Balloon Juice - Open Threads Archives

Sunday Open Thread (and Ajabu update)

by WaterGirl| October 1, 202310:00 am| 76 Comments

After the debt ceiling drama yesterday, it feels like today will be the calm before the storm of a lot of action on the various indictment fronts this week.

This seems like a good time to give you guys an update on Ajabu. He now has $2,500 in his pocket that he didn’t have before, and he is infinitely grateful for everyone’s contributions! Plus, 5 people asked for his address, so I imagine there are also checks on the way.

You will recall that Ajabu is a musician, and he keeps some of his CDs on hand – and Ajabu would like to send a CD to all of you who donated $100 or more. So if that resembles you, please send me an email message and your address so Ajabu can mail the CDs. If anyone prefers to keep your address more private, he can mail me the CDs and I can send them on to you.

My dahlias are a bit late blooming this year, but here’s a picture of the one I brought in yesterday. If you’re wondering about size, that’s a 12-inch bowl. It’s an Emory Paul, in case anyone is interested.

I’m having a friend over this afternoon to make our final batch of stuffed spicy peppers before the rest of the peppers have to go in the fridge or the freezer.

I don’t know how other people do it because we always make up our own recipes. We use spicy Krimzon Lee peppers as the base for the stuffing. We chop and sauté jalapeño, anaheim, poblano, and hungarian hot wax peppers with onions and zucchini from the garden. No salt because there’s plenty of salt in the cheeses. We mix in white rice from the asian place at the corner, and top with a bit of white cheddar, parmesan and asiago.

We nibble on cheddar jalapeño cornbread and drink our sour cherry mojitos on the porch while the stuffed peppers bake.

What’s everyone else up to today?

Open thread.

Sunday Open Thread (and Ajabu update)Post + Comments (76)

Sunday Morning Open Thread: Vacate the (Empty) Chair!…

by Anne Laurie| October 1, 20238:05 am| 180 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republican Politics, Republicans in Disarray!, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You

We stopped MAGA Republicans from shutting down the government and saved aid to WIC, Head Start & SNAP. We didn’t let Trump and Putin’s little helpers “burn it all down,” as feared, but they did momentarily block aid to Ukraine. We’ll deal with that next week.

— Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) September 30, 2023

Clark: Speaker McCarthy admitted defeat. He asked Democrats to put out the fire that he and his party started. pic.twitter.com/ALYRkAolQG

— Acyn (@Acyn) September 30, 2023

Per Reuters, “US Congress averts government shutdown, passing stopgap bill”:

The U.S. Congress passed a stopgap funding bill late on Saturday with overwhelming Democratic support after Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy backed down from an earlier demand by his party’s hardliners for a partisan bill.

The Democratic-majority Senate voted 88-9 to pass the measure to avoid the federal government’s fourth partial shutdown in a decade, sending the bill to President Joe Biden, who signed it into law before the 12:01 a.m. ET (0401 GMT) deadline.

McCarthy abandoned party hardliners’ insistence that any bill pass the House with only Republican votes, a change that could cause one of his far-right members to try to oust him from his leadership role.

The House voted 335-91 to fund the government through Nov. 17, with more Democrats than Republicans supporting it…

So am correct in understanding that the sum total achievement of all the shutdown theater looks to be just helping Putin by stopping/pausing aid to Ukraine?

At the risk of making a political statement, I liked the GOP better when they were against murderous Russian dictators.

— Bret Devereaux (@BretDevereaux) September 30, 2023

So twice in 6 months House hardliners brought the country to the brink with a lot of threats and drama. Then at the last minute they bagged and agreed to get nothing. Same drill. Just folded like a cheap sack. Repeatedly getting owned like this almost violates the 13th amendment.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 1, 2023

TFW you’re a mad scientist and realize you can’t control the monster you created. https://t.co/WV8W3NitW4

— Starfish Unexpectedly Cancelled For Hating Hitler (@IRHotTakes) September 30, 2023

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It helps to think of the Freedom Caucus less as normal conservatives and more as a Vichy government-in-waiting https://t.co/wZTFroGqSB

— Djinn & Tonic ???? (@HegelwCrmCheese) September 30, 2023

Per the Washington Post, “McCarthy, McConnell suffer setbacks over control of their caucuses” — [unpaywalled gift link]:

In the span of three hours, rank-and-file Republicans bucked House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, leaving both GOP leaders weakened Sunday heading into a critical legislative period.

First, after days of internal rebellion, McCarthy (R-Calif.) threw in the towel at a Saturday morning meeting. His leadership team had run the numbers, and at least six Republicans would oppose any plan to keep the government open by the midnight deadline.

With just four votes to spare on a GOP-only plan, McCarthy gave up and turned to Democrats to help pass a “clean” resolution to keep the government open at current levels into mid-November.

The only olive branch to staunch conservatives? No funding for Ukraine’s defense in the war against Russia.

Across the Capitol, McConnell had spent the month of September delivering floor speeches dedicated to the defense of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited the Capitol nine days earlier to rally support behind President Biden’s request for $24 billion in military and diplomatic support. He worked with Biden administration officials to pare back that request to $6 billion and ask for more funding later this year.

So when the Senate GOP gathered at lunchtime Saturday for a roughly 90-minute meeting, McConnell delivered a pitch to rally support for the original plan — a funding plan that included $6 billion for Ukraine.

