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“But Wait, There’s More!”, From Former “Hizzoner” Giuliani: He Just Tried For ANOTHER 30 Day Extension, In DC — Via An Unsigned Letter. The Able USDC Judge Howell Summarily Denied It — Pointing To His “Knowing Better”. Delicious.

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In the unsigned letter (just released to the public docket), he makes baseless accusations against a sitting USDC Judge — Beryl Howell — (and a very capable one, at that) by saying she is “ideological”, not logical. He also says she was “unduly harsh” on the J6 indictees.

Even if true, it would be irrelevant — and as a former Manhattan US Attorney. . . Rudy well knows this. He is likely heading to… jail next week (as we said) — at least for a few nights, and will have to surrender even more property, to boot. This political grandstanding will do him zero good.

…MINUTE ORDER (paperless) DENYING, without prejudice, defendant Rudolph W. Giuliani’s [28] letter request for an extension of time to respond to plaintiffs’ pending [19] Motion for Civil Contempt, which request was submitted to the Court via letter without defendant’s signature, for failure to comply with applicable procedural rules, since even defendants without any legal training and proceeding pro se are required to comply with procedural rules, and this defendant, though pro se, has previously been a practicing attorney with a history of significant government legal positions.

See D.D.C. Local Civil Rule 7(m) (requiring “counsel [to] discuss the anticipated motion with opposing counsel in a good-faith effort to determine whether there is any opposition to the relief sought” before “filing any non-dispositive motion in a civil action,” and to “include in its motion a statement that the required discussion occurred, and a statement as to whether the motion is opposed”); id. (applying that rule “to non-incarcerated parties appearing pro se”); [8] Standing Order, paragraph 7(d) (same, noting the obligation “will be strictly enforced”)….

Signed by Judge Beryl A. Howell on December 4, 2024….

[To keep a complete record, here is the plaintiffs’ latest memo of law, on imposing contempt sanctions against Giuliani.] What an embittered, sad… and now broke, old coot he’s become. Onward.

नमस्ते

[U X2] These Clowns… Are Simply… Embarrassing. Purported Defense Sec’y? Serial Sexual Abuser? According To His Own MOTHER?!

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Look — this is all great pulpy-fodder, for the political rags… and yes, I secretly confess — reasonably gratifying, to me, personally. [Updated: Hegseth now says, if he’s confirmed — he’ll stop… drinking. Well, that’s… reassuring! Not.]

This is what happens when the dimmest bulbs in the room seize control of the GOP. [Hinderaker now among them. He says that it is no problem that Hegseth “likes women”. Maybe ask his mom about that formulation, you moron. End Update No. 2.]

But make no mistake — this IS THE GOP, now. The party knew full-well, on this second time around, just how sloppy and ineffectual Tangerine and his lackeys always are.

And they knew he would do no REAL vetting — so, we were treated to Matt Gaetz (alleged sex-trafficker, now withdrawn)… and Pete Hegseth (now in the slow death spiral of being shown the door). [And (in a smaller display of gross incompetence — in filling seats) that local Florida sheriff has pulled out, as a candidate to head the DEA. Hilarious.]

In Hegseth’s case — his own mother(!) openly proclaims he is a horrible, multiple incidents, multi-year, pattern abuser of women, in particular.

[And yes, I realize, for Trump that is a feature, not a bug — but GEEZ?! Don’t these guys realize that he’s thus… toxic — to over half of America?] Wow.

So instead, the Powerline boys are yammering on about anything BUT Hegseth to DeSantis.

But in truth, even the rest of even the regular GOP base is paying close attention, boys.

The coming Tangerine 2.0 will meet resistance… 2.0… inside his own party. This is a wasted “do nothing” two-to-four years. [Depending on mid-term 2026 results.]

D A M N.

I’m prepared. Are you?

नमस्ते

48-Hour Hold — On Coast Of India, For Tech Issue — Proba-3 Launch Now Thursday, December 6, 2024…

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Update: Launch delayed — one more day — to Thursday.

