

“And so almost every day Ukraine defends itself against this absolutely inhuman pressure,” Zelensky said on Telegram after the attack.

The injured victims include an 11-year-old boy, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak said. He is being treated in the hospital, along with the rest of the wounded. Eight are in serious condition.

Explosions occurred in the Dniprovskyi district in the evening, igniting three fires in the area, the governor said. A shop, an apartment building, and a home caught fire following the attack.

Authorities have not disclosed details regarding the identities of the other victims.

Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast is regularly targeted by Russian attacks. Russia on Nov. 21 targeted both the regional capital of Dnipro and the region’s second-largest city, Kryvyi Rih, with large-scale attacks.

The attack on Dnipro involved an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), referred to by Russia as “Oreshnik,” which marked an escalation in Russia’s aerial attacks.

Zaporizhzhia Oblast:

⚡️Construction of fortifications in Zaporizhzhia nearly complete, governor says.

Governor Ivan Fedorov said the designs for the fortifications have been “significantly improved” compared to previous versions and that the modernized defenses are particularly adept at repelling drone attacks.

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— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 30, 2024 at 5:14 PM

Kharkiv:

In Kharkiv, they decorated the ruined city administration building for Christmas. Amid the rubble and the silence of war, lights now shine. A surreal defiance – celebrating life where it was meant to be erased. Even in ruins, the heart of the city beats with the light of hope.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 3:33 PM

Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast:

Starting tomorrow, all schools in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, will be closed, and public events canceled due to security concerns, according to the city’s mayor.

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— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 1:52 PM

Kherson Oblast:

Today, 7 injured by drones in #Kherson by 11 am.

🔴Yesterday, a brother of a woman I had interviewed was killed by a drone. In this photo, she is consoling a woman whose son was tortured to death by Russians during the occupation. Their suburb is devastated; now infested by drones.

#HumanSafari

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— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 4:07 AM

#Kherson Russian drones hit a grocery store and killed the owner and an employee, injuring another.

This puppy is now left without an owner and home but Khersonians are looking for an adoptive family.

💔4 killed, 9 injured by drones today

#HumanSafari

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— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 1:54 PM

#Kherson region On Nov 29, Russia

🔴23 settlements shelled
💔1 killed, 6 injured
🔴 17 houses, a shop, cars damaged

🔴1 missile launched

🚨Today, by 10:30 a drone attacked

a bus:
💔3 women, 35, 52, 62; 1 man, injured
Pedestrians
💔3 men, 52-73, injured

#HumanSafari

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— Zarina Zabrisky (@zarinazabrisky.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 3:39 AM

Vovchansk:

Only 55 kilometers away from Kharkiv.
Vovchansk.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 8:58 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

A new video from Patron’s official TikTok!

@patron__dsns

Відправляй тій самій булочці 😌💗✨🥐

♬ Originalton – Ein eigentlich Chilliger typ

Here is the machine translation of the caption:

Send to the same bun 😌💗✨🥐

I expect Gin & Tonic will have a correction for the machine translation.

Open thread!

War for Ukraine Day 1,011: “The Russians Are Very, Very Busy in Ukraine… Thank God for the Ukrainians.”Post + Comments (24)

Saturday Night Open Thread

by John Cole| November 30, 20248:12 pm| 55 Comments

This post is in: John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"

Hey everyone. I hope everyone has been having as relaxing a weekend as we have. Just puttering around the house doing things, watching some tv shows (1883 and 1923), etc. It was a beautiful day so Joelle and I went to the pool- every community should have an outdoor or indoor pool. It’s just so nice to get a little sun and exercise and relax. Public spaces used well are good, even for introverts.

I had forgotten how nice it is to have someone around to make me do shit. Makes it harder for me to get lost in my head.

