Author: condor

Rift Valley Fever, Rising Again — In Senegal. Damnation.

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

At our last update — there were 17 dead.

Today there are 26 dead. This is mostly horrific, because the bulk of the deaths were clearly… preventible — here’s a bit:

…Senegal has now recorded 302 confirmed cases, including 26 deaths, in its growing Rift Valley fever outbreak.

In total, 227 patients have recovered, the Ministry of Health said in its most recent update.

The outbreak has now spread to eight regions in the country, most recently Thies.

Last week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the outbreak’s case-fatality rate as 7.9%. Rift Valley fever usually affects livestock but can spread to people via contact with the body fluids of infected animals or through mosquito bites. . . .

Now you know — and obviously, the cuts to USAID are exacerbating these affliciton/fatality totals. Disgusting.

नमस्ते

Yep — USDC Judge Waverly Crenshaw Is Going To Dump The Noemites, In Nashville, Next Week. You Heard It Here, First.

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I’ve said it repeatedly, here — Sean Hecker and his team… are the most able immigration private plaintiffs’ counsel… I’ve ever seen. [And I’ve seen… a lot of them, in my two decades of regular pro bono practice, here in Chicago.]

So do read this — as it is a master-class, in a terse eight pager — just filed:

…What is most significant about the government’s opposition to Mr. Abrego’s motion to suppress is what it concedes. It concedes that Trooper Brawner falsely stated that the speed limit was 65 miles per hour when it was actually 70. It concedes, too, that there is no evidence of any techniques Trooper Brawner used to measure Mr. Abrego’s speed—no radar, no vehicle data, no contemporaneous or subsequent report of Trooper Brawner’s stop of Mr. Abrego. Instead, the government offers justifications for the stop with no basis in the case law: That it was reasonable for a Tennessee Highway Patrolman to misread (or misrepresent) a posted speed limit; that it was reasonable to misapprehend Mr. Abrego’s speed when pulling him over for speeding; or that Trooper Brawner’s account of the stop will be credible merely because he bears no personal animus toward Mr. Abrego….

So the question is simple: did Trooper Brawner employ the standard — accurate, testable — law enforcement tools to assess Mr. Abrego’s speed? If so, the omission of that evidence from the government’s brief is unusual; if not, then there was nothing “reasonable,” nor lawful, about this stop….

Because officers’ authority to conduct pretextual stops is broad, it is “the responsibility of the courts to make sure that police officers act appropriately and not abuse the power legally afforded to them by, among other things, carefully scrutinizing” the justification for the initial stop. Hill, 195 F.3d at 267. The government must be held to its burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that this stop was “supported by specific and articulable facts.” (Dkt. 175 at 4 (quoting United States v. Blair, 524 F.3d 740, 750 (6th Cir. 2008))). The government offers no such facts.

For the foregoing reasons, Mr. Abrego respectfully requests that the Court suppress the traffic stop and all evidence deriving from it….

Get ’em, Mr. Hecker! I love it. This whole house of cards is likely to fall in on itself, next week — in Music City — on the Fifth of November (after all the evidence is in, on the Fourth). See you there!

नमस्ते

[U: Court Has Concluded.] Bovino Grilling: Live Blog From The City Of Big Shoulders!

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And so — this is exactly how we right the ship.

The ship of lawful due process — and democracy:

We are underway… “All rise!”.

➣ Judge Ellis is explaining that she (and Bovino) took oaths to uphold the Constitution….

➣ Judge Ellis says “based on the videos I’ve reviewed, it is hard to imagine how the force you used… was necessary. There was no immediate threat to your officers.” This violates my TRO.

➣ “This includes shooting people in the neck with rubber bullets, and officers throwing women who are not resisting to the pavement — and sitting on them.”

➣ “Your officers must give loud clear warnings, before using gas or rubber bullets.”

➣ “Your agents must wear ID clearly visible in at least two places on their body, during any crowd control operations — and if they have helmets on, one place must be on their helmets.”

➣ All operations must faithfully follow the detailed regulations I am incorporating into this order. This includes keeping body cams operating at all times, she orders.

