Author: condor

[U: 08.09.2025 AM] I’ll Talk About This… Over [Some Future] Weekend. All About… When OPM “Went… Rogue”.

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Updated: On second thought, we all know these DOGE/OPM Trump firings were unlawful, and told lies about the job performance of those fine workers they targeted for firing. So, I’ve decided to take this Saturday morning and update the readership on the improved (from the victims’ point of view) settlement of the deplorable Sackler family’s bankruptcy escape, related to the Oxy- crisis. That is a truly criminal drug cartel / conspiracy story. And we are long overdue to update on it. Look for that in just a few moments. End updated portion.

Let’s just leave this as a place-holder, as the amended complaint has been filed this afternoon, in USDC Judge Alsup’s SF courtroom.

So much to say — but my workday is at an end, now. Do tune in tomorrow, by late afternoon:

…[I]n the current context [sic; this] means that only the highest-performing probationers [sic — meant “probationaries”] in mission critical areas should be retained….

After actioning, please update the previous probationary employee spreadsheet you’ve sent us to include the information below.

Please resend the updated version to tracking@opm.gov with Amanda Scales and Jamie Sullivan on cc by 8:00 pm EST Monday. This tracker should include:

▲ Which probationary employees have been terminated and which you plan to keep. For those you plan to keep, provide an explanation of why.

▲ For each probationary employee, indicate if they have opted into the deferred resignation program or not. This can be done by cross-checking the latest submissions sent to you via tracking@opm.gov. Please also indicate whether you have signed a written deferred resignation agreement with them or not….

▲ Probation end date.

Please continue providing these reports daily through at least the end of next week….

What an incompetent, malignant posse of ijimits those guys are. Out.

नमस्ते

We’ve Just Learned That Commander Jim Lovell Has Passed Away. An American Hero, Of Apollo 13 Rescue Fame, At Age 97.

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“Smilin’ Jim” is now with most of his two original astronaut cohorts, the original Mercury Seven crews, and the Gemini crews.

Travel well, and travel light — out there, man. In retirement, we had occassionally chatted with him at his restaurant in Lake Forest. What a prince of a human being. He will be missed here in northern Illinois — and around the rest of this tiny blue orb. Here’s NASA on it all:

…[Here’s to celebrating the amazing life of] Jim Lovell. He passed away Aug. 7, in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was 97 years old.

“NASA sends its condolences to the family of Capt. Jim Lovell, whose life and work inspired millions of people across the decades. Jim’s character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the Moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount. We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements.

“From a pair of pioneering Gemini missions to the successes of Apollo, Jim helped our nation forge a historic path in space that carried us forward… to the Moon, and beyond….

“As the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 8, Jim and his crewmates became the first to lift off on a Saturn V rocket and orbit the Moon, proving that the lunar landing was within our reach.

As commander of the Apollo 13 mission, his calm strength under pressure helped return the crew safely to Earth and demonstrated the quick thinking and innovation that informed future NASA missions….”

Here’s to a race… very well-run, Capt. Lovell. We thank you for all you did for our nation, over these past 72 plus years. [Plus, because he was a fine Navy F-4 Phantom fighter pilot in Vietnam, before being selected as a Gemini astronaut.] Onward.

नमस्ते

Both Sides Today Seek — And Will Be Granted — A Slight Enlargement Of Time, In The Long-Running Ms. L. Immigrants’ Rights Class Action, Before USDC Judge Sabraw, In San Diego…

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Just some Friday afternoon adminis-trivia, here now (on this hearing to enforce prior settlement agreements):

This hearing was to go forward on August 15. The able USDC Judge Sabraw will likely choose a new date in the week following August 22, 2025, for the extended hearing.

We shall see — but here is the agreed schedule between the parties thus far:

…The parties jointly request that the Court reschedule the August 15, 2025 hearing to August 22, 2025, and extend the briefing deadlines to the following dates:

▲ August 11 for Plaintiffs’ motion;

▲ August 18 for Defendants’ response; and

▲ August 20 for Plaintiffs’ reply….

Now you know. And, onward, to tonight — @ Pritzker Pavilion — under the stars… with Stravinsky on tap.

I do love Summers, in the Chi… smile. Probably taco trucks prior, too! Grin….