His caucus overruled him. They preferred McCarthy’s plan to keep the government open by ditching the debate over Ukraine money until later this year…

In perhaps an unintentional slight, McCarthy told reporters he did not talk to McConnell to personally relay his decision to pursue a bipartisan plan with no money for Ukraine. Instead, the speaker dealt with Sens. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who previously served 10 years in the House, and John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 2 GOP leader for the past five years.

But the House speaker faces a more immediate question about his long-term standing…

Politico Playbook: Nancy Pelosi has warned colleagues — including Hakeem Jeffries and some in his leadership team — against rushing to bail out Kevin McCarthy on a possible motion to vacate. Instead, she's counseled, Dems should let Republicans deal with the drama themselves.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 30, 2023

How Rs avoid motion to vacate: Rs simply never recognize Gaetz on the floor https://t.co/Dr0XqUYgVS

— Joseph Zeballos-Roig (@josephzeballos) September 30, 2023

1. McCarthy can never keep his word.
2. McCarthy always blinks
3. The vacate the chair threat is empty.
Hence: Never give him/them anything

— Jennifer Truthful, Not Neutral Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) September 30, 2023

Mischief!

Who else agrees it’s time to replace Kevin McCarthy with a REAL Speaker of the House pic.twitter.com/zbQiXV5bho

— Jack Cocchiarella (@JDCocchiarella) September 30, 2023

Sunday Morning Open Thread: <em>Vacate the (Empty) Chair!… </em>Post + Comments (180)

Postcard Writing and Music Thread

by WaterGirl| September 30, 20238:00 pm| 101 Comments

This post is in: Music, Open Threads, Political Action

It’s postcards and music time!

There are two postcard-writing opportunities for Ohio, and one for Virginia. The VA postcard site is writing for dozens of individual candidates, and I don’t see how that can have much impact. If no one is writing for them, I think I will take them off the list Chime in if you know about other good postcard campaigns. There are two letter-writing campaigns for VA, as well.

All the details on options for writing for Ohio Issue 1 and for Virginia – and images of postcards – are always available in the sidebar. To make it extra easy to find, I have copied it just below the postcard image.

Send me a photo of your postcards and I’ll post it in the thread and add it to the link in the sidebar.This awesome postcard is from blue guitarist.

Postcard Writing Information

Music!

I don’t think brendancalling has a playlist for us tonight, so we’re counting on your links in the comments. brendancalling does have a gig going up this weekend that Philly folks might want to go to!

brendancalling

I’m playing this Sunday at the Philadelphia Brewing Co with my honkytonk/Western swing band, the Country Gold Classics. A great woman-led band, Yonder Hearts, is also playing. Show starts at 1:00 with a two step lesson provided by Yonder Hearts’ singer and me—dance with a jackal! Music starts at 1:45, goes til 4.

It’s all part of the annual Harvest from the Hood release, the first since 2022 after the city accidentally cut down the brewery’s hop garden, thinking they were weeds.

More info here:
https://philadelphiabrewing.com

Oh, my god, the city accidentally cut down the brewery’s hop garden?!!!!

Decades ago, my roommate wouldn’t talk to me for a week after I mowed down his asparagus plants (obviously before the asparagus shot up).

Here’s an early request from mrmoshpotato.

Okay, it’s party time. Let’s have some music. And if you’re here for postcards, chime in!

Open thread.

Postcard Writing and Music ThreadPost + Comments (101)

Rest in Peace, At Last: Dianne Feinstein, Trailblazer

by Anne Laurie| September 30, 20236:16 pm| 83 Comments

This post is in: Absent Friends, Excellent Links, Gay Rights Are human Rights, Proud to Be A Democrat, Women's Rights Are Human Rights

She will be called icon and trailblazer many times today, and it still won’t be enough. ?? pic.twitter.com/BgJXBt4Ghk

— tré easton (@treeaston) September 29, 2023

There are many tributes, but it will be hard to beat this one. The Washington Post reprints a profile from 1984, about a history most of us never knew — “Dianne Feinstein makes the vice-president shortlist” [Unpaywalled gift link]:

After a while it begins to feel relentless. Here come the national news magazines, and the suburban dailies, and the eastern papers, and Cable News Network and the “CBS Morning News”; here come Brussels and Tokyo television men, wondering if she might spare them a moment or two. Here comes the AM radio man, following her even into a late-night television appearance, asking about it again…

Last Saturday, in a two-hour visit at his home in North Oaks, Minn., Walter Mondale interviewed Dianne Feinstein about her possibilities as Democratic candidate for the vice presidency of the United States. “A symbol of the very best in America,” Mondale said afterward, as the two of them smiled broadly for reporters. It was a laboriously publicized visit, like nearly everything connected with the present fuss over the vice presidency; it has been duly noted that in his first 10 days of interviewing potential running mates, Mondale interviewed and thus publicly flattered Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, a southerner; Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, a black; and Dianne Feinstein, a woman.

A Jewish woman, at that.

A Jewish woman from San Francisco, which in other parts of the country has what advertising people might call an “image problem.”

She knows the odds on this…

A kind of bruised sound is creeping into her voice.

“I mean, after all the b.s. you can take in this job, well, I can hold my head high,” Feinstein says. “And that’s nice, too.”

