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Dennis Donovan
Dennis Donovan's Journal
Dennis Donovan's Journal
November 23, 2019
🛸
66 Years Ago Today; USAF Lt Felix E Moncla disappears during pursuit of UFO
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Moncla
Lt. Gene Moncla by T-33 at Truax Field in Madison, Wi.
First Lieutenant Felix Eugene Moncla Jr. (October 21, 1926 – presumed dead November 23, 1953) was a United States Air Force pilot who disappeared while performing an air defense intercept over Lake Superior in 1953. This is sometimes known as the Kinross Incident, after Kinross Air Force Base, where Moncla was on temporary assignment when he disappeared.
The U.S. Air Force reported that Moncla had crashed and that the object of the intercept was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aircraft. According to the report, the pilot of the Canadian aircraft was later contacted and stated that he did not see the intercepting plane and did not know that he was the subject of an interception.
However, on several occasions, the RCAF denied that any of their aircraft was involved in any incident on that day, in correspondence with members of the public asking for further details of the intercept.
Biography
First Lieutenant Felix Eugene Moncla Jr.
Moncla was born in Mansura, Louisiana, on October 21, 1926, to Felix Sr. (1894–1957), a high school science teacher, principal, and veteran of World War I, and Yvonne Beridon Moncla (1900–1961), a seamstress. He also had two older sisters, Leonie and Muriel Ann. Not long after his father had been hospitalized, the family moved to Moreauville, Louisiana, to live with his uncle and great aunt. He attended high school in the area and after graduating accepted an athletic scholarship to Southwest Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) where he played football and received his Bachelor of Science degree. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served during World War II in occupied Japan. After his service, he attended the University of New Orleans, but reenlisted in the military at the start of the Korean War in 1950 in the United States Air Force as an officer pilot trainee.
After spending a few months at a desk job in Dallas, Texas, Moncla was sent to Connally Air Force Base in Waco, Texas, for basic pilot training where he met and married Bobbie Jean Coleman. He took his advanced pilot training at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, and further training on the F-89 Scorpion at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida. In Panama City, Bobbie Jean gave birth to their first son. In July, 1952, Moncla and his family moved to Madison, Wisconsin, and had a daughter born five months before Felix Moncla's disappearance.
Disappearance
On the evening of November 23, 1953, Air Defense Command Ground Intercept radar operators at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan identified an unusual target near the Soo Locks. An F-89C Scorpion jet from Kinross Air Force Base was scrambled to investigate the radar return; the Scorpion was piloted by First Lieutenant Moncla with Second Lieutenant Robert L. Wilson acting as the Scorpion's radar operator.
Wilson had a difficult time tracking the object on the Scorpion's radar, so ground radar operators gave Moncla directions towards the object as he flew. Moncla eventually closed in on the object at about 8000 feet in altitude.
Ground Control tracked the Scorpion and the unidentified object as two "blips" on the radar screen. The two blips on the radar screen grew closer and closer, until they seemed to merge. Assuming that Moncla had flown either under or over the target, Ground Control anticipated that moments later, the Scorpion and the object would again appear as two separate blips. Donald Keyhoe reported that there was a fear that the two objects had struck one another, but the single blip continued on its previous course.
Attempts were made to contact Moncla via radio, but without success. A search and rescue operation by both the USAF and the RCAF was quickly mounted, but failed to find a trace of the plane or the pilots. Weather conditions were a factor in hampering the search.
USAF Accident Investigation Report
The official USAF Accident Investigation Report states the F-89 was sent to investigate an RCAF C-47 Skytrain which was travelling off course.
The F-89 was flying at an elevation of 8000 feet when it merged with the other aircraft, as was expected in an interception. Its IFF signal also disappeared after the two returns merged on the radar scope. Although efforts to contact the crew on radio were unsuccessful, the pilot of another F-89 sent on the search stated in testimony to the accident board that he believed that he had heard a brief radio transmission from the pilot about forty minutes after the plane disappeared.
Air Force investigators reported that Moncla may have experienced vertigo and crashed into the lake. The Air Force said that Moncla had been known to experience vertigo from time to time: "Additional leads uncovered during this later course of the investigation indicated that there might be a possibility that Lt. Moncla was subject to attacks of vertigo a little more than the normal degree. Upon pursuing these leads, it was discovered that statements had been made by former members of Lt. Moncla's organization but were not first hand evidence and were regarded as hearsay." Pilot vertigo is not listed as a cause or possible cause in any of the USAF Accident Investigation Board's findings and conclusions.
The official accident report states that when the unknown return was first picked up on radar, it was believed to be RCAF aircraft "VC-912" but it was classified as "UNKNOWN" because it was off its flight plan course by about 30 miles. This assertion was emphatically denied by the pilot of this RCAF flight, Gerald Fosberg, when he was interviewed for the David Cherniack documentary "The Moncla Memories" produced for Vision TV's Enigma series.
