Updated Schedule, On Mr. Khalil's NJ Habeas Case -- Noem Is NOT Allowed To Move To Remove Him.

Mr. Khalil remains free -- but even after appeals that did not break her way, Kristi Noem is still trying to find an immigration court "judge" (i.e., not an Article III independent judicial officer -- just an administration employee) to declare that he may be removed from the US, despite papers preventing the same.

Here's the latest, after the Third Cir. opinion -- on what's due up, next in the real US District Courts:

. . .Immigration Proceedings:

Following the Third Circuit’s January 15 panel decision, the BIA issued a notice stating that a briefing schedule would be set “forthwith.” 1 Ex. B. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Khalil filed a notice requesting that the BIA defer setting a briefing schedule until January 20 to allow the parties an opportunity to meet and confer. Ex. C. On January 16, the BIA issued two briefing schedules. The first ordered sequential briefing, allotting twenty-one days for Mr. Khalil’s opening brief and twenty-one days for the government’s opposition. Ex. D. Later that day, the BIA issued a second revised schedule requiring simultaneous briefing by both parties -- due within twenty-one days of the Third Circuit’s panel decision -- by February 6, 2026. Ex. E. 2. The parties then conferred and filed a joint motion seeking a revised briefing schedule consistent with their agreement before this Court at the November 14, 2025, conference. Ex. F; see ECF 413, Tr. 4:1-5:3. On January 31, 2026, the BIA granted the joint motion and issued a third revised briefing schedule. Ex. G. Under the current BIA schedule, Petitioner’s opening brief is due March 2, 2026, and the government’s opposition brief is due March 23, 2026. . . .

Shared Understanding Of The Status Quo Following The Third Circuit Panel Decision:

Petitioner intends to file a petition seeking rehearing or rehearing en banc of the Third Circuit panel decision. See Khalil v. Trump, 3d Cir. No. 25-2162, ECF 135. The parties share the understanding that the district court’s existing orders -- including the bail order prohibiting detention (ECF No. 316), the preliminary injunction orders (ECF Nos. 214, 272, 299, 355), and the All Writs Act order staying removal (ECF No. 81) -- remain in effect, including during the pendency of en banc proceedings, unless and until the Third Circuit mandate issues. The government has further confirmed its understanding that these district court orders remain in effect unless and until the Third Circuit mandate issues, even if the BIA were to issue a final order of removal.

Dated: February 4, 2026. . . .

Now you know -- and we do feel for Lindsey Vonn -- at 41, that was probably her last shot at it. But she went out, doing what she loves to do. We will keep a good thought that she will be up on two legs, and healthy -- in about a year.

नमस्ते

Power Alley: More FDA Good News, In Certain Lymphomas, For Kite/Gilead's Yescarta®...

This is more very good news -- for a public company I've long felt is and was very well run.

The ability to simply get full coverage from insurers, for very sick lymphoma patients, without weeks or months of haggling about off-label benefits, is worth its weight in gold, to Gilead and its Kite Pharma unit. Trust that. Here's the latest, from Friday -- [with earnings due next week]:

. . .Gilead’s Kite unit announced on Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a label update for its CAR-T therapy Yescarta, removing a limitation that prevented its use in a subset of patients with a rare form of lymphoma.

The revised prescribing information removes Yescarta’s previously limited use in patients with relapsed or refractory ((R/R)) primary central nervous system lymphoma, a rare type of lymphoma that mainly affects the brain and spinal cord. . . .

Now you know -- and my favorite exotic chocolates tasting season is upon us. . . starting Monday, I will frequent the best bespoke chocolatiers of this fine city, and bring home nightly treasures -- to try, with hot coffee or ice-cold milk. Grin!

नमस्ते

Well -- It's Probably Time For NASA To Officially Declare The Mars MAVEN Mission... At End Of Life.

I think the time -- for reconnecting -- has come. . . and gone.

I am not happy about it, but the craft served admirably, for well over a decade.

