The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned actor Jussie Smollett's conviction on charges that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lied to police. https://t.co/nsa6vvmfGd
The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned actor Jussie Smollett
...Cable TV actor whose primary talents seemed to be being black and being homosexual. In a bid for national attention, he paid a pair of Nigerian brothers to rough him up a little so he could claim that two large, white, MAGA hat-wearing men had shouted This is MAGA country! while thumping him at 2:30am on a bitter cold night in Chicago and throwing bleach on him, presumably to lighten him up. The story quickly unraveled, and he became a laughingstock and the poster boy for pretend victimization and attention whoredom... 's conviction on charges that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in downtown reliably Democrat Chicago, aka The Windy City or Mobtown ...home of Al Capone, the Chicago Black Sox, a succession of Daleys, Barak Obama, and Rahm Emmanuel... in 2019 and lied to police.
Smollett's appeal argued that a special prosecutor should not have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state's attorney initially dropped charges. The state's highest court heard arguments in September.
Smollett, who is Black and gay, claimed two men assaulted him, spouted racial and homophobic slurs and tossed a noose around his neck, leading to a massive search for suspects by Chicago police detectives and kicking up an international uproar. Smollett was on the television drama "Empire," which filmed in Chicago, and prosecutors alleged he staged the attack because he was unhappy with the studio's response to hate mail he received.
A jury convicted him of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021. Smollett has maintained his innocence.
His attorneys have argued that the case was over when the Cook County state's attorney's office dropped an initial 16 counts of disorderly conduct after Smollett performed community service and forfeited a $10,000 bond.
A grand jury restored charges after a special prosecutor took the case.
Testimony at his trial indicated Smollett paid $3,500 to two men whom he knew from "Empire" to carry out the attack. Prosecutors said he told them what slurs to shout, and to yell that Smollett was in "MAGA country," an apparent reference to the Donald Trump ...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party... 's presidential campaign slogan.
Smollett testified that "there was no hoax" and that he was the victim of a hate crime in his downtown Chicago neighborhood.
He was sentenced to 150 days in jail — six of which he served before he was freed pending appeal — 30 months of probation and ordered to pay about $130,000 in restitution.
A state appellate court ruling upheld Smollett's the conviction, declaring that no one promised Smollett he wouldn't face a fresh prosecution after accepting the original deal.
His attorneys have argued that Smollett has been victimized by a racist and politicized justice system.
#3
From what I've read, Special Prosecutor Dan Webb is saying there was nothing unusual in the Grand Jury decision to prosecute Jussie, that Illinois law holds many similar cases. Webb is no dummy and holds the reputation as one of the straight (straightger?) shooters in the state. If he's correct, then the Supreme's are as corrupt as the Chicago City Council and the rest of Cook County. If he's wrong, or simply making an argument, then the whole business was "dumb show" and we're back to the same conclusion.
Posted by: Chicago Lurker ||
11/23/2024 9:01 Comments ||
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That’d certainly give the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times something to compete against.
Technology and space exploration billionaire Elon Musk appears to be mulling a potential purchase of the Comcast-owned, left-wing MSNBC news network. Since the 2024 election, MSNBC has seen its ratings plummet, and its parent company is moving to sell the flagging network along with other media properties, including CNBC. The discussion of a potential Musk bid for MSNBC is catching fire on his social media network, X (formerly Twitter), after a post by President-elect Donald J. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., suggesting Musk purchase the tanking network. “Hey [Elon Musk] I have the funniest idea ever!!!” he wrote on Friday, prompting Musk to respond: “How much does it cost?”
[X]
The most entertaining outcome, especially if ironic, is most likely 😂 https://t.co/YX2EznXfoF
Combined, the properties Comcast is considering spinning off—including MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, and others—have an estimated value of $8 billion. This is roughly 18 percent of the price Musk paid for Twitter in 2022. Give it a month or two and they'll accept $4.97
MSNBC and other major corporate news networks have struggled with ratings over the past several years, with their viewership falling further in the aftermath of President-elect Trump’s landslide election victory. The National Pulse reported earlier on Friday that the left-wing network’s banner morning show, Morning Joe, has suffered a catastrophic ratings collapse in the last week, losing 16 percent of its viewers since Monday. Overall, MSNBC has seen a 54 percent drop in viewership since the November 5 presidential election—losing approximately 1.1 million viewers.
