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Understanding Global Change
"-- Joe Manchin and Big Coal Are Destroying the Planet --''
Discover why the climate and environment changes, your place in the Earth system, and paths to a resilient future.
Burning of fossil fuels
The burning of fossil fuels refers to the burning of oil, natural gas, and coal to generate energy.
We use this energy to generate electricity, and to power transportation (for example, cars and planes) and industrial processes. Ever since the invention of the first coal-fired steam engines of the 1700s, our burning of fossil fuels has steadily increased. Across the globe each year we now burn over 4,000 times the amount of fossils fuels burnt during 1776. The effects of the burning of fossil fuels, especially carbon dioxide, are having far-reaching effects on our climate and ecosystems.
The burning of fossil fuels is the primary cause of current climate change, altering the Earth’s ecosystems and causing human and environmental health problems.
Flares burn at sunset in the Bakken oil and gas fields in North Dakota Credit: Jeff Peischl/CIRES and NOAA
Fossil fuels form over millions of years from the burial of photosynthetic organisms, including plants on land (which primarily form coal) and plankton in the oceans (which primarily form oil and natural gas). To grow these organisms removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the ocean, and their burial inhibited the movement of that carbon through the carbon cycle. The burning of this fossil material returns this carbon back into atmosphere as carbon dioxide, at a rate that is hundreds to thousands of times faster than it took to bury, and much faster than can be removed by the carbon cycle. Thus, the carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels accumulates in the atmosphere, some of which then dissolves in the ocean causing ocean acidification.
---omitted embedded links---
The burning of fossil fuels affects the Earth system in a variety of ways. Some of these ways include:
* Releasing the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere, which intensifies the greenhouse effect (the re-radiation of heat in the atmosphere), increasing the Earth’s average air temperatures. These greenhouse gases can remain in the atmosphere for decades to hundreds of years.
* Emitting an array of pollutants that reduce air quality and harm life, especially sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and airborne particles such as soot. Poor air quality can cause respiratory disease.
* The airborne particles also increase the reflectivity of the atmosphere, which has a slight cooling effect. The reason is that the airborne particles, such as soot and sulfate aerosols (from sulfur dioxide), reflect some sunlight back into space, increase cloud formation, and make clouds more reflective. The net effect of burning fossil fuels is warming because the cooling is small compared with the heating caused by the greenhouse effect, in part because airborne particles only stay suspended in the atmosphere for a few days to months, while greenhouse gases that cause warming remain in the atmosphere for many decades to hundreds of years.
* Changing patterns of snow and ice melt. Airborne particles (especially soot) that settle on snow increase the absorption of sunlight due to their dark color, heating the surface of the snow causing melting. In certain parts of the world, the presence of soot (in addition to global warming) has caused winter ice and snow melts earlier and faster today than in previous decades, which also changes local patterns of freshwater availability.
* Increasing the acidity of precipitation. Sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) react with water vapor, oxygen, and other chemicals to form acid rain. Acid rain can contaminate freshwater sources, resulting in harmful algal blooms that reduce water oxygen levels and harm fish populations and other wildlife. Additionally, acid rain increases chemical weathering of rocks, including manmade structures.
Using large amounts freshwater. Power plants that burn fossil fuels cool their systems by removing freshwater from local rivers and lakes. The warm water returned to nearby ecosystems can cause stress for local species.
Can you think of additional cause and effect relationships between the burning of fossil fuels and other parts of the Earth system?
Visit the greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, and temperature pages to learn more about how burning fossil fuels affects global climate and ecosystems.
https://ugc.berkeley.edu/background-content/burning-of-fossil-fuels/
I wonder how many times he practiced that particular kick.
Ronaldo makes World Cup history, Portugal beats Ghana 3-2
By STEVE DOUGLAS 42 minutes ago
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo closed his eyes, took in a deep breath and then made World Cup history.
The Portugal striker became the first male player to score at five World Cups with his 65th-minute penalty in a 3-2 win over Ghana on Thursday.
Andre Ayew equalized for Ghana eight minutes later, but Joao Felix regained the lead for Portugal in the 78th and Rafael Leao added a third. Osman Bukari reduced Ghana’s deficit in the 89th.
The 37-year-old Ronaldo was looking to showcase his talents to potential new clubs after having his contract terminated at Manchester United this week. After wasting two good chances in the first half, he tumbled under a challenge by Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu to earn a penalty.
Wheeling away after the ball struck the back of the net, a smiling Ronaldo performed his usual leap and swivel in the air — the crowd roared his trademark “SI-UUU” as he did the pirouette — before getting mobbed by teammates.
He has now scored in every World Cup since his first in 2006 and has a record 118 international goals.
It was a wild finish to a slow-burner of a World Cup match that ended with Portugal defender Danilo clearing the ball away from near the line in the ninth minute of stoppage time. Ronaldo, who was sitting in the dugout after being substituted, put his hand on his head in relief.
Ronaldo, naturally, took center stage at the start of his fifth and likely last World Cup, particularly after a fraught buildup to the tournament in which he gave an unauthorized, tell-all interview criticizing Manchester United’s manager, owners and teammates. On Tuesday, he split with the English club, meaning he is in the shop window in Qatar.
