Power Alley: Merck Reports More Good News, At "The Liver Meeting®" 2026 -- Woot!

This candidate has shined brightly, in later Phase 2b studies. [My backgrounder, from January 2024, here.]

It will be a juggernaut, once cleared at FDA -- bank on that. This is a high burden disease.

Yep, efinopegdutide has been shown to be highly effective -- in combatting MASH. Here's the latest, from the scientific journals and confabs (The Lancet, included):

. . .[Merck] today announced the presentation of positive results from the company’s Phase 2b clinical trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of three doses of once-weekly, subcutaneous efinopegdutide (4 mg, 7 mg and 10 mg), an investigational injectable GLP-1/glucagon receptor co-agonist, versus placebo for the treatment of adults with MASH and stage F2 or F3 liver fibrosis. The findings were presented during a late-breaking abstract session at The Liver Meeting (TLM), being held in Denver, Colo., and simultaneously published in The Lancet. . . .

“MASH poses a substantial risk of progression to cirrhosis and ultimately liver failure, underscoring the urgent need for new treatment options,” said Dr. Eliav Barr, senior vice president, head of global clinical development and chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories. “We are highly encouraged by these results which add to the evidence that efinopegdutide, a distinct GLP-1/glucagon receptor co-agonist, has the potential to provide clinically meaningful responses for MASH resolution and fibrosis regression. . . .”

True, this wonder drug is not on-market, yet -- anywhere -- but it will be, given the above results. Good work, you Merckies!

नमस्ते

The Foot-Paths -- Across The African Continent -- Are A Known Vector, For Bundibugyo / Ebola Transmission: 71 New Cases Near DRC's Remote Northwestern Borders

It is hard to overstate how utterly deplorable all of this is -- as an international non-public health policy -- from Tangerine 2.0, Musk and RFK, Jr. May they burn in Hell. I'll take a breath now -- but this is deeply discouraging, indeed. Overall, we are well above 10,000 cases in DRC.

Here's the latest -- but detecting 71 new cases, found at wholly-new monitoring stations -- on foot, in the deeply forested / mountainous regions of Ituri -- cases not directly connected to any previously known cases. . . indicates this will almost certainly be the worst ever Ebola outbreak, in recorded history.

To be certain, the dying is very far from being arrested in and around DRC. Dammit -- it did not have to be like this. From the WHO, then:

. . .Seventy-one confirmed Ebola cases have been identified since the start of the outbreak through surveillance points supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as continued transmission, displacement and a USD 59.8 million regional funding shortfall threaten efforts to contain the outbreak. Nearly half of this funding gap is concentrated in the DRC, raising concerns about the ability to sustain critical oversight and preparedness efforts across the region.

"Ebola screening cannot stop at hospitals or official border crossings,” said Frantz Celestin, IOM Regional Director for East, Horn and Southern Africa. “People need timely access to health information and services wherever they live and travel, including displacement sites and remote border communities. Sustaining these efforts is essential to detecting cases early and limiting further transmission. . . ."

Obviously, as we pointed out just yesterday morning -- people who ran waxing salons in US airports will NOT be up to the task of running diagnostic kits in the harsh mountain brushland deep inside rebel / conflict territories, in DRC.

They've likely never even truly "roughed it / camped out", in their entire lives. But Trump's fail sons never met a grift they would pass up. Another $40 million bribe payoff, wasted, from taxpayer funds. Without serious question, there will be excess Ebola deaths, because of the US / Trumpian corruption.

Dammit. Out.

नमस्ते

Look -- Almost Nuthin' Tangerine 2.0 Says Makes Sense Anymore, But It Sure Looks Like The "Qatari Air Force One" Bribe Has Paid Off -- In Handsome Fashion.

I suppose this is to save Whiskey Pete from conviction in the Senate come late January 2027. [And he's certainly been told -- if Pete goes down, he won't get any replacement Defense Secy. through the now Deep Blue US Senate. Nor will he have any budgetary discretion -- to run unlawful "police actions" -- in Venezuela.]

None of it will work / stick -- as he forgets what he says day to day.

