Christian Post: “A Virginia megachurch pastor who is facing a felony charge of soliciting prostitution from a minor has agreed to step down from his leadership position at his congregation. John Blanchard, the lead pastor of the Rock Church of Virginia Beach, was one of 17 individuals arrested in an October sting operation aimed at capturing people seeking sexual relations with minors online. In a statement posted to its website in response to the arrest, the Rock Church explained that Blanchard had ‘voluntarily stepped back as lead pastor and from all his ministerial duties until this present situation is totally resolved.’ ‘During this season, Bishop Anne Gimenez will be stepping in as Lead Pastor and sharing the pulpit with Pastor Robin Blanchard,’ said the church.”

“We would ask that the privacy of the Blanchard family be respected as they walk through this difficult journey together.’ Rock Church also stated that it ‘condemns sexual immorality of any kind and in any form by its members and leaders,’ and is ‘committed to honesty and integrity in dealing with charges or accusations of sexual misconduct or immorality among its leaders and will support any investigation arising from accusations of violation of this standard'”

“Mak Parhar, the New Westminster man who gained online notoriety for his belief the earth is flat and outspoken denial that COVID-19 exists, has died. New Westminster police confirmed they were called to help paramedics at a home in the Sapperton neighbourhood Thursday morning, but arrived to find Parkhar deceased. The cause of death has not been determined and will be investigated by the BC Coroners Service. In a recent livestreamed video, Parhar reported feeling ill with a variety of symptoms, including fatigue, chills and a cough, which he said was ‘not CONVID (sic) because CONVID (sic) doesn’t exist.’ In a video posted Wednesday, Parhar said he was feeling somewhat better and had recently taken Ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug widely touted in the anti-vax community, but which Canadian and US health officials have warned against using” reports GlobalNews.ca because haha Global News and he’s a Flat Earther.

Wondering if the Flat Earth community has their own version of a viking funeral when one of theirs dies, in which they gather at the edge of the disc or square or whatever shape the planet is in their mythology to somberly push the casket of the deceased off the precipice and into the aether in either a canoe or a wagon, depending on whether it’s held at a water or land-based edge.

Government propaganda…for your 5 year old! https://t.co/lKUlomnpq1

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 6, 2021

Associated Press:  “A Navy ship named for slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk, who served four years in the Navy before being forced out, was christened and launched in San Diego Bay on Saturday.  The replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk slid down the shipyard ways after a bottle of champagne was smashed on the bow by former Navy officer Paula M. Neira, clinical program director for the Johns Hopkins Center for Transgender Health.

“Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk, and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro watched the traditional ceremony. ‘The secretary of the Navy needed to be here today, not just to amend the wrongs of the past, but to give inspiration to all of our LGBTQ community leaders who served in the Navy, in uniform today and in the civilian workforce as well too, and to tell them that we’re committed to them in the future,’ Del Toro said.  Del Toro said that, like many others, Milk had to ‘mask that very important part of his life’ while he served in the Navy.

“‘For far too long, sailors like Lt. Milk were forced into the shadows or, worse yet, forced out of our beloved Navy,’ Del Toro said. ‘That injustice is part of our Navy history, but so is the perseverance of all who continue to serve in the face of injustice.’  Milk was one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office. He was serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978 when a former political colleague, Dan White, assassinated him and Mayor George Moscone at City Hall.”

Washington Post:  “A federal appeals court suspended the Biden administration’s new vaccine requirement for private companies, delivering a major blow for one of the White House’s signature attempts to increase the number of vaccinations to corral the pandemic.  The decision was issued by a panel of three judges appointed by Republican presidents in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The judges wrote that there was ’cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the mandate,’ staying the order while the court assesses it in more depth.

“The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed Friday by a group of plaintiffs including Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R), part of a wave of lawsuits against the order from mostly Republican-aligned groups and politicians.  Landry on Saturday called it a ‘major win for the liberty of job creators and their employees.’

“‘The Court’s action not only halts Biden from moving forward,’ he said, calling the requirement unlawful, ‘but also commands the judicious review we sought.’  The unsigned, four-paragraph order from the panel temporarily stops Biden’s mandate but is not a ruling on the merits of the policy. The court gave the Justice Department until 5 p.m. Monday to respond to the challenger’s request for a more permanent halt to the administration’s policy.”

Associated Press:  “An oil tanker truck exploded near Sierra Leone’s capital, killing at least 98 people and severely injuring dozens of others after large crowds gathered to collect leaking fuel, officials and witnesses said Saturday.  The explosion took place late Friday when the tanker collided with another truck as it was pulling into a gas station near a busy intersection in Wellington, just east of the capital of Freetown, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.

