• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Dear legacy media: you are not here to influence outcomes and policies you find desirable.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

Let me file that under fuck it.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Fucking consultants! (of the political variety)

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

We do not need to pander to people who do not like what we stand for.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Decision time: keep arguing about the last election, or try to win the next one?

Nothing worth doing is easy.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Everybody saw this coming.

Mobile Menu

  • 4 Directions VA 2025 Raffle
  • 2025 Activism
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
Open Thread:  Hey Lurkers!  (Holiday Post)

Open Threads

You are here: Home / Archives for Open Threads

Make Measles Great Again

by @heymistermix.com|  November 14, 20244:05 pm| 81 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

RFK Jr at HHS  (Politico link) will be a new chapter in the glorious history of MAGA:

For a glimpse of what an empowered Kennedy might mean for America’s parents, it’s worth reviewing his role in “one of the worst measles outbreaks in recent memory,” as FactCheck.org put it:

In 2018, two infants in American Samoa died when nurses accidentally prepared the combined measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine with expired muscle relaxant rather than water. The Samoan government temporarily suspended the vaccination program, and anti-vaccine advocates — including Kennedy and his nonprofit — flooded the area with misinformation. The vaccination rate dropped to a dangerously low level. The next year, when a traveler brought measles to the islands, the disease tore through the population, sickening more than 5,700 people and killing 83, most of them young children.

Edit:  From the post about Gaetz, below, and even more relevant here, I endorse this comment from sentient ai from the future:

we don’t hold back from opposing a nitwit bigot being placed in a position of serious power just because the next one might be worse/better.

taking a scalp shows that the spell can be broken, and as long as we dont for whatever reason, gambler’s fallacy-like, think we need to approve the next knuckle dragging chud being nominated too, because we’ve somehow spent our political capital *puke* then we can put up a decent fight, even in the minority.

Make Measles Great AgainPost + Comments (81)

Proof of Life: Washington Meetup, Nov 2024

by WaterGirl|  November 14, 20241:36 pm| 91 Comments

This post is in: Balloon Juice, Meetups, Open Threads

Proof of Life!

From left to right: Yutsano, opiejeanne, mr. opiejeanne, Beautiful Plumage, Ravensara, and Casey L.

Photo and write-up courtesy of opiejeanne.

We had a great time on Sunday, and I feel so lucky to have a group of BJ jackals nearby enough that we can get together like this sometimes.

From the left: Yutsano, opiejeanne, mr opiejeanne, Beautiful Plumage, Ravensara, and Casey L.

I had surgery on Hallowe’en to correct my drooping eyelids, so my face is still puffy and bruised, and I have big bags under my eyes. Everyone else looked great.

Open thread.  (for anything except circular firing squads, attacking dems, and re-litigating anything)

Proof of Life: Washington Meetup, Nov 2024Post + Comments (91)

Upping the Expectations

by @heymistermix.com|  November 14, 202411:22 am| 142 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

Look, if we’re going to “fight,” then the Gaetz nomination is a place to start.   Here’s what a fight would look like if the tables were turned:

  • The Ethics Committee report would be leaked, like today.
  • No fucking recess appointments.  The Senate would stay in session (if necessary by filibuster) and no monkey business with the House (again, if necessary, through parliamentary moves).
  • 24/7/365 focus on Gaetz from the media ecosystem.  This includes independent investigation, talking to people spouting rumors, etc.
  • Only relent on Gaetz to put him in context with all the other shitbirds that Trump is nominating.  They’re similar if not the same.

Is it hard?  Not for Republicans.  Is it hard for us?  Of course, because we lack the media ecosystem, and we lack Senators and Representatives willing to get their hands dirty.  I sure don’t expect a filibuster by Dick Durbin, who would be leading the fight as ranking member of Judiciary.

Upping the ExpectationsPost + Comments (142)

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Our New Normal

by Anne Laurie|  November 14, 20247:54 am| 322 Comments

This post is in: Elections 2024, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republicans in Disarray!

Thursday Morning Open Thread:  Our New Normal 1

(Mike Luckovich via GoComics.com)

Vice President Kamala Harris is a leader

A leader is someone who can see how things can be improved & who rallies people to move toward that better vision.

Leaders work toward making their vision a reality while putting people first.