नमस्ते

Because Tangerine 2.0 Writes Solely With… Fat Orange Crayons, It Is Nearly Impossible To Discern What The “Meeting Of The Minds” Was, On The Japan Tariff Abatement Deal… YAWN.

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There is so much that is… shameful, about his tariffs chaos, it is hard to pick any one narrative story line, as emblematic, of the whole damn dumb show… but this one may well do (for today):

Trumpie had promised a reduction on the tariffs Japanese automakers must pay to be allowed to import to the US (via the Japanese trade delegation) — but now (as ever!) he’s… welshing, saying “that wasn’t written down.” In fact, none of it was… written down, and/or made public. As ever, Tangerine says stuff that is factually preposterous — claiming a non-existent “victory“.

In any event, here’s the latest, from the free nation’s paper of record — the NYT (and the full article is not behind any paywall):

…The Trump administration has agreed to correct an “extremely regrettable” blunder in the execution of its trade agreement with Japan, the country’s top trade negotiator said in Washington on Thursday.

This latest development is another example of how a deal with no publicly disclosed written joint agreement — assembled quickly just days before higher threatened tariffs were set to take effect — is causing confusion and growing tension between the United States and one of its top allies and trading partners….

In negotiations last month, Japanese officials believed they had secured a deal that, in return for pledges to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States and open its market to more American goods, would set a standard tariff rate of 15 percent for all of its products shipped to the United States….

“Washington is just randomly shooting and they are shooting some like-minded countries from behind,” said Taro Kono, a member of Japan’s House of Representatives, speaking in a news briefing in Tokyo on Wednesday….

Damn. Obviously, two can play that game — and Japan just… did.

And I’ll note (in passing) that, even just two episodes into the new season — the boys at South Park are now. . . the “go to” source, for all that is. . . disgusting, and pungent — about MAGA World. Woot!

नमस्ते

Do Tune In Tuesday Late Night (EDT) — For Ariane 6 Launch From French Guiana Space-Coast…

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We’ve not mentioned the fine space scientists at the European Space Agency in a minute — and the team’s quite flawless international collabo — at the French Guiana spaceport, Kourou coast.

So… let’s do so: late this coming Tuesday / early Wednesday (depending on whether you are in North America, or the EU), esa will launch and deploy two weather sats. Do tune in here, around midnight East Coast time, if you are having trouble sleeping Tuesday night:

…Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation, MetOp-SG-A1, weather satellite – which hosts Copernicus Sentinel-5 as part of its instrument package – is set for liftoff on an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 August 2025 at 02:37 CEST (12 August 21:37 Kourou time)….

Onward — tonight, to Stravinsky’s Firebird; Lera Auerbach’s Icarus; Benjamin Britten’s The Building of the House, and Jennifer Higdon’s The Singing Rooms. Should be… spectacular!

नमस्ते

Some Well-Grounded Reasons, For Optimism — About The Rule Of… Reason, At The Supremes.

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I will readily admit to being… an optimist. But I am not a… wild-eyed one.

I write this morning to commend to the readership, the latest out of SCOTUSBlog on Florida and its immigration gambits — by DeSantis. And yes, I daresay — there is much to be optimistic about. Do go read it all — but here is a bit:

…In Trump v. CASA, which upended the use of nationwide injunctions in litigation over the Trump administration’s birthright-citizenship order, the Supreme Court declined, in a one-sentence order, an emergency appeal by Florida seeking to further narrow how district court judges block laws that they believe are illegal….

The justices’ order at least suggests that the court’s decision in CASA should not be interpreted as a blanket invitation to ask the court to further constrain judges and, in the process, hand more power to elected officials….

So it goes — symphony in the park tonight, with al fresco dining ahead — under the stars… smile.

नमस्ते

More Delusional BS, From Hinderaker… As Trump Tries To Dictate What We The People May Say And Think.

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To hear John tell it… one would think that Democrats in 2025 run all three branches of government.

The exact opposite is true.

Yet John yammers on and on — for ten paragraphs, tonight — about “how unfair” it is that people who violently tried to overthrow the peaceful transfer of power on January 6, 2021… had to face criminal consequences for their seditious insurrection.

Hinderaker preposterously claims that this is Democrats “dictating” that no one may oppose the outcome of the 2020 election.

Obviously, his assertion is mind-numbingly stupid.

Peacefully “questioning” is fine… in America. Violently attacking the Capitol… Is a felony.