Another scoring record adds to the luster of his resume. A penalty against Iran in 2006 started his tally of World Cup goals — it is now up to eight in 18 matches — and he lifted the ball beyond Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati with his latest spot kick after a long, theatrical buildup to the penalty.
Bruno Fernandes arguably played a more important role in Portugal’s win, setting up the team’s second and third goals with perfectly weighted through-balls.
Still, Portugal’s players almost threw it away after losing their composure in a chaotic final few minutes, featuring the comical scene of Bukari performing Ronaldo’s “SI-UUU” celebration after his goal.
In the other Group H match, South Korea and Uruguay drew 0-0.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup
and
https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-sports-soccer-europe-middle-east-03eada6b729b1f68ae27041829ac5cb6?utm_source=apnews&utm_medium=featuredcard&utm_campaign=leadstory
World Cup 2022 updates by AP
https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup?utm_source=apnewsnav&utm_medium=featured
FICA Cup Today also broadcast on TV.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2022 Updates
Sponsored By QATAR AIRWAYS
FEATURED
NEWS
VIDEOS
SCHEDULE
STANDINGS
FAN GUIDE
ODDS
https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/2022-fifa-world-cup
Seeing that you like "birds", here are a few winners
Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 Winners
https://www.birdpoty.com/bpoty-2022-winners
With over 20,000 images entered into the competition this year, Bird Photographer of the Year is pleased to present our winners. Celebrating bird life from around the world, these images comprise some of the most incredible bird photos in the world taken by talented photographers, whilst also raising vital funds for our partner charity Birds on the Brink.
.....Taking the title of Bird Photographer of the Year, our Overall Winner is ‘Rock Ptarmigan Flight’ by Erlend Haarberg.
edit -- correct link for: Qatar World Cup 2022: migrant workers forced to work for no pay
There is info that stands out, that details the horrid working conditions in Qatar during years prior to the World Cup
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/nov/19/qatar-working-conditions-world-cup-guardian-reporting
Ten years of hurt: how the Guardian reported Qatar’s World Cup working conditions
As the tournament begins we look back over a decade in which our coverage of conditions for migrant workers has been instrumental in forcing change
Composite of Pete Pattisson's Qatar stories for the Guardian
The Guardian’s coverage of World Cup worker deaths has turned the spotlight on migrant workers’ rights in Qatar. Photograph: the Guardian
In 2013, after the announcement in 2010 that the tiny but enormously wealthy Gulf state of Qatar would host the Fifa 2022 Football World Cup, the Nepal-based Guardian journalist Pete Pattisson made the first of many trips to Kathmandu’s airport in Nepal to count coffins.
For months, Pattisson traced the bodies of dozens of migrant workers repatriated from Qatar back to their families to try to establish why they never made it home alive. It was the start of 10 years of reporting by the Guardian into the sometimes brutal conditions faced by hundreds of thousands of migrant workers tasked with building Qatar’s state-of-the-art stadiums, and the roads, hotels and infrastructure needed to host one of the biggest sporting events on Earth.
With just days to go to first kick-off, we look back at how migrant rights became centre stage in arguably the most controversial World Cup in the history of the tournament.
September 2013
Revealed: Qatar’s World Cup ‘slaves’
09:35
Thanks for the review of the "World Cup opening ceremony: six things we learned in Qatar"
And the U.S. can access that guardian site
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/20/world-cup-opening-ceremony-qatar-2022-jungkook-bts-morgan-freeman-fifa-infantino
30 Incredible Winning Photos From the 2021 Nature Photographer of the Year Contest
By Arnesia Young on January 10, 2022
https://mymodernmet.com/nature-photographer-of-the-year-2021/
“Black Leopard,” by William Burrard-Lucas. Category Winner, Animal Portraits / NPOTY 2021
“Twilight hunters,” by Kovács Norbert. Highly Commended, Mammals / NPOTY 2021
“The prow,” by Andrea Pozzi. Runner-up, Landscapes / NPOTY 2021
“Ice cell,” by Gheorghe Popa. Category Winner, Nature Art / NPOTY 2021
“Natures eatable Arctic gould,” by Audun Rikardsen. Runner-up, Plants and Fungi / NPOTY 2021
“Last embrace,” by Roie Galitz. Runner-up, Animal Portraits / NPOTY 2021
How to Watch the 2022 World Cup
General view of Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on November 19, 2022.
Simon Holmes—NurPhoto/Getty Images)
By Solcyre Burga
November 19, 2022 9:52 AM EST
The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 20 in Qatar at 11 a.m. ET, marking the first-time the four-week international soccer tournament will take place in a Middle Eastern country.
Thirty-two teams will travel to Qatar to compete for the coveted title of the world’s best soccer team, though this year’s tournament will be notably different, taking place five months after its usual start date due to the host country’s intense heat.
The World Cup in Qatar has been the subject of much criticism and controversy, with reports of human rights abuses that have led to serious illness and even death of thousands of foreign workers.
Some networks that will broadcast the games, like Fox News, have said they will steer clear of reporting on the country’s troubling record. “Our focus is entirely on the 64-game tournament,” Fox Sports executive producer David Neal told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Eight stadiums across five cities will host the event. You can find a rundown of the upcoming matches by visiting FIFA’s website. .https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre?date=2022-11-10 .. The teams were split into eight groups, with four teams in each category. Group matches end on Friday, Dec. 2. Quarter-finals begin on Friday, Dec. 9.
