I just love it when my spies do most of my work for me. Shout-outs to them for these first two stories–they know who they are.
Forces Of Evil File Suit To Keep Dark Money Dark In Delaware. Here’s the tip:
The Americans for Prosperity Foundation has filed an application in the US Supreme Ct. seeking to overturn provisions in DE’s Campaign Finance Law that requires all those organizations running “third party electioneering materials” in DE to submit listings of all their donors (regardless if donors money was focused on DE). The US Ct. of Appeals for 3d Circuit recently upheld the DE provisions and the present Supreme Court actions asks the high Court to temporarily strike down the requirements for the 2026 election cycle. The DE AG’s office was given to Wed. afternoon to respond, Legal guys who deal in campaign finance law believe this ask will get the Court’s serious attention and the Court might indeed issue a temporary stay of the DE requirements for the upcoming November election cycle.
The best of both worlds–free speech for oligarchs–with their names hidden from the public.
Speaking of Dark Money…remember the inspirational story of one Kerri Evelyn Harris who could barely afford shoes when she ran against the entrenched Delaware Way machine as personified (robotified?) by Tom Carper? Well, look at her now. Click on her name here, and this is what you’ll find:
Outside spending tied to Kerri Harris
This is not money received or controlled by the candidate’s committee.
Advertiser Activity How attributed Date Amount DSEA Advocacy Fund for Children & Public Education (3rd Party Advertiser) Candidate named; stance not specified 09/02/2026 $2,921.92 First State Future PAC Support 09/01/2026 $2,282.00 First State Future PAC Support 08/24/2026 $2,683.77 Good Growth _ MailFiling allocation discrepancy Support 08/24/2026 $1,585.10 DSEA Advocacy Fund for Children & Public Education (3rd Party Advertiser) Candidate-associated expenditure Candidate named; stance not specified 08/21/2026 $2,312.46 House Democrats Third-Party Advertiser Digital advertising Support 08/19/2026 $1,500.00 First State Future PAC Support 08/13/2026 $2,683.77 DSEA Advocacy Fund for Children & Public Education (3rd Party Advertiser) Digital advertising Candidate named; stance not specified 08/12/2026 $8,200.00 First State Future PAC Support 08/05/2026 $2,858.92 First State Future PAC Digital advertising Support 07/28/2026 $6,223.00 First State Future PAC Support 07/28/2026 $2,683.77 DE LEAD Digital advertising Support 07/28/2026 $12,000.00 First State Future PAC Support 07/22/2026 $2,683.77 First State Future PAC Support 07/06/2026 $2,312.46 First State Future PAC Digital advertising Support 07/06/2026 $5,228.93 First State Future PAC Digital advertising Support 06/22/2026 $5,226.64
By my count, the Musk-Rats (First State Future PAC) spent $37,726 directly on her behalf (10 separate mailings/digital advertising), not counting polling and other indirect expenditures, and the other evil PAC, DE LEAD, spent an additional $12 K. If you journey down into her contributors, you will see all sorts of $600 PAC contributions, almost all of them from out-of-state. If, by some miracle, there are changes in the House, Kerri Evelyn Harris should be nowhere near a leadership position. She has been bought and paid for. The Ultimate Sellout. At least she can afford some really good shoes now. Gucci-Gucci-goo.
Arminio Free To Be An Asshole:
The Republican candidate for the U.S. House has issued a public statement for the first time since being removed from a candidates forum last week after misgendering his opponent multiple times.
Dr. Joe Arminio referred to U.S. Rep Sarah McBride (D-Delaware), who is the first openly transgender member of Congress, as “him” and a “gentleman” while answering policy questions last Thursday, ultimately leading to Arminio being removed following a verbal warning about respecting his opponent.
McBride asked organizers to allow Arminio to stay on the stage, which the Republican said he appreciated, “in so doing, defended my freedom of speech, which I appreciate.”