The mayor of San Francisco is sitting, as she says this, on a bench alongside Stow Lake, which is a small and locally cherished man-made lake in Golden Gate Park. She is wearing a slightly sweaty T-shirt, blue warm-up pants, running shoes and tortoise-shell sunglasses. She is the mayor of an odd, fickle, 700,000-person city, a woman shoved into office by a double murder, elected to a standard term, subjected to an unyieldingly nasty recall campaign, upheld by a vast majority of the voters and ushered nearly without opposition into a second mayoral term….

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[Trigger warning: The story of her childhood is almost as harrowing as the story of the Moscone / Milk murders.]

… The whole city was benumbed already by the Jonestown deaths, and when just over a week after Jonestown the news came crashing down from City Hall-that the conservative former supervisor Dan White, ostensibly in a rage over Moscone’s failure to give him back the supervisor’s seat White had quit, climbed through a basement City Hall window and shot to death both Moscone and gay supervisor Harvey Milk — then, for the people who kept gathering in quiet, desperate memorial services, the thing was nearly too much to bear.

And Feinstein kept saying it would end, that it would be over, that the city would go on. The Board of Supervisors made her mayor, and from the moment she had to walk into the City Hall corridor to tell the small assemblage of reporters that Moscone and Milk were dead — the tapes, played again and again in the aftermath, recorded some reporter’s full scream — Feinstein did what she had to do with such grace that even her most ardent political enemies soften still when they remember it. “It is my duty to make this announcement . . .” She stood up straight and sounded steady and yet compassion somehow resonated from her every time she spoke, or moved among a grieving crowd. “As we reconstructed the city after the physical damage done by the earthquake and fire, so too can we rebuild from the spiritual damage . . .”

She had run for mayor twice in her career, and been beaten both times so badly that the severity of the trouncings astonished her. She had convinced herself that she was unelectable, that it was time for her to leave city politics. And now, in a city cracked by death, with a massive anti-discrimination suit facing the police department and a $130 million budget deficit brought on largely by the tax-cutting initiative Proposition 13, Dianne Feinstein was the mayor of San Francisco…

And if you are a woman, you must, of course, yell twice as hard and look twice as mean, until after a while they get used to you, Feinstein says. If you have been mayor for 5½ years by then and if your name is mentioned in the same sentence as “vice president” by people not simply out to flatter, then the pressure to be tough starts at last to ease off.

“I’m finding it less and less now,” she says. “I think I’ve made the point.”

And that was almost forty years ago!

Senator Dianne Feinstein was a pioneering American.

Serving in the Senate together for more than 15 years, I had a front row seat to what Dianne was able to accomplish.

Dianne was tough, sharp, always prepared, and never pulled a punch, but she was also a kind and loyal friend,… pic.twitter.com/I2zQvOkDud

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 29, 2023

Rest in Peace, At Last: Dianne Feinstein, TrailblazerPost + Comments (83)

War for Ukraine Day 584: Congressman Quigley Votes No!

by Adam L Silverman| September 30, 20235:08 pm| 64 Comments

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

The House has passed a clean continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open for another 45 days while the House GOP caucus continues to peck each other’s livers out. There was one Democratic no vote: Congressman Mike Quigley of Illinois. Congressman Quigley voted no because the $24 billion supplemental aid package for Ukraine was pulled from the CR. Quigley’s district includes one of the largest groups of Ukrainian-Americans in any congressional district in the US. The Senate GOP caucus jammed Senator McConnell earlier today on Ukraine funding as well:

NEWS—Senate R’s overruled McConnell on CR strategy during lunch

McConnell made forceful case for Ukraine & voting to advance Senate CR

Majority of conference opposed, including Thune

McConnell then walked out & said R’s will vote no on cloture

Reporting from me & @bresreports

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) September 30, 2023

Goal here for Senate R’s is to back up House R’s and try to pass their CR before the funding deadline tonight.

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) September 30, 2023

So while it appears that the US government will remain open for at least another forty-five days, and don’t think that number was NOT picked for a reason by the House GOP caucus, further aid for Ukraine will have to be dealt with separately. The Washington Post has the Biden administration’s take:

A White House official signaled administration support for the House bill, highlighting that the legislation averts deep cuts to domestic programs and includes disaster relief. The official also said the administration expects House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to soon bring another bill to the floor to support Ukraine. The official provided the statement on the condition of anonymity to describe a position not yet made public.

I’ll reserve judgement on the administration’s expectations.

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

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Our state can and will definitely become a donor of global security – address by the President of Ukraine

30 September 2023 – 20:53

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Today we can already assess this week’s key result for our defense industry. A truly new stage of the Ukrainian defense industry’s development has begun.

The first Defense Industries Forum took place. It was extremely successful. And it testified to the global interest in the opportunity to work in Ukraine and with Ukraine in the production of weapons and everything necessary for the real defense of any free nation.

Our new format with defense companies – the Defense Industries Alliance – includes 38 member companies as of this evening. They represent 19 countries. These are the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, Bulgaria, Australia, Belgium, our Baltic friends – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as the Czech Republic, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Spain, Croatia and Finland. This is a very powerful start, and the work is ongoing. More companies will join.