If it is in fact tumbling erratically, its solar panels have been unable to completely charge the spacecraft's batteries.

That state of affairs has been true -- since about December 6, 2025.

Two months of drain on the batteries is probably beyond its ability to recover and send a signal home, by radio. Thus -- "travel well, but travel light, oh Maven."

Onward, resolutely.

नमस्ते

Tangent | Denouement: Just As We Said -- The Able USDC Judge Chen Has Ruled Martin Shkreli's Latest Claims "Non-Suited". Heh.

Just four elapsed days later -- Mr. Shkreli's supposed "counter-claims" against various Wu- parties. . . are DOA. In Brooklyn, USDC Judge Chen has saved PleasrDAO the wasted time of responding to them.

Just as we said. Under the federal rules of civil procedure, one cannot bring "counterclaims" against non-parties. Here's that -- Martin is utterly. . . out of runway:

. . .ORDER:

The Court is in receipt of Defendant Shkreli's [63] Answer. The Court notes that Shkreli raises purported "counterclaims" against Robert "RZA" Diggs and Tarik "Cilvaringz" Azzougarh. However, counterclaims can only be asserted against an opposing party -- here, the only one is PleasrDao. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 13(a)–(b).

Furthermore, to the extent Shkreli intended to assert cross-claims, those can only made as to co-defendants, of which there are none here. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 13(g) ("A pleading may state as a crossclaim any claim by one party against a coparty. . . .").

Ordered by Judge Pamela K. Chen on 2/6/2026. . . .

I predict Martin will never take the time and money to file an entirely new suit against the Wu parties. He knows it is a loser, no matter what.

He transferred all he ever had and all he ever will have, under that old purchase agreement to the US Marshals when he failed to pay his felony post-conviction fines and restitution amounts.

It is gone -- as a matter of black letter law, Martin.

O U T.

नमस्ते

USDC Judge Rules Trump Cannot Withhold Hudson Tunnel Project Funds -- To Force It To Be RE-Named For... HIM. Damn.

Welp -- this is the caliber of leader those MAGA-nuts lick up after.

Trump tried to stop the project, unless Sen. Schumer (D., NY) and others would vote to rename the tunnel as the Trump Tunnel.

What a useless, vain -- full of crap loser he is.

Here's the latest from InnerCityPress, who was in the well, when it happened, this evening:

. . .On the day that Federal funding of the Hudson Tunnel was to end, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jeannette A. Vargas heard arguments for a Temporary Restraining Order continuing funding - and granted it. . . .

This is -- without doubt -- the worst ever occupant of 1600 Penn. Ever. Yikes.

नमस्ते

Crew-12 To ISS No Earlier Than Next Wed... Do Stay Tuned...

Here's the latest, from NASA:

. . .NASA will stream live coverage of the upcoming prelaunch, launch, and docking activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station.

Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than 6:01 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The targeted docking time is approximately 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 12.

Watch agency launch coverage on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Individual events on YouTube will have their own stream closer to their start time. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media. . . .

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, to the orbiting laboratory for a science mission. This is NASA’s 12th crew rotation mission and the 13th human spaceflight mission to the space station supported by the Dragon spacecraft since 2020, as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. . . .

Onward grinning -- with baby girls here, tonight. . . heh!

नमस्ते

Oh... "Marsha, Marsha... Marsha!" See, How This Works Is... If You're Nominated -- You Attend The Ceremony. Damn.

To be clear, KBJ was at the Grammys primarily because. . . her spoken word recording was. . . yep, nominated.

It would be positively rude NOT to attend, if by chance she had ended up winning. [She did not win -- but was there for the fine music.] But 'twas a fun night, just the same.

Now . . the "MAGA Eva Braun" of Tennessee (who happens to be an early candidate to be that state's Governor) wants a Supreme Court Justice investigated -- for attending an awards ceremony. That notion is self-deflating. Amendment No. One.

