DL Open Thread: Sunday, January 22, 2023
10 Killed In Monterey Shooting During Lunar New Year: Just the way the Founding Fathers intended:
Ten people were killed and at least 10 others were injured when a gunman opened fire at a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park on Saturday night, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
The mass shooting, one of California’s worst in recent memory, happened in the 100 block of West Garvey Avenue at around 10:22 p.m., sheriff’s Capt. Andrew Meyer told reporters Sunday morning.
There was scant information on the suspect: Male and still at large. There is no known motive, nor a description of the shooter.
Taliban Leaders Got Musk’s Blue Checkmarks. Until the BBC found out:
The Taliban have started using Twitter’s paid-for verification feature, meaning some now have blue ticks on their accounts.
Previously, the blue tick indicated “active, notable, and authentic accounts of public interest” verified by Twitter, and could not be purchased.
But now, users can buy them through the new Twitter Blue service.
At least two Taliban officials and four prominent supporters in Afghanistan are currently using the checkmarks.
The Twitter Blue service was introduced in December.
It costs $8 per month, and an increased fee of $11 is paid by those using the Twitter app on Apple devices.
Subscribers to Twitter Blue benefit from “priority ranking in search, mentions, and replies” to help fight spam and bots, according to the platform.
Before the introduction of Twitter Blue, none of the observed accounts for Taliban officials carried the blue tick mark – that was then used to indicate the identities of users verified by Twitter.
‘Tick mark’: Perfect for leeches.
Desperate Mike Pence Courts Anti-Gay Pastors. You know, to bolster his Rethug bona fides:
Pence has been courting his evangelical base as he seems to be prepping for a presidential run. Hagee isn’t the only prominent, if questionable, figure in the movement he’s been cozy with lately. Last week, he appeared at the 13,000-member Baptist megachurch of Robert Jeffress, another controversial homophobic pastor who was among Trump’s biggest supporters, even defending him in the wake of the Access Hollywood scandal in which Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women. Jeffress told Fox News that the real estate magnate’s words were “crude, offensive, and indefensible, but they’re not enough to make me vote for Hillary Clinton.” Jeffress has been denounced by many other Republicans, most notably Sen. Mitt Romney, for attacking people of other faiths and declaring that “Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell.”
Pence seems undeterred by the troubling records of Hagee and Jeffress, and he seems to be actively attempting to lure them away from backing Trump again. In fact, Jeffress is now on the advisory board of Pence’s new nonprofit group, Advancing American Freedom. Pence met with anti-abortion protesters on Friday in DC during the March for Life at the group’s headquarters, shoring up his bona fides with another part of the GOP base.
What a Party. Whoever (Whomever? Never could discern the difference between the two) can prove that they are the best hater could well be the nominee. Won’t be Mike Pence.
Has Biden ALWAYS Been This Careless?: Hey, I’m glad this is happening. Don’t want him running in 2024:
It is the latest striking development in a fast-moving investigation, with the personal residence of a sitting president now having been subject to a 13-hour search by federal agents. Biden aides said the wide-ranging search and the fact that it was conducted with the president’s permission were indications of how eager they are to resolve the matter.
It is unclear what precisely investigators took from Biden’s home, and how many documents or pages are involved. During an earlier search, Biden’s lawyers said they found other classified documents in Biden’s garage and adjacent room, turning them over to the DOJ. A person familiar with the case said some of the documents found in the first discovery of classified materials related to Iran.
Going out on a limb here–at his advanced age, he’s not gonna get less careless. Gee, wonder if Hunter has been rummaging around in the garage…
News-Journal Runs Ad As News Story. From Schell Brothers. Yes, I see the disclaimer–in small print italics. But, not only was it run as a news story, it was listed along with the other ‘news’ stories. Right here.
What do you want to talk about?
Do not want Biden to run in 2024 either, he’s eighty and that is far too old for another term. Pence is a reminder that ambition frequently crowds out the real world, especially when religion is involved. As for ten down in California wait a minute, Florida or Texas will yer regain that sick crown.
But is any Democrat going to seriously challenge him? Moving the first primary to South Carolina only makes his re-nomination even more likely. I’d bet the farm that he’s going to be the nominee again as no real contender is going to emerge.