The Good News: US Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon - The Bad News: Fox News and House GOP Members Spew Conspiracy Theory Over Incident

This story isn't hard to follow, but the Republican reaction to it is baffling.

China sent a spy balloon over the United States and got caught. The Pentagon and President Biden decided not to shoot it down as it hovered over Montana.

The reason was to protect Americans from falling debris. The Pentagon explained that the potential for debris on civilians on the ground or property damage was too high.

So, while the spy balloon hovered over the northern part of the country our security agencies blocked signals and other transmissions, reducing it to a piece of floating stratospheric junk.

When the balloon moved east towards the Atlantic Coast our Airforce tracked it until it was over the ocean and then shot it down. 

The Biden administration handled the tense situation well. We're not at war, are we? And no Americans had to die from a knee-jerk response.

Meanwhile in MAGA World

The whole story is being polluted with toxic lies and ridiculous conspiracy theories.

From the channel where truth goes to die, Fox News co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy told her cohorts she knows why China sent a spy balloon, and why President Joe Biden wouldn't shoot it down.

It was because of Hunter Biden's laptop, she claimed, adding it was a trial balloon testing Joe Biden to see how much control they have by threatening him with secret information on Hunter's laptop. That's why this administration hasn't shot it down yet, she brayed like a jackass.

Instead of recognizing that the whole affair was handled with caution Fox News hosts were talking like this was the most humiliating thing to ever happen to the US.

Later in the day US jets shot down the spy balloon the moment it went over the ocean on the East coast. 

It went down in 47-foot waters and is currently being retrieved. Intelligence agencies are rubbing their hands together in anticipation of what they discover about Chinese technology.

Despite that, MAGA boy toys Josh Hawley and Tom Cotton called for an investigation into the action, suggesting there was skullduggery afoot with the Biden administration.

Here's something those idiots should consider before trying to make it a partisan attack: There were three spy balloons that went across the country during the Trump administration, and they hid the fact from the public. 

There were no attempts to shoot them down.

As it stands, I find it particularly disgusting that so many GOP lawmakers and activists are trying to make political hay about a bad situation that ended so well.

Home-Schooling Children in Neo-Nazi Ideology is Happening in Ohio

It's hard to believe that children in America are being raised like good little Nazis, but it's true. 

Ohio recently made the national news when an Upper Sandusky couple was reported for distributing neo-Nazi educational material to parents who home-school their children.

The couple used a Telegram messenger channel called Dissident Homeschool that was full of racist slurs, praise for Adolph Hitler and criticism of modern public-school curriculums, according to HuffPost and Vice yesterday.

Both sources reported that there are 2,400 current members in the Dissident Homeschool program.

Parents and children in the Nazi-loving network are greeted daily with the words" As Adolf Hitler wrote..."

This network of hate was formed by a couple in Ohio during October of 2021. They openly espoused Nazi ideology and promoted white supremacy, while proudly discouraging parents from letting their children play with or have any contact with people of any other race.

The couple who started this vile network were going by false names - Mr. and Mrs. Saxon - until researchers unmasked them as Logan and Katja Lawrence who live in Upper Sandusky, Ohio with their four young children.

In a neo-Nazi podcast Achtung! Amerikaner last year Katja explained why she wanted to educate her children at home.

"We have children's best interest at heart, and nobody can do a better job than we can because it's our child. We are deeply invested into making sure that that child becomes a wonderful Nazi," she gushed.

I can't help wondering how many other home-schooling groups that spew Nazi propaganda are popping up (or already established) in other parts of the country.

The Justice Department and the FBI have been warning lawmakers that white supremacists are the number one domestic terror group in America for years.

Because we have insurrectionists, racists, and traitors among the GOP lawmakers in Congress white supremacists are shielded in society, confident they can spread their hateful messages with impunity.  

As it stands, until the majority of Americans vote out these despisers of democracy, we are going to continue to see fascism grow in our country.