This was not a Proud Boys- or KKK-rally, or even a Federalist Society fund-raising dinner (which Alito, Thomas and before them, Scalia had all attended). [The Federalist Socitey is an overtly political, and largely far-right. . . organization.]

This is a music industry / business / artistic academy. The notion that most great artists skew liberal. . . should be shocking to no one with a working forebrain. And that some of them would offer Amendment No. One views (as Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish did) is. . . deeply AMERICAN. Take a seat, old Marsha:

. . .“While it is by no means unheard of or unusual for a Supreme Court justice to attend a public function, very rarely -- if ever -- have justices of our nation’s highest Court been present at an event at which attendees have amplified such far-left rhetoric,” Blackburn (R-Tenn.) wrote in a Thursday letter to Roberts. . . .

She wrote on X: "Instead of taking the time to learn what a woman is, Ketanji Brown Jackson was at the Grammy’s [sic] [Ed. Note: I've replaced a lie (redacted), instead offering the more accurate word -- it would be. . . "hearing"] anti-ICE rhetoric. How can Americans trust her to be impartial on the highest court in the land?. . . ."

The idea that a Harvard educated, preeminent lawyer and deeply experienced jurist would be. . . unduly tainted. . . by hearing. . . musicians' thoughts. . . is facially. . . preposterous.

Clearly the wheels are comin' off -- and these MAGAts are getting positively. . . desperate. How will she earn a living -- after November 2026? That is all Marsha is focusing on. Becoming a Faux talking head. Yikes. Malignantly. . . idiotic. Out.

नमस्ते

Two New Orders Against The Noemites, In Long Running Asylee-Class Action -- Before USDC Judge Dana Sabraw In San Diego...

In the first order, after hearings, the able USDC Judge has ruled that the Noemites / Miller-istas cannot lawfully impose a $500 fee on class members who've won the right to remain in the US under the class settlement. [A provision of the (odious) "Big Beautiful Bill" signed last year purported to nullify prior class action settlement orders. That it cannot do.]

The second order is more sweeping -- and requires the Miller-istas to provide more information about both people in custody at present, and those already wrongfully removed, where the government had reason to know the people were protected by the 2018 Ms. L. class settlement orders. Here's a bit of that one:

. . .Defendants do not dispute any of these facts. They simply state “[t]here are no records of ERO removal for these individuals.” (Decl. of Byoung C. Park in Supp. of Defs.’ Resp. to Mots. ¶ 4, ECF 919-1.)

Given the evidence set out above and the corroborating evidence set out in S.M.B.C.’s Supplemental Declaration, (see Supp. Decl. of S.M.B.C. in Supp. of Reply, ECF 920-1), Plaintiffs have shown S.M.B.C. and her family did not voluntarily depart the United States. Rather, the evidence reflects they were removed despite having been granted parole and in violation of this Court’s June 27, 2025 order staying the removal of Class Members and QAFMs. Accordingly, Defendants must return S.M.B.C. and her children to the United States. . . .

[T]he undisputed circumstances are as follows: ICE officers instructed three mothers to bring their children to their check-in appointments. One of those mothers was a Ms. L. Class Member. One was a QAFM. Each of them had been granted parole through 2027, and each of them had at least one child who was a U.S. citizen. One of those mothers had been forcibly separated from her daughter in 2018 pursuant to the first Trump Administration’s family separation policy. The third mother was not a Class Member or a QAFM, but one of her children was a Class Member due to his separation from his father in 2018. At their respective check-in appointments, ICE officers told the mothers they had deportation or removal orders for each of them despite two of them having parole status. The officers also told the mothers to bring their passports and their childrens’ passports to their appointments. With the mothers, children, and passports in hand, the officers then transported these families to a hotel or motel, and later boarded them onto an aircraft and removed them from the United States.

