The Able USDC Judge Menendez, In Minneapolis… Is Right.

January 31, 2026January 31, 2026 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

But this is a very narrow, small ruling. [You may see my prior backgrounder on it, here.]

Yet to be decided are all the merits claims. And she’s right, Mr. Ellison cannot (relying solely on the “authority” of the federal Tenth Amendment) simply bar ICE from the state. If acting lawfully (which it is undisputed, they have NOT been so acting), they do have a right to enforce the immigration statutes. If acting lawfully. Much more to come, but here is her Saturday opinion and order. It is a well-taken position, on bedrock law:

…The Court pauses to observe what it is not deciding. At this stage, the Court makes no final determination on the merits of any claims asserted by Plaintiffs. Nor does the Court offer any opinion about the wisdom of Operation Metro Surge.

And the legality of many of the specific actions taken by federal agents during the operation is not before the Court in this case. Instead, the Court only decides whether to grant the extraordinary remedy of a preliminary injunction halting a federal law enforcement operation based upon the Tenth Amendment.

In answering this question, the Court must view Plaintiffs’ claims through the lens of the specific legal framework they invoke, and, having done so, finds that Plaintiffs have not met their burden. For the reasons discussed below, the motion is denied….

Now you know. Smiles… baby girls here tonight!

नमस्ते

In Which Scott Johnson Realizes His Error of Law — About Don Lemon…

January 31, 2026January 31, 2026 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday, I took Scott Johnson to task: after his prior three decades of supporting a free press and the right to dissent, he opined that Don Lemon (a journalist — who on video announced he was there to document — as a journalist)… is subject to prosecution under the criminal laws (passed by a MAGA Congress, during Tangerine 1.0) that purport to strip away first amendment rights from both the people — and journalists.

Of course, those laws, and the so-called the FACE Act, hasn’t yet been tested at the United States Supreme Court. But it will fail.

The claim is that the government can make it a crime to disrupt a house of worship. [But obviously, the MAGAts only mean Christian houses of worship because regularly ICE has been disrupting Muslim gatherings, and Buddhist gatherings. The law is unconstitutional on its face.]

In any event, the Supremes will ultimately rule that this law is unconstitutional, when applied to someone like Don Lemon.

So today, Scott Johnson offers this “cleanup” — that if it relates to national security, the government has the right to prosecute the disruptor:

…It is thus clear that Congress has addressed itself to the problems of protecting the security of the country and the national defense from unauthorized disclosure of potentially damaging information….

Again (obviously) shouting in a church about a chaplain who is pro ICE and works for them during the week — but holds worship services on Sunday in that church, may be rude… but it is not in any sense “a matter of national security”. Nor will it ever be a crime.

So again, Scott errs, but at least he acknowledges that we the people have the right to assemble publicly and even to be boisterous — inside a church.

Don Lemon’s “indictment” will be flushed — within weeks, and he will get his lawyers’ fees — paid by the US government.

Bank on that, Scott. Out.

Updated Clade 1b Totals: Mpox Outbreak In… Madagascar. Ugh.

January 31, 2026February 1, 2026 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

As we end January, we will update the rather alarming growth in Clade 1b cases, in the nation: from five as of New Year’s Day — to 228 of them, this morning. Damn.

There have been no fatalities yet, but we do know that the debilitating physiological (and social shunning) after-effects, even after recovery — can last two to three years. Here’s the latest (from ReliefWeb) — and a bit:

…Madagascar is experiencing its first documented Mpox epidemic (clade 1b), which began in epidemiological week 51 of 2025 (end December 2025) and continues as an active outbreak. As of the latest situation report dated 12 January 2026, the country has recorded 228 total cases (24 confirmed by laboratory testing and 204 suspected cases) with zero deaths reported among both confirmed and suspected cases….

The outbreak originated and remains heavily concentrated in Boeny region, specifically Mahajanga I district, which accounts for 150 of the 228 cases (66% of national burden) with 17 of the 24 laboratory-confirmed cases.

Geographic expansion has occurred progressively since the initial detection, with cases now reported across 16 of Madagascar’s 23 regions including the capital region Analamanga….

Now you know — and USAID is — as ever, sidelined. Onward — to shovel, again this morning… grin.

नमस्ते

Mirengoff Is Right To Be Angry That Trump Lied — To Iranians Who’ve Risked Their Lives…

January 30, 2026January 30, 2026 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

In truth, the only surprising thing here is that Paul would have expected anything different, from Tangerine 2.0.

“Trump? He didn’t follow through…” is Paul’s lament.

You. have. got. to. be. kidding. me.

The man has never finished a single project he ever started; especially so whenever it might cost him anything personally.

So, as I say, all these hard right morons who voted for him are simply precious — when they complain about him delivering exactly the results they… by multiple decades of experience with him — should have fully expected.

And by that I mean, no results at all.

Meanwhile, both the Iranians and Minnesotans are dying, day by day.

Charming, Paul.

[U] Don’t Be Shocked If Weather Scrubs Monday’s Tanking Event, For Artemis. Florida Is Still Gonna’ Be… Damn Cold!