In addition, our manufacturers signed 20 documents with partner companies at the Forum. Agreements and memoranda. Each such document then becomes a new production or an enhancement of existing cooperation.

These are agreements on joint production, exchange of technologies, supply of components. Propellant powder production, munitions manufacturing. This is the training of personnel for our defense industry. Separately, and very thoroughly, we are developing the Ukrainian manufacturing of drones, land and naval autonomous systems.

All in all, more than 250 companies took part in our Defense Industries Forum – and this forum is only the first one of its kind. Dozens of Ukrainian companies were among them.

We are also working to ensure that Ukraine produces the air defense systems we need – truly powerful ones.

When we eventually see and feel the maximum arms power of Ukraine in real action – of our manufacturers, our defense industry, our new cooperation with the world – we will be able to say that the foundation of this was laid right now, in the agreements like those reached at the Forum and during my visits, in particular to the United States, Sweden and other countries. All the most powerful countries are already cooperating or will cooperate with Ukraine.

Our country will become one of the world’s key producers of weapons and defense systems. And this is no longer just an ambition or a prospect, it is a potential that is already being realized. I am grateful to everyone whose work leads to such results for Ukraine!

Currently, and we have to be honest about this, Ukraine is a recipient of security assistance. But our country can and will become a donor of global security. In particular, thanks to our defense industry. Thanks to the strength, resilience, and indomitability of our people.

Tomorrow is a very important day for Ukraine, for all our people. The Day of Defenders of Ukraine. Of the millions who have not only preserved Ukraine’s decent place in human history, but also make sure that our people and our state do not lose their history, fight for their lives and freedom, and inspire the entire free world with their struggle.

Tomorrow, we will pay special tribute to all our defenders. Tomorrow we will honor the memory of those who gave their lives for Ukraine.

For the first time, this day – the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos – will be on October 1. And let’s establish a new tradition for this day.

October 1. 9:00 a.m. Wherever you are – on the main street of your city or just at home – stop for a minute, honor with silence the memory of our fallen defenders and think about those who are now in combat, on combat missions, at their posts. Those who save lives. Those who protect our people and state in every sense of the word.

There would be no strength and will of Ukraine if it were not for all those who stood up for Ukraine.

We are thankful. We honor. We remember. All together.

Glory to Ukraine!

President Zelenskyy also delivered a keynote at Ukraine’s inaugural International Defense Industries Forum. Video below followed by the English transcript.

We are laying the foundation for the arsenal of the free world – speech by the President of Ukraine at the First International Defense Industries Forum

30 September 2023 – 09:16

Ladies and gentlemen,

For me, it is an honor to open in Ukraine, in our capital, in free Kyiv, the First International Defense Industries Forum. Right now, over 30 countries from around the world are represented here. Europe, America, Asia, Australia. 252 defense companies that manufacture a full range of weapons and defense systems and solutions.

But most importantly, in this hall, there is confidence. Confidence of the free world. Confidence that we can protect our people, our values, and our freedom. And we will do it. For sure. Because we will build the necessary arsenal. And I am pleased to welcome all of you to the Forum. All of you who are ready to build the arsenal of the free world together with Ukraine and in Ukraine. A modern and powerful arsenal that will leave no chance for any aggressor.

This is not just about Russia’s aggression.

Yes, our primary task is to win in this war and bring back long-lasting and, most importantly, reliable peace to our people. We will accomplish this task. Thanks to our cooperation with you, with the majority of the world. Thanks to broad coalitions supporting our defense. Thanks to the production of weapons and ammunition in Ukraine. And thanks to the fact that we implement technology in Ukraine’s defense and use the most effective battle practices, real practices of pushing forward, effective practices of protecting people and infrastructure from Russian terror. But everything we have learned ourselves, we are ready to teach and share practices with our partners. Everything that serves our defense can serve – and very successfully – the defense of our partners. This is how we are laying the foundation for the arsenal of the free world.

With its criminal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, Russia has shown every nation that it can threaten the sovereignty and normal life of any people on the planet.

And looking at our defense in this war, at our movement towards liberating our own territory, every state understands what it needs for its own defense. What kind of weapons, what industries, what modern technologies, what alliances.

By how we have endured in the war and by how Ukraine will prevail, we provide a successful strategy for national and collective defense to all others in the world who value peace. A long-term strategy. Right now, for the next decades, the most powerful defense-industrial complexes are being determined, what their priorities will be, and what the standard of defense in the world will be. It is being determined precisely in Ukraine.

Ladies and gentlemen!

Ukraine is at a point in the defense marathon where it is absolutely essential to move forward without any retreat. A frontline result is needed every day.

I am grateful to everyone around the world who helps us achieve such results. But it’s evident that without our own production of weapons and ammunition, without our own defense technologies, this would simply be impossible. I take pride in the fact that at this Forum today, we have not only representatives of cutting-edge foreign companies but also representatives of our domestic Ukrainian enterprises. Enterprises that are growing stronger during this time of war. State-owned and private enterprises. Established defense companies with a long history and entirely new defense companies, defense startups that have just begun but are already making a name for themselves.