The USAF also provided an alternative explanation to UFO investigator Donald Keyhoe. In his 1955 book, The Flying Saucer Conspiracy, Keyhoe describes his investigation into the F-89's disappearance which began the night of the incident; when he received a phone call telling him of "a rumor out at Selfridge Field that an F-89 from Kinross (sic) was hit by a flying saucer". A follow-up telephone call to Public Information Officer Lt. Robert C. White revealed that "the unknown in that case was a Canadian DC-3. It was over the locks by mistake". The "locks" refers to the restricted air space over the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, on the U.S.–Canada border at the southeast end of Lake Superior.
Reports of parts found in 1968
It is possible that aircraft parts found near the eastern shore of Lake Superior in late October 1968 were from the missing F-89. A U.S. Air Force officer confirmed the parts were from a military jet aircraft and news reports speculated these might be from the F-89 missing from Kinross AFB in 1953. The identity of the parts was never published and the Canadian government states they have no record of the find.
2006 "Great Lakes Dive Company" hoax
In late August 2006, an email from a "Preston Miller" was sent to UFO researcher Francis Ridge which contained a quoted excerpt from an Associated Press story. The quoted "news story" claimed that a group of Michigan divers had discovered Moncla's F-89 that vanished in 1953. The location of the claimed discovery was at the bottom of Lake Superior in the approximate location where the F-89 had disappeared from radar. The email also contained a link to a website that had recently been created for the group of divers; they called themselves the "Great Lakes Dive Company". Francis Ridge forwarded the email to the Internet website "UFO Updates", a popular forum and message board for UFO researchers and writers. As a result, news of the purported discovery quickly spread through the UFO community and news media sources. Several reporters attempted to contact the "Great Lakes Dive Company" to obtain more information about the discovery. The reporters were placed in contact with a person who claimed to be the spokesman for the Great Lakes Company. He called himself "Adam Jimenez", and he discussed the "discovery" with several investigators and journalists. "Adam Jimenez" was even interviewed by UFO researcher Linda Moulton Howe on the nationally syndicated, late-night radio talk show, Coast to Coast AM.
The company website initially presented two images of the claimed discovery, both images stated as being output from side-scan sonar. The fuzzy, high noise images depicted an almost completely intact aircraft resting on the lakebed, its nose in the silt, with one exposed wing, tip tank and the upswept tail characteristic of the F-89 "Scorpion" clearly displayed. The discovery initially caused excitement, as many felt that the discovery of the crashed jet would at last provide an answer as to what had happened to Felix Moncla in 1953. However, as journalists and ufologists delved deeper into the case, their suspicions were raised as the story became more and more elaborate. It was soon stated that an unexplained metallic object had been found near the F-89 and "sonar images" of this discovery were soon published on the website. It was speculated that the "teardrop-shaped" object was possibly the UFO that the F-89 had merged with on radar.
Several factors about the alleged discovery led journalists to claim that the discovery was in fact a hoax. Several investigators began efforts to track down more information about the "Great Lakes Dive Company" and their spokesman, "Adam Jimenez". All efforts to find evidence of the existence of the "Great Lakes Dive Company" led to the conclusion that the company did not exist. Efforts to obtain any biographical data on "Adam Jimenez" also turned up nothing. The only contact information anyone obtained for Jimenez were an email address and cellphone. Only three weeks after the discovery, the company's website suddenly disappeared without explanation and "Adam Jimenez" stopped answering emails and cellphone calls.
An investigation by James Carrion, at that time the International Director of MUFON, the largest UFO civilian research organization in the United States, revealed that there was no evidence the Associated Press had written the original "news story" that was quoted in the initial notice of the discovery to MUFON, nor any record of the existence of the "Great Lakes Dive Company" beyond its fleeting presence on a website; "Adam Jimenez" refused to provide any further information on the principals of the company, the type of vessel they used, or any other information which might help to establish the existence of the organization.
Carrion's investigation showed that many of Adam Jimenez's statements about the discovery of the F-89 jet were untrue, including his suggestion that the Canadian government had withheld permission for site survey work to be resumed. It turned out no such permission had been requested.
Brendon Baillod, who is active in Great Lakes shipwreck hunting and maritime history circles, and is a director of the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History, stated that he had never heard of Jimenez or his group and that nobody he knew associated with the history of the Great Lakes had heard of him either.
Baillod said that the sidescan images taken seemed to be authentic, but dismissed Jimenez's claim that they had been made with a fishfinder, particularly in 500 feet (150 m) depth of water. He further said that the images could not have been made with a hull mounted transducer as was claimed by Jimenez, but would have required a towfish (a towed scanner). As of 2009, the general consensus among journalists and UFO researchers who have investigated the purported discovery is that it is a hoax, and that Felix Moncla's F-89 jet remains undiscovered.
</snip>
Lt. Gene Moncla by T-33 at Truax Field in Madison, Wi.