He want on to say that McBride is utilizing her own freedom of speech by calling herself a woman.
“I myself am a firm supporter of freedom of speech and the Constitution in its entirety. That, of course, extends to one’s right to assert the “gender identity” of one’s choosing, as well as to assert the facts as one sees them.”
Ho-kay.
An idle thought from Yours Truly: I think that the Rethugs who are suddenly distancing themselves from Donald Trump are digging their political graves. The people who like Trump REALLY like Trump, and they will stay home rather than feeling obliged to go out and vote for someone who has dissed their deity.
Trump Dumps Hundreds Of Thousands From Obamacare:
The Trump administration has ejected more than 750,000 enrollees from the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces, Vice President JD Vance announced on Tuesday, claiming that many were receiving premium subsidies they did not qualify for and that some were not real people.
“We’re actually making sure that the people receiving Obamacare subsidies are actually entitled to receive them,” Mr. Vance said at a news conference, using a different name for the health law. He estimated that removing the targeted enrollees would save the government $2.2 billion.
The announcement was the latest initiative by an anti-fraud task force Mr. Vance leads that has often turned its efforts toward federal health programs. In recent months, the task force has been involved in withholding billions in Medicaid funding from Minnesota and California, contending that the states had not adequately combated fraud.
Obamacare enrollment has already declined significantly this year, as the cost of the plans has risen, a potential political risk for Republicans heading into midterm elections in which voters are worried about affordability and the cost of living.
I suppose I could point out the irony of there being such a thing as an ‘anti-fraud’ task force in the most corrupt administration in history, but there’s no need. Except I just did.
Oh, that ICE officer who shot someone in the back? Wasn’t wearing his body camera? I’m SHOCKED.
Not Even Brazilian Beef Can Save Wendy’s:
One of Wendy’s largest franchisees has filed for bankruptcy due to profitability issues and record beef prices, according to court documents filed this month.
Meritage Hospitality Group, which owns 314 Wendy’s locations in 15 states, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan on Sept. 17.
The franchisee said in court documents that it owes Wendy’s International nearly $25 million.
While the recent filing is from a franchisee, the announcement comes after Wendy’s announced plans beginning in late 2025 to close about 300 stores nationwide.
More than 450,000 people are projected to die from the additional heat brought by the super El Niño in the next six months, according to estimates by climate scientists.
The toll is on top of the early deaths resulting from temperatures already driven up by the climate crisis. It will strike across the globe, from Indonesia to India, and Nigeria to the US. Many further deaths are expected from the droughts, wildfires and flooding that El Niños bring.
The heat deaths have been estimated at regional level, and the researchers said the projections therefore identified where measures to protect people could be put in place and save lives. Such actions could include better heat forecasts, cooling centres where people can shelter, increased staffing for medical facilities at the hottest times and protections for outdoor workers.
The El Niño currently heating up the planet burst through the highest temperature ever recorded for the phenomenon on Monday, several months before its expected peak. The heat is so much greater than previous events that scientists have called it “mind-blowing” and “Godzilla-level”. El Niños are natural climate events but may be made worse by global heating.
“The estimate of 451,000 people is such a large number that it can be numbing, but it is made up of parents and children, grandparents and neighbours, people going to work, caring for families, and living their lives,” said Prof Michael Greenstone, co-founder of the Climate Impact Lab and at the University of Chicago, who co-authored the report.
What do you want to talk about?
Biggest sign Joe Armenio is an asshole (and there are many others*): He’s a PhD who refers to himself as “Dr.” Only insecure, self-aggrandizing assholes do that. I grew up surrounded by PhD chemists and physicists, and not a single one ever referred to himself as a “doctor.”
*As a side note, I absolutely loathe Italian-Americans who forget how recently they weren’t considered “white” and vote for the same people who despised their ancestors. Sorry, Joey, they’ll always consider you an “Eye-tie” even if they won’t say it to your face anymore.