Given these circumstances, and in particular, the Class Member or QAFM status of the family members, the parole status of two of the family members, and that the removal of one family occurred after this Court ordered a stay of removals of Class Members and QAFMs, the Court finds Defendants should bear the expense of returning these family units to the United States. Each of the removals was unlawful, and absent the removals, these families would still be in the United States and have access to the benefits and resources they are entitled to under the Settlement Agreement. Although the Settlement Agreement does not prohibit Defendants from enforcing the laws of the United States, the removals at issue here clearly violated the spirit of the Agreement, which was to effect and support reunification in the United States of families that had been separated pursuant to the family separation policy.

Defendants’ decision to remove these families rendered the benefits of the Settlement Agreement illusory for these families, and the manner in which each of these removals was affected, in addition to being unlawful, involved lies, deception, and coercion. For these reasons, and to enforce the terms of the Settlement Agreement as to these families, (see Settlement Agreement § VII.D), Defendants shall bear the cost of returning these family units to the United States. . . .

The level of intentional thwarting of federal court orders (and lying in court under oath about it!) -- day in, and day out -- by the Noemites. . . is appalling. Time to run the lot of them out of office, methinks -- and in 2028, obtain federal indictments, and prosecute the lot of them.

Actually, several states are moving right now through their legislatures (in Colorado, California, Illinois, New York and Minnesota) to enact state level laws that would allow for charging federal agents with state level felonies for violating the Constitutional rights of people they detain. This would obviously allow for separate jailings, under state law -- and could easily begin even later this year, once the local legislative packages pass. ICE would be wise to stay out of those states, entirely.

Onward, resolutely. Get ready to play hard-ball -- and break some noses.

नमस्ते

TrumpRx.gov: A Second "Launch" -- And Yet Another Flop, With Website Code "Appropriated" From GoodRx.com?! Yikes.

The level of incompetence and misunderstanding of the US prescription drug marketplace (by Trump minions) is. . . well, staggering. And so, they apparently just plagarized a commercial US pharma-pricing aggregator website's code -- and called it "revolutionary". It is nothing of the sort.

To be clear -- I don't agree with even most of what the CATO Institute regularly puts out, but the authors are right about this incompetent government abomination. All it will do. . . is drive up what people without insurance in the US must pay:

. . .This evening. . . President Trump announced the launch of TrumpRx, the government-run direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug purchasing platform. Essentially, TrumpRx will act less as a pharmacy and more as a portal directing patients to manufacturers’ cash-price sales platforms negotiated by the administration. . . .

The problem isn’t the DTC model. It’s the assumption that the federal government needs to run it. A growing private marketplace already exists, including platforms such as Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Company, Amazon Pharmacy, and GoodRx, as well as pharmaceutical manufacturers that sell directly to patients through their own websites. . . .

Injecting government into this space risks crowding out private innovation and inviting the familiar problems of political favoritism, coercion, and regulatory corruption. Some lawmakers are raising concerns about conflicts of interest, transparency, and whether the platform’s structure could violate federal anti-kickback rules -- especially given its reliance on partnerships with drugmakers and its connections to existing online pharmacy and telehealth fulfillment channels. . . .

Now you know -- and how is it, exactly -- that the federal government has been "gifted" the GoodRx.com source code for this supposedly ".gov" website? How, indeed -- Mr. Trump?!

नमस्ते

This Is Black Letter Federal Free Speech Law (Ex-Military Edition)...

Yep. Senators have free speech rights -- not abridged by long prior -- and distinguished -- service in the armed forces. Full stop. [Just ask Byron "Whizzer" White. Ooops -- sorry. You can't. He's long dead, and gone from the Supremes.]

The able USDC Judge Leon (sitting on appeal) is clearly. . . correct:

. . .U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said on Tuesday “that he knows of no U.S. Supreme Court precedent to justify the Pentagon’s censuring of a sitting U.S. senator who joined a videotaped plea for troops to resist unlawful orders from the Trump administration,” according to the Associated Press.

Leon is considering Sen. Mark Kelly’s claim “that Pentagon officials violated his First Amendment free speech rights.”

