Update -- Of Course, In Chicago (25-cv-12173), The Press / Intervenors Must Still Be Allowed To See All The Body Cam Footage -- Despite The Suit's Resolution: Basic First Amendment Law.

The press parties have weighed in on USDC Judge Ellis' docket, to remind that these are the peoples' courts -- and Bovino's [and his officers'] body cam footage is presumptively a court filed document. And after a short period, it must be made available -- to a free press, for reporting and opinion commentary.

This is the clear teaching of [most recently] Courthouse News Serv. v. Planet, No. CV 11-08083 SJO (FFMx), 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105197. An earlier case holding much the same is Oregonian Publ’g Co. v. U.S. Dist. Ct., 920 F.2d 1462 (9th Cir. 1990).

I know that the able Judge Ellis will adhere to the law, but just in case -- the older but highly relevant Supremes' case on press access to court filings is. . . New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971). [This litigation forced the release of the so-called Pentagon Papers, during Nixon's era.]

Now you know. Onward, resolutely. Bovino can run -- but he cannot. . . hide. Grin. And if the public shames and shuns him -- and his goon squads, for their repugnant conduct -- all as captured on video cams they wore. . . so be it. That is the central function of a free press, in a free society -- like ours.

नमस्ते

Well... This Is Just SILLY. Noem / Bovino Lawyers Claim Future Lawless Acts May Never Be Complained About, Again -- In Chicago...

This is not just incompetent grand-standing, by the Noemite lawyers. This is an intentional attempt to mislead class members about the contours of the coming dismissal.

Shumate et al., here preposterously imply that if Bovino returns, and cracks skulls again in Little Village or Evanston, that these same people -- who protested this Summer and Fall in Chicagoland. . . will be prevented from suing for their ENTIRELY NEW injuries. That is obviously a false statement.

The claims from the prior period are gone -- but this is not a "hall pass" to come back and cock-up, again for Bovino. What a bunch of losers / dead enders these folks are:

. . .After months of litigation, and just weeks after securing a sweeping preliminary injunction and a 233-page opinion justifying it. . . Plaintiffs are seeking to throw in the towel. This is transparent procedural gamesmanship. To be sure, if Plaintiffs want to stop litigating and this Court grants their motion for dismissal with prejudice, that is beyond Defendants’ control. But this gambit should be seen for what it is. . . .

“A dismissal with prejudice is a ruling on the merits, because it carries with it a preclusive effect that prevents the plaintiffs from relitigating -- in any court, ever again -- [Ed. Note: this is true, under well-settled law, ONLY AS TO the specific acts of lawlessness by Bovino, et al., from the Mid-Spring of 2025 to November 18, 2025] any claim encompassed by the suit”; Phillips v. Shannon, 445 F.2d 460, 462 (7th Cir. 1971) (“A dismissal with prejudice is as conclusive of the rights of the parties as an adverse judgment after trial, being res judicata of all questions which might have been litigated in the suit[.]”) (internal quotations omitted).

This includes those members of the certified class who “will in the future non-violently demonstrate, protest, observe, document, or record at Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement and removal operations in the Northern District of Illinois. . . .”

Now you know -- sheesh. Don't fall for this. At bottom, the Noemite lawyers are just butt-sore that they been out maneuvered, at every important turn.

Yet significantly, in this way, any GOP/MAGA judges on the random three judge panel in the Seventh Circuit are foreclosed from making rulings that might hurt other pending lawsuits, and litigants, in other Circuits -- since Chicago activists have already peacefully run the Bovino "brute squad" out of town. [Fully 7/8^ths of the some 6,700 people Bovino arrested around Chicago have already been set free (without anything more than a nominal $1 bond!), due to Bovino's utter failure -- to secure the required Fourth Amendment judicial warrants -- and similar infirmities.] Onward!

नमस्ते

I'm "Shocked -- Shocked, I Tell You"... That An Anti-Masker / Anti-Vaxer Is Now The FIFTH Head (In Just 2025) Of FDA's CDER. Chaos Is The Whole Brand.

The sooner 2026 mid-terms arrive, in earnest -- the better. The utter lack of rigor in all these people, save Padzur. . . is maddening.

I am not surprised that Padzur, a great guy -- has decided he cannot continue in the likely-to-be-lethal farce under Prasad and Kennedy. He's retired, after 25 years in, at the agency (and less than a month as head of CDER), being essentially strong-armed into the job, after Tidmarsh resigned in disgrace.

