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Celerity
Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
April 22, 2022
https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3ndbj/us-ukraine-air-force-help
The Pentagon is budging on its previous pledge to not help provide desperately needed aerial power to Ukraine’s air force. In recent days, two senior Pentagon officials told media that an element of the international arms transfer efforts to Ukraine includes spare parts for the country’s damaged fighter planes. As a result, Ukraine was able to put 20 of its planes back in the skies while the Russian military has amassed a large force in Donbas in its pursuit of taking a chunk of the strategically vital east.
“I mean, they right now have more fixed-wing fighter aircraft than they did two weeks ago,” said Pentagon press secretary John Kirby on Tuesday, explaining that the spare parts have come from “other nations” and not directly from the U.S. “And that's not by accident; that's because other nations who have experience with those kinds of aircraft have been able to help them get—get more aircraft up—up and running.”
Where the new aircraft parts are coming from is a mystery. The Pentagon only confirmed they came from Europe, while the Polish Ministry of Defense, the closest ally to Ukraine and with similar Soviet-era aircraft in its arsenal, would not respond to VICE News’ requests on whether it was sending Kyiv new aircraft parts.
Since the war began, the Biden administration has walked a diplomatic tightrope, mostly limiting its weapons supplies to Ukraine to small arms in an attempt not to trigger the Kremlin into escalatory actions against a nearby NATO nation. Though it has already sent billions of dollars’ worth of security assistance—like the decisive Javelin anti-tank weapons and Stinger anti-aircraft systems Ukraine has used to devastating effect against Russian forces—only recently has the U.S. begun heavy-weapons transfers, including howitzer artillery systems (and trainers for them), helicopters, and 121 “tactical” drones capable of deploying munitions.
snip
The US Is Finally Helping Ukraine's Air Force
The Pentagon previously said it wouldn't provide this kind of aid to Ukraine.https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3ndbj/us-ukraine-air-force-help
The Pentagon is budging on its previous pledge to not help provide desperately needed aerial power to Ukraine’s air force. In recent days, two senior Pentagon officials told media that an element of the international arms transfer efforts to Ukraine includes spare parts for the country’s damaged fighter planes. As a result, Ukraine was able to put 20 of its planes back in the skies while the Russian military has amassed a large force in Donbas in its pursuit of taking a chunk of the strategically vital east.
“I mean, they right now have more fixed-wing fighter aircraft than they did two weeks ago,” said Pentagon press secretary John Kirby on Tuesday, explaining that the spare parts have come from “other nations” and not directly from the U.S. “And that's not by accident; that's because other nations who have experience with those kinds of aircraft have been able to help them get—get more aircraft up—up and running.”
Where the new aircraft parts are coming from is a mystery. The Pentagon only confirmed they came from Europe, while the Polish Ministry of Defense, the closest ally to Ukraine and with similar Soviet-era aircraft in its arsenal, would not respond to VICE News’ requests on whether it was sending Kyiv new aircraft parts.
Since the war began, the Biden administration has walked a diplomatic tightrope, mostly limiting its weapons supplies to Ukraine to small arms in an attempt not to trigger the Kremlin into escalatory actions against a nearby NATO nation. Though it has already sent billions of dollars’ worth of security assistance—like the decisive Javelin anti-tank weapons and Stinger anti-aircraft systems Ukraine has used to devastating effect against Russian forces—only recently has the U.S. begun heavy-weapons transfers, including howitzer artillery systems (and trainers for them), helicopters, and 121 “tactical” drones capable of deploying munitions.
snip
April 22, 2022
Philadelphia is ending its indoor mask mandate, city health officials said Thursday night, abruptly reversing course just days after people in the city had to start wearing masks again amid a sharp increase in infections.
The Board of Health voted Thursday to rescind the mandate, according to the Philadelphia health department, which released a statement that cited “decreasing hospitalizations and a leveling of case counts.” The mandate went into effect Monday. Philadelphia had ended its earlier indoor mask mandate March 2.
The health department did not release data to back up its reversal on masking, saying more information would be provided Friday. But the acting health commissioner, Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, told the Board of Health at a public meeting Thursday night that hospitalizations had unexpectedly gone down 25% in a matter of days.
“We’re in a situation that we really had not anticipated being in this soon but it is good news,” she said, according to a transcript of the meeting. “So I’m really very happy ... to say it appears that we no longer need to mandate masks in Philadelphia and that we can actually move to simply a strong recommendation.”
snip
Philadelphia to end mask mandate, days after reinstating it
https://apnews.com/article/covid-business-health-philadelphia-be64725ec3e823165326b22b5977974ePhiladelphia is ending its indoor mask mandate, city health officials said Thursday night, abruptly reversing course just days after people in the city had to start wearing masks again amid a sharp increase in infections.
The Board of Health voted Thursday to rescind the mandate, according to the Philadelphia health department, which released a statement that cited “decreasing hospitalizations and a leveling of case counts.” The mandate went into effect Monday. Philadelphia had ended its earlier indoor mask mandate March 2.
The health department did not release data to back up its reversal on masking, saying more information would be provided Friday. But the acting health commissioner, Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, told the Board of Health at a public meeting Thursday night that hospitalizations had unexpectedly gone down 25% in a matter of days.