During Tuesday’s hearing, a government attorney “argued that Congress decided that retired military service members are subject to the same Uniform Code of Military Justice that applies to active-duty troops,” while Kelly’s lawyers said that “they aren’t aware of any ruling to support the notion that military retirees have ‘diminished speech rights. . . .'”

Now you know -- indeed. Veterans, perhaps more than any regular citizen -- should enjoy the right to seek redress of grievances, against future administrations, after serving with distinction.

नमस्ते

As NPR Indicates, The Abrego Matter Is NOT A "One-Off" -- It Is Increasingly An "S.O.P." -- By Miller, Noemites & Tangerine... Damn.

The precedents being set -- by Mr. Abrego Garcia's cases -- will be very useful, in the future, for us pro bono lawyers -- to be certain.

That said -- it is deplorable that TrumpWorld continues (and accelerates) its pattern lawlessness. Here's the latest, from National Public Radio, reporting:

. . ."We really thought this was going to be one of a kind," said Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of Abrego Garcia's lawyers. "If anything, it was just the tip of the spear. There have been countless illegal deportation cases since then. If anything, the problem is getting worse and not better. . . ."

Sandoval-Moshenberg said he alone has a dozen other plaintiffs like Abrego Garcia. It's impossible to quantify how many such mistaken deportations are happening — as only a small subset of immigrants have lawyers to argue for their return. But judges have stepped in with other cases.

For example, last April — the same month a Maryland judge told the government to bring Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. — another judge in the state asked for the return of Daniel Lozano-Camargo, a 20-year-old Venezuelan man, identified in court documents as "Cristian". . . .

And in July, a New York appeals panel ordered immigration officials to return Jordin Melgar-Salmeron, a 31-year-old Salvadoran.

All three were held at a notorious prison in El Salvador that has since been described by detainees as unsanitary and violent. Judges said that these removals violated court orders. . . .

This is what Kristi Noem and Tangerine 2.0 are doing. . . in your name. Damn.

नमस्ते

So The Rumbling Continues -- On The Islands In The Nearby Indian Ocean, Off To The East Of The African Continent...

This, as my graphic suggests. . . is exactly how an epidemic gets out of hand. It starts as an outbreak. . . but life (as ever) finds a way. . . to cross borders, and sail waters.

Then, eventually, without proactive highly effective vaccinations / interventions. . . whole chains of islands are. . . afflicted. Here's the latest, from ReliefWeb, quoting UNICEF:

. . .The Government of the Union of the Comoros declared an mpox outbreak on 23 January 2026, with seven confirmed cases reported to date, including two locally transmitted cases. No deaths have been reported, with four patients recovered and three currently under care in designated treatment facilities.

Cross-border transmission risk remains high, linked to population movements with Madagascar and Mayotte, where mpox cases have also been reported.

National response activated, including enhanced surveillance at points of entry, contact tracing, and local PCR diagnostic capacity.

UNICEF is supporting the Government-led response, focusing on risk communication and community engagement, community-based surveillance and strengthening infection prevention and control across health facilities. . . .

These epidemics -- all preventable -- will be the enduring legacy of Trump's wrong-headed cuts to USAID. Damn.

नमस्ते

The GOP Just Found Out That Gerrymandering For Partisan Advantage Will LOSE Them Seats... Hilarious!

Look -- in a perfect world. . . none of this would take place. People would vote in groups naturally formed by communities. . . of very long standing. [This is no perfect world, any longer.]

And so, in the time of Tangerine 2.0, where Texas and Florida and other red states try to (and in a few cases, have succeeded in) diluting low-income, and brown and Black and Democratic voting blocs, this will become an ongoing jousting match.

But it is "jousting" the GOP is destined to lose, on a nationwide basis -- where it matters most -- in national elections for the House and Senate (and obviously, 1600 Penn.).

That is so, because there are simply far more lower income, brown and Black and Democratic men and women voters nationwide than there are rich, whyte land-owning GOP voters [millions upon millions of them -- regardless of papers v. no papers].

