No surprises

 

Who knew Iowa was antifa?

(Thanks to the sharp-eyed Tampa Bay Times.)

"John Bolton Chose Not to Brief Trump on Russia Havana Syndrome Suspicion" is the head in today's Guardian.  I assumed he was afraid the Orange Ogre would react by ordering an attack on Cuba, like the missiles he thought he could fire into Mexico without anyone knowing.  After all American citizens, diplomats and their families, were suffering neurological damage from some still-undetermined source.  How wrong I was.  Bolton was afraid that if Russia was suspected as the originator of the attacks, Trump would ignore the information.  "He might have said, 'Do nothing at all.'  I didn't want to chance that, because I did feel it was serious," Bolton said on Nicky Woolf's podcast.  Weigh American lives against the awesome power and wisdom of Vladimir Putin and what would you expect of his groveling puppet?

Trump was "invited" to testify in the Stormy Daniels payoff investigation and refused.  If only DA Alvin Bragg had access to some sort of legal device -- let's call it a "subpoena" (Latin, "under pain") -- to compel testimony, even if it's just three hours of Fifth Amendment.

Second thought, maybe best to stay away from legal proceedings.  Elsewhere in New York City, Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that the jury in the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial can hear the "grab 'em by the pussy" a/k/a Access Hollywood tape (in case they've forgotten it).  Parking garage attorney Alina Habba drew the job of defending this bedsore of a case.

As I've said before, only two significant things have happened in Davenport, Iowa:  Bix Biederbecke was born there and Cary Grant died there.  That could change today when Trump delivers "an address on education," it says here.  But we know already -- he's against it.  ("I love the poorly educated!")

"President Trump was wrong.  I had no right to overturn the election.  And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable."  The comedy stylings of Mike Pence at the Gridiron Dinner.  Whoa, Mike, you sure you want to giddly-go with "reckless"?  You've developed quite the potty mouth since leaving office.  But you're fighting a subpoena from Jack Smith so, basically, leave him to heaven, huh?  Your courage is an example to us all.  How's the book selling?  Will that radio station have you back?

For years the people of Tuvalu have struggled for the world's attention as their island nation is swallowed by the sea, expected to be completely submerged by the end of the century.  Maybe they'll get noticed now that the ocean is consuming houses in Rodanthe, North Carolina.

Maybe not.  The Biden administration just approved the oil drilling project in Alaska's North Slope.