First Lieutenant Felix Eugene Moncla Jr. (October 21, 1926 – presumed dead November 23, 1953) was a United States Air Force pilot who disappeared while performing an air defense intercept over Lake Superior in 1953. This is sometimes known as the Kinross Incident, after Kinross Air Force Base, where Moncla was on temporary assignment when he disappeared.
The U.S. Air Force reported that Moncla had crashed and that the object of the intercept was a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aircraft. According to the report, the pilot of the Canadian aircraft was later contacted and stated that he did not see the intercepting plane and did not know that he was the subject of an interception.
However, on several occasions, the RCAF denied that any of their aircraft was involved in any incident on that day, in correspondence with members of the public asking for further details of the intercept.
Biography
First Lieutenant Felix Eugene Moncla Jr.
Moncla was born in Mansura, Louisiana, on October 21, 1926, to Felix Sr. (1894–1957), a high school science teacher, principal, and veteran of World War I, and Yvonne Beridon Moncla (1900–1961), a seamstress. He also had two older sisters, Leonie and Muriel Ann. Not long after his father had been hospitalized, the family moved to Moreauville, Louisiana, to live with his uncle and great aunt. He attended high school in the area and after graduating accepted an athletic scholarship to Southwest Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) where he played football and received his Bachelor of Science degree. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served during World War II in occupied Japan. After his service, he attended the University of New Orleans, but reenlisted in the military at the start of the Korean War in 1950 in the United States Air Force as an officer pilot trainee.
After spending a few months at a desk job in Dallas, Texas, Moncla was sent to Connally Air Force Base in Waco, Texas, for basic pilot training where he met and married Bobbie Jean Coleman. He took his advanced pilot training at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, and further training on the F-89 Scorpion at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida. In Panama City, Bobbie Jean gave birth to their first son. In July, 1952, Moncla and his family moved to Madison, Wisconsin, and had a daughter born five months before Felix Moncla's disappearance.
Disappearance
On the evening of November 23, 1953, Air Defense Command Ground Intercept radar operators at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan identified an unusual target near the Soo Locks. An F-89C Scorpion jet from Kinross Air Force Base was scrambled to investigate the radar return; the Scorpion was piloted by First Lieutenant Moncla with Second Lieutenant Robert L. Wilson acting as the Scorpion's radar operator.
Wilson had a difficult time tracking the object on the Scorpion's radar, so ground radar operators gave Moncla directions towards the object as he flew. Moncla eventually closed in on the object at about 8000 feet in altitude.
Ground Control tracked the Scorpion and the unidentified object as two "blips" on the radar screen. The two blips on the radar screen grew closer and closer, until they seemed to merge. Assuming that Moncla had flown either under or over the target, Ground Control anticipated that moments later, the Scorpion and the object would again appear as two separate blips. Donald Keyhoe reported that there was a fear that the two objects had struck one another, but the single blip continued on its previous course.
Attempts were made to contact Moncla via radio, but without success. A search and rescue operation by both the USAF and the RCAF was quickly mounted, but failed to find a trace of the plane or the pilots. Weather conditions were a factor in hampering the search.
USAF Accident Investigation Report
The official USAF Accident Investigation Report states the F-89 was sent to investigate an RCAF C-47 Skytrain which was travelling off course.
The F-89 was flying at an elevation of 8000 feet when it merged with the other aircraft, as was expected in an interception. Its IFF signal also disappeared after the two returns merged on the radar scope. Although efforts to contact the crew on radio were unsuccessful, the pilot of another F-89 sent on the search stated in testimony to the accident board that he believed that he had heard a brief radio transmission from the pilot about forty minutes after the plane disappeared.
Air Force investigators reported that Moncla may have experienced vertigo and crashed into the lake. The Air Force said that Moncla had been known to experience vertigo from time to time: "Additional leads uncovered during this later course of the investigation indicated that there might be a possibility that Lt. Moncla was subject to attacks of vertigo a little more than the normal degree. Upon pursuing these leads, it was discovered that statements had been made by former members of Lt. Moncla's organization but were not first hand evidence and were regarded as hearsay." Pilot vertigo is not listed as a cause or possible cause in any of the USAF Accident Investigation Board's findings and conclusions.
The official accident report states that when the unknown return was first picked up on radar, it was believed to be RCAF aircraft "VC-912" but it was classified as "UNKNOWN" because it was off its flight plan course by about 30 miles. This assertion was emphatically denied by the pilot of this RCAF flight, Gerald Fosberg, when he was interviewed for the David Cherniack documentary "The Moncla Memories" produced for Vision TV's Enigma series.
The USAF also provided an alternative explanation to UFO investigator Donald Keyhoe. In his 1955 book, The Flying Saucer Conspiracy, Keyhoe describes his investigation into the F-89's disappearance which began the night of the incident; when he received a phone call telling him of "a rumor out at Selfridge Field that an F-89 from Kinross (sic) was hit by a flying saucer". A follow-up telephone call to Public Information Officer Lt. Robert C. White revealed that "the unknown in that case was a Canadian DC-3. It was over the locks by mistake". The "locks" refers to the restricted air space over the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, on the U.S.–Canada border at the southeast end of Lake Superior.
