“Arson investigators with the Austin Fire Department arrested a man Wednesday who is accused of intentionally setting fire to an Austin synagogue on Halloween night. Franklin Barrett Sechriest, 18, is suspected of using an accelerant near the sanctuary doors of Congregation Beth Israel to ignite the flames, causing an estimated $25,000 in damage, according to AFD. An arrest affidavit for Sechriest said surveillance video showed a dark-colored Jeep enter the north parking lot around 9 p.m. the night of the fire. The driver, described as a ‘tall thin white male with dark hair’ got out of the car carrying what seemed to be a heavy green jug. They were able to capture the Jeep’s plate number from the footage and track down the SUV’s owner. While the Jeep wasn’t registered to Sechriest, he lived with the person who it was registered to, and investigators found that Sechriest fit the description of the suspect seen in surveillance videos” KXAN reports on what apparently was passes as regular old Halloween mischief in MAGA world these days.

Where normal kids would be like “Hey let’s go egg Old Man Sullivan’s house” or “What if we toilet papered the trees outside the police station? That’d definitely piss them off, lol” it’s “Dude, wouldn’t it be a hilarious prank if we burned down the Jew church? Let’s go do it! I’ll drive!”

“The great people of Serbia and Kosovo have overcome tremendous obstacles in their pursuit of economic normalization. The agreements my administration brokered are historic and should not be abandoned, many lives are at stake. The region is too important and the people have waited too long for this work to be cast aside. Today, my Envoy Ambassador Ric Grenell visited the Kosovo- Serbia border to highlight this important agreement. Just like we proved in the Middle East with the Abraham Accords, peace and economic normalization is possible, but it takes a sincere effort and unwavering leadership. Peace is possible, don’t give up – long term prosperity for those two nations is at stake!” says Trump is a statement, making it clear his non-administration is now conducting international diplomacy because who the hell knows.

“U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is calling on Wisconsin lawmakers to take over elections and tell local officials to ignore the work of the bipartisan Elections Commission they set up six years ago. The Oshkosh Republican on Wednesday met privately for an hour with GOP legislative leaders in the state Capitol, less than two weeks after telling the Journal Sentinel in an interview that lawmakers should set aside the commission’s work. In the earlier interview, Johnson accused the state commission of ‘systematically’ violating the law with the advice it gave to municipal clerks during the coronavirus pandemic last year. He contended Republicans who control the Legislature could unilaterally take over federal elections and said Democratic Gov Tony Evers couldn’t stop them. ‘There’s no mention of the governor in the Constitution’ when it comes to running elections.”

“‘It says state legislatures, and so if I were running the joint — and I’m not — I would come out and I would just say, ‘We’re reclaiming our authority. Don’t listen to WEC anymore. Their guidances are null and void.” Attempting to overtake elections without the sign-off of Evers would all but guarantee a legal challenge. The Elections Commission was created by state law and the normal process for replacing it would be for legislators to pass legislation and the governor to sign it. Republican lawmakers voted to create the Elections Commission in 2015 over the objections of Democrats. Until the commission was formed, elections were overseen by the Government Accountability Board. Republicans believed that agency was biased against them, particularly after it launched a wide-ranging probe of Republicans for alleged campaign finance laws. The state Supreme Court shut down the investigation before it was completed and Republicans quickly dissolved the accountability board” – Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Washington Post: “Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko threatened Thursday to cut gas supplies to Europe if the European Union introduces new sanctions on Belarusian officials and entities, in a sharp escalation of tensions over a migration crisis on the Belarusian-Polish border. European leaders blame Lukashenko for orchestrating the crisis in retaliation for European sanctions. They accuse him of opening Belarusian borders to migrants, mainly from the Middle East, who are trying to reach Europe through Belarus. But they also face a mounting energy crisis, after gas prices soared due to low stocks in Europe, lower-than-expected wind power generation, increased demand in Asia and Russian reluctance to help bridge the shortfall. The migrant crisis has become a worrying flash point for tensions between Europe and Belarus, which is backed by its close ally Russia. Poland has deployed thousands of troops along the border, and Russia sent two long-range strategic bombers Wednesday to patrol the Belarusian border with Europe.”

“Dominion Voting Systems Inc., the company falsely accused of rigging the 2020 presidential election, sued Fox Corp. in an effort to gain access to Chairman Rupert Murdoch’s documents about its coverage of the contest. Dominion is trying to find out how much Murdoch and his eldest son, Fox Corp. Chief Executive Officer Lachlan Murdoch, were involved in Fox News’s broadcasting of bogus claims that Dominion conspired with foreign hackers to flip millions of votes away from then-President Donald Trump. Dominion sued Fox News in March, but the network has balked at searching the Murdochs’ documents, Dominion said in a suit filed in Delaware state court. ‘Indeed, Fox News has disclaimed any responsibility for searching or producing the Murdochs’ documents, or working to facilitate any discovery from Fox Corporation at all – despite Fox Corporation’s clear involvement (through Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, and others) in managing Fox News, including through editorial input and control,’ Dominion said.”