So, if MAGA/Texas is able to pick up one seat, for the GOP, by torturing its electoral maps (as Justice Alito himself opined in December 2025), California may effortlessly pick up. . . FIVE, for the Democratic Party. There are so many more Democrats in California, Illinois, Colorado, New York, and Wisconsin -- to draw from. Stupid GOP. Here's the latest order, and below it -- a bit from Amy Howe at SCOTUSBlog, this afternoon:

. . .WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2026 | ORDER IN PENDING CASE
25-A-839 | TANGIPA, DAVID, ET AL. V. NEWSOM, GOV. OF CA, ET AL.

The application for writ of injunction pending appeal presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court is denied. . . .

[Amy Howe:] The [GOP] challengers came to the Supreme Court on Jan. 20, asking the justices to step in. They argued that the state’s goal all along had been “offsetting a perceived racial gerrymander in Texas.” Moreover, they added, the lower court should have given more weight to the testimony by the private consultant, Paul Mitchell, who drew the new map – and who “boasted publicly and on social media,” they said, that the new map “would maintain, if not expand, Latino voting power in California.” They asked the court to act by Feb. 9, when the window for congressional candidates to file paperwork declaring their candidacies opens in California.

The state countered that the lower court considered statements by the private consultant and state legislators, but it had nonetheless concluded that the new map was not racially motivated. More broadly, it contended, the [GOP] challengers were “asking the Court to treat California’s map differently from how it treated Texas’s map, thereby allowing a Republican-led State to engage in partisan gerrymandering while forbidding a Democratic-led State from responding in kind. . . .”

Ah. . . Thank you, Justice Alito -- "what's good for the goose -- is good for the gander, too". Lovely -- and being decades in Chicago, we well know you cannot afford to bring a knife -- to a gun fight. That's the Chicago way.

I don't love it -- but I do respect it. Play hard ball -- and break some noses.

नमस्ते

My Guess? It Will Be Much Later Than Just End Of March 2026...

As more hard news trickles out, from yesterday's tanking efforts -- it sure looks a lot like the same issue that plagued earlier -- albeit uncrewed, count-downs.

With the prospect of a crew above the tail service mast umbilical -- the fix will have to be 100% tripple vetted, and tested and retested. I'm thinking June at the earliest -- or maybe July 4 weekend? [We all know that Tangerine will want something for the 250^th.] Here's the NASA Artemis blog update:

. . .The Artemis II wet dress rehearsal countdown was terminated at the T-5:15 minute mark due to a liquid hydrogen leak at the interface of the tail service mast umbilical, which had experienced high concentrations of liquid hydrogen earlier in the countdown, as well.

The launch control team is working to ensure the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket is in a safe configuration and begin draining its tanks. . . .

Onward -- safety as ever. . . first.

नमस्ते

Tangent: Well -- This Is... SILLY. One Cannot Sue People NOT Involved In a Federal Suit Via A "Counterclaim."

The able USDC Judge Chen in Brooklyn already ruled that the various members of the Wu- collective -- ones Mr. Shkreli has tried to mire in this -- his thefts -- are utterly. . . unavailing. That is the law of the case.

He was denied the right to add them as "necessary parties" last month. They are not necessary -- in fact, they are complete strangers to the USDC order of forfeiture, under which PleasrDAO paid for, and took -- all that Martin ever had -- in any form, as to the Shaolin materials.

But in Quixotic fashion overnight, Martin Shkreli has filed what he calls a counterclaim -- but he actually purports to sue new parties. In sum, various members of the Wu-. [That, to belabor the obvious, he cannot do, under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. In order to do it, he must file and serve an entirely new suit -- directly against the Wu- members. That he WILL NOT do. Thus, this is just a[nother] smoke screen.]

He alleges the Wu- members had no right to sell "his" interests. . . in this work.

That is preposterous, on its face.

