https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Fridays-with-Nicole-Sandler_1500pxw1000pxh.jpg10001500emptywheelhttps://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.pngemptywheel2025-10-03 17:20:402025-10-03 17:20:40Fridays with Nicole Sandler
35replies
wa_rickf says:
Last night I was on YouTube listening to Adele’s playlist. At the very bottom was an Adele tribute to CK. I was very, very disappointed. I really like Adele and I was profoundly saddened.
Turns out that someone generated AIs of Adele, Justin Beeber and Ed Sheeran giving a “tribute” to CK. That’s pretty sick in my opinon. These people make up their own reality and then live and bask in it. The comments to these AI works are nauseating, giving praise the artists who had nothing to do with these AI works.
I’m surprised YouTube hasn’t taken these videos down.
RipNoLonger says:
Disappointed the youtube (owned by google) wouldn’t take these down? We should all know that google bent the knee quite a while ago.
Matt___B says:
Their knee-bending keeps going on. YouTube (i.e. Google) just paid $24.5 million in “settlement” to resolve administration pushback from kicking Trump off the platform in January 2021:
I think calling generals fat is partly airing out grievances against General Milley. There’s a lot of rw complaints, including characters like Ezra Cohen-Watnick whining on social media, calling Milley fat and a slob.
Elric Blair says:
Eh, Sammo Hung could probably still wipe the floor w Kegseth.
Elric Blair says:
Re: Medicare for all, well as long as it’s not Medicare Advantage for all.
harpie says:
Marcy:
[12:38] And then, speaking of spectacle, the other night ICE repelled down onto a south Chicago apartment building that they claimed was full of Tren de Aragua guys. And the reports of this are brutal. They invaded every single apartment in the building, so there are reports of a couple of American citizens who were held for hours including one who is like in his seventies. They ransacked the places. They took naked children in zip ties and threw them in vans. […]
DHS says an operation last week in which agents raided a Chicago apartment building, rappelled in from helicopters, broke down doors and detained numerous residents, resulted in the arrest of two suspected gang members. [screenshot][Reuters LINK]
[…] A DHS spokesperson confirmed the operation, saying it focused on alleged members of Tren de Aragua and that border agents partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Authorities arrested at least 37 people on immigration violations, most of whom were Venezuelan, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said two people arrested were alleged members of Tren de Aragua. The department identified six people with criminal histories, ranging from battery to marijuana possession and said two people were suspected of being involved in a shooting.
The spokesperson declined to say whether agents had warrants to forcibly enter homes, saying that because Tren de Aragua has been labeled a terrorist organization “there are sensitivities on what we can provide without putting people at risk.”
“This operation was performed in full compliance of the law,” the spokesperson said. […]
Sandor Raven says:
I am wondering … who did the risk assessment that resulted in DHS agents needing to rappel from hovering helicopters (plural?), onto the roof of a small apartment building, in a city, at night. Were all involved—pilots, agents—properly trained and current on their skills (no small and not an inexpensive feat)? What kind of firepower were they expecting (something military)? Or was it, for DHS and ICE, simply “good practice” for later, and something that we-the-public will just have to get used to.
ExRacerX says:
1) Apparently, this administration is full of people who watched WAY too many action films.
2) Because of #1, everything is a photo or video op. “SHOCK AND AWE!!”
P J Evans says:
DHS and ICE have lied so much in the last 9 months that I assume this is another lie.
e.a. foster says:
Saw on the news the raid on the Chicago apartment building and at some level couldn’t believe it. Its something I would expect Putin to do if they gained in their war against Ukraine. didn’t these idiots think about the children in the building? Taking children outside without their clothing????? Surely there is a law against that. Parading children naked through a street is not exactly what one would call civilized or legal. its what pedophiles do. oh right trump was such good friends with epstein and oh yes pedophile charges or something along that line for him…… so are these guys who pull children naked into he streets pedophiles or are they just having fun. Wonder if the government and individual particpants in this raid will be sued by the children. Well its a start and it would give the public a good look at what went on, not to mention tax payers footing the bill for millions and millions of dollars for settlements.
At another level it doesn’t surprise me because I remember how children were treated in term one when children were incarcerated. It reminded me of the places people were held in detention camps prior to being sent to the concentration camps. Come to think of it they killed toddlers also in those camps. Guess that might be something for Republicans to look forward to.
Those idjits wanted to send in the 82nd Airborne. Bad enough they think US cities are training facilities for the military, but that’s an act of war.
Thequickbrownfox says:
It’s real. A female demonstrator, who ICE claims was armed, was shot by an ICE agent in Chicago, today.
That’s two shot in Chicago, one killed, and both circumstances are ‘questionable’ by sane people. Meanwhile, the media is parroting whatever ICE says in their press releases.
