France Restarts Coal Plants

France is the icon of nuclear power electrical generation.  The last coal fired generation plant in Saint Avold halted coal burning earlier this year, but due to energy shortages imposed by Putin's War on Ukraine the plant fired its furnaces to keep heat and electricity on this winter.  France joins Czech Republic resorting to coal burning for heat and energy. Nearly half of France's nuclear power facilities are off-line for maintenance and repair.  The French government was forced to issue to issue a decree allowing Saint Avold and another plant in western France to continue to burn coal. President Macron had stated he would close all coal burning plants by the end of the year.

Coal burning is not only disastrous for reducing global warming, but is also a human health hazard that releases particulates, mercury, and nitrogen oxides.  Czechoslovakia had catastrophic air pollution at the end of the communist era.  The decline of manufacturing and mining, along with improved pollution standards imposed by the EU have greatly improved air quality.  Czech Republic has large coal deposits that make coal cheaper than natural gas. So many citizens opt for burning coal in their homes.  A 2021 study ranked the regional capital of Ostrava as one of the ten most polluted cities in Europe.  Some 50,000 old furnaces that emit toxic fumes, must be replaced in the Ostrava region, and even more in neighboring  Poland.  The Czech government has reversed plans to cease mining coal in the region due to enormous demand. Fifty percent of Czech electricity is produced by coal generation plants.

Coal burning power plants only account for about 3% of France's electricity mix.  Sixty percent comes from nuclear facilities. Government declares the resort to coal is only temporary, and has called upon the France people to reduce their energy consumption by ten percent to avoid rationing and rolling blackouts.

  

CITIES Convention Establishes New Protections

The nineteenth convention of the parties to the CITIES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) ended in Panama after two weeks of negotiations.  Member states agreed to establish  new trade restrictions on 600 species of animals and plants, including sharks that are experiencing a drastic decline in their numbers because of the trade in shark fins.  The decision to protect hammerhead and requiem sharks and guitarfish is significant since these species account for about 95% of the global fin trade.  Under CITIES Appendix II export permits are requried for export. Glass frogs, a unique family (Centrolenidae) of frogs with semi-transparent skin, are subjected to the international pet trade.

Freshwater turtles are also traded regularly, so the parties voted to protect 52 species including the matamatas sp. Chelus, prized for their knobby shells and triangular shaped heads. [photo credit: WCS] Songbirds are popular especially in Asia for song contests. Receiving legal protection CITIES are two songbirds, strawheaded bulbul (Pycnonotus zeylanicus) under Appendix I and white-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus) on Appendix II. Appendix I ban nearly all trade in a species at high risk of extinction. According to the IUCN specialist group, forty-three songbird species are in urgent need of protection from trade.

Trees were not forgotten at the meeting of the parties. One hundred forty threatened tropical species were added to Appendix II. Protection for paduak, pod mahogany and African mahogany group will go in effect in ninety day, but two groups of Latin American species--cumaru and trumpet trees--will not take place for two years. Conservationists are worried that these over-exploited trees will be subjected to more explotiation before the trade restrictions take effect. One prominent specie that did not make the protected list, is hippopotamus. Trade in hippo teeth as alternative to elephant tusk is taking a toll on the river dwelling animals. A two thirds majority is needed to list a species, but the hippo vote was tied at 56. Despite setbacks and disappointments, the conference is considered a success for conservation given the number of species receiving protection under the treaty. More is needed to stop the international trade in animal parts--especially regulatory enforcement. CITIES is only as successful as the efforts of member nations to enforce its provisions and prevent biodiversity collapse.

TWIT: Bad Day @ Mar-a-Lago

credit; Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Inquirer

Merrick Garland should be ashamed of himself for abdicating his responsibility to bring Herr Trumpillini to trial.  Instead he made the politically expedient move of appointing another special prosecutor.  Despite the legal background of his choice, a career prosecutor whose experience includes prosecuting war crimes at The Hague, a special prosecutor could easily take a year or more to decide on an indictment. (Jack Smith is currently recovering from a biking accident in the Netherlands). This scenario works perfectly for the real artful dodger, Individual One.  He is counting on the political controversy that will no doubt arise around prosecuting a presidential candidate during an election campaign. No matter how guilty he may appear to the average guy, prosecuting a national political figure and former President may be more than our frail judicial system can bear.  The timing of a trial close to another election would influence potential jurors without question--making it impractical to conduct a trial with the appearance of fairness.  It is a fact that Trump legal minions are already using a version of this same agreement:  "You cannot do that because Der Leader is so special and a presidential candidate."  Listen to the recording of the oral argument in the Mar-a-Lago Papers case, linked below.  Remember, in his supporters' deluded minds, he never lost!