Here's the latest on the revolving door at FDA's CDER, from Clinical Trials Arena:

. . .Høeg’s appointment to director of CDER follows a turbulent period for the department, which recently saw the retirement of former head, Richard Padzur. . . .

Høeg’s appointment closely follows the sudden retirement of longtime FDA employee and previous Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) director, Richard Padzur, who only took the helm at the division less than a month ago.

Padzur was originally encouraged to take charge of CDER by FDA Commissioner Marty Makary after previous leader, George Tidmarsh, resigned following an investigation into his personal conduct revealing “serious concerns”. . . .

During her short time at the agency, Høeg has voiced her scepticism towards the safety and value of Covid vaccines -- specifically focusing on mask mandates, as well as the approval of booster jabs for use in children.

Before her CDER appointment, Høeg was in the headlines for exactly this reason, as the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) leader, Vinay Prasad, claimed that research she headed had uncovered 10 children’s deaths [Ed. Note: falsely, it turns out] linked to Covid vaccines. . . .

This is complete. . . madness -- and (confidential note to MAGA!) even US-born children will die, in excess numbers, because of it. Mark my words.

नमस्ते

Martin Shkreli’s December 3, 2025: Short Call — REKT. Co's Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Candidate Looks Promising...

For a change, I now think / suspect he actually had a cash position on -- betting on a decline in CAPR stock.

He guessed wrong, on the clinical trial that the company was/is running -- preposterously thinking that he understood more organic chemistry -- in the form of cardiosphere-derived cells, or CDCs, which is an endogenous population of stromal cells derived from cells of healthy human hearts -- than the company's Johns Hopkins credentialed / Ph.D. leadership. Yep, he was wiped out -- as the the stock leapt over 370 percent today (see at right) -- on excellent interim trial results.

In a word, he looked. . . positively rekt.

And if you want to see him burping, incessantly -- in a bout of panicked indigestion, this morning -- here's that live stream, from his YouTube channel.

He still has a baby to feed -- and Christmas is almost here.

My best bet is that he is penniless -- again.

We shall see.

But people who follow him, based on his supposed bio-science / pharma-science chops. . . are uniformly. . . idiots.

Onward, and out [yep, this is power-alley stuff].

नमस्ते

Here On Wed. Night, The Able USDC Judge Waverly Crenshaw Has -- By Sealed Order -- Likely Now Made The Emails Of Some High Officers / Politicos Of ICE/DHS [Noem / Miller / Rubio / Hegseth(?)] Available To Mr. Hecker.

And thus, it is highly likely that the hearing for Monday morning, to Tuesday afternoon, of next week. . . will go forward.

And you may bet that these high officers were openly discussing punishing Mr. Abrego Garcia, for simply insisting on his rights. That will be a dismissal order, in due course. Of course, I'll be there first thing Monday, having caught somethin' smokin' -- as of Sunday evening, down to the Union. Here is all that is visible on the docket at the moment:

. . .SEALED ORDER as to Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia.

Signed by District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr on 12/3/2025. (Emailed to counsel of record.) (jm). . . .

Excellent -- now you know. And time to. . . shovel (again). Heh.

नमस्ते

More Now, On The Baikonur Mishap: This Is Out In A Very Remote Section Of Kazakhstan... ~700 Miles, To Truck In Very Heavy Replacement Parts [Likely From A... Museum?!] -- Or Rebuild, On Site(?)

Well, the good news is that Russia's launch tech is very well-vetted (or very. . . old, if you prefer -- with earlier item, here). It is being said by people with knowlege of the matter that the Gagarin Museum houses what may be a working version of the damaged equipment -- and, in any event that might be speedier than trying to rebuild, from scratch, off of perhaps 68 year old blueprints. . . in an area reachable only by semi trucks, over dirt roads, after a perhaps 700 mile drive. And that, after a long jet ride (for any newly-constructed assemblies).

The story will be very gratifying, here -- to Russian national pride, though -- if some of the now-ancient Yuri Gagarin first flight equipment is pressed back into service -- here, in the 21^st Century. Not so much a mishap story -- as a redemptive, and historical one. ["The old Soviet engineers built things. . . to last."]

We will have to wait -- and see. Here's the latest, from insiders:

. . .[A] drone flying around the launch complex showed Site 31/6’s mobile maintenance cabin lying upside down in the flame trench. . . .

