Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

A video of two OU fraternity guys, ages 19 and 20, singing a racist chant with racial slurs got the nation's attention. It also got them kicked out of school, and the fraternity shut down and banned from the university. 

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• A wild evening in Lubbock. These videos (here and here) are bizarre.
  
  
   

  

  Yep, that's green. 

  
  
• It's a good thing he was a bad shot. 
  
  
  
• Oklahoma does not have a statute of limitations on these crimes, and the allegations against Robert Morris involved acts from 40 years ago. (PDF of indictment.) There probably should be a statute of limitations.
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Let's check in on Elon Musk's SpaceX.
• At least this one didn't blow up. 
  
  
  
• But Musk got $17.5 million of your tax dollars from Texas yesterday.
  
  
  
• It seems like you either need the fire chief's "permission" or you don't.
  
  
  
  
• We have the public speaker count (signed up) for the voucher scam bill's committee hearing.  Tell Rep. Andy Hopper to vote no and prove he's not a puppet for the West Texas oilmen. 
  
  
  
• He's at it again this morning. 
  
  
  
• So what was this all about in the first place. For a dog and pony show?
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Pam Bondi, the Attorney General of the United States, sent a one page memo to all employees on the important criminal justice issue of . . .  paper straws. 
  
  
  
• Say what? Video. 
  
  
  
• Legal nerdy stuff mixed with authoritarianism  (Gift link)  .
  
   
  
  
  
• Messenger - Above the Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

Wikipedia entry. 

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• More flip-flops on tariffs yesterday as Canada retaliated, Trump retaliated back, and then both sides backed down. But this morning the European Union has entered the fray since Trump's 25% steel and aluminum tariffs went into effect at midnight.  I have no idea why Trump wants to self-inflict this gunshot to the U.S. economy. 
  
• Sheesh.
  
   
  
• Trump turned into Clay Cooley yesterday as he tried to sell Teslas in front of the White House with Elon by his side. It's Idiocracy once again. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Seriously, he was trying to actually sell cars (as captured by this Gettys photo.) It's corruption at a dystopian level.  
  
  
  
• Fox News' Peter Doocy better be careful or he's going to get fired for questions like this and this.
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Since Congress is the only way to completely eliminate a Department, the Administration has found a work around: Just fire all the employees. 
  
  
  
• The Texas Voucher Scam bill is being debated in committee, but that committee went all night to try and get the hearing over with before the outcry grows louder.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Update.
  
  
  
• That's what I've been thinking. 
  
  
  
• For those who care: As predicted, government filings from yesterday reveal that he was immediately moved to Louisiana so that the government can make the claim that no New York judge has jurisdiction over the case. 
• I think this is a way of saying that so many people have died in his jail that he can't keep up with them all.
  
• How many other times has he (1) rejected a case on a Sunday, (2) when the case hadn't even been presented to his office yet, and (3) where the arrest was less than 24 hours ago?
  
  
  
• And just as I'm about to hit "publish", I see this: "TORONTO (AP) — AP sources say Canada will announce more than $20 billion in retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump's metal tariffs."

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

Because seven ticket holders couldn't see the Super Bowl, a lawsuit about it actually went to trial  in federal court in Dallas and lasted two weeks. They were awarded $76,000. And do you recognize the plaintiffs' lawyer addressing the press afterwards? That's the currently incarcerated Michael Avenetti.

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• At least Ukraine won't let the U.S. abandoning them prevent them from putting up a fight.
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
• Twitter was down a great part of the day yesterday as Musk, without providing proof, blamed Ukraine for a denial of service cyberattack while a different group took responsibility. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• We had a big ship collision off the coast of England. A Portuguese-flagged cargo ship collided with a US-flagged oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate. Flames then erupted.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Canada and China surgically struck back:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Update regarding the permanent resident alien from yesterday. PDF of order. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Related opinion piece:
  
  
  
• Elon Musk, for some reason known only to him, called a US Navy combat pilot, a NASA astronaut, and now as a US Senator, a "traitor" for visiting Ukraine. 
  
  
  
• Trump came to the aid of his BFF this morning by telling all of his MAGA disciples to go buy a Tesla.  Side note: What's "illegal" about most people not wanting to buy a car from a Nazi? 
  
  
  
• Tell Wise County state rep Andy Hopper to vote "no" on school vouchers and to not gut and harm our rural Texas schools. (Link to new poll.)
  

  

  
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Let's check in on Fox News.
  
  
  
• In a weird trial in federal court in Dallas, County Judge Clay Jenkins is being sued by a BlazeTV online host who accuses Jenkins of prematurely shutting him down during the public forum period at a commissioners' court meeting.  To make it odder, an arrest for a "panty raid" by Jenkins while a student at Baylor is at the center of it all. Thread from yesterday's proceedings. 
  
  
  
• Pretty crazy story over in Gainesville where the current district judge is being accused by the current District Attorney of having withheld evidence in case when she served as the District Attorney.   
  
  
  
• The Business Second™. 
  
  
  
• The odd Houston misdemeanor judge posted a very weird court clip yesterday.