These days, he just about always repeats whatever he's last heard, before he steps to the mic -- in this case, from a lobbying meeting with Qataris.

But. . . to be fair:

I. Honestly. Will. Mostly. Tune. His. Blather. Out -- for the next two years.

He will have zero budget authority -- and is likely to see re-invigorated Watergate-era anti-corruption laws imposed rather forcefully, upon his cantaloupe tanned hide. But here is the blather, just the same -- with a debunker from AlJazeera:

. . .United States President Donald Trump has signalled that he considers the US-Israel war on Iran “effectively” at an end, after meeting Qatar’s prime minister in Washington, DC.

In a surprise briefing on Monday, Trump reiterated his position that the US had destroyed Iran’s military. But his remarks suggested he faces pressure from allies in the Middle East to bring hostilities to a close. . . .

As I say -- this is putridly stupid fake news. He will likely say the opposite in a few days. Who cares?!

नमस्ते

There Is Very Little Solid Science That Must Be Done, By Boots -- On The Moon. Orange-Tinged NASA Nonsense Press Releases Dept.

But for me, it is not even the lack of scientific reason to go build a human inhabited base -- as it is. . . that Jared Isaacman [BTW, check the ears on that dude, at right! He's like a taxi driving down Michigan Avenue -- with both back doors, wide open!], for Trump -- places his putrid "advertorial" copy, in the present tense.

He intones that this moon base. . . "is" -- rather than. . . "will be" (if and only if funded by Congress --which hasn't happened, and is not at all likely, now, post the Bluenami) or, may be. . . built. Here's the idiocy, tonight:

. . .The Moon Base IS(?!) humanity’s first lunar outpost, a place where astronauts will live, work, and explore near the Moon’s South Pole.

Through a series of crewed and uncrewed missions, NASA and its partners will build the infrastructure needed to support an enduring human presence on the lunar surface while advancing science, technology, and exploration for the benefit of all. . . .

What a pile of fetid crap, smeared all over an otherwise excellent US agency's website. And it has the dank odor. . . of Musk, all over it.

As an aside -- as this wends its way toward a vote -- likely in the Senate, by late January 2027, let's put Whiskey Pete in the company of only one other US Defense Secy. -- William Belknap, who was impeached (and convicted) for bribery in 1876. Out.

नमस्ते

Mpox Clade 1b 2026 Cases Rumble Onward: 470 This Time, In Thailand... With Three Fatalities.

The southeast Asian nation has now recorded significantly more cases thus far in 2026, than it did -- in all of 2025.

The genie is likely permanently out of the bottle now, globally. It will be with us in varying severity -- in many geographies around the globe -- essentially always, now. Awful news -- and thanks, Manchurian Cantaloupe.

Here's the latest, from local sourcings:

. . .Kriangkrai Tangjitmanisakda, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) Medical Service Department, said on Monday (9 November) that figures from the Department of Disease Control showed 470 cumulative mpox cases and three deaths in Thailand as of 31 October 2026. . . .

The BMA’s Medical Service Department has strengthened its standard operating procedures at hospitals under its supervision to improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce delays in identifying infections. . . .

Under the enhanced measures, hospitals will conduct more thorough screening of patients with potential exposure risks, including detailed assessments of close contact, travel history and other risk factors. . . .

So it goes -- all as a House Republican introduces articles of impeachment against Whiskey Pete Hegseth -- for violating the US Constitution. Grin -- onward.

नमस्ते

Even AFTER The "Blue Tsunami of 2026" -- Graft & Grift, Thy Name Is... Trump: Ebola Testing -- Govt. Contracts Edition

Each of these named dorks is just a cog in a bumbling crime syndicate. The people of America have spoken: they must go. And make no mistake, when Trump said on 60 Minutes that maybe his "tough" immigration measures contributed to the loss -- he misspoke. His CRIMINAL ABUSES, of our fellow neighbors. . . did, in fact contribute. Lawlessness is not "tough" -- it is cowardice, Donald.