➣ Bovino says he will start wearing a body cam “by Friday.” Geez!

➣ Bovino keeps saying he “can’t tell what happened”… but much of the video is OF HIM!….

➣ By close of business on Friday, Bovino must provide all agent reports with body cams, and within 24 hours of any incident….

➣ Every day (starting tomorrow), Bovino must personally appear here in court at 6 pm — and report under oath, on all “incidents” of the day!

We are adjourned, for lunch — back at 1:30 pm CDT.

ACTUAL ORDER, AS ENTERED | MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis:

Court hearing held. The Court enters and continues Plaintiffs’ motion to modify the TRO [142] to the date of the preliminary injunction hearing on 11/5/2025. The Court orders Defendants to have all Federal Agents operating in Operation Midway Blitz to place an identifier conspicuously on their uniform where one can easily view it and the Agent’s equipment does not obscure it.

Customs and Border Protection will strive to ensure that all CBP agents working in Operation Midway Blitz have body−worn cameras. Additionally, Defendant Bovino has agreed to have a body−worn camera assigned to him by 10/31/2025 and have completed BWC training.

The Court orders Defendants to provide to the Court, under seal, all CBP use of force reports relating to Operation Midway Blitz from 9/2/2025 through 10/25/2025, by close of business 10/31/2025. The Court further orders Defendants to provide to the Court, under seal, all BWC video corresponding to the use of force reports from 9/2/2025 through 10/25/2025 filed with the Court by COB 10/31/2025. The Court orders Defendants to provide to the Court, under seal, all additional CBP use of force reports and corresponding BWC video within 24 hours of finalization of the CBP reports.

The Court orders Defendant Bovino to appear in court, in person, week days at 5:45 PM (modifying the Court’s oral order during the hearing to account for the security needs of the Dirksen Courthouse) in courtroom 1403 to report on the use of force activities for each day.

Finally, the Court orders Defendants to provide to the Court, under seal, by close of business on 10/31/2025 a chart containing the names, dates of arrest or detention, charges or citations, and resolution of the arrest or detention (e.g., released with charging, charged with misdemeanor, charged with felony, given summons, or given citation) for all individuals detained or arrested by CBP from 9/2/2025 through 10/29/2025 that is not directly related to an immigration enforcement violation, such as a failure to appear for an immigration appointment or an outstanding order of removal.

The Court denies Defendants’ oral motion to stay this order. The Court denies Defendants’ oral motion to stay Defendant Bovino’s deposition.

Emailed notice….

So do keep hitting refresh on your browsers. Onward.

नमस्ते

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

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That’s all there is to say, about Mirengoff’s latest BS on ICE.

He claims to know things he cannot possibly know (he clearly hasn’t reviewed the actual court filings).

He doubts other things… with zero evidence, to allow for such doubt.

He defends the indefensible — which is backed by very solid contra-evidence — most of that, is in fact… on video.

And now most of it is… on file in the Chicago federal district courthouse, before USDC Judge Sara Ellis — who will tomorrow possibly jail the BP/ICE Commander named Bovino — for repeatedly and wilfully violating her TRO.

And he (thankfully — helpfully!) puts it all behind his paywall… (so, about 11 people will ever read it — and five of those are likely just relatives!) because it simply beclowns any claim by him that he believes in any rule of law, any longer.

Trump’s “might makes right” is all that matters tonight for Paul.

What a putz.

USDC Judge Crenshaw Orders Noemites To Hand Him The Vindictiveness Documents, For A “His Eyes Only” Review…

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Excellent. This is what checks and balances look like.

And… Sean Hecker wins… again.

Here’s the latest, out of Judge Crenshaw, down in Nashville:

…ORDER as to Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia:

For the reasons stated in the contemporaneously filed Memorandum Opinion, Abregos Motion to Compel (Doc. No. [159]) is GRANTED to the extent that the Court will conduct a preliminary in camera review of the discovery and decide whether a production to Abrego is necessary. To that end, the Government shall produce the following documents to the Court no later than noon on Wednesday, 10/29/2025. The Government shall deliver responsive documents under seal to this Court in care of Chief Deputy Clerk Vicki Kinkade. . . .