“We’re in a situation that we really had not anticipated being in this soon but it is good news,” she said, according to a transcript of the meeting. “So I’m really very happy ... to say it appears that we no longer need to mandate masks in Philadelphia and that we can actually move to simply a strong recommendation.”
snip
April 22, 2022
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/04/cnn-has-folded-after-one-month
https://archive.ph/7mLE1
Barely a month after it debuted, CNN+ has folded. Touted as one of the most significant developments in CNN's history, the new streaming service that was intended to bring CNN into the digital age will cease operations on April 30. The decision to shutter CNN+ was made after CNN's former parent company, WarnerMedia—also home to TV powerhouse HBO and the Warner Bros. film studio—merged with Discovery, known for its reality television programming like 90 Day Fiancé, to form Warner Bros. Discovery. In a memo obtained by Vanity Fair, Chris Licht, incoming CNN president, announced to CNN staffers that Warner Bros. Discovery and CNN had decided to pull the plug on CNN+.
“This decision is in line with WBD's broader direct-to-consumer strategy,” Licht wrote in the memo. "In a complex streaming market, consumers want simplicity and an all-in service, which provides a better experience and more value than stand-alone offerings.
Under previous CNN president Jeff Zucker, CNN+ made headlines for attracting big name talent to the nascent platform, including Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace, former NPR co-host Audie Cornish, and food writer Alison Roman. “It also is not a reflection of the quality of the talent and content of CNN+, some of which will migrate to CNN’s programming or some of the company’s other networks,” wrote Licht. “The process for making those decisions is already underway and we will communicate to those affected as quickly as possible.”
In the memo, Licht noted that CNN+ employees would “continue to be paid and receive benefits for the next 90 days” and have the chance to “explore opportunities at CNN, CNN Digital and elsewhere in Warner Bros. Discovery.” After that 90 day period, per the memo, “any departing CNN+ employee will receive a minimum of six-month severance (depending on length of service at CNN).”
snip
CNN+ Has Folded After One Month
The news streaming platform will cease all operations on April 30, according to a memo from incoming CNN president Chris Licht.https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/04/cnn-has-folded-after-one-month
https://archive.ph/7mLE1
Barely a month after it debuted, CNN+ has folded. Touted as one of the most significant developments in CNN's history, the new streaming service that was intended to bring CNN into the digital age will cease operations on April 30. The decision to shutter CNN+ was made after CNN's former parent company, WarnerMedia—also home to TV powerhouse HBO and the Warner Bros. film studio—merged with Discovery, known for its reality television programming like 90 Day Fiancé, to form Warner Bros. Discovery. In a memo obtained by Vanity Fair, Chris Licht, incoming CNN president, announced to CNN staffers that Warner Bros. Discovery and CNN had decided to pull the plug on CNN+.
“This decision is in line with WBD's broader direct-to-consumer strategy,” Licht wrote in the memo. "In a complex streaming market, consumers want simplicity and an all-in service, which provides a better experience and more value than stand-alone offerings.
Under previous CNN president Jeff Zucker, CNN+ made headlines for attracting big name talent to the nascent platform, including Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace, former NPR co-host Audie Cornish, and food writer Alison Roman. “It also is not a reflection of the quality of the talent and content of CNN+, some of which will migrate to CNN’s programming or some of the company’s other networks,” wrote Licht. “The process for making those decisions is already underway and we will communicate to those affected as quickly as possible.”
In the memo, Licht noted that CNN+ employees would “continue to be paid and receive benefits for the next 90 days” and have the chance to “explore opportunities at CNN, CNN Digital and elsewhere in Warner Bros. Discovery.” After that 90 day period, per the memo, “any departing CNN+ employee will receive a minimum of six-month severance (depending on length of service at CNN).”
snip
April 22, 2022
California-based start-up Air Protein has developed a meat alternative called Air Meat, which is made using microbes that turn recycled carbon dioxide into protein. Described by Air Protein as "the meat of tomorrow", Air Meat was designed to replicate the flavour and texture of real meat products such as steak.
"Our vision is to build the first carbon-negative meat company"
While beef generates 70 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions for every kilogram produced, while also causing widespread deforestation, Air Protein founder Lisa Dyson claims that its protein production emits far less carbon and doesn't require land or animals. "We look at the analysis from cradle to gate, prior to when the product is consumed," she told Dezeen. "On this basis, our vision is to build the first carbon-negative meat company."
Air Protein is among a number of companies, including Finland-based Solar Foods, that are making meat and dairy substitutes from captured emissions in a bid to mitigate the climate impact of agriculture. However, Air Protein's process makes use of CO2 captured from factories rather than from the atmosphere. In the future, the company is planning to use direct air capture units to remove CO2 directly from the air.