But there is some good news for US, nevertheless.  Three years after his tax returns were requested by a congressional committee and defiance by Trump regime appointees of federal law requiring the IRS to hand over the records to Congress, the Supreme Court refused to hear Trumpillini's appeal to prevent the IRS from turning over his returns to the House Ways and Means Committee.  A Trump-appointed federal district court judge, Trevor MacFadden, delayed the case for over a year by refusing to rule.  It is unclear at this late date whether the Democrat controlled House committee will have time to actually access these records before this session of Congress is adjourned and a new one begins in January controlled by Repugnants. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) told media he hopes to get the records by next week. The Solicitor General sided with Congress saying that the Committee has articulated a legitimate legislative need for Trump's tax records. The Senate Finance Committee chaired by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has the same authority to request tax returns.  However, the tax case exemplifies the extent to which a determined litigant with funds can delay or even stop the grind of justice. 

In the Mar-a-Lago Papers case, oral arguments took place on the question of whether the appointment of a special master, which has significantly slowed progress in the investigation, was an abuse of discretion by his pocket judge, Aileen Cannon.  Comments made by the three judge panel, two of whom are Trump appointees, indicated to observers that the Eleventh Circuit will rule Cannon  exceeded her authority in the extraordinary appointment of  a special master since the FBI search at Mar-a-Lago was indisputably legal.  At one point in the proceedings, the conservative chief judge asked Trump's attorney if he could show that the search was conducted in violation of Trump's constitutional rights. and if not, he asked, "Then what are we doing here?" Good question your honor, the answer--running out the clock.  Regardless of wether he intended to sell the secret documents in question or use them as a bargaining chip, Trump indisputably removed the government's documents from the White House and then hid them among his personal effects at Mar-a-Lago while refusing to relinquish them all upon official request. His belief, no matter how delusional, that the papers where his, is simply implausible beyond a reasonable doubt.

TWIT: He's Baaack!

credit: KAL The Economist

The deranged grifter, Herr Trumpillini, announced his third run for President this week, one day after his legal minions filed suit to block the House Select Committee's subpoena for his testimony and records.  It is a tragic indictment of 'Merica's legal and political systems that a twice impeached former president and alleged leader of an unprecedented coup can plausibly run for the nation's highest office.  In a better world he would be cooling his heels at Mar-a-Lago waiting for trial on federal and state charges relating to his campaign to illegally usurp power after loosing the 2016 election.  If federal lawyers want to maintain any semblance of legitimacy they must indict Il Douche even if that means during a national political campaign. About 900 people have been indicted for the Insurrection of January 6th.  About half have pleaded guilty and 23 have gone to trial and convicted.  Yet the chief instigator remains an unindexed co-conspirator thanks to his litigations and delaying tactics. How could any reasonable citizen not concluded that there are two systems of justice in this country--one for the manipulative rich and one for Joe Blow, who is SOL.

Individual One has successfully reached what he sees as political cover for his crimes, running for office a third time.  He is doing so for totally self-serving reasons, not because he care to "make 'Merica great again".  Anyone who believes that slogan to be anything more than a sales pitch ought to consult a psychiatrist.  Undoubtably the ultimate game plan is to influence any potential jury pools by running for office with its attendant media blitz, and perhaps delaying any trials until 2024 when the Justice Department may decide to defer a prosecution under its election year policy. 

The two investigations against Trump that have the highest likelihood of a successful prosecution, are the federal Mar-a-Lago Papers investigation, and the Georgia election interference investigation in Fulton County.  Both have been delayed significantly by the Trump legal team.  The appointment of a master by a biased federal district judge has caused  legal wrangling over the status of individual documents.  Judge Cannon will rule on whatever special master decides.  Then there is the possibility of further appeals to the Eleventh Circuit and the Supreme Court.  So this egregious breach of national secuirty will not go to trial anytime soon.  Fulton County's special grand jury investigation has met repeated resistence from witnesses in the Trump camp.  However, judges have ruled against a significant list of witness.  Former Governor Brian Kemp testified just before Trump announced his candidacy.  Former national security advisor Mike Flynn has been ordered to testify, as have House Speaker Mark Meadows, Senator Lindsey Graham and former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich.