The world sees what Ukrainian missiles, technologies, and drones are capable of. We are creating the world’s first fleet of naval drones that render Russian military ships ineffective and force them into hiding. We have initiated the production of cannons and “NATO caliber” ammunition that are needed on the battlefield. You know this – 155 mm. Our anti-tank guided missile systems have a longer range and are safer to operate than a whole range of other analogs. We offer our software solutions for defense, from management to cybersecurity. We are interested in localizing the production of equipment – so necessary for our defense – and each of those cutting-edge defense systems used by our warriors, which are delivering the best results for Ukraine on the frontline today.

This kind of collaboration – in the production of weapons, equipment, and ammunition – is already being negotiated with our partners. Regarding what can and should be publicly disclosed today, I’d like to highlight recent agreements with the United States of America. We have reached agreements on joint production – essentially the establishment of a new industrial ecosystem that will strengthen both Ukraine and the United States, and all our partners. This is one of the key outcomes of my negotiations with President Biden in Washington, and a clear signal to the world that Ukrainian strength is not just worthy of trust but that the world’s strongest are ready to combine their potential with our strength – the strength of our state.

Today, at this forum, we are announcing the creation of the Defense Industries Alliance. An alliance that values international law and is capable of working for the real protection of international law. Protection of security – I’m talking not only about Ukraine, but also about the security of any nation in the world from aggression.

We have drawn up a corresponding basic declaration as the foundation of this alliance, and manufacturers of weapons and military equipment from all over the world who share our intention to provide real protection from aggression in this high-risk environment of our time can join it. Today, at its inception, 13 prominent companies have already signed this declaration, showing their readiness to build a new arsenal of the free world alongside Ukraine.

I’m pleased to announce in this format, secondly, that Ukraine is developing a special economic regime for the defense-industrial complex. To give all the opportunities to realize their potential to every company that works for the sake of defense – in Ukraine and with Ukraine or that wants to come to Ukraine.

Thirdly, in Ukraine, we will establish a special Defense Fund, which will provide additional resources, including for the development of military production and support of relevant collaborations, for the creation of new military facilities and programs needed to ensure defense and take care of our warriors. The fund’s resources will be an addition to the state’s expenditures on defense, defense production, and private investments. The fund will be replenished through dividends from state-owned defense assets and profits from the sale of confiscated Russian assets.

Dear attendees,

All our guests, all our citizens, Ukrainians!

Soon, it will be 600 days of the full-scale war. 600. But no matter what happened, there hasn’t been a day throughout this long period when Ukraine felt any hopelessness and when Russia had even a glimmer of real hope to break us. We are confident in ourselves, confident in our citizens, in our partners. We are a strong nation. We are a courageous people. A state with global significance. We will undoubtedly prevail. We will create such a defense potential for Ukraine, and therefore for the entire free world, that it will be a reflection of our strength.

I thank everyone who works in Ukraine, who works with Ukraine! And I invite everyone who wishes to multiply their strength to cooperate – with our country, it is possible.

Glory to Ukraine!

.@rustem_umerov
The First International Defense Industries Forum – DFNC1 📷
252 companies from over 30 countries in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian side signed 20 documents with foreign partners: agreements and memoranda on the manufacture of drones, repair and production of armored… pic.twitter.com/lGrRuTd49s

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 30, 2023

.@rustem_umerov

The First International Defense Industries Forum – DFNC1 📷
252 companies from over 30 countries in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian side signed 20 documents with foreign partners: agreements and memoranda on the manufacture of drones, repair and production of armored vehicles and ammunition.
Formats of cooperation: joint production, exchange of technologies, supply of components.
📷We are creating a Defense Fund.
Filling from dividends of defense enterprises and confiscated assets of the russian federation.
Distribution in three directions:
– welfare of warriors
– military infrastructure
– development of new technologies
We are also creating the Alliance of Defense Industries and plan to introduce a special economic regime.
I am sure that today’s Forum will have an important impact on the future of Ukraine.
Move forward to victory.

Was happy to welcome Minister of Defence of Slovak Republic @SklenarMartin in Kyiv during the International Defence Industries Forum.

Grateful to Slovakia for their assistance and strong support. 🇺🇦 🇸🇰

Together we will win! pic.twitter.com/3F63HHXqsV

— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) September 30, 2023

Tomorrow, October 1, Ukraine will mark Day of Defenders on a new date for the first time.
Stop wherever you are. Take a moment to honor those who safeguard us and fight for our country's freedom.
Sunday, 9:00 a.m. A minute of silence. A moment of honor. pic.twitter.com/ey8NK70vRY

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 30, 2023

The price:

«The enemy won't just go away. We have to fight for our lives, our freedom, our land, our borders, our future.» When Evil invaded Ukraine, restaurateur Olenka joined the 47th Mechanized Brigade. She is fighting to ensure a safe and peaceful future for her eight nephews, and for… pic.twitter.com/1mOtUBMUDs

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 30, 2023

«The enemy won’t just go away. We have to fight for our lives, our freedom, our land, our borders, our future.» When Evil invaded Ukraine, restaurateur Olenka joined the 47th Mechanized Brigade. She is fighting to ensure a safe and peaceful future for her eight nephews, and for all Ukrainian children.