The main issue with the structure collapse is that it puts Site 31/6 — the only Russian launch site capable of launching crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) — out of service until the structure is fixed. There are other Soyuz 2 rocket launch pads, but they are either located at an unsuitable latitude, like Plesetsk, or not certified for crewed flights, like Vostochny, or decommissioned and transferred to a museum, like Gagarin’s Start at Baikonur. . . .

When the rocket launched, a pressure difference was created between the space under the rocket, where gases from running engines are discharged, and the nook where the maintenance cabin was located. The resulting pressure difference pulled the service cabin out of the nook and threw it into the flame trench, where it fell upside down from a height of 20 meters.

Photos of the accident showed significant damage to the maintenance cabin, which, according to experts, is too extensive to allow for repairs. The only way to resume launches from Site 31/6 is to install a spare maintenance cabin or construct a new one. . . .

This is a significant set-back, and yet ironically, it may make Musk's rockets the newly primary way -- to get crewed missions to and from the ISS -- for perhaps the next 12 to 18 months. [Semi-serious Q.: is it possible that Musk paid some low level worker, at the site, to "let" this mishap occur? Only the equipment was damaged -- and it makes him a monopolist, for now. Hmm.] We shall see. Onward.

नमस्ते

Lilly's Smart Move -- To Drop Prices -- And Ramp Up Volumes, In The US Weight Loss Markets... Future Is Very Bright For The Indiana Drug-Maker.

To be clear, this has next to nothing to do with Lilly's "pen-form" dosings of a different formulation for diabetes / weight loss, one that will see list prices reduced NEXT YEAR (if ever) under a supposed Trump negotiated agreement.

No, this is a separate "make up on volume" what you drop in price VOLUNTARY marketing effort. And it will -- I am sure -- pay off handsomely for Lilly. [To be fair, if the pen form drops price in 2026 -- it too will likely make it all back, on US volumes.]

Disclosure: I have long held a substantial Lilly position, since it was $560 or so, and it is now over. . . $1,030. But this entry point is also a fine one, as many analysts have the 12 month target above $1,200.

I admit that I've long believed sensible eating -- along with vigorous exercise -- are the best means to control weight. But given that diabetes (much of it related to obesity, in truth) has become a very high burden US disease, this fleet of drugs is absolutely going to sell into the mid-$30 billion of dollars per year, in the coming years. And that will (sort of sadly) persist, into the 2040s. So hop this train while you still might make a killing, on even modestly-invested dollars. [The risk of losing it all is only a smidge higher than a US government default on its own bonds.] Here's the latest from CNBC.com:

. . .Starting Monday, cash-paying patients with a valid prescription can get the starting dose of Zepbound vials for as low as $299 per month on LillyDirect, down from a previous price of $349 per month. They can also access the next dose, 5 milligrams, for $399 per month and all other doses for $449 per month, down from $499 per month across those sizes.

Zepbound carries a list price of roughly $1,086 per month. That price point, and spotty insurance coverage for weight loss drugs in the U.S., have been significant barriers to access for some patients. . . .

Eli Lilly’s stock. . . has climbed more than 36% this year. . . . Its meteoric rise due to the success of Zepbound and its diabetes injection Mounjaro vaulted it to becoming the first health-care company to hit a $1 trillion market value last month. . . .

Onward, now you know -- Lilly once again played "rope-a-dope" on Tangerine. [Yes, this is my "power alley".] And it all comes, as large lazy flakes are wheeling down now, almost in slow motion, on the updrafts -- landing atop the foot of white stuff we already have down, here. Looks like the heavy metal shovel is in my future, once more, later this evening. Heh.

[Of course, as to all of the above, you should do your own due diligence. Out.]

नमस्ते

[U: See More Deets, In A Later Post!] Both Chris Williams And Jonny Kim Recently Hopped Soyuz Rockets To The ISS -- But It Looks Like The Baikonur Cosmodrome Facility Is Out Of Commission For A Few Months, Now...

UPDATED 12.03.2025 | Afternoon: Here's a lot more detail -- and graphical explainers -- about what all this might mean, in very remote Kazakhstan. End, updated portion.

Chris Williams and his fellow crew mates safely arrived at the ISS, last week -- but on liftoff, the Kazakhstan launch facility took some serious damage [it was plainly some ground level malfunction -- and likely, a fairly large. . . explosion, of some sort].