I am a proud supporter of @VP Harris ???? pic.twitter.com/g0CyXSFDR6

— RiotWomenn (@riotwomennn) November 14, 2024

*Sigh*…

8 days after the election and Republicans are already coping and seething about Trump's choices.

— Shadow Of The Nerdtree (@agraybee) November 14, 2024

We have to remember that, traditionally, an incoming administration awards the various constituencies that got it elected with some sort of representation.
So the tech bros get Elon, anti-vax freaks get RFK Jr, dog killers get Noem, white nationalists get Hegseth, pedophiles get Gaetz…

— Kevin M. Kruse (@kevinmkruse.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 6:50 PM


 
I’m sorry, my friends: The visiting aliens have decided there is no intelligent life down here… and may now be downgrading our ‘Mostly Harmless’ guidebook rating…

Three former U.S. government employees and a journalist said they believe the government is hiding info about UAPs from the public at a hearing in Congress Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/clcUjzKDfA

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 14, 2024

Thursday Morning Open Thread:  Our New Normal

(Clay Bennett via GoComics.com)

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Our New NormalPost + Comments (322)

War for Ukraine Day 994: A Brief Wednesday Night Update

by Adam L Silverman|  November 13, 20249:11 pm| 42 Comments

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

Two quick housekeeping notes. First, Rosie is still doing well. Thank you all for the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.

Second, as I mentioned last night, I had a very long day today and have another tomorrow, so just the basics again.

Let’s get the weird stuff out of the way up top. Earlier today The Times of London reported an article with the alarming headline “Zelensky’s Nuclear Option: Ukraine Months Away from Bomb.” The article was a bit better: (emphasis mine)

Ukraine could develop a rudimentary nuclear bomb within months if Donald Trump withdraws US military assistance, according to a briefing paper prepared for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.

The country would quickly be able to build a basic device from plutonium with a similar technology to the “Fat Man” bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945, the report states. “Creating a simple atomic bomb, as the United States did within the framework of the Manhattan Project, would not be a difficult task 80 years later,” the document reads.

With no time to build and run the large facilities required to enrich uranium, wartime Ukraine would have to rely instead on using plutonium extracted from spent fuel rods taken from Ukraine’s nuclear reactors.

Ukraine still controls nine operational reactors and has significant nuclear expertise despite having given up the world’s third largest nuclear arsenal in 1996. The report says: “The weight of reactor plutonium available to Ukraine can be estimated at seven tons … A significant nuclear weapons arsenal would require much less material … the amount of material is sufficient for hundreds of warheads with a tactical yield of several kilotons.”

Such a bomb would have about one tenth the power of Fat Man, the document’s authors conclude.

“That would be enough to destroy an entire Russian airbase or concentrated military, industrial or logistics installations. The exact nuclear yield would be unpredictable because it would use different isotopes of plutonium,” said the report’s author, Oleksii Yizhak, head of department at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies, a government research centre that acts as an advisory body to the presidential office and the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

Last month President Zelensky said he had told Trump that Ukraine would need nuclear weapons to guarantee his country’s security if it were prevented from joining Nato, as President Putin has demanded. Zelensky later said he had meant there was no alternative security guarantee, and Ukrainian officials have since denied Kyiv is considering nuclear rearmament.

The paper, which is published by the Centre for Army, Conversion and Disarmament Studies, an influential Ukrainian military think tank, has been shared with the country’s deputy defence minister and is to be presented on Wednesday at a conference likely to be attended by Ukraine’s ministers for defence and strategic industries.

It is not endorsed by the Kyiv government but sets out the legal basis under which Ukraine could withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), the ratification of which was contingent on security guarantees given by the US, UK and Russia in the 1994 Budapest memorandum. The agreement stated that Ukraine would surrender its nuclear arsenal of 1,734 strategic warheads in exchange for the promise of protection.

“The violation of the memorandum by the nuclear-armed Russian Federation provides formal grounds for withdrawal from the NPT and moral reasons for reconsideration of the non-nuclear choice made in early 1994,” the paper states.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly pushed back on The Times‘ reporting. From The Kyiv Independent:

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on Nov. 13 denied media reports suggesting that Kyiv was planning to develop weapons of mass destruction.

“Ukraine is committed to the NPT (the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons); we do not possess, develop, or intend to acquire nuclear weapons,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said via X.