The World Cup final will take place on Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. ET at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Here’s how you can watch:
How to watch on TV
Live broadcasts of the World Cup will be available on FOX Sports (FOX and FS1).
Spanish speakers can also watch soccer matches in their preferred language on Telemundo Deportes or Universo.
The World Cup will not be available on ESPN or ESPN +.
How to stream
[...]
https://time.com/6235328/world-cup-2022-qatar-watch/
What Qatar Built for the Most Expensive World Cup Ever
Story by Simone Foxman and Adveith Nair
Graphics by Sam Dodge
November 18, 2022 at 5:00 AM CST
The 2022 football World Cup gets underway Sunday, with hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador. In the 12 years since the tiny gas-rich country was awarded rights to the event, it has spent $300 billion preparing for kickoff. Doha has been transformed, with the capital now dotted with new stadiums and hotels built to accommodate more than a million fans over the next month.
The tournament is the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, in many ways the culmination of the wider region’s grand ambitions in the world of sports. Qatar and its wealthy neighbors have plowed billions of dollars into major European football clubs, the region will host four Formula 1 races next year, and the Saudi-backed LIV tour aims to dominate professional golf.
A tournament of many firsts, Qatar 2022 has been accompanied by controversy from the beginning. There have been concerns over Qatar’s record on policies that limit rights of women and LGBTQ people and its treatment of migrant laborers. The government’s claim of hosting a carbon-neutral World Cup has been discredited. On top of the disruption of shifting away from the traditional summer time slot, there was a last-minute change to the schedule.
All told, the tournament is still expected to deliver record revenue for organizers FIFA and top the roughly $5.4 billion that the 2018 World Cup in Russia generated for football’s governing body. About 3.6 billion watched the last World Cup and billions are set to tune in to this edition.
[...] ...much more
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-what-qatar-built-for-the-world-cup/?utm_source=pocket-newtab&leadSource=uverify%20wall
How to Watch the 2022 World Cup
General view of Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on November 19, 2022.
Simon Holmes—NurPhoto/Getty Images)
By Solcyre Burga
November 19, 2022 9:52 AM EST
The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Sunday, Nov. 20 in Qatar at 11 a.m. ET, marking the first-time the four-week international soccer tournament will take place in a Middle Eastern country.
Thirty-two teams will travel to Qatar to compete for the coveted title of the world’s best soccer team, though this year’s tournament will be notably different, taking place five months after its usual start date due to the host country’s intense heat.
The World Cup in Qatar has been the subject of much criticism and controversy, with reports of human rights abuses that have led to serious illness and even death of thousands of foreign workers.
Some networks that will broadcast the games, like Fox News, have said they will steer clear of reporting on the country’s troubling record. “Our focus is entirely on the 64-game tournament,” Fox Sports executive producer David Neal told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Eight stadiums across five cities will host the event. You can find a rundown of the upcoming matches by visiting FIFA’s website. .https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/match-centre?date=2022-11-10 .. The teams were split into eight groups, with four teams in each category. Group matches end on Friday, Dec. 2. Quarter-finals begin on Friday, Dec. 9.
The World Cup final will take place on Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. ET at Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Here’s how you can watch:
How to watch on TV
Live broadcasts of the World Cup will be available on FOX Sports (FOX and FS1).
Spanish speakers can also watch soccer matches in their preferred language on Telemundo Deportes or Universo.
The World Cup will not be available on ESPN or ESPN +.
How to stream
[...]
https://time.com/6235328/world-cup-2022-qatar-watch/
What Qatar Built for the Most Expensive World Cup Ever
Story by Simone Foxman and Adveith Nair
Graphics by Sam Dodge
November 18, 2022 at 5:00 AM CST
The 2022 football World Cup gets underway Sunday, with hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador. In the 12 years since the tiny gas-rich country was awarded rights to the event, it has spent $300 billion preparing for kickoff. Doha has been transformed, with the capital now dotted with new stadiums and hotels built to accommodate more than a million fans over the next month.
The tournament is the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, in many ways the culmination of the wider region’s grand ambitions in the world of sports. Qatar and its wealthy neighbors have plowed billions of dollars into major European football clubs, the region will host four Formula 1 races next year, and the Saudi-backed LIV tour aims to dominate professional golf.
A tournament of many firsts, Qatar 2022 has been accompanied by controversy from the beginning. There have been concerns over Qatar’s record on policies that limit rights of women and LGBTQ people and its treatment of migrant laborers. The government’s claim of hosting a carbon-neutral World Cup has been discredited. On top of the disruption of shifting away from the traditional summer time slot, there was a last-minute change to the schedule.
All told, the tournament is still expected to deliver record revenue for organizers FIFA and top the roughly $5.4 billion that the 2018 World Cup in Russia generated for football’s governing body. About 3.6 billion watched the last World Cup and billions are set to tune in to this edition.
[...] ...much more
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2022-what-qatar-built-for-the-world-cup/?utm_source=pocket-newtab&leadSource=uverify%20wall
Trump faces potential fundraising problem as megadonors jump ship
by Karl Evers-Hillstrom - 11/19/22 5:57 AM ET
Former President Trump could face a surprising problem as he mounts his 2024 campaign: a cash crunch as wealthy megadonors gravitate toward Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other potential contenders.