Here's the latest, with a NASA comment, at the end:

. . .While the Soyuz MS-28 crew on board the rocket, including cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev, as well as NASA astronaut Christopher Williams, safely made it to the International Space Station, the launch pad was heavily damaged in the process. Drone footage shows the platform’s mobile maintenance cabin lying upside down inside the flame trench, with experts telling NASASpaceflight that it could take months if not years to be repaired.

It’s a significant setback, because the damaged pad is Russia’s only certified launch site for crewed missions to space. . . .

“NASA is aware Roscosmos is inspecting Launch Pad 6 at Site 31 following launch of the Soyuz MS-28 on November 27 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan,” a NASA spokesperson told Futurism in a statement. “NASA coordinates closely with its international partners, including Roscosmos, for the safe operations of the International Space Station and its crew members. . . .”

For its part, the government head of Russia's space efforts says that nation is committed to supporting ISS flights through 2028. But that was before this significant cock-up. We shall see. Onward.

नमस्ते

Bovino's Shock Troops Have Left -- With Their Tails Between Their Legs -- From Chicagoland. Woot!

So it is, that when the people rise up, and peacefully assert their rights. . . the totalitarians. . . fold. [It is fascinating that in other federal litigation, Mr. Bovino was sternly chided by other judges, for a documented pattern of brutality and false testimony by federal agents -- and the man, himself -- USDC Judge Ellis herself explicitly reprimanded Bovino for being "evasive, uncredible and 'outright lying'". She stated that the government's own evidence often supported the plaintiffs' claims and undermined Bovino's often preposterous assertions. Charming work, there, Greg. Damn]

In any event, here is the latest filing in the Seventh Circuit, from my buddies -- and the meat of it:

. . .This case has involved extensive, time-consuming litigation in a compressed time period.

Recently, however, the situation that precipitated this litigation has changed in a material way. Specifically, the roughly 200-225 DHS agents led by Defendant Bovino are no longer operating in the Northern District of Illinois, and Plaintiffs’ counsel have not received any report of unconstitutional behavior that was the subject of this litigation since November 8, 2025.

In light of these developments, today the Plaintiffs -- the Class Representatives and the other individual named plaintiffs -- moved the district court to dismiss the case with prejudice. . . .

Defendants-Appellants consent to this motion to stay the pending appeal to give the district court the time required to dismiss the case with prejudice. Plaintiffs-Appellees have agreed that they will consent to a motion by Defendants-Appellants to dismiss this appeal and vacate the district court’s decision under Munsingwear.

Plaintiffs-Appellees respectfully request that the Court decide this motion before Friday December 5, 2025, given the impending briefing deadlines in this expedited appeal. . . .

Onward, grinning -- indeed when the mobsters leave town, the people sleep soundly. Onward, then, to Music City -- arriving this coming Sunday night, through Tuesday night. Then back to the frozen tundra. Heh.

नमस्ते

Update From Jinka, Ethiopia: 349 Contacts Being Monitored For The Dread Marburg Virus -- With No Approved Vaccine Yet.

We first mentioned this outbreak at mid-November 2025. This is the first known outbreak of the wildly-lethal Marburg (a distant cousin to Ebola), in Ethiopia.

And it does offer the opportunity to conduct a clinical trial in country, on a very promising vaccine candidate. It has shown both safety and some efficacy in non-controlled settings, thus far. But the top-line here is that up to 350 people were potentially exposed, through contact, with the index case, or the close contacts of the index case. So, it is an urgent public health matter.

Here's the latest, from CIRAP reporting, at the U. of Minn.:

. . .There are now 12 confirmed cases in the outbreak, which was first reported in mid-November and is occurring in the southern part of the country. Last week, the Ministry of Health said that 73 suspected case-patients have been tested so far, and 349 contacts were being monitored. Three patients have recovered, and one is still in treatment. . . .

This is Ethiopia's first outbreak of the severe and often deadly viral hemorrhagic fever, which is typically transmitted to people from fruit bats, can spread through contact with bodily fluids and contaminated materials, and is in the same family as Ebola. Nineteen outbreaks have previously been reported globally.

The case-fatality rate in previous outbreaks has ranged from 24% to 88%. Unlike with Ebola, there is no vaccine.

In a media briefing today, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said the WHO is providing testing supplies and protective equipment for health care workers and deploying experts to support local authorities. . . .

Now you know -- with sunshine now melting the additional inch that fell here, in the wee hours -- still over a foot on the ground, with more due by tomorrow night. Hilarious!