Hunter Biden Finally Pushes Back Against GOP Right-Wingers After Years of Lies About Him

After six years of harassment from right-wing operatives and lawmaker's private citizen Hunter Biden is striking back.

His attorneys asked state and federal agencies to investigate the continuous and unwarranted attacks against him since Trump first came into office.

Hunters' lawyers sent letters to the Delaware attorney general, the Justice Department's National Security Division and the IRA.

His attorneys stated that a computer repair shop owner John Paul Mac Isaac's weaponized Biden's private and personal files on a laptop he left him for repair.

In the letter to the Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, Hunter's lawyers stated that Mac Isaac used unauthorized access to his laptop and distributing its contents to the New York Post for a story published two weeks before the 2020 election.

In addition, the lawyers sent a cease-and desist letter to Fox News and the network's host Tucker Carlson on Wednesday, calling for the retraction of a story broadcast on Carlson's show that was full of outright lies about Hunter.

For reasons not entirely clear, Hunter gathered together a team of lawyers who are launching investigations that involve Mac Isaac, Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, Garret Ziegler, and Robert Costello accusing them of exploiting private and personal information and manipulating it for political reasons.

It's anyone's guess what motivated Hunter to take this proactive defense at this time. Both parties can come up with reasons why he suddenly shifted his strategy to go on the attack. No one knows for sure.

To be clear, Hunter Biden has been under a federal ongoing investigation into his taxes and other issues.

One of the big political claims in the GOPs agenda is supposedly protecting private citizens from hackers and government agencies seeking information they're not entitled to.

Apparently, Hunter Biden doesn't qualify as a private citizen because he's the son of a president. That's pure bullshit dredged out of the swamp of GOP lawmakers in Congress.

As it stands, it's about time Hunter stood up and defended himself after all of these years and assaults from extreme-right Republicans.

Every Day is Groundhog Day in the Republican Party

Remember when Groundhog Day was just a tradition of having an animal predict if it was going to be a long winter or a short one?

Today is Groundhog Day.

While good turnouts continue for the century-old event, there's another Groundhog Day in our culture that lasts year-around.

The Republican Party is stuck in an endless cycle of lies and misinformation every day.

While the rest of the world moves on, the far-right fringe in the House and beyond are locked into the same political playbook that's lost them the last few elections.

The Republican National Party just re-elected the same leader and announced its two major agenda items yesterday.

1. Double down on the Big Lie and supposed voter fraud that happened in 2020 with bogus investigations in an effort to drag facts through their foul swamp.

2. Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden. The years long attacks against the president's son will now go on steroids as election deniers in the House committees go after their favorite boogeyman.

That's all folks!

The GOP agenda to pursue revenge against political opponents is the official platform of the MAGA wing in the House.

Sure, you may hear an occasional comment about fixing the immigration crisis but it's secondary to their other grievances that seek to destabilize the government and counting coup among Democratic lawmakers.

As it stands, the fact that the GOP is willing to lock itself into a daily routine of attacks against our laws and government makes it a daily Groundhog Day from hell.

Who's Stalking Zoos and Stealing/Killing Their Animals?

For some odd reason monkeys have become a prime target for thieves who have broken into two zoos recently.

Zoosiana, a zoo in Broussard, Louisiana, reported that the Squirrel Monkey exhibit was broken into overnight and 12 monkeys were stolen.

A footnote here: there is a rumor that the monkeys were taken to MAGA headquarters because they have a higher IQ than most of the members and could help Trump get re-elected.

But I digress.  

The zoo confirmed that no other animals were taken by the thief(s) and said that an investigation is ongoing as they work with local, state and federal agencies to locate the missing monkeys.

The story gets stranger.

There have been multiple reports recently of missing and dead animals at the Dallas Zoo.

Dallas police reported that two emperor tamarin monkeys were "intentionally taken" from the Dallas Zoo today.

