U.S. Poised to Grant Chevron License to Pump Oil in Venezuela - WSJ

The developments come just ahead of new Western sanctions on Russian oil that threaten to tighten global supplies and lift prices. The Biden administration’s move to ease sanctions on Venezuela has been seen as an effort to send a well-timed psychological signal to markets concerned about a potential future shortfall.

Shifting oil profits from one ruthless dictator to another, all while American oil stays in the ground.

For the Biden administration, U.S. domestic political blowback over the policy change is seen as manageable following the midterm elections, said people familiar with the matter, partly because Florida, whose large Cuban and Venezuelan communities support Venezuelan sanctions, is now seen as lost to the GOP.

Nice to see that the political calculation was carefully weighed by the Virtue Signaler-in-Chief.

I don’t know what happened to Safari in this year’s upgrade cycle, but I just switched my default browser to Brave.

Biden Administration Extends Pause on Federal Student Loan Payments - WSJ

Payments were set to resume Jan. 1, but they now will resume 60 days after litigation over the loan-forgiveness program is resolved or the program is implemented.

This is the final, final final extension. Super serious this time, guys!

Saturday fire.

FTX Fraud Scandal: Here’s What You Should Know - Babylon Bee

A quick Google search revealed that FTX stands for Futures Exchange, which is apt because its customers exchanged their future financial security for meaningless cryptocurrency.

Fetterman Realizes American Dream Of Living With Parents Til You’re 50 And Then Getting A Government Job - Babylon Bee

Fetterman waved solemnly to his parents as he packed up his things before he remembered he doesn’t start his congressional term until next year. He quickly turned back around and asked what was for dinner.

It Takes Too Long to Count Votes - WSJ Opinion

Florida managed to count seven million votes within hours Tuesday, in part because it preprocesses incoming mail ballots and has an Election Day deadline. So far the U.S. has been Las Vegas lucky in avoiding a mail vote debacle, but only a fool keeps spinning the roulette wheel.

Moving in Together Doesn’t Match the Financial Benefits of Marriage, but Why? - WSJ

“We’re already saving a lot of money and splitting the cost on most things,” she said. “I don’t understand how married couples are accumulating wealth in a way we’re not doing.” 

Because married couples are a team with permanence? Not a pair of people going Dutch on every line item every month.

“I care a little bit less than I thought I would about marriage,” she said. “Once you start living together, it almost feels like you made that commitment.”

Until he dumps you for a younger woman and now you’re single AND homeless.

Donald Trump Rallies for . . . Donald Trump - WSJ Opinion

But his focus on his own prospects, and criticizing his fellow Republicans even before a crucial midterm election, is one more reminder that Mr. Trump’s only abiding principle is what’s good for Donald Trump.

Good reminder.

Suspect in Paul Pelosi Assault Lived in U.S. Illegally, Immigration Officials Say - WSJ

The man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer is a Canadian citizen who has been living in the U.S. illegally since 2008, immigration officials said Thursday.

C’mon man, he only overstayed his authorization for 14 years! DHS was super busy trying to keep track of the tens of millions of other people illegally in the country.

Doctors Should Prescribe Opioids for People in Pain, CDC Says - WSJ

Federal officials said inflexible rules around the prescription of opioids have harmed some patients, urging doctors to exercise compassion in alleviating pain.

After a decade of intrusive criminal prosecution and massive civil lawsuits, I’m thinking they’re not going to fall for it.

The problem has exacerbated disparities in care, the CDC said. Black patients receiving prescription opioids are less likely to be referred to a pain specialist than white patients and are more likely to receive lower doses of medication for their pain, the CDC said. Disparities in access to treatment are driving up overdose rates among Black and Native American people as drug deaths reach record highs across the country, the CDC has said.

Is DOJ now going to bring civil rights cases against doctors for not prescribing opioids?

The President got on to Election Deniers last night. Good on him, he’s 100% right. Election deniers are just thirsty for power and a threat to our democracy, falsely perpetuating the “Big Lie.” He said, in part,

You know, American democracy is under attack because the defeated former President of the United States refuses to accept the results of the 2020 election. He refuses to accept the will of the people. He refuses to accept the fact that he lost.