As ever, in spaceflight… safety first. And here, redundancy means. . . added safety. A redundant system on the coast of India did not report out as expected, so esa and the Indian space agency will push a day, while diagnosing the software glitch, thus:

…Due to a technical issue with the spacecraft, ESA’s eclipse-making precise formation-flying Proba-3 mission is now foreseen for launch on its PSLV-XL rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on Thursday, 5 December, at 11:34 CET (10:34 GMT, 16:04 local time).

During Proba3’s pre-launch preparations at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, an anomaly in the redundant propulsion system of the Coronagraph Spacecraft occurred. This propulsion system is part of the attitude and orbit control subsystem of the satellite and used to maintain orientation and pointing in space.

The anomaly is currently under detailed investigation. The use of a software solution by the mission control team at ESA’s ESEC centre at Redu, Belgium is being evaluated to allow a launch on Thursday 5 December….

We will cover it for you, then. Onward — but oral argument has concluded on the Tennessee law. I predict a 5-4 decision invalidating the Tennessee law. Smile.

नमस्ते

[U: Order Entered.] In DC Federal Court, Rudy Never Responded To The Motion For Civil Contempt; Judgment May Now Enter: π-tiffs’ Lawyers.

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Updated — 12.04.2024 @ 11 AM: Rudy has been ordered to explain himself, by the 6th @ 2 PM EST, thus:

…MINUTE ORDER (paperless) DIRECTING defendant Rudolph W. Giuliani, by December 6, 2024 at 2:00 PM, to SHOW CAUSE why plaintiffs’ [19] Motion for Civil Contempt should not be “grant[ed]… as conceded,” an order “enter[ed] that Mr. Giuliani is in civil contempt,” and “the December 12, 2024 hearing… narrowed to focus on the appropriate civil contempt sanction for Mr. Giuliani’s violation of the consent injunction,” see plaintiffs’ [26] Notice of Failure to File Any Response at 2, given that defendant failed to file any opposition by the deadline despite defendant’s awareness of the contempt motion, see Ex. 4 at 17:9-12 of plaintiffs’ [26] Notice of Failure to File Any Response, and the Court’s explicit warning about the implications of failing to do so, see Minute Order (Nov. 20, 2024).

Signed by Judge Beryl A. Howell on December 4, 2024….

My bet is he’ll not respond. He knows he’s… cooked. End update.

We told you last week it would end this way.

Rudy’s lawyers (likely no longer being paid anything) did not even substantively respond — to the motion for contempt on the merits, in DC. The reply was due last night. It never came. So this afternoon, the Geordia election workers / plaintiffs moved for a judgment of contempt against Rudy, at the hearing already scheuled for December 12, 2024, thus:

…Per this Court’s minute order dated November 20, 2024, Mr. Giuliani was instructed to file any response to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Civil Contempt (ECF No. 19) by December 2, 2024, and “CAUTIONING defendant that failure to respond [] will be treated as conceding that motion.” November 20, 2024 Minute Order. Mr. Giuliani failed to file a timely response.

Accordingly, Plaintiffs Ruby Freeman and Wandrea’ Moss (“Plaintiffs”) respectfully request that this Court hold that Mr. Giuliani has conceded the motion, and enter an order that Mr. Giuliani is in civil contempt and reserving the entry of appropriate sanctions until after the December 12, 2024 hearing….

Well, it would seem that about a week from tomorrow, Mr. Giuliani may be spending a night in jail, either in Manhattan, or in DC (more likely) — even if he does everything perfectly from here onward [which his prior history shows us… he’s very unlikely to do anything other than… defy, and (impotently) attempt now, to delay]. Stay tuned.

नमस्ते

Power-Alley: Merck Gets A Coveted FDA “Fast Track” — For Lung Oncology Candidate, sac-TMT [Sacituzumab Tirumotecan]

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It seems clear that the Kelun BioTech collaboration was — and is — a wise one, despite the significant upfront price tags. [My prior backgrounder, one of several, from December 2022, right here.] Merck is rising nicely, on the NYSE this morning — on the news.