Reports of parts found in 1968
It is possible that aircraft parts found near the eastern shore of Lake Superior in late October 1968 were from the missing F-89. A U.S. Air Force officer confirmed the parts were from a military jet aircraft and news reports speculated these might be from the F-89 missing from Kinross AFB in 1953. The identity of the parts was never published and the Canadian government states they have no record of the find.
2006 "Great Lakes Dive Company" hoax
In late August 2006, an email from a "Preston Miller" was sent to UFO researcher Francis Ridge which contained a quoted excerpt from an Associated Press story. The quoted "news story" claimed that a group of Michigan divers had discovered Moncla's F-89 that vanished in 1953. The location of the claimed discovery was at the bottom of Lake Superior in the approximate location where the F-89 had disappeared from radar. The email also contained a link to a website that had recently been created for the group of divers; they called themselves the "Great Lakes Dive Company". Francis Ridge forwarded the email to the Internet website "UFO Updates", a popular forum and message board for UFO researchers and writers. As a result, news of the purported discovery quickly spread through the UFO community and news media sources. Several reporters attempted to contact the "Great Lakes Dive Company" to obtain more information about the discovery. The reporters were placed in contact with a person who claimed to be the spokesman for the Great Lakes Company. He called himself "Adam Jimenez", and he discussed the "discovery" with several investigators and journalists. "Adam Jimenez" was even interviewed by UFO researcher Linda Moulton Howe on the nationally syndicated, late-night radio talk show, Coast to Coast AM.
The company website initially presented two images of the claimed discovery, both images stated as being output from side-scan sonar. The fuzzy, high noise images depicted an almost completely intact aircraft resting on the lakebed, its nose in the silt, with one exposed wing, tip tank and the upswept tail characteristic of the F-89 "Scorpion" clearly displayed. The discovery initially caused excitement, as many felt that the discovery of the crashed jet would at last provide an answer as to what had happened to Felix Moncla in 1953. However, as journalists and ufologists delved deeper into the case, their suspicions were raised as the story became more and more elaborate. It was soon stated that an unexplained metallic object had been found near the F-89 and "sonar images" of this discovery were soon published on the website. It was speculated that the "teardrop-shaped" object was possibly the UFO that the F-89 had merged with on radar.
Several factors about the alleged discovery led journalists to claim that the discovery was in fact a hoax. Several investigators began efforts to track down more information about the "Great Lakes Dive Company" and their spokesman, "Adam Jimenez". All efforts to find evidence of the existence of the "Great Lakes Dive Company" led to the conclusion that the company did not exist. Efforts to obtain any biographical data on "Adam Jimenez" also turned up nothing. The only contact information anyone obtained for Jimenez were an email address and cellphone. Only three weeks after the discovery, the company's website suddenly disappeared without explanation and "Adam Jimenez" stopped answering emails and cellphone calls.
An investigation by James Carrion, at that time the International Director of MUFON, the largest UFO civilian research organization in the United States, revealed that there was no evidence the Associated Press had written the original "news story" that was quoted in the initial notice of the discovery to MUFON, nor any record of the existence of the "Great Lakes Dive Company" beyond its fleeting presence on a website; "Adam Jimenez" refused to provide any further information on the principals of the company, the type of vessel they used, or any other information which might help to establish the existence of the organization.
Carrion's investigation showed that many of Adam Jimenez's statements about the discovery of the F-89 jet were untrue, including his suggestion that the Canadian government had withheld permission for site survey work to be resumed. It turned out no such permission had been requested.
Brendon Baillod, who is active in Great Lakes shipwreck hunting and maritime history circles, and is a director of the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History, stated that he had never heard of Jimenez or his group and that nobody he knew associated with the history of the Great Lakes had heard of him either.
Baillod said that the sidescan images taken seemed to be authentic, but dismissed Jimenez's claim that they had been made with a fishfinder, particularly in 500 feet (150 m) depth of water. He further said that the images could not have been made with a hull mounted transducer as was claimed by Jimenez, but would have required a towfish (a towed scanner). As of 2009, the general consensus among journalists and UFO researchers who have investigated the purported discovery is that it is a hoax, and that Felix Moncla's F-89 jet remains undiscovered.
</snip>
🛸
November 23, 2019
Former CIA Director: We worried arming Ukraine would hand technology to Russian spies
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/former-cia-director-we-worried-arming-ukraine-would-hand-technology-n1089926?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma
Under Obama the military opposed giving Javelin missiles to Ukraine because of fear Russia would get access to sensitive tech, said ex-CIA chief Brennan.
Nov. 22, 2019, 5:26 PM EST
By Ken Dilanian
WASHINGTON — Republicans made a point of emphasizing during the impeachment hearings that President Donald Trump provided sophisticated weapons to Ukraine to deter Russian aggression, in contrast to the Obama administration, which declined to do so.