“‘Both drivers came out of their vehicles and warned community residents to stay off the scene while trying to address a leakage emanating from the collision,’ the agency said.  In this deeply impoverished country, however, crowds still rushed in to scoop up the fuel, witnesses said. It was not immediately known what caused the leaking fuel to ignite but a massive explosion soon followed.

“Video obtained by The Associated Press showed a giant fireball burning in the night sky as some survivors with severe burns cried out in pain. The charred remains of some victims lay strewn at the scene, awaiting transport to mortuaries.  Nearly 100 injured people were taken to area hospitals, officials said. About 30 severely burned people at Connaught Hospital were not expected to survive, according to Foday Musa, a staff member in its intensive care unit.”

“As the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot fights to extract testimony and documents from Donald J. Trump’s White House, an Atlanta district attorney is moving toward convening a special grand jury in her criminal investigation of election interference by the former president and his allies, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deliberations. The prosecutor, Fani Willis of Fulton County, opened her inquiry in February and her office has been consulting with the House committee, whose evidence could be of considerable value to her investigation. But her progress has been slowed in part by the delays in the panel’s fact gathering. By convening a grand jury dedicated solely to the allegations of election tampering, Ms. Willis, a Democrat, would be indicating that her own investigation is ramping up.”

“Her inquiry is seen by legal experts as potentially perilous for the former president, given the myriad interactions he and his allies had with Georgia officials, most notably Mr. Trump’s January call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, urging him to ‘find 11,780 votes’ – enough to reverse the state’s election result. The Georgia case is one of two active criminal investigations known to touch on the former president and his circle; the other is the examination of his financial dealings by the Manhattan district attorney” – New York Times.

After Glenn Youngkin’s win in Virginia, many Democrats have been aggravated over the Democratic Party’s on-going in-fighting, and failure to put public pressure on the Justice Department to indict Steve Bannon. Republicans have reacted to the victory with their typical over-confidence, claiming that vulnerable Democrats might as well “retire or lose“. The Youngkin victory should not be taken as proof that MAGA ideology as alive and well, and Republican politicians who make that their key takeaway do so at their own peril.

As Democratic voters work through the stages of grief, there are a number of key factors they should consider about the Youngkin victory, and what it suggests for the 2022 mid-terms. Lincoln Project Senior Adviser Tara Setmayer and former RNC Chair Michael Steele discussed those issues on a recent episode of The Breakdown on Lincoln Project TV.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so why not celebrating early? Syracuse radio station Y94FM (WYYY-FM) switched to all Christmas music on Friday, nearly three weeks before Thanksgiving. ‘Ho ho ho! If you’re ready for holiday tunes…check out Y94, in Syracuse or on the iHeartRadio app,'” reports Syracuse.com.

“Really? Do we actually need this? This is why we’re known as the kind of town where naked people get stuck in walls,” said one Syracuse resident.

“Masks will no longer be required in Miami-Dade County buildings, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Friday. In a tweet about the reversal, Cava said it is due to ‘enormous progress we have made against the Delta variant, and in consultation with our Chief Medical Officer.’ Cava had reinstated the mask mandate in July and urged businesses to do the same due to a spike in COVID cases and deaths, which was later recognized as Florida’s third wave,” reports MiamiHerald.com.

“Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is speaking out against a new Missouri law meant to protect the rights of the state’s gun owners. He and a number of Missouri police, sheriffs, and prosecutors say the Second Amendment Preservation Act makes law enforcement think twice about cooperating with agencies like the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, to investigate crimes involving guns,” reports CBS News.

“Local law enforcement agencies have long depended on the federal government for extra manpower, superior forensic technology and stiffer penalties for those found guilty of serious crimes. Now representatives of these agencies say the new statute leaves members of Missouri law enforcement vulnerable to civil lawsuits and $50,000 fines for working with federal agencies.”

“The Mighty Ducks franchise will continue without Gordon Bombay. Emilio Estevez, who reprised his role from the 1992 movie and its 1994 and 1996 sequels in Season 1 of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, will not be back for the Disney+ series’ upcoming second season, I have learned. I hear Disney Television Studios’ ABC Signature, which produces the hockey-themed sequel series, made the decision not to pick up Estevez’s option for Season 2 after weeks of back and forth with his team over the show’s Covid vaccination requirement. Reps for the studio and Estevez declined comment. Heading into Season 2, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers – like many Disney TV Studios series – has adopted a mandatory vaccination policy for the cast and crew in Zone A, which was included as an option in the most recent Return-to-Work agreement between the Hollywood studios and major unions. (Zone A includes all actors and crew members who come into direct contact with them)” Deadline reports and Jesus Christ this is so freaking stupid.