A loyal army of small-dollar donors will power Trump’s presidential bid, potentially making up for the exodus of billionaire backers, but they’ve shown signs of scaling back their giving.
And while Trump’s political machine is starting off with a war chest of more than $110 million, federal law prevents him from using most of that money to advance his White House campaign.
Meanwhile, Trump’s political committees are shelling out huge sums on his legal defense, totals that only seem likely to rise after the Department of Justice on Friday appointed a special counsel to oversee probes into him.
GOP megadonors abandon Trump
[...]
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3742334-trump-faces-potential-fundraising-problem-as-megadonors-jump-ship/
Christie rebukes Trump: ‘It is time to stop whispering…It is time to stop being afraid of any one person'
by Julia Shapero - 11/19/22 6:23 PM ET
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Saturday urged the Republican Party to move on from Donald Trump, just days after the former president announced his third bid for office.
“It is time to stop whispering,” Christie said at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership meeting. He added, “It is time to stop being afraid of any one person. It is time to stand up for the principles and the beliefs that we have founded this party on and this country on.”
Christie, who ran against Trump in the 2016 presidential election, is currently considering another run for president in 2024, as well. .. https://thehill.com/homenews/3679041-chris-christie-on-whether-hes-considering-a-2024-presidential-bid-sure/
The former New Jersey governor noted on Saturday that he was the first candidate to drop out and endorse Trump in February 2016, after a disappointing performance in the early primary states.
“I was there early, I was there faithfully, and I was there all the way — until election night 2020,” he said.
Christie has since become a vocal opponent of the former president and has been particularly outspoken in the wake of the GOP’s disappointing midterm election performance.
Since Republicans fell short of delivering the anticipated “red wave” in the midterms earlier this month, the party has looked for where to place the blame. Many, like Christie, are pointing the finger at Trump.
“We keep losing and losing and losing,” Christie said on Saturday.
“And the fact of the matter is the reason we’re losing is because Donald Trump has put himself before everyone else.”
Trump announced his 2024 campaign for president on Tuesday despite major pushback from within his own party.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3541693-trump-announces-2024-run-for-president/
https://thehill.com/homenews/3743291-christie-rebukes-trump-it-is-time-to-stop-whispering-it-is-time-to-stop-being-afraid-of-any-one-person/
There undoubtedly is an ORANGE suit awaiting the ORANGE faced clown.
MORE: U.S. Justice Dept. names war crimes expert as special counsel for Trump probes
November 18, 20225:11 PM CST Last Updated 22 min ago
By Sarah N. Lynch
01:58
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-department-appoints-special-prosecutor-trump-probes-2022-11-18/
* Trump calls special counsel appointment 'disgraceful'
* Special counsel Smith has focused on war crimes in Kosovo
WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday named Jack Smith, a war crimes prosecutor, to serve as special counsel to oversee Justice Department investigations related to Donald Trump including the former president's handling of sensitive documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Garland's announcement came three days after Trump, a Republican, announced he would run for president again in 2024. Garland said Trump's candidacy, as well as Democratic President Biden's stated intention to run for re-election, made the appointment of a special counsel necessary.
Special counsels are sometimes appointed to investigate politically sensitive cases and they do their jobs with a degree of independence from the Justice Department leadership
"The pace of the investigations will not pause or flag under my watch," Smith said in a statement. "I will exercise independent judgment and will move the investigations forward expeditiously and thoroughly to whatever outcome the facts and the law dictate."
Smith will oversee the investigation into Trump's handling of government documents after leaving the White House last year and the probe into attempts to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 election, Garland said.
"Appointing a special counsel at this time is the right thing to do," Garland, who was appointed by Biden, told a news conference.
Trump, in a statement to Fox News, said he "won't partake" in the special counsel's investigations.
"The Democrat Department of 'Justice' had nothing, except Trump haters, so they just appointed a Special Prosecutor to go after me further. Disgraceful!" Trump later wrote on social media.
Trump posted that he will make a statement later on Friday from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Biden did not respond to shouted questions from reporters about the special counsel during his only public appearance of the day. The White House was not involved in the decision to appoint Smith, an official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Smith, a political independent, until recently served as the chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague, tasked with prosecuting war crimes in Kosovo. He previously oversaw the Justice Department's public integrity section and worked as a federal and state prosecutor in New York.
This marks the second time in five years that the Justice Department has appointed a special counsel to probe Trump's conduct. Former FBI director Robert Mueller, named as a special counsel in 2017, documented contacts between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, but found insufficient evidence to bring a charge of criminal conspiracy.
FBI agents seized thousands of government records, some marked as highly classified, from Trump's Mar-a-Lago home during a court-approved Aug. 8 search. Investigators also are examining Trump for possible obstruction of the probe. Trump filed a civil lawsuit in an effort to delay the documents investigation and keep some records away from investigators
The other investigation is a sprawling probe into a failed plot by Trump's allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election by submitting batches of phony slates of electors to the U.S. National Archives and trying to block Congress from certifying Biden's election victory.
A grand jury is hearing evidence in that case, with prosecutors issuing subpoenas for testimony to top former White House attorneys and close advisers to Vice President Mike Pence.
POLITICAL DISTANCE
While Garland ultimately has authority over the special counsel, the appointment of Smith may allow Garland to create some political distance that could bolster public confidence in the integrity of the two investigations. Career prosecutors are expected to continue working on the investigations alongside Smith.