नमस्ते

Power Alley: Merck Now Smartly Financing The Coming Cidara Transaction Closing... With Various Debt Maturities.

We mentioned this ~$9.2 billion flu-therapy M&A move, just last month. Now Rahway will issue at least eight buckets of debt securities -- to keep the capital ratios in balance -- on its balance sheet, as it likely brings euro cash home over the next forty years, to repay these instruments. [That -- it turns out -- is a very smart way to bring home cash, without paying any "repatriation" level US federal taxes.]

Here is the red herring prospectus, for all of that. The debt deals will close in three elapsed days -- generating 8/9^ths of the cash proceeds needed to close with Cidara. Cool. Per Bloomberg, then -- subs. req. -- thus no link:

. . .Merck & Co Inc. raised $8 billion through a US investment-grade dollar bond offering, with part of the proceeds expected to help fund its proposed acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics Inc., according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The pharmaceutical company’s offering was split in eight parts, with maturities ranging from three to 40 years, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private details. The spread for the longest portion of the deal — a $1 billion note maturing in 2065 — tightened to 1 percentage point above Treasuries, from 1.2 percentage points initially, the people added. . . .

Sweet. But it is hardly private -- a final free writing 424(b) will be filed at the SEC -- for the world to see -- by tomorrow morning, no doubt. Onward.

नमस्ते

Hmmm. Will Mr. Abrego-Garcia's Hearing In Nashville Go Forward, Next Monday? Govt. Is Still... Stonewalling. May Get Pushed Back...

The Noemites attempted this same obstructionist BS, the last time I was to fly down for this now twice delayed evidentiary hearing in Nashville.

The government is refusing to provide discovery, despite an explicit order to do so -- and so, the hearing gets kicked, so that Mr. Hecker might be able to prepare for it. But remember -- USDC Judge Crenshaw has seen a lot -- some 3,000 pages. He may just release them in open court, and then cut Mr. Abrego loose -- dismissing this case.

In any event, Mr. Hecker cannot prepare for this hearing, without the government's documents -- and depos -- of its witnesses. We are once again, only one week away. We shall see, but here is the latest:

. . .Pursuant to the Court’s Order dated November 3, 2025, Defendant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia submits the following notice regarding witnesses and exhibits in advance of the forthcoming evidentiary hearing on his motion to dismiss for vindictive and selective prosecution, currently set for December 8 and 9, 2025. (See Dkt. 208 at 1). Given that the government’s motion to quash subpoenas issued by the defense remains pending, and the defense is awaiting the production of meaningful discovery, the defense is not currently in a position to identify witnesses or exhibits for the evidentiary hearing.

. . .On October 22, the government produced only two documents -- former Criminal Division Chief Ben Schrader’s resignation letter and the email attaching said letter -- to the defense in response to the Court’s October 3 order granting Mr. Abrego discovery on his motion to dismiss for vindictive and selective prosecution. (See Dkt. 140). Although docket entries appear to suggest that the government has provided the Court with more than 3,000 pages of documents for in camera review, Mr. Abrego has received no discovery from the government in response to the Court’s October 27 order granting Mr. Abrego’s motion to compel. . . .

As detailed in Mr. Abrego’s pre-hearing brief, (see Dkt. 195 at 1-3), because Mr. Abrego has established a presumption of vindictiveness, Mr. Abrego has no burden to present any evidence so long as the government has failed to rebut that presumption. See Bragan v. Poindexter, 249 F.3d 476, 482 (6th Cir. 2001) (“If the government fails to present evidence sufficient to rebut the presumption, the presumption stands and the court must find that the prosecutor acted vindictively.”); United States v. Zakhari, 85 F.4th 367, 379 (6th Cir. 2023) (“Once a reasonable likelihood is found, a presumption arises in defendant’s favor and the government must rebut it with objective, on-the-record explanations.” (internal quotation marks omitted)).

And though Mr. Abrego has no obligation to prove actual vindictiveness, the government continues to stonewall the defense’s efforts to obtain the necessary documents or call the very witnesses whose testimony would be necessary to do so. The government has stymied defense counsel’s ability to even assess whether it has properly collected and reviewed documents responsive to the Court’s orders granting Mr. Abrego discovery on this motion. (See Dkts. 228, 228-1). And the government continues to show that it is willing even to mislead the courts regarding the practicability of Mr. Abrego’s removal to the country of his choice, Costa Rica, to exact punishment against Mr. Abrego. . . .