“Ukraine works closely with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and is fully transparent to its monitoring, which rules out the use of nuclear materials for military purposes.”

The Times reported on Nov. 13 that Ukraine could develop a rudimentary nuclear bomb “within months” if U.S. military assistance under President-elect Donald Trump were to cease, according to a briefing paper prepared for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry seen by the outlet.

The report suggests that Ukraine could swiftly build a basic device using plutonium and technology similar to that of the atomic bomb the U.S. dropped on Nagasaki in 1945.

“Creating a simple atomic bomb, as the United States did during the Manhattan Project, would not be a difficult task 80 years later,” the document reads.

The Foreign Ministry has previously denied media reports that Ukraine plans to develop its own weapons of mass destruction. Speculation about Ukraine’s nuclear options increased after President Volodymyr Zelensky on Oct. 17 said that he told Trump in September that Ukraine must either join NATO or pursue nuclear capabilities for the country’s protection.

Zelensky later walked back the comments, saying that Kyiv is not pursuing nuclear weapons and the remarks were made to emphasize the failures of the Budapest Memorandum.

Under the 1994 agreement, Ukraine willingly surrendered its nuclear arsenal in exchange for receiving security guarantees from the U.S., the U.K., and Russia.

Let’s keep the fuckery to a minimum, shall we?

More seriously, and as I’ve written here repeatedly, I would be very surprised to find out that neither Ukraine nor a number of other EU and NATO member states were not very quietly and very quickly working on plans for how to quickly get to or past breakout (the Japanese option) in response to both Putin’s genocidal re-invasion of Ukraine and the Biden administration’s too cautious by half response. Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of NATO’s military committee, explained it very succinctly at today’s IISS conference:

⚡️ “I’m absolutely sure, if Russians did not have nuclear weapons, we would already be in Ukraine, kicking them out,” says Rob Bauer, Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee.

📹: The International Institute for Strategic Studies / Youtube

[image or embed]

— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 13, 2024 at 6:54 AM

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

show full post on front page

We Need to Finally Push Russia Towards Making a Fair Peace; We Will Certainly Consolidate All Our Internal Forces – Address by the President

13 November 2024 – 21:15

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Briefly about today.

First – our gratitude goes to our air defense warriors, everyone in different branches and types of forces protecting the sky. Every night, every day, they shoot down Russian “Shahed” drones and missiles. This morning, they intercepted Russian ballistics. This is significant. Every such success means saving the lives of our people. Ukraine is grateful to all our partners who help us with anti-missiles and air defense systems. We are now working to further increase supplies from our partners – both missiles and defense systems, as well as everything we need to strengthen our mobile fire groups. The strategic goal is to reach a practical level of cooperation with our partners that will enable us to produce the air defense systems and anti-missiles we need here in Ukraine.

I spoke with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today. Germany is a leader in helping us, specifically with air defense systems. And we have now discussed the delivery of another Iris-T system and future work on the development of our air shield. We have also discussed the Ramstein format: a cooperation that has greatly benefited Ukraine and all our partners – it is our collective strength. We have also discussed preparations for the G20 meeting in Brazil, which will be held as early as next week. We are negotiating with our partners to ensure that Ukraine’s position is represented in all relevant discussions. Only together can the world guarantee a truly lasting peace and lasting stability in international relations.

Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi delivered a report: the frontline, and most attention is focused on the Donetsk region. As well as the occupier’s attempts to expand their offensive, especially in the Kupyansk direction; I am grateful to all our units for their resilience. In general, I would like to highlight the efforts of our combat brigades, which have shown their tremendous courage and effectiveness these days. The 24th separate mechanized brigade, the 44th separate artillery brigade, the 60th and the 65th separate mechanized brigades, the 68th separate jaeger brigade, the 102nd, the 124th and the 126th separate territorial defense brigades, the 128th separate mountain assault brigade and the 406th separate artillery brigade. Well done, warriors!

And one more thing.

We are actively working on the points of Ukraine’s internal Resilience Plan – the Plan that will fill with internal strength everything we presented to our partners in the Victory Plan. Today, meetings were held with government officials, heads of state-owned companies, as well as those in the Presidential Office responsible for certain areas, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. We are also incorporating the suggestions of civil society organizations into the document. We will continue such discussions with all those whose expertise can support our state. We need a detailed, doctrinal approach. To ensure that our state withstands now. And we need to finally push Russia towards making a fair peace. We will certainly consolidate all our internal forces. I am grateful to everyone who is helping us!