The lead candidate, sac-TMT, has been conferred a “breakthrough therapy designation” at FDA and so is on the fast track for approval in specified lung cancers. Here’s the latest — but very good news for both companies:

…Merck said the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for its antibody drug conjugate sacituzumab tirumotecan, also known as sac-TMT, for the treatment of a certain type of lung cancer.

Sac-TMT received the designation for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations whose disease progressed on or after TKI and platinum-based chemotherapy, according to a statement….

The drug is being tested as both a monotherapy and in combination with its [immuno-oncology agent] Keytruda, for the treatment of various solid tumors, as well….

This, on the heels of sac-TMT being approved in China for certain hard to treat breast cancers. So this one looks to be a big win for both patients worldwide, and the Rahway multinational, now. Onward.

नमस्ते

Whimsy: ET To Invade; Plus “Enron” Relaunch, Today?!

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We open Giving Tuesday with a pair of Banksy-esque items. As luck would have it, back in 2009, apparently an early bot made a prediction that on this day, the Earth would be invaded by extraterrestrials.

And in spite of that — or perhaps because of it — an art collective decided to spoof a relaunch of the notorious criminal enterprise called Enron, also for this morning.

Several credulous crypto “journalists” have now shamelessly played the part of willing shills, publishing actual news stories about Enron. Here is but one such example, called CryptoBriefing.com:

…Enron Corporation announced its revival as a company focused on addressing global energy challenges, with plans that include potential expansion into crypto and blockchain technology.

This announcement marks a dramatic shift for a company synonymous with corporate malfeasance. Enron’s collapse, which revealed fraudulent accounting practices that destroyed billions in shareholder value, reshaped regulatory frameworks in the early 2000s.

With Donald Trump returning to office, some analysts speculate that a more favorable environment for risk-taking could have prompted the company’s decision to relaunch….

It would be hilarious, if it all weren’t so desperately… sad.

I suppose the (unrelated) good news is that a Delaware judge has reaffirmed her decision, that Elon Musk’s $56 billion Tesla self-voted payday cannot stand.

All of it, including the intel guy’s departure — taken together though… actually sort of makes me hope the ET invasion portion of the spoof turns out to be… real.

Onward.

नमस्ते

Hinderaker: Into His Hooch, Again… Late Night Wishing For “Ghost Of St. Ronnie”

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It is silly… silly, and sad — that John still clings to 1981… as though it was last week.

As much as (or more than) anyone… I wish for these hostages’ safe returns… but “mean Tweets” are never gonna’ get the job done.

You know Reagan would laugh at Trump’s vacuous bluster, and say he can’t cut it (on any dimension!) — silly Hinderaker.

Whatever John — but in truth, Tucker Carlson is wrong too: Trump is no “peacenick”, either.

He has no… principled worldview. At all. He’s a nihilist (if anything).

So chant your loony incantations, John. Bark them into the night, through the haze of your snoot full — of expensive hooch.

Either way, mostly… Tangerine’s just a cheap lil’ grifter and an opportunist, full of insipid bluster, and impotent hubris.

Out.

Giuliani Update: By This Friday, He Must Have Sorted ALL Property At His TWO Storage Facilities — Separating & Labeling All That Belongs To The Georgia Election Workers.

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The only real surprise here. . . is that Mr. Giuliani STILL thinks the law is meant only for the little people. Not him. [Afterall, at least three times now in the last two months alone, he’s shoved his hand into the fire — impudently — and been scorched by it. You’d think he’d have… wised up, by now. Hmm.]

Here is that order, from the very capable USDC Judge Liman (in Manhattan), as a refresher, and a bit of it:

…By no later than 5 p.m. Friday, December 6, 2024, Mr. Giuliani shall segregate all Receivership Property located at the CTS Facility from property that is not subject to the Turnover Order….

By the same date and time, Mr. Giuliani shall provide a detailed list containing pictures of the segregated Receivership Property located at the CTS Facility sufficient to show the size and quantity of that property….

By Monday, December 9, 2024, the Receivers will provide Mr. Giuliani with the location of a New York-based storage facility, and the date and time when Mr. Giuliani shall deliver all of the Receivership Property located at the CTS Facility….

