Category: Uncategorized

In Chicago, The Able USDC Judge Sara Ellis Will Likely Allow Discovery Against ICE Agents On October 8, 2026…

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

There is no longer any serious doubt that ICE (and Greg Bovino, personally) acted lawlessly last year in Chicago, San Diego and Los Angeles (and Minnesota, too). And the class-plaintiffs here are certainly allowed to prove that, from Bovino’s own mouth. And documents.

Moreover, the court in San Diego has already released almost all these documents from Team Tangerine 2.0, to the plaintiffs in SoCal. It cannot be a burden to save these same documents and videos to a drive, and deliver the same into the Dirksen Building in Chicago, per Judge Ellis’ much earlier discovery order. But still — Stephen Miller, et al., drag their collective leaden feet. Here’s the latest, leading up to the October 8, 2026 hearing. I will be in the high Rockies then, but you know how to dial in — or walk in, to the court:

…Pursuant to this Court’s authorization, Plaintiffs sought documents already produced [By Team Tangerine 2.0 lawyers] in the Vasquez Perdomo [USDC, SD CA] litigation regarding Defendants’ unlawful immigration actions that are relevant to both matters. Now, Defendants seek to quash that subpoena.

The Court should deny Defendants’ motion. The subpoena seeks documents relevant to establishing Defendants’ unlawful policies and conduct; for example, it seeks training materials used across operations. It is striking that Defendants assert irrelevance when they are the ones to raise the factual dispute that the alleged illegal activities merely reflected “disparate incidents involving DHS agents.” Moreover, Defendants lack standing to raise many of their objections, and the protective order currently in effect provides adequate assurances of confidentiality….

Defendants’ primary contention is that the subpoena would be unduly burdensome, because it would require them to review the thousands of responsive documents produced in the Vasquez Perdomo litigation for privilege. This contention is wrong. Plaintiffs have offered to comply with the same clawback agreement in place in the Vasquez Perdomo litigation. Defendants rejected that proposal, but this Court should impose the same procedure here. Alternatively, this Court can review the same materials the Vasquez Perdomo Court did and reach its own decision on privilege, which will provide guidance for the remaining documents like what happened in Vasquez Perdomo.

Defendants cannot have it both ways: obtain the benefits of a blanket privilege assertion without having to litigate its propriety. It is not unduly burdensome for Defendants to simply brief a privilege assertion of their own making….

In the fall of 2025, the same named defendants in Vasquez Perdomo, among others, implemented a strikingly similar unlawful campaign in the Chicago metropolitan area. From September 2025 through December 2025, Defendants “rampaged… through Chicago and surrounding areas, lawlessly stopping, interrogating and arresting residents, and attacking them with chemical weapons.” State of Illinois, et al. v. Dep’t of Homeland Security, et al., 26-cv-321 (N.D. Il) (“Illinois v. DHS”), ECF No. 1 ¶ 1. As in Los Angeles, governmental entities sued, alleging, inter alia, that the program of roving patrols, warrantless arrests, and arresting and detaining persons at courthouses and other sensitive locations violated the Tenth Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act….

Now you know — and I have been grinning like Clark Griswold, stuck in his attic, in warm old furs and hats, watching very old home movies at Christmas… as I filter through our 2005 era, month-long trip through Europe — with my then pretty small kids — I am doing a series of “back then, to now” comparison photos [likely to become a Shutterfly-style calendar (at Xmas in AZ) for all my grown and gone offspring] — scenes from Paris, Rome (one of which is embedded below), Florence, Venice and London and Belfast. Very sentimental today, in the rain here. Smile….

नमस्ते

Largely Trivial/Checkup: What Are The $TRUMP And $Melania Meme/Crypto Coins Worth Now, In The Markets? [After The Fam Took Their Payoffs.]

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

We’ve mentioned it a few times before: the occupants of 1600 Penn have never seen a grift they would shy away from — big or small. And true enough — “fools and their money soon go separate ways…” even so, though — consider:

As of his FEC mandated disclosures this year, Trump has made about $635 million off this joke of a coin, personally — using his title as “preznit” for personal gains (to say nothing of whom all he may have paid off, by gifting early coins to his cronies). Overall, in crypto, his gains have exceeded $1.2 billion, personally.

For her part, Melania reported about $6 million in direct crypto gains in the year, but that doesn’t count the amount she sold as the meme coin tanked. Those were coins given to her without any price — and likely exceeded $100 million.

Meanwhile, ordinary (non-crony / non payoff receiving) investors lost something between $3.7 and $7 BILLION on the coins. Disgusting.

This all, as a retrospective blurb came out whilst I was away in Europe, but it is a worthwhile reminder of just how brazenly corrupt the two of them are:

…Both coins closely tracked the broader crypto market, which saw a rise to $2.66 trillion before a recent $60 billion drop amid geopolitical tensions and economic data. Despite their recent gains, both coins remain significantly below their highs since the 2025 inauguration, with TRUMP down 96% and MELANIA down 99% since then, compared to a 25% drop in total crypto market value….