President Obama's decision was portrayed as an example of his timidity in foreign policy. But the story is more complicated than that, said former CIA Director John Brennan.
In particular, said Brennan, now an NBC News analyst, the military was opposed to providing Javelin anti-tank missiles to the Ukrainians during the Obama administration "because of fear that the Russians would get access to Javelin's sensitive technology," he said.
"The Russians had deep penetrations of Ukrainian intelligence, security, and military forces in the aftermath" of that country's 2014 revolution that overthrew a pro-Russian government he said, "and it took time to rid those forces of Russian moles, agents, and spies. That was the purpose of my visit to Kiev less than eight weeks after the Revolution of Dignity."
A robust debate ensued within the Obama administration about the provision of lethal aid, he said, and there were some who argued it would escalate the situation and provoke Russia. That's how Russian expert Fiona Hill described the Obama administration's thinking in her testimony.
"Some [officials] argued strenuously to provide lethal assistance, but the ultimate decision made by [Obama] was to provide only non-lethal military and economic assistance," Brennan said. "It was a tough decision. The Javelin issue is being misrepresented as a simple decision devoid of other considerations, and that was not the case."
Brennan points out that the Javelins are currently "under lock and key in Ukrainian rear areas, not on the front lines. Their presence in Ukraine, however, does send a strong deterrent signal to Moscow, which is good."
</snip>
Under Obama the military opposed giving Javelin missiles to Ukraine because of fear Russia would get access to sensitive tech, said ex-CIA chief Brennan.
Nov. 22, 2019, 5:26 PM EST
By Ken Dilanian
WASHINGTON — Republicans made a point of emphasizing during the impeachment hearings that President Donald Trump provided sophisticated weapons to Ukraine to deter Russian aggression, in contrast to the Obama administration, which declined to do so.
President Obama's decision was portrayed as an example of his timidity in foreign policy. But the story is more complicated than that, said former CIA Director John Brennan.
In particular, said Brennan, now an NBC News analyst, the military was opposed to providing Javelin anti-tank missiles to the Ukrainians during the Obama administration "because of fear that the Russians would get access to Javelin's sensitive technology," he said.
"The Russians had deep penetrations of Ukrainian intelligence, security, and military forces in the aftermath" of that country's 2014 revolution that overthrew a pro-Russian government he said, "and it took time to rid those forces of Russian moles, agents, and spies. That was the purpose of my visit to Kiev less than eight weeks after the Revolution of Dignity."
A robust debate ensued within the Obama administration about the provision of lethal aid, he said, and there were some who argued it would escalate the situation and provoke Russia. That's how Russian expert Fiona Hill described the Obama administration's thinking in her testimony.
"Some [officials] argued strenuously to provide lethal assistance, but the ultimate decision made by [Obama] was to provide only non-lethal military and economic assistance," Brennan said. "It was a tough decision. The Javelin issue is being misrepresented as a simple decision devoid of other considerations, and that was not the case."
Brennan points out that the Javelins are currently "under lock and key in Ukrainian rear areas, not on the front lines. Their presence in Ukraine, however, does send a strong deterrent signal to Moscow, which is good."
</snip>
November 23, 2019
@DevinCow responds to Milk Dud
https://twitter.com/DevinCow/status/1198067167205449728
Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮 @DevinCow
Remember how you got mad and sued me because I said you are a treasonous cowpoke? Ahem 🐮
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/22/politics/nunes-vienna-trip-ukrainian-prosecutor-biden/index.html …
Giuliani associate willing to tell Congress Nunes met with ex-Ukrainian official to get dirt on...
A lawyer for an indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani tells CNN that his client is willing to tell Congress about meetings the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee had in Vienna last year...
9:34 PM - Nov 22, 2019
Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮 @DevinCow
Remember how you got mad and sued me because I said you are a treasonous cowpoke? Ahem 🐮
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/22/politics/nunes-vienna-trip-ukrainian-prosecutor-biden/index.html …
Giuliani associate willing to tell Congress Nunes met with ex-Ukrainian official to get dirt on...
A lawyer for an indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani tells CNN that his client is willing to tell Congress about meetings the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee had in Vienna last year...
Devin Nunes ✔ @DevinNunes
How Republicans Won Phase One Of Impeachment https://thefederalist.com/2019/11/22/how-republicans-won-phase-one-of-impeachment/ …
9:34 PM - Nov 22, 2019
November 23, 2019
FYI...
Bill Moyers (on MSNBC now) is the last known survivor of this photo from 56 yrs ago today:
FYI...
November 23, 2019
Yeah, we know Andy's a perv and a scumball, but, the 93 year old queen out riding horses???
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Andrew Spotted Horseback Riding Together
https://twitter.com/HuffPostPol/status/1198027374371262465
HuffPost Politics ✔ @HuffPostPol
Queen Elizabeth went horseback riding with her son Prince Andrew just two days after he announced that he will “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future.”
