“Investigators discovered rifles, shotguns, handguns, and approximately 25,000 rounds of ammunition at the home of Samuel Cassidy, the gunman who shot and killed nine people before taking his own life Thursday at a light rail yard in San Jose, California, a spokesman for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said. As reported by KTVU, authorities said they also found 17 Molotov cocktails that had been strategically placed around Cassidy’s home, which he set ablaze before leaving for work. An ex-girlfriend of Cassidy’s described him as abusive and said he had repeatedly forced himself on her sexually during their tumultuous year-long relationship. Cassidy’s father, 88-year-old James Edward Cassidy, told The Daily Beast that he was shocked by the mass shooting, as his son ‘seemed completely himself’ in the days before the incident.”  —Daily Beast

The US Department of Justice announced Friday that it was urging a federal court to drop a lawsuit against Donald Trump and former Attorney General Bill Barr for ordering the use of force to clear an area in Lafayette Square before Trump arrived for a photo op.

According to the Washington Post, the DOJ argues that public officials are immune from lawsuits relating to measure taken to ensure the safety of the president and to secure his movements.  The action, taken so Trump could be photographed holding a Bible in front of St. John’s Church, which was the target of a small fire the night before.

The lawsuit was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of D.C., Black Lives Matter, other civil liberties groups and individual protesters who argue that Trump and Barr abused their offices while jeopardizing the health and safety of protesters, many of whom were on private property at the church, when they sent armed police and National Guard to clear the area in front of the church. 

Republican South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem flew with Mike Lindell on his private jet to the Republican Governors Association meeting in Nashville, Tennessee before Lindell was unceremoniously rejected from attending any RGA events, Politico reports.

Noem, a rumored candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination for president and one of the rising names in the Party, taking the ride with Lindell connects her to someone who is increasing making himself unwelcome in GOP circles.

A staunch ally of Donald Trump and a vocal proponent of Trump’s Big Lie about the 2020 election, Lindell has alienated many mainstream Republicans with his insistence that state elections officials conspired with a global cabal to throw the 2020 presidential election to Democratic President Joe Biden.

Times of Israel: “Yamina leader Naftali Bennett has agreed to create a governing coalition with Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, according to an unsourced report Friday on a deal that could pave the way for the ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after over a decade in power. The report from Channel 12 news came as Lapid and Netanyahu were both scrambling to line up support for a government by a June 2 deadline, with Bennett potentially holding the keys to their political fates.”

“‘I intend to enter talks and efforts to form a government that we will both head,’ Bennett told Lapid Friday, according to Channel 12, which reported that an agreement had been reached despite the message’s seemingly non-committal nature. Bennett will announce the agreement to the public in the coming days and the government will be sworn in as early as June 8, according to the network. According to the report, Bennett would serve as prime minister for the first two years and three months of the rotation government, before Lapid takes over in September 2023 for the last two years and three months. It said an announcement would come after Shabbat on Saturday night, or on Sunday. The channel noted that Yamina No. 2 Ayelet Shaked could still torpedo the deal, fearing a right-wing backlash from voters who prefer a government headed by the conservative Netanyahu than one backed and eventually headed by the centrist Lapid.”

Fiat-Chrysler will recall more than 500,000 units of its powerhouse Ram pickup trucks to fix a design flaw that could cause the wheels to fall off while driving, the Associated Press reports.

The trucks are commonly called “dualies” with two rear wheels on each side, and they have flanged wingnuts.  It impacts 2012 through 2021 Ram 3500 heavy-duty pickups, and Ram 4500 and 5500 cab-chassis vehicles sold primarily in North America.

The problem lies with the torque specifications used to tighten the lugnuts:  owner’s manuals and service specs stated incorrect torque specs that could cause the bolts to be damaged and sheer off while driving.  During the recall, dealers will check for damage on the wheels and provide corrected information for the owner’s manual.

“Idaho Gov. Brad Little rescinded Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s executive order banning mask mandates on Friday, referring to his GOP political rival’s surprise action as a ‘self-serving political stunt.’ McGeachin implemented the ban earlier this week while serving as acting governor while Little traveled out of state for the Republican Governors Association conference in Nashville, Tennessee. In a scathing statement detailing his reversal, Little accused McGeachin of abusing the power of her office” Fox News reports.

“‘The action that took place while I was traveling this week is not gubernatorial. The action that took place was an irresponsible, self-serving political stunt,’ Little said. ‘Taking the earliest opportunity to act solitarily on a highly politicized, polarizing issue without conferring with local jurisdictions, legislators, and the sitting Governor is, simply put, an abuse of power.’ ‘This kind of over-the-top executive action amounts to tyranny – something we all oppose,’ he added.”