So did evertone’s sportsball team win/

Saturday Night Open ThreadPost + Comments (55)

Saturday Evening Open Thread: Prince Jared Gets His Due Tribute

by Anne Laurie| November 30, 20248:05 pm| 37 Comments

This post is in: Elections 2024, Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Trump Crime Cartel

Trump just named Jared's father, Charles Kushner — who he pardoned in 2020 — to be Ambassador to France.

Kushner hatched a scheme involving a prostitute to entrap his brother-in-law and eventually pleaded guilty to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 1:31 PM

The Charles Kushner appointment to be ambassador to France is a Trump trifecta: nepotism, criminality, and incompetence. Profoundly offensive and a setback for US standing in the world.

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 3:13 PM

Of course Trump has a strong bias in favor of fellow real-estate-magnate criminals… and Jared is dumb enough to have been publicly outraged at the very idea that tax evasion, bribery, and extortion, when committed by the Right people, might even qualify as “crimes”. But I personally suspect there’s at least a few overburdened minions in the Trump cartel who aren’t unhappy that the whole ~~disgusting~~ tragic saga will now be relitigated in the Very Serious Media.

Per the Washington Post, “Charles Kushner, pardoned in 2020, to be nominated ambassador to France” [gift link]:

President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday he would nominate Charles Kushner, the New Jersey real estate developer and his son-in-law’s father whom he pardoned in 2020, to be the ambassador to France.

Kushner pleaded guilty in 2004 to making false statements to the Federal Election Commission, and he subsequently pleaded guilty to witness tampering and tax evasion stemming from $6 million in political contributions and gifts mischaracterized as business expenses. The ambassador post requires Senate confirmation, but senators usually defer to presidents on such nominees…

For years, the two families built sprawling real estate empires on either side of the Hudson River: the Kushners mainly in New Jersey, and the Trumps famously in New York.

While Trump ran toward headlines, Kushner, by comparison, avoided them, until 2004. That year he pleaded guilty to federal charges including 16 counts of “assisting in the filing of false tax returns, one count of retaliating against a cooperating witness and one count of making false statements to the Federal Election Commission,” a federal prosecutor in New Jersey announced.

The details of the case were eye-popping, even for a state known for political scandals…

Before Kushner was sentenced in 2005, the prosecutor in the case told the court: “What is truly extraordinary is that Charles Kushner has failed to accept full responsibility for his outrageous criminal conduct,” the New York Times reported. The defense memo sharply disagreed and described “grief, regret, loss, devastating heartbreak” and the “acceptance of full responsibility for his crimes.” In March 2005, Kushner was sentenced to two years in prison.

About a year later, Kushner’s son, Jared, purchased the New York Observer, a small Manhattan-based newspaper with a penchant for covering politics, culture, real estate and the salacious misdeeds of those in power. In 2009, Jared married Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, uniting two rich and powerful families. That same year, the prosecutor who pursued the case against Charles Kushner, Chris Christie, was elected governor of New Jersey…

The younger Kushner went on to take an expansive portfolio in his father-in-law’s administration, and the older Kushner reportedly told one close family friend that he hoped to receive a presidential pardon, the Times reported.

In December 2020, as one of Trump’s last acts in office, that pardon was granted…

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ANOTHER actual, no-shit, confessed-in-a-court-of-law sex trafficker!

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— Zeddy (@zeddary.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 1:34 PM

The NYTimes [gift link]:

… Mr. Trump granted Mr. Kushner clemency as part of a wave of 26 pardons he issued with roughly a month left in his first term, along with other close associates including Paul Manafort, his 2016 campaign chairman, and Roger J. Stone Jr., a longtime ally and informal adviser.

In addition to securing a pardon for himself, Mr. Kushner was instrumental in helping others seeking clemency elevate their cases, relying on his son as a bridge to help get applications in front of Mr. Trump.

The case against Mr. Kushner was prosecuted by Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor who was then a U.S. attorney. Mr. Christie has since become a vocal critic of Mr. Trump’s and continued to describe Mr. Kushner’s transgressions as severe.

Mr. Kushner served two years in prison before his release in 2006.