Smith recently underwent surgery after injuring a knee in a biking accident. He did not attend the news conference.
The raft of criminal and civil state and federal investigations against Trump also includes a civil lawsuit by New York state's attorney general accusing him and three of his adult children of fraud involving the family real estate business.
Smith is the Justice Department's third special counsel to be appointed since 2017 to handle a politically sensitive case. Mueller did not explicitly reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice, prompting then-Attorney General William Barr to make his own determination that there was not a basis for such a charge.
In 2019, Barr appointed John Durham as special counsel to investigate the origins of the FBI's probe into Trump's 2016 campaign. Of the three criminal prosecutions Durham brought, two resulted in acquittals this year.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-department-appoints-special-prosecutor-trump-probes-2022-11-18/
The Definitive Roundup of Trump’s Scandals and Business Failures
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=146521900&txt2find=bankruptcy
Fact Checker Analysis
In four years, President Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims
The Fact Checker’s database of the false or misleading claims made by President Trump while in office.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/trump-claims-database/?itid=lk_interstitial_manual_9
Timeline of Trump’s Coronavirus Responses
Never forget the real story of Trump and Covid
https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=162888670&txt2find=trump%2Bcovid
Benghazi Times Infinity
Republicans are once again preparing to launch an oversight offensive.
Democrats can’t afford to be unprepared.
The Atlantic
November 17, 2022, 5 AM ET
By Kurt Bardella
When the Tea Party wave swept Republicans into the House majority in 2010, they had one objective: to effectively end the presidency of Barack Obama by inundating his administration with investigations and subpoenas. Representative Darrell Issa of California, the top Republican on the powerful House Oversight Committee, and my boss at the time, declared that he wanted “seven hearings a week, times 40 weeks.”
This is exactly what Republicans are hoping to do to President Joe Biden with their new House majority and the instruments of congressional-oversight authority.
Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio and James Comer of Kentucky, the top Republicans on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, respectively, have not hidden the fact that they intend to use the power of the gavel to launch successive probes targeting, among others, the Justice Department and the FBI, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and the president’s family, notably his son Hunter.
Remember Benghazi? Get ready for more of the same—a lot more of the same.
Congressional Democrats are now the first line of defense for the Biden administration. And they will have a series of consequential decisions to make about which personnel they appoint to serve on Republican-led committees. The Biden administration’s best chance of weathering these politically charged probes may come down to Democrats’ willingness to buck tradition and ignore seniority, as they did when Issa became chair a decade ago.
Back then, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel was the mild-mannered Representative Ed Towns of New York. After Issa ran roughshod over him for two years, the Democratic leadership realized it had to recalibrate if it had any chance of blunting Issa’s probes and saving Obama’s agenda. Democrats got smart. They broke the precedent of letting the most senior member automatically assume the ranking position, and sidelined Towns. The plan was to bypass the more senior Carolyn Maloney and elevate Elijah Cummings.
Cummings was a powerful speaker and a brilliant tactician, and he was always disciplined in his approach to hearings: the perfect foil for the more impulsive Issa. We knew this was trouble—so much so that we worked behind the scenes to try to bolster Maloney’s campaign to be the ranking member. I remember trying to leak stories about how Issa hated her, and that the worst thing that could possibly happen from his perspective would be to make her his counterpart. Our plan obviously didn’t work: Cummings became the ranking member. But the story tells you how formidable we considered him.
When Democrats underestimated the Republican Oversight offensive, they got crushed. When they recalibrated, they were very successful at blunting Issa. (Google Sandra Fluke if you need an example.) Now, all these years later, Democrats are faced with another pivotal moment. Republicans have retaken the House majority. But that majority is far too slim to yield significant policy victories. So they will once again have to rely on their Oversight show to wield power, and to keep the GOP base engaged and agitated.
Never mind that they’ve spent the past six years completely undermining congressional oversight. Never mind that when Donald Trump was president and they had the majority, they suddenly lost the appetite to conduct rigorous oversight of the executive branch. Never mind that they have defied congressional subpoenas and taken a wrecking ball to the checks-and-balances system.
They’re banking on the fact that as the media chronicle their fishing expeditions masquerading as investigations, they won’t provide that context for the American people. That’s not a bad bet. Case in point: the “report” released recently by Jim Jordan about the so-called politicization of the FBI that garnered headlines for how “extensive” it was—except, of the 1,050 pages provided, about 1,000 of them were just old letters the Republicans had sent the administration. This wasn’t a report; it was a retread of old material. The Republicans surmised that volume could replace substance, and that some in the media would fall for it. They were right.
Once, I worked for the Republicans. Now I advise Democrats. My professional opinion is that Democrats should again ignore seniority. Just as Issa elevated and recruited members such as Jordan, Mark Meadows, Mike Pompeo, and Patrick McHenry—all of whom would become major figures in Trump’s remade version of the Republican Party—Democrats must now answer the call and elevate their best communicators. After all, the No. 1 mission of the Democratic minority should be communications. Obvious candidates for the top jobs on Oversight and Judiciary include Jamie Raskin and David Cicilline.