Will Jack be pissed with me for stealing his concept? Only one way to find out.

Should I at least wait until he already does his? Nah.

McDonald’s needs to change the name of “Hot Mustard” to “Spicy Hot Mustard” or something. I can’t be the only one who’s ever used the ordering touchscreen at McD’s and pressed the button on the screen that says “Ho- mustard” thinking it was for honey mustard and ended up with fucking “Hot Mustard”. Worse yet they put honey mustard at the bottom of the string list by calling it “Tangy Honey Mustard”. McDonald’s already sucks, they could make a small change so it sucks less.

Twitter needs to shut up with this Friends reunion nonsense. The show wasn’t really that good. The Simpsons, Seinfeld, and The X-Files are much better choices for 90s nostalgia.

Not really much else as far as “thoughts” go. I do have more complaints, but I guess I’ll keep them to myself. I did buy the little man a new Iron Man Hot Wheels monster truck today. While I do probably buy him too many cars, I have to keep replenishing his supply because the other kids at the playground keep burying his cars in the sand. It’s not a malicious thing, it’s just toddlers being toddlers. As in they’re thieving little assholes with no respect for each others’ property whatsoever. Small price to pay for making him the popular kid with his Spider-man, Darth Vader, Ninja Turtles, and yellow Camaro monster trucks. The NYPD and FDNY vehicles are a big hit too.

New York Post: “The filmmaker who leaked footage of UFOs harassing a warship off the coast of California in 2019 released new radar footage Thursday that purportedly shows the USS Omaha being swarmed by unidentified aerial phenomena. Jeremy Corbell claims the video was filmed in the combat information center of the ship on July 15, 2019. Earlier this month, he introduced footage, taken aboard the USS Omaha, of a mysterious, spherical object flying over the ship before disappearing into the ocean. ‘This is corroborative electro-optic data demonstrating a significant UFO event series in a warning area off San Diego,’ Corbell tweeted Thursday.”

“The new unclassified clip shows sailors aboard the Omaha observing as many as nine UFOs swarming the ship at speeds approaching 160 mph. ‘Holy shit they’re going fast,’ a sailor is heard saying, before adding, ‘Oh, it’s turning around.’ The Pentagon had previously confirmed that an 18-second video Corbell leaked of three UFOs hovering over the USS Russell in July 2019 is authentic.”

The 1/6 attack on the Capitol was horrific & appalling. Those who planned & participated in the violence that day should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I agree w/Speaker Pelosi – a 911-type investigation is called for to help prevent this from happening again.

— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) February 14, 2021

“The eastern DR Congo city of Goma was eerily deserted on Friday after nearly 400,000 of its inhabitants fled following warnings that nearby Mount Nyiragongo volcano may erupt again. The authorities geared for a major humanitarian effort, centred on Sake, around 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of the city, where tens of thousands of people are gathered. Located on the shore of Lake Kivu in the shadow of Africa’s most active volcano, the city has lived in fear since Nyiragongo roared back into life at the weekend. The strato-volcano spewed rivers of lava that claimed nearly three dozen lives and destroyed the homes of some 20,000 people before the eruption stopped. Scientists monitoring the volcano have since recorded hundreds of aftershocks” AFP reports.

“They warn of a potentially catastrophic scenario – a ‘limnic eruption’ that could smother the area with suffocating carbon dioxide. A report on an emergency meeting early Friday said 80,000 households – equivalent to around 400,000 inhabitants – had emptied on Thursday following a ‘preventative’ evacuation order. Most people have headed for Sake and for the Rwandan border in the northeast, while others have fled by boat across Lake Kivu. Aid efforts are being organised to provide drinking water, food and other supplies, and workers are helping to reunite children who became separated from their families. Nearly 10,000 people are taking refuge in Bukavu on the southern bank of Lake Kivu, according to governor Theo Ngwabidje, many of them in host families.”

Choosing to put politics and political elections above the health of our Democracy is unconscionable. And the betrayal of the oath we each take is something they will have to live with. My statement on the January 6th Commission vote: pic.twitter.com/tlPme9LMIo

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) May 28, 2021

KOCO: “A teacher is disappointed with Gov. Kevin Stitt after one of her summer classes was canceled due to House Bill 1775, which bans educators from teaching certain concepts of race and racism. Melissa Smith told KOCO 5 that she’s taught race theory-type classes for six years and is confused why there’s an issue now. ‘I’m not happy. This is information everyone needs to know,’ Smith said. The high school and community college teacher said House Bill 1775 has caused her to lose a class she was supposed to teach this summer at Oklahoma City Community College.”