7-year-old Irynka Moroz from Chernivtsi region sold her 45 centimeter-long braids and raised UAH 3 000 to donate to the #UAarmy.
📷 Chernivtsi Regional Council pic.twitter.com/OgZUsGkqak

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 30, 2023

Here’s some subject matter expert analysis of Ukraine’s ongoing offensive:

A retired colonel of the British army, Richard Kemp @COLRICHARDKEMP, had the opportunity to see the Ukrainian counteroffensive with his own eyes.
He has served in many hot zones around the world: Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Here is his professional take… pic.twitter.com/s8C2GwaERr

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 29, 2023

The Melitopol direction:

Leopard 2A6 and M2 Bradley cover the infantry of the 47th Mechanized Brigade in the Melitopol direction. pic.twitter.com/Hq3x7aXkZr

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 29, 2023

Klischiivka:

Weapons free!

https://twitter.com/Mike_Eckel/status/1708020725657797075

And now a view from Russian side of things in Klischiivka:

A group of Russian servicemen recorded this video before being sent by Putin into a meat assault in Klischiivka, Bakhmut direction.

The men, counting 10 members plus 5 in support, were told to occupy a residential area in Klischiivka, where Ukrainian superiority was tenfold, in… pic.twitter.com/ywAaMLe6H7

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) September 30, 2023

A group of Russian servicemen recorded this video before being sent by Putin into a meat assault in Klischiivka, Bakhmut direction.

The men, counting 10 members plus 5 in support, were told to occupy a residential area in Klischiivka, where Ukrainian superiority was tenfold, in addition to firepower from Leopard tanks.

They added that in Klischiivka, Russians already lost 1000-1200 soldiers senselessly. This was necessary to enable positive reports on the news about Russian counterattacks in the area.

Recorded on 19 September, the video was meant to be released to the public if “something went wrong” with the men. Their fate is not known.

It’s HIMARS O’Clock somewhere in the Donbas:

By the looks of it, Ukrainians started a proper hunt for the traitor and pseudo-intellectual Aleksandr Khodakovsky, and know his exact location.

"Vostok" battalion telegram channel published a message today saying their base was again attacked with HIMARS missiles. This follows… pic.twitter.com/pFJlClWquO

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) September 30, 2023

By the looks of it, Ukrainians started a proper hunt for the traitor and pseudo-intellectual Aleksandr Khodakovsky, and know his exact location.

“Vostok” battalion telegram channel published a message today saying their base was again attacked with HIMARS missiles. This follows a report from about a week ago when a vehicle carrying Khodakovsky was struck with HIMARS, but missed closely, and he was lucky to get out alive.

This time, a building was hit where training was taking place, and Khodakovsky was on one of the floors, but managed to survive, again.

Бог любит троицу 🤷‍♂️

The last sentence above translates as “G-d loves the Trinity.”

Kharkiv:

The prototype of this work is a real soldier Taras, who is currently fighting near Bakhmut. I hope he will come to Kharkiv and see it himself one day pic.twitter.com/f3OBoTF00c

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) September 30, 2023

Vive la France!

France will transfer to Ukraine:
– 8 EFA self-propelled ferries,
-6 Caesar self-propelled guns,
-8 SDZ engineering robots https://t.co/i0GfkQiaZ9 pic.twitter.com/knBTSqveIA

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 30, 2023

We continue to watch and see if Russia’s strategy of creating a new refugee crisis for the EU will pay off. The Financial Times has the details: (emphasis mine)

This summer the pretty, peaceful town of Görlitz in eastern Germany was roiled by its biggest demonstrations in years. The trigger — a scuffle at a high-school graduation party.

What began as a fight at a popular disco, the L2 Club, quickly escalated into unrest that appeared to capture Germany’s political divisions over migration. While the police were making inquiries, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party sprang into action.

It called for a protest against “migrant violence”, and within two days, hundreds of locals took to the streets.

Referring to the brawl at the L2, in which eight people were hurt, Sebastian Wippel, a former police officer who sits for the party in Görlitz city council, said: “We never had this kind of thing before . . . The aggressors were quite clearly foreigners.”

The L2 incident fed a narrative that the AfD has been peddling for years: that rising immigration is threatening the German way of life and making the country less safe.

“They just couldn’t believe their luck,” said Jana Lübeck, a leftwing councillor. The AfD used the L2 “to sketch out a dystopia that I’ve never experienced in Görlitz”.

Famed for its Gothic spires and baroque mansions, Görlitz has long been a happy hunting ground for the AfD: the party makes up the largest group in the town council and Wippel nearly won elections to become mayor there in 2019.

But now the popularity of the party — sections of which have been designated extremist by German domestic intelligence, and one of whose leaders is to stand trial for using banned Nazi slogans — is spreading far beyond such eastern strongholds.

Nationally it is polling at nearly 22 per cent, ahead of all three parties in chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition: the Social Democrats, Greens and liberal Free Democrats.

The party’s poll success means it is increasingly setting the tone in Berlin too, where centre-ground politicians are finding themselves dragged into a debate on race and immigration they are ill-equipped to fight. Friedrich Merz, leader of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, recently made waves by calling his party “an Alternative for Germany — with substance”.

Many now worry what the AfD’s strength could mean for three crucial elections next year, in the eastern states of Saxony, Brandenburg and Thuringia. Some polls suggest the party could win all three.

It will not actually be able to rule: no one else will work with it. But if it continues on its current trajectory, some German states could struggle to form workable government coalitions, especially in the east.

“There is a real risk that Saxony in particular will become ungovernable,” said Jana Krauss, a councillor with the group Motor-Görlitz/Alliance Greens.