Democrats should also get used to thinking of Oversight and Judiciary as one entity in order to avoid jurisdictional headaches. During the Obama years, Issa served on both panels at the same time. Jordan brought most of his Oversight staff to the Judiciary Committee. In anticipation of the “red wave” victory, Jordan and Comer planned a joint press conference to announce their oversight agenda, signaling their intention to synchronize their efforts to take down the Biden Administration. The wave never materialized, but clearly they realize that synchronization is key to the tactical success of the Oversight operation.
Seniority and ceremony should not guide decisions. Republicans will do their utmost to bring down the Democratic administration, just as they did when Issa was in charge—except this time, they’ll do so in service of an authoritarian in waiting. Democrats can’t risk being caught flat-footed again.
- - - - - -
Kurt Bardella is the former spokesperson and senior adviser for Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2009 to 2013. Kurt left the Republican Party in 2017 and joined the Democratic Party.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/11/republican-house-majority-oversight-committee-2022-election/672034/
Benghazi Times Infinity
Republicans are once again preparing to launch an oversight offensive.
Democrats can’t afford to be unprepared.
The Atlantic
November 17, 2022, 5 AM ET
By Kurt Bardella
When the Tea Party wave swept Republicans into the House majority in 2010, they had one objective: to effectively end the presidency of Barack Obama by inundating his administration with investigations and subpoenas. Representative Darrell Issa of California, the top Republican on the powerful House Oversight Committee, and my boss at the time, declared that he wanted “seven hearings a week, times 40 weeks.”
This is exactly what Republicans are hoping to do to President Joe Biden with their new House majority and the instruments of congressional-oversight authority.
Representatives Jim Jordan of Ohio and James Comer of Kentucky, the top Republicans on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, respectively, have not hidden the fact that they intend to use the power of the gavel to launch successive probes targeting, among others, the Justice Department and the FBI, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and the president’s family, notably his son Hunter.
Remember Benghazi? Get ready for more of the same—a lot more of the same.
Congressional Democrats are now the first line of defense for the Biden administration. And they will have a series of consequential decisions to make about which personnel they appoint to serve on Republican-led committees. The Biden administration’s best chance of weathering these politically charged probes may come down to Democrats’ willingness to buck tradition and ignore seniority, as they did when Issa became chair a decade ago.
Back then, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel was the mild-mannered Representative Ed Towns of New York. After Issa ran roughshod over him for two years, the Democratic leadership realized it had to recalibrate if it had any chance of blunting Issa’s probes and saving Obama’s agenda. Democrats got smart. They broke the precedent of letting the most senior member automatically assume the ranking position, and sidelined Towns. The plan was to bypass the more senior Carolyn Maloney and elevate Elijah Cummings.
Cummings was a powerful speaker and a brilliant tactician, and he was always disciplined in his approach to hearings: the perfect foil for the more impulsive Issa. We knew this was trouble—so much so that we worked behind the scenes to try to bolster Maloney’s campaign to be the ranking member. I remember trying to leak stories about how Issa hated her, and that the worst thing that could possibly happen from his perspective would be to make her his counterpart. Our plan obviously didn’t work: Cummings became the ranking member. But the story tells you how formidable we considered him.
When Democrats underestimated the Republican Oversight offensive, they got crushed. When they recalibrated, they were very successful at blunting Issa. (Google Sandra Fluke if you need an example.) Now, all these years later, Democrats are faced with another pivotal moment. Republicans have retaken the House majority. But that majority is far too slim to yield significant policy victories. So they will once again have to rely on their Oversight show to wield power, and to keep the GOP base engaged and agitated.
Never mind that they’ve spent the past six years completely undermining congressional oversight. Never mind that when Donald Trump was president and they had the majority, they suddenly lost the appetite to conduct rigorous oversight of the executive branch. Never mind that they have defied congressional subpoenas and taken a wrecking ball to the checks-and-balances system.
They’re banking on the fact that as the media chronicle their fishing expeditions masquerading as investigations, they won’t provide that context for the American people. That’s not a bad bet. Case in point: the “report” released recently by Jim Jordan about the so-called politicization of the FBI that garnered headlines for how “extensive” it was—except, of the 1,050 pages provided, about 1,000 of them were just old letters the Republicans had sent the administration. This wasn’t a report; it was a retread of old material. The Republicans surmised that volume could replace substance, and that some in the media would fall for it. They were right.
Once, I worked for the Republicans. Now I advise Democrats. My professional opinion is that Democrats should again ignore seniority. Just as Issa elevated and recruited members such as Jordan, Mark Meadows, Mike Pompeo, and Patrick McHenry—all of whom would become major figures in Trump’s remade version of the Republican Party—Democrats must now answer the call and elevate their best communicators. After all, the No. 1 mission of the Democratic minority should be communications. Obvious candidates for the top jobs on Oversight and Judiciary include Jamie Raskin and David Cicilline.
Democrats should also get used to thinking of Oversight and Judiciary as one entity in order to avoid jurisdictional headaches. During the Obama years, Issa served on both panels at the same time. Jordan brought most of his Oversight staff to the Judiciary Committee. In anticipation of the “red wave” victory, Jordan and Comer planned a joint press conference to announce their oversight agenda, signaling their intention to synchronize their efforts to take down the Biden Administration. The wave never materialized, but clearly they realize that synchronization is key to the tactical success of the Oversight operation.
Seniority and ceremony should not guide decisions. Republicans will do their utmost to bring down the Democratic administration, just as they did when Issa was in charge—except this time, they’ll do so in service of an authoritarian in waiting. Democrats can’t risk being caught flat-footed again.
