THINGS GET KRAZIER

Yesterday morning, a unanimous three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a $1 million sanction against Trump and attorney Alina Habba for filing a frivolous lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey. The courts continue to be the one place where the battle against The Krazy is recognized as the defining battle for democracy and against authoritarianism that it is.

Habba got further bad news Monday when another unanimous panel of three appellate judges with the Third US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s finding that Habba - Trump’s former personal attorney - is serving unlawfully as US attorney for New Jersey after she failed to win Senate support. The unanimous panel wrote: “Under the Government’s delegation theory, Habba may avoid the gauntlet of presidential appointment and Senate confirmation and serve as the de facto U.S. Attorney indefinitely. This view is so broad that it bypasses the constitutional (appointment and Senate confirmation) process entirely.” This deals a blow to Maladministration II that could have far-reaching impact in several key jurisdictions where Maladministration II doesn’t have Senate-confirmed US attorneys, including Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Speaking of cosplaying “U.S. Attorneys,” Lindsey Halligan has been left out of discussions about whether she can still be considered employed as a U.S. attorney. The DOJ is still determining how it can pursue the cases against Comey and James as part of Trump’s revenge tour. Bondi has offered no clarity on whether she still has a job. A DOJ spokesperson said: “Lindsey Halligan is an excellent attorney who continues to have the full support of Main Justice. The Department continues to consult with her the same way we do all U.S. Attorneys caught in this ridiculous appointment dilemma created by liberal activist judges.” An email from DOJ officials, seen by CNN, instructed the U.S. attorney’s office in Virginia to refer to Halligan with the twice-misspelled title of “Unites States Attorny,” as well as “special ”U.S. Attorney.” As of Monday, Halligan is still listed in the Eastern District of Virginia’s website.

Also on Monday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg set a Dec. 5 deadline in the contempt of court inquiry in the original Alien Enemies Act case, for the Trump administration to submit declarations “from all individuals involved in the decision not to halt the transfer of class members out of U.S. physical custody on March 15 and 16, 2025.” In ordering the declarations, Boasberg highlighted the administration’s filing earlier in the week claiming to identify the most senior official involved in defying Boasberg’s order to halt the AEA deportations of Venezuelan nationals: “The Government, now for the first time, has identified who purportedly made the decision not to recall planes containing Alien Enemies Act detainees on March 15, 2025: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.” Note Boasberg’s use of “purportedly” - that’s a tell that he isn’t buying the idea that dumb bunny Kristi came up with this on her own.

Last Wednesday, the Colorado Department of Corrections said it is not seeking a transfer of Tina Peters, convicted last year of orchestrating a scheme in Mesa County to breach voting machine data driven by false claims of fraud in the 2020 election. “Transferring an individual is an action initiated by the Colorado Department of Corrections, not an outside entity.” On November 12, the Federal Department of Prisons requested that the state corrections department transfer her to federal custody to serve her sentence. No reason for such a request was given. Peters’ release has become a cause celebre in the election conspiracy movement. This past Sunday, Trump renewed his call for her to be set free. One of Peters’ lawyers, Peter Ticktin, suggested on Bannon’s podcast last week that the military be used to free Peters from prison. County clerks in Colorado blame Peters for making their jobs more dangerous by fueling distrust in the voting system. They have been urging Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, to definitively reject the federal transfer request. Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said the state corrections department is ultimately under Polis’ control and will do what he directs it to. “The open-ended statement from the Department of Corrections does not alleviate our concerns.”

Speaking of freeing the bad guys, Trump’s pardon czar, Alice Johnson, posted on X on Thanksgiving Day that she is “deeply grateful to see David Gentile heading home to his young children.” Gentile, owner of GPB Capital Holdings, and Jeffry Schneider of Ascendant Capital, were convicted in August 2024 on charges of securities and wire fraud in a Ponzi scheme that raised over $1.7 billion. Prosecutors say Gentile and Schneider were convicted “for their roles in a multi-year scheme to defraud more than 10,000 investors by misrepresenting the performance of three GPB Capital private equity funds and the source of funds used to make monthly distribution payments to investors.” It does not appear that Schneider’s sentence was commuted. Gentile is the latest white-collar defendant Trump has given a reprieve as the president has leaned into his clemency powers in his second term. Gentile and Schneider were charged in 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Psrdon czar Johnson went on to say in her announcement that, “Unlike similar companies, GPB paid regular annualized distributions to its investors. In 2015, GPB disclosed to investors the possibility of using investor capital to pay some of these distributions rather than funding them from current operations. At trial, the government was unable to tie any supposedly fraudulent representations to Mr. Gentile. Mr. Gentile also raised serious concerns that the government had elicited false testimony and failed to correct such testimony.”