However, today's installment focuses on Ebola -- more precisely, the post-dismantling of USAID in Africa. Recently, Trump's two sons were awarded a significant stake in a public company that mostly sells beauty spa treatments at airport store-fronts: waxings and chakra beds. [That company recently acquired a COVID-19 testing subsidiary, but dozens of more capable Ebola testing options exist on the ground in Africa as a legacy, from WHO and the former USAID outreaches.]

By dint of the now-all-too-familiar Orange Magic, with Trump's sons in tow, this company has been awarded over $40 million in US government contracts, to open on the ground testing locations inside the DRC -- for Ebola. The CEO himself admits it is far from clear that the company is capable of doing this. INSANE.

From ProPublica's fine reporting, then:

. . .The company, XpresTest, has years of experience monitoring for COVID-19 and other diseases for the government at U.S. airports. That makes its parent, XWELL, an unusual hybrid, selling both spa treatments and biosecurity services. Last year, it made most of its money from waxing salons and airport spas that offer manicures, massages and “chakra beds.”

The contracts are the latest example of the president’s family benefiting financially from his administration’s actions. And the stakes for these deals are particularly high. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, an Ebola outbreak has killed more than 5,000 people this year, and the federal government is trying to stop the pathogen from coming to the U.S.

XpresTest has never worked with Ebola or provided biosecurity services abroad, let alone in the kind of volatile locales it’s now expected to work in. The CEO of its parent company, Ezra Ernst, said XpresTest won both contracts in a competitive bidding process and pointed to its years of experience doing screening for COVID-19 and other pathogens at American airports. But even he acknowledged that working internationally is “a new thing for us” and expressed uncertainty about being able to complete the work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. . . .

“This is a risky contract. I’m not sure we can do it,” Ernst said in an interview. . . .

Under previous administrations, the U.S. government addressed international disease outbreaks in partnership with the World Health Organization. But Trump withdrew from the group last year, dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, which handled much of this work, and dramatically scaled back the global presence of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At the same time, the State Department launched the America First Global Health Strategy, which calls for the U.S. to use aid to foreign countries to “promote American companies and American innovations abroad.” This March, the State Department announced it would be giving up to $4.5 billion in funding for various purposes, including responding to infectious disease outbreaks.

Under that program, XPresTest was awarded $20 million. . . .

The CDC also awarded XPresTest a contract, for $18.8 million.

The Trump sons’ connection to XWELL was established in February, when a fund called American Ventures invested in the company. The fund was launched by Dominari Holdings, a small financial firm with offices inside Trump Tower in New York. The leaders of Dominari hired the Trump sons as advisers after their father was elected to a second term and granted them a stake of more than 10% in Dominari.

That means XWELL, the company that the Trump-linked investment fund took a stake in, will benefit financially from the Trump administration contracts if the sale closes, even though it won’t be involved in doing the work for the government.

XWELL said in a public filing that the sale was part of an effort “to pursue a new direction in the national security sector.” Ernst said he didn’t know the exact plans but thought the parent company might be looking to work with the Department of Defense. . . .

Yes, indeed, Hakeem Jeffries -- we also need state level (NY, CO, IL, CA) indictments, and impeachment moves (in Congress) -- up the chain -- to the Manchurian Cantalope's level, as well.

नमस्ते

Islamophobist-Boebert Is Toast In Colorado; She Will Demand A Recount. Ugh.

In not even a remotely surprising fashion, the odious Lauren Boebert (currently down by ~4,000 votes) is likely to demand a recount at her own expense. Colorado, and more importantly America, needs to turn its back on her brand of hate -- and low class sexualized trash.

So here's what to expect next in the close out of this race in eastern Colorado:

. . .Robert Preuhs, professor and chair of political science at Metropolitan State University of Denver, told FOX31 that recounts rarely change election outcomes.

“Very very unlikely that recounts will overturn or change an election result, particularly when we’re looking at, you know, 2,000 to 3,000 vote spreads,” Preuhs said. . .

According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s 2026 election calendar, counties must finish their initial vote tabulation by Nov. 13.

Counties then have until Nov. 25 to complete their official canvass and submit the results to the state. That is also the deadline for candidates to request a self-funded recount.