In this case Dallas police at least have a suspect.

Kinda.

The department tweeted a photo of a man it said police were "looking to speak with" about the missing animals.

Wednesday Breaking News: Monkeys found

This recent disappearance follows other bizarre incidents involving the disappearance or deaths of animals at the Dallas Zoo.

Last week, an investigation was launched into the "suspicious" death of a vulture named Pin that was found dead in an enclosure under "unusual circumstances" the police told reporters.

A footnote here, a note was found pinned on Pin that read, "This is what snitches get!" signed DJT.

Moving on.

The Pin investigation came just over a week after a clouded leopard named Nova was intentionally let out of her habitat on Jan. 13th.

A footnote here, just got word that freshman congressman George Santos said that he climbed the tree and wrestled the big cat until it was too tired to resist whereupon he carefully lowered it to the ground to the grateful zoo officials.

Actually.

Investigators said Nova escaped through a cut-out hole forcing the zoo to close and prompting an hours-long search. Luckily for all involved Nova was found sleeping in a tree later that evening. They have no idea what maroon let Nova escape.

As it stands, I think zoos across the country should do a better job of protecting their valuable charges. 

Right and Left Media Platforms Play Up the Debt Ceiling as a Looming Armagedón

I can tell you what I don't do every morning while drinking my first cup of coffee and scanning newspaper headlines - I don't check on how big our national debt is.

My priority news list does not include reading articles on balancing the budget. I'm not a bean counter, nor will I ever be. The corrupt world of high finance is just not everyone's cup of tea.

You know what? I think there's millions of Americans who don't give a rat's ass about balancing the budget - unless of course the clowns in Congress blow it and stop all paychecks for millions of Americans.

Then there will be hell to pay.

My point is there's so many other concerns the average American has, like the rising prices of gas and food that balancing a national budget isn't the first thing they think of upon awakening.

Unless their watching the news lately which is literally saturating cable and the internet with doom and gloom scenarios designed to keep an audience in a captive thrall.

I blame all media platforms for this game of terrifying Americans when it's not necessary. For starters, there's months before a deal has to be struck before a default.

What are the odds of a default this time? I'd say scant based upon history. The last time the government shut down was Trump's fault for holding out to get money for his much bragged about wall. 

It happened in 2018.

The difficulties facing government employees forced to work without pay during that shutdown didn't go away when Trump reopened the government for three weeks on Friday January 28, 2019.

Despite the interruption of pay for all government employees they stayed on the job. It's notable that veterans and retirees pay have never been affected by a shut down. Services, yes. Not paychecks.

Historically there's been 10 shutdowns dating back to 1980. The longest - 35 days - was the one under Trump.

The current blanket media coverage on the possibility of a shutdown has been so played up that millions of Americans are needlessly worrying about a nationwide financial collapse.

The press in all of its many forms has been sensationalizing the oncoming debt deadline because fearmongering sells. 

I understand there's a slim GOP majority in the House who want to burn everything down. That is cause for concern but not worth losing sleep over.

Even the Republicans know it would be political suicide. All except the minority MAGA fringe element who are only there for performance art purposes.

As it stands, there's a lot more things to be more concerned about in our society than a squabble over money in congress.

Why Do NBA Refs Hate LeBron James...and The Lakers?

What is going on with NBA refs this year?

It's been a banner season for missed calls throughout the league. But when it comes to the Lakers it almost feels personal the way they've cheated them in (at least) four games this season during the last play of the game by not making calls on obvious fouls.

Yesterday's game with Boston (in Bean Town) is just the latest example of a blatantly bad no call. 

It cost the Lakers the game. Full stop. Re-runs of the play when LeBron was hacked on the arm while going in for a layup have gone viral on the internet today. It's also happened twice before with LeBron being hacked (or grabbed) during a crucial last second shot with the same result.