Monday, FEMA caved in a fight with its own staff, ordering them back to work after they were put on leave for railing against ICE Barbie Kristi Noem’s leadership. 194 FEMA employees signed an open letter in August, condemning Noem and Trump’s disaster response plans, or lack of. They were placed on leave and grilled by an internal goon squad of investigators, who told them to name the anonymous supporters of the statement or be fired. 14 were placed on administrative leave the following day. The 194 signatories argued that Maladministration II’s cuts to the agency have weakened its ability to respond to disasters. The release of the letter was timed to fall on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and came after Noem was criticized for her agency’s response to flooding in Texas in July that killed over 130 people.

Monday, presidential blowjobber Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Pistol Pete Kegstand authorized the second, follow-up strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean following a bombshell Washington Post report that claimed he ordered the military to “kill everybody.” She said that Pistol Pete authorized Adm. Frank Bradley to carry out the second strike, which reportedly killed two people who were hanging onto the burning vessel after an initial strike. “President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made it clear that presidentially designated narco-terrorist groups are subject to lethal targeting in accordance with the laws of war. With respect to the strikes in question on September 2, Secretary Hegseth authorized Adm. Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes. Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated. This administration has designated these narco-terrorists as foreign terrorist organizations. The president has the right to take them out if they are threatening the United States of America, if they are bringing illegal narcotics that are killing our citizens at a record rate, which is what they are doing.” So, now they celebrate illegal orders authorizing war crimes.

The publisher of the Franklin the Turtle cartoon has slammed Piss-drunk Pete Hegseth for using the cartoon in a violent image showing the turtle firing at drug boats. In response to Hegseth’s X post, publisher Kids Can Press wrote in a post shared on several social media platforms: “Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity. We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.” Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell responded: “We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels…or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists.” They are all snarling 12 year olds when caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Sundowning Grampaw Trump has deleted an error-riddled Truth Social message posted late Sunday night. Fresh from his Thanksgiving holiday in Florida, he began an angry post that initially read “Ther are laws that effect our nation.” After deleting his first attempt, he managed to spell “there” correctly the second time. After initially getting “effect” and “affect” confused, heused the less problematic word “impact.” iHe finally wrote: “There are laws that impact our nation. Read Title 18, Chapter 115, Section 2387. “Whoever with the intent to interfere, impair, influence the loyalty, moral, or discipline of the military and Naval forces... to be fined or imprisoned up to ten years.” Commander Kurt Lippold, U.S. Navy Ret. This is right on point. DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE!” He appeared to think the passage was a direct quote from former U.S. Navy Commander Kirk Lippold, who commanded the USS Cole in 2000 when it was targeted by al Qaeda suicide bombers in Yemen. Now that Kegstand has been outed for issuing an illegal order to kill all aboard the first fishing boat illegally attacked on September 2, Gramps is desperate to make the question about the six Democrats who reminded members of the military that they are required not to obey illegal orders the “Real Problem.

In a news conference held at the capitol on Monday, Senator Mark Kelly said he and his family have seen threats to their lives increase since Trump called for him and five other Democratic lawmakers to be executed after they urged service members to refuse illegal orders. “The threats on us have obviously gone up. We take these threats very seriously, and I take the threats from this president seriously.” He added that he has not heard anything further from the Department of Defense or others in the administration outside the public social media postings by the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the threat to recall him to active duty and try him in a court martial for the posting about illegal orders. (Even Kegbreath is smart enough to know how badly the war crime defenders would lose such a case.) Kelly said the recent targeted killings of drug traffickers on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific had not prompted the Democratic video. Instead, he said it was scores of remarks by Trump dating back to 2015. There is increasing apprehension among service members that they may be asked to carry out an illegal order, reflected in an uptick in calls to the Orders Project, which provides free legal advice to military personnel . These come from staff officers involved in planning the strikes and those in charge of designating those on the vessels as a threat.

Hakeem Jeffries into Secretary Kegstand over his role in a deadly “double-tap” strike on a suspected drug boat, suggesting the attack violated the law and that Hegseth should face consequences. “It’s already been crystal clear that Pete Hegseth is the most unqualified secretaries of Defense in American history. I called for him to be terminated months ago. And now we have real evidence that extrajudicial killings are taking place. That’s the stain on America’s leadership in the free world, which is why our international standing is plummeting.”

Jeffries warned that any violations of the law by Trump officials might sbe prosecuted when Trump is out of office. “The one thing that should be clear to all these Republican extremists, and sycophants, and the people who are either actively involved in corruption, violating the law, engaged in extrajudicial activity, is that the statute of limitations for any crimes being committed now is five years.”

While he was on the Golden Throne Sunday, Gramps also went on about the Grand Amazing Dancehall after arguing about the size of the Grand Amazing Dancehall last week with architect James McCrery II, who he personally selected to design the dancehall, posting “As long as we are going to do it, we are going to do it RIGHT.” The dancehall has grown from a 500-seat room to Trump now wanting it to hold 1,350 guests and be big enough to host an inauguration. The NYT said Trump told builders they could ignore zoning, permitting or code requirements because the structure is on White House grounds. (FACT CHECK: The project is yet to be submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal body responsible for reviewing the design.) While Trump claims he has secured funding for the ballroom from corporate donors, Jamie Dimon - CEO of America’s biggest bank, JPMorgan - explained in an interview with Erin Burnett on Saturday that “Since we do a lot of contracts with governments here and around the world, we have to be very careful how anything is perceived. And also, how the next DOJ is going to deal with it? So, we’re quite conscious of the risk we bear by doing anything, it looks like, you know, buying favors or anything like that. So, you know, do we do things like that? We also have policies. We don’t do certain things.”