Automatic recounts must be completed by Dec. 4, while candidate-requested recounts must be completed by Dec. 8. . . .

Welp -- now you know… Back on a jet to the Chi -- in about six hours.

नमस्ते

Update -- Final Status, On Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory: Burnt In.

This will be the final entry, on that NASA space 'scope.

It survived a few hours beyond earlier predictions, as the drag was slightly reduced, because its free-fall trajectory was slightly more shallow than forecast. Here's that, from NASA:

. . .The U.S. Space Force confirmed that the Swift spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at 7:39 a.m. EST Wednesday over the North Sumatra region of Indonesia, at approximately 3.4 degrees north latitude and 98.6 degrees east longitude. NASA expected most of the spacecraft to burn up as it traveled through the atmosphere, but some components may have survived re-entry. . . .

Now you know. And still over the moon, as to the new blue dawn in America! Out. On a jet in the morning, for the end in the Rockies. Wishing you only joy in this next revolution around the Sun!

नमस्ते

Texas Dumps MAGA / Abbott & Paxton. Nation Gives Democrats Firm Control Of House & Senate… Woot!

Welp -- this isn't just a blue wave. . . it's a tsunami.

Texas has been run by a Uni-party for over three decades. Now Texas is surfin' -- blue.

A Black woman will be the Governor of Georgia in the morning. Yeah, Keisha!

And the Senate may well break 55-45 for Democrats. That makes the unctious Federman largely irrelevant -- out of Pennsylvania. And frankly who cares what Collins thinks any more -- up in Maine? She's. . . toast!

Thank the Goddesses! Here is the NYT, on it:

. . .Democratic candidates won races in Republican strongholds, flipping Senate seats in Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina and even Texas -- on a night shaping up as a Democratic tour-de-force. . . .

Democrats seized control of the Senate on Tuesday, according to New York Times projections, capturing a powerful platform to counter President Trump as voters in Republican-leaning states repudiated the president and his allies in a midterm thrashing.

Democrats. . . were picking up competitive House seats around the country that pointed to a lopsided margin of control in that chamber.

The results promised. . . a freshly assertive Congress after two years in which Republicans generally ceded power to Mr. Trump and reduced the legislative branch’s role to that of a mere bystander. . . .

Trump's felonious corruption -- and feckless war-making -- are now at an end. As is his demonizing people with brown skin.

I will be grinning ear to ear as I fly to Colorado midday on Thursday -- it is highly likely that Boebert is now just right back to the trailer trash she came out of -- in that state.

नमस्ते

Trump Tells His Minions At EPA And DoE... To Essentially Ignore The Laws Congress Has Passed -- To Favor Dirty Coal. Damn.

This convoluted, but very low-intellectual-abilities Administration is purely. . . a bumbling crime syndicate.

Massey/Blankenship -- despite killing literally hundreds of hard working coal miners, by ignoring their legal duty to provide a reasonably safe work-place -- was and is a vast Trump donor.

And with the MAGA "federal regulatory capture" -- he and his fellow aging coal barons. . . largely are able to do as they please. This, even though the base industry simply cannot be profitable, against Chinese coal suppliers, on the world stage. Damn.

Here is how the UK Guardian frames the corruption, tonight:

. . .It’s a good time to be a coal plant in the US. The Trump administration has given support to almost half of the nation’s coal plants, helping them to continue operating despite economic and regulatory headwinds, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund.

The analysis, which looked at the 184 operating coal plants that are connected to the grid, found that 90 received support from the Trump administration through “cash handouts, free passes to pollute, and inducements to stay online past their retirement dates”.

The administration provided $950m in taxpayer dollars to 24 coal plants and handed Clean Air Act exemptions from toxic pollution limits to 70 coal plants, according to the EDF analysis. . . .

This alone should be grounds to see every MAGA candidate drubbed tonight at the polls. We shall see. Our skies are being polluted for an industry that should have died off, middle of the last century. Damn. Out.

नमस्ते

NASA Says SWIFT Will Burn In -- To South Pacific -- Around 3 AM EST On November 4, 2026... It Was A Great Ride, Friend.

This was, by all accounts, an excellent 22 year mission.

