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Jack the Greater

Jack the Greater's Journal
Jack the Greater's Journal
March 10, 2023

Florida is getting knocked in the Breaking News forum for reactivating its State Guard

But 23 states have active State Guards, all of which answer to their respective governors, not the federal government, including such blue states as: California, Washington, Virginia, Vermont, Rhode Island, Oregon, New York, New Mexico, Michigan, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Only five states have never established a State Guard.

March 7, 2023

Ukraine Says Wagner Is Down to 'Last Shot' in Bakhmut

Source: New York Times

The Wagner mercenary force, fighting for Russia, has slowly advanced on the eastern city of Bakhmut, but a Ukrainian military official said the group's supply of prisoner forces had been decimated. Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday that Russia's Wagner private military company had been forced to shift to using more of its professional soldiers in the battle for Bakhmut as its supply of prisoner recruits dwindled. The claim suggested that Ukraine, by insisting that it will keep defending Bakhmut, may see an opportunity to hang on long enough there to severely damage Wagner, a highly effective fighting force for Russia. "This is their last shot," Col. Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesman for Ukraine's eastern group of forces, told Radio Liberty in an interview, referring to the Wagner group.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/03/07/world/russia-ukraine-bakhmut-news

March 2, 2023

Trump can be sued for Jan. 6 riot harm, Justice Dept. says

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump can be sued by injured Capitol Police officers and Democratic lawmakers over the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department said Thursday in a federal court case testing Trump's legal vulnerability for his speech before the riot.

In court papers, the Justice Department told a federal appeals court in Washington that it should allow the lawsuits to move forward, rejecting Trump's argument that he is immune from the claims.

The department said it takes no position on the lawsuits' claims that the former president's words incited the attack on the Capitol. Nevertheless, Justice lawyers told the court that a president would not be protected by "absolute immunity" if his words were found to have been an "incitement of imminent private violence."

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-capitol-police-congress-immunity-d18d0c6369837c725578cf6e13c18883

January 4, 2023

I am sure the UK betting houses are making book on US House Speaker

But I am too beat up from work and drink to look it up.

December 21, 2022

I believe the basis for releasing Donnie's tax return is 26 U.S. Code § 6103 (k) (1)

... which states, "Return information shall be disclosed to members of the general public to the extent necessary to permit inspection of any accepted offer-in-compromise under section 7122 relating to the liability for a tax imposed by this title."

An "offer-in-compromise under section 7122" is an agreement between the IRS and a taxpayer to settle a tax debt for less than the amount owed. When this happens, the general public is granted access to the return upon which that agreement was based. I imagine that this access is granted to the general public because someone is being "let off the hook" so to speak, for a tax liability, and the general public has a right to know what this agreement was based on. That seems reasonable to me, as the general public has to to make up the difference between what was owed and what was paid.

December 16, 2022

Jan. 6 panel to vote on urging DOJ to prosecute Trump on at least three criminal charges

Source: Politico

The Jan. 6 select committee is preparing to vote on urging the Justice Department to pursue at least three criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, including insurrection.

The report that the select panel is expected to consider on Monday afternoon, described to POLITICO by two people familiar with its contents, reflects some recommendations from a subcommittee that evaluated potential criminal referrals. Among the charges that subcommittee proposes for Trump: 18 U.S.C. 2383, insurrection; 18 U.S.C. 1512(c), obstruction of an official proceeding; and 18 U.S.C. 371, conspiracy to defraud the United States government.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/16/jan-6-committee-trump-criminal-referral-00074411

December 13, 2022

Inspector Javert


Relentless



November 23, 2022

Interesting age-related poll from AARP in Walker/Warner race

A poll released on Tuesday by AARP, an interest group for those aged 50 and older, found a significant age gap in voters’ preferences in the Georgia Senate runoff election between incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) and former NFL player Herschel Walker (R).

Warnock leads Walker by 24 percentage points among voters aged 18-49, while Walker leads by 9 points among voters aged 50 or older, according to the poll from AARP Georgia. The two groups differ in their preferences by a total of 33 points.

November 21, 2022

The first lines of the very first episode of Crusader Rabbit

Narrator: "Down in Texas they're still talking about the little rabbit that'd come down from the United States to wipe out the whole State of Texas. Obviously the rabbit must have been Crusader Rabbit. For who else would have thought of such a wonderful idea!" ~First broadcast August 1, 1950

Seems people had reason to hate on Texas way back in the 50s. I wonder why that is. Maybe for the same reasons as today.





November 12, 2022

House races yet to be decided, at a glance --- (paywall problem fixed)

This link should now get you past the paywall: From NYT

The dark red and dark blue are counted as won. The lighter shades are still theoretically possible to go either way. Dems needed to win 5 districts where Republicans are currently leading to retain control of the House..

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