Sacramento Bee – President Trump sends 300 California National Guard troops to Oregon, defying a court order blocking him from deploying Oregon’s own National Guard to patrol Portland. [link]
NEW: Gavin Newsom says that Trump has ordered 300 previously federalized CA National Guard troops into Oregon to end-run Judge Immergut’s ruling blocking the federalization of the Oregon National Guard. [screenshot with alttext][link]
Chris Geidner on Judge Karin Immergut’s ruling and order from yesterday:
Federal judge blocks Trump’s National Guard mobilization in Oregon
“The President’s determination” that the Guard was needed “was simply untethered to the facts,” Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, found. DOJ is appealing. https://www.lawdork.com/p/judge-blocks-trump-oregon-national-guard-action Chris Geidner Oct 05, 2025
Highlighting that America’s “historical tradition” makes clear that “this is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law,” U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut on Saturday issued an order temporarily blocking President Donald Trump’s effort to deploy the National Guard in Portland, Oregon.
It was a blunt 31-page opinion issued by a judge Trump appointed to the bench in his first term in office declaring that Trump’s effort to federalize Oregon National Guard troops likely “exceeded his statutory authority” and likely violated the Tenth Amendment. […]
COLLINS: Which local officials in Portland have said that the National Guard is needed there?
LEAVITT: The judge’s opinion is untethered in reality and the law [VIDEO]
harpie says:
Here’s Roger Parloff’s live-blog of the Hearing:
Oregon v. Trump: A Hearing Diary A live-blog of the temporary injunction hearing over whether to block federalization of 200 National Guard troops in Portland. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/oregon-v.-trump–a-hearing-diary
Roger Parloff Saturday, October 4, 2025, 2:24 PM
HAPPENING NOW: Oregon asks Judge Karin Immergut (a Trump appointee) to block the Trump admin’s federalization of 200 Oregon National Guard troops to deploy to Portland. [THREAD]
Judge Michael Simon, an Obama appointee, was initially assigned to the case, but he agreed to recuse yesterday because of public statements against the deployment by his wife, US Rep. Suzanne Bonamici. Judge Immergut (a Trump appointee) was randomly assigned to the case. [THREAD]
HAPPENING NOW: Emergency hearing before Judge Karin Immergut on Trump’s effort to circumvent her temporary restraining order re: Oregon national guard deployment.
I plan to listen in for @lawfaremedia.org.
Follow along (court remote access technology permitting…) [THREAD]
October 5, 2025 at 11:12 PM Immergut: I’m handling this on expedited basis, but defendants haven’t provided new info.
SHE RULES FROM THE BENCH: I grant the plaintiffs motion for a second TRO based on reasons stated in previous order…
Immergut: The question is the scope. I see the defendants’ conduct as being in direct contravention of the court’s order issued yesterday….I am troubled by the defendant’s conduct, but have some concern about the breadth of the alternative relief requested during tonight’s hearing [THREAD]
harpie says:
Anna Bower, continued:
[THREAD] October 5, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Immergut: What I’ll do is not modify my original TRO but issue a new TRO that prohibits the relocation or deployment of any federalized national guard to the state of Oregon….
Immergut states for the record that she is basing new TRO on all of the reasons that were in my prior opinion granting first motion and the same reasons and apply…The deployment of the federalized military is ultra vires and contrary to law, she says.
Jane Riley for CA asks about the duration of the new TRO. Immergut replies that it would expire in 14 days
[notwithstanding further order of the court]….
For DOJ, Hamilton asks court to rule on motion for stay.
Immergut: I’m denying motion for stay and administrative stay.
October 5, 2025 at 11:22 PM
And with that, we are done. [link to Lawfare][…]
After Judge Immergut’s ruling became public, ICE charged out of their compound and attacked protesters, apparently without any provocation whatsoever. It’s speculated that they were attempting to get protesters to fight back and riot, because of a large imbedded presence of cameras, probably Fox news or the like. This is coverage by Oregon Public Broadcasting
Will farmers be hurt?
Sal reports Mississippi River levels below St. Louis dropping to where it’s going to be difficult, starting in 2nd week of October, to bring agricultural products to New Orleans for global export due to barge travel restrictions.
Of course Midwest corn and soy are affected.
Starting at about 14:15 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oykoyIHG8Q
Other topics included on the podcast are attacks on Venezuelan boats and the size of the US Navy off Venezuela.
xyxyxyxy says:
Bessent: “At the meeting in Geneva when I asked them, Why didn’t you continue buying soybeans and the other products, they had one word, and guess what it was. Biden.” https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1974912724581638157
P J Evans says:
I’d bet that was *not* their answer. Biden didn’t put tariffs on everyone else, and didn’t try stopping China from buying US products.
