It is time for the bombings in Gaza to stop. It is time for world leaders to say enough is enough and force their will on Israel and Hamas and force the bombing to stop and get on with a negotiated settlement, even if it means a UN backed intervention in the area.
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In my opinion the Alabama Supreme Court has overstepped their purpose. It appears their personal feelings about abortion and when life starts has entered their decision.
By making their ruling, they are making it much more difficult for couples to have children by taking the option of IVF off the table if medical providers are subject to prosecution if they destroy embryos. IVF has become a very real option for couples who struggle to conceive children. To take this away as an option for couples may be the difference between them having children and not having children.
Leah and I considered IVF when we were going through fertility issues. IVF was in its early stages and the cost was very prohibitive. In the end, we chose adoption as a better alternative for us. I am so glad we did.
Over the years Leah and I have talked to many couples who have struggled with fertility issues. We have learned not all couples are ready for adoption and want to have their own biological children. With the Alabama Supreme Court ruling, IVF may no longer be an option for young couples who struggled with fertility issues like we did.
Quote of the Day: “I.V.F. allowed me, as it has so many others, to start my family.” Michelle Steel, Republican Congresswoman from California who along with many other Republican congress members, signed an amicus brief supporting the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
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I have learned writing this blog, that before you jump to conclusions, it is important to verify sources of information. A few Republican congress members have egg on their face this week because they were so excited about what they heard about President Biden and his son Hunter, that they didn’t consider the source before they started calling for Biden’s impeachment.
Senators Grassely and Cruz and representatives Comer, Greene and McCarthy were convinced they had the goods to take Biden down. Unfortunately for them, their source, Alexander Smirnov, was allergic to telling the truth. The idea that Biden had accepted bribes was central to the House impeachment effort that then–House speaker Kevin McCarthy announced in September 2023.
As reported by multiple media sources, Smirnov’s claims fell apart a week ago when a federal grand jury indicted Smirnov for lying and “creating a false and fictitious record.” Smirnov’s credibility became even more troubling earlier this week, when the former president appointed Special Counsel David Weiss of the Justice Department filed a document establishing that the informant, Alexander Smirnov, has “extensive and extremely recent” ties with “Russian intelligence agencies.”
The filing revealed other, more recent, false allegations Smirnov had made, and concluded that “Smirnov’s efforts to spread misinformation about a candidate of one of the two major parties in the United States continues…. What this shows is that the misinformation he is spreading is not confined to 2020. He is actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November.”
Just because someone is telling you what you want to hear, it doesn’t make it credible.
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When Great Lakes Steel/National Steel went bankrupt in 2002, I learned quickly about the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation as it covered the pension of my father who had retired from GLS in the early 80s. My parents had very little savings and my dad’s pension was their primary source of income. The PBGC was a life saver for my parents.
As we learned with the Great Recession of 2008/2009 the PBGC became a life safer for millions of Americans with pensions from GM, Delphi, Sears Holdings, Toy R Us, American Airlines, and others. Thousands of those who benefited from the PBGC were Michiganders.
The PBGC was scheduled to run out of funds in 2026, but by the passing of the President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the PBGC funding was extended through 2031. This has protected the pension benefits of millions of hard-working Americans who through no fault of their own, would have otherwise lost their pension benefits. I hope those whose pensions have been saved remember this in November 2024.
Thank you to a good friend and subscriber, who has benefited from the PBGC, for bringing this to my attention.
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This will be my last blog until Monday, March 4, when I return to Petoskey. Have a great week.
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Quote of the Day: See above from congresswomen Michelle Steel.
Orchid of the Day: The Red Wings may be bringing Hockeytown back to life.
Onion of the Day: The Alabama Supreme Court
Second Onion of the Day: Wayne LaPierre misspent millions of dollars of the National Rifle Association’s money during his decades leading the powerful gun lobby, using the funds to pay for an extravagant lifestyle that included exotic getaways and trips on private planes and superyachts, a New York jury determined Friday.
The jury ordered LaPierre, 74, to repay the group he led for three decades $4,351,231. It also ordered the NRA’s retired finance chief, Wilson Phillips, to pay back the group $2 million. Jurors also found that the NRA omitted or misrepresented information in its tax filings and violated New York law by failing to adopt a whistleblower policy.
LaPierre sat stone-faced in the front row of the courtroom as the verdict was read aloud.
Question of the Day: Did the Alabama Supreme Court overstep?
Video of the Day: AC/DC at its finest
AC/DC – Thunderstruck (Live At River Plate, December 2009) (youtube.com)