He lost everything he ever had, here -- upon his conviction. When he could not pay the then ~$10 million he owed (now ballooned by other judgments to over ~$69 million), the court ordered all his right title and interest in the Shaolin [the sole copy of the Wu- work], also, a Picasso and an original "Enigma machine", among other things, sold. And. . . they were all sold off, by the US Marshals years ago.

After that, Martin Shkreli tried to sell [on eBay!] other bootleg copies -- and held "listening parties" and claimed he had stashed bootlegs, in safes around the world -- all while he was in prison in rural Pennsylvania.

He is flirting with going back up the river, here.

What an idiot.

नमस्ते

Merck Posts Another Excellent Year -- As Expected; Stock Rises On NYSE...

This company is very well-run. And it is hitting on all cylinders -- even down to refusing to overpay for Revolution Medicines, last quarter. It walked away when the bidding went beyond the rational. . . [reportedly above $35 billion].

So -- do your own diligence, but it is hard to see how a retiree seeking a fat dividend, and holding for a ten year plus horizon. . . could ever get hurt, by owning this name. [An increasingly aging US population (with health insurance) clearly works in its favor.] In any event, here's the latest -- of the local color, from CEO Davis, yesterday:

. . .Armed with what CEO Robert Davis called the “broadest and widest pipeline we’ve had in years,” Merck is preparing for its post-Keytruda future with what it foresees as a host of major sales opportunities over the next decade.

Thanks in part to its recent acquisitions of Verona Pharma and Cidara Therapeutics, the company sees new growth drivers delivering potential annual revenue of more than $70 billion by the "mid-2030s," Merck said in its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings presentation (PDF).

To put the $70 billion number into context, Davis pointed to the figure as being more than double the $35 billion Keytruda is expected to pick up during its peak sales year in 2028. The oncology superstar is slated for a loss of exclusivity (LOE) in 2028, and a growing pipeline of Keytruda biosimilars is already lining up to take a shot at the drug’s massive market. . . .

Now you know -- but that's it, for the power alley, I'm afraid, for today. Grin.

नमस्ते

Meanwhile, In Maryland, Abrego Garcia Remains Free -- Due To Noemite Lies. So It Goes...

While we await the February 26 hearing in Nashville, Mr. Hecker is winning, in keeping Abrego free in Maryland -- despite Noemite efforts to re-write a 2019 order that Trump 1.0 clearly botched.

And Noem's team is lying about almost every aspect of its prior detention of Mr. Abrego Garcia. Here's the latest:

. . .In any event, no matter when the removal period began, detention under § 1231(a) remains impermissible. The Government may detain Abrego Garcia under § 1231(a) only to timely effectuate lawful removal. But as this Court found in granting habeas relief, the Government’s conduct -- including serially designating countries it knew “never agreed to take” Abrego Garcia and making “misrepresentation[s]” to the Court that Liberia was the only viable removal country -- “reflect[s] that whatever purpose was behind his detention, it was not for the ‘basic purpose’ of timely third-country removal.” ECF No. 110 at 28–29 (citing Zadvydas, 533 U.S. at 697).

Nothing has changed on that front. The Government identifies no new evidence that re-detention would now serve any legitimate purpose. To the contrary, its submission confirms that it still refuses to remove Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica, the country he designated and the only one to which removal would presently comply with the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and due process. And the Government has neither identified any other viable removal destination, nor taken the steps constitutionally required before removal to any other country could occur. What has prevented Abrego Garcia’s removal is not this Court’s injunction, but the Government’s failure to pursue removal “consistently with the INA and due process.” ECF No. 110 at 12 n.10.

The Court should therefore maintain its injunction until the Government demonstrates that re-detention and removal of Abrego Garcia would comply with the INA and due process. . . .

Onward, resolutely -- with a NASA press conference at Noon Central time, on Artemis II likely launch delays.

नमस्ते

I Want To Re-Up, And Highlight The Majestic Three Pager, From West Texas -- That Freed Lil' Liam Ramos...