- - - - - -
Kurt Bardella is the former spokesperson and senior adviser for Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2009 to 2013. Kurt left the Republican Party in 2017 and joined the Democratic Party.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/11/republican-house-majority-oversight-committee-2022-election/672034/
TRUMP WAS WORST PRESIDENT EVER ---- VERIFIED
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Biden calls ‘emergency’ meeting after missile hits Poland
By SEUNG MIN KIM and ZEKE MILLER
5 minutes ago
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) — President Joe Biden convened an “emergency” meeting of the Group of Seven and NATO leaders in Indonesia Wednesday morning for consultations after NATO-ally Poland said a “Russian-made” missile killed two people in the eastern part of its country near the Ukraine border.
Biden, who was awakened overnight by staff with the news of the missile explosion while in Indonesia for the Group of 20 summit, called Polish President Andrzej Duda early Wednesday to express his “deep condolences” for the loss of life. Biden promised on Twitter “full U.S support for and assistance with Poland’s investigation,” and “reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to NATO.”
Meeting at a large round table in a ballroom in his hotel, the U.S. president hosted the leaders of the G-7, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union, along with the president of the European Council and the prime ministers of NATO allies Spain and the Netherlands.
Biden replied “no” to reporters who asked if he would provide an update on the situation in Poland.
A statement from the Polish Foreign Ministry identified the missile as being made in Russia. But Poland’s president, Duda, was more cautious about its origin, saying that officials did not know for sure who fired it or where it was made. He said it was “most probably” Russian-made, but that is being still verified. If confirmed, it would be the first time since the invasion of Ukraine that a Russian weapon came down on a NATO country.
The foundation of the NATO alliance is the principle that an attack against one member is an attack on them all.
https://apnews.com/article/g-20-summit-nato-biden-andrzej-duda-25e615909ba0d871d5092f5b3aec21c8?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=TopNews&utm_campaign=position_01
Russia launches missiles at cities across Ukraine, Poland reports explosions
Updated November 15, 20228:24 PM ET
https://www.npr.org/2022/11/15/1136768133/kyiv-ukraine-missiles-russia
2022 Election Results
Election Date: Nov. 8, 2022 | Updated 9:40 AM EST Nov. 14, 2022
https://www.news-press.com/elections/results/2022-11-08/
Putin didn't realize who/what he was dealing with...
"No water, power or internet – only euphoria in newly liberated Kherson"
...
" “We feel free, we are not slaves, we are Ukrainians,” resident Olga told CNN"
...
" "But now, people flock to the central square in the newly liberated city, wrapped in Ukrainian flags, singing and chanting “Freedom for Ukraine.” "
" “Everyone here is out celebrating in the square here. People are wearing the Ukrainian flag, they’re hugging the soldiers, they’ve come out to see what it’s like to have freedom,” Robertson said" "
'Putin's Brain' Turns On Russian Leader With 'King of the Rains' Warning
Newsweek
Anders Anglesey - 11h ago
A leading ally of Vladimir Putin .. https://www.newsweek.com/topic/vladimir-putin .. has openly criticized the president and issued a veiled "king of the rains" warning after Russia's retreat from Kherson.
Russian political philosopher and igeologue Alexander Dugin seen during a memorial ceremony
for his daughter Daria Dugina, on August 23, 2022 in Moscow, Russia.
Posting on Telegram, Ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, known as "Putin's Brain," called the Russian president an autocrat with ultimate power over the war as he accused him of "surrendering" the city on November 12.Dugin shared a veiled warning to Valdimir Putin.
He said that the retreat undermines Russian ideology by failing to defend "Russian cities."
On 30 September President Putin formally annexed four Ukrainian provinces, .. https://www.newsweek.com/alexander-dugins-daughter-killed-anti-war-russians-former-state-deputy-1735497 .. including the southern Kherson region, into Russia.
Pro-war Dugin, whose daughter was killed in a Moscow car explosion .. https://www.newsweek.com/alexander-dugins-daughter-killed-anti-war-russians-former-state-deputy-1735497 . earlier this year, said an autocrat has a responsibility to save his nation all by himself or face the fate of the "king of the rains," according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The U.S. think tank said the quote was a reference to Sir James Frazer's 'The Golden Bough', where a king was killed because he was unable to deliver rain amidst a drought.
The ISW added: "Dugin also noted that the autocrat cannot repair this deviation from ideology merely with public appearances, noting that 'the authorities in Russia cannot surrender anything else' and that 'the limit has been reached.'"
Dugin then referenced the use of tactical nuclear weapons.
According to the ISW: "He (Dugin) suggested, however, that Russia must commit to the Rusian idea rather than pursuing the 'stupid' use of nuclear weapons."
The loss of Kherson, in southern Ukraine, adds to the list of growing setbacks suffered by Russia, which has lost more than 77,000 troops since the start of the war, according to Ukrainian estimates. .. https://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-russian-military-suffers-700-deaths-one-day-ukraine-says-1758082
Russia has rarely published its own figures and its estimates have been much lower than Ukraine's. Both figures have been scrutinized as not being accurate by outside observers.
Dugin has been joined by other outspoken national figures who have expressed frustration at the Kherson retreat.