Glory to Ukraine!

The cost:

Let us keep the Defenders of Ukraine in our prayers.

RIP – Vadym Koropiy (24), Kostiantyn Bakhmatskyi (44), Mykola Kokhanivskyi (52), Taras Kots (32)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place…

#LetUkraineStrikeBack

[image or embed]

— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 1:04 AM

The US:

🇺🇸 U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan: “The Biden administration will signal US Congress that they would like to see additional funds for Ukraine for 2025 so that they can be in the best possible position to achieve their objectives and win at the negotiating table.” t.me/noel_reports…

[image or embed]

— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) November 13, 2024 at 4:42 PM

Good luck with that.

The Biden administration plans to increase U.S. military assistance to Ukraine in the final months of its term, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Brussels on Nov. 13.

[image or embed]

— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 13, 2024 at 9:28 AM

From The Kyiv Independent:

The Biden administration plans to increase U.S. military assistance to Ukraine in the final months of its term, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Brussels on Nov. 13.

The statement came during Blinken’s one-day emergency visit to Brussels, where he met with several officials, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Blinken said that the outgoing administration would “continue to shore up everything we’re doing for Ukraine” to ensure it can either fight effectively next year or negotiate peace with Russia from a position of strength.

The urgent trip comes amid heightened concerns about future support for Ukraine following Donald Trump’s election victory and a political crisis in Germany, both of which raise uncertainties at a critical juncture in the conflict with Russia.

Trump has previously claimed he could end the war in a day, and according to the Washington Post, he recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, advising against escalation. The Kremlin has denied the report.

“We will continue to shore up everything we’re doing for Ukraine to ensure it can effectively defend itself,” Blinken said ahead of planned discussions with allied representatives and Ukrainian officials.

“President Biden fully intends to drive through the tape and use every remaining day to further strengthen this alliance,” he added.

Blinken also issued a stern warning regarding North Korea’s recent deployment of troops to support Russian forces, saying this “demands and will receive a firm response.”

The U.S. diplomacy chief emphasized the interconnected nature of security, citing the growing “indivisibility of security between the Euro-Atlantic, Indo-Pacific, and Middle Eastern theaters,” and urged allies to pursue even closer cooperation.

With only a few months left, the Biden administration plans to expedite over $6 billion in already appropriated funding for Ukrainian military support.

“Our approach remains consistent,” said U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on CBS’s Face the Nation, “which is to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield, and ultimately at the negotiating table.”

Tulsi Gabbard for DNI, a Russian spy. Brilliant

— Adam Kinzinger (@adamkinzinger.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 3:21 PM

I’m not sure she’s a Russian spy, but she is definitely under Russian reflexive control:

🤯😖😱 worst case for #Ukraine
Carole Cadwalladr
@carolecadwalla.bsky.social
·
2 Std.
#Trump has just appointed this woman Director of National Intelligence. A pro #Russian, pro- #Putin mouthpiece.
To remind you the #UK shares intelligence with the #US.
Worse than worst case scenario.

[image or embed]

— Margarete Rosalind Weidenhammer (@margareterosali.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 6:15 PM

Germany:

Ukraine will receive the sixth German IRIS-T air defense system by the end of the year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 13 after a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

[image or embed]

— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 13, 2024 at 2:49 PM

Here are the details from The Kyiv Independent:

Ukraine will receive the sixth German IRIS-T air defense system by the end of the year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 13 after a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Ukraine has lobbied international partners for more air defense capabilities in the wake of intensifying Russian strikes targeting energy infrastructure.

Germany ordered an additional 17 IRIS-T air defense systems for Ukraine, Scholz said on Sept. 4. Berlin handed over the most recent IRIS-T system to Kyiv in early October.

During the call, Zelensky and Scholz discussed further cooperation in the defense sector, particularly the volume of air defense supplies for the next year and possible additional assistance with air defense systems from Germany.

The counterparts also agreed that the meetings of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein format, should be maintained, the Presidential Office’s statement read.