“The supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhunzada, has warned the group that there may be ‘unknown’ entities among their ranks who are ‘working against the will of the government’. The warning came in a statement attributed to Akhunzada that was circulated widely on Taliban social media accounts on Thursday,” reports Al Jazeera.

“The Taliban’s supreme leader has not been seen in public since the group seized power nearly three months ago, capturing the Afghan capital of Kabul on August 15 and declaring an Islamic emirate as US forces withdrew following a decades-long occupation. Since the Taliban took control of the country, its leadership has repeatedly warned of impostors and criminals joining the group in an effort to harm its image.”

Florida Agricultural Commissioner and declared Dem candidate for governor Nikki Fried had speculated this week that DeSantis’s stupid plan to create some sort of election integrity police force had been a direct response to Stone’s threat to run and split the vote against DeSantis for his inaction in “auditing” the 2020 election in a state Trump won by half a million votes. If that’s the case then it’s safe to say Stone isn’t mollified by the proposal. It’s also probably safe to say that DeSantis isn’t moving forward with an “audit” as doing so is extremely unlikely to find a significant number of “illegal” votes which would just end up pissing off the MAGA crowd even more.

“A former Green Beret and one-time congressional candidate arrested last month for his alleged participation in the Capitol riot was illegally stockpiling explosives prior to being jailed on charges related to the Jan. 6 pro-Trump siege, according to an FBI search warrant filed Friday in Washington, D.C. federal court. When federal agents searched 47-year-old Jeremy Brown’s Florida home in October, they reported finding a short-barrel rifle, a sawed-off shotgun, more than 8,000 rounds of ammunition, and two hand grenades. But it was a picture included in a sales listing for his house on Zillow that led to his latest troubles” the Daily Beast reports.

“In a photo from ‘what appears to be Brown’s office,’ FBI agents spotted a whiteboard with columns labeled ‘Food,’ ‘Clothing,’ ‘Shelter,’ ‘Currency,’ ‘Communicate,’ ‘Move,’ and ‘Shoot,’ the warrant states. In the ‘shoot’ column, it continues, ‘there are numerous firearms listed and explosive devices such as ‘flash bangs.’’ The entry on the whiteboard indicated that Brown had the flash bangs ‘on hand,’ the filing says, adding that Brown ‘is not registered to possess explosive devices.’ Brown remains jailed after a judge in October ruled he was a danger to the community.”

AP: “At least eight people died and numerous others were injured in what officials described as a surge of the crowd at the Astroworld music festival in Houston while rapper Travis Scott was performing. Officials declared a ‘mass casualty incident’ just after 9 p.m. Friday during the festival where an estimated 50,000 people were in attendance, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña told reporters at a news conference. ‘The crowd began to compress towards the front of the stage, and that caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries,’ the fire chief said.”

“‘People began to fall out, become unconscious, and it created additional panic.’ The show was called off shortly thereafter. The fire chief said ‘scores of individuals’ were injured. Officials transported 17 people to hospitals, including 11 who were in cardiac arrest, Peña said. Many people were also treated at the scene at NRG Park, where a field hospital had been set up. About 300 people were examined at that site throughout the day, he said. Astroworld is a two-day music festival that was scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday in Houston. The event was sold out, according to the Astroworld website. Saturday’s performances have been canceled.”

https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1456829114439110659

Ignoring instructions from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to avoid attacking fellow Republicans, Marge goes into full attack mode.

UPDATE (11:35 PM ET):  The Republicans who voted for the bill: AKAL Don Young, IL16 Adam Kinzinger, MI06 Fred Upton, NE02 Don Bacon, NJ02 Jeff Van Drew, NY23 Tom Reed, NY24 John Katko, NJ04 Chris Smith, PA01 Brian Fitzpatrick, OH16 Anthony Gonzalez, NY11 Nicole Malliatokis, and NY02 Andrew Garbarino.

Dems who voted against: MN05 Omar, NY14 Ocasio Cortez, MI13 Tlaib, MA07Presley, MO01 Bush, NY16 Bowman.

UPDATE (11:26 PM ET):  The final vote was 228-206 with 13 Republicans joining 215 Democrats supporting passage, and 6 Democrats voting against it with 200 Republicans.

In a late night vote, the House passed HR3684, the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan which the Senate passed in August, sending the bill to President Biden’s desk for his signature.  The bill passed with bipartisan support, with the vote still being tallied as this story posts.