[Interestingly, but trivially after-all, the] OFFICIAL MELANIA meme coin modestly outperformed the OFFICIAL TRUMP coin in late August and early September despite similar market trends. TRUMP surged 75% in a week but then declined, ending 31.09% higher over a month, while MELANIA rose steadily to be up 35.93% over the same period….

To be clear, though, both were — and are — essentially worthless stacks of ones and zeros, in an electronic storage medium. Damn — what a pair of con-artists. Each — for the presidential families — largely exited their zero cost “investments” in the coins — with hundreds of millions to billions in real US Dollar gains, only scant weeks after the meme coins launched. So they’ve gotten their tributes / bribes — and the above later market prices mean nothing to them. Out.

नमस्ते

Something Paul Mirengoff Actually Believes?!

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

As Paul wandered off to Europe for two weeks, he took note of some current, independent, and well-vetted polling which suggests that both the US House and the full Senate will be controlled by Democrats after the midterms.

I agree.

I also agree that it is likely that Trump won’t just be a lame duck, but even more — he may end up in jail. This would primarily be a conviction over his brazen and vast corruption — after a trial in the Senate.

Where Paul and I part company (in this and many other instances) is he seems to think that the electorate will simply forget that the GOP actively enabled Trump for 15 years, and go right back to voting for Republican candidates in 2028 if they are distanced enough from Trump.

I don’t think that will happen much before 2032.

We shall see, and (just for fun!) AOC may be the US President for two terms — by then.

And the feckless morons like Paul Mirengoff and John Hinderaker will have only themselves to blame.

Out.

Scott Johnson Seems Unaware That Both Sides May Be In The Wrong, As A War Drags On…

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

This morning, Scott Johnson Paul Mirengoff vainly attempts to cast shame upon those members of the Irish soccer club who’d apparently bowed their collective heads — while the Israeli national anthem was being played, on the pitch.

What he and his fellow hard right frothers almost always fail to grasp… is that both sides in any given conflict can be in the wrong.

That is certainly true — in this one.

I will just stop there, and run the graphic I always run when discussing Netanyahu and his crazy — endless war… it does in fact approach genocide at this point.

And to say that is not to say that I support any terrorist. Each of them too is in the wrong. And certainly Hamas has done more than a share of damage. But if the Irish soccer team was embarrassed by Israel’s tactics, it certainly is appropriate for them to bow their head, Scott Paul. It doesn’t mean they support Hamas.

This sort of black-and-white thinking is why this conflict and the one in the Ukraine and the one now in Iran show no signs of ending.

Apologies. An earlier version of this item misidentified the author of the “false dilemma” post critiqued here. It was — in fact, Scott Johnson — at PowerLine. The only excuse I have is I hadn’t had my coffee yet and I was still jetlagged… then ran off to a meeting and didn’t look back.

End, mission transmission.

Oh. And Don’t Look Now, But Moderna Just Hit $201, After We Said “Undervalued”, At $38 Last Year!

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

This is real vindication of our long-ago (Fall 2024) rather bold predictions. [I actually think it was around $29, when we first said $85 would be fairer.]

Moderna is a great company, well run and very careful in its research spending. Focuses on things that it believes it truly can tackle. And then it tackles them with gusto.

Here’s the latest from just one of many similar Wall Street “rag” stories over the past three days, so I won’t link it, but this is how they view it — and with that I will be off — gallivanting across the lush green countryside.

…Wolfe Research upgrades Moderna to Peer Perform and describes the melanoma trial as de risking the intismeran platform, with a clearer regulatory path in adjuvant melanoma and estimated unadjusted peak sales across four indications of $9.2 billion….

Barclays, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and RBC Capital all move price targets materially higher, linking their revisions to the Phase 3 melanoma success and to higher modeled contribution from intismeran….

Here, now, in the land of my ancestors… these extended trips completely renew my soul!

नमस्ते

Trump Truly Abhors… Free Speech/Truth-Tellings

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

This is a special edition / vacation breaking blogpost, to note that tonight Hinderaker defends Trump — who has once again (after losing in the courts on this same BS move in Trump 1.0) in completely lawless fashion, barring CNN and other news outlets from the White House — for press events/questions.

Hinderaker (again) refuses to admit what we all now know, two times, and that is that Trump absolutely hates the most sacred of American values: free speech.

This is so, because it leads to truth telling. One can only hide the truth so long when a free press (or a minority party- or other speaker) is able to investigate — and expose these — his lies.

Given that I am touring many of the Catholic church’s most ancient cathedrals, I felt compelled to mention that Trump is no different than the church of 1616 tonight and Hinderaker is even worse — as a lawyer, because he only pretends that he supports free speech and open debate. In fact, he only supports calculated… lying.

You can’t fool all the people… for very long, in any event, Trump. The truth will continue to appear, bearing gossamer veils… that increasingly float off into the wind, revealing nothing but the naked truth.

Onward — to the Uffizi in Florence tomorrow — and Go Buffs; Beat NU!