That the "rescue / extender" didn't pan out does not take away from all we learned about fast gamma ray bursts. Here's the swan song this morning, from EndGadget:

. . .NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory will re-enter our atmosphere around 3:30AM Eastern time tomorrow, November 4, according to the US Armed Forces' predictions. The exact time could be different, as the prediction has an "uncertainty of 11 hours." But the 3,200-pound spacecraft is heading back to Earth for sure, 22 years after it launched and after the agency's attempt to save it failed. . . .

[In the 22 years of her mission life] Swift had observed more than 2,000 gamma-ray bursts, or the most powerful explosions in the universe that reach peak brightness in less than two seconds. Before Swift, we couldn't detect these swift flashes of energy in time. It also gathered data on 1,400 supernova explosions, asteroids, comets, stars shredded by black holes, as well as other activity in the cosmos. 

NASA says most of Swift will burn up in the atmosphere, but some components might survive and make its way to the ground. . . .

Onward, to vote ALL these reprobates out of office -- as New York state records its first measles death (an unvaccinated child) -- in over 35 years. Yup -- damn.

नमस्ते

Fascinating. Martin Shkreli's NEW Lawyer, In The FTC Contempt Matter... Was A USDC Judge-Admonished Defense Counsel, In J6 Cases. YIKES!

Look -- I get that pretty much only the "bottom of the barrel" is now willing to risk both reputational, and financial harm. . . by choosing to represent one Martin Shkreli. [Almost all his prior, and competent counsels have eventually withdrawn, when he welshes on paying them. Or flat out runs out of funds -- which seems to frequently transpire in these matters. I can document that list, if anyone cares / insists.]

But this morning, one Jonathan Gross -- out of Maryland -- filed his appearance to represent Martin in the FTC orders / violation / contempt matter.

He has previously said he has only ever practiced as a general civil attorney (primarily on First Amendment / religious freedoms cases), and has never handled a criminal case, of any kind. [This case presents the potential at least, to send Martin back inside, BTW. But oddly enough, Mr. Gross had signed on at DoJ, and then shortly after -- resigned -- as a special counsel for "DoJ civil rights" -- under the odious Harmeet Dhillon.] Odd choice.

Moreover, as a practicing Orthodox Jew, he drew a sitting USDC Judge's ire, a few years ago -- in representing a J6 felony defendant (one with a well-known, previously scheduled weeks-long trial sitting) -- by saying he would not appear at all, in court during the longish Passover holidays. That was after a capable criminal defense co-counsel had resigned, BTW.

Attorneys in felony matters well-know that when they sign on -- for a case with a trial date already scheduled -- it is their responsibility to be sure the client will be well-represented, even during the highest Orthodox holidays.

And that holds true -- whether or not the client is paying at the moment.

So -- if nothing else. . . this FTC matter could get. . . spicy.

It likely morphs into a DoJ criminal matter, under the capable USDC Judge Kiyo Matsumoto's prior Brooklyn disposition orders, re the SEC fraud convictions, as well -- when Martin is found guilty of violating his prior (FTC) release orders.

Should be good. . . street theater, if nothing else.

Onward.

नमस्ते

Since Last Week, Merck's Stock's Been Rising On NYSE -- Due To Longer Keytruda Exclusivity Arc (Via Patenting Strategies) -- And All Other R&D Hitting Targets...

I've said so for quite a while, right here: Rahway has a plethora of paths to keep subcutaneous [or other versions] of pembrolizumab as the exclusive and preferred line of therapy. . . well into the mid-2030s. [There are quite a few Wall Streeters who are not fully-versed in patent extension tactics in the US.]

But it is really the continuing strength of all the rest of Merck's formidable medicine cabinet. . . that is driving this multiple expansion, now underway on the NYSE. That, and high quality pharma being a safe-haven investment (with a fat quarterly cash dividend!), when Tangerine 2.0 lunacy makes oil a dangerous investment -- and crypto / AI / chip tech face very choppy seas as well.