Russian state TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov, who is nicknamed "Putin's voice" due to his support of the president, expressed frustration at Moscow's forces blowing up bridges as they retreated from Kherson. .. https://www.newsweek.com/russian-state-tv-host-furious-kherson-retreat-blew-bridges-1759098
On Saturday, Solovyov, appearing on his Vesti FM radio show 'Full Contact,' claimed Russia had withdrawn its troops from some parts of Ukraine as a "goodwill gesture."
But he soon became increasingly animated and suggested the Russian army should have attacked Ukrainian infrastructure earlier as he discussed reports that troops had blown up bridges across the Dnipro river during their retreat.
He said: "I've been screaming out loud since February that we need to strike the bridges, destroy the infrastructure, delivery entryways. They [Russian military] said, 'You don't understand anything, they'll bring their equipment to the same area and we will smash it!'
"So did you smash it? You don't understand, it's a brotherly nation, we'll have to restore these bridges, we'll enter through them."
He added: "Where? Where will we enter? When they were leaving [Kherson], they blew up the bridges. Where are we going to enter?"
Newsweek has contacted the U.K. Ministry of Defence and the Kremlin for comment.
Related Articles
* Map Shows Ukraine Defeating Russia, With 50 Percent of Territory Reclaimed
* Russian Rally Urges Putin to Strike US With Nuke-Capable Satan II Missile
* Putin Ally Demands 'Full-Scale War' to Push NATO Back After Kherson Defeat
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/putins-brain-turns-on-russian-leader-with-king-of-the-rains-warning/ar-AA1434hg
Trump (TRUMPTY DUMPTY) ‘ranting and raving’ over midterm failure as allies pitch DeSantis ticket
By Ian Mohr, Carl Campanile and Emily Crane
November 11, 2022 | 2:12pm Updated
Former President Donald Trump is “ranting and raving more than usual” over the GOP’s disastrous midterm election results — even as some members of his inner circle are pushing him to name Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as his running mate in 2024, sources told The Post Friday.
The 76-year-old’s mood is so black, one source said, those close to him are wondering how it will affect his daughter Tiffany’s Mar-a-Lago wedding this weekend.
“He really thought there would be a ‘red wave’ and that his candidates would win,” the source said, referring to bitter defeats of Trump’s chosen Senate contenders like Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and Don Bolduc in New Hampshire.
A second source recounted that the former president “stormed out” of his own election night party as results went against Republicans.
. . .
TRUMPTY DUMPTY
https://nypost.com/2022/11/11/donald-trump-is-ranting-and-raving-over-lackluster-midterm-results-sources/
Trump ‘ranting and raving’ over midterm failure as allies pitch DeSantis ticket
By Ian Mohr, Carl Campanile and Emily Crane
November 11, 2022 | 2:12pm Updated
Former President Donald Trump is “ranting and raving more than usual” over the GOP’s disastrous midterm election results — even as some members of his inner circle are pushing him to name Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as his running mate in 2024, sources told The Post Friday.
The 76-year-old’s mood is so black, one source said, those close to him are wondering how it will affect his daughter Tiffany’s Mar-a-Lago wedding this weekend.
“He really thought there would be a ‘red wave’ and that his candidates would win,” the source said, referring to bitter defeats of Trump’s chosen Senate contenders like Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and Don Bolduc in New Hampshire.
A second source recounted that the former president “stormed out” of his own election night party as results went against Republicans.
. . .
TRUMPTY DUMPTY
https://nypost.com/2022/11/11/donald-trump-is-ranting-and-raving-over-lackluster-midterm-results-sources/
God Bless America Sung by Kate Smith - This is the Army 1943 HD
05:06
Veterans Day 2022 free meals, discounts and offers
Check out all the Veterans Day discounts for 2022
Veterans Day 2022 is Friday, November 11.
This Veterans Day discounts list will continue to be updated as we learn of more nationally available Veterans Day discounts, meals or other ways businesses and organizations want to give back to Veterans.
These Veterans Day discounts, free meals and other programs are being shared so that Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors are aware of all resources available to them. Verify with the organization offering.
Veterans Day POSTER | TEACHERS | HISTORY | EVENTS | PAGE
Have a Veterans Day discount to add? Post it on RallyPoint.
https://news.va.gov/109711/veterans-day-discounts-free-meals/
Nov. 11 -- Veterans Day 2022 Parades, Events and More
Communities across the country pull out all the stops to honor their veterans through a variety of programs and events.
Check out the list below to find out how and where you can celebrate Veterans Day in 2022.
Events are in-person unless otherwise noted.
Celebrate Veterans Day by attending an event near you.
https://www.military.com/veterans-day/events.html
https://www.military.com/veterans-day
Veterans Day 2022 free meals, discounts and offers
Check out all the Veterans Day discounts for 2022
Veterans Day 2022 is Friday, November 11.
This Veterans Day discounts list will continue to be updated as we learn of more nationally available Veterans Day discounts, meals or other ways businesses and organizations want to give back to Veterans.
These Veterans Day discounts, free meals and other programs are being shared so that Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors are aware of all resources available to them. Verify with the organization offering.
Veterans Day POSTER | TEACHERS | HISTORY | EVENTS | PAGE
Have a Veterans Day discount to add? Post it on RallyPoint.
https://news.va.gov/109711/veterans-day-discounts-free-meals/