Random Friday Morning Thoughts

“Miss Universe 2015 is … Colombia!” But she wasn't. Host Steve Harvey screwed up, and the crown was removed (above) a few minutes later after the mistake.

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• "Terrell police said officers responded at approximately 5:29 p.m. on Dec. 24 in the 200 block of Rash Lane, where four people were pronounced dead at the scene." That's all we know. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• This headline is from last Saturday, but the Go Pro video from a motorcyclist only came to light in the last couple of days.  To say "speed was a factor" doesn't come close to describing it. 
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Hey, we are bombing people on Christmas Day in our own Holy War. 
  
  
  
• This note buried in the news on Christmas Eve may be one of the biggest developments of the destruction of democracy so far:  The White House is now the mouthpiece for the Justice Department.
  
  
  
• And what is one of the first thing the Trump's guys tweet out? They just "found" a million Epstein documents so don't expected any release of them for a few weeks. That's one way to shut the whole thing down. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
• That is one weird "6".
  
  
  
• Trump talking to kids on the phone on Christmas Eve is always a dicey proposition. 
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
• I'll never understand how the Republicans just totally abandoned the mantra of "local control." 
  
  
  
  
•  Very random sports thoughts:
• I'm really surprised he did this.
  
  
  
  
• You can do this? 
  
  
  
• Lauren Whitener Clock: 6 years and 176 days.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

WFAA was getting a little edgy back then. And this wasn't even a DFW family -- they were in Florida. 

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• The Hardest Working Man in Show Business™. 
• The Supreme Court was not out Christmas shopping late yesterday afternoon, as it handed down a big decision.  It was a 5-3 ruling with Kavanaugh and Roberts joining the three liberal judges.  Seems like the Supreme Court might be reeling in Trump, right? 
  
  
  
• Not so fast. Kavanaugh wrote a concurrence and basically said that Trump should have instead used the Insurrection Act or, amazingly, just sent in the U.S. military instead of the National Guard.   It's over. 
  
  
  
  
• ♪ "It's beginning to look a lot like Chrissssssss . . . . "♪
  
  
  
• Response times for Dallas PD are incredible. (h/t Bud Kennedy)
  
  
  
• This is fantastic. Go inside Trump's Oval Office.  (Gift link.)
  
  
  
• “I am aware that the timing could not be worse,” the US Attorney’s Office leadership wrote in an emergency email to the office on Tuesday. “For some the holidays are about to begin, but I know that for others the holidays are coming to an end.”   
  
  
  
• Of all of the Epstein documents, this one by a assistant U.S. Attorney seems important. The  memos referred to in it have yet be released. 
  
  
  
• Howard Lutnick lies everytime he opens his mouth.  And with no pushback here from Fox News.  These two are whoppers:
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• The Business Second™.  Say what?
  
  
  
• Random thought: Did they ever catch this guy? 
  
  
  
• Messenger - Above the Fold

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

This was real story with multiple news agencies running with it.  There's never be a single thing written about it since. 

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• Allegedly friendly fire.
  
  
  
• Every time I see a story about an "influencer" my first question is always, "Who?"
  
  
  
• So it will be just short of the record high set in .  . .  2021?
  
  
  
• A new batch of Epstein files has been released and this time the Justice Department is truly acting as Trump's defense lawyer in their press release. They aren't even pretending not to be.
  
  
  
  
• I've been burying the lede.  This must be at least one of the things the Justice Department and the Administration are worried about: A letter allegedly written by Epstein to another famous sex offender, Larry Nassar, days before Epstein's death. And Epstein references Trump. Oh, my! (Source files of DOJ's release: Here and here and here) 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
•  An assistant U.S. Attorney wrote in 2020: "Donald Trump traveled on Epstein's private jet many more times than previously has been reported...including during the period we would expect to charge in a Maxwell case...didn't want any of this to be a surprise down the road"
  


• It just keeps getting dumber and dumber. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Speaking of . . . 
  
• JD Vance has entered the cosplay world. 
  
  
  
• Welcome to the Autocracy update:
• How close is Trump to shutting down the New York Times? Seriously. If you woke up one morning and found it to have happened, would you be surprised?
  
  
  
• ICE has a new online ad. 
  
  
  
• Answer: Decatur's own Nate Palmer.
  
• This is really the cover of the USA Today this morning. A paid ad - and a wild one at that.