Posts from — October 2019

Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party have won a minority government.

Liberals :
157 seats

Conservatives :
131 seats

Bloc Québécois :
32 seats

New Democratic Party :
24 seats

Greens :
3 seats

And 1 independent seat.

Trump defends Gabbard in Clinton spat, says she’s no agent. I guess Putin told him that she wasn’t an asset at the latest debriefing.

Canada had an election today. The polls are closed and you can watch the counting at the CBC site: Canadian election results

Meanwhile Israeli PM Netanyahu fails to form a government ahead of deadline and now Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party will be invited to attempt to form a government. It isn’t certain that anyone can form a government at the moment. If Gantz can cobble together a coalition, it will probably be short-lived.

Position: 30.4N 84.1W [ 4:00PM CDT 2100 UTC].
Movement: Northeast [055°] near 23 mph [37 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 240 miles [390 km].
Minimum central pressure: 999 mb ↑.

Currently about 5 miles [ 10 km] East of Tallahassee, Florida.

At 1PM CDT Nestor made landfall on St. Vincent Island, Florida.

This is the final NHC advisory.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 28.5N 87.0W [10:00PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northeast [045°] near 23 mph [37 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 60 mph [ 95 kph].
Wind Gusts: 70 mph [110 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 160 miles [260 km].
Minimum central pressure: 996 mb ↓.

Currently about 140 miles [ 225 km] Southwest of Panama City, Florida.

Currently about 135 miles [ 215 km] South of me.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Navarre to Yankeetown, Florida.

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Indian Pass to Clearwater Beach, Florida.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Miss Nancy explains to Donnie that “All roads with you lead to Putin” is a Don’t Bee.

Meanwhile the acting Executive Branch added “Press Secretary” to his duty list:

A senior White House official has admitted military aid to Ukraine was withheld partly to pressure Kyiv to investigate allegations on the Democrats and the 2016 election.

Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said President Trump had mentioned Democrat “corruption”.

But Mr Trump was also concerned about wider corruption in Ukraine, he said.

“That’s why we held up the money,” he said, calling it “absolutely appropriate”.

The BBC has a very straight forward article: Elijah Cummings: Veteran US Democrat dies aged 68. On CNN a more personal remembrance: Elijah Cummings understood the meaning of struggle. Crooks & Liars covers reaction on Twitter.

Elijah Cummings reminded me of one of my favorite all time role models who happened to be in Congress, Barbara Jordan. If you have never heard her Speech on Impeachment during the Watergate hearings, hie thee hence and listen. If God is a woman, She would sound like Barbara Jordan. Elijah Cummings is well named and may yet return like the original of that name to deal with evil doers. Hours before his passing he signed more subpoenas.

Position: 24.1N 93.7W [10:00PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northeast [045°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1004 mb ↓.

Currently about 445 miles [ 720 km] Southwest of the Mouth of the Mississippi River.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Mississippi/Alabama border to Yankeetown, Florida; Grand Isle, Louisiana to the Mouth of the Pearl River.

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Indian Pass to Clearwater, Florida.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 17.3N 24.1W [ 4:00AM CDT 0900 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [305°] near 8 mph [13 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 30 mph [ 45 kph].
Wind Gusts: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1009 mb.

Currently about 90 miles [ 145 km] North of the Cabo Verde Islands.

Depression degenerated into a trough. This is the final NHC advisory.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 16.8N 23.7W [10:00PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [300°] near 10 mph [17 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 45 mph [ 70 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1009 mb ↑.

Currently about 60 miles [ 95 km] North-Northeast of the Cabo Verde Islands.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

It’s the second Monday in October, so it is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. Have a happy one.

The US Federal government has decided to call it Columbus Day, even when it isn’t on the 12^th of October which was the second Wednesday in 1492. But it’s okay that the holiday can be on the wrong day, because Christopher Columbus [AKA: Cristoforo Colombo, Cristóbal Colón] didn’t find what he was looking for and identified what he did find incorrectly. The important thing is that a large area of the map got changed from “here be dragons and sea serpents,” to “here be gold and cannibals” and no mention was made of the oppressive heat, mosquitoes, or hurricanes.

[Read more →]

Position: 41.0N 51.4W [10:00AM CDT 1500 UTC].
Movement: East [080°] near 23 mph [37 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Gale Force Wind Radius: 105 miles [165 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1004 mb.

Currently about 405 miles [ 650 km] South-Southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

Melissa has lost tropical characteristics. This is the final NHC advisory.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

As Digby said: I told you so — that letter was all Trump, all the way. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone may has corrected the spelling and threw in some legalese, but real lawyers spotted it as a Trumpster fire.

Feeling the heat Trump resorts to threats and displays his ignorance of the Constitution and Federal laws:

Washington (CNN) — President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday night to sue top congressional Democrats Rep. Adam Schiff and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi amid the House impeachment inquiry into the President.

Trump, who has a long track record of calling for lawsuits against his critics and not following through, said, “We’re going to take a look at it. We’re going after these people. These are bad, bad people.” The President was speaking at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC.

Trump said he spoke to his lawyers about Schiff and told them, “Sue him anyway, even if we lose, the American public will understand.” Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence committee, is spearheading the impeachment inquiry.

“And sue Nancy Pelosi,” Trump continued. “Or maybe we should just impeach them, because they’re lying and what they’re doing is a terrible thing for our country.” Members of Congress cannot be impeached, according to the US Constitution.

Actually there is a way to impeach Nancy Pelosi — if Trump and Pence resign, Nancy becomes President and would then be subject to impeachment 😈

Position: 40.2N 56.7W [10:00PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: East-Northeast [075°] near 18 mph [30 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 70 miles [110 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1003 mb.

Currently about 485 miles [ 780 km] South-Southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

CNN has a compilation: Trump’s losses mount in stunning day of setbacks

It includes the Congressional testimony of Maria Yovanovitch: Former US ambassador to Ukraine says Trump wanted her removed and blames ‘unfounded and false claims’ This involves Rudy Giuliani, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman among others.

Kevin McAleenan resigns as acting homeland security secretary. One hundred days shy of three years in office Trump will be looking for his fifth Secretary (acting and otherwise) of Homeland Security. McAleenan “wants to spend more time with his family”, and possibly less time putting children in cages.

Finally Trump lost cases in five different courts. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Congress had a right to see Trump’s tax returns. A Texas District Court said the “Wall” was not an emergency and Trump couldn’t use emergency funds to build it. Finally, Trump’s Public Charge Rule lost in District Courts in New York, California, and Washington (state).

The cracks are appearing.