Today's Liberal News

Mark Sumner

McCarthy’s 14th defeat brings chaos to new levels as House Republicans raise the bar on ‘disarray’

In the fourteenth round of his failure to bribe his way into the speaker’s chair, Kevin McCarthy missed by one vote. Then McCarthy went up to Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert and tried to get them to change their votes. Whatever Gaetz said in reply, it snapped McCarthy around as he was walking down the aisle and Rep, Mike Rogers had to be restrained—as in grabbed by the head—to keep him from plunging into the seats to get at Gaetz.

McCarthy’s 14th defeat brings chaos to new levels as House Republicans raise the bar on ‘disarray’

In the fourteenth round of his failure to bribe his way into the speaker’s chair, Kevin McCarthy missed by one vote. Then McCarthy went up to Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert and tried to get them to change their votes. Whatever Gaetz said in reply, it snapped McCarthy around as he was walking down the aisle and Rep, Mike Rogers had to be restrained—as in grabbed by the head—to keep him from plunging into the seats to get at Gaetz.

Ukraine update: Once again, Ukraine demonstrates that intelligence is the most important weapon

UPDATE: Tuesday, Jan 3, 2023 · 8:43:05 PM +00:00

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Mark Sumner

Just a quick look at the area around Kupyansk, where nothing much seems to have changed in the last week. 

Kupyansk Area. Open in another tab for a larger view.

I’ve added red explosions to this map to note the locations that the Ukrainian Army reported as either being shelled, or repelling an attack, on Jan 2.

Ukraine Extra: Why did President Zelenskyy talk about the Battle of Saratoga?

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the U.S. Congress, there were moments in his speech that generated spontaneous applause and standing ovations. But there was at least one moment that Zelenskyy likely expected to get a much bigger response from his American audience.

It’s easy to think of Zelenskyy back in Kyiv, planning this trip with his small circle of advisers, wondering just what he might say in order to best serve the needs of Ukraine.

Ukraine update: If NATO wants to send Ukraine a modern tank, this is a good choice

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in front of Congress, his speech included a not-so-subtle hint at what Ukraine needs to prosecute their counteroffensive to a successful conclusion.

Ukraine never asked the American soldiers to fight on our land instead of us. I assure you that Ukrainian soldiers can perfectly operate American tanks and planes themselves.

Ukraine Extra: The one television series that best explains the march into authoritarianism

UPDATE: Sunday, Dec 25, 2022 · 10:28:08 PM +00:00

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kos

Christmas Eve on the front line pic.twitter.com/n6OtITz2dy— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 25, 2022

Merry Christmas, everyone.

This might not seen at first to have much to do with Ukraine. There’s not a tank or APC in sight and though there are drones, they’re of a very different sort. Still, hang with me for a moment.

Ukraine update: The battle for Svatove approaches as Ukraine reportedly liberates four more villages

UPDATE: Saturday, Dec 24, 2022 · 9:45:52 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

#NewsMap Great news from #Opytne, just south of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian forces regained around 80% of the settlement. pic.twitter.com/FDsbTIjoJG— Julian Röpcke🇺🇦 (@JulianRoepcke) December 24, 2022

The latest advances show that Ukraine has reportedly liberated a series of four villages just west of Svatove.

Ukraine update: 100,000 Russian soldiers have died. Bakhmut stands

UPDATE: Thursday, Dec 22, 2022 · 11:09:38 PM +00:00

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Mark Sumner

💬 Russian MFA Spokesperson Maria Zakharova: Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations @SergiyKyslytsya tweeted a new flag of Ukraine 👇 This is exactly what we’ve been talking about all these years – though no one believed. Well, congrats! https://t.

Trump paid no taxes in half of the last six years and his returns have dozens of potential issues

On Tuesday evening, the House Ways and Means Committee voted 24 to 16 to release information it has obtained on Donald Trump’s tax returns. Some of that information has already been made available to the public. The report shows that Trump, while running as a successful billionaire, reported massive losses on his business dealings in the years just before entering the White House.

The information released to the public includes the years 2015 through 2020.

Musk bans journalists, lies about the reason, and storms off in snit during Thursday Night Ass-acre

UPDATE: Friday, Dec 16, 2022 · 8:08:34 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

It’s not over.

Overnight, at least nine journalists were banned from Twitter in a vivid demonstration that new owner Elon Musk views the idea of consistent, fair rules for everyone with nothing but contempt. Some of the journalists involved had been reporting on the earlier suspension of the ElonJet account, which posted already public information about the flight plans of his personal jet.

Thursday Night Massacre: Elon Musk indulges in a personal purge of journalists from Twitter

UPDATE: Friday, Dec 16, 2022 · 3:47:56 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

So far, nothing from @bariweiss or @mtaibbi on the banning of journalists from Twitter.— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) December 16, 2022

UPDATE: Friday, Dec 16, 2022 · 3:33:44 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

Musk is now claiming that the journalists involved “posted my exact real-time location, basically assassination coordinates.

Ukraine update: ‘A tsar tells them to go to war, and they go … Russian mobilization has worked’

UPDATE: Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 · 11:33:32 PM +00:00

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Mark Sumner

For anyone who was actually concerned about those forces from Belarus that were all over the media two days ago…

🔙 The 38th Airborne Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Belarus, which was transferred to the Ukrainian border as part of a sudden check of combat readiness, is already returning to Brest— Ukrainska Pravda in Engl

Ukraine update: Russia fails in attempts to push back Ukrainian troops around Kreminna and Svatove

UPDATE: Wednesday, Dec 14, 2022 · 4:40:40 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner

The situation in Bakhmut is reported to be bad and getting worse this evening. Russia launching wave attacks one on top of another, and coming at the city from multiple directions. Even though Ukraine has been able to push back some of these attacks, and even reclaim ground in some areas, the situation is approaching a critical point.

A new pandemic is killing hundreds of millions of birds, and some species may be completely lost

The flu virus can infect practically every species of mammal. It’s also capable of infecting birds. For a disease to readily infect two groups whose last common ancestor lived somewhere between 320 and 340 million years ago is pretty unusual, but far from unheard of. After all, there are good half a dozen bacterial diseases that you can get from handling a turtle. Even so, flu is extraordinary in how it has adapted to such a variety of hosts.

Jan. 6 committee considering charges against Trump, Meadows, Eastman, Clark, and Giuliani

When Rep. Bennie Thompson first stated that the House select committee on Jan. 6 intended to send referrals for criminal charges to the Department of Justice, he said the committee was in general agreement, but hadn’t yet determined just how many charges it would forward. 

“I wish I could tell you one, two, three, four,” said Thompson, “but that’s all still being discussed.

DOJ recommends that Trump’s legal team be held in contempt over holding onto classified documents

The Department of Justice has asked District Court Judge Beryl Howell to hold “Trump’s office” in contempt over refusals to comply with a May subpoena to produce classified documents. Details of just who this affects and what action is being requested are not yet available, as the filing has been made under seal.

The Washington Post reports that, according to their sources, Judge Howell has not yet responded to this request.