This is fewer than 200 words. But it is a Boston Tea Party moment, in that it forcefully finds that Noem (and her minions) are now a cruelly lawless. . . phlanx. . . of Red-Coats.

Do read it all -- and especially, read the New Testament verses cited [Matt. 19:14 and John 11:35] -- at the bottom of Liam's photo. Those are for anyone who claims to be "christian" -- but supports MAGA and Tangerine 2.0:

. . .Civics lesson to the government: Administrative warrants issued by the executive branch to itself do not pass probable cause muster. That is called the fox guarding the henhouse. The Constitution requires an independent judicial officer.

Accordingly, the Court finds that the Constitution of these United States trumps this administration's detention of petitioner Adrian Conejo Arias and his minor son, L.C.R. The Great Writ and release from detention are GRANTED pursuant to the attached Judgment.

Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned. . . .

[Matt. 19:14] And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. . . .

[John 11:35] Jesus wept. . . .

These MAGAts might also consider Matthew 25:36-40: "...I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers... you did it to me...." Indeed.

नमस्ते

[U: Earliest Launch -- Now, Late March.] Hydrogen Leaks Again Encountered By Artemis II Launch Vehicle At The Cape…

UPDATED: As we suspected, after the press briefing -- the crewed launch is. . . delayed. The astronauts will exit Houston quarantine, and re-enter at some point in March. ". . .Engineers pushed through several challenges during the two-day test and met many of the planned objectives. To allow teams to review data and conduct a second wet dress rehearsal, NASA now will target March as the earliest possible launch opportunity for the flight test. Moving off a February launch window also means the Artemis II astronauts will be released from quarantine, which they entered in Houston on Jan. 21. . . ." End, update.

Not shocking, if you've been following my coverage of these developments over the last couple years, but NASA will jold a debriefing tomorrow, with the press. It now seems unlikely that the crew will be shipped out of quarantine in Houston, to the Cape -- for any launch prior to. . . March.

We shall see -- and we will let you know what we hear tomorrow. See this from PBS:

. . .NASA ran into exasperating fuel leaks during a make-or-break test of its new moon rocket Monday, calling into question how soon astronauts could take off for a trip around the moon.

The leaks -- reminiscent of the rocket's delayed debut three years ago -- sprang just a couple hours into the daylong fueling operation at Kennedy Space Center.

But just a couple hours into the daylong operation, excessive hydrogen was detected near the bottom of the rocket. Hydrogen loading was temporarily halted, with just half of the core stage filled.

The launch team scrambled to work around the problem using techniques developed during the only other Space Launch System rocket launch three years ago. That first test flight was plagued by hydrogen leaks before finally soaring. . . .

Do stay tuned. Updates coming -- mañana. . . .

नमस्ते

Tonight, An Avowed Racist KKK/MAGA Blogger Tells Odious, Pungent Lies -- On Violent Crime Rates -- In Tennessee

To be certain, Tennessee is -- in many ways, a vibrant and wonderful place -- especially in the downtown Gulch of Nashville, and on Beale Street, in Memphis.

In other ways, though, it still is. . . rather backward. Still in some ways stuck in the antebellum era prejudices. The wrong-headed MAGA driven local law in Tennessee requires local DAs state-wide to track the number of violent crimes they believe were committed by. . . immigrants. Not people without papers, per se -- just those who "look" foreign born. [Or something. Damn.]

This stink-pot of a blogger tonight makes the wild-eyed claim that, based on this BS "data" -- something like one-seventh of all crime nationwide is committed by "immigrants".

What an ass.

Nowhere does he bother to mention that in Tennessee (where only about 2% of the US population resides) fully 583 murders were committed last year by US citizens there. [That compares to... yep -- 41 by purported immigrants.]

So -- essentially all violent crime is perpetrated by our own citizens -- not "immigrants", you dipsh!t.

What a feckless lying a$$hole.

May that blogger burn in Hell.

Out.

नमस्ते