Category: Uncategorized

The Sample — Flown Home, From Bennu — Is Now In A Clean Facility In Houston, For Eventual… Opening. And Then… Study.

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These are truly heady days for astro-geologists.

Soon now, the world will know — with great precision — what the original star stuff was made of — the stuff that congealed into our rocky but water covered home planet some 4.8 billion years ago. Here’s the latest on the NASA sample transport, and unpacking:

…The sample arrived in Houston at 12:40 pm ET (11:40 am CT) aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft, which landed at Ellington Field. From there, it was transferred to NASA Johnson.

The clean room includes custom glove boxes built to fit the sample canister containing the TAGSAM (Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism) head inside. The TAGSAM head was on the end of a robotic arm that collected rocks and dust from asteroid Bennu’s surface on October 20, 2020….

Having practiced these procedures for months, scientists and technicians plan to proceed through the many steps of removing the sample from the TAGSAM. First, they plan to place the canister in the glove box and disassemble it. Then, they plan to remove the TAGSAM head, where scientists expect most sample to be, cataloging and storing every piece of hardware and asteroid dust found outside of it.

Researchers plan to analyze asteroid dust from the initial disassembly for an early glimpse into the chemical, mineralogical, and physical characteristics and rock types that may be found in the bulk sample.

NASA plans to share these initial findings, plus first images of the sample, in a live broadcast on October 11….

Now you know… this is an extraordinary achievement — even before the first mineralogical results are published. Woosh!

नमस्ते

Hinder-Faker Knows He’s Mis-Quoting The Applicable Law: These Are Asylum-Seekers. Period.

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In one of his most despicable ongoing efforts to divide us, one against another, John re-quotes with approval, lies from a right wing think tank — on immigration.

He falsely asserts that people with advance travel authorizations are “illegal”. Nope. Numerous courts have now held that he is dead wrong here — as is the “think tank”.

They are not “illegal”. Our law grants them this right (to fly to the interior at their own expense from any of seven nations) — and entitles each of them to a credible fear hearing.

Hinderaker knows it — but he lies, for a potential wedge issue. It won’t work, but it is sadly… dishonest on his part. A former lawyer. If he still held a license, he could be disciplined — for this prevarication.

But whatever, John… you are just… irrelevant. Like your blog. Old, busted and embittered.

Out.

Bill Otis Gets The Outline Correct — But Misses On The Timing…

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Tonight Otis tries to tell us that Mr. Biden would lose, head to head, to Trump. He points to a poll even he doesn’t believe. [The poll deeply under-sampled independents, whom will decide the next election — and you may rest assured they will NOT elect a felon.]

But to his waifish credit, Bill does offhandedly remark that this would only be true if the 2024 election were to be held… today. That is, before weeks and weeks of highly damaging testimony in open court, and perhaps even more than one felony conviction — on Trump’s record… as he runs again.

So — yes, it is beyond silly for the GOP to cheer a poll in a general between Trump v. Biden. One — it is possible that Mr. Biden won’t be his opponent, but the younger, more vital — and far more agile Gov. Newsom, out of California… or even Kamala Harris. In either of those cases, if Trump can win a furlough from federal custody to debate a Democratic candidate… he will be destroyed.

But you may be assured that the GOP has no choice but to nominate him, again. He has booby trapped every other path — with land-mines laid by his MAGAT follow-on Congress-critters.

So… it is likely to be a rematch of 2020. One Trump will lose by over 15 million votes.

And Bill well-knows it (though he churlishly titles his post “Biden’s in trouble” — hah!):

…[Trump’s] utterly self-involved, unrepentant, and backward looking behavior shows no signs of abating. He’s facing 91 felony counts in four separate venues, some… very serious (Jack Smith’s Florida indictment). All other current polling shows the matchup even, or with Trump holding a slight lead, almost always within the margin of error.

So if push comes to shove, I don’t really believe this poll….

Indeed.

See ya’ in the funny papers, man.

The Zetia® “End Payor” Settlement Fairness Hearing Concluded Last Week, Against Merck and Glenmark…

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In federal court in Norfolk, Virginia — we see what hubris hath wrought. In sum, the opinion and final order are likely to come in the next couple of weeks — capping some 15 years of federal litigation in multiple district- and state-level courts, about wildly overcharging insurance companies and the federal government for a supposed cholesterol management drug… that was essentially a placebo. That’s a Fred Hassan (while CEO of old Schering-Plough) legacy, in truth — and the multi-billion dollar related sets — of settlements, to be paid by Merck (and Glenmark).

This is but one of literally hundreds of older (2009-ish) posts, on the topics — and a June 2023 one of my backgrounders, here. In any event, here is the full text minute order that indicates a final opinion will be forthcoming — for over $687 million:

…[Minutes from] Fairness Hearing re All End-Payor Plaintiffs:

Unopposed Motion for Final Approval of Settlement and Entry of Final Judgment and Order of Dismissal (ECF #2158), and All End-Payor Plaintiffs Motion for Award of Attorney’s Fees, Reimbursement of Expenses and Incentive Awards for the Class Representative Plaintiffs (ECF #2160). Counsel present. (See attached for names of counsel present for the hearing.)

Comments of court and counsel heard.

Court reviewed the proposed Order with the counsel.

Court to prepare an Opinion to enter with the Final Order. Court adjourned….

Now you know — but these are precisely the boxcar numbers we predicted, nearly 16 years ago (from Fast Fred Hassan’s deceptive marketing hubris — on this “very expensive placebo“). Damnation.