6:55 PM - Nov 22, 2019
HuffPost Politics ✔ @HuffPostPol
Queen Elizabeth went horseback riding with her son Prince Andrew just two days after he announced that he will “step back from public duties for the foreseeable future.”
http://huffp.st/xSTicGA
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Andrew Spotted Horseback Riding Together
Their horseback riding excursion comes days after the disgraced Duke of York said he was stepping away "from public duties for the foreseeable future."
6:55 PM - Nov 22, 2019
Yeah, we know Andy's a perv and a scumball, but, the 93 year old queen out riding horses???
November 22, 2019
Get 'em, Joe!!! 🥊🥊
Biden on Graham: "He knows me. He knows my son. He knows there's nothing to this."
https://twitter.com/jeneps/status/1197977253235310592
Jennifer Epstein ✔ @jeneps
More from Biden on Graham: "I am disappointed, and quite frankly I'm angered by the fact. He knows me. He knows my son. He knows there's nothing to this. Trump is now essentially holding power over him that even the Ukrainians wouldn't yield to."
3:36 PM - Nov 22, 2019
Jennifer Epstein ✔ @jeneps
· 1h
Biden's message to Lindsey Graham, via CNN interview: "I'm just embarrassed by what you're doing for you. I mean, my lord." He also said "Lindsey is about to go down in a way I think he's going to regret his whole life,"
Jennifer Epstein ✔ @jeneps
More from Biden on Graham: "I am disappointed, and quite frankly I'm angered by the fact. He knows me. He knows my son. He knows there's nothing to this. Trump is now essentially holding power over him that even the Ukrainians wouldn't yield to."
3:36 PM - Nov 22, 2019
Get 'em, Joe!!! 🥊🥊
November 22, 2019
I've always been a little freaked out about Catholic Church decor, but this is the stuff of nightmares;
You *can't* unsee it!!
Gigantic Baby Jesus Looks like Phil Collins (or Nicholas Cage?)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/11/22/phil-collins-nicholas-cage-mexican-sculpture-baby-jesus-has-people-split/
By Jennifer Hassan
November 22, 2019 at 12:41 p.m. EST
Phil Collins, with his band Genesis, once performed a song called “Jesus He Knows Me.” He may have been onto something.
A sculpture of baby Jesus erected inside a Mexican church apparently looks a lot like the now-68-year-old British musician.
With its tufts of brown hair and similar facial features, the 20-foot-tall statue has garnered international attention for its “uncanny” resemblance to Collins, although many others on social media have argued that the 2,000-pound creation looks more like American actor Nicolas Cage.
https://twitter.com/_Bands_FC/status/1197501104516468742
“I don’t know if something’s in the air tonight, but this Baby Jesus looks a lot like Phil Collins,” wrote one user.
“Church in Mexico builds huge baby Jesus statue — that looks like Brit singer Phil Collins. Uncanny,” wrote another.
“Nicolas Cage or Baby Jesus,” pondered one of many users drawing parallels between the two.
</snip>
By Jennifer Hassan
November 22, 2019 at 12:41 p.m. EST
Phil Collins, with his band Genesis, once performed a song called “Jesus He Knows Me.” He may have been onto something.
A sculpture of baby Jesus erected inside a Mexican church apparently looks a lot like the now-68-year-old British musician.
With its tufts of brown hair and similar facial features, the 20-foot-tall statue has garnered international attention for its “uncanny” resemblance to Collins, although many others on social media have argued that the 2,000-pound creation looks more like American actor Nicolas Cage.
https://twitter.com/_Bands_FC/status/1197501104516468742
“I don’t know if something’s in the air tonight, but this Baby Jesus looks a lot like Phil Collins,” wrote one user.
“Church in Mexico builds huge baby Jesus statue — that looks like Brit singer Phil Collins. Uncanny,” wrote another.
“Nicolas Cage or Baby Jesus,” pondered one of many users drawing parallels between the two.
</snip>
I've always been a little freaked out about Catholic Church decor, but this is the stuff of nightmares;
You *can't* unsee it!!
November 22, 2019
More:
Breaking: Russia Inquiry Review Is Said to Criticize F.B.I. but Rebuff Claims of Biased Acts
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/us/politics/russia-investigation-inspector-general-report.html
A watchdog report will portray the pursuit of a wiretap of an ex-Trump adviser as sloppy, but it also debunks some accusations by Trump allies of F.B.I. wrongdoing.
By Adam Goldman and Charlie Savage
Nov. 22, 2019, 3:56 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — A highly anticipated report by the Justice Department’s inspector general is expected to sharply criticize lower-level F.B.I. officials as well as bureau leaders involved in the early stages of the Trump-Russia investigation, but to absolve the top ranks of abusing their powers out of bias against President Trump, according to people briefed on a draft.
Investigators for the inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, uncovered errors and omissions in documents related to the wiretapping of a former Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page — including that a low-level lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, altered an email that officials used to prepare to seek court approval to renew the wiretap, the people said.
