Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

Oh, "mind blown" might have been an overstatement, but still pretty cool. (Side note: And remember when there were Vine videos?)

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• So the Wise County Courthouse will now have the ability to change the colors of the new lights in the bell tower? It was (oddly) green this morning.  
  
  
  
• A UPS jet taking off from Kentucky, full fuel for a trip to Hawaii, crashed yesterday afternoon is a gigantic fireball.  Three are dead.  Video. Edit: The total death count has risen to nine with people on the ground now added.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The first election results are in since Trump's inauguration. Lots and lots of blue: 
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  
  
  
• The New York Post did not take the results well,
  
  
  
  
• Trump has if figured out, though. And did he just blame the shutdown on the Republicans?
  
  
  
• But get ready. Unsatisfactory results next year for Congress will not be accepted.  It's over. 
  
• On a lighter note, this is the actual Kentucky Secretary of State explaining to Kentucky voters why the polls were closed yesterday: 
  
  
  
• There were basically no metroplex races to give us a feel for what's going on out there, and the only one was a three person race for an open Texas Senate seat for north Tarrant County. The lone Democrat had the most votes but only because the two other candidates were Republicans and split their vote. Now that Democrat will have to beat the top Republican vote-getter in a run-off. But the district did grow to 48% Democrat from 42% last time. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The Wise County Special Edition of the Business Second™.
  
  
  
• ICE quick hits:
• That second step is that "the Highway Patrol division" will now act as ICE agents.  (Gift link.)  Seems big. 
  
  
  
• "How about we go as an ICE agent and an undocumented immigrant for Halloween?" / "Great! But don't forget the racist sombrero!" / "No problem! Got one right here!"
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• We had the greatest play-by-play Twitter thread of the courtroom action yesterday in the ICE Agent Sandwich Assault case yesterday.  The jury will get the case today. 
  
  
  
  
• James Comey prosecution update: The judge said in an order (PDF) yesterday that the grand jury transcript handed over by prosecutors "fails to include remarks made by [prosecutor Lindsey Halligan] both before and after the testimony of the sole witness . . . ." The judge wants the full transcript by 5:00 p.m. today. 
  
  
  
• The College Selection show was last night and here is how it currently stands.  But it will look nothing like this once all is said and done. 
  
• "You were making roughly $250,000 a year when you left the bench. What’s your going rate now?" "My hourly rate is $2,500. I’m charging $25,000 to $30,000 for a mediation." --- Newly retired Dallas federal judge Barbara Lynn, now in private practice, as quoted in the Dallas Morning News on Sunday.