“The searches are warranted because the Murdochs ‘exert direct control’ over editorial decisions at Fox News, which Dominion accused of pushing the conspiracy theory to avoid losing viewers who supported Trump, according to the complaint, filed Monday. The claims were repeatedly made on-air by Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump’s main lawyers in the fight to overturn the election results, and former Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell. ‘The filing today changes nothing of substance in this case,’ Fox Corp. said in an emailed statement. ‘Fox is proud of our 2020 election coverage, which stands in the highest tradition of American journalism, and we will continue to vigorously defend against this baseless lawsuit in court'” – Bloomberg.

Insider: “A 73-year-old man in Venice, Florida, has been convicted of threatening three members of Congress, and Rep. Ilhan Omar said she was one of the targets. A federal jury found Frank Anthony Pezzuto guilty Wednesday of sending “three separate threatening communications to injure certain members of Congress,” according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida. Pezzuto called the office of a congressman identified only as E.S. on January 25, 2020, saying he was coming to kill him, according to evidence presented at the trial.”

“On January 30, 2020, Pezzuto called the office of another congressman, identified as A.S., and claimed he was a member of the gang MS-13 and that they were coming to cut off A.S.’s head, according to the evidence. The third call presented as evidence was to the office of a congresswoman identified as I.O. on February 3, 2020. Pezzuto told the person who answered the phone: ‘Tell her I’m going to kill her today.’ Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, said in a tweet Wednesday that her office had recieved that call. The US Attorney’s Office said Pezzuto made the calls from his home in Florida with his cell phone. He concealed his number but Capitol Police, who investigated the case, were able to identify him as the caller.”

"We love you, our nation respects you, the world respects you, and we will come back.

"Our Country will be back and will be back stronger than ever. Happy Veterans Day." 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lJ5eTtnZjT

— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) November 11, 2021

“A thousand pounds of rainbow trout will be released into streams in West Virginia this week. The Kanawha County Commission and Indian Lake Fish Hatchery will release the fish into the Elk River and Blue Creek on Friday. ‘We are proud to continue the tradition of enriching the lives of our citizens through outdoor recreation in Kanawha County,’ commission president Kent Carper said. ‘The pandemic has reminded all of us of the importance of having fun and safe outdoor activities for our communities to enjoy.’ The release will complete the second trout stocking for the year and the final stock for 2021” the Associated Press reports.

“It took less than 72 hours to demonstrate how miserable Kevin McCarthy could be if he fulfills his dream of becoming speaker of the House in 2023. Late Friday night, 13 House Republicans defied the GOP minority leader, and bailed out President Joe Biden and Democrats by getting a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill over the finish line. Then, on Monday, one of McCarthy’s most extreme members – Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona – tweeted out a cartoon depicting him murdering Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and attacking Biden with swords. It prompted Democratic outrage and calls for McCarthy to respond. The GOP leader does indeed face pressure within his own ranks to respond to the events of those 72 hours – and it’s to rebuke the 13 Republicans who voted to fund roads and bridges, not the one who publicly fantasized about chopping a colleague’s head off.”

“In the minds of some of the most pro-Trump Republicans, handing Democrats that win amounts to treachery, far more than anything Gosar did. A group of them is preparing an internal GOP conference resolution to remove these Republicans from their committee assignments, according to an aide involved in the effort. There are questions from both sides of the aisle about what leaders plan to do about Gosar. As one senior GOP aide told The Daily Beast, ‘We would be freaking out if the roles were reversed.’ But most aides feel it’s likely that McCarthy will do nothing, yet again putting Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in the position of weighing whether to issue a partisan rebuke of an opposition member who the GOP decided to protect” – Daily Beast.

Washington Post:  “U.S. Postal Service officials say they have the staffing and resources to handle the coming onslaught of holiday packages, and avoid a repeat of the disastrous 2020 season that brought mail delivery to a crawl.

“The agency outlined its holiday plans during a meeting Wednesday of its governing board. Ron Bloom, the panel’s chair, said the mail service has added dozens of package-sorting machines and will be able to process an additional 4.5 million parcels — an 18 percent increase — a day. It also plans to hire 40,000 seasonal workers.  The moves are a direct result of the agency’s dismal 2020 metrics, according to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

“’Last year, for a variety of reasons, we were overwhelmed and were not able to meet the demands of the nation,’ he said. ‘We are ready, so send us your packages and your mail, and we will deliver timely.’  In December 2020, the Postal Service was delivering only 38 percent of nonlocal first-class mail on time, a historic drop. Lawmakers were inundated with complaints from constituents and business about late-arriving holiday packages and essentials such as medication, paychecks and bills.”

NPR:  “Scientists have evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads explosively in white-tailed deer, and the virus is widespread in this deer population across the U.S.  Researchers say the findings are quite concerning and could have vast implications for the long-term course of the global pandemic.