My hunch is that he will not meet this deadline, and an immediate contempt hearing will commence — at which time, after about an hour long hearing, he may be jailed (at least overnight, to impress upon him that these federal orders mean what they say).

We shall see. Onward — and separately, it is hilarious that the cat has Hinderaker’s tongue on the Tangerine aspects of the Biden pardon news.

Simply… precious. He knows his number is up, for not complaining about any of a dozen Tangerine pardons.

नमस्ते

In Lighter Fare — Look For Lord Jupiter, In December’s Mid-Evening Skies: Here’s How To Spot It!

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For our own peace of mind, I think we must look away from the mess that Tangerine is now making (at least from time to time) — and smile again, at these celestial wonders — right out there, in our backyards, available with even a small telescope, or binoculars.

This is certainly good for the soul: crisp single digit night air in our lungs, a “Distant Suns” app in the phone for siting (Location Services ON!), a mug of hot cocoa, steaming near at hand… and rising… to the northwest over most of North America… is mighty Lord Jupiter (through all of December 2024, but I’ll see it best, later in the month, when down in Arizona).

[Just one of thousands, by way of backgrounders, here.] And, here’s the latest, from NASA:

…Jupiter is easy to observe at night with our unaided eyes, as well-documented by the ancient astronomers who carefully recorded its slow movements from night to night. It can be one of the brightest objects in our nighttime skies, bested only by the Moon, Venus, and occasionally Mars, when the red planet is at opposition. That’s impressive for a planet that, at its closest to Earth, is still over 365 million miles (587 million km) away. It’s even more impressive that the giant world remains very bright to Earthbound observers at its furthest distance: 600 million miles (968 million km)! While the King of Planets has a coterie of 95 known moons, only the four large moons that Galileo originally observed in 1610 – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Calisto – can be easily observed by Earth-based observers with very modest equipment….

Jupiter’s position as our solar system’s largest planet is truly earned; you could fit 11 Earths along Jupiter’s diameter, and in case you were looking to fill up Jupiter with some Earth-size marbles, you would need over 1300 Earths to fill it up – and that would still not be quite enough! However, despite its formidable size, Jupiter’s true rule over the outer solar system comes from its enormous mass.

If you took all of the planets in our solar system and put them together, they would still only be half as massive as Jupiter all by itself. Jupiter’s mighty mass has shaped the orbits of countless comets and asteroids. Its gravity can fling these tiny objects towards our inner solar system and also draw them into itself, as famously observed in 1994 when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, drawn towards Jupiter in previous orbits, smashed into the gas giant’s atmosphere. Its multiple fragments slammed into Jupiter’s cloud tops with such violence that the fireballs and dark impact spots were not only seen by NASA’s orbiting Galileo probe but also by observers back on Earth….

Now you know. Do. Not. Let. His. Malignancy. Keep. You. Down. Onward — grinning anew!

नमस्ते

Mirengoff: The Silence… Is Deafening. [But He Did… Love Mr. Obama’s Steady Hand For Eight Years.]

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This morning, Paul writes about missing Mr. Obama’s steady hand at 1600 Penn.

Yes. That’s understandable — given what’s already coming, in January 2025.

What is… puzzling (or not so!) is that he is silent on the Biden pardon. Even Powerline has mostly stayed away from it.

Of course, this is a dirty little (non-) secret: All of these boys know it was wrong for Trump to pardon Bannon (charity frauds), Flynn (lying under oath about documents; election lies), Kushner Sr. (IRS frauds), Roger Stone (election fraud and Proud Boys / J6 BS) — and about a dozen others, including his other daughter’s father in law… and a sheriff in Florida’s father in law, on gun and drug charges — who will now advise on Mid-East matters.

But it is more than just wrong, boys. It is… dangerous, that these crooks are part of the Trump Administration (to come).

I do have faith that the Senate and the federal courts will blunt most of what Tangerine hopes to do. It is just a very costly way to get good (or at least better) government: to have to litigate for it.

What a waste of federal court time.

But so be it. See you in court, boys. Resistance 2.0 is all primed — and ready to file, in federal District Courts in… Colorado, California, Illinois, NY, NJ and DC!

Onward.