The Latest
WTF? Now There’s a Balloon over Costa Rica? Prime Badge
02.03.23 | 7:46 pm

I’ve been sort of mystified by the apparent Chinese spy balloon over Montana. It seems highly provocative for relatively little intelligence payoff. And it happens at a time when both countries appear to be attempting to at least stabilize tensions. But TPM Reader JS points out that there seems to be another unauthorized and unidentified balloon currently over Costa Rica. Weird!

Does the White House Need to Restate Its Refusal to Negotiate the Debt Ceiling? Prime Badge
02.03.23 | 2:29 pm

It seems like the White House may have some clarifying to do about just what came out of this week’s first meeting between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy. The statement from the White House seemed pretty clear. They’re ready, eager to negotiate budget issues separate from the debt ceiling, which has to be passed without conditions. This I think has always been the actual and proper position and the one I noted back on Monday was worth reiterating.

Constitutional Sheriffs Refuse To Follow Or Enforce Illinois’ New Assault Weapons Ban
Constitutional sheriffs have roots in a white supremacist, antisemitic right-wing movement from the 1970s that believed as part of its conspiratorial ideology that the county sheriff held the ultimate government authority in the United States.
02.03.23 | 9:00 am
Barr Confirms Key Element Of NYT Bombshell
INSIDE: George Santos ... Mike Pence ... AOC
02.03.23 | 8:17 am
Jonymar Vasconcelos, 47, lawyer for Rep George Santos in Brazil Jonymar Vasconcelos, 47, lawyer for Rep George Santos in Brazil
Meet the Contract Killer who Now Represents George Santos in Brazil Prime Badge
02.02.23 | 10:07 pm

I’m not sure the George Santos stories keep getting worse. But they do get weirder, more bizarre.

As we learned way back at the beginning of the Santos saga, he remains a wanted man in Brazil for check fraud he committed back in 2008. After he became an international celebrity in December, Brazilian authorities decided to reinitiate the case which had stalled when they couldn’t locate him. After the case was reopened, Santos hired a Brazilian lawyer to represent him in the revived case. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, since it’s George Santos, that he managed to find a lawyer who’s a convicted murderer. In fact, he’s a convicted contract killer.