Author: condor

U: Live Blog! The Able USDC Judge Perry Has Continued The Matter, To 3 PM CDT — Now I May Be Able To Walk Over, And Pop In On It, Live.

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We will capture it by cellphone… and we are underway!

➣ By agreement, the TRO against militarized national guard forces here — will remain in place until final judgment in this federal district court — or a final US Supreme Court ruling changing the posture.

➣ MINUTE entry before the Honorable April M. Perry:

Continued status hearing held 10/22/2025 at 3:00 p.m.

Defendants propose an extension of the TRO until a final decision on the merits is reached, without prejudice to Defendants’ continued pursuit of appellate relief and subject to any relief granted on appeal. Plaintiff accepts Defendants’ proposal. The Court will enter an order consistent with the agreement of the parties on 10/23/2025, because extending the TRO will allow Defendants to allocate their legal resources in the way they feel is most appropriate and give the parties time to conduct fact discovery and submit well-reasoned legal briefs and motions on the complex and weighty topics raised in this matter. Defendants to answer or otherwise plead to the complaint consistent with the timeframes set forth in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The parties are asked to meet and confer about a discovery schedule and file a joint status report regarding discovery by 11/4/2025.

The parties agree that should the Supreme Court issue any ruling in this case, they will submit a joint status report within 24 hours….

We are adjourned.

This all started at 9 AM CDT, sharp — but it seems that the Noemites haven’t made themselves available to the State of Illinois and City of Chicago counsels to discuss these matters. That won’t do, for Judge Perry — under our local IL ND rules of procedure.

So now we are adjourned until 3 pm this afternoon — then live again — in the Dirksen Building, on the 17th Floor:

…MINUTE entry before the Honorable April M. Perry:

Status hearing held 10/22/2025 at 9:00 a.m. via telephone, to discuss next steps in this matter.

Status hearing to resume at 3:00 p.m. CST after the parties have consulted with their clients and conferred with each other….

Now you know. Onward, resolutely — and look for a live blog, if I do get over there — at 3 PM, local.

नमस्ते

Tangent Alert: How They Did This — In Under Four Minutes — Is Fascinating, To Me… Tragic, For The Art History Of The Planet — But… Fascinating, Nonetheless.

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Honestly, it reminds me. . . as Banksy (repeatedly) taught us all… that some people know the price of everything — but the value… of nothing. [Almost certainly, the jewels have been sold off, and are being re-cut, into smaller, more moveable individuals. In that regard — we are unlikely to ever see the original French exhibit restored — except as a series of glass and crystal replicas.]

And that is profoundly sad, for the world of art — and Sixteenth Century French History. But the planning is beyond amazing (it clearly must have been, in part, an inside job — of sorts). Here’s just a smidge:

…The world’s most famous and most-visited museum started as a medieval military fortress, then became a palace. It took a revolution to turn it into a museum. Royals and rulers renovated it more than 20 times, satisfying their vanity but leaving behind an incoherent structure that sits on 25 different levels and stretches for half a mile. It exhibits over 30,000 of its 500,000 artworks in more than 400 rooms.

And it is this convoluted history and identity that make the Louvre a structure that is so difficult to monitor, oversee and protect.

“The Louvre is a palace that doesn’t have the logic of a museum,” said Gérard Araud, the president of the Society of Friends of the Louvre. “It is a universe unto itself….”

The brazen and seemingly effortless robbery Sunday morning of eight pieces from the collection of crown jewels at the museum has wounded its leadership and put a spotlight on the Louvre’s security protocols, which have been tested over the years by break-ins and thefts….

[I am eternally grateful, to have had the good fortune of being able to show my own kids… all of these original permanent exhibits, intact — on multiple times / and on multiple trips — while they were still in middle-, and high- school.]

And to be certain, the security guards have long rightfully complained about low wages, poor working security conditions and over-crowding with thoughtless tourist phalanxes. This is NOT in any manner, their fault (unless one or more were in — on the heist crew itself). The building itself is… largely unprotectible, from any sensible perspective. Onward, just the same.

नमस्ते

The Able USDC Judge Perry Has Continued The Matter, To 3 PM CDT — Now I May Be Able To Walk Over, And Pop In On It, Live.

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This all started at 9 AM CDT, sharp — but it seems that the Noemites haven’t made themselves available to the State of Illinois and City of Chicago counsels to discuss these matters. That won’t do, for Judge Perry — under our local IL ND rules of procedure.