Here's a bit on some of Merck's other wins -- in R&D (this one for people living with HIV positivity):

. . .Our goal is to bring forward oral options, including daily and once-weekly HIV treatment regimens, as well as a once-monthly HIV prevention pill. Because no single medicine works for every person, we are committed to expanding choices that may help address the diverse needs and preferences of people living with HIV or those who could benefit from PrEP.”

At HIV Glasgow, Merck will present Phase 3 subgroup analyses of once-daily IDVYNSO, including Week 48 resistance and weight analyses from Trial 53 comparing IDVYNSO to bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) in adults with HIV-1 who had not previously received antiretroviral treatment, as well as Week 96 patient-reported outcomes for IDVYNSO in adults with virologically suppressed HIV-1. Separately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted two supplemental New Drug Applications for IDVYNSO (doravirine and islatravir): one based on the Phase 3 Trial 053 in adults who had not previously received antiretroviral treatment and one based on the Phase 3 Trials 051 and 052 to include 96-week data in virologically suppressed adults. The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) or target action date of April 22, 2027, for both applications. . . .

Now you know. Onward, grinning -- heading back into the High Rockies on Thursday mid-morning now. Smiling -- a sorta' sad smile, just the same. Until then, then. . . .

नमस्ते

Now "Officially", Over 5,000 Are Dead In 2026 Of Bundibugyo. The Actual Figure May Be Double That -- All Avoidable. God-Dammit.

I know this sounds a brken record -- but avoidable deaths. . . from diseases we clearly now know how to arrest. . . is a uniquely heart-breaking tragedy.

Musk and Trump affirmatively chose death for over 5,000 people (with over ninety-five per cent of those people of color), and debilitating illness, for perhaps 15,000 more. It was clear as day that this would be the outcome, from gutting USAID. Here is the Beeb's weekender on it all:

. . .More than 5,000 people have died from an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, government data shows.

Eight of 26 provinces are now affected, with more than 10,300 confirmed cases.

The outbreak, which started in May, became the country's deadliest in its history in August, public health officials said. The current case fatality rate is 48.6%.

In its latest update, the health ministry said the epicentre of the epidemic remains in the Ituri province, in the north-east of the country, which is a conflict zone, making it harder to contain the virus.

Cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. . . .

Last month, a politician was beaten to death after promoting measures to stop the spread of Ebola, while in August, the Red Cross said its volunteers had been injured and an ambulance set on fire in 11 violent incidents in the outbreak's first 100 days. . . .

Again, under Mr. Biden, with USAID, the dying ended at four people in 2022. FOUR. And there were fewer than 50 illnesses, in total in the entire Ebola outbreak that year, in DRC. Do go vote.

नमस्ते

Tangerine 2.0 Is Churlishly Squandering Our US Scientific Leads, Across Many Areas... And At NASA, Selling Them Off, To Elon Musk -- On The Cheap.

I will leave Musk's graft-laden NASA contracts for another day, as at the moment -- the more immediate issue is Quantum research. China is eclipsing the US on research into building so-called quantum computers. . . ones that might be able, in a matter of minutes -- to "pick" every electronic lock, break in -- and steal. . . everything. Trump is apparently too senile to understand this threat. Or worse, he is accepting back door bribes to allow it -- for privateers.

Here's the broader weekend story from the NYT -- do go read it all:

. . .The turmoil inside scientific research has extended beyond the Pentagon. The Energy Department, a key hub of nuclear and quantum research, has lost more than 1,000 scientists and technical staff. The National Science Foundation, for decades a primary backer of long-term, foundational research, has withheld more than $1 billion in funding. And at the National Institutes of Health, the biggest funder of medical research, officials delayed or canceled more than 2,000 grants to biomedical researchers focused on topics such as Alzheimer’s, cancer and other diseases.

Under Mr. Trump, the federal government is still spending roughly as much on research — about $200 billion this year — as the administrations that came before. Scientists across the country are still receiving grants; universities are still being funded.

But beneath the surface, the system of federally funded science that helped make the United States a global superpower is under intense strain from Trump policies, jeopardizing the nation’s advantages in defense, medicine and technology, a New York Times examination has found. . . .