But regardless of where it comes from, the carbon contained in the steak ultimately reenters the atmosphere after being eaten, as the consumer exhales it as carbon dioxide through the process of respiration. This means Air Protein's meat alternative doesn't directly reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Instead, Dyson says its climate potential lies in avoiding emissions and resource use elsewhere. "The amazing thing about our process is that it can be located virtually anywhere in the world, with no arable land required at all," she said.
snip
Air Protein creates fake steak from CO2 that replicates taste and texture of meat
https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/14/air-protein-meat-alternative-recycled-carbon-dioxide/California-based start-up Air Protein has developed a meat alternative called Air Meat, which is made using microbes that turn recycled carbon dioxide into protein. Described by Air Protein as "the meat of tomorrow", Air Meat was designed to replicate the flavour and texture of real meat products such as steak.
"Our vision is to build the first carbon-negative meat company"
While beef generates 70 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions for every kilogram produced, while also causing widespread deforestation, Air Protein founder Lisa Dyson claims that its protein production emits far less carbon and doesn't require land or animals. "We look at the analysis from cradle to gate, prior to when the product is consumed," she told Dezeen. "On this basis, our vision is to build the first carbon-negative meat company."
Air Protein is among a number of companies, including Finland-based Solar Foods, that are making meat and dairy substitutes from captured emissions in a bid to mitigate the climate impact of agriculture. However, Air Protein's process makes use of CO2 captured from factories rather than from the atmosphere. In the future, the company is planning to use direct air capture units to remove CO2 directly from the air.
But regardless of where it comes from, the carbon contained in the steak ultimately reenters the atmosphere after being eaten, as the consumer exhales it as carbon dioxide through the process of respiration. This means Air Protein's meat alternative doesn't directly reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Instead, Dyson says its climate potential lies in avoiding emissions and resource use elsewhere. "The amazing thing about our process is that it can be located virtually anywhere in the world, with no arable land required at all," she said.
snip
April 22, 2022
London studio Simon Gill Architects has extended and renovated a Victorian lodge in Fulham cemetery to create a house with a subterranean pool, courtyard gardens and lightwells. Aptly named The Lodge, the luxury residence was created for an army veteran who had once lived opposite the cemetery and wanted to use the existing building to create an atypical home.
The lodge, known officially as the Fulham Cemetery Lodge, was built in 1865 alongside a chapel, gatehouse and public toilets and had fallen into disrepair. When the opportunity to refurbish the structure presented itself, the owner "leapt at the chance to purchase it and turn it into an unusual home", Simon Gill Architects explained.
"The original urban composition has been repaired and enhanced, developing an architectural language that allows old and new to give meaning to each other," reflected the studio. "The retained lodge, now dramatically refurbished and extended, juxtaposes a house for the living beside a home for the dead."
A key driver behind Simon Gill Architects' design was to ensure the new elements of The Lodge were subordinate to the building's original Victorian architecture. The extension is largely positioned underground, reading as a single-storey structure from the outside, and features stone cladding that ties in with the original materiality.
snip
Simon Gill Architects "juxtaposes a west London house for the living beside a home for the dead" 🤍
https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/15/simon-gill-architects-the-lodge-cemetery-house/London studio Simon Gill Architects has extended and renovated a Victorian lodge in Fulham cemetery to create a house with a subterranean pool, courtyard gardens and lightwells. Aptly named The Lodge, the luxury residence was created for an army veteran who had once lived opposite the cemetery and wanted to use the existing building to create an atypical home.
The lodge, known officially as the Fulham Cemetery Lodge, was built in 1865 alongside a chapel, gatehouse and public toilets and had fallen into disrepair. When the opportunity to refurbish the structure presented itself, the owner "leapt at the chance to purchase it and turn it into an unusual home", Simon Gill Architects explained.
"The original urban composition has been repaired and enhanced, developing an architectural language that allows old and new to give meaning to each other," reflected the studio. "The retained lodge, now dramatically refurbished and extended, juxtaposes a house for the living beside a home for the dead."
A key driver behind Simon Gill Architects' design was to ensure the new elements of The Lodge were subordinate to the building's original Victorian architecture. The extension is largely positioned underground, reading as a single-storey structure from the outside, and features stone cladding that ties in with the original materiality.
snip
April 22, 2022
Republican leaders went from privately demanding Trump’s removal to publicly rolling over and letting Trump control the party.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/04/mitch-mcconell-kevin-mccarthy-donald-trump-january-6
https://archive.ph/zjxQx
In the immediate aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, a handful of top Republicans read the room and realized it was probably a bad look for them to condone the violent insurrection and/or the guy who incited said violent insurrection, i.e., Donald Trump. Speaking on the Senate floor, Lindsey Graham told lawmakers, “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey,” but “all I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.” House minority leader Kevin McCarthy declared Trump “bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.” The mob, Mitch McConnell told his colleagues, “was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.” Now, thanks to new reporting from The New York Times’ Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, we know that Republican leadership went even further in their private rebuking of Trump and wanted him booted from the Republican Party once and for all. And that, after a few weeks of tough talk, they made the cowardly political calculation to do nothing and allow Trump to maintain his iron grip on the GOP.