So now we are adjourned until 3 pm this afternoon — then live again — in the Dirksen Building, on the 17th Floor:

…MINUTE entry before the Honorable April M. Perry:

Status hearing held 10/22/2025 at 9:00 a.m. via telephone, to discuss next steps in this matter.

Status hearing to resume at 3:00 p.m. CST after the parties have consulted with their clients and conferred with each other….

Now you know. Onward, resolutely — and look for a live blog, if I do get over there — at 3 PM, local.

नमस्ते

Power Alley: An Insurance Policy — Against Tangerine 2.0 Tariff Threats, As To Pharma… ~$3 Billion In “New” Merck Cap Ex, In VA…

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In truth, about $2 billion of this long-planned build out had been spent, and new buildings opened… all while Mr. Biden was in the White House. [Proof of that, here, and here.]

But with Tangerine 2.0 wildly (and chaotically) threatening new taxes and tariffs on imported pharma goods (and knowing that Merck has manufacturing operations in the EU, and Ireland), Mr. Davis wisely chose to make a PR dog and pony show of the last half of his build out plans, at Elkton, Virginia.

The only relatively consistent thing Trump has been saying all along, about avoiding newly imported pharma tariffs. . . is that if a given multinational company builds new facilities in the US, there will be “an exemption” from his tariffs. I’m not sure I’d believe he will ever do any of it, but Merck needed the extra capacity — in any event.

So there is no harm in making a PR splash about the “$3 billion” ground-breaking in Virginia. Here’s the latest, on it all:

…Pharmaceutical company Merck will make a $3 billion investment into building a manufacturing facility that’ll bring jobs to Rockingham County, according to Governor Glenn Youngkin.

“Merck’s transformational $3 billion commitment to locate its Center of Excellence marks a giant leap forward for both America’s and Virginia’s life sciences sector,” said Governor Youngkin.

“It deepens the company’s long-standing commitment to innovation and strengthens the Commonwealth’s position as the emerging national leader in biopharmaceutical advanced manufacturing and life sciences. With hundreds of new jobs and cutting-edge capabilities coming to the Shenandoah Valley, we’re building a future where Virginians lead the way in developing lifesaving medicines for patients around the world….”

Now you know — but it is (to me) fundamentally sad, that US political IQs have reached such a nadir, that Mr. Davis can safely match Trump’s silly bleatings, with a “rope-a-dope” routine — of his very own (and nearly no one notices). What a completely dumb… show. Normally, adding cap ex in large chunks tends dampens NYSE stock prices (on the involved company), but here it will be seen (at least by the “low-information crowd”) as an “insurance policy” against new tariffs on Merck’s life-saving (but presently non-US made) medical treatments. Yikes.

Personally, I am a firm believer in true “comparative advantage” economics. Merck ought to build wherever it can find reasonable access to water and power, and a skilled workforce — at sensible labor rates. [Think… Ireland.] And then use that comparative advantage in manufacturing “savings” — to limit price increases, in the US.

But pretty much the opposite is what Trump pushes: use high-priced, nearly-uneconomic labor in the US — and pay extra for power and water… all so that Merck can effectively pay out higher taxes, to Trump on its pharma sales. What will actually happen then, is… that US drug prices will continue to rise, unabated, as ever. And TrumpRx is a silly… joke. It will amount to… nothing.

Damn. Out.

नमस्ते

The Netherlands Has Now Recorded Its First Clade 1b Case Of Mpox… Yikes.

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Onward, like a drumbeat. It is spreading now, in the wild — across the globe.

The good news is that there are effective treatments, and a working vaccine — if you are among the contacts, or among the contacts of contacts. Here is the latest:

…The Netherlands has recorded its first case of the new variant of the infectious disease mpox, confirmed late last week. The patient was unvaccinated and had not recently traveled abroad but had engaged in sexual contact with other men, caretaker Health Minister Jan Anthonie Bruijn said in a letter to Parliament on Tuesday.

The patient has been placed in isolation, and the risk of wider transmission appears low, Bruijn said. The public health service (GGD) is tracing the source of the infection and the man’s recent contacts. Men who have sex with men remain the main high-risk group for mpox, known recently as the monkeypox virus….

Onward, resolutely. Be careful out there.