[T]he Government shall produce the following documents to the Court no later than noon on Wednesday, October 29, 2025: (1) all documents that reflect individuals who directed the Government’s change in position from “deport but not prosecute” to “prosecute and then deport”; (2) all documents that reflect the circumstances that motivated that change in position; (3) any emails between the Deputy Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee between March 24, 2025 and June 6, 2025, that the Government has apparently already identified, (Doc. No. 178 at 5); (4) emails or any other documents drafted by Ben Schraeder about the Abrego case that the Government has apparently already identified, (id. at 7); and (5) all documents received or sent by HIS Baltimore Agent John VanWie between March 24, 2025 and June 6, 2025, that the Government has apparently already identified, (id. at 6). Specifically, the Government shall deliver responsive documents under seal to this Court in care of Chief Deputy Clerk Vicki Kinkade….

Signed by District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr on 10/27/2025….

Onward, resolutely.

नमस्ते

At 9:45 AM Tomorrow — On The 14th Floor Of Dirksen Bldg. — More Than Commander Bovino BP/ICE To Be Grilled, And Held In Contempt?! I’ll Be There.

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As we said last week,the supremely able USDC Judge Sara L. Ellis will question Commander Bovino (a Noemite), under oath. But now summonses for at least a dozen others have gone out. I don’t think Noem herself, or Miller — will be hauled into court tomorrow… but stranger things have happened when a Chicago federal judge’s TRO orders are wilfully and wantonly violated (as here). Over, and over… again.

Doubly so, when peaceful marchers are exercising their Constitutional right to protest — and help protect, their fellow good neighbors… from warrantless arrests, searches and seizures — on private property. These feds must respect local law. And the local law in Chicago… is we have a welcoming ordinance, and we are a sanctuary city. These laws have been blessed by the Supremes in Trump 1.0. So nothing has really changed.

Be ready for a banger of a live blog tomorrow. Damn. Read the supplemented / updated motion, here (detailing Friday’s violations — with video, again!):

…Most of the protestors were slowly walking in pace with the SUVs as they moved through the neighborhood. See, e.g., Exhibit 90. The protestors were non-violent and, though strongly opposed to the presence of the agents, were filming, blowing whistles, and expressing their desire that the agents leave their neighborhood. Id.; see also Exhibit 93 at 0:00-38….

Without any verbal warning, and without any threat to the officers, an agent in the SUV going backwards threw a tear gas canister out of the window of the car directly at a group of people. See Exhibit 93 at 0:39-41. Almost immediately after, what appears to be the same agent threw a second tear gas canister out of the vehicle window at the same group of residents in the street. Id. at 0:41-1:00. As before, no warning was given before the second canister was deployed….

Do stay tuned. We the people… are… unafraid. These are OUR streets. “This is what democracy looks like!”

नमस्ते

Bill And Paul Are 100% Right About This — But Damn Them, For “Not Seeing This Is What They Voted For.”

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Yes, yes, Bill Otis. Pardoning CZ surely smells like Trump financing terrorists — and taking an open, and notorious… bribe. From a partner in his still-emerging family crypto- empire. Damnation.

But these dipsh!ts voted for exactly this. They absolutely well knew that this was the essence — of his immutable nature. A… criminal nature. A career criminal’s… mind.

This is what Tangerine 1.0 looked like, quite clearly — as well.

Even so, it is nice that these doofuses now recognize they screwed their own patriotic principles with their 2016, and 2020 and 2024 votes:

…As the National Review put it, the President’s pardon last week of Changpeng Zhao, a Chinese-born crypto currency billionaire and founder of a crypto exchange called Binance, “is stunning in its shamelessness, recklessness, and moral inversion.”

Binance is under U.S. government monitoring because of its criminal violations of federal money-laundering laws. In 2023, Binance’s founder and now Trump business partner, Zhao, pleaded guilty to a felony money-laundering charge that put him in prison for four months. Zhao is just one of, as NR put it, “the darkly intriguing figures circling in and around the Trump family crypto venture.”