#2
...What's truly funny to me is that All The Best People(TM) have assured us that Elon is in fact broke, TwiX is on the edge of bankruptcy, and that he's about to be thrown out of the country to the cheers of the Righteous.
For me, if he is really serious about this, I might just send him twenty bucks to help out.
Comcast promises the new entity, for now known as SpinCo, will start with a growth trajectory and significant financial firepower. But there is already speculation it may need to bulk up to survive.
That could mean a sale to another entity or an acquisition. Either way, a future deal would likely require approval from the DOJ, potentially led by Gaetz, and other Trump regulators. (The FCC’s blessing may not be required because SpinCo won’t include the NBC broadcast network).
#4
Talk about an Uno Reverse from onion buying infowars.
It'd have to be gutted, but all old buildings need to be. There is a ton of talent out there in the streamers, and I bet enough are tired of the throttlers' shit to at least pour a foundation. Lot of less than 30's tired of this shit, especially the lockdown jaded.
#5
Actual headline from MSNBC: "Laken Riley's Killer Never Had a Chance".
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
11/23/2024 10:41 Comments ||
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#6
DEMS losing one of their propaganda arms? Madcow's salary is being cut from $13 mil to around a measely $6 mil or so. What's she going to do--become homeless?
#7
So in the same line, they name him as the killer, then call him totally innocent.
Pathetic. That it was approved and published though however many catches should knock 25% off the purchase price. I mean, that's just shit work. "That murderer would be on the streets if it weren't for those meddling kids!"
#8
I am sure he’s trolling. Mucking out our Augean Stables while conquering Mars is enough. Straightening out Morning Joe is too much.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/23/2024 13:01 Comments ||
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#9
Nobody who watches CNN or reads WAPO will switch to a Musk channel. But Fox News and WSJ might be forced into a bit more honesty.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
11/23/2024 13:18 Comments ||
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#10
It is only worth the real estate and equipment, even the name is tarnished. Those two bags of flour on Mourning Joe would be among the first to go.
How I would do it:
TV is dead as dead. I think deep down one of the things the town criers found out about the TV lying to them about the election year is they realized they were the olde fahrts arguing about how Betamax is better while struggle to set the VCR clock. Anything on TV can be delivered by The Jolly Roger and without commercials, So 86 that model. Also side-eying you, Youtube.
So make a hybrid - turn the channel into a content maker feed, streamers get a time slot, revenue can be made by thumbnails in the corner like what some meterball shows do, Get actual, genuine people, who have real people thoughts and conversations, and let them go, not some script monkeys from corporate south California or NYC people who smear shit on their face and tell you how wonderful it smells. Raw, genuine opinions, without the Youtube et al scolds tamping words or ideas.
But naughty words! Yeah, so? F/X drops words all the time, TCM shows full on titties. In fact, do swear, put it on a 5 second delay and let an algorithm silence the most egregious words and let the viewer use context and read lips to fill in the blanks - and that is called engagement.
Surely there can be found 48 people around the world to do a scheduled 30 minute presentation. 2am here, well not in Australia or Japan.
Topic parameters could exclude current war conflicts, in progress trials, sexy time. Might get the next Carl Sagan who would never get the chance with the current DEI forward culture. An honest video game review set would bank - I myself am wondering right now about a $50 game which just dropped, is it worth it?
Wouldn't need a studio or any of that bullshit, just a producer's box to coordinated the incoming streams.
Fascinating stuff going on. Politics editor at WSJ laid off today. Wash post national editor “removed” today. Wash bureau chief at NYT replaced a few days ago. MSNBC selloff. Tectonic plates are shifting.
#8
That A/M ad has been out for a while, because yeah, striking and snarky.
Showed the, uhem, Jaguar Ad (there is plenty of snarky renames), to eldest, and eldest in my presence, I had to set it up because eldest didn't know Jaguar was traditionally a luxury sports car for dudes who like to drive fast and look good: "What the -f was that? No car?!"
#9
Re #4, The CEO of Jaguar just posted his resume to LinkedIn, citing: Is anyone hiring a Head Carnie?