नमस्ते

“Sure. Sure. Cool Story, Bro”: Trump Appointed Various DoJ Positions; Now Demands $230 Million Be Paid By DoJ To Him (Personally) — Over These Appointees’ Signatures?!

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One could not even remotely imagine a dumber public corruption / crime plot.

The whole silly idea only violates about 75 federal felony statutes. In other words — just a regular Tuesday — for Donald Trump.

Of course, it will never come to pass.

And even if you believe he’s saying it just to enrage Democrats (we should consider that Kash Patel would do it in a heartbeat!). And he probably isn’t just trolling, because he likely genuinely believes he’s entitled to $230 million in damages for “reasons” — he should be aware that (as any sentient human would be) this sort of wildly-conflicted interest is unseemly… And (it turns out) felonious.

Gosh, is he an ugly spud. Out.

A Hearing Tomorrow — In Federal Court, In Chicago — “ICE Barbie” Must Defend Her Order To Tear-Gas Peaceful Protestors, Out In Broadview. Ouch.

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I’ll listen in remotely, but my other commitments tomorrow mean I cannot sit live in the well somewhere, up on the Dirksen Building’s 21st floor.

But it certainly should be a banger… based on the evidence against the Noemites, in the record just thus far. As we noted yesterday, the evidence will establish that a federal ICE agent told a state police officer that the ICE agents intended to “create” a “shit-show” the following morning, by using tear-gas and incendiary crowd control tactics (reserved under applicable law… for active rioters).

In any event, here’s the set up:

…MINUTE entry before the Honorable April M. Perry: Prior to the hearing 10/22/2025, the parties are asked to meet and confer regarding proposed next steps for this litigation, including:

(1) expedited discovery that may be appropriate to further develop the factual record;

(2) additional briefing that the parties may want to present; and

(3) whether there is any value to an early settlement conference.

To the extent the parties agree any of the above would be appropriate, they should also discuss whether they would entertain an agreed extension of the TRO beyond 14 additional days (without prejudice to continuing to pursue appellate relief). The parties are asked to submit a joint status report by 12:00 pm CST 10/21/2025….

Now you know — and we are about 30 minutes away from that last bolded deadline. We will update, if it contains anything new, and interesting. Onward, resolutely. Chicago will stand… united — against lawless tyranny. Out.

नमस्ते

More Reason To Go And Robotically Check Out “Edge Conditions” In Chemistry On Saturn’s Moon Titan…

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We’ve long known that — at extreme temperatures, the chemical bonding rules we observe on Earth… at least seem to be bendable. [Prior postings — on this topic — here.]

And these (below) newly discovered “edge conditions” in chemistry, provide encouraging insights to how complex amino acids may have formed quite widely throughout the universe.

Here’s the latest on it all:

…Some substances that don’t mix on Earth can combine in ultra freezing conditions like those on Saturn’s largest moon, breaking one of the best-known rules of chemistry, new research shows.

Titan, a hazy orange world about 880 million miles away in space, shares similarities with early Earth and is the only other place in the solar system with a thick atmosphere, as well as lakes and dunes on its surface. A key reason scientists study the moon is to try to figure out how the first chemical steps toward creating life may have unfolded on our own planet.

For years, scientists have wondered if these liquids might also allow the crucial chemistry necessary for life to occur — or at least the kind familiar to us. That question drives NASA’s $3.35 billion Dragonfly mission, set to launch in July 2028 and reach Titan six years later. Scientists think a deep underground ocean of liquid water may also exist within Titan, possibly capable of supporting life.

The Chalmers team used computer models to simulate thousands of possible molecular combinations. They found that organic compounds could sneak into hydrogen cyanide’s crystal structure and form “co-crystals.” Because these could exist at Titan’s frigid temperatures and they match NASA’s lab results, there’s a good chance these chemical mixtures actually occur on Titan, the scientists say. 

“I see it as a nice example of when boundaries are moved in chemistry and a universally accepted rule does not always apply,” Rahm said….

And so, onward — to a not too distant in time launch of NASA / JPL’s Dragonfly. What wonders of “edge” chemistry might we find lurking just below the frigid surface of Titan… Who knows? But we encourage you to stay tuned. Grin.

नमस्ते

A Good Sign — Now Last DRC Ebola Patient Has Been Released From The Local Hospital Center… 42 Day Waiting Period Begins.

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This is welcome news to be sure.

