Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

Someonw hit the "pay" button twice. 

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• A child was killed in a house fire in Fort Worth last night. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• "The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the first, a 7.2 magnitude quake, was near the town of San Felipe, about 100 miles west of the capital, Caracas. It was followed 39 seconds later by a second, larger earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.5 and was close to the town of Yumare, the USGS said."
  

  

  
  
• I haven't read this story. but that's a wild opening sentence. 
  
  
  
• "Family members said the pair left their hotel at around 7 a.m. Tuesday to hike the Hanauma Bay Rock Bridge Trail, according to officials. Passersby found a backpack containing the man's belongings near the trail at 8:45 a.m. and notified the Honolulu Police Department, the release said." That's a short trail and not difficult:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Trump did the strangest thing yesterday by cancelling the public ceremony for the signing of a bill on housing affordability only hours before it was to begin. It was an easy win, but he screwed it up.
  

  

  
  
  
  
• New banners on Department of the Interior.  I'll say it again: He's not leaving.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• As the flooring for the UFC fights on the White House lawn is removed, we now see the condition of the grass and it is not good,
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The Business Second™. From the list of the most read stories in the Dallas Morning News right now. 
  
  
  
• The Supreme Court will release more opinions at 9:00  a.m. this morning. These are the big ones still to be decided: 
  
  
  
• Legal nerdy stuff: You don't see the "ecclesiastical abstention doctrine" being used to get a case dismissed, but it worked yesterday.
  
  
  
• Messenger - Above the Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

The vote for Brexit in order to make Britain great again hasn't exactly turned out as planned. 

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• Does Wise County have an emergency health care problem? In the last week, I've seen two stories in the Messenger where medical helicopters from the metroplex were called in after motor vehicle accidents (only to be turned down due to "weather"), and then the injured were transported by ground to metroplex hospitals or Denton and not to the hospital in Decatur. 
• These sentences yesterday out of a Fort Worth federal court seemed a little harsh. (This is the case where the judge declared a mistrial after he objected to one of the defense lawyer's t-shirt.)  
  
  
  
  
• As I understand this story, after voir dire was complete and legal wrangling was over, the district clerk called the names of those "selected" to be on the jury. The judge then excused the big panel of jurors which didn't make the cut.  After that, it was discovered that the clerk only called 10 names, not 12, so they were two jurors short. 
  
  
  
  
• Gift link for the first day of testimony.  
  
  
  
• A new park in Frisco is taking strays from the New York Post.  (But just leaning into it -- a prison themed park -- might not be a bad idea. Kids will eat it up.)
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Cancel your vacation reservations.
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• We're so doomed.  We've got extras from Urban Cowboy deciding to teach the Bible in schools.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Crazy thing Trump said yesterday: 
  
  
  
• There were a slew of Supreme Court opinions released yesterday, but one that really confused me was the one which allowed Exxon to sue Cuba for nationalizing its properties in 1960 shortly after Castro took over by revolution. That's been a while back.
  

  

  
  
• The NFL had to put on an anti-gambling dog and pony show yesterday (as it takes in millions in gambling ads and gaming partnerships.)
  
  
• The New York Post is having a stroke this morning . . . 

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

The swim coach actually got indicted over this for criminally negligent homicide, was found guilty, and sentenced to three years of probation. 

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• This was caught on video, and one officer clearly shot a civilian at point blank range.  But if you watch it (graphic warning), you can see how it could happen. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Midland is in the news again for another shooting.  Absolutely no details are available as to what happened other than this was allegedly committed by an employee at work. 
  
  
  
• Dateline Azle. 
  
  
  
• I don't mind this strategy, but I wouldn't have announced it during jury selection. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• You're getting a little greedy there, buddy. 
  
  
  
  
• Oh, my. (It happened near the Louisiana border.)
  
  
  
• He will lie about anything. 
  

  

  
  
• Flashback: May 4th. 
  
  
  
• Then he got bent out of shape over this guy doing a pretty funny bit. (And thought he needed to explain the bit.) 
  
  
  
• I watched a little of this case.  The prosecution never had a chance. Video of verdict reading is here
  
  
  
  
  
  
• I made the switch to YouTube TV and, let me tell you, huge thumbs up.  It's fantastic.