Zelensky also said that Ukraine’s vision of a just and lasting peace should be presented at the Group of Twenty (G20) meeting in Brazil and thanked Germany for its support.

Initially a hesitant partner, Berlin has become Ukraine’s second-largest military donor after the U.S. However, Scholz is still reluctant to supply some key capabilities, namely Taurus long-range missiles.

Olaf decided to open his campaign to remain chancellor by running against Ukraine:

#Ukraine #Germany

Strong but false words by #Bundeskanzler #OlafScholz
Benjamin Tallis 🇺🇦
@bctallis.bsky.social
·
3 Std.
“The wrong man, in the wrong job, at the wrong time.”
h/t
@BenWallace70

[image or embed]

— Margarete Rosalind Weidenhammer (@margareterosali.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 6:26 PM

For the second time in his life, Friedrich Merz is a step away from taking charge of Germany.

Merz has called for an ultimatum to Moscow after which Ukraine could receive the much-desired Taurus missiles, powerful weapons that Scholz refused to provide.

[image or embed]

— The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) November 13, 2024 at 4:45 PM

From The Kyiv Independent:

For the second time in his life, Friedrich Merz is a step away from taking charge of Germany.

Losing the fight to control the Christian Democratic Union in 2002 to future Chancellor Angela Merkel and forced to retire from politics a few years later, Merz is now the frontrunner to lead the Union back into government.

With Germany’s ruling center-left coalition in tatters, Ukraine’s leading European backer is heading toward snap elections set for Feb. 23. And it’s all but certain that Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, will lose his post as a result.

The domestic turmoil comes at a critical moment for Ukraine as Russia holds the upper hand on the battlefield, and Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House may lead to a decreased U.S. involvement in the war.

Yet, not all is grim for Kyiv.

Polls predict a sweeping victory for the center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), whose leader Merz seems ready to ditch Scholz’s cautious Ukraine strategy.

Merz has called for an ultimatum to Moscow after which Ukraine could receive the much-desired Taurus missiles, powerful weapons that Scholz refused to provide. He also urged Europe to take up leadership in the pro-Kyiv coalition amid uncertainty about Trump’s presidency.

For that, the 69-year-old conservative has his work cut out for him.

With a real possibility of a U.S. withdrawal, rising Ukraine-skeptic parties in Germany on the left and right, and an increasingly tight budget, Merz must cross a string of obstacles to deliver on his plans.

“Even an outspoken Merz and a strong CDU/CSU showing in the next elections will not be able to defy gravity when it comes to providing Ukraine with additional military capabilities, defense-industrial capacity, and budgetary support,” Jorn Fleck, senior director with the Europe Center at the Atlantic Council, told the Kyiv Independent.

“Germany’s capacity on all three is lagging and shifting the needle in all these areas — more kit, more ammo, more macro-financial assistance —  is measured in years, not weeks or months.”

But for Merz, whose main rival Merkel has pushed the country into a painful dependence on Russia, solving the problems ultimately created by the former chancellor’s policies is worth the fight.

While the government’s dramatic collapse sparked some concern about the flow of support from Europe’s largest military donor, arms for Ukraine seem to be safe at the moment. Both Scholz and Merz agree to provide Kyiv with the necessary aid.

Germany allocated around 8 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine in 2024. The federal budget for 2025 contains only half of that, with Berlin hoping that the G7 loan can cover additional assistance.

“The previously planned and initiated support for Ukraine can continue without restriction,” and additional aid can be theoretically approved under provisional budget management, said Michael Wustmann, a research assistant to German lawmaker Sebastian Schäfer, who sits on Bundestag’s budget committee.

But Germany heads towards months of political wrangling that will keep its leaders distracted from Ukraine. Even if Merz’s CDU/CSU secures the expected victory, difficult coalition negotiations are likely to follow.

“Germany will be preoccupied with itself until the election and then for another four to six months, depending on how long it takes to form a coalition,” says Martin Bialecki, editor-in-chief of the journals Internationale Politik (IP) and Internationale Politik Quarterly (IPQ).

“There will be no momentum, no leadership in Europe, and also no reaching out to France, Poland, and the U.K., which is so urgently needed. And all this before (and after) Trump takes office, under whom freezing of the war would be the most likely scenario,” he told the Kyiv Independent.

Much, much, much more at the link.

