Today is Tuesday, January 30, 2024.  The major news story today is the response that President Joe Biden is considering right after the drone strike that killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens in Jordan.  This developing story is covered in an online CNN article by Betsy Klein, Michael Williams, and Kevin Liptak entitled “Biden says he has decided how to respond to attack in Jordan.”

The President told reporters today that he has made a decision about what his response might be after the attack inflicted such damage on U.S. military members, answering in just one word, when he was asked by CNN’s Arlene Saenz whether he has decided how to respond, and Biden said, “Yes.”  

“The Sunday assault on the small outpost was the first time American troops have been killed by enemy fire in the Middle East since the beginning of the Gaza war.” Administration officials have feared this outcome since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel because it would require a strong American response, which the administration has worried could lead to a broader conflict.

The president reiterated that he is hoping to deter a wider conflict in the region, saying today, as he prepared to leave for a fundraising swing in south Florida, “I don’t think we need a wider war in the Middle East.   That’s not what I’m looking for.”

The service members who lost their lives were identified yesterday as Sgt. William Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Georgia; Sgt. Kennedy Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Georgia; and Sgt. Breonna Moffett, 23, of Savanah, Georgia.   Sanders and Moffett were posthumously promoted from the rank of specialist to sergeant, the Army Reserve said.

Biden spoke today with the families of the three soldiers and will attend a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base on Friday, officials said.   

Along with the three U.S. Army soldiers who were killed, more than 40 other service members were injured in the drone attack.  

In addition to scores of attacks launched by Iran-backed militia groups on U.S. forces in the Middle East since October 7, there have been Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen who have repeatedly attacked vessels in the Red Sea – a crucial international shipping lane. 

Earlier this month, two Navy SEALs were swept into the ocean off the coast of Somalia while boarding a vessel in search of illicit Iranian weapons.  The SEALs were declared dead on January 21.

Of course, this expected plan of action by the Biden administration has its fair number of critics, all Republicans, naturally, who have criticized Biden for not taking strong enough action against the Iran-backed groups for their assaults.  In a statement on Sunday following the news of the three Americans killed, Senator “Lady” Graham said the Biden administration’s “policy of deterrence against Iran has failed miserably.”    Graham, the miserable Dumpf ally, called on Biden to escalate the conflict by launching strikes against targets inside Iran.   Sure; let’s start a new war with Iran in the early days of 2024 just to mollify this hawk of a senator. 

Biden had warned in a statement shortly after the drone attack that the United States will respond in a “time and manner of our choosing” as he weighs how to deter future assaults without escalating the conflict.  On Monday, U.S. officials said the American response was likely to be more powerful than previous U.S. strikes in Iraq and Syria against Iranian interests, but they have suggested it is unlikely the U.S. will strike within Iran.  So Lady Graham will not be satisfied with the country’s response here; maybe he should don military garb and fight there himself if he feels so inclined.

Make no mistake, Biden said he does hold Iran responsible for the attack, which CNN has reported was carried out by suspected Iranian proxy forces.  Tehran has denied responsibility for the assaults, calling allegations of Iranian involvement “baseless.” 

“I do hold them responsible in the sense that they’re supplying the weapons to the people who did it,” Biden pointed out. 

When asked whether the expected U.S. response will deter future attacks, Biden said, “We’ll see.” 

With Biden at the helm here, I trust that the American response to this intensifying conflict in the Middle East will not be so impetuous and hasty.  Voices like Graham’s will be wisely ignored.  

Now that we’re on the threshold of another month, the world will be waiting with bated breath for Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling in the civil fraud trial involving the former president.   He could be deciding the financial fate of the former New York mogul within days, it’s reported.   An online CNN article reports on this pending situation by Dan Berman entitled “A judge holds the fate of Trump’s empire:  What to know about the coming verdict.”  This ruling could have devastating consequences for Donald Drumpf and his organization.   So it’s this New York judge that has the future of Donald Trump’s business empire literally in his hands.  Attorney General Letitia James is asking for $370 million from Drumpf and the codefendants in “disgorgement” – or ill-gotten gains. 