January 30, 2026February 3, 2026 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

UPDATED: As we suspected, after the press briefing — the crewed launch is… delayed. The astronauts will exit Houston quarantine, and re-enter at some point in March. “…Engineers pushed through several challenges during the two-day test and met many of the planned objectives. To allow teams to review data and conduct a second wet dress rehearsal, NASA now will target March as the earliest possible launch opportunity for the flight test. Moving off a February launch window also means the Artemis II astronauts will be released from quarantine, which they entered in Houston on Jan. 21….” End, update.

In fact, don’t be shocked if the crewed ride around the Moon. . . slips into March 2026.

There are those who still believe there is a “leak” problem with the tanking, which would be exacerbated by extreme cold weather (creating wider gaps in metal and rubber flanges). But I will as ever, keep a good thought, for the very brave crew. Here’s the latest:

…NASA is targeting Monday, Feb. 2, as the tanking day for the upcoming Artemis II wet dress rehearsal at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as a result of weather. With this change, the first potential opportunity to launch is no earlier than Sunday, Feb. 8….

Over the past several days, engineers have been closely monitoring conditions as cold weather and winds move through Florida. Managers have assessed hardware capabilities against the projected forecast given the rare arctic outbreak affecting the state and decided to change the timeline. Teams and preparations at the launch pad remain ready for the wet dress rehearsal. However, adjusting the timeline for the test will position NASA for success during the rehearsal, as the expected weather this weekend would violate launch conditions.

…NASA will wait to set a launch date until teams have reviewed the outcome of the wet dress rehearsal….

Now you know — and I do see you — in the cold! Smile.

नमस्ते

Silly Scott — It Is No Crime To Enter A Sunday Worship Service — And Shout. Rude? Maybe. But No Crime.

January 30, 2026January 30, 2026 ~ condor ~ 1 Comment

As additional proof that the Powerline boys have forgotten that they were [for three decades, minimum] hard right civil libertarians / believers in free expression… Scott would tell us tonight that a public meeting hall is a place where free speech is (effectively) not allowed.

The old adage held that a clever AUSA could very easily, on the regular… “indict a ham sandwich“. That is what has happened here.

Don Lemmon will see it dismissed — and likely win his attorneys’ fees, from the weaponized Trump DoJ.

Onward, laughing at the hypocrites Scott and John have become.

नमस्ते

See John — When Idiots (Like You!) Have Lots Of Kids… It Won’t Help Your “World Domination” Dreams…

January 30, 2026January 30, 2026 ~ condor ~ 2 Comments

This is simply too precious for words.

It is an old shibboleth of the hard right, that so called “white replacement theory” is the central problem with America.

And John returns to this sad little canard, yet again today for probably the 15th time in the last two decades.

In other words, these idiots assume that because more brown and Black people are succeeding in the world… They (the mediocre) are being pushed down — as white people.

Their “Uber Genius” solution? Have more children… except… that low intelligence, shallow end of the gene pool white people won’t really help people like Hinderaker dominate the world. At all. Nope.

Stephane Bancel Was Not Kidding — When He Said Trump Has Made It “Impossible To Make a Return” — On New mRNA Vaccine / R&D Candidates…

January 30, 2026January 30, 2026 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

And as Exhibit A, the chief bio-science architect (and an MD, to boot) of the wildly successful 2021-23 Covid vaccines. . . is departing, in favor of an. . . oncology veteran, with prior experience at Astra-Zeneca — and Bristol Myers Squibb. Damn.

Here is all of that — and a bit:

…Moderna… [announced that] Chief Medical Officer Jacqueline Miller, MD, who led the development of the company’s mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax, will step down effective March 2, 2026….

Miller joined Moderna in 2020 as the therapeutic area head for infectious diseases. Her departure comes at a pivotal moment for the company, which is seeking to plug the revenue gap left by waning demand for COVID products and turn its mRNA platform into a broader, durable franchise….

David ⁠Berman will fill the role, as Chief Development Officer, starting March 2, 2026…. Before joining Moderna, Berman served as head of research and development at Immunocore and ⁠has previously held senior roles at AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers ‌Squibb….

Now you know. But Trump and Kennedy Jr. are killing our leadership — in next gen vaccines, ones that rely on mRNA as the tech. Damn.

नमस्ते

[Another Tangent] Musk Says His SpaceX May “Merge” With… His Tesla?! A Hilarious Deflection, From His Inability To Sell More… Autos..

January 30, 2026 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

When Tesla posted its first-ever “year under year” — of dropping sales revenue — two days ago… we knew he’d have to have some sort of “reality distortion bubble” ready to go for the rubes who’ve paid about a 290 times price multiple, compared to Tesla’s actual earnings for its stock.

Said another way, it will take Tesla (at the company’s current pace) about a third of a century to cover the price the rubes bought in at, last summer.

Ouch.

So now he says his two companies may… merge:

…Elon Musk’s SpaceX reportedly is considering a merger with Tesla (TSLA) or xAI before the private space company’s expected IPO later this year. Tesla stock [rose] Friday after falling Thursday following earnings….

SpaceX is mulling a combination with the EV giant or Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI, Bloomberg reported late Thursday, citing sources. That could help with the likely substantial financing needed….

If “one quagmire is NOT deep enough — let’s just DOUBLE its footprint in this swamp.”

D A M N.

You’ve been repeatedly warned.

[And Musk’s X-itter is losing money like crazy, as well. Hilarious.] Out.

नमस्ते