In a move that will not engender more public confidence, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the appointment  of a special prosecutor to handle these politically charged cases.  It remains to be seen if this added layer of authority will speed the legal process due the former guy.  Probably not.

credit: S. Stantis

Klamath River Dams to Come Down

In a historic decision to save Pacific salmon, the FERC decided to approve the decontruction of four Klamath River dams. Regional tribes have been fighting for decades to allow the spawning grounds of their traditional food to be restored to the salmon James Jones, chairman of the Yurok Tribe said in a press statement,"The people have earned this victory and with it we carry on our sacred duty to the fish that have sustained our people since the beginning of time." The Kalmath River flow has beconme depleted and is infested with parasites that thrive in warm water, making the river inhospitable to migrating coho and Chinook salmon that need fresh, cold flowing water in order to complete their migration upstream.

The four dams are located on federal land and owned by PacificCorp a part of Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway holding company. The company decided to reliquish the dams rather than comply with federal regulations requiring fish ladders and screens. The dams were becoming increasly uneconomic, producing only 2% of PacificCorp's total power production when running at full capacity, an infrequent status under current river conditions. A company spokesperson said the decision to reliquish its federal operating licenses was ultimately a business decision. The company is contributing $200 million to the project from a surcharge on its customers in California and Oregon. The voters in California approved a $250 million bond levy to fund the largest dam removal project in the nation's history. Across the US, 1,951 dams have been demolished as of February, the trend has increased as the facilities age and come up for relicensing.  [Iron Gate dam, credit: AP]

The Kalamath River watershed covers 14,500 square miles, and the river was once the third largest salmon producing river on the West Coast. But the four dams, built between 1918 and 1962 essentially cut the river in half, preventing spawning salmon from reaching their spawning grounds. Consequently the runs have dwindled for decades. Coho are listed as endangered under federal and state law. Their population has fallen drastically. Spring Chinook, once the largest run of all, are reduced in number by 98%. Fall chinook have all but disappeared from the Klamath. Yurok fishers canceled their annual fish harvestin 2021 for the first time in living memory. The smallest of the four dams, Copco 2, could be removed as early as next summer.

COTW: SS Trust Fund Busted?

Not so much.  Wolf Blitzer @WolfStreet.com tells US that the Trust Fund is in good shape right now.Since 2010 the OASI Fund has risen by 12.1%.  LOOK at the chart:

There was a small decline (1.2%) in the balance last fiscal year. The fund invests in Treasury securities and certificates of indebtedness not traded in the secondary market, which is a good thing because it does not subject the fund to the fluctuations of the secondary market. The fund holds these securities until they mature. This policy also results in ultra-low administration expenses--around 0.14%. of assets held.Compare that to your average stock fund.

Conservatives are very fond of predicting the insolvency of the Trust Fund, which coincides with their endemic hostility toward the 'socialist' Social Security program--the most popular social program in the history of the US. In the fiscal ending September 2022, the gap between fund outflows and income narrowed to just $32 billion. At this rate, the Trust Fund would not be depleted until 2085. Despite the good news, Social Security was never intended to be a replacement for saving and investment as a method for financing retirement.  One reason the Boomers are working beyond traditional retirement age.

Crimea: A Historical Perspective

Russia made a tragic miscalculation by invading Ukraine. The Kremlin underestimated the ability of Ukraine's fighting forces, western financial and logistical support, and the abilities of its own military.  The   Ukrainian War has become Russia's Vietnam in which that nation has lost more men than the USA in Southeast Asia.  This is not the first time Russia has faced defeat in the region.  It lost the Crimean War in 1856 when Britain, France and their Turkish allies signed the Paris Peace Treaty*. They lost their naval base at Sebastopol, and ceased to dominate the Black Sea.  During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the Tsar began rebuilding Sebastopol. By WWII the Soviets had regained the peninsula, but  Sebastopol was again destroyed by Nazi bombing. Stalin ordered it restored to its former neoclassic glory.