That is dangerous. When citizens, especially our elected leaders refuse to accept the result of free and fair elections, it’s incredibly corrosive.

Hillary Clinton: Trump is an ‘illegitimate president’ - The Washington Post - September 19, 2019

Hillary Clinton dismissed President Trump as an “illegitimate president” and suggested that “he knows” that he stole the 2016 presidential election in a CBS News interview to be aired Sunday.

The President, last night, continued,

Every legal challenge that could have been brought was brought. Every recount that could have been undertaken was undertaken. Every recount confirmed the results. Wherever fact or evidence have been demanded, the Big Lie has been proven to be just that, a big lie, every single time.

There are quibbles in every election, but the Courts look at the challenges and make judgements under the rule of law. When elected officials refuse to accept the election, or the Court opinions to challenges, that’s just wrong.

Despite Objections, Congress Certifies Donald Trump’s Election - NBC News - January 6, 2017

Democrats objected 11 times, citing a variety of issues, including “Russian interference,” “massive voter suppression” and the “violation of the Voting Rights Act.”

Democrats challenge Ohio electoral votes - CNN - January 6, 2005

Alleging widespread “irregularities” on Election Day, a group of Democrats in Congress objected Thursday to the counting of Ohio’s 20 electoral votes, delaying the official certification of the 2004 presidential election results.

Objections Aside, a Smiling Gore Certifies Bush - Los Angeles Times - January 6, 2001

More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers, most of them members of the Congressional Black Caucus, formally objected to the certification of Florida’s electoral votes and walked out on the proceedings because of what Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) described as “the millions of Americans who have been disenfranchised by Florida’s inaccurate vote count.”

Trump lost, the January 6th riot was criminal, but let’s not pretend like this is the first time this has ever happened.

Once is an incident, twice is a trend, three times is a tradition.

15 Job Qualifications To Work For The Fed - Babylon Bee

Must be able to call a hundredth of a percent “one basis point” to sound smarter

After Ignoring Attacks On Churches & Pro-Lifers, Media Decides Political Violence Worth Covering Again - Babylon Bee

“To anyone who doesn’t speak out against this politically-motivated attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, I will say only this: your silence is deafening.” Joe Scarborough of MSNBC addressed his viewer this morning in his first recent coverage of political violence amid several months of firebombed pregnancy centers and churches, an assassination attempt on a sitting Supreme Court Justice, and the running down of 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson in a truck for being a Republican.

Michigan’s Education Failure - WSJ Opinion

Ms. Whitmer says children were out of classrooms only three months, but she may be suffering from her own math deficit. Many of the districts that stayed closed the longest, including Ann Arbor, Lansing, Kalamazoo and Detroit, have large minority populations. During the 2020-2021 school year, Ann Arbor offered in-person instruction a mere 11.4% of the time, according to data-analytics company Burbio, which tracked school shutdowns. Lansing was closed more than Ann Arbor, and in Kalamazoo students learned via Zoom all year.

Will a Heat Pump Save Money on Your Energy Bill This Winter? - WSJ

Heat pumps are a potential solution.

Heat pumps are a great choice for people who love tepid air and frigid homes!

It’s like fighting a forest fire with a hair mister.

President Rumpelstiltskin - WSJ Opinion

Mr. Biden also neglected to give any credit to the hard-pressed American taxpayers who kicked in an additional $850 billion in revenue in fiscal 2022. Individual income-tax payments rose 29%, or nearly $600 billion. And that was all despite the 2017 tax cuts that Mr. Biden claims had gutted the federal fisc.

Dad Has Family Arrive At Airport Before It’s Even Built - Babylon Bee

Pro Dad and savvy world traveler Chip Dunnings is taking his family on vacation, and to avoid missing the flight, has made sure the family shows up packed and ready to go before the airport is even built.

Biden’s Top 2023 Priority: Abortion - WSJ Opinion

Not lowering the price of gas or home heating (see nearby), not rebuilding U.S. defenses, and not easing his regulatory onslaught amid what economists now say is a likely recession in 2023. No, job one in year three of the Biden Presidency will be imposing the abortion values of New York and California on Louisiana and Pennsylvania.

Beyond out of touch.