According to Burns and Martin, during a phone call with GOP House leadership on January 8, McCarthy said the then president’s behavior on January 6 was “atrocious and totally wrong.” He said Trump was at fault for “inciting people” to attack the Capitol building and that his rally speech preceding the attack was “not right by any shape or any form.” During that conversation, per Burns and Martin, McCarthy asked about invoking the 25th Amendment, i.e., immediately removing Trump from office, “before concluding that was not a viable option.” Two days later, he reportedly even said that he would inform Trump of Democrats’ intention to impeach him and recommend he resign, also lamenting that Twitter wasn’t kicking off Trump-loving Republican flamethrowers like Rep. Lauren Boebert too. “We can’t put up with that,” McCarthy apparently said, adding, “Can’t they take their Twitter accounts away too?” (A spokesman for McCarthy insisted to the Times that the GOP leader never said he’d tell Trump to resign, also denying that he wanted certain members removed from Twitter.)
Meanwhile, over in the Senate, McConnell was reportedly just as apoplectic. He, too, apparently inquired about the chances of Trump’s Cabinet getting rid of him via the 25th Amendment, and when it became clear that was never going to happen, he set his sights on Trump being impeached and banned from ever holding office again. During a January 11 lunch with two advisers, McConnell reportedly remarked, “The Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us,” adding, “If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is.” According to Burns and Martin, “in private…McConnell sounded as if he might be among the Republicans who would vote to convict,” and “several senior Republicans, including John Thune of South Dakota and Rob Portman of Ohio, told confidants that Mr. McConnell was leaning that way.” And then, of course, we know what happened next. McCarthy, who had spent the last four years serving as one of Trump’s most loyal footstools, was told that conservatives wouldn’t take kindly to his criticizing Trump anymore than he had already, and within weeks he was traveling to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring and pose for photos; he later vowed to get revenge on those seeking to hold Trump accountable.
As for McConnell, a partisan hack with no capacity for shame, he apparently “concluded that there was little appetite for open battle” with Trump, who remained very popular in the Republican Party. And because McConnell has famously prioritized his own power over literally everything else, he voted to acquit. (“I didn’t get to be leader by voting with five people in the conference,” he apparently told a friend by way of justification.) On the day he voted to let Trump get away with everything, McConnell threw it out there that there was “no question—none—that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” but insisted his hands were tied. “We have no power to convict and disqualify a former officeholder who is now a private citizen,” he claimed, an argument Republicans invented out of thin air to save their asses. Twelve days later, McConnell said he would “absolutely” support Trump as the 2024 Republican nominee, a commitment he doubled down on earlier this month.
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1512109194328956928
snip
'Take Care of the Son of a Bitch': McConnell and McCarthy talked a big game about dumping Trump
after Jan. 6, then did nothing like the cowards they areRepublican leaders went from privately demanding Trump’s removal to publicly rolling over and letting Trump control the party.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/04/mitch-mcconell-kevin-mccarthy-donald-trump-january-6
https://archive.ph/zjxQx
In the immediate aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, a handful of top Republicans read the room and realized it was probably a bad look for them to condone the violent insurrection and/or the guy who incited said violent insurrection, i.e., Donald Trump. Speaking on the Senate floor, Lindsey Graham told lawmakers, “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey,” but “all I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.” House minority leader Kevin McCarthy declared Trump “bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.” The mob, Mitch McConnell told his colleagues, “was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.” Now, thanks to new reporting from The New York Times’ Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, we know that Republican leadership went even further in their private rebuking of Trump and wanted him booted from the Republican Party once and for all. And that, after a few weeks of tough talk, they made the cowardly political calculation to do nothing and allow Trump to maintain his iron grip on the GOP.
According to Burns and Martin, during a phone call with GOP House leadership on January 8, McCarthy said the then president’s behavior on January 6 was “atrocious and totally wrong.” He said Trump was at fault for “inciting people” to attack the Capitol building and that his rally speech preceding the attack was “not right by any shape or any form.” During that conversation, per Burns and Martin, McCarthy asked about invoking the 25th Amendment, i.e., immediately removing Trump from office, “before concluding that was not a viable option.” Two days later, he reportedly even said that he would inform Trump of Democrats’ intention to impeach him and recommend he resign, also lamenting that Twitter wasn’t kicking off Trump-loving Republican flamethrowers like Rep. Lauren Boebert too. “We can’t put up with that,” McCarthy apparently said, adding, “Can’t they take their Twitter accounts away too?” (A spokesman for McCarthy insisted to the Times that the GOP leader never said he’d tell Trump to resign, also denying that he wanted certain members removed from Twitter.)
Meanwhile, over in the Senate, McConnell was reportedly just as apoplectic. He, too, apparently inquired about the chances of Trump’s Cabinet getting rid of him via the 25th Amendment, and when it became clear that was never going to happen, he set his sights on Trump being impeached and banned from ever holding office again. During a January 11 lunch with two advisers, McConnell reportedly remarked, “The Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us,” adding, “If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is.” According to Burns and Martin, “in private…McConnell sounded as if he might be among the Republicans who would vote to convict,” and “several senior Republicans, including John Thune of South Dakota and Rob Portman of Ohio, told confidants that Mr. McConnell was leaning that way.” And then, of course, we know what happened next. McCarthy, who had spent the last four years serving as one of Trump’s most loyal footstools, was told that conservatives wouldn’t take kindly to his criticizing Trump anymore than he had already, and within weeks he was traveling to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring and pose for photos; he later vowed to get revenge on those seeking to hold Trump accountable.