Posted by: Jack salami ||
11/23/2024 16:21 Comments ||
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#10
"We now longer sell cars. We sell Tele Tubbies"
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/23/2024 17:50 Comments ||
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#11
"Very queer, sir. A troubling transmission."
"Your cover's a Soho beautician.
See Q for your gear."
...
"And this bottle of beer?"
"Put that down," hissed his 6 obstetrician.
[Townhall] Incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) finally conceded last night. It took two weeks longer than it should have, but Mr. Casey finally threw in the towel. Republican Dave McCormick is now officially Senator-elect McCormick. There were shenanigans where local Democrats ...every time you hear the phrase white people, white supremacy,white anything but paint, you're listening to a Democrat. Ask him/her/it to reimagine something for you; they do that a lot, though not well. They can hear a dog whistle a mile or two away. They invented the spoils system and Tammany Hall, and inspired the addition of the word (Thomas) Nasty to the English language. They want to stop continental drift and repeal the law of unintended side effects... openly defied election law, leading to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court shutting down their scheme to count illegal ballots. It was all captured on video with Bucks County’s Democratic commissioners.
President-elect Donald J. Trump won this crucial county for the first time since Bush 41. Mr. McCormick didn’t win but did well enough to squeak past Casey, who only won here by a 49/48 margin. Activist Scott Presler did the Lord’s work for months, moving to the Keystone State before the 2024 cycle and engaging in voter registration drives that tipped the balance—the Democratic voter advantage in Pennsylvania has been chipped away by the hundreds of thousands.
Presler was instrumental in ensuring that people who were early voting in Bucks could get their votes counted. There was a minor controversy when voters got turned away early, leading to a Republican lawsuit. A judge sided with the Trump camp and extended the early voting period. Presler didn’t forget what Bucks County Democrats tried to pull off here, which was stealing an election. The activist warned that he plans to ensure they update their resumes in their next election. He gave them a chance to resign to avoid such a challenge.
🚨 BREAKING: Scott Presler just told Bucks County, PA commissioners who tried to steal the Senate election that he is gunning for their seats right to their faces.
"I have a message: peacefully, we are COMING for your seat in 2027, if you don't resign TODAY. I am coming for your… pic.twitter.com/bfQRj7hFBP
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
11/23/2024 9:05 Comments ||
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#2
With apologies to Scott
Posted by: Rex Mundi ||
11/23/2024 9:06 Comments ||
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#3
Great Scott! Keep after the thieving bastids. They disenfranchised us all. This time the efforts resulted in an election too big to rig. Trump said something about taking a deep dive into the 2020 and 2022 elections. I think Peru does not extradite crooks.
[FoxNews] 'A senator's only job is to show up and vote,' founder and president of the Article III Project Mike Davis tells Fox News Digital
Senate Republicans faced criticism over several vote absences this week that allowed Democrats to confirm judges or agree to end debate on nominees that otherwise could have been blocked if each of the missing GOP lawmakers were there.
One particularly crucial vote was on Monday for a lifetime appointment to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court, a coveted appeals court slot to which Democrats did not have the votes to confirm President Biden's nominee, since outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., voted against.
However, since Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., did not vote, the nominee was confirmed by 49 votes to 45 votes.
"This leftist judge would have been voted down and the seat on the important 11th circuit would have been filled by Donald Trump next year had Republicans showed up," wrote Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., on X. "Now, the leftist judge will have a lifetime appointment and the people of FL, AL and GA will suffer the consequences."
Mike Davis, the former chief counsel for nominations to former Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital, "A senator’s only job is to show up and vote."
"President Biden is jamming through bottom-of-the-barrel radical left-wing judges for lifetime appointments to the federal bench after the American people voted for dramatic change. Senate Republicans must do everything they can to stop this lame-duck conveyor belt of radicals. But if these Senate Republicans cannot even show up to vote, let alone debate for four hours on each judge, why should we vote for these deadbeat senators?"
Davis is also founder and president of the Article III Project.
A senior Senate source confirmed to Fox News Digital that there was irritation among the Republican conference about their colleagues' absences. The most vocal about it was Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., they said.
In a statement, Vice President-elect Vance said, "As a co-chairman of the transition, it’s vital that I’m focused on making sure President Trump’s government is fully staffed with people who support his America First agenda and will be ready to hit the ground running on January 20th."