“‘I’ve actually been teaching race and ethnicities in the United States for multiple years,’ she said. The recently signed legislation restricts what can be taught about racial divisions through history in Oklahoma classrooms. ‘I got an email a week or so ago, saying due to this new law, they were canceling my completely full race and ethnicities class,’ Smith said. Her students won’t be able to take her class even though it was required for some to graduate. Also, Smith won’t be paid. ‘This was a huge chunk of my income,’ she said. When Stitt signed the bill, he said, ‘We can and should teach the history without labeling a young child as an oppressor or requiring he or she feel guilt or shame based on their race or sex. I refused to tolerate otherwise.’ Smith said she doesn’t teach that one race is superior over another, but her classes and students do talk about racism and privilege. ‘To learn that there are actual disparities between the races in terms of education, housing and income,’ she said. Smith also points out her class is offered at a college where students chose to take it. The class is not forced upon anyone.”

‘Honoring our responsibility to the Congress in which we serve and the Country which we love, Democrats will proceed to find the truth’ – Nancy Pelosi via CNN’s Manu Raju.

The vote to allow debate on the Capitol riot commission bill failed 54 to 35, with six Republicans voting yes. The total head count is missing 11 Senators, who I’m guessing are Republicans. The bill is now dead and the Trump party have cast their lot, opening the door to a Benghazi-style partisan beatdown wrought by Nancy Pelosi.

ABC News: “A judge said Friday that he will appoint a ‘special master’ to oversee a review of electronic files seized from Rudy Giuliani and another lawyer to make sure investigators can’t get access to protected communications with their clients, including former President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken directed Manhattan prosecutors and attorneys for Giuliani and Washington lawyer Victoria Toensing to submit possible candidates next week for the position. The lawyers did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.”

“The judge rejected efforts by Giuliani and Toensing to force prosecutors to divulge more about why they seized electronic devices on April 28. He said they were asking, in effect, ‘to proceed by subpoena rather than by search warrant.’ ‘The search warrants at issue here were based on judicial findings of probable cause – supported by detailed affidavits – to believe that evidence of violations of specified federal offenses would be found at the locations to be searched. There is no legal requirement for the Government to proceed by subpoena, nor is there any basis for the subject of an investigation to require it to do so,’ Oetken said.”

NEW REPORT: In 2015, Joe Biden met with Hunter Biden’s Ukrainian, Russian and Kazakhstani business associates.

This contradicts what President Biden promised in 2019 — that he’d never spoken to Hunter “about his overseas business dealings.”

— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) May 28, 2021

“A sheriff’s deputy in Denver, Colorado, who shared anti-vaccine content on Facebook has died of COVID. Daniel ‘Duke’ Trujillo, 33, died on Wednesday evening from COVID complications, the Denver Sheriff Department said on Thursday. Trujillo was a former Marine who served as a deputy sheriff for 7 years and had recently been appointed vice-president of the Denver Sheriff Latino Organization. ‘We ask that you keep his family in your thoughts and prayers and respect their privacy,’ the department said” – Newsweek.

New York Times: “As hopes fade for a bipartisan inquiry into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, it’s increasingly clear that the Republican base remains in thrall to the web of untruths spun by Donald J. Trump – and perhaps even more outlandish lies, beyond those of the former president’s making. A federal judge warned in an opinion yesterday that Mr. Trump’s insistence on the ‘big lie’ – that the November election was stolen from him – still posed a serious threat. Presiding over the case of a man accused of storming Congress on Jan. 6, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the United States District Court in Washington wrote: ‘The steady drumbeat that inspired defendant to take up arms has not faded away. Six months later, the canard that the election was stolen is being repeated daily on major news outlets and from the corridors of power in state and federal government, not to mention in the near-daily fulminations of the former president.'”

“But it’s not just the notion that the election was stolen that has caught on with the former president’s supporters. QAnon, an outlandish and ever-evolving conspiracy theory spread by some of Mr. Trump’s most ardent followers, has significant traction with a segment of the public – particularly Republicans and Americans who consume news from far-right sources. Those are the findings of a poll released today by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Interfaith Youth Core, which found that 15 percent of Americans say they think that the levers of power are controlled by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles, a core belief of QAnon supporters. The same share said it was true that ‘American patriots may have to resort to violence’ to depose the pedophiles and restore the country’s rightful order. And fully 20 percent of respondents said that they thought a biblical-scale storm would soon sweep away these evil elites and ‘restore the rightful leaders.’ ‘These are words I never thought I would write into a poll question, or have the need to, but here we are,’ Robby Jones, the founder of P.R.R.I., said in an interview.”

Recent events have shone a light on global patterns of police violence. Effective, independent investigations are vital to holding police accountable for serious crimes. https://t.co/i5qsRh0NkV

— George Soros (@georgesoros) May 28, 2021