Here’s last night’s/this morning’s Ukrainian air defense tally:

The Ukrainian Air Force reported on a missile and drone attack.

Shot down:
0/2 S-300 ballistic missiles
2/2 Kh-101 cruise missiles
2/2 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles
84/90 Shahed drones (37 shot down, 47 downed by electronic warfare)

Two more drones left towards Russia.

[image or embed]

— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) November 13, 2024 at 4:59 AM

Kyiv:

Ukrainian kids deserve safe skies.

Russian warplanes don’t.

That’s it that’s the tweet.

[image or embed]

— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 13, 2024 at 6:30 AM

⚡ On November 13, Russian armed forces launched a combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv for the first time in the past 73 days.
united24media.com/latest-news/…

[image or embed]

— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 13, 2024 at 5:15 AM

Whole of Ukraine on alert: About 6 groups of Russian cruise missiles fired earlier by Tu-95 bombers, perhaps 3 in each group, are maneuvering in various parts of the country. In the capital, Kyiv, two Shahed attack drones are flying over the southern part of the city.

[image or embed]

— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 12:20 AM

Smoke from missile impact in Kyiv – could be result of debris fall from shot-down missile or direct impact. Another wave of missiles expected incoming at 0800, monitors say.

[image or embed]

— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 12:45 AM

Video of Shahed flying close to my area in the west of Kyiv. Anti-aircraft guns were audible here too. Reports this Shahed was shot down. Second wave of cruise missiles never materialized. Tu-95s have refueled and are returning to base in north Russia, monitors say.

[image or embed]

— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 1:32 AM

Air raid alert has just sounded in Kyiv again – threat of ballistic missile attack.

— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 2:18 AM

Kharkiv:

Kharkiv today💔 For every child, elder, and family torn by war – stand with Ukraine.

[image or embed]

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 6:57 AM

UPD Kharkiv: Four civilians were injured in a russian Molniya drone strike on an apartment building.

[image or embed]

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 6:38 AM

Twice this morning, russian troops attacked Kharkiv with Molniya drones – one striking near a shopping mall, another hitting a residential building, injuring at least two civilians. After such attacks, one gets the feeling that Kharkiv is completely defenceless.

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 5:51 AM

Kupiansk:

Russian forces attempted an assault in the Kupiansk direction on November 13, with some soldiers wearing Ukrainian military uniforms. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces described this move as a violation of wartime laws.

[image or embed]

— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 13, 2024 at 1:06 PM

From United24 Media:

On November 13, Russian forces attempted an assault on the Kupiansk direction, with some soldiers reportedly dressed in Ukrainian military uniforms. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this incident on Telegram, describing the move as a violation of the laws of armed war.

According to the report, Russian assault groups launched four waves of attacks against Ukrainian defensive positions starting at approximately 14:30. The operation involved around 15 units of equipment, including tanks, armored vehicles, and an UR-77 mine-clearing vehicle.

“The fact that a portion of the Russian soldiers wore Ukrainian Armed Forces uniforms constitutes a breach of warfare laws and is considered a war crime,” the General Staff stated.

Despite these tactics, Ukrainian forces successfully halted the assault, reportedly destroying all Russian armored equipment and inflicting significant personnel losses.

This is not the first instance of Russian forces reportedly disguising themselves in Ukrainian uniforms during assaults. In 2022, Russian soldiers wearing Ukrainian military attire attempted to seize an observation post in the Mykolaiv region, where they were ultimately neutralized.

Kherson Oblast:

⚡ An ambulance evacuating the injured was targeted by a Russian drone in Kherson region.

The ambulance was destroyed, but the medical personnel were not injured, according to the Head of the Regional Administration.

📷: Kherson Regional Administration

[image or embed]

— UNITED24 Media (@united24media.com) November 13, 2024 at 11:00 AM

Kurakhove:

🌊🙏 Consequences of the destruction of Kurakhove reservoir dam, – volunteer Denys Hristov.

[image or embed]

— MAKS 24 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 9:44 AM

The Kursk cross border offensive:

Russia’s counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast is failing to achieve significant progress, with heavy losses in equipment

Over six days, Ukraine identified the destruction of 77 Russian armored vehicles despite Russia’s increased use of reinforcements

[image or embed]

— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 2:00 PM

From Euromaidan Press:

A Russian counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast has yet to see significant success but has cost Russia heavily in equipment, Forbes has reported.