As for McConnell, a partisan hack with no capacity for shame, he apparently “concluded that there was little appetite for open battle” with Trump, who remained very popular in the Republican Party. And because McConnell has famously prioritized his own power over literally everything else, he voted to acquit. (“I didn’t get to be leader by voting with five people in the conference,” he apparently told a friend by way of justification.) On the day he voted to let Trump get away with everything, McConnell threw it out there that there was “no question—none—that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” but insisted his hands were tied. “We have no power to convict and disqualify a former officeholder who is now a private citizen,” he claimed, an argument Republicans invented out of thin air to save their asses. Twelve days later, McConnell said he would “absolutely” support Trump as the 2024 Republican nominee, a commitment he doubled down on earlier this month.
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1512109194328956928
snip
April 22, 2022
Republican leaders went from privately demanding Trump’s removal to publicly rolling over and letting Trump control the party.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/04/mitch-mcconell-kevin-mccarthy-donald-trump-january-6
https://archive.ph/zjxQx
In the immediate aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, a handful of top Republicans read the room and realized it was probably a bad look for them to condone the violent insurrection and/or the guy who incited said violent insurrection, i.e., Donald Trump. Speaking on the Senate floor, Lindsey Graham told lawmakers, “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey,” but “all I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.” House minority leader Kevin McCarthy declared Trump “bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.” The mob, Mitch McConnell told his colleagues, “was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.” Now, thanks to new reporting from The New York Times’ Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, we know that Republican leadership went even further in their private rebuking of Trump and wanted him booted from the Republican Party once and for all. And that, after a few weeks of tough talk, they made the cowardly political calculation to do nothing and allow Trump to maintain his iron grip on the GOP.
According to Burns and Martin, during a phone call with GOP House leadership on January 8, McCarthy said the then president’s behavior on January 6 was “atrocious and totally wrong.” He said Trump was at fault for “inciting people” to attack the Capitol building and that his rally speech preceding the attack was “not right by any shape or any form.” During that conversation, per Burns and Martin, McCarthy asked about invoking the 25th Amendment, i.e., immediately removing Trump from office, “before concluding that was not a viable option.” Two days later, he reportedly even said that he would inform Trump of Democrats’ intention to impeach him and recommend he resign, also lamenting that Twitter wasn’t kicking off Trump-loving Republican flamethrowers like Rep. Lauren Boebert too. “We can’t put up with that,” McCarthy apparently said, adding, “Can’t they take their Twitter accounts away too?” (A spokesman for McCarthy insisted to the Times that the GOP leader never said he’d tell Trump to resign, also denying that he wanted certain members removed from Twitter.)
Meanwhile, over in the Senate, McConnell was reportedly just as apoplectic. He, too, apparently inquired about the chances of Trump’s Cabinet getting rid of him via the 25th Amendment, and when it became clear that was never going to happen, he set his sights on Trump being impeached and banned from ever holding office again. During a January 11 lunch with two advisers, McConnell reportedly remarked, “The Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us,” adding, “If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is.” According to Burns and Martin, “in private…McConnell sounded as if he might be among the Republicans who would vote to convict,” and “several senior Republicans, including John Thune of South Dakota and Rob Portman of Ohio, told confidants that Mr. McConnell was leaning that way.” And then, of course, we know what happened next. McCarthy, who had spent the last four years serving as one of Trump’s most loyal footstools, was told that conservatives wouldn’t take kindly to his criticizing Trump anymore than he had already, and within weeks he was traveling to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring and pose for photos; he later vowed to get revenge on those seeking to hold Trump accountable.
As for McConnell, a partisan hack with no capacity for shame, he apparently “concluded that there was little appetite for open battle” with Trump, who remained very popular in the Republican Party. And because McConnell has famously prioritized his own power over literally everything else, he voted to acquit. (“I didn’t get to be leader by voting with five people in the conference,” he apparently told a friend by way of justification.) On the day he voted to let Trump get away with everything, McConnell threw it out there that there was “no question—none—that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” but insisted his hands were tied. “We have no power to convict and disqualify a former officeholder who is now a private citizen,” he claimed, an argument Republicans invented out of thin air to save their asses. Twelve days later, McConnell said he would “absolutely” support Trump as the 2024 Republican nominee, a commitment he doubled down on earlier this month.
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1512109194328956928
snip
'Take Care of the Son of a Bitch': McConnell and McCarthy talked a big game about dumping Trump
after Jan. 6, then did nothing like the cowards they areRepublican leaders went from privately demanding Trump’s removal to publicly rolling over and letting Trump control the party.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/04/mitch-mcconell-kevin-mccarthy-donald-trump-january-6
https://archive.ph/zjxQx
In the immediate aftermath of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, a handful of top Republicans read the room and realized it was probably a bad look for them to condone the violent insurrection and/or the guy who incited said violent insurrection, i.e., Donald Trump. Speaking on the Senate floor, Lindsey Graham told lawmakers, “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey,” but “all I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.” House minority leader Kevin McCarthy declared Trump “bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.” The mob, Mitch McConnell told his colleagues, “was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.” Now, thanks to new reporting from The New York Times’ Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin, we know that Republican leadership went even further in their private rebuking of Trump and wanted him booted from the Republican Party once and for all. And that, after a few weeks of tough talk, they made the cowardly political calculation to do nothing and allow Trump to maintain his iron grip on the GOP.