Future Trump pardonee? Has Gym Jordan seen this? Republican Nick Fountain is married with 3 kids and owns two childcare businesses. MAGA family values!
The assaults began when the victim was 9 years old and continued until he was 16 years old, the DA said. It sometimes began with Fountain having them wrestle with their shirts off, police said. It then led to Fountain “sexually touching” the victim and then progressed to oral assaults and attempted anal sex, according to police.
Fountain has been the vice chair of the Skippack Township Board of Supervisors for the past 12 years. He also unsuccessfully ran for state senate as a Republican in the 24th district in 2022. The 24th, now represented by Tracy Pennycuick, covers a large swath of Montgomery County and parts of Berks County.
Last night I was on YouTube listening to Adele’s playlist. At the very bottom was an Adele tribute to CK. I was very, very disappointed. I really like Adele and I was profoundly saddened.
Turns out that someone generated AIs of Adele, Justin Beeber and Ed Sheeran giving a “tribute” to CK. That’s pretty sick in my opinon. These people make up their own reality and then live and bask in it. The comments to these AI works are nauseating, giving praise the artists who had nothing to do with these AI works.
I’m surprised YouTube hasn’t taken these videos down.
Disappointed the youtube (owned by google) wouldn’t take these down? We should all know that google bent the knee quite a while ago.
Their knee-bending keeps going on. YouTube (i.e. Google) just paid $24.5 million in “settlement” to resolve administration pushback from kicking Trump off the platform in January 2021:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/youtube-to-pay-24-5-million-to-settle-lawsuit-over-trumps-account-suspension-after-jan-6-attack
DHS has gone from KavanaughStop to KavanaughHomeInvasion aka “the warrant is at the office” minimize the drama lie.
More corruption by the C in C with Witkoff and UAE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3GFDWOMigc0
I think calling generals fat is partly airing out grievances against General Milley. There’s a lot of rw complaints, including characters like Ezra Cohen-Watnick whining on social media, calling Milley fat and a slob.
Eh, Sammo Hung could probably still wipe the floor w Kegseth.
Re: Medicare for all, well as long as it’s not Medicare Advantage for all.
Marcy:
NEW reporting from Reuters:
https://bsky.app/profile/bradheath.bsky.social/post/3m2evhst7qc25
October 4, 2025 at 11:27 AM
US Border Patrol raid sweeps in citizens, families as Chicago crackdown intensifies https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-border-patrol-raid-sweeps-citizens-families-chicago-crackdown-intensifies-2025-10-04/
Renee Hickman, Kristina Cooke and Ted Hesson
October 4, 2025 6:09 AM EDT // Updated 2 hours ago
I am wondering … who did the risk assessment that resulted in DHS agents needing to rappel from hovering helicopters (plural?), onto the roof of a small apartment building, in a city, at night. Were all involved—pilots, agents—properly trained and current on their skills (no small and not an inexpensive feat)? What kind of firepower were they expecting (something military)? Or was it, for DHS and ICE, simply “good practice” for later, and something that we-the-public will just have to get used to.
1) Apparently, this administration is full of people who watched WAY too many action films.
2) Because of #1, everything is a photo or video op. “SHOCK AND AWE!!”
DHS and ICE have lied so much in the last 9 months that I assume this is another lie.
Saw on the news the raid on the Chicago apartment building and at some level couldn’t believe it. Its something I would expect Putin to do if they gained in their war against Ukraine. didn’t these idiots think about the children in the building? Taking children outside without their clothing????? Surely there is a law against that. Parading children naked through a street is not exactly what one would call civilized or legal. its what pedophiles do. oh right trump was such good friends with epstein and oh yes pedophile charges or something along that line for him…… so are these guys who pull children naked into he streets pedophiles or are they just having fun. Wonder if the government and individual particpants in this raid will be sued by the children. Well its a start and it would give the public a good look at what went on, not to mention tax payers footing the bill for millions and millions of dollars for settlements.
At another level it doesn’t surprise me because I remember how children were treated in term one when children were incarcerated. It reminded me of the places people were held in detention camps prior to being sent to the concentration camps. Come to think of it they killed toddlers also in those camps. Guess that might be something for Republicans to look forward to.
Trump Officials Planned Domestic Military Deployments to Portland Over Signal
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JEE8_niHW3Y
Those idjits wanted to send in the 82nd Airborne. Bad enough they think US cities are training facilities for the military, but that’s an act of war.
It’s real. A female demonstrator, who ICE claims was armed, was shot by an ICE agent in Chicago, today.
That’s two shot in Chicago, one killed, and both circumstances are ‘questionable’ by sane people. Meanwhile, the media is parroting whatever ICE says in their press releases.