Russia's relationship with Crimea is long and complex, essentially beginning when Catherine the Great annexed (yes, even then) it after defeating the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Koludzha.  The strategic land mass gave Russia military dominance over the Black Sea region, and a gateway to the wider Mediterranean for its naval forces.  Then, somewhat inexplicably at the time, the Presidium under Khrushchev assigned Crimea to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic by decree in 1954.  Documents later uncovered from Soviet archives show that the transfer was intended as a "noble act of the Russian people" to "commemorate the 300th anniversary" of the unification of Russia and Ukraine in consideration of the territorial proximity of Crimea and the commonality of its culture and economy with Ukraine. The 300th anniversary mentioned was a reference to the Treaty of Pereyaslav, between the Cossack Hermanate and Tsar Alexsei I of Moscovy.  The shared culture and economy was largely changed by Stalin's ethnic cleansing policy of forced deportation of 200,000 Tartars to Central Asia, immigration of ethnic Russians into Crimea (chart, above) and the economic aftermath of WWII.

More recent historical research indicates the motivation for giving up "Russian" Crimea (see chart above) was the power struggle between Khrushchev and his party rivals, notably Prime Minister Georgii Malenkov. He was elevated to party First Secretary in 1953, but was still consolidating his power in 1954. He hoped to enlist in his power struggle theUkrainian party leader and Presidium member. Earlier in his career Khrushchev was head of the Ukrainian Communist Party. During his tenure from the late 30's to 1949, he oversaw a fierce civil war in Ukraine's western annexations, Galicia and Volynia. That bitter war was over by 1954.Apparently Khrushchev actually saw the transfer of the Crimea to Ukraine as a way of consolidating Soviet control over the region after winning the civil war, and a means of winning his power struggle with Malenkov whom he eventually unseated in 1955. About 860,000 ethnic Russians would immigrate to the Ukraine to insure a close relationship within the Union.  Bringing in the Crimea with its majority Russian population would bolster Soviet control over Ukraine.

The political landscape changed once again when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. In August 1991, Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union. The Russian Federation formally accepted Ukraine's borders at the time, which included the Crimea. A treaty signed in 1997 allowed Russia to keep its Black Sea fleet in Sebastopol under a lease agreement extending until 2042. In 2014 Putin forcibly annexed Crimea in violation of its previous agreements with Ukraine.  One of the justifications offered was the majority status of Russian residents. Another  huge influx of about 247,000 ethnic Russians, mostly from Siberia, followed. At the same time about 140,000 people have left, mostly Ukrainians and Tartars. Russian then invaded eastern Ukraine this year, seeking once again to reassert Russian control over the Donbas region, which harbors Russian separatist movements.

In the context of the current war that has deep historical roots, Ukraine is adamant about recovering its recognized national borders including the oblast of Crimea. Retaking Crimea by military force is a difficult task given the land area involved, the mass of Russian military power on the peninsula, and the demographics that have been altered by Russian policy. When Russia took over in 2014, it held a referendum in which the overwhelming majority voted to rejoin Russia. That referendum has not received international acceptance as legitimate, but it may be a good indication of where popular sentiments lie regarding the status of Crimea. Now that Kyiv has regained the port city of Kherson, an opportunity to weigh the cost of retaking the peninsula is open to serious consideration.

*In a bloody prelude of WWI, the allies laid siege to the city of Sebastopol for a year in what became the final major battle of the war. A simultaneous attack by the British on the Great Redan was unsuccessful, but French Zouaves under General MacMahon seized the Malakof Redoubt and the Little Redan, making defense of the city untenable. The Russian suffered some 2-3 thousand casualties a day under relentless shelling from massed allied artillery.

The Environmental Toll of Putin's War

Almost all of the fighting in the eight month war on Ukraine has taken place within its borders, and the environmental damage is mounting. A staggering 6 million Ukrainians are without safe drinking water, and 692,000 acres of forest have been destroyed according to the World Wildlife Fund. Pollution caused by toxic munitions, destroyed fuel dumps and vehicles will last for decades. The cost of cleaning up the damage is emmense. President Zelensky has demanded reperations from Russia to help pay the costs of Putin's unprovoked invasion.