The AfD, which says it wants to see a ceasefire in Ukraine and has condemned the EU’s economic sanctions against Russia, has also provided a vehicle for Germans unhappy with Scholz’s support for Kyiv.

But pollsters say the key to the party’s success is immigration. “We have a huge influx of migrants into Europe right now, just as large as during the 2015-16 refugee crisis,” said Kai Arzheimer, a political scientist at Mainz University. “And that’s the AfD’s big issue.”

Yet the AfD used the L2 fight to suggest Görlitz was experiencing a breakdown in law and order. “They’re trying to undermine trust in the organs of the state, and in doing so, weaken them,” said Krauss, the Greens councillor.

A fellow councillor from the group Motor Görlitz/ Alliance Greens, Mike Altmann, who took part in the town council debate said the AfD group were just “scaremongers and doomsayers”. They had put on a “show” that left him “numbed and tired”.

“I was amazed at the vehemence with which they maligned our town,” Altmann said.

But Lukas Rietzschel, a novelist who lives in Görlitz, said the AfD’s “scare tactics” were now “determining the discourse” in the town.

Rietzschel ruffled feathers recently by calling for the AfD to be banned. A democracy, he wrote, should defend itself against “actors who plan its liquidation”. Soon afterwards he found threatening messages in his letterbox. “They said ‘you have interesting views’,” Rietzschel recalled. “And ‘we know where you live’.”

Much more at the link!

Putin’s strategy here is to create a food crisis that both drives up prices and produces a famine in parts of the global south. The latter, will, in turn create a new flood of refugees into Europe, which will allow his proxies – the AfD in Germany, the National Rally (formally the Front National) in France, and their equivalents in Italy, Spain, Greece, and other EU members states – to then use both the increase in food prices and the increase in the number of refugees to push the EU and NATO member states to either reduce or stop their support for Ukraine. That’s the strategy. We continue to wait and see if it is feasible, acceptable, and suitable.

The Starlink Snowflake has made his contribution to Putin’s strategy. Marisa Kabas has the details:

After taking aim at people attempting to migrate to our country, he took to Twitter to talk about the banal things he learned from his border jaunt, and then took a hard right turn into German politics. Even for him, it was shocking.

Musk shared a post from another account Friday morning criticizing German NGO’s (non-governmental organization) for providing ships to rescue African migrants unsafely crossing the Mediterranean to Italy. “These NGOs are subsidized by the German government. Let’s hope AfD wins the elections to stop this European suicide,” the account wrote. Musk then added his own commentary, asking: “Is the German public aware of this?”

The German Foreign Office responded to Musk’s query by tweeting, “Yes. And it’s called saving lives.”

Yes. And it’s called saving lives. https://t.co/7eTCbKhG8w

— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) September 29, 2023

Some seven hours later, Musk shot back: “So you’re actually proud of it. Interesting. Frankly, I doubt that a majority of the German public supports this. Have you run a poll? Surely it is a violation of the sovereignty of Italy for Germany to transport vast numbers of illegal immigrants to Italian soil? Has invasion vibes …”

Let’s just be crystal clear: The richest man in the world who has been vocal about his antisemitism and hatred of immigrants is asking the German government if they’re proud organizations from their country are helping save lives, and Musk is A) confused as to why they’re proud of that, B) asking if they’ve run a poll to gauge whether Germans are into saving lives, and C) accusing Germany of invading Italy.

One might forgive Musk for thinking he has even the slightest bit of authority in geopolitical matters: After all, in the last two weeks he’s met with Netanyahu, as well as the president of Hungary to discuss family values and the “demographic” decline. (That means white people.) And his company Starlink had a major impact in Russia’s war on Ukraine. But at the end of the day, he’s just an idiot who owns a website that he’s run into the ground.

Let’s also be clear that when Musk asks about a “poll”, he means a Twitter poll. Yes, the same mechanism he employed a few weeks back to see if people supported him banning the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish organization that has been critical of his approach to content moderation. He believes his platform supersedes elections and legitimate government decisions, and I think in his twisted mind, truly sees a future where the results of a Twitter poll become law.

All that aside, this series of exchanges is remarkably alarming. The original post he re-shared references the AfD, Alternative for Germany. It’s a far-right German political party that is rabidly anti-immigration, and whose youth recruitment arm has been classified as an “extremist group”. Sound familiar?

Amazingly, the Starlink Snowflake decided to go after the German government on his website the day after the news broke of series safety related issues at the Tesla factory in Grunheide, Germany.

Obligatory!

That’s enough for tonight!

Your daily Patron!

What is truly work/life balance. SES sappers edition 😄 pic.twitter.com/NlI6Ac9BkK

— Patron (@PatronDsns) September 30, 2023

Open thread!

War for Ukraine Day 584: Congressman Quigley Votes No!Post + Comments (64)

DC Indictment Activity + House Proceedings

by WaterGirl| September 30, 20231:48 pm| 93 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

I was shocked yesterday to see Judge Chutkan set a date of Oct 16 for the hearing on Trump polluting the jury pool with threats and other things he should not be discussing.

So I am not surprised to see some new Trump Indictment news in the DC case.

I haven’t read the filing yet, but it appears that they are asking Judge Chutkan to impose some limits before the hearing on Oct 16.