नमस्ते

A College Football Digression: “Some Times, You Just Get Your Butt… Kicked.”

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Coach Prime is obviously… right.

The Buffs just need to shake that sad debacle in Eugene off — and start prepping for an even tougher opponent in Boulder, come Saturday at 2 pm Mountain: the USC Trojans — and their 2X Heisman likely-QB.

…The CU rebuilding program is still way ahead of first year expectations, at 3-1 against two ranked opponents — and a third in town this coming weekend. . . . The Buffs went 1-12 last season, often losing by 20 points or more. So this (a likely #25 ranking), is pretty much… miraculous, in year one.

Now you know. Back to matters of science, soon.

Now, in fact: OSIRIS-REx has safely dropped its sample return into the Utah high desert.

So that’s… amazingly good news! Onward.

नमस्ते

Paul Feels Kids Are “Too Fragile” To Hear About Negative Actions Of… Whytes.

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This (from Paul Mirengoff) is so deliciously… ironic.

The hard right morons would tell us a whyte kid cannot survive hearing that whyte people did awful things, in addition to some wonderful things… in history — and through to today.

But in the next breath, they will take their kids to a gun range, to fire an AR-15 repeating rifle… with only one goal in mind: the taking of human lives.

Or, in the next breath — they will tell their kids, that they’ve “been victimized”… by no longer getting the unearned benefit of legacy admissions at colleges.

All while decrying the soft bigotry of low expectations. As they do just that, TO their own kids.

What a sad sack pack of both traditional-, and reverse-, racists Paul — and his handlers — are.

Out.

Billings-Puss Offers A “Hans-Rep-Repair” Piece Of Steaming Dung…

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This guy is proving to be… a true idealogue.

Hans von Spakovsky (a former GOP AUSA in the DoJ) was one of the chief election fraudsters a few years back — in the 2018 mid term cycle, for the GOP (and previously — for Bush/Cheney 43), vainly trying to suppress registered votes from Democratic leaning households — for no other reason than that they might vote Democratic.

Now Billingspuss tries to paint him… as a patriot.

Y A W N.

Billingspuss just cannot stand that the demographics of the US have shifted in favor of… progress — not 19th Century oppression and cruelty (the current GOP manifesto).

What an ugly lil’ spud, he is.

Out.

Louisiana Seeks A Rehearing In The Fifth Cir. — It Won’t Get One, As This Will Now Be Decided By The Supremes…

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It is clear that the GOP-led-states’ strategy here is simply to delay the inevitable.

Thus, the state of Louisiana seeks a rehearing overnight, in the Fifth Cir., while it well-knows Justice Alito (for the whole US Supreme Court) has paused everything, while the nine meet at a conference next week, likely to take the case on cert.

That is — none of the below will matter. It just muddies the waters, and wastes judicial resources in the Fifth Cir. Here’s a summary of where it all stands, from three separate orders — in two separate courts:

…“For the last few years — at least since the 2020 presidential transition — a group of federal officials has been in regular contact with nearly every major American social-media company about the spread of “misinformation” on their platforms [but that violates no law]….”

[Meanwhile Justice Alito issued the following:] IT IS ORDERED that the stay issued on September 14, 2023, is hereby extended until 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, September 27, 2023….

[Now, a] PETITION filed by Appellee State of Louisiana [moves in the Fifth Circuit] for [a] rehearing [249]. Date of Service: 09/22/2023 via email….

Now you know. Onward, grinning.

And… let’s go Buffs — Prime’s time to shine arrives, at 2:30 pm local Central time!

Ducks are fast — but not nearly fast… enough. Buffs to win by four points, straight up — 38 to 34 (despite Vegas making them 21 point underdogs — just like when the Buffs went down to visit TCU, and beat them).

Out.

नमस्ते

Things Hinderaker Cannot / Will Not Comprehend…

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Tonight, John openly suggests that what Sen. Bob Menendez has been indicted for… is something the sitting President has done.

[Do take your Ketamine, Johnny.]

Hinderaker makes these churlish allegations, not only without much affirmative evidence for his assertions, but also in the face of the GOP’s own admission of very substantial exonerating evidence.

So it must be said (again). John is a pure… hack.

He doesn’t even mention that lots of evidence in the GOP’s own dossier points to conclusions that are 180 degrees away from Hinderaker’s call for blood.

What a loser.

Out.

One More Null Result — This Time, In Certain Lung Cancers — For The Eisai / Merck Combo Therapies…

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Previously (in early August), we mentioned that there was a miss, in certain head and neck cancers.

Overall, though — it remains a viable combo, in certain kidney and uterine cancers.

Here’s the latest, in any event — from Reuters:

…[Both companies said on] Friday a combination of their cancer therapies did not prolong the lives of patients in two late-stage studies testing it as a treatment for a type of lung cancer.

The pairing of Merck’s blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda and Eisai’s Lenvima has previously failed in studies evaluating it in patients with types of head-and-neck cancer, skin cancer and colon cancer as well….

Now you know, but Keytruda is — and will remain — the most profitable drug in Merck’s storied 100 plus year history. And to be clear — Merck is, and will remain — for decades to come… one of the most profitable multinationals on the planet.

So it is a little rich, that Merck refuses to discuss pricing with large customers on very mature, very overpriced diabetes medications like… Januvia. Ugh. But you’ve heard that tune, from me — a few times before. Onward, and… go Buffs… beat the Ducks!

नमस्ते