Personally, I suspect the able USDC Judge Waverly Crenshaw is fed up. I suspect he will hold the hearings, and find for Mr. Abrego -- and perhaps even hold the US Attorney in contempt -- come end of day, next Tuesday. But we shall see.

नमस्ते

More Strong Solar Eruptions, As Of Last Evening...

This Solar Max Cycle -- Number 25 of the modern era (really since we have been closely observing them, with telescopes) -- has been particularly active.

This flare erupted at an oblique angle relative to Earth, so we are unlikely to see much cell-traffic disruption or aurorae, from it. We shall see -- but if it is to arrive, it will be sometime tonight, US time:

. . .NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare — seen as the bright flash — on Nov. 30, 2025.

This flare is classified as an X1.9 flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. . . .

The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in orange and yellow. . . .

Now you know. . . "she rises, in the night, like a red hot coal -- with a moan, through the trees. . . ." Actually -- that would be/is Mars. Grin.

नमस्ते

Update: Ms. McDonald Has Been Set Free, In NYC...

Well -- she is FINALLY free. USDC Judge Vargas in Manhattan is to be commended for acting very swiftly to end her lawless incarceration.

But she should never have been swept up, in the first place. She was attending her hearings, and progressing through the immigration court system in New York.

She would be well-advised to bring a multi-million dollar false arrest suit / malicious prosecution case, against Noem, et al., now.

Here's the final order closing her habeas case -- just entered this afternoon:

. . .CLERK'S JUDGMENT re:

[20] Opinion & Order. in favor of Shawnet Nickesha Mcdonald against Kristi Noem, LaDeon Francis, Pam Bondi.

It is hereby ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED:

That for the reasons stated in the Court's Opinion and Order dated November 26, 2025, the Petition is GRANTED; accordingly, the case is closed.

(Signed by Clerk of Court Tammi M Hellwig on 12/1/2025). . . .

Onward, resolutely. Onward.

नमस्ते

Look -- The MSM Says The Loud Part... Softly (Or, Not At All). Leaves Out Key Info, For US Citizen Travelers, Today. Yikes.

Ahem. By long-standing, undisputed federal statutes, my US Passport must be accepted at all US airports --as my valid travel ID.

There can be no "add-on" (a/k/a junk) fees assessed -- just because Tangerine wants everyone to get a "Real ID", and submit to his cronies' biometric monitoring.

I will never pay for a Real ID. Nor will I ever procure one.

I will keep my US Passport up to date, and will travel the globe with it -- long after Trump is gone from the world stage. I enourage others to do the same. So. . . why the rant?

Today, the WSJ.com and ABC.com (and others) are reporting that starting in February 2026, TSA at many US airports will attempt to charge an added $45 fee, for passengers without a Real ID -- those flying with "just" a State issued driver's license. What the stories omit. . . is that if you have a passport, the TSA must accept that as evidence of identity for all domestic (and international) travel. Damn -- e.g., see here:

. . .Travelers going through airport security checkpoints without a REAL ID or passport will face a $45 fee starting Feb. 1, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday.

This fee is part of the agency’s next phase of the REAL ID implementation process and will require individuals to verify their identity through a biometric or biographic system if they don’t have a compliant form of identification before they’re permitted to cross through the checkpoint.

The announcement follows a proposed rule published in the Federal Register last month, but the agency increased the fee from its previously proposed amount of $18. . . .

Stand on -- and insist on -- your rights. Your passport grants you all the privileges you need. Do not pay added (junk) fees. Especially not to. . . Trump and Musk (who clearly each want to collect and monetize the data streams from Real IDs). Onward.

नमस्ते

No Chance Trump's Attempt To Deploy Texas National Guard In Illinois Will Stand...

Welp. We've long said Trumpians / Noemites lack authority to roll the National Guard into states and cities, univited. That will be what the Supremes ultimately hold. And this letter (from Kwame Raoul, for Illinois) -- answering a Supremes' request for supplemental letter briefs -- nails it.