During the operation in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, initiated in August 2024, Ukrainian forces advanced up to 35 kilometers into Russian territory, capturing hundreds of soldiers and inflicting over 20,000 casualties on Russian troops. However, the advance has recently stalled due to bolstered Russian defenses and reinforcements.

According to Forbes analyst David Axe, over six days, Ukrainian drone operator Kriegsforscher identified 77 destroyed Russian armored vehicles on the front.

“That’s enough equipment for three Russian battalions. And it’s only what’s ‘visible and confirmed with video,” according to Kriegsforscher. Actual Russian losses could be much higher,’” said Forbes, citing Kriegsforscher on social media.

On 13 November, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported a record single-day loss for Russia: 1,950 personnel and 104 destroyed armored vehicles. Kursk Oblast accounts for the majority of these losses, with fighting there at least twice as intense as in other areas.

The Kremlin reinforced several of its brigades, including the 51st Airborne Regiment and the 810th Marine Brigade, with fresh vehicles and then deployed them to Kursk Oblast. Meanwhile, Ukrainian brigades have held firm and even managed to counterattack in parts of the front, advancing near Novoivanovka.

“The fighting shows no sign of letting up. Amid the uncertainty of extreme and unsustainable losses and global political change, the Russians are going for broke in Kursk,” wrote David Axe.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Russia had deployed tens of thousands of its best forces to the Kursk Oblast.

At the same time, BILD analyst Julian Röpcke reported that Russia’s counteroffensive has turned into a disaster for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his generals, with the Russians sustaining heavy losses.

Toretsk:

Ukrainian forces deployed the powerful Soviet-era Pion artillery system near Toretsk, now enhanced with US-supplied projectiles

This combination enhances Ukraine’s firepower as it confronts Russian positions in Donetsk Oblast

[image or embed]

— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 5:00 PM

Russian occupied Crimea:

Ukrainian partisans in Crimea have observed that Russia is dispersing troops and materials towards abandoned military bases.

Fearing Ukrainian strikes, Russian forces are dispersing various equipment in an effort to decrease the chances of being targeted.

📷 Atesh partisans

[image or embed]

— Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 11:00 AM

🚨 A car explosion in occupied Sevastopol targeted a Russian military officer. The blast took out the Chief of Staff of the 41st Brigade, Captain 1st Rank Valery Trankovsky. Witnesses report the explosion was so powerful it scattered debris across the courtyard, leaving a massive hole.

[image or embed]

— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) November 13, 2024 at 4:59 AM

Meduza has the details:

A car exploded in Sevastopol on Wednesday morning, killing a military serviceman who was behind the wheel, Russian-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev reported.

According to Razvozhayev, the blast was reported to emergency services at 9:53 a.m. local time. Firefighters quickly arrived at the scene and removed the driver from the vehicle, but paramedics were unable to save him.

“The investigative authorities will determine the cause of the explosion, but it’s clear that the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out,” Razvozhayev said.

The Telegram channel Baza identified the driver as a first-rank captain from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, though this has not been independently confirmed. Baza and Mash, citing preliminary information, reported that an IED was detonated in the vehicle.

👀 In Crimea, in the Dzhankoy district, a road bridge collapsed, it could not withstand the truck…

[image or embed]

— MAKS 24 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 2:02 PM

New York:

The 12th Operational Brigade Azov struck Russian infantry positions inside New-York. t.me/noel_reports…

[image or embed]

— NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) November 13, 2024 at 11:07 AM

Russian occupied Luhansk Oblast:

Luhansk region.
Last night, the Achilles strike UAV battalion of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, in cooperation with the 1st National Guard Brigade “Bureviy,” destroyed a BM-21 Grad.
t.me/ngu_3027/3321

[image or embed]

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 6:56 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

Hey there

[image or embed]

— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) November 13, 2024 at 5:32 AM

And a new video from Patron’s official TikTok!

@patron__dsns

Та й таке!🌚 #песпатрон

♬ Work – songs10s

Here’s the machine translation of the caption:

And that’s it! 🌚 #песпатрон

The in video text machine translates as:

Reconnecting with nature after reading comments that I’m not a real Patron dog and that I’ve been replaced 50 times already

Open thread!