“Since SARS-CoV-2 first emerged, there have been several signs that white-tailed deer would be highly susceptible to the virus — and that many of these animals were catching it across the country.  In September last year, computer models suggested SARS-CoV-2 could easily bind to and enter the deer’s cells. A recent survey of white-tailed deer in the Northeast and Midwest found that 40% of them had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

“Now veterinarians at The Pennsylvania State University have found active SARS-CoV-2 infections in at least 30% of deer tested across Iowa during 2020. The study, published online last week, suggests that white-tailed deer could become what’s known as a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2. That is, the animals could carry the virus indefinitely and spread it back to humans periodically.  If that’s the case, it would essentially dash any hopes of eliminating or eradicating the virus in the U.S. — and therefore in the world — says veterinary virologist Suresh Kuchipudi at Penn State, who co-led the study.”

Reuters:  “France is at the beginning of a fifth wave of the coronavirus epidemic, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Wednesday.

“‘Several neighboring countries are already in a fifth wave of the COVID epidemic, what we are experiencing in France clearly looks like the beginning of a fifth wave,’ Veran said on TF1 television, adding the circulation of the virus was accelerating.

“The health ministry registered 11,883 new cases on Wednesday, the second day in a row with a new case tally over 10,000. New cases have seen double-digit percentage increases week-on-week since around mid-October.”

Bloomberg:  “Hong Kong ordered 120 school students into quarantine and recommended that an international school shut down after exposure to the family of a Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. pilot who tested positive for Covid-19.

“The aggressive action was taken after two Cathay pilots, part of a group that is exempt from the standard quarantine requirement that applies to most people entering the city, tested positive for the virus after returning from a trip abroad and reentering the community. The wife of one of the pilots is a teacher at Discovery Bay International School, and his two sons are students there.  The potential exposure to the pilots and their close contacts could challenge Hong Kong’s month-long streak of infection-free days and comes just as the government is making headway in negotiations to reopen border with the mainland China.

“The government ordered 120 children who were the wife’s students or the sons’ classmates into quarantine for three days, the Centre for Health Protection officials said on Wednesday. Their quarantine will end if the family members test negative. Officials also recommended that the school suspend its operations while contact tracing is underway.”

“Hold on.  Why would we take Ukraine’s side and not Russia’s side?” Fox News host (and only human who says, “Yum.  Cabbage.”) Tucker Carlson questions.  “It’s a sincere question.  If you’re looking for American perspectives–yeah, but… why?  Who has the energy reserves?  Who, who’s the major player in world affairs?  Who’s the potential counterbalance against China, who is the actual threat?  Why would we take Ukraine’s side?  Why aren’t we on Russia’s side?  I-I-I don’t–I’m totally confused.”

“Well, clearly,” the guest says dryly.

“Plaintiff, as is his right, has sought review of this court’s denial of his Motion for a Preliminary Injunction. And the court is aware that the timeline for appellate review of that decision will be accelerated. But nothing in the court’s November 9, 2021, Order, or this Order, triggers the harm he alleges because the Archivist will not submit the requested records to the Select Committee until November 12, 2021, and Plaintiff can seek appellate relief in the interim. This court will not effectively ignore its own reasoning in denying injunctive relief in the first place to grant injunctive relief now. For the above reasons, Plaintiff’s Emergency Motion for Preliminary Injunction Pending Appeal or Administrative Injunction, ECF No. 38, is DENIED” says the final order from DC Circuit Court Judge Tanya Chutkan.

NBC News:  “A group of House Democrats said Wednesday they plan to introduce a resolution censuring Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., for posting an edited animated video depicting him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and attacking President Joe Biden.  Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat and co-chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, was joined by nine other lawmakers in a joint statement announcing their plans to file the censure resolution on Friday.

“’For a Member of Congress to post a manipulated video on his social media accounts depicting himself killing Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden is a clear cut case for censure,’ the lawmakers said. ‘For that Member to post such a video on his official Instagram account and use his official congressional resources in the House of Representatives to further violence against elected officials goes beyond the pale.’

“Gosar on Sunday evening shared an altered video on his official social media channels in which he and other Republican lawmakers are depicted as heroes from the Japanese anime series ‘Attack on Titan.’ The faces of Ocasio-Cortez and Biden were superimposed on the villains of the anime show. Twitter later added a warning label to Gosar’s tweet.

NBC Washington’s Scott MacFarlane gives us all a bit of good news. Granted, it’s not an arrest warrant for Steve Bannon, but it’s still something.

“A lot of my peers don’t like to talk about these facts,” claims Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who has no background in climatology or environmental science.  “Eight times as many people die of cold related temperatures than heat related temperatures, so while it may be true that surface temperatures rise, actually, the question is whether that’s a bad thing for saving human lives.”

Well, no, Vivek, that’s not the question.  You’re comparing the number of people who died of hypothermia versus those that die of hyperthermia, but you’re ignoring all the people who are dying from diseases that spread in hotter temperatures, all the people killed from the ensuing extreme weather, and all the people who have died in the conflicts caused by migration and crop failures.