But this should have ended with fewer than four deaths — there were over 40 (“Thanks, Donald Trump!”) — including 5 health care workers. Here’s the latest:

…The last Ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was discharged today, marking an important milestone in the efforts to end the outbreak. The recovery kicks off a 42-day countdown to declaring the outbreak over if no further cases are confirmed.

A total of 19 patients have recovered from the disease. No new cases have been reported since 25 September. In total, 64 cases (53 confirmed and 11 probable) have been reported since the outbreak was declared on 4 September in Bulape health zone, in Kasai Province.

The outbreak occurred in a rural and hard-to-reach locality. Despite the challenges of distance, poor roads, and limited infrastructure, the Ministry of Health, with strong support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, acted swiftly to scale up outbreak response measures.

WHO deployed multidisciplinary teams to strengthen surveillance, clinical care, infection prevention and control, logistics, community engagement and other key response measures….

Now you know. Onward — and keep a good thought for the next 42 days in Bulape and Benin… smile.

नमस्ते

Illinois Has The Upper Hand At The Supremes, Tonight — On Odious Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz”…

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The Tangerine 2.0 lawyers have again tried illicitly to cut to the front of the SCOTUS red velvet rope demarked line… and get Alito to rule that Trump can use the National Guard as a private army any time he likes. That will not happen. Not on my watch — nor on that of Gov. Pritzker or Mayor Johnson.

Here is how the excellent local lawyers have responded to the Manchurian Cantaloupe, at the Supremes (in 46 well-reasoned pages) this afternoon — and a bit:

…The Framers carefully apportioned responsibility over the “militia” — today, the National Guard — between the federal government and the States, granting the federal government the authority to call up the militia only for specific purposes and at specific times….

Although the district court concluded that those unusual circumstances were not present in Illinois, and so enjoined the federalization and deployment of the National Guard at the TRO stage, the Seventh Circuit’s decision partially staying that order — and permitting federalization — both safeguards the careful balance of power struck by the Constitution and affords the federal government appropriate solicitude while this fast-moving case proceeds in the lower courts. [Trumpian] applicants’ contrary arguments rest on mischaracterizations of the factual record or the lower courts’ views of the legal principles….

As the district court found, state and local law enforcement officers have handled isolated protest activities in Illinois, and there is no credible evidence to the contrary. The Court should decline applicants’ request to unsettle the equitable judgment reflected in the Seventh Circuit’s order and to take the dramatic step of permitting deployment of National Guard troops over Illinois’s objection for the handful of days the TRO currently remains in effect….

On September 8, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced “Operation Midway Blitz,” an effort to ramp up immigration-related arrests and deportations in and around Chicago, Illinois. Doc. 13-12.

Within two weeks, DHS announced that the operation had yielded over 500 arrests. DHS touted its arrest numbers again in another press release, declaring that it “remain[ed] undeterred.”

Within a month, DHS announced it had made over 1,000 arrests and that “Operation Midway Blitz is making Illinois safe again….” [On the contrary, all it has done is to teargas peaceful protestors asserting their First Amendment rights, on public sidewalks and streets.]

On September 26, ICE agents deployed tear gas and pepper spray on a group of about 100 to 150 protesters outside the facility. Doc. 13-5 at 8. Broadview’s police department requested assistance from Illinois’s law enforcement mutual aid network, prompting the Illinois State Police and several other local police departments to send support. Id. at 8-9. To ensure public safety, the combined law enforcement team closed three blocks of a nearby street for about three hours in the morning and another two hours that night. Id. at 9. The same day, DHS issued a request (which was not acted upon) to the Department of War for “100 DoW personnel” to “integrate with federal law enforcement operations, serving in direct support of federal facility protection, access control, and crowd control measures.” Doc. 13-2 at 15-16.

The next day, which featured only a small crowd of quiet protesters closely monitored by local police, federal agents told Broadview Police to prepare for a “shitshow” — specifically, that they intended to increase ICE’s presence in Broadview and escalate their use of chemical agents on the protesters. Doc. 13-5 at 9.

Throughout the rest of the day and into the evening, agents pushed the protesters up the street and deployed tear gas and pepper balls. Id. at 9-10. Following that incident, 11 protesters were arrested, id. at 10, but only five were charged with crimes, and federal grand juries declined to indict at least three of those five….

Do stay tuned. The Supremes, to retain credibility, should defer this case until a full trial on the merits of an injunction has occured — at a minimum. We shall see.

नमस्ते