War for Ukraine Day 994: A Brief Wednesday Night UpdatePost + Comments (42)

Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Since We’re Talking About Laws & Norms…

by Anne Laurie|  November 13, 20246:51 pm| 180 Comments

This post is in: Elections 2024, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Trump Crime Cartel

Donald Trump and his transition team are already breaking the law.

I would know because I wrote the law.

Incoming presidents are required to prevent conflicts of interest and sign an ethics agreement.

This is what illegal corruption looks like. https://t.co/JJjJ59DgB5

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) November 11, 2024

Senator Warren is all too correct… Per CNN, “Trump still hasn’t signed ethics agreement required for presidential transition”:

President-elect Donald Trump has not yet submitted a series of transition agreements with the Biden administration, in part because of concerns over the mandatory ethics pledge vowing to avoid conflicts of interest once sworn in to office, CNN has learned.

As president, Trump repeatedly came under fire from ethics groups for potential conflicts of interest relating to his businesses and brands. Both Trump’s and his family’s foreign business ties have also come under intense scrutiny throughout his time in office and on the campaign trail.

Trump and his transition team are already behind in accessing key transition briefings from the Biden administration, as they have failed to sign a pair of agreements to unlock critical information before taking over the federal government in 72 days.

The holdup revolves in part around the mandatory agreement over ethics issues.

A source familiar with the process acknowledged that details are still being worked out with the Biden administration regarding the ethics agreement, which is required by law under the Presidential Transition Act and which applies to all members of the transition team. Updates to that bill requiring the ethics pledge were introduced by Trump ally Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, and signed into law by Trump himself in March 2020…

Trump’s most recent financial disclosures as a candidate showed that he has continued to make millions off his properties, books and licensing deals. He and his family recently launched a new cryptocurrency business.

A sizable share of his net worth, meanwhile, is tied to the publicly traded parent company of Truth Social, the conservative social media network. Trump is the dominant shareholder and said Friday that he has no intention of selling his 114.75 million shares, worth about $3.7 billion.

The Trump team ignored a pair of key preelection deadlines to unlock transition activities with the Biden administration’s General Services Administration and the White House. Experts are sounding the alarms about impacts to Day 1 national security preparedness.

The GSA agreement, due September 1, gives Trump’s team access to office space and secure communications, among other provisions. And the White House agreement, due October 1, serves as the gatekeeper for access to agencies and information and lays groundwork for Trump’s team to receive security clearances necessary to begin receiving classified information. The ethics agreement was also due by October 1…

Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Since We’re Talking About Laws & Norms…Post + Comments (180)

Well, I Guess Gaetz Isn’t Going to be Charged

by @heymistermix.com|  November 13, 20245:51 pm| 130 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

Well, I Guess Gaetz Isn't Going to be Charged
Gotta love the Times…

Since he’ll be Trump’s AG now, I guess the investigation into him (allegedly) paying for sex with underage girls is really going to be dropped.

When you want to show what your administration is really going to be like, making Matt Gaetz Attorney General is one way to do it.  I hope the DoJ is stocked with sufficient copies of the Constitution in their law library, since Gaetz will be wiping his ass with it every fucking day.

Coming soon to a newspaper near you:

“I think Matt has learned his lesson and I look forward to him enforcing the rule of law at the Department of Justice.”  — Susan Collins

Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence seems like a restrained pick in comparison.

Well, I Guess Gaetz Isn’t Going to be ChargedPost + Comments (130)

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 322
  • Page 323
  • Page 324
  • Page 325
  • Page 326
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 5296
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Tuesday Night Open Thread 4
Image by John Cole (11/13/25)

We did it!

Recent Comments

  • WereBear on The End of the Beginning (Nov 13, 2025 @ 3:10pm)
  • Old School on The End of the Beginning (Nov 13, 2025 @ 3:10pm)
  • prostratedragon on The End of the Beginning (Nov 13, 2025 @ 3:09pm)
  • WereBear on The End of the Beginning (Nov 13, 2025 @ 3:08pm)
  • WereBear on The End of the Beginning (Nov 13, 2025 @ 3:07pm)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
On Artificial Intelligence (7-part series)

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix
Rose Judson (podcast)

We did it!

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc