Category: Question O’ The Day

The expiscatory Question is, Was the Trump assassination fail procedural (i.e., incompetence) or operational (i.e., a sanctioned kill fail)?

Email from Damian Bennett:

Of the several eyewitness interview videos I have watched, the spectrum of shots fired runs from 5 to 8 to 10. SO. A ‘comically bad’ shooter enters a security perimeter with a rifle in plain view; climbs a ladder (!) to a roof; bear-crawls to a clear-line-of-sight vantage ~130 yards from the target; is observed by multiple civilians AND a Secret Service sniper and spotter detail; encounters an LEO, who retreats; takes firing position; acquires his target; squeezes off 5+ rounds, one of which has lethal precision, before being ‘neutralized’. [Pause.] Your thoughts?
The aftermath:
Your thoughts? [Pause.] Keep in mind ‘conspiracy’ theories ‘debunked’ in the press have tended to rapidly age into exposés then into factual consensus.
‘We’ll Never Get The Truth’: FBI To Investigate Trump Shooting And Folks Have A REAL Problem With This July 14, 2024
[Pause.] Thirty-two people had film or photograph cameras, in Dealey Plaza, most famously Abraham Zapruder. Of the thousands at the Butler rally almost all had active camera phones.

NY AG Outlines What She Wants for NRA

New York Attorney General went after the National Rifle Association not out of concern for its members, but because she has ideological issues with the organization. She might claim otherwise, but her own rhetoric on the NRA in the past suggests otherwise.

However, there were, in fact, serious problems with the organization. There was actual corruption at the top of the NRA, which has now been dealt with.

The NRA is far from out of the woods. There is still a trial ongoing.

Stephen Gutowski, writing at The Reload, has an outline of what James wants for the NRA. First, Wayne LaPierre would have to be kept well away from the organization, which I don’t think anyone disagrees with at this point. There would also be an overseer, someone nominated by the NRA but approved by the court, in consultation with the NY state attorney general. Then there’s more (paywalled):

A second filing provided greater detail on how the oversight process would work and exactly how much access the court-appointed official would have. The AG proposed that the new official serve for three years after being nominated by the NRA and approved by the court. They would primarily be responsible for watching how the NRA spends its money, especially in areas that lead to the corruption central to the case—like related-party transactions and travel arrangements.

“This entails ensuring that the NRA implements and enforces its internal controls, policies, procedures and practices governing financial transactions and matters, including without limitation for purchasing, procurement, conflicts of interest and related party transactions, business ethics, expense reimbursements, travel expenses and gifts, gratuities and entertainment, are effective,” the second filing said. “This means that they are in place, compliant with governing law, communicated to staff, directors, vendors and NRA members, and consistently executed and enforced by the NRA’s management, and the NRA Board has knowledge of the content and operation and exercises reasonable oversight to ensure compliance.”

The filing also laid out what the overseer wouldn’t have authority over. It said the court-appointed official wouldn’t have a say over the “NRA’s Core Fundamental Mission Operations.” Those operations include the “political, legislative and advocacy activities of the NRAILA, including, without limitation, management of donor-restricted funds, the substance of programs comprising the NRA’s nonprofit mission,” as well as “mission-related (meaning advocacy) litigation.”

In other words, it looks like the oversight authority wouldn’t extend to anything involved in fighting for gun rights in this country, only in making sure that money is spent how it’s meant to be spent.

In theory, this shouldn’t be an issue. We have reform candidates who won some seats on the NRA board, so there are at least some people internally who are going to fight to make sure the NRA does what it said it would do, so having a third party from the outside also makes sure shouldn’t be a huge issue.

I’d love to say that this sets a precedence that I’m uncomfortable with, though I don’t know that this establishes a precedence at all. If this has happened before with other non-profits, then so be it.

My hesitancy stems mostly from not trusting Letitia James not to try to find some kind of loophole through which she and those who come after her can monkey with the NRA fulfilling its mission.

But if there are safeguards on that, then this is hardly the worst thing in the world. It would also allow the NRA to refocus its efforts on something other than defending itself in a court of law. It can then really buckle down on defending gun rights, which has been lacking.

Yeah, I still think other groups will fill the void, but that’s taking longer than I’d like or than we can afford. 

So long as this doesn’t allow anyone to prevent the NRA from spending money on its actual mission, then so be it. However, I will qualify all of this to say that I’m not remotely equipped to evaluate whether that’s the case or not.

The day was really quite beautiful, so I sat down and had a cold beer.
The drink facilitated some deep thinking.

My wife walked by and asked me what I was doing,
and I said, “Nothing.”
The reason I said “Nothing” instead of saying “Just thinking” is because she then would have asked, “About what?”
At that point I would have had to explain that men are deep thinkers about various topics, which would lead to other questions.

Finally I pondered an age old question:
Is giving birth more painful than getting kicked in the nuts?

Women always maintain that giving birth is way more painful than a guy getting kicked in the nuts, but how could they know?
Well, after another beer, and some more heavy deductive thinking, I have come up with an answer to that question.

Getting kicked in the nuts is more painful than having a baby, and even though I obviously couldn’t really know, here is the reason for my conclusion:
A year or so after giving birth, a woman will often say,
“It might be nice to have another child.”
But you never hear a guy say,
“You know, I think I would like another kick in the nuts.”

I rest my case.

Time for another beer. Then, maybe a nap.

-Unknown Author

Why Will Daniel Penny Still Stand Trial When Hochul Has to Send in Natl Guard?

Daniel Penny’s attorney, Thomas Kenniff, said it was past time to address New York City’s crime problem on its subways after Gov. Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard to NYC subways this week.

“It’s about time,” Kenniff said on “Fox & Friends” Friday. “I just wish it didn’t take this long for there to be a realization, a recognition among our elected leaders that there’s a crisis that’s going on in the subways of New York City.”

Kenniff’s client, U.S. Marine veteran Daniel Penny, is facing charges in the chokehold death of a homeless, mentally ill man, Jordan Neely, who was yelling violent threats at riders on a New York City subway last year. Penny said he did not intend to kill Neely but was trying to protect women and children who were “terrified” of Neely.

“I don’t know if ‘too little too late’ is the right expression but, ‘better late than never,’ perhaps,” he continued.

This is such a miscarriage of justice.

Katie Daviscourt
I’ll never forget the FBI calling me into their office in Seattle in 2020.
They were looking for footage of a suspect I had taken during one of the many riots. That’s when I asked them about Antifa.

The FBI agent told me Antifa was NOT a cause of concern, nor were they a terror group.
That’s when I lost all respect for the agency and refused to take any further calls.

I watched Antifa assault police, press, and innocent bystanders, as well as burn Seattle and Portland to the ground for nine months.
All without repercussions.

Imagine if a conservative did this?

Analysis: Can the NRA Recover?

A jury is currently considering the fate of the charges against the NRA and its top leadership. Whatever they decide, it’s worth asking if the nation’s largest gun-rights group can ever reach its former heights under any outcome.

The NRA, former CEO Wayne LaPierre, and the other defendants offered up their closing arguments while the New York Attorney General’s office tried to counter them on Thursday. Judge Joel Cohen then read out his instructions to the jury on how to decide the dispute on Friday. The six New Yorkers then headed back to deliberate and didn’t return.

They’ll be back at it on Tuesday. It’s possible–perhaps probable–that they will find the NRA and its leadership didn’t properly administer the non-profit’s funds. They may then recommend the judge force LaPierre and the other individual defendants to repay tens of millions to the NRA as well as ban them from working at any non-profit again. After that, the judge could appoint an overseer to scrutinize the NRA’s governing structure and operations.

If that happens, the gun-rights group will undergo what’s likely to be a significant internal makeover. If, instead, the jury sides with the NRA and individual defendants, it will probably continue on with the strategy it has been pursuing since the controversy began.

Either way, it will be a huge challenge for the group to return to where it was before the corruption allegations surfaced. In 2018, before the scandal blew up, the NRA’s Form 990 shows it brought in over $350 million. The group’s revenue has shrunk every year since then and was down to just over $211 million in 2022.

Of course, it’s hard to know exactly what will happen. The NRA has lost millions of members, and it’s not clear how many it has left. Regaining their trust will probably be a taller task for the NRA than other groups who’ve found themselves in at least somewhat similar circumstances.

Most non-profit scandals don’t drag on this long or reach the point of a jury trial. NRA leadership would likely argue that’s because the AG’s political bias has motivated her to take this case further than others, and the AG would probably respond by saying the NRA refused to come into compliance with the law by making necessary reforms.

Whichever view you take, the bottom line is that perfect examples of what might happen to the NRA really don’t exist.

However, some recent high-profile scandals might still be instructive. Two examples provide some particularly interesting insight into the different paths the NRA might take and how that could work out.

In 2012, the Susan G. Komen Foundation became the center of a public relations firestorm after it dropped grants for breast cancer screening exams at Planned Parenthood (before later reversing itself). The decision alienated a substantial portion of the group’s donor base and subjected them to political attacks. It also increased scrutiny of how the organization was run.

The scrutiny led to numerous stories on founder and CEO Nancy Brinker’s lavish spending habits and questionable governing style. Critics questioned her $400,000 salary. They also raised concerns over her expensive travel habits.

Brinker, who had built Komen into a nationally recognized charity, eventually stepped down to make way for new leadership. But that decision took over a year to take effect and came after she received a 64 percent raise that only generated more controversy.

Komen’s Form 990 shows it brought in just under $200 million in 2012. It shrunk fast after that, and it’s never recovered. In 2023, the group brought in just over $100 million.

In January 2016, the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) came under fire for extravagant parties and luxury accommodations provided to its leadership and staff during retreats paid for by the veterans’ charity. By March, the group decided to fire its top executives. It cleaned the slate and moved forward under entirely new leadership from outside the organization.

The relatively quick action did not prevent tremendous donor backlash. The group’s 2016 990 shows it brought in over $320 million. It fell to about $225 million the next year and stayed under $300 million the next few years. However, the group has been able to recover its revenue. Last year, it brought in over $400 million.

So, what WWP did to respond to its spending controversy seems to have worked in the long term.

The accusations of misappropriation of funds in the NRA’s scandal eclipses the severity and duration of those for either Komen or WWP. Neither of the other groups ended up embroiled in a court case, and both ended up wiping away their leadership in an effort to win back donors.

The gun-rights group has experienced similar declines in membership and revenue to the other embattled charities. And it appears to still be shrinking.

To this point, the NRA has responded in a way closer to Komen than WWP. Given the makeup of current leadership, which includes LaPierre allies who approved the questionable spending that has them in court, it’s unlikely the group will change course if the judge and jury leave them in charge. If they’re ousted, there’s greater potential for the NRA to see a significant–though unpredictable–shift.

Swift and substantial reform appeared to work better for WWP than the slow and plodding path did for Komen.

It has already been five years since allegations that NRA leadership, especially LaPierre, diverted millions upon millions of the group’s funds toward private flights, five-star hotels, and luxury vacations or sweetheart deals with friends or family. The group is still run by largely the same people it was then, with LaPierre remaining in charge until this month and only stepping down of his own accord.

Even under the best-case scenario imaginable for the NRA, it will be challenging to win back the millions that have now abandoned the group. But it’s not an impossible task.

Meet the new FISA, same as the old FISA
Question O’ The Day
Wonder what dirt does the DOJ have on him?

Mike Johnson Backtracks, Caves to Deep State, Democrats on Slipping FBI Spy Power Reauthorization into Defense Bill

Speaker Mike Johson (R-LA) backtracked and caved to the deep state and Democrats, moving to slip a deep state authorization into the defense bill.

Reports say that congressional leaders, including Johnson, agreed to put an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill would extend Section 702 until April 19.

Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) released a video statement after she said that leadership asked conferees, which includes herself, to agree to the 3000-plus page NDAA, which is “being released behind closed doors without even getting time to read it!”

The Peach State conservative blamed Johnson for negotiating with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to “cut a deal” that would contain prohibitions against funding for abortion and “trans surgery prohibitions” that were in the House-passed NDAA under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

She explained:

It also would pass a CLEAN FISA extension. Not to mention, more of your taxpayer dollars sent to Ukraine to fund the proxy war. No member of the NDAA conference had any influence on this process. It was done in secret meetings with no input from conferees. Now, we’re supposed to just grin and take it with no say in the final bill. Is the GOP really going to fund abortion vacations and trans surgeries, fund the Ukraine war, all with a CLEAN FISA extension under Speaker Johnson?

This was a total sell-out of conservative principles and a huge win for Democrats.

Congratulations to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, you should all be excited to vote for this!

I’m a HELL NO! [Emphasis added]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene / X

The news comes as a shock to many of those who were most intimately involved in crafting solutions to reform Section 702, a controversial surveillance law that Republicans and Democrats, progressives and conservatives, want to reform.

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‘only minor injuries’ (because it looks like a purposeful, but hasty, natural gas explosion to me) but what will happen when one day someone decided to use HE & Shrapnel?

Home explosion rocks Arlington neighborhood after suspect fires flare gun during police search

ARLINGTON, Va. – Community members in an Arlington neighborhood were told to shelter in place Monday night after police say a flare gun was fired inside a home, causing a massive explosion.

Arlington County police put out the alert just after 8:15 p.m., saying the incident occurred in the 800 block of N. Burlington Street in the Bluemont neighborhood.

Police say as officers were attempting to execute a search warrant at the residence, a suspect fired several rounds inside the home, which led to the explosion.

Neighbor Alex Wilson spoke exclusively with FOX 5, saying this came after an hours-long standoff with the suspect. He said he took notice of what was happening around 4 p.m. when police rolled up to his neighbor’s home. Wilson said as time went on, it was clear the situation was only getting worse.

“Three hours later, at least, we saw the SWAT truck arrive and when the SWAT trucks arrive you know, you’re like, ‘oh things are getting escalated at that point,'” Wilson said. “I thought it was a sonic boom”

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The guy had been released on bond from another burglary charge the day before? You literally can’t make this up
And incidentally, Florida has the Baker act where a person can be held for 72 hours for mental evaluation. The Police can do this on their own, but from the article apparently had no info the guy was ‘mental’ and yet, all the family had to do was let the authorities know he was having “problems” …but they didn’t…So it brings up the Question O’ The Day: Why not?

Port Orange man shot by homeowner identified, girlfriend said he struggled with mental issues

An intruder shot dead by a Port Orange homeowner last Thursday while trying to break into the home was released from jail the day before the shooting where he had been locked up for a previous burglary arrest, court records show.

On Tuesday, Port Orange police identified the intruder as Justin Alvaro Dematos, 46, of Port Orange.

But Dematos’s fiancée said Tuesday that he recently started struggling with mental illness and would get disoriented and lost when he went out for walks and show up at strangers’ homes not knowing where he was.

“I just wanted to clarify that he was having mental problems and his mother was coming from Boston this week to take him to a psychiatrist, but we could not get him help in time,” a tearful Maria Alvaro said in a telephone interview.

Warned twice

Police said that on Nov. 16, Dematos approached a home in the 5900 block of Pelham Drive at approximately 12:05 a.m., and tried to break in.

Barking dogs at the home woke up the residents, who heard Dematos ringing their doorbell, police said.

The homeowner, while inside, verbally confronted Dematos who walked away. He then went to the side of the home and reportedly removed the screen to a bedroom window that had been left slightly open, said Port Orange police detective Michael Wallace.

The homeowner verbally confronted Dematos again, asking him what he was doing on his property but Dematos did not respond Wallace said.

Police said Dematos then attempted to enter the home through the open bedroom window and was shot one time by the homeowner, police said.

Dematos died at the scene.

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BLUF
Was that an intentional campaign to rid the military of critical thinkers?

The U.S. Army is ‘Begging’ Unvaccinated Soldiers to Return
Army forced to reverse course, as people refuse to enlist

Oh, how much the times have changed!

The United States Army is now begging COVID unvaccinated soldiers, who underwent involuntary discharge for their refusal to take the vaccine, to return to service and also permits them to correct their military records!

Just two years ago, in a shameful campaign, the Pentagon was gleefully discharging soldiers who refused to take Covid vaccines:

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2021/12/14/air-force-discharges-27-for-refusal-to-get-covid-vaccine/

We were assured that these discharges would “not affect military readiness.”

“I can tell you there are no operational impacts across the force for readiness,” Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David Ottignon told lawmakers. “There’s no one community that has signaled an instance where a [leader], an NCO or another enlisted Marine is not present because of that.”

The Marine Corps has, by far, kicked out the most service members: 1,968 total, 20% of whom received an honorable discharge. That amounts to just under 1% of the total force, which stands at about 215,000.

However, the readiness suffered: thousands of service members were dismissed, and potential recruits declined to enlist in the Armed Services, because, guess what, young healthy men loath COVID vaccines.

More than 17,000 service members balked at taking the shots, citing safety fears linked to the vaccine’s speedy development and spurred by misinformation about messenger ribonucleic acid technology, as well as concern over fetal cell lines used in formulation and testing. The more the controversy raged in the news, the more troops asked to skip the shots, Military Times reporting found.

The COVID vaccine mandate removed three times as many servicemembers (8,339, see above) compared to the 2,402 soldiers tragically killed in Afghanistan. The involuntarily terminated soldiers were, of course, the best, the brightest, the healthiest, and most conscientious, who cared the most about their health.

Thousands were given career-destroying reprimands:

Lt. Col. Terry Kelley, a spokesman for the Army, said that 2,767 soldiers have received “general officer written reprimands” — killing their opportunities for promotions or transfers within the military — and that two battalion commanders as well as four other officers have been relieved of their duties but remain enlisted in the military.

The leadership, sadly, stayed silent. (pictured here is Lloyd Austin)

As a result, the military is missing its recruitment goals by 25%:

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