Mr. Horowitz referred his findings about Mr. Clinesmith to prosecutors for a potential criminal charge. Mr. Clinesmith left the Russia investigation in February 2018 after the inspector general identified him as one of a handful of F.B.I. officials who expressed animus toward Mr. Trump in text messages and resigned about two months ago, after the inspector general’s team interviewed him.
Though Mr. Trump’s allies have seized on the messages from Mr. Clinesmith and his colleagues as proof of anti-Trump bias, Mr. Clinesmith has not been a prominent figure in the partisan firefight over the investigation. His lawyer declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for Mr. Horowitz.
More broadly, Mr. Horowitz’s report, to be made public on Dec. 9, portrays the overall effort to seek the wiretap order and its renewals as sloppy and unprofessional, according to the people familiar with it. He will also sharply criticize as careless one of the F.B.I. case agents in New York handling the matter, they said.
At the same time, however, the report debunks a series of conspiracy theories and insinuations about the F.B.I. that Mr. Trump and his allies have put forward over the past two years, the people said, though they cautioned that the report is not complete. The New York Times has not reviewed the draft, which could contain other significant findings.
</snip>
A watchdog report will portray the pursuit of a wiretap of an ex-Trump adviser as sloppy, but it also debunks some accusations by Trump allies of F.B.I. wrongdoing.
By Adam Goldman and Charlie Savage
Nov. 22, 2019, 3:56 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — A highly anticipated report by the Justice Department’s inspector general is expected to sharply criticize lower-level F.B.I. officials as well as bureau leaders involved in the early stages of the Trump-Russia investigation, but to absolve the top ranks of abusing their powers out of bias against President Trump, according to people briefed on a draft.
Investigators for the inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, uncovered errors and omissions in documents related to the wiretapping of a former Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page — including that a low-level lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, altered an email that officials used to prepare to seek court approval to renew the wiretap, the people said.
Mr. Horowitz referred his findings about Mr. Clinesmith to prosecutors for a potential criminal charge. Mr. Clinesmith left the Russia investigation in February 2018 after the inspector general identified him as one of a handful of F.B.I. officials who expressed animus toward Mr. Trump in text messages and resigned about two months ago, after the inspector general’s team interviewed him.
Though Mr. Trump’s allies have seized on the messages from Mr. Clinesmith and his colleagues as proof of anti-Trump bias, Mr. Clinesmith has not been a prominent figure in the partisan firefight over the investigation. His lawyer declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for Mr. Horowitz.
More broadly, Mr. Horowitz’s report, to be made public on Dec. 9, portrays the overall effort to seek the wiretap order and its renewals as sloppy and unprofessional, according to the people familiar with it. He will also sharply criticize as careless one of the F.B.I. case agents in New York handling the matter, they said.
At the same time, however, the report debunks a series of conspiracy theories and insinuations about the F.B.I. that Mr. Trump and his allies have put forward over the past two years, the people said, though they cautioned that the report is not complete. The New York Times has not reviewed the draft, which could contain other significant findings.
</snip>
More:
https://twitter.com/MattGertz/status/1197985516047806464
Matthew Gertz ✔ @MattGertz
If the New York Times is right about what's in the IG report, it's totally devastating to the entire Fox News counternarrative.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/us/politics/russia-investigation-inspector-general-report.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes …
4:09 PM - Nov 22, 2019
Matthew Gertz ✔ @MattGertz
If the New York Times is right about what's in the IG report, it's totally devastating to the entire Fox News counternarrative.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/us/politics/russia-investigation-inspector-general-report.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes …
4:09 PM - Nov 22, 2019
November 22, 2019
Great actor! Cross gently, Michael.
Michael J. Pollard, 'Bonnie and Clyde' and 'House of 1000 Corpses' Actor, Dies at 80
https://variety.com/2019/film/obituaries-people-news/michael-j-pollard-dead-dies-bonnie-and-clyde-house-of-1000-corpses-1203413369/
Academy Award nominee Michael J. Pollard, known for his roles in “Bonnie and Clyde” and “House of 1000 Corpses,” has died. He was 80.
“House of 1000 Corpses” director Rob Zombie broke the news on Facebook early Friday morning.
“We have lost another member of our ‘House of 1000 Corpses’ family. I woke up to the news that Michael J. Pollard had died. I have always loved his work and his truly unique on screen presence,” Zombie said in his post. “He was one of the first actors I knew I had to work with as soon as I got my first film off the ground. He will be missed.”
Born 1939 in Passaic, N.J., Pollard attended Montclair Academy and Actors Studio in New York City in his early career. He started out in television in the late ’50s, appearing on shows like “Lost in Space” and “Star Trek,” but landed his breakout role as C.W. Moss, the accomplice-turned-snitch to Bonnie and Clyde in the 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Pollard received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor and BAFTA nomination for most promising newcomer. He went on to star in films like “Dirty Little Billy,” “Melvin and Howard,” “Roxanne” and “Tango & Cash.”