Here's that supplemental letter, to the Supremes -- and a bit:

. . .Respondents [the State of Illinois has] demonstrated that every metric typically considered in statutory interpretation cases shows that “the regular forces” means the professional military. Resp. Supp. 3-7. This includes dictionary definitions from the time section 12406(3) was enacted, contemporaneous decisions of this Court, and examples of Congress’s other usages of “regular” and “forces” in Title 10 and elsewhere in the United States Code. Id. [Trumpian / Noemite] applicants make no meaningful argument to the contrary: they address none of these sources and, in fact, concede that “‘regular forces’ may in other situations refer to the standing military.” Appl. Supp. 3. Applicants nevertheless assert that an idiosyncratic interpretation of “the regular forces” is warranted because of the term’s “function” in section 12406(3), and because that “function” purportedly is confirmed by the overall “structure of Section 12406.” Id. at 3-4. Applicants are incorrect.

. . .First, applicants argue that it would be “unnatural” to construe “the regular forces” to refer to the military because “the standing military does not regularly execute the laws” given the prohibitions in the Posse Comitatus Act. Appl. Supp. 3 (cleaned up). But interpreting “the regular forces” to mean the professional military is fully consistent with that Act. As applicants recognize, certain federal statutes, including the Insurrection Act, create exceptions to the Posse Comitatus Act and thus authorize the President to use the military to enforce federal law in limited circumstances. Id.; see also Resp. Supp. 13; Cal. & Or. Br. 6-8. To be sure, the requirements for invoking the Insurrection Act are demanding, Resp. Supp. 12-13, but this is unsurprising given the “traditional and strong resistance of Americans to any military intrusion into civilian affairs,” Laird v. Tatum, 408 U.S. 1, 15 (1972).

Regardless, the Posse Comitatus Act’s prohibition on using the military to execute federal law is not categorical, Cal. & Or. Br. 7-8, with the result that interpreting “the regular forces” consistently with the ordinary meaning of that term would not bring section 12406(3) into conflict with that Act.

By contrast, accepting applicants’ interpretation would create a conflict between section 12406(3) and section 12405. Section 12405 provides that National Guard members “called into Federal service” are “subject to the laws and regulations governing the Army [and] Air Force . . . except those applicable only to members of the Regular Army or Regular Air Force.” 10 U.S.C. § 12405. The laws governing the Army and Air Force include the Posse Comitatus Act, which applies not only to the Regular Army and Air Force but also to “any part” of those branches. 18 U.S.C. § 1385. And those branches include any federalized members of the Army and Air National Guards. 10 U.S.C. §§ 10106, 10112. In other words, notwithstanding the fact that the federalized Guard is treated as the military for purposes of the Posse Comitatus Act, applicants’ interpretation would introduce a disparity between them by allowing Guard members to execute federal law in circumstances where their fulltime counterparts would be unable.

. . .[The Trumpians / Noemites] also mention the President’s Article II authority. Appl. Supp. 3, 11. But any reliance on Article II would be misplaced because, among other reasons, the President did not rely on Article II to federalize and deploy the National Guard in Illinois, Doc. 62-1, and, in any event, the Constitution commits the power to provide for calling forth the militia to Congress, which has specified the circumstances in which the militia may be called forth into federal service. . . .

In the end, applicants’ discussion of the text reduces to a policy argument, which has no place when resolving questions of statutory interpretation. United States ex rel. Schutte v. SuperValu Inc., 598 U.S. 739, 757-758 (2023); accord SAS Inst., Inc. v. Iancu, 584 U.S. 357, 368 (2018). . . .

Now you know. And when Trump gets bounced by the Supremes. . . remember that you saw it here, predicted, first. Smile.

नमस्ते

Habba — Hauled Off… Hilarious!

So much for the [former] parking garage lawyer, and Tangerine 2.0 loyalist, out of New Jersey.

She's toast, as a non-appointed US Attorney, there. Here is that entirely unsurprising outcome, per the NYT:

. . .A federal appeals court said on Monday that Alina Habba had been serving unlawfully as the U.S. attorney in New Jersey, dealing a blow to the Trump administration and most likely setting up a showdown at the Supreme Court.

Ms. Habba is one of a number of U.S. attorneys whom the Trump administration has sought to keep in power through a series of unusual maneuvers even though she was neither confirmed by the Senate nor appointed by district trial court judges -- the two traditional pathways. Defendants in New Jersey had challenged her authority as U.S. attorney, leading to Monday’s decision.

In its ruling, the three-judge panel, based in Philadelphia, affirmed an earlier ruling by a Federal District Court judge. The court said that the government’s tactics had violated the law as written and concluded that, overall, the Trump administration appeared to have become frustrated by legal and political barriers to placing its favored U.S. attorneys in charge. . . .

The ship. . . is now. . . righting itself. Onward.