Do go vote. Vote to preserve America's lead in the hard sciences. And to allow brilliant immigrants to come here -- and thrive -- and thus advance our scientific programs by orders of magnitude. Onward.

नमस्ते

What A Mind Bending Capture — Of An Ongoing Reality Distortion Bubble, This Nathan Fielder Has Made — For A24.

Before we took the evening to staff a haunted house for the sweet lil' kids, I saw Nathan Fielder's "project" for A24 today. On the person at right.

Months and months ago, I wrote the below, right here -- about her.

". . .Actually, I suspect Billy is writing her replies.

And actually, I think they are going in for the Shkreli bad boy / online following / fascination thing. . . ."

And it is crystal clear -- even though she belaborers it greatly in this film -- that The New York Times reporter accurately portrayed the quotation she is so offended by now. Without giving away spoilers, I can only say that the contested quote came during an almost half hour long steadily-flowing conversation about the idea of creating "personas". . . as they walked on the beach.

I will probably have to think for quite a while longer before I post anything more on this A24 project -- it is one of the most deeply-layered profiles I have ever seen of a convicted felon. [And of the actress who'd portrayed her -- in at least one of the dramatic treatment movies about her.]

Moreover, I don't want to give away spoilers. I think everyone who's interested in US healthcare policy and anything touching securities fraud should watch this, from top to tail.

Then, at some future point in time (when most of America has seen it -- and it has been on cable for a few months), I will post what I think about it -- having read literally every single word of every court filing about both the civil, and the criminal trials and appeals.

I'll give away nothing by saying I am absolutely convinced that "for every garbage can, there is a lid" -- and in this case, Billy Evans is the perfect garbage can. Or maybe he's the perfect lid. Either way -- they richly deserve each other.

Even though it runs over three hours in length -- do go see it.

नमस्ते

You Know I've Been A Rock-Hound My Whole Life. So, I Love This Barsoomian Discovery, From 4.1 Billion Years Of "Time Out Of Mind"...

This is just monumentally exciting -- and is likely the oldest exo-planet rock ever encountered here on Jasoom.

Here's the scoop, from NASA's blog on all the topics related to. . . Mars:

. . .When a rose-colored meteorite was found in the Sahara Desert in 2022, no one knew how old it was or where it came from. Not until NASA-funded scientists age-dated its minerals did they realize the nearly 2-pound (800-gram) rock was a piece of Mars that formed more than 4.1 billion years ago, making it one of the oldest Martian meteorites ever found. Named Teghaza 001 after the salt plain in Mali where it was discovered, the meteorite is one of roughly 435 from the Red Planet.

In a paper published Thursday in Science, researchers offered an initial characterization of Teghaza 001, providing a rare snapshot of Mars’ ancient crust and formation. What scientists learn from future studies could help answer many questions, including how water and rocks interacted on ancient Mars. A separate paper published in Science Advances in June detailed the meteorite’s water content, offering a look at how water shaped the early planet’s surface.

“It was only after we started looking closely that we realized this meteorite is really unique,” said the paper’s lead author, Yang Liu of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “One of the paper’s reviewers called it a Rosetta Stone for Mars. . . .”

This is indeed excellent exo-planet / geological / space science! Onward.

नमस्ते

[U] Pope Leo XIV Has Voted By Mail, From Vatican City… In The Illinois Mid-Terms; Tangerine Wants A Habba "Kickback"

I can confidently guarantee you that he did not vote Republican. Not for a single office on the Chicago ballot form.

His polling place technically remains inside the City of Chicago. And every one of his public announcements on any American political topic has repudiated everything for which the MAGA / GOP stands / espouses.

Indeed, all of it is well with my soul, even though I no longer consider myself a Catholic.

Onward. Do be like my favorite Pope – go vote.

UPDATED: late this afternoon, we've learned that Trump exploded when he heard that Alina Habba got herself a $50 million "lawyer / consulting" role -- from a pardon-seeking Venezuelan billionaire.

So Trump is demanding that she make a large "donation" to his forthcoming library contstruction fund. Yes, folks -- this is a straight up stupid as all get out. . . crime syndicate. Damnation -- in every way, the antithesis of the present Pope.