AP: destroy fuel dump near Kalynivka

Residents of the village of Demydiv saw their drinking water turn cloudy, taste contaminated and leaving  a residue on their cooking pots and pans. The village was under Russian control until April when the Russians failed to take Kyiv and withdrew. Ukrainian authorities began shipping in fresh water, but those shipments stopped in October when the tanker truck broke down, forcing the inhabitants to resume consuming their polluted water. Russian forces, stymied on the battlefield, have resorted to attacks on civilian infrastructure such as power plants and waterworks. Collateral damage also occurs regularly. A pond used for recreation as well as a fish farm before the war, is now polluted by fuel oil after a dump near the village of Kalynivka eighteen miles southwest of Kyiv was hit by a Russian missile. Dead fish now litter the pond's surface. 

Massive fires started by artillery fire have polluted the atmosphere. A product of combustion, nitrogen dioxide readings have increased in areas west and southwest of Kyiv. Direct exposure can cause skin irritation and burns, while chronic exposure can cause repiratory problems. Fires have impacted this year's crop harvest and killed livestock. Ukrainians have demonstrated they are a resilient people, but the multiple adversities they now face in the war have taken a heavy emotional and psychological toll. The government has provided assistance where it can, but resourece are stretched to the maximum for the war effort. Dimydev residents were given $540 each, to compensate for the flooding cause by the demolition of a dam to hinder the invaders. But that modest amount does not compensate families who have lost everything including the health of their land.

TWIT: Red Wave Bust

credit: B. Plante

Der Leader's political fortunes took a bad turn this week with a dismal performance in the mid term elections.  As expected the traditional switch to the other party during a presidential term occurred in the House of Representatives. Repugnants may have a slim majority after all the votes are counted.If that comes to pass it means the end of the Select Committee investigating the events of January 6th and the plotting that lead up to it. It's work is largely done, however and it must produce a report to Congress. The pregnant question is: will they recommend the criminal prosecution of the coup leader, the former President. Now that his political influence is waning (and its his wife's fault), Repugnant hypocrites like Mitch McConnell are coming out of the woodwork to voice their disapproval of the deranged grifter. Just a tad late, guys!

On the legal front this week, Trump fared little better. His appeal of the appointment of a fiduciary in the prosecution of his company was denied. A monitor of the company's assets was ordered after he created Trump Org 2, which could receive assets in an attempt to move them out of the jurisdiction. His former controller, Jeffery McConney, testified in court that Trump knew about the efforts to avoid taxes because he discussed reducing CFO Allen Weisselberg's salary in compensation for in-kind perks such as paying for private school tuitions according to what the CFO told him.  Mc Conney is testifying in return for immunity from prosecution. McConney is nevertheless a reluctant witness, who had to be prompted for the truthful answer to the question by "refreshing his recollection" with his grand jury testimony.

McConney also testified that some executives were treated as independent contractors for tax purposes when bonuses were paid.  The abusive practice dated back to the 1980s.  A former general counsel of the company received bonuses as a non-employee until an accountant told McConey to stop.  Trump signed off with his initials to a reduction in executive Mathew Calamari's salary by 72,000, the amount of his apartment rent. 

Amazon Rainforest Close to Point of No Return

People concerned about the health of the planet know that during the tenure of the Brazilian Trump, Bolsanaro, the Amazaon rainforest has suffered increasing despoilation. WWF says in a recent report that the biome, an important carbon sink and oxygen producer, could disappear altogether soon, if drastic action is not taken to rescue it. The report was released at Sharm-El Sheikh where the COP27 is being held. Ranching, minning and land speculation and wildfires have destroyed 18% of the forest and degraded another 17%. Currently there are more than 600 development projects and twenty road projects planned within the region. About 4.7 million square miles were cleared last year alone. 

Peruvian forest destroyed by gold mining,
credit R. Butler

The tipping point would bring a irreversable transition from wet forest to dry sahvanna. Clear signs of this transition is already visible in Brazil and Bolivia. The threshold is considered by some experts to be between 20 and 25%. The Amazon current recycles 75% of the moisture it produces. A dry savannah biome cannot perform this vital climatic function. Precipitation will drop drastically, further altering the world's climate conditions and contribution to more wildfires. 500 indiginous tribes that live in the forest will lose their tradtional homes. The report noted that these people will play a crtical role in preserving native vegetation. Saving the rainforest will require massive committment from both governments and corporations currently exploiting this invaluable resource.