"However, it’s also important to me to do everything in my power to block more radical judges from getting confirmed. So while it may be outside of the norm for an incoming VP to take Senate votes in the lame duck period, if my colleagues here in the Senate tell me that we have a real chance of beating one of these nominees, I’ll move heaven and earth to be there for the vote," he added.
In a separate statement, Brian Hughes, Trump-Vance Transition spokesman said, "We cannot allow Chuck Schumer to play games with the transition’s ability to staff the incoming administration. Under no circumstances should we allow radical left judges to be jammed through the Senate at the 11th hour, but the Vice President-elect is needed for the transition to continue working ahead of schedule."
Vance is notably the first senator in over a century to vote on a judicial nomination after being elected to be vice president.
The vice president-elect was at the Capitol during the latter part of the week facilitating meetings between senators and Trump selections for key administration posts.
Vance was in attendance for pivotal votes on Wednesday, while some Republicans were still absent.
A spokesperson for Daines pointed Fox News Digital to an X post from the senator, in which he detailed travel issues he ran into on his way to Washington, D.C. "Runway closed due to ice, then prolonged de-icing, then a medical emergency…then Delta flight attendants timed out. Landed DC at 10 pm and voting until ~ midnight," he said.
Daines' office said he went immediately to the Senate floor to vote once he finally landed in the capital.
The offices of Braun, Hagerty and Rubio did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. Rubio was recently selected by Trump to be his nominee for Secretary of State.
While the circuit court confirmation was the most important vote that GOP absences helped to advance, it wasn't the only case of it happening this week.
Braun, Hagerty, Vance, Rubio and Sens. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas were absent for a vote on a district court nominee on Tuesday that was ultimately confirmed, despite Manchin opposing and Democrats not otherwise having enough votes.
Cruz was in Texas on the day of the vote with Trump and billionaire Elon Musk for the launch of a SpaceX rocket. The senator is the soon-to-be chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and told reporters this week that space legislation "will be a significantly higher priority of the full committee."
He cited his trip to the launch, saying, "My number-one priority is jobs. And commercial space generates tens of thousands of jobs across Texas and across the country."
Cramer's office did not provide comment in time for publication.
On Wednesday, both Cruz and Braun missed another district judge confirmation that Manchin opposed, handing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Biden another accomplishment.
Braun further missed another Wednesday vote on a district judge that was opposed by outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., allowing the nominee to be confirmed.
On Wednesday, Tillis spoke on the Senate floor on the subject. "Schumer's trying to ram through Biden's liberal judicial nominees. We can block some of them, but it requires ALL GOP senators to be here. VP-elect [Vance] is a busy man right now, but he's still here on the Senate floor holding the line, and so should all of our GOP colleagues," he wrote on X.
The outgoing Indiana senator returned on Wednesday evening before Republicans managed to make a deal with Schumer on further judicial confirmation votes, securing four vacancies on valuable circuit courts for Trump in exchange for allowing votes on a number of district court judges without further stalling.
One GOP senator told Fox News Digital that Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who was recently elected to be the next GOP Senate leader, applied pressure to absent senators such as Vance, Rubio and Braun, which resulted in the ultimate deal with Schumer.
A senior Senate Republican source familiar told Fox News Digital that Thune underscored the importance of attendance at the GOP conference, especially concerning judicial confirmation votes.
#1
"This leftist judge would have been voted down and the seat on the important 11th circuit would have been filled by Donald Trump next year had Republicans showed up," wrote Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., on X. "Now, the leftist judge will have a lifetime appointment and the people of FL, AL and GA will suffer the consequences."
Big mistake to not dig in and fight. These appointments are important. They are the kind of appointments that allow "lawfare" to continue. You end up with the messes in the judicial court system that exists in DC, NY, Georgia, FISA etc.
[PUBLISH.TWITTER] The less she’s around, the less she can screw up, both at home and abroad — not to mention within the Democratic Party. Sadly for her ambition, her time has passed.
White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, says that Vice President Kamala Harris is taking some deserved time off after working hard for the past 4 years.
#6
Taking time off...from what exactly? All the word salad or perhaps the complete and utter lack of accomplishment in any venue or endeavor known to man.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...every time you hear the phrase 