TRUMP et al defying court orders:
https://bsky.app/profile/newsguy.bsky.social/post/3m2hpris2gt2b
October 5, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Defying court order, Trump sends California National Guard troops to Oregon
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article312391589.html
Lia Russell Updated October 5, 2025 10:29 AM
Joshua Friedman with a screenshot and alttext of Newsom’s announcement:
https://bsky.app/profile/joshuajfriedman.com/post/3m2hovhuxe22a
October 5, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Direct link:
Governor Newsom to sue, urges Americans to speak out on Trump’s “breathtaking abuse of power” with cross-state Guard deployment
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/05/governor-newsom-to-sue-urges-americans-to-speak-out-on-trumps-breathtaking-abuse-of-power-with-cross-state-guard-deployment/ October 5, 2025
Chris Geidner on Judge Karin Immergut’s ruling and order from yesterday:
Federal judge blocks Trump’s National Guard mobilization in Oregon
“The President’s determination” that the Guard was needed “was simply untethered to the facts,” Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, found. DOJ is appealing. https://www.lawdork.com/p/judge-blocks-trump-oregon-national-guard-action Chris Geidner Oct 05, 2025
HAHAHAHAHA!
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m2k5jux7tw2a
October 6, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Here’s Roger Parloff’s live-blog of the Hearing:
Oregon v. Trump: A Hearing Diary A live-blog of the temporary injunction hearing over whether to block federalization of 200 National Guard troops in Portland. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/oregon-v.-trump–a-hearing-diary
Roger Parloff Saturday, October 4, 2025, 2:24 PM
Here’s a link to Immergut’s 10/4/25 3:40 PM [PT]
OPINION AND ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ord.189270/gov.uscourts.ord.189270.56.0_1.pdf
TRUMP et al filed their Notice of Appeal to the Ninth Circuit later yesterday evening:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ord.189270/gov.uscourts.ord.189270.57.0_1.pdf
Joshua Friedman also live-posted that 1/3/25 Hearing:
https://bsky.app/profile/joshuajfriedman.com/post/3m2ckjctds22b
October 3, 2025 at 1:06 PM
https://bsky.app/profile/annabower.bsky.social/post/3m2ikdupui222
October 5, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Anna Bower, continued:
Marcy writes about this here:
https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/10/07/do-something-bitch-kristi-noem-dressed-russias-useful-idiot-up-to-cosplay-cbp/
After Judge Immergut’s ruling became public, ICE charged out of their compound and attacked protesters, apparently without any provocation whatsoever. It’s speculated that they were attempting to get protesters to fight back and riot, because of a large imbedded presence of cameras, probably Fox news or the like. This is coverage by Oregon Public Broadcasting
https://www.opb.org/article/2025/10/05/federal-tactics-on-protesters-escalates-hours-after-judge-rules-against-trump/
Will farmers be hurt?
Sal reports Mississippi River levels below St. Louis dropping to where it’s going to be difficult, starting in 2nd week of October, to bring agricultural products to New Orleans for global export due to barge travel restrictions.
Of course Midwest corn and soy are affected.
Starting at about 14:15 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oykoyIHG8Q
Other topics included on the podcast are attacks on Venezuelan boats and the size of the US Navy off Venezuela.
Bessent: “At the meeting in Geneva when I asked them, Why didn’t you continue buying soybeans and the other products, they had one word, and guess what it was. Biden.”
https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1974912724581638157
I’d bet that was *not* their answer. Biden didn’t put tariffs on everyone else, and didn’t try stopping China from buying US products.
GOP senators are mad because they got investigated for 1/6. Maybe they shouldn’t have encouraged the insurrectionists, as well as defending them afterward.
https://apnews.com/article/fbi-january-6-senate-grassley-26dcd37c3b9e84c0173e63799baf3fa4
The House is going to re-investigate jan 6. But from the perspective of investigating the investigation.
It’s to be led by the seditionist’s tour guide, Congressman Barry Loudermilk.
Hopefully he can get to the bottom of the mystery of why Congressman Barry Loudermilk was giving tours to possible seditionists the day before the insurrection. The tour included people taking pictures of stairwells and tunnels in the Capitol complex in the midst of the covid lockdown.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-jan-6-panel-releases-video-of-rep-loudermilk-leading-a-capitol-tour-day-before-attack
Future Trump pardonee? Has Gym Jordan seen this? Republican Nick Fountain is married with 3 kids and owns two childcare businesses. MAGA family values!
https://patch.com/pennsylvania/lowerprovidence/montco-twp-supervisor-sexually-assaulted-child-years-da
https://6abc.com/post/skippack-twp-montgomery-county-supervisor-nick-fountain-charged-child-sex-assault/17950162/