Martell Spy

Are the Anti-Trump GOP Forces Starting to Implode? A mission-control breakdown for DeSantis and smooth launch for Scott bode ill for those hoping to thwart the former president. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/05/26/are-the-anti-trump-gop-forces-starting-to-implode-00098934

Yep, lock the terrorist up. Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years in prison for plot to keep Trump in power https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/25/politics/oath-keepers-sentencing-stewart-rhodes-kelly-meggs/index.html

FBI misused surveillance authorities to investigate Black Lives Matter protesters Declassified reports show the FBI also exceeded surveillance powers investigating donors to a congressional campaign and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/19/fbi-surveillance-black-lives-matter-protesters-00097924

Top five US executives hoard $9bn tax-free for retirement as workers face limits At many of these companies a sizeable percentage of workers, in some cases as much as half, had no money in their 401(k)s – report https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/18/executives-tax-free-retirement-plan-savings-401k

‘We don’t have a choice’: Sen. Markey on expanding Supreme Court to 13 seats https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-we-don-t-have-a-choice-sen-markey-on-expanding-supreme-court-to-13-seats-174461509709

Biden starts to throw some punches in the debt ceiling fight The president took questions from the press and went to a GOP-held district Wednesday. His team is already eyeing more. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/10/biden-new-york-debt-ceiling-fight-00096309

Ted Cruz and his wife are praying for the victims though according to Politico. So there's that.

Let’s Not Play The Blame Game, Say Lawmakers Blamed For Bank Failures Authors of a 2018 law rolling back bank regulations are oblivious to a damning report from the Federal Reserve. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bank-failures-federal-reserve_n_64556744e4b0452cee9d8ae9

Georgia’s GOP governor signs bill that could remove local prosecutors and DAs from their jobs https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/05/politics/georgia-elections-oversight-commission-kemp-willis/index.htmlCNN —

Four Proud Boys members found guilty of seditious conspiracy https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/04/politics/proud-boys-seditious-conspiracy-verdict/index.html

Because the long game is more important to them, even the more extreme justices. Deciding abortion law for the next 40 years is more important than one President. And Trump gave them no fig leaf. It was "Please SC rule that I'm allowed to steal the election."

Supreme Court move could spell doom for power of federal regulators Conservatives get the chance to use a dispute over fisheries to deliver the final blow to Chevron deference. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/01/supreme-court-chevron-doctrine-climate-change-00094670

GOP-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court reverses rulings that struck down partisan gerrymanders by Republican lawmakers https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/28/politics/north-carolina-gerrymandering-supreme-court/index.html

Texas Woman Who 'Nearly Died' Savages Ted Cruz At Senate Hearing Over Abortion Ban Amanda Zurawski, who's suing Texas for its abortion law, castigated Cruz and Sen. John Cornyn in fierce terms. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amanda-zurawski-ted-cruz-john-cornyn-death-on-their-hands_n_644a56a5e4b0d840388d0de4

I don't think Murdoch is remotely done with Carlson yet. Looks like he has plenty of ammunition. Tucker Carlson’s vulgar language in texts contributed to Fox News firing – report Host called senior colleague a C-word in text message obtained by lawyers as part of Dominion lawsuit https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/apr/26/tucker-carlson-fired-text-message-fox-executive

Smartmatic wants more than Dominion’s $787 million payout, plus a retraction from Fox for its 2020 election lies, lawyer says https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/20/media/smartmatic-fox-news-retraction/index.html

Elia Kane. That is indeed a huge dangling thread that wasn't addressed. I'm sure it'll be addressed elsewhere, possibly in Ahsoka. I imagine she'll end up working for Thrawn if Gideon is indeed gone for good. Given she's still implanted with the New Republic she could also attain higher rank and cause even more chaos for them.

Enjoyed the finale, but also obviously not blown away like the end of season 2. Good action and that's what this show does best. Really glad that Mando is going back to doing jobs as that is also what this show does best. I was really glad to see Mando and Grogu fight together as partners and it worked well. My main problem with Grogu in the past is he often gets used as a Hand of God in between having to be protected most of the time. No Gideon body is really damn annoying. Especially since he probably has 200 other clones somewhere. So they have a million ways basically to bring him back. The wrap up with the Mandalorians was easily the worst part of the ep. It's good it is wrapped up though. It was a lot like the rebels fleeing from the Hoth base for them. They were much better used in the pirate battle episode. They clearly wanted to focus on Mando/Grogu this ep which isn't a bad decision as it's their show, but the whole Mandalorian plot kind of concluded with a whimper.

I wouldn't expect the series to go down the road of Lost. The writers are quite aware of Lost to the point they purposely put in Lost callbacks into the show. Some of them I've spotted because they are obvious despite me not having seen Lost in many years now. But others I missed and read about in articles. The novel Ben was reading "The Magus." Its plot is a Lost callback. I've never read it so I had to have that pointed out to me. But there's a lot of Lost callbacks in general in the show. So no, I don't think they will be copying large plot points from Lost, quite the opposite as they are quite aware.

Who were the 2 that chased Travis at Doomcoming along with Shauna? I would guess they are 2 of the 8. They seemed like wild cannibal warriors in that scene.

‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel About Aegon’s Conquest Eyed at HBO (EXCLUSIVE) https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/game-of-thrones-prequel-aegons-conquest-hbo-1235570239/

I think it's Mari that did it. She's been mouthing off to the others.

Another new low for Putin and he releases a literal axe murderer on his own people.

'Secret Invasion' Will See Samuel L. Jackson Play a "Vulnerable" Nick Fury The former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. is in a bad place when the MCU returns to his story. https://collider.com/secret-invasion-nick-fury-samuel-l-jackson-comments/

I'm definitely worried for Steve.