Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former mayor who shepherded New York City through the Sept. 11 attacks, said on Sunday that he did not think Mayor Zohran Mamdani should attend memorial ceremonies this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
“It offends me,” Mr. Giuliani said in an anti-Muslim diatribe on the far-right news outlet Newsmax, regarding Mr. Mamdani’s plans to attend the New York memorial. Mr. Giuliani also compared Mr. Mamdani to the Sept. 11 hijackers, who he said had hostility to America and “weren’t hiding it like Mamdani is trying to hide it.”
Mr. Giuliani’s tirade included baseless claims, including that Mr. Mamdani is a supporter of a Muslim plot aimed at “taking over certain parts of America and certain parts of Europe,” a right-wing conspiracy theory he has endorsed in the past.
No words needed.
Rethug Attacks Ohio Democratic Candidate For Governor. He just might be related to another Ohio Rethug:
The Ohio State Highway Patrol arrested a Canfield man in connection with an attempted attack on Democratic governor candidate Dr. Amy Acton Sept. 6 at the Canfield Fair
Patrick M. Havas, 38, has been charged with assault and disorderly conduct. He was taken to the Mahoning County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Here’s what we know about Havas:
There was an Andrew Havas who resigned from a volunteer position with Sen. Jon Husted’s campaign in July after NBC News reported Havas had served jail time following accusations of sexual misconduct with a minor.
Husted’s campaign had said Andrew Havas did not disclose the conviction and was asked to resign after it came to light.
A LexisNexis report lists an Andrew James Havas as “a possible household member” and a “possible brother.”
Don’t Usually Do Plane Crashes. However, it seems that crashes, near-crashes and mechanical failures are becoming more prevalent. Plus, what’s with vehicles being so close to the runways?:
Five people were killed and several others were injured after an Amazon cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, authorities said.
The plane came to a stop in a field next to the airport striking multiple vehicles.
Miami-Dade Fire Chief Ray Jadallah said crews arrived to find heavy flames and smoke, with complex fires involving the aircraft’s engine compartments.
Firefighters also had to conduct search and rescue operations after the pilot and co-pilot were trapped inside the aircraft.
About 200 firefighters were there helping with search and rescue efforts, as victims were trapped in the vehicles and had to be extricated by specialized technical rescue crews.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that Air Flight 7598 overran the runway after landing at the airport. The plane, a Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft, departed from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“The FAA will investigate,” the statement read.
The National Transportation Safety Board is launching a team to Miami to investigate the crash. (Will they rehire anybody who knows what they’re doing to conduct the investigation?)
The Prime Air plane came to rest beside a roadway near two semi-trucks, according to images from the scene. The aircraft appeared to be resting on its belly and was largely intact despite the fire.
The AI-generated response from Amazon:
“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.
“The airplane, which was operated by 21 Air, was attempting to land when this incident occurred. We’re working closely with local authorities and officials to learn more and will cooperate fully with any investigation.“
Say it together with me: “It’s Biden’s fault.”
Fetterman Has Checked Out–How Soon Before He Checks Out Of The Democratic Party?:
Sen. John Fetterman responded angrily this weekend to a recent Wall Street Journal report, which quoted former staffers and the senator’s own alleged text messages to demonstrate his waning interest in performing basic job duties. The Pennsylvania Democrat, per the report, declined to meet with constituents, balked at attending a funeral for three slain police officers shot in York County, and asked why he had to keep meeting with representatives from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
In an exclusive response to CNN, Fetterman called the reports about his attitude the work of “disgruntled staffers,” adding, “Per usual — lies, half-truths, innuendos, smears and anonymous.” An anonymous Twitter account claiming to represent former staffers was also created on Friday, promising that the WSJ story was, in the Twitter account’s words, “just the tip of the iceberg.”
Much of the discussion about Fetterman has centered around how much his decision-making has been impacted by a stroke he suffered in 2022 while on the campaign trail. A May 2025 story in New York magazine reported on what staffers said was an alarming series of personality changes over time. His former chief of staff Adam Jentleson wrote in a 2024 memo quoted by the magazine that Fetterman was, in his words, “on a bad trajectory,” and outlined apparent impacts on his approach to work and policy: “Conspiratorial thinking; megalomania (for example, he claims to be the most knowledgeable source on Israel and Gaza around but his sources are just what he reads in the news — he declines most briefings and never reads memos); high highs and low lows; long, rambling, repetitive and self centered monologues; lying in ways that are painfully, awkwardly obvious to everyone in the room.”
No, I’m not talking the first game of the NFL season. Instead, something far more momentous than that:
This week in Dallas, Texas, the party will stage a midterm convention for the first time. Donald Trump will deliver a keynote address on Wednesday and closing remarks on Thursday in Dallas, Texas. Other speakers include Vice-President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. The convention has been billed as a “primetime showcase” to boost morale, nationalise congressional elections and galvanise Republican voters.
Unlike conventions in a presidential election year, delegates will not be making party rules or drawing up a policy platform. “This is essentially a Trump rally that they’re calling a midterm convention,” said Kamarck, now a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution thinktank in Washington. “They’re trying to get enthusiasm among their base because that’s what they need for November. Basically, this is a Trump show.”
That ambition probably made sense when the midterm convention was first mooted. Republican voters are historically slow to turn out when Trump is not on the ballot. By putting himself on the marquee, the president – who defied the odds to win the White House in 2024 – is hoping to narrow the enthusiasm gap.
Among those hoping for a boost from Trump in Texas is Senate candidate Ken Paxton, whose history of scandals – including an affair and securities-fraud indictment – could prove costly against the Democratic rising star James Talarico.
But now it appears the plan could backfire. Trump’s approval rating is at 33%, the lowest point of his political career, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll last week. Democrats seem more fired up about the midterms with 46% describing themselves as “very enthusiastic” about voting in November, compared with 31% of Republicans.
Speaking of the first NFL Wednesday game ever, a return of one of my fave commercials of all-t-i-i-i-i-me:
What do you want to talk about?