Going with “there is not a non-peeing part of the pool”, it seems to me that every day the attacks go on, Trump is indeed polluting the jury pool. So why give him all these weeks before acting on the motion?

Special counsel prosecutors reiterated the need to impose a limited gag order against Trump in the federal 2020 election subversion case to curtail his ability to attack them and potentially intimidate trial witnesses. @guardian latest https://t.co/xADioDAPCQ

— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) September 30, 2023

Prosecutors reiterate need for gag order against Trump in 2020 election case.

(The Guardian)

Here’s a .pdf of the filing itself.

Special counsel prosecutors reiterated Friday to the federal judge overseeing the 2020 election interference prosecution against Donald Trump the need to impose a limited gag order against the former president to curtail his ability to attack them and potentially intimidate trial witnesses.

The sharply worded, 22-page filing, submitted ahead of a hearing scheduled for 16 October in federal district court in Washington, accused Trump of continuing to make prejudicial public statements even after they had first made the request three weeks ago.

“He demands special treatment, asserting that because he is a political candidate, he should have free rein to publicly intimidate witnesses and malign the court, citizens of this district, and prosecutors. But in this case, Donald J Trump is a criminal defendant like any other,” prosecutors wrote.

The prosecutors said the need for a limited gag order had only increased in urgency since their initial request, filed under seal to US district judge Tanya Chutkan on 5 September, as they cited several threatening statements from Trump that could impact their case and potential jurors.

In particular, the filing highlighted Trump’s posts on his Truth Social platform that attacked his former vice-president Mike Pence, saying without evidence that he had “made up stories about me” and had gone over to the “dark side” after he testified to prosecutors about Trump’s conduct.

The filing also raised Trump’s post about Gen Mark Milley, the retiring chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and another likely trial witness after he was cited in the indictment, that baselessly accused him of committing treason and suggested that he be executed.

“No other criminal defendant would be permitted to issue public statements insinuating that a known witness in his case should be executed,” the assistant special counsel Molly Gaston wrote. “This defendant should not be, either.”

Jack Smith’s team also raised the issue of the Glock incident:

The filing also raised the issue to the judge about how Trump appeared to be seeking special treatment as the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, saying he may have violated the terms of his release agreement when he visited a gun shop this week on a campaign swing through South Carolina.

The incident involved Trump’s campaign spokesperson posting a video of the former president handling a custom Glock pistol and suggesting he wanted to buy the gun, which would be a federal offense because he is under indictment – but aides quickly denied he had done so.

What actually happened with the gun is uncertain, not least because Trump would have to be a South Carolina resident to lawfully buy a firearm in that state. But prosecutors used the episode as an example of Trump benefiting from incendiary public statements and have others take responsibility.

“The defendant either purchased a gun in violation of the law and his conditions of release, or seeks to benefit from his supporters’ mistaken belief that he did so,” the filing said, adding that Trump surely knew the effect of his words in all of his public statements.

I don’t know if this is true, but someone on twitter said that, in Florida, if an indicted felon is even in a photo with a gun… that’s enough to charge them with being in possession of a firearm. I don’t even recall where Trump was when pulled the stunt with the Glock with his face on the handle, but it would be interesting to know the laws in that jurisdiction.

I have it on good authority that i would be irresponsible not to speculate!

Open thread.

Update: Meanwhile, in the same timeline on Earth-1, we have Trump promising that he will order federal officers to shoot shoplifters on sight – received with cheers by the audience filled with MAGA.

Update 2: To include the house proceedings. Check out C-SPAN for Hakeem’s speech that finished a few minutes ago. h/t Another Scott. I chose start from the beginning, and then moved the slider to mourned 1:45 when he started speaking.

DC Indictment Activity + House ProceedingsPost + Comments (93)

We Have the Best People

by WaterGirl| September 30, 202311:20 am| 122 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads

We have the best people. For real.

True soldier. Real Patriot.

pic.twitter.com/7VzvY3AhIQ

— Jack E. Smith ⚖️ (@7Veritas4) September 30, 2023

They have pieces of shit. Dangerous excuses for human beings.

It’s awful enough that someone would say all of this. But who listens to that and think “ooh, I want to see those people in power again?”

These people would have literally voted for Hitler.

Open thread.

We Have the Best PeoplePost + Comments (122)

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

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?

That meeting sounds like a shotgun wedding between a shitshow and a clusterfuck.

We will not go back.

Books are my comfort food!

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

If you’re gonna whine, it’s time to resign!

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

T R E 4 5 O N

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

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

I would gladly pay you tuesday for a hamburger today.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

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

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Consistently wrong since 2002

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Sunday Open Thread (and Ajabu update)

Sunday Morning Open Thread: Vacate the (Empty) Chair!…

Postcard Writing and Music Thread

Political Action

Music!

Rest in Peace, At Last: Dianne Feinstein, Trailblazer

War for Ukraine Day 584: Congressman Quigley Votes No!

Our state can and will definitely become a donor of global security – address by the President of Ukraine

We are laying the foundation for the arsenal of the free world – speech by the President of Ukraine at the First International Defense Industries Forum

DC Indictment Activity + House Proceedings

Prosecutors reiterate need for gag order against Trump in 2020 election case.

We Have the Best People