While widely seen as one of the most prized ambassador positions, the role Mr. Kushner will be nominated for could be complicated by the at times standoffish position Mr. Trump took toward President Emmanuel Macron of France during his first term.

As president, Mr. Trump also expressed support for Mr. Macron’s far-right challenger in the 2017 French presidential election, Marine Le Pen, whose hard-line stance against immigration Mr. Trump praised.

Mr. Macron, who has been a staunch supporter of both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Ukraine, will serve until mid-2027. Mr. Trump has repeatedly questioned the value of Western support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, and has also publicly sparred with Mr. Macron over other contentious policy disagreements, including trade issues and the U.S. withdrawal from a nuclear deal with Iran.

Also worth noting that Kushner donated $2.5M to Harvard the year before Jared was admitted.

— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 5:24 PM

Per NYMag (former competitor to Jared Kushner’s Observer):

Charles Kushner is living the dream. Four years ago, the real estate developer got a controversial pardon from his son Jared’s father-in-law, Donald Trump. Four years later, his family’s real estate company is worth more than Trump’s, and his family’s net worth, per a recent Forbes analysis, has grown to $7.1 billion — nearly four times what it was when Trump was elected president. And now that Trump has been reelected, he’s sending the elder Kushner to Paris and giving him a free place to stay…

Trump didn’t mention any of that in his announcement. He instead emphasized how Kushner “is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests.” Trump also didn’t mention that in early 2023, Kushner donated $1 million to Trump’s Make America Great Again Inc super PAC.

It’s not clear if Trump will nominate any of his other pardon recipients as ambassadors. Could Paul Manafort represent U.S. interests in Ukraine? Might Michael Flynn want to return to Moscow? Will Roger Stone get to show off his Nixon tattoo on the beaches of southern Italy? We’ll have to wait and see.

It’s possible — probable — that this announcement was made during a long holiday weekend in hope that it wouldn’t attract as much attention against a backdrop of media stories about travel congestion and recipes for tasty leftovers. Guess we’ll all find out, come Monday!

Before the Ambassador arrives, Letter of Credence is sent to notify the arrival. And the host country issues an Agrément.

If the host doesn't want the Ambassador, the host drags its feet in issuing the Agrément. After a while it becomes obvious, so the country quietly withdraws the Ambassador back

— Viking🔱Fella (@viking.fellas.social) November 30, 2024 at 5:12 PM

Bonus criminal connections…

Exactly, Charles Kushner, father of Jared Kushner and father-in-law to Ivanka Trump, is a close friend of Netanyahu.

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— Anonymous ⩜ (@youranona.bsky.social) November 30, 2024 at 6:54 PM

Saturday Evening Open Thread: Prince Jared Gets His Due TributePost + Comments (37)

Cooking and Baking – What Not To Do

by WaterGirl| November 30, 20244:25 pm| 297 Comments

This post is in: Food, Food & Recipes

So I just put a pumpkin pie in the oven. As I was making it I re-read the ingredients list multiple times because I have fucked up pumpkin pie twice.

First time, I forgot to add the eggs. That was not good.

The second time, I set the timer so I could turn the oven down from 425 to 350 after 15 minutes, and I got up and turned off the timer without turning down the temperature.

Let’s just say that the results each time were suboptimal!

My third specialty is putting something on the stove to reheat it, or putting water on to boil so I can make my cocoa-wheats. (Fuck you cocoa-wheats haters. Fight me.) I find that nothing good happens when you forget to turn the knob on the stove to, you know, add the heat.

Anyone else have anything to contribute on this front?

*No politics, no hot takes, no blaming, no predicting, no whining about emojis, no random music links. Just cooking and baking.

Can we do it? Will this post win the award for the fewest comments ever? I guess we’ll find out!

Cooking and Baking – What Not To DoPost + Comments (297)

Nothing worth doing is easy.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

The choice is between normal and crazy.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Fuck that bum, let’s go Joe!

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Fight them, without becoming them!

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

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