[Meanwhile, the frothy hard right feels that being Pope makes Leo XIV the head of a foreign state, and notwithstanding the Fourteenth Amendment's express guarantees, a US Citizen Pope should not be "allowed" to vote in US elections. Poppycock -- and bigoted, at that. What a pack of insufferable... putzes those boys are.]

नमस्ते

No More Lawless "Kidnappings" In Or Around Houses Of Worship: That's The Well-Settled Federal Law, Since At Least 2001.

This federal ruling technically applies in DC -- but it should be beyond contestation that we don't grab people from the pews, at Sunday Mass.

Damn -- but here we are -- Tangerine 2.0 thinks churches are not hardened defensive targets, so he sends ICE in to grab people, without any regard for human decency.

The man is a monster. Here's the Illinois version of the argument (now pending):

. . .On October 20, 2026, after briefing was complete and this Court concluded argument on Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 44), the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an opinion reversing a district court order that denied a motion to preliminarily enjoin defendants’ sensitive locations enforcement policy. Mennonite Church USA v. United States Dep’t of Homeland Sec., No. 25-5209, 2026 WL 3132807, at *1 (D.C. Cir. Oct. 20, 2026). The D.C. Circuit rejected the district court’s conclusion that plaintiffs lacked standing to seek to enjoin the policy. . . .

The appellate court held that “Plaintiffs need not show that a stay of the Rescission Memo will restore the status quo ante; they need only show that such equitable relief will cure ‘at least some of’ their asserted injury.” Id. at *8 (quoting Diamond Alt. Energy, LLC v. EPA, 606 U.S. 100, 114 (2025)).

The court further concluded that “a reversion to the Mayorkas Memo. . . likely would alleviate at least some of plaintiffs’ asserted injury. . . by discouraging at least some immigration-enforcement activities at or near their members’ houses of worship.” Id. at *9 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted).

Accordingly, the plaintiffs established redressability and had standing to seek to enjoin defendants’ sensitive locations policy. . . .

We the people need to wake up -- to the atrocities being committed in our names, and with our federal tax dollars.

Vote these village idiots out.

Onward.

नमस्ते

Nine More Humans Were Set Free This Morning -- By USDC Judge Cummings -- After The Prior ICE/DHS Chicanery Became Clear As Day...

To be certain, this is good news -- but the trend line here is. . . horrifying.

Overall now, about 10 out of every 11 purported ICE detentions -- from Summer 2025 through to this morning, in and around Chicago. . . were flagrantly unlawful.

In many cases, the grabs were procured by fraud -- without warrants.

Largely arresting people with pending hearings before the courts, who were proceeding lawfully -- and were just summarily kidnapped -- by ICE/DHS agents.

This is. . . disgusting, and beneath the minimal standards of a civilized and ordered free republic. The Tangerine 2.0 forces need to face criminal charges. These were not innocent mistakes, these were purposefully lawless grabs, just to meet Stephen Miller's insane "weekly quotas" -- for arrests. Damn them all:

. . .MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey I Cummings:

The Court has reviewed the parties' joint status report [533] regarding plaintiffs' 10/9/26 motion to enforce, which indicates that [Trumpian] defendants have agreed to provide relief for nine of the eleven individuals at issue in the motion. (Dckt. #533 at 1 (listing the nine individuals entitled to relief)).

With respect to those nine individuals, defendants shall facilitate their release on their own recognizance and without bond or conditions of release as specified in Section IV(E)(2) of the Consent Decree (ECF No. 155-1 at 9), by no later than 11/2/26.

Defendants shall file a certification by 11/4/26 that all nine individuals have been released on their own recognizance and without bond or conditions of release.

As for the remaining two individuals, one individual ("OS") is not entitled to relief and defendants require additional time to determine whether the claim of the other individuals ("FFS") can be resolved. Defendants shall file a supplemental status report regarding FFS by 11/2/26. . . .

Said another way, under ten percent of the arrests were. . . in any sense, legit. Now, let the prosecutions of these rogue ICE/DHS SOB agents begin. Out.

नमस्ते