According to Burns and Martin, during a phone call with GOP House leadership on January 8, McCarthy said the then president’s behavior on January 6 was “atrocious and totally wrong.” He said Trump was at fault for “inciting people” to attack the Capitol building and that his rally speech preceding the attack was “not right by any shape or any form.” During that conversation, per Burns and Martin, McCarthy asked about invoking the 25th Amendment, i.e., immediately removing Trump from office, “before concluding that was not a viable option.” Two days later, he reportedly even said that he would inform Trump of Democrats’ intention to impeach him and recommend he resign, also lamenting that Twitter wasn’t kicking off Trump-loving Republican flamethrowers like Rep. Lauren Boebert too. “We can’t put up with that,” McCarthy apparently said, adding, “Can’t they take their Twitter accounts away too?” (A spokesman for McCarthy insisted to the Times that the GOP leader never said he’d tell Trump to resign, also denying that he wanted certain members removed from Twitter.)
Meanwhile, over in the Senate, McConnell was reportedly just as apoplectic. He, too, apparently inquired about the chances of Trump’s Cabinet getting rid of him via the 25th Amendment, and when it became clear that was never going to happen, he set his sights on Trump being impeached and banned from ever holding office again. During a January 11 lunch with two advisers, McConnell reportedly remarked, “The Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us,” adding, “If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is.” According to Burns and Martin, “in private…McConnell sounded as if he might be among the Republicans who would vote to convict,” and “several senior Republicans, including John Thune of South Dakota and Rob Portman of Ohio, told confidants that Mr. McConnell was leaning that way.” And then, of course, we know what happened next. McCarthy, who had spent the last four years serving as one of Trump’s most loyal footstools, was told that conservatives wouldn’t take kindly to his criticizing Trump anymore than he had already, and within weeks he was traveling to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring and pose for photos; he later vowed to get revenge on those seeking to hold Trump accountable.
As for McConnell, a partisan hack with no capacity for shame, he apparently “concluded that there was little appetite for open battle” with Trump, who remained very popular in the Republican Party. And because McConnell has famously prioritized his own power over literally everything else, he voted to acquit. (“I didn’t get to be leader by voting with five people in the conference,” he apparently told a friend by way of justification.) On the day he voted to let Trump get away with everything, McConnell threw it out there that there was “no question—none—that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” but insisted his hands were tied. “We have no power to convict and disqualify a former officeholder who is now a private citizen,” he claimed, an argument Republicans invented out of thin air to save their asses. Twelve days later, McConnell said he would “absolutely” support Trump as the 2024 Republican nominee, a commitment he doubled down on earlier this month.
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1512109194328956928
snip
April 21, 2022
https://www.thrillist.com/the-fasties
snip
Here Are the Winners of The 2022 Fasties, Thrillist's 3rd Annual Fast Food Awards
Who has the best cheeseburger? Or the top spicy chicken sandwich? The debates end here.
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/the-fasties-2022-winners-fast-food-awards
A new best fried chicken sandwich has been crowned. The onion rings to rule them all have been named. The finest fast food and fast casual cheeseburgers in all the land have been found. We present to you the winners of The Fasties, Thrillist's annual fast food awards. For the third year in a row, The Fasties are here to celebrate the absolute best foods we've eaten out of grease-stained paper bags over the last year with hilariously over-the-top—yet completely serious—awards in more than a dozen super-competitive categories.
In 2022, we're honoring the best of the best from major fast food chains across the country in 15 categories, including Best Breakfast, Best Chicken Nuggets, Best Fries, Best Onion Rings, Best Cheeseburger, and Best Fried Chicken Sandwich, to name just a handful. The honoree in an all-new category, Best Spicy Chicken Sandwich, is here to reignite the fast food chicken rivalry. We're also giving fast casual players—you know, places like Shake Shack and Five Guys, a share of the heat lamp limelight, with awards in three separate categories. The Fasties' top honor, Menu Item of the Year, recognizes a bold new offering that's sure to change the game. Meanwhile, the Most Valuable Pickle (MVP) spotlights the best briny cucumbers in the game right now. You'll find the complete list of categories and winners below.
The winners of the 2022 Fasties were carefully selected from the class of nominees announced on April 13 and based on the findings of our extensive taste tests (you should see our expense reports!). We acknowledge that handing out awards to corporate food chains is kind of weird and ridiculous, but hey, we don't take ourselves too seriously. The Fasties embody our unmatched—possibly worrying—obsession with all things served out of drive-thru windows. And at the end of the day, it's just about having fun.