The pardon arrived (again as NR notes)(emphasis added):

…following months of efforts by Zhao to boost the Trump family’s own crypto company.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump had “exercised his constitutional authority by issuing a pardon for Mr. Zhao, who was prosecuted by the Biden Administration in their war on cryptocurrency.” She added: “The Biden Administration’s war on crypto is over.”

Yes, the pardon is within Trump’s authority, but to say one has the authority to do X is hardly to say that one should do X or is even vaguely justified in doing it, all of which depends on the merits of the particular case; and even if on the merits X should be done, that decision — if normal ethics count at all — should be made by someone without a colorable financial interest in the outcome.

Is there any adult who doesn’t know this?

The prosecutors who brought the charges and negotiated the plea deal would argue that they weren’t fighting a war on crypto, they were fighting a war on fraud and a company that…embraced a wildly lucrative role conducting financial transactions among criminals, terrorist groups, and hostile states.

This is what Binance was up to, among other things — a list so astonishing it makes you wonder how Zhao got away with just a four month sentence:

As a [money services business], Binance was required to report suspicious transactions to FinCEN through suspicious activity reports (SARs). FinCEN’s investigation revealed that Binance’s former Chief Compliance Officer told personnel that the CEO’s policy was to not report such activity, and Binance never filed a single SAR with FinCEN. Binance willfully failed to report well over 100,000 suspicious transactions that it processed as a result of its deficient controls, including transactions involving terrorist organizations, ransomware, child sexual exploitation material, frauds, and scams.

I know next to nothing about crypto currency, and it’s been years since I was in the US Attorney’s Office. Still, even back in my day, it was well known the crypto currency was the chosen means of exchange of swindlers of every sort….

Hmmm. Are you two — or five, including the Powerline boys — any less culpable, than Trump himself personally, is — simply because after you’ve all gotten what you voted for… only now, do you denounce his lawless nature?

I. Think. Not.

Out.

New UK Public Health Awareness Campaign — Urging Sexually Active UK / European Gay Men To Consider Mpox Vaccination…

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This is good advice. See below.

Here’s the latest — from the BBC:

…UK health officials are encouraging gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men to make sure they are vaccinated against mpox, as a strain called ‘clade Ib’ shows early signs of local spread in some European countries.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says it is aware of small numbers of cases of this strain of mpox… in Spain, Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands, as well as the US.

Mpox is usually a mild infection but it can be severe and getting vaccinated is the best protection, the UKHSA says.

Charities also urged vaccination before travelling to Winter Pride events in Europe this autumn….

Be careful out there. Onward.

नमस्ते

Added Indication Won, At FDA — Merck’s Winrevair® (Sotatercept) — For Treatment Of More Adults Living With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

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This is a welcome FDA approved label expansion. [And it is an enhanced return on investment, from the Acceleron acquisition of about four years ago — which had already proved out to be a wildly profitable M&A deal.]

It all means Merck will be added to formularies, on newer codes — for added classes of COPD and PAH WHO Group 1 pulmonary hypertension patients, including critical cases. That’s good news for the affected patients — and for Rahway. Here’s that bit, from Yahoo! News:

…[Merck] announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an update to the U.S. product label based on the Phase 3 ZENITH trial for WINREVAIR® (sotatercept-csrk) for injection, 45mg, 60mg. WINREVAIR, an activin signaling inhibitor, is now FDA-approved for the treatment of adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, WHO Group 1 pulmonary hypertension) to improve exercise capacity and WHO functional class (FC), and reduce the risk of clinical worsening events, including hospitalization for PAH, lung transplantation and death.

WINREVAIR was initially approved based on the pivotal STELLAR study in March 2024.

Today’s approval expanded the indication of WINREVAIR to include components of the clinical worsening events: hospitalization for PAH, lung transplantation and death….

Now you know — a smallish power alley item to start our sunny Fall Monday — but keep a good thought for the people of Jamaica, now facing the wrath of… Melissa (Cat. 5). Yikes.

नमस्ते