Dammit John grow up… and all of what John writes is primarily to distract from the fact that Trump himself is trying to dictate what universities may teach and whom they may teach it to — in the Harvard and Brown and Columbia cases.

What a malignant loser the old man that is John Hinderaker has become.

Out.

[U: Now Over $116, On Friday!] Power Alley: Excellent Q2 2025 Results For Gilead — Raising Top- And Bottom-Line Guidance For The Full Year. Up $3/Sh, In NASDAQ After-Hours Trading…

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Well, I am pleased. Over $116 $113, now. Sweet.

To be sure, there will be ups and downs — over the next 24 months — but this is a very well-run public life sciences company.

Here’s a bit, from Bloomberg reporting:

…Gilead Raises Guidance on Robust Demand for Its HIV Treatments

Gilead Sciences Inc. lifted its full-year outlook after strong HIV drug sales in the second quarter helped revenue and earnings modestly beat analyst expectations.

The company now expects profit excluding some items will be as much as $8.25 a share this year, up from a prior forecast of as much as $8.10. The drugmaker also raised its guidance for annual product sales by about $100 million….

Now you know. Onward, grinning.

नमस्ते

And, In The “Deluded Old Codger” Files: Tangerine 2.0 Claimed On Video Sunday That He’s About To Drop Drug Prices… By 1,200% to $1,500%?!

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I hesitate (cringe, actually) as to anything that might be seen as… giving this any oxygen, at all. [At right is the lawful, and well-oiled plan that Mr. Biden actually… achieved [a modest, about 35% decrease — on the ten most widely prescribed (and long in market) drugs in the US]. Smoke that, Donnie.

But we do need to make it clear: the man’s absolutely… lost his… marbles.

In later 2017, he made a similar (but smaller) boast. Then… poof. Nothing.

He possesses no lever, whatsoever (not without full Congressional legislation — and even that might be ruled to be Unconstitutional) to achieve anything like that. Again, he tried in late 2017. Poof. Never happened. Here’s that:

…Days after he sent letters instructing top pharmaceutical manufacturers to use a “most favored nation” pricing model for prescription drugs, President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that he had cut costs by up to 1,500%.

But Trump’s grandiose claim is mathematically impossible.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

TRUMP: “You know, we’ve cut drug prices by 1,200, 1,300, 1,400, 1,500%. I don’t mean 50%, I mean 14 — 1,500%.”

THE FACTS: This is false. Cutting drug prices by more than 100% would theoretically mean that people are being paid to take medications. The Trump administration has taken steps to lower prescription drug prices, but experts say there’s no indication costs have seen such a massive drop.

Geoffrey Joyce, director of health policy at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center, called Trump’s claim “total fiction” made up by the Republican president. He agreed that it would amount to drug companies paying customers, rather than the other way around….

Elect a clown — expect… a circus. Yikes. Out.

नमस्ते

Many Highly-Esteemed Legal Minds Say It’s A Near Certainty Trump’s IEEPA-Invoked Tariffs Will Be Bounced Out By The Supremes. Then What?

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The guy is (and this is actually turning out to be a redeeming feature! Not a bug!), without any doubt — the least competent person to ever sit at the Resolute Desk. His tariffs, taking effect today, are likely to be halted (this time by a 5-4 majority of the Supremes) by the Fall. As we’ve said repeatedly, this is a corrupt clown show.

Geez — here’s just a bit of one version of this analysis. [There are dozens out right now.]

…Trump’s emergency tariff authority, which is the legal basis for Trump’s country-specific “reciprocal” tariffs that are set to go into effect Thursday, is likely to be struck down by the Supreme Court.

An appeals court is reviewing that authority, which Trump invoked through the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), becoming the first president in history to use the law for tariffs.

“It’s more than likely that the Supreme Court knocks out IEEPA, the law that’s being used for these tariffs, which doesn’t have the word ‘tariff’ in it. Then the president is going to have to go to other laws to justify tariffs — 232, 201, 301. There’s a bunch of laws, and those are harder laws to operate with,” he told CNBC….

And in the mean time, this represents the largest single tax increase on American workers and businesses… in the history of the United States. Damn.

[And yes, I intentionally chose the otherwise odious Paul Ryan version so that the idjit GOP-ers cannot say it is only lefties making this argument.] Out.

नमस्ते