You may agree with some of the winners, and you may vehemently disagree with others. That's totally cool. We don't have to see fry to fry (sorry, we had to), but you should totally hear us out. As long as we're all having a good time talking about, say, exactly what distinguishes a transcendent onion ring from a merely great one, then we're golden. One thing we're pretty sure about, though: you're gonna get hungry.
snip
Here Are the Winners of The 2022 Fasties, Thrillist's 3rd Annual Fast Food Awards
Welcome to our hilariously over-the-top—yet completely serious—celebration of the greatest foods served in grease-stained paper bags.https://www.thrillist.com/the-fasties
Thrillist’s annual fast food awards is back for a third helping in 2022. This year’s celebration will honor fast food and fast casual restaurant chains in 15 categories, including Best Cheeseburger, Best Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Best Fries, Best Onion Rings, and even Menu Item of the Year. Grab some ketchup packets, toss on your cardboard crown, and meet us in the drive-thru!
snip
Here Are the Winners of The 2022 Fasties, Thrillist's 3rd Annual Fast Food Awards
Who has the best cheeseburger? Or the top spicy chicken sandwich? The debates end here.
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/the-fasties-2022-winners-fast-food-awards
A new best fried chicken sandwich has been crowned. The onion rings to rule them all have been named. The finest fast food and fast casual cheeseburgers in all the land have been found. We present to you the winners of The Fasties, Thrillist's annual fast food awards. For the third year in a row, The Fasties are here to celebrate the absolute best foods we've eaten out of grease-stained paper bags over the last year with hilariously over-the-top—yet completely serious—awards in more than a dozen super-competitive categories.
In 2022, we're honoring the best of the best from major fast food chains across the country in 15 categories, including Best Breakfast, Best Chicken Nuggets, Best Fries, Best Onion Rings, Best Cheeseburger, and Best Fried Chicken Sandwich, to name just a handful. The honoree in an all-new category, Best Spicy Chicken Sandwich, is here to reignite the fast food chicken rivalry. We're also giving fast casual players—you know, places like Shake Shack and Five Guys, a share of the heat lamp limelight, with awards in three separate categories. The Fasties' top honor, Menu Item of the Year, recognizes a bold new offering that's sure to change the game. Meanwhile, the Most Valuable Pickle (MVP) spotlights the best briny cucumbers in the game right now. You'll find the complete list of categories and winners below.
The winners of the 2022 Fasties were carefully selected from the class of nominees announced on April 13 and based on the findings of our extensive taste tests (you should see our expense reports!). We acknowledge that handing out awards to corporate food chains is kind of weird and ridiculous, but hey, we don't take ourselves too seriously. The Fasties embody our unmatched—possibly worrying—obsession with all things served out of drive-thru windows. And at the end of the day, it's just about having fun.
You may agree with some of the winners, and you may vehemently disagree with others. That's totally cool. We don't have to see fry to fry (sorry, we had to), but you should totally hear us out. As long as we're all having a good time talking about, say, exactly what distinguishes a transcendent onion ring from a merely great one, then we're golden. One thing we're pretty sure about, though: you're gonna get hungry.
snip
April 21, 2022
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/rice-pudding-recipe-portugal-the-cookbook
Leandro Carreira isn’t one of those chefs who has always loved food from a young age. In fact, growing up on the west coast of the Algarve in Portugal, he doesn’t have the fondest memories of his family boiling fish heads, salting pig bones, slowly curing meats, and fermenting pastes.
“As kids, we were like, ‘Wow this stinks, it smells so bad,’” he remembers with a laugh. “But those techniques of curing, marinating, and slow fermenting really helped dishes. Poor people were incredibly creative and came up with some of the best Portuguese dishes ever.” Those memories of smelly fish broth and reusing leftover bread are translated into dishes like Açorda, a signature Portuguese soup, and one of more than 550 recipes in Carreria’s massive undertaking, Portugal the Cookbook, debuting on May 4.
“I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d write a book,” he says. “But I’ve been traveling for so long and left Portugal so many years ago, that it made me appreciate how great Portugal can be. I got to get back in touch with my own country from the inside and I couldn’t stop digging.” Indeed, Carreira’s cooking career has taken him to Japan, the Basque region of Spain, and eventually London, where he opened his first restaurant, Londrino, in 2017, and started his current chef’s table project, The Sea, The Sea, late last year.
His travels and work helped him make connections between seemingly disparate cuisines, like how famed Portuguese sponge cake is similar to Japanese kasutera or how one recipe in his book for Battered Green Beans is inspired by tempura. “I think people forget that the Portuguese were once immense traders and explorers. We went pretty much everywhere and took a lot of things with us,” he says. “They think of us as this little country in western Europe known for port and custard tarts. But we have an insane culinary landscape, deeply rooted in influences from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.”
snip
This Creamy Rice Pudding Is a Staple at Portuguese Parties
Chef Leandro Carreira’s new cookbook proves Portugal is more than port and custard tarts.https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/rice-pudding-recipe-portugal-the-cookbook
Leandro Carreira isn’t one of those chefs who has always loved food from a young age. In fact, growing up on the west coast of the Algarve in Portugal, he doesn’t have the fondest memories of his family boiling fish heads, salting pig bones, slowly curing meats, and fermenting pastes.
“As kids, we were like, ‘Wow this stinks, it smells so bad,’” he remembers with a laugh. “But those techniques of curing, marinating, and slow fermenting really helped dishes. Poor people were incredibly creative and came up with some of the best Portuguese dishes ever.” Those memories of smelly fish broth and reusing leftover bread are translated into dishes like Açorda, a signature Portuguese soup, and one of more than 550 recipes in Carreria’s massive undertaking, Portugal the Cookbook, debuting on May 4.