One of my favorite YouTube channels Laker Nation, hosted by Trevor Lane, covered the game. Trevor asked, at one point, what LeBron had done to piss off the refs? Did he go around in the off season to their houses and call their mothers bad names? he wondered.

For good reason. No other team in the entire league has faced so many games on the line bad calls this season.

The league is looking into what happened.

Wink! Wink!

The last three times {games} a similar Laker play was re-examined proved they were robbed. League officials said, sorry about that it was wrong, but there's nothing we can do.

Wrong.

There is something the league could do to avoid letting refs screw up in a game-on-the-line situation.

Simply put in a mandatory end of the game replay system during the last two minutes where any controversial play that comes up can be overturned by officials upon review.

With the new two-minute rule the refs can be challenged for not making a call when an obvious foul unfolds in front of them.

The way things are right now each team gets one challenge per game if they think the refs blew a call. If they use that challenge - even successfully - they don't get another one. They just get to keep their time out.

Full disclosure: I've been a Laker fan since they moved to Los Angeles. So, if this post sounds a bit biased...it probably is.

As it stands, if not for lousy refs the Lakers would be an over .500 team right now making them the 6th seed in the West... instead they're the 13th seed.

Iowa House GOP Members Should be Ashamed for Going After Food Items - like fresh meat - for SNAP Recipients

The question is how low Republicans are willing to go to deprive people of food?

For no good reason other than sheer meanness, Iowa House Republicans are proposing a bill that would place restrictions on the state's Supplemental Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, limiting who qualifies for food assistance and what foods they can buy.

Over 250,000 Iowans rely on SNAP and if the new bill, House File 3 passes, it dictates what people can and cannot buy at grocery stores. And it gets worse. Other public assistance programs such as Medicaid would be targeted for cutbacks too.

It makes my blood boil to see the proposed restrictions that would affect low-income, older, and disabled Iowans. The new bill would make sure they couldn't purchase items like fresh meat, white bread, or sliced cheese.

This is America for cripes sake! Iowa is the heartland of the country, but its GOP House majority don't seem to have hearts. The 40 morons pushing the bill must get a feeling of power restricting what the needy in their state can even eat.

This heartless bill only allows people to buy 100% whole wheat bread, brown rice and 100% whole wheat pasta - no white grains allowed. 

Also, on the "Do not buy list" are baked, refried or chili beans. Instead, recipients must purchase black, red, and pinto beans. Cooking oils, spices, and salt and pepper would have to be crossed off the shopping list, along with soup, and canned vegetables and fruit.

Forget about fresh meat. Apparently needy people don't deserve it. If they want meat, it'll have to be canned tuna or salmon. Sliced, cubed, crumbled, and American cheese would also be eliminated.

If this list sounds vicious, it's because it is. I don't know how those GOP lawmakers can sleep at night. 

What's the purpose of this inhuman treatment? Is it a punishment for needing help? Is it a misguided attempt to save taxpayers money? 

No.

Believe it or not those legislators argue that the money allocated toward food security could be...are you ready for it? ...better spent on "other priorities!"

What's more important that feeding needy people? 

In case you think this bill is an outlier think again. The GOP is also targeting SNAP on a national level. They think cutting back food for 41 million Americans nationwide is a good political strategy. 

The next step in Iowa is for the vile bill to be discussed in a subcommittee. What happens next is anyone's guess.

The MAGA party is going too far in its attempts to disenfranchise the poor and create more food insecurity in the nation. I suspect voters won't forget this campaign against the needy in 2024.

As it stands, it must be embarrassing being a Republican these days when people can see they're in an un-American cult.

Conservative Clowns Shed Crocodile Tears After Newsmax is Dumped by DirecTV

Entitled conservative clowns have themselves to blame for Newsmax being dropped by the Pay-TV carrier DirecTV.

What happened is greed overcame the Newsmax leadership this week and they demanded license fees in a new deal.