A Fun [Non-] Report From South Of France… Riviera Edition

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Almost on a weekly basis, Hinderaker writes a story about how “red state” economies are doing “so much better” than blue state ones.

These are actually non-stories — based on statistics of who moves where year to year, or which states provide the lowest level of public service, due to not collecting any income tax — at the state level. That in John’s addled mind is his “progress.” Hilarious.

In fact, it more reliably offers us a “Misery Map” — of where federal aid is most overwhelmingly consumed — because the states do not do their duties to citizens of limited means, when they have “a red monopoly.” [So, in fact it’s just a shifting of the burden — from the state level, to the federal government.]

Well, okay — here in the early morning in France, I have an equally silly non-story for John.

It seems now (via August ’26 data) the areas of the US where home prices are falling most precipitously… are almost all red.

And also amusingly, home prices in Chicago rose by 3.6% last year, putting that deep blue city near the top of the list of “great real estate investments for homeowners”.

Like I say, these are non-stories because they don’t necessarily reflect quality of life or fulfilling jobs at living wages… but I will take it just the same.

Here is that — from the Faux non-news outlet:

…The report found that the median list price per square foot fell in 36 of the top 50 metro areas in the U.S. in August compared with a year ago.

The largest declines were in Austin (-8.1%); Tampa (-5.6%); and Memphis (-4.1%). Metros that saw the largest gains were Providence, R.I., (+9.3%); Indianapolis (+4.4%); and Chicago (+3.6%).…

So real estate prices declined significantly in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee — all largely red states… Though to be fair, the price declines were in the blue islands inside those states.

So — if I were as dishonest as John, I would spin the “story” to say that “life is becoming more affordable” on the blue islands inside red states (while obviously the point is that no conclusion — about politics, at least — can be drawn).

Even so, it always sells papers and draws eyeballs.

Here endeth the lesson.

New Remote Access/Phone Hearing — Against ICE — In Class Action In Chicago: USDC Judge Sara Ellis’ Case 26-cv-321 On September 11…

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

On that morning here, I’ll be off grid in the South of France, but you may dial in (on mute), to listen if you choose.

But this case is drawing nearer a finding that would result in payouts to plaintiffs, and injunctive relief to the State of Illinois for the damage the ICE lawlessness engendered in our communities, last year and early in 2026. Here’s the latest order:

…MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis:

The court sets a Telephone conference for 9/11/2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (650) 479-3207, Access Code: 2314 361 1508.

Entering an attendee code is not required. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking.

Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court’s calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll-free number). Please be sure to keep your phone on mute when you are not speaking. Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings.

Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court….

Now you know. Smiling — she is one fine federal trial court judge indeed.

नमस्ते

The Trump Anti-Freedom FCC Proposed Rules Are At An End — For Limiting Democratic Committees’ Speech Rights. Solid Decision — From The Supremes.

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

So, the Trump FCC attempts — to limit primarily Democratic Committee reach, on a “political ad spending” basis — have now failed. I don’t love committee spending, as a rule — but it is plainly consistent with the free expression / political speech precepts we’ve long held, in the US.

This one involves (in the succint prose of Amy Howe) Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) and three other Democrats who are/were candidates for the House or Senate went to the full FCC on April 29, 2026 — asking it to review the public notice. Approximately six weeks later, before the agency had acted on their application for review, they went to federal court, where they argued that the public notice was inconsistent with federal election laws. That is correct.

But as it now stands, both Democratic and Republican Committees will be able to buy ads at preferential rates (should they wish to) — going into the midterms.

This confirms my view of the First Amendment law. And whatever Trump’s FCC does (or tries to do, more precisely — beyond its charter), after the midterm cycle — will be litigated anew. Here’s the decision, of last evening, from the Supremes (and for the record, KBJ was the lone dissenter — I get her point; but I think freer speech is… better):

…Because the candidates’ application for review was pending when they filed their petition for review, the Fourth Circuit likely lacked statutory jurisdiction to address their challenge. Its holding to the contrary splits with every other Circuit to have considered the issue. Council Tree Communications, Inc. v. FCC, 503 F. 3d 284, 287 (CA3 2007); Alabama Power Co. v. FCC, 311 F. 3d 1357, 1366 (CA11 2002); International Telecard Assn. v. FCC, 166 F. 3d 387, 388 (CADC 1999) (per curiam). Accordingly, the first and second stay factors weigh in favor of granting the application.

The party committees have also demonstrated that they will likely suffer irreparable harm absent a stay. They represent that, in light of the Fourth Circuit’s decision — which the Fourth Circuit likely lacked jurisdiction to issue — broadcasters are already rescinding favorable rates. Current and future recissions will require the party committees to pay more for advertising space, thereby hampering their efforts to reach the electorate in the critical weeks leading up to the midterms. That injury, which implicates their First Amendment rights to speak and coordinate their political activities freely….

Now you know — blog outage begins on early Monday morning, now… flight plans are changing slightly — smile.

नमस्ते