“I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d write a book,” he says. “But I’ve been traveling for so long and left Portugal so many years ago, that it made me appreciate how great Portugal can be. I got to get back in touch with my own country from the inside and I couldn’t stop digging.” Indeed, Carreira’s cooking career has taken him to Japan, the Basque region of Spain, and eventually London, where he opened his first restaurant, Londrino, in 2017, and started his current chef’s table project, The Sea, The Sea, late last year.
His travels and work helped him make connections between seemingly disparate cuisines, like how famed Portuguese sponge cake is similar to Japanese kasutera or how one recipe in his book for Battered Green Beans is inspired by tempura. “I think people forget that the Portuguese were once immense traders and explorers. We went pretty much everywhere and took a lot of things with us,” he says. “They think of us as this little country in western Europe known for port and custard tarts. But we have an insane culinary landscape, deeply rooted in influences from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.”
snip
April 21, 2022
https://www.thelocal.se/20220420/swedish-social-democrat-tabloid-backs-nato-as-finland-starts-debate/
The Aftonbladet newspaper, which describes itself as reflecting an “independent Social Democrat” viewpoint, dropped its support for Sweden’s long-held policy of non-alignment, with the newspaper’s chief political editor Anders Lindberg arguing in an editorial on Wednesday morning, that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine now makes membership of the security organisation necessary.
“Vladimir Putin’s war demonstrates that we need to join Nato to guarantee Sweden’s security,” Lindberg, who is often seen as the voice of Social Democrat orthodoxy, wrote in his article. The editorial came on the day that Finland’s parliament is set to hold a historic, five-hour debate over how to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and increased Russian belligerence, which is expected to lead to it backing a Finnish application to join.
The key will be the position taken by the Social Democrats, the party led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin, and also that taken by the Centre Party, who say they will back Nato membership, if the government does. In a sign of how closely the two neighbours’ governments are working together on the issue, Marin chose to come to Stockholm on the day her government published its analysis of the new security situation, holding a joint press conference with Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
In his article, Lindberg argued that if Finland, which is closely aligned to Sweden militarily, decides to join Nato, Sweden’s security will be at risk if it does not follow. “It’s most likely that Helsinki is now going to apply for membership in Nato, and as a result the last weighty argument from Sweden’s point of view is going to fall,” he wrote. Finland, he noted, is “our most important security partner today”. “If they decide to join Nato without us, then that deep relationship will be almost impossible to continue, and that will make is significantly weaker,” he said.
snip
Swedish Social Democrat tabloid backs Nato as Finland starts debate
Sweden's main Social Democrat newspaper has backed the country joining Nato on the day that Finland's parliament holds a historic debate on the alliance.https://www.thelocal.se/20220420/swedish-social-democrat-tabloid-backs-nato-as-finland-starts-debate/
The Aftonbladet newspaper, which describes itself as reflecting an “independent Social Democrat” viewpoint, dropped its support for Sweden’s long-held policy of non-alignment, with the newspaper’s chief political editor Anders Lindberg arguing in an editorial on Wednesday morning, that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine now makes membership of the security organisation necessary.
“Vladimir Putin’s war demonstrates that we need to join Nato to guarantee Sweden’s security,” Lindberg, who is often seen as the voice of Social Democrat orthodoxy, wrote in his article. The editorial came on the day that Finland’s parliament is set to hold a historic, five-hour debate over how to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and increased Russian belligerence, which is expected to lead to it backing a Finnish application to join.
The key will be the position taken by the Social Democrats, the party led by Prime Minister Sanna Marin, and also that taken by the Centre Party, who say they will back Nato membership, if the government does. In a sign of how closely the two neighbours’ governments are working together on the issue, Marin chose to come to Stockholm on the day her government published its analysis of the new security situation, holding a joint press conference with Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
In his article, Lindberg argued that if Finland, which is closely aligned to Sweden militarily, decides to join Nato, Sweden’s security will be at risk if it does not follow. “It’s most likely that Helsinki is now going to apply for membership in Nato, and as a result the last weighty argument from Sweden’s point of view is going to fall,” he wrote. Finland, he noted, is “our most important security partner today”. “If they decide to join Nato without us, then that deep relationship will be almost impossible to continue, and that will make is significantly weaker,” he said.
snip
Putins krig visar att vi behöver gå med i Nato
Aftonbladets ledarsida har ändrat åsikt och jag vill förklara varför
Putin's war shows that we need to join NATO
Aftonbladet's editorial page has changed its mind and I want to explain why
https://www.aftonbladet.se/ledare/a/Or9Xvb/putins-krig-visar-att-vi-behover-ga-med-i-nato
Aftonbladets ledarsida har ändrat åsikt och jag vill förklara varför
Putin's war shows that we need to join NATO
Aftonbladet's editorial page has changed its mind and I want to explain why
https://www.aftonbladet.se/ledare/a/Or9Xvb/putins-krig-visar-att-vi-behover-ga-med-i-nato
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Current location: Stockholm, Sweden
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