Maladministration II finally revealed on Monday that Trump had a “preventative” MRI last month to look at his heart and abdomen. Details came after Maladministration II went weeks without answering questions about the reason for it. Sunday, Trump told reporters he was willing to release more information before going on to attack those who asked about it. The memo released from Dr. Sean Barbabella reads: “As part of President Donald J. Trump’s comprehensive executive physical, advanced imaging was performed because men in his age group benefit from a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health. The purpose of this imaging is preventative: to identify issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure he maintains long-term vitals and function.” The memo said that Trump’s cardiovascular imaging was “perfectly normal,” there was “no evidence of arterial narrowing impairing blood flow or abnormalities in the heart or major vessels,” and his cardiovascular system shows “excellent health.” An MRI is not typically a routine part of a physical and the memo did not explain exactly what prompted it.

Further proof that Idaho is a place you don’t want to visit: A pro-MAGA bar promising free drinks to anyone who offers information leading to the deportation of “illegal” migrants was flooded with abuse and bad reviews after DHS amplified its offer. Saturday, the Old State Saloon in Eagle, Idaho - owned by “Heterosexual Supremacist” Mark Fitzpatrick - posted on X, “FREE BEER FOR ONE MONTH” to “anyone who helps ICE identify and ultimately deport an illegal from Idaho.” Four hours later, DHS reposted the offer to its 2.5 million followers, helping the post - which has been viewed 5.7 million times - go viral. The bar began receiving hundreds of negative online reviews, emails, and calls from angry opponents whom the bar’s social media account branded the “loser LEFT.” The bar also complained that Instagram and Facebook had removed the post. At least one Old State Saloon customer has already taken the bar up on its offer. Ryan Spoon, vice chair of the Ada County Republican Central Committee in Idaho, was granted free beer from any of its 20 taps after he submitted proof that he’d assisted ICE in making an arrest. On social media, the Old State Saloon leans into its culture-war branding, boasting that “liberals around the world hate us” and dubbing itself the “Birthplace of Heterosexual Awesomeness Month.” Fitzpatrick launched “Heterosexual Awesomeness Month” promotion in June 2024 as a response to Pride Month, advertising discounts and complimentary drinks for straight men, women, and couples. The Old State Saloon also sells a range of merchandise through its online store, including T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “Make America Straight Again.” Fitzpatrick said: “At Old State Saloon, we will never stop speaking out until every last illegal alien is deported and Idaho is great again.”

Let’s finish with good news released on World AIDS Day yesterday: researchers reported a breakthrough that suggests a “functional” cure for HIV - a way to keep the virus under control long-term, without constant treatment - may indeed be possible. In two independent trials using infusions of engineered antibodies, some participants remained healthy without taking antiretrovirals, long after the interventions ended. In the FRESH trial, led by virologist Thumbi Ndung’u of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa, 4 of 20 participants maintained undetectable levels of HIV for a median of 1.5 years without taking antiretrovirals. In the other, the RIO trial set in the United Kingdom and Denmark and led by Sarah Fidler, a clinical doctor and HIV research expert at Imperial College London, 6 of 34 HIV-positive participants have maintained viral control for at least two years. These landmark proof-of-concept trials show the immune system can be harnessed to fight HIV. Researchers are now looking to conduct larger, more representative trials to see whether antibodies can be optimized to work for more people.

Trump may have won Tennessee District 7 - for Democrats. On Monday, he called in to the rally MAGA Mike was holding for the election. The one issue that people are most concerned about is prices and inflation. Donald Trump mentioned nothing about prices and inflation in his rant. He instead went on about the (non-existent) tax cuts for “ordinary people”. Polls show the economy is the primary issue in the election. Aftyn BehnHe also accused Democrat Aftyn Behn of “hating” Christianity and country music - neither of which is true. As of Monday, he was -2 in the district on popularity, after winning it a year ago by 22 points.

Tom Nichols gets today’s last word: “Posting stupid memes after being accused of murder is not the response of a patriot who must answer to the public about the security of the United States and its people in uniform. It is not the response of a secretary of defense who values the advice of the officers who report to him. It is not the response of a human being who comprehends the risks - and the costs - of ordering other people to kill helpless men clinging to the wreck of a boat. It is, instead, the response of a sneering, spoiled punk who has been caught doing wrong and is now daring the local fuzz to take him in and risk the anger of his rich dad, a role fulfilled by Donald Trump, in this case.”

Photo: KarenRN

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