नमस्ते

Good Bioscience / Vaccine News: The 2025 DRC Ebola Flare-Up Is... At An End!

The dying might have stopped at fewer than five [all in there were 10X that many, this time -- at least 45 fatalities] -- in this sixteenth outbreak, had USAID not been sidelined by Musk and Trump. But this is good news, just the same: the 2025 Ebola outbreak in DRC has been arrested. Ended. Put down -- with real bioscience (are you paying attention, RFK, Jr.?!).

Here is the WHO press release -- overnight, in Africa -- and a bit:

. . .Kinshasa — The Democratic Republic of the Congo today declared the end of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Kasai Province, after no new cases were reported in the past 42 days since the last patient was discharged from treatment centre on 19 October 2025.

“On behalf of the government — and taking into account all the scientific and operational indicators confirming that the chain of transmission of the virus has been broken — I hereby officially declare the end of the 16th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” said Dr Samuel Roger Kamba, Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare.

The rapid and coordinated response by the Ministry of Health, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, was pivotal in halting the spread of the virus which affected Bulape Health Zone, a rural community with limited road and telecommunication infrastructure. In total, 64 cases (53 confirmed, 11 probable) and 45 deaths were recorded in the outbreak.

A total of 112 WHO experts and frontline responders were deployed to support the national authorities to swiftly scale up and sustain the response, and over 150 tonnes of medical supplies and equipment were delivered to protect health workers and communities. . . .

To protect communities and health workers, more than 47,500 people were vaccinated against Ebola, with vaccination initially targeting contacts of people confirmed with the virus and later expanded to communities in and around Bulape. . . .

Onward, into Monday's sunshine -- smiling, at what comes in just seven days, in Music City.

नमस्ते

What It Looks Like -- When A Mob Family "Captures" 1600 Penn [Again] -- Per The Guardian (UK).

It simply cannot be over-stated. Trump, his paid-for bride and his failsons (and in-laws) are selling America to the highest bidder -- and are pocketing graft, all along the way.

Likely now, into the high single digits of billions, for the family's personal coffers. Here's that all too UN-surprising story, from the Brits, at The Guardian:

. . .A crusading prosecutor in the Balkans comes under pressure to drop a big case. Vietnamese villagers learn they are to be evicted. A convicted crypto kingpin in the Gulf receives a pardon.

All have one thing in common: they appear to be connected to the Trump family’s campaign to amass riches around the world. Since Donald Trump’s re-election a year ago, warnings that his use of presidential power to advance personal interests is corroding American democracy have grown ever louder. What is less understood -- and perhaps even more dangerous -- is the damage this is doing everywhere else.

Trump’s eldest sons, Don Jr and Eric, formally the custodians of the family business, are conducting a global dealmaking blitz. They have broken ground on new golf courses, received permission for new skyscrapers, rented out the Trump brand, and in cryptocurrency they have embraced a venture with the capacity to bring in more than everything that has gone before. . . .

Kristofer Harrison, a senior foreign policy official under President George W. Bush -- who now runs an anti-corruption organisation called the Dekleptocracy Project -- is among those accusing the Trumps of operating a “pay to play” system that benefits those who do business with the president’s family. Such an approach could be manipulated, he said, especially by rival powers such as China. He said: “Trump has made authoritarians’ wildest dreams come true. . . .”

To anyone with a working fore-brain, the conflicts of interest -- and thus, the resulting payoffs/bribes are. . . obvious. But thus far, no court of law has found that the Trump Family^™ is a. . . criminal enterprise. We all already know it is. Damn.

नमस्ते

The Able USDC Judge Vargas In Manhattan Has Entered A Sunday Order: Noemites To Report By 5 PM Eastern, Tomorrow -- On Ms. McDonald's Freedom.

As we reported yesterday, Kristi Noem failed to comply with a federal court immediate release order, under a "great writ" petition -- i.e., a habeas corpus petition.

There will be fireworks, if tomorrow's "Noem Report" doesn't include proof of Ms. McDonald's return to NYC, and release without conditions. Here's the latest text-only order:

. . .ORDER

Respondents shall file an additional status letter no later than December 1, 2025, at 5pm certifying compliance with the Court's order regarding Petitioner's transport to the District and release from custody.

(HEREBY ORDERED by Judge Jeannette A. Vargas) (Text Only Order) (Vargas, Jeannette). . . .

Now you know. Onward, resolutely, after '25 gingerbread house construction sessions. Smile.

नमस्ते