Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

Lot's of "Oh, the humanity" jokes about this at the time.

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• The shooting of the healthcare insurance CEO in Manhattan is one of the wilder things you'll see. Here's the full video which most networks won't play. We often hear about failed "murder for hire" cases, this feels like one a successful one. And, notably, "three bullets at the scene where the UnitedHealthcare CEO was shot reportedly had the words 'deny,' 'defend,' and 'depose' written onto them."  That's absolutely a civil litigation reference. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• From around midnight:
  
  
  
• Looks like one of the many murder cases on the docket for Wise County will be tried next week: State v. McKinley Mantrell Bradford, cause no. CR24230. It involves allegations that he killed 51-year-old Chico resident John Freeman.
  
  
  
• We are the dumbest state. Story.  And as things like schools being hamstrung by budget cuts abound, he considers THC -- in any amount -- a "priority".
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Fort Worth: Maybe the death penalty is making a comeback. 
  
  
  
• What's going on with North Richland Hills? It was the scene of the very recent drive-by shooting at the "wrong" house, and there are these two headlines over the last 24 hours:
• Here's a video of the guys running away:
  
  
  
  
• At International Leadership of Texas North Richland Hills K-8:
  
• The Business Second™.
  
  
  
• Random college football note. 
  
  
  
• Messenger - Above the Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

Fear the wrong way driver.

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• New:
  
  
  
• Fox News host Pete Hegseth's nomination by Trump for Secretary of Defendant might be in trouble:
• This seemed to cause momentum to build in getting it sidetracked a few days ago:
  
  
  
• This late yesterday:
  
  
  
• And this stunner from the Wall Street Journal is the first time I believed he might not make it:
  

  

  
  
• Hegseth's momma went to the welcoming arms of Fox and Friends this morning to defend him.
  
  
  
• The declaration of martial law in South Korea was insane. It sounds like their president just hauled off and did it on national TV at 11:00 p.m. at night with no warning to anyone.  The country then revolted, and he withdrew the declaration hours later.  He may now be done as president. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• She was seen on video clearly and freely walking across the Mexico border. But I completely missed that her dad searching for her committed suicide during the period she went missing: "Her father, Ryan Kobayashi, who had been in the search party along with volunteers, was found dead by apparent suicide on Sunday, Nov. 24, in a parking lot near LA International Airport."
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
• A couple of stories from the "Oh, my!" category.
• Pennsylvania
  
  
  
• Arizona
  
  
  
  
• I see the Tarrant County Sheriff is still doing a bang up job.  That's the eighth person to die this year. 
  
  
  
• Legal nerdy stuff: The federal judge in Hunter Biden's tax case dismissed the case yesterday in light of the pardon, but he was a little snarky about it. PDF 
• Very legal nerdy stuff in for Texas DWI cases: If someone passes the field sobriety tests, does that give the trial court enough to grant a Motion to Suppress based upon no probable cause to arrest and no probable cause to support a search warrant for blood? This appellate court said "no" yesterday and remanded the case back for trial. Incredible. 
  
  
  
• Random observation: If you regularly use the words "deep state" and "patriot", I'm incredibly suspicious of you. 

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

And this was while Obama was president. I'm surprised the Republican power brokers didn't get him fired for saying that. 

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• This seems noteworthy this morning. 
  
  
  
• This is regarding the drive-by at the wrong house. Ages 19, 18 and 17.
  
  
  
• We all know the intersection where I-35 goes over 380 as you go into Denton. Well, there was a little trouble there yesterday. Honestly, I don't know how this could happen. 
  
  
  
• The only interesting thing about the Ennis water situation is that we get to see a random mayor on TV. He's 29.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Oh, my. The trial was to begin yesterday. 
  
  
  
• Anyone with half a brain knew this film was a lie, so it's really no surprise that this news came about once the director was sued by one of the "mules." 
  
  
  
• I mentioned yesterday that Hunter Biden's lawyer had already filed a Notice of Pardon in his criminal cases to have the indictment dismissed.  The government responded yesterday saying, in essence, "Sure, nothing can happen to him because of pardon, and we can't go forward with the prosecution, but that doesn't mean the indictment just disappears." Honestly, no one is really sure how all this works from a procedural standpoint. 
  
  
  
• The Business Second™.  They make Chocxw chocolate -- which I've never heard of. 
  
  
  
• The Entertainment Second™.  The guy from “Jon & Kate Plus 8” has upgraded at that position. 
  
  
  
• $12.99?
  
  
  
• I thought all the Texas votes have been counted, but there was one straggler according to The Dallas Morning News today.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• For Ticket fans and former Ticket fans.  But the story is behind a paywall. On Wednesdays, he has been telling about his experience in rehab which is ironically entertaining. 
  
  
  
  
• Found this time waste website in the Washington Post: "Between 2009 and 2012, iPhones had a built-in 'Send to YouTube' button in the Photos app. Many of these uploads kept their default IMG_XXXX filenames, creating a time capsule of raw, unedited moments from random lives . . . . [This man created] a bot that crawled YouTube and found 5 million of these videos [which had almost no hits].  Watch them. . . ordered randomly."