Engoron has already ruled that Drumpf has engaged in fraud and ordered the dissolution of his business empire, an action that is on hold, unfortunately, pending Trump’s appeal.  Engoron canceled business certificates for many of Drumpf’s entities in New York, including the Trump Organization. 

His upcoming ruling will address six additional claims including conspiracy, issuing false financial statements, falsifying business records, and insurance fraud.   Very serious allegations, wouldn’t you say?

If the trial itself were any indication, it would seem that Engoron will rule harshly against the Orange Hemorrhoid.   The back and forth between the judge, Drumpf, and his lawyers during the trial was repeatedly heated if you took note.  Drumpf’s social media messages outside the courtroom even led to a partial gag order and fines.

Engoron himself did not hold back in criticizing the former president for engaging in shoddy business practices.  And in December, the judge wrote a scathing denial of the former president’s attempt to dismiss the case.

In his three-page opinion rejecting the motion for a directed verdict to toss the case, Engoron said that experts called at trial by Dump’s lawyers were not credible and that the defense’s key arguments were unconvincing.    Sheesh – this judge hit Drumpf hard.

The unfit presidential candidate spent the entire duration of the trial belittling the attorney general, fought with the judge and his clerk, and accused, without proof, the AG and White House of colluding to keep him out of office.   Reiterating a classic tag line throughout the trial, Drumpf called the case a “political witch hunt.”   Aren’t we tired of this soulless man using this tired old phrase over and over again whenever someone comes after him legitimately?   Give us a fucking break.

During the trial, Engoron and one of his clerks became the subject of “serious and credible” death threats – the judge was even “swatted” on the day of closing arguments this month.  (As you know, swatting refers to the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address, in this case, the home of the judge hearing the Drumpf case.) 

In early October, Drumpf posted on social media a baseless allegation about Engoron’s law clerk, leading to the gag order.   The judge later extended the order to include Drumpf’s attorneys from commenting on the judge’s private communications with his law clerk. 

Now the trial is thankfully over, with everyone waiting for Engoron’s impactful decision.  Will New York finally give the Donald the boot?    Only time will tell.

Today Atticus had his first checkup at the Juniper Valley Hospital, in Middle Village, at 10:30.   We had no issue with getting him into the cat carrier.    But I couldn’t find his stuffed mouse that he loves tearing into.   He probably dragged it somewhere in the apartment and is probably under some furniture.  I’ll have to look for it after the appointment.

I sat in the back with him as Elliot drove to the clinic.  He seemed fine in the car. He let me pet him on his head and he looked as relaxed as he could be.

As soon as we walked into the facility, we noticed how changed it looked.  We haven’t been there since October of 2022 when it was Jocelyn’s last day of life. 

We asked the reception desk when the place was refurbished and the woman said probably last March or April.  The nonjazzy benches were replaced with large, wooden blocks of seats.  There was a coffee maker in the corner but, sadly, I didn’t see a carafe so I couldn’t make coffee.    I failed to ask where it was hiding.   We didn’t have to wait that long, which was delightful.   I believe then we were taken at around 10:35. 

We were greeted by Dr. McCarthy who was one of Jocelyn’s primary vets during her life.   He let out Atticus out of his carrier and he judged him very handsome.   We then asked the doctor a barrage of questions concerning his care, and the main question we had about his age was answered by the vet who has five cats at home.  McCarthy agreed with us that Atticus was not yet a year old; he thought he was seven or eight months old.  

In addition to weighing him (Atticus weighs 5 pounds, 7 ounces), Dr. McCarthy gave him a feline rabies vaccination and trimmed his nails.  He also gave Atticus a dewormer.  All throughout the examination, Atticus performed beautifully.   He didn’t flinch or squirm.  

So we were quite proud of our little man and we were finished within 20 minutes or so.   We then drove home and, since that time, little Atticus has been sleeping for most of the day, probably because of the shot he got.   This lack of energy on his part is most unusual of him.    I expect that he’ll be his usual self tomorrow.

Stay safe and be well.