</snip>
Academy Award nominee Michael J. Pollard, known for his roles in “Bonnie and Clyde” and “House of 1000 Corpses,” has died. He was 80.
“House of 1000 Corpses” director Rob Zombie broke the news on Facebook early Friday morning.
“We have lost another member of our ‘House of 1000 Corpses’ family. I woke up to the news that Michael J. Pollard had died. I have always loved his work and his truly unique on screen presence,” Zombie said in his post. “He was one of the first actors I knew I had to work with as soon as I got my first film off the ground. He will be missed.”
Born 1939 in Passaic, N.J., Pollard attended Montclair Academy and Actors Studio in New York City in his early career. He started out in television in the late ’50s, appearing on shows like “Lost in Space” and “Star Trek,” but landed his breakout role as C.W. Moss, the accomplice-turned-snitch to Bonnie and Clyde in the 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Pollard received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor and BAFTA nomination for most promising newcomer. He went on to star in films like “Dirty Little Billy,” “Melvin and Howard,” “Roxanne” and “Tango & Cash.”
</snip>
Great actor! Cross gently, Michael.
November 22, 2019
...and dipshits like Trump and Nunes are *still* openly pushing lies conceived in the fucking kremlin! 
Charges of Ukrainian Meddling? A Russian Operation, U.S. Intelligence Says
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/us/politics/ukraine-russia-interference.html
Moscow has run a yearslong operation to blame Ukraine for its own 2016 election interference. Republicans have used similar talking points to defend President Trump in impeachment proceedings.
President Vladmir V. Putin of Russia has been pushing false theories of Ukrainian interference since early 2017, according to American officials.Credit...Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, via Reuters
By Julian E. Barnes and Matthew Rosenberg
Nov. 22, 2019, 1:34 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — Republicans have sought for weeks amid the impeachment inquiry to shift attention to President Trump’s demands that Ukraine investigate any 2016 election meddling, defending it as a legitimate concern while Democrats accuse Mr. Trump of pursuing fringe theories for his benefit.
The Republican defense of Mr. Trump became central to the impeachment proceedings when Fiona Hill, a respected Russia scholar and former senior White House official, added a harsh critique during testimony on Thursday. She told some of Mr. Trump’s fiercest defenders in Congress that they were repeating “a fictional narrative” — and that it likely came from a disinformation campaign by Russian security services, which themselves propagated it.
In a briefing that closely aligned with Dr. Hill’s testimony, American intelligence officials informed senators and their aides in recent weeks that Russia had engaged in a yearslong campaign to essentially frame Ukraine as responsible for Moscow’s own hacking of the 2016 election, according to three American officials. The briefing came as Republicans stepped up their defenses of Mr. Trump in the Ukraine affair.
The revelations demonstrate Russia’s persistence in trying to sow discord among its adversaries — and show that the Kremlin apparently succeeded, as unfounded claims about Ukrainian interference seeped into Republican talking points. American intelligence agencies believe Moscow is likely to redouble its efforts as the 2020 presidential campaign intensifies. The classified briefing for senators also focused on Russia’s evolving influence tactics, including its growing ability to better disguise operations.
</snip>
Moscow has run a yearslong operation to blame Ukraine for its own 2016 election interference. Republicans have used similar talking points to defend President Trump in impeachment proceedings.
President Vladmir V. Putin of Russia has been pushing false theories of Ukrainian interference since early 2017, according to American officials.Credit...Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, via Reuters
By Julian E. Barnes and Matthew Rosenberg
Nov. 22, 2019, 1:34 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — Republicans have sought for weeks amid the impeachment inquiry to shift attention to President Trump’s demands that Ukraine investigate any 2016 election meddling, defending it as a legitimate concern while Democrats accuse Mr. Trump of pursuing fringe theories for his benefit.
The Republican defense of Mr. Trump became central to the impeachment proceedings when Fiona Hill, a respected Russia scholar and former senior White House official, added a harsh critique during testimony on Thursday. She told some of Mr. Trump’s fiercest defenders in Congress that they were repeating “a fictional narrative” — and that it likely came from a disinformation campaign by Russian security services, which themselves propagated it.
In a briefing that closely aligned with Dr. Hill’s testimony, American intelligence officials informed senators and their aides in recent weeks that Russia had engaged in a yearslong campaign to essentially frame Ukraine as responsible for Moscow’s own hacking of the 2016 election, according to three American officials. The briefing came as Republicans stepped up their defenses of Mr. Trump in the Ukraine affair.
The revelations demonstrate Russia’s persistence in trying to sow discord among its adversaries — and show that the Kremlin apparently succeeded, as unfounded claims about Ukrainian interference seeped into Republican talking points. American intelligence agencies believe Moscow is likely to redouble its efforts as the 2020 presidential campaign intensifies. The classified briefing for senators also focused on Russia’s evolving influence tactics, including its growing ability to better disguise operations.
</snip>
...and dipshits like Trump and Nunes are *still* openly pushing lies conceived in the fucking kremlin!
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