The company offered to continue carrying Newsmax under the current agreement, but made it clear they weren't going to be held hostage. To be clear, it's the same agreement all the other DirecTV customers have agreed to.

That fact however is overlooked by right-wing conservative goons who have decided it's a liberal conspiracy against them. 

This is not a new issue with the snowflake conspiracy loons who have been blubbering about right-wing outlets being "deplatformed" and "demonetized" for years.

MAGA Morons to the Rescue

Because the House is now run by trolls Newsmax's bullshit complaints will be investigated as if they were valid claims. Which of course they aren't. 

For example

After dropping Newsmax DirecTV signed another right-wing channel "The First" to replace it in its lineup.

As we all know facts whither into lies in MAGA world where an alternative reality is playing itself out for the world to see.

The ringmaster for the House Committee clown show - Weaponization of the Government - James Comer pledged to fix things for Newsmax and to restore them to DirecTV's platforms.

The GOP grievance list is endless and we're sure to see a lot of frivolous investigations wasting taxpayer dollars in the next two years.

As it stands, the more I read and see what right-wingers are doing to damage our democracy and society, the more I'm convinced they're domestic terrorists. 

Stressed Out Americans Wonder What Chaos the Next Day Will Bring

                                 Okay. 

I think we can all agree that we're weary of being afraid of daily crisis's that can affect our lives negatively. We tired of the rampant polarization in the country.

Americans are fed up with the high prices of products. Especially food. 

We've survived three years of a pandemic that killed over a million Americans and continues to kill people today, although the mortality rate is lower now than it was in the prior two years.

We survived a coup attempt by a former president who couldn't admit he lost the last presidential election in 2020. But the danger to democracy still exists.

MAGA Republicans now have control of the House of Representatives. 

The insurrectionist lawmakers who went along with Trump's attempt to overthrow a legal election are now on powerful committees defending Trump's actions and attacking (with pointless investigations) the FBI and the Justice Department to create chaos in congress.

The chaos goes beyond politics as we watch mother nature batter the planet we so stupidly polluted.  

Every winter is more severe as climatologists look at earth's past and mega events like 600 miles of the Antarctic breaking away in one day. Record floods and fires are becoming the norm from coast to coast.

When it comes to the weather, I'm really tired of hearing about how unprecedented the climatic events are. 

We know the weather is getting worse every year on this weary planet, but all the nations refuse to do anything about it. It's not exactly a great moment for humanity and the payoff is extinction.

As it stands, we should be glad we don't know what the next day brings. We might not want to get up!

Albert Einstein once said, "I never think of the future. It comes soon enough."

What We Have Here is a Failure to Communicate: Too Many Classified Documents Found in All of the Wrong Places

Secret documents have been leaking out of government offices for so long no one knows when the problem first started.

Former lawmakers and scholars pin the problem on the government's system for labeling and tracking classified documents. 

It's broken. 

There's a consensus among lawmakers (believe it or not) that there is a "systemic failure" in keeping track of classified documents after tenures ended.

Recently revelations that Trump, Biden, and Pence all had classified documents at their homes has shaken Washington DC to the core.

One reason is the fact that the National Archives and other agencies involved in transporting documents are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of classified documents... that didn't necessarily need classifying.

"You have 50 million classification decisions each year - 90% of which are probably unnecessary. That's a lot of rules that have to be complied with every hour of the day. And someone is going to slip," Elizabeth Goitein, a national security law expert at the Brennan Center for Justice recently told reporters.

Basically after 9/11 every lawmaker in Congress wanted every bit of their correspondence to be classified. I wouldn't be surprised if some lunch menus were classified by overzealous parties.

There appears to be a common conclusion that the chain of custody was sloppy about returning classified documents.

What makes this whole mess scary is the thought of how many classified documents are ending up in a foreign enemy's procession? It's obviously a national security issue that has to be addressed immediately.

As it stands, what we have here is a failure to communicate!