Hundreds of Animals Die from Drought in Kenya

The Kenyan Wildlife Service reports that hundreds of wild animals including elephants and endangered Grevy's zebra have died on eastern Kenyan preserves due to prolonged drought. Officials have counted the bodies of 205 elephants, 512 wildebeest, 381 common zebras, 51 buffalos, 49 Grevy's zebras and 12 giraffes in the past nine months. The preserves affected include well-known national parks--Amboseli, Tsavo and Laikipia-Samburu. The actual number of deaths is undoubtably much higher, Kenya has gone four seasons without adequate rainfall with dire effects for humans andd their livestock. Experts have urged the provision of water and salt licks in the affected regions. Kenya's drought is part of a much wider region covering the horn of Africa that has dried up due to the lack of precipitation.

In Mississippi,USA state officals approved the city of Jackson's request for $35.6 million of federal funds to repair a crumbling water system disrupted by flooding this summer that left 150,000 residents without water for days. A boiied water decree ligered before the flooding event after the city's drinking water tested unsafe to drink. EPA says it is now safe to drink, but is testing to see if there is too much copper and lead in the city's water to meet federal standards.

The federal funds will be matched by the state under an infrastructure repair program. The $71.3 will be spent on seven water and sewer projects, including repair of a raw sewage pump at the beleaguered O.B. Curtis water treatment plant. EPA is investigating whether the state discriminated against Jackson by refusing to fund water system improvements in a city that is 80% black and a quarter of its residents live in poverty

'Toontime: Beat the Clock

credit: A. Zyglis

Update:  The Wall Street Journal  reports that Cash Patel has agreed to testify to the federal grand jury in the Mar-a-Lago Papers case in return for immunity.This is a significant development since Patel, a former high national security official in Trump's regime, publicly claimed that Trump declassified the secret document stashed at his Florida compound.  Patel invoked the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination in his previous appearance before the grand jury.  No evidence of such claimed declassification has emerged during the months of investigation into the illegal retention of government documents, nor has any such allegation be made in court filings by the crime boss' legal team.

{11.02.2022} Because of feckless Washington careerists, Trumpillini's plan to delay his prosecution until his 2024 presidential campaign begins appears to be succeeding.  After his campaign begins he can shout "political persecution" until his voters drop their ballots,  Helped by the likes of minions Lindsey Graham, Rudi Guiliani , John Eastman, Clarence Thomas, Virginia Thomas, Eileen Cannon and others, Trump has litigated at every possible juncture. His mercenary army of lawyers paid for by endless and sometimes misleading fundraising.  He does not have to win every courtroom battle, but only hold the ball until the clock runs out.  He has had a lot of practice in this technique during his lifetime.

The Supremes handed him another setback this week, denying Lindsey Graham's appeal of the subpoena ordering him to testify in the Fulton County grand jury investigation of attempts to illegally influence the 2020 election outcome.  Lindsey allegedly wanted to "explore the possibility of more favorable outcome", possibly by throwing out some absentee ballots as invalid according to Georgia prosecutors.  Lindsey made at lease two phone calls  to Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff,   The deranged Trump was recorded asking Raffensperger to "find 11,870 votes".  

Lindsey was subpoenaed in July.The Supreme Court rejected Lindsey's argument that his meddling was protected by the Constitution's speech and debate clause this week  The conservative Court is still running interference for him because the Chief Justice temporarily blocked the appeals court order requiring Trumpillini to turn over his tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee.  Litigation over his returns has been going on since 2019 when that committee requested the IRS to turn over his tax returns as part of its probe into how the Service handles presidential audits.  Trump was the only recent president to refuse to make his returns public.

Fulton County DA Fani Willis is expanding her office's investigation into a wider probe of a, "multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere"--notably swing states where state legislators might have been swayed into submitted alternate slates of electors to Congress.  Communications from his campaign lawyers show they were counting on Justice Thomas to delay certification of Georgia's electors for Biden.

A federal district court judge ruled on Monday that former chief of staff Mark Meadows must testify before the January 6th Committee   The federal ruling comes just days after a South Carolina judge ruled that Meadows must also testify pursuant to the Fulton County grand jury's subpoena.  Meadows has been fighting the federal demand for testimony since receiving a subpoena at the end of last year,  He may appeal the case to insure more delay.  His tactics seem to have worked since Repugnants in the House have vowed to disband the Select Committee if they take control of the House in January.  Accountability you scream?  VOTE DEMOCRATIC before your democracy dies a tragic but avoidable death.