WELCOME
TO THE EVENING SHADE
A SANCTUARY OF SANITY AFTER A LONG HARD DAY OF FIGHTING FASCISM
YOU WILL FIND in the DIARIES a LOT of POLITICS
(Or NOT As the CASE MAY BE)
AND EVEN MORE CRITTERS
THE PERSON who MAKES the FIRST COMMENT WILL GET TWO CRITTERS
EVERY PERSON WHO COMMENTS WILL GET A CRITTER
RULES IN THE DIARY
WHEN YOU FIND SOMETHING in the DIARY that you LIKE
YOU CAN REPOST IT AS COMMENT in the DIARY
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PostingADiary
CritterHerding
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Monday started out as a bad day for finding news stories. I’m curious what the other diarists experienced subsequently. I found lots of more local stories today. This has turned into a long one. I’ll try to find time to prune it back before publishing time.
As is often the case, thanks to WineRev for the historical perspectives and Denise Oliver Velez for the comics, usually in the first comments of the APR.
Let’s begin!
Chicago Sun Times
New details about alleged bounty on Bovino's head revealed in unsealed court records
New details about the case involving an alleged $10,000 bounty on the head of U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino have been revealed in a freshly unsealed court document, including text messages the feds say show a street gang’s response to Bovino’s immigration blitz.
U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow ordered the document unsealed days before a Tuesday hearing, during which attorneys for Juan Espinoza Martinez are expected to argue for his release from custody.
Federal authorities say Espinoza Martinez was a “ranking member” of the Latin Kings street gang when he put the $10,000 bounty on Bovino. His attorneys say he has “stable employment, deep family connections” and no criminal background.
✂️
I don’t know enough about this to pick a side. Espinoza Martinez may well be guilty, but ICE and this DoJ have not earned anyone’s trust. Bovino has not earned any sympathy, either.
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Missouri Independent
Lawsuit details alleged scheme to sabotage referendum on Missouri congressional map
Opponents of a referendum on Missouri’s gerrymandered congressional map are offering “huge sums of money” to signature gatherers in an effort to undermine the petition drive, according to accusations in a federal lawsuit.
Advanced Micro Targeting of Dallas, Texas, was hired by a PAC called People Not Politicians to help collect the signatures needed to put Missouri’s new congressional map on the 2026 ballot. In a lawsuit filed Nov. 11 in Missouri’s Western District U.S. Court, the company alleges four consulting firms are involved in an effort to pay signatures gatherers to abandon their work, turn over signatures and badmouth their employer.
The lawsuit says the defendants have “poached” 28 employees and illegally obtained proprietary information about workers and petition strategy.
U.S. District Judge Greg Kays on Monday denied the company’s request for a temporary restraining order, stating the company had not proved “irreparable harm” that could not be compensated later. In response, the Advanced Micro Targeting filed an amended complaint, elaborating on the issues the activities of the four defendants are causing for the signature effort. ✂️
I can only guess that the plaintiffs are on our side, judging by their name. Regardless if that’s true or not, it seems to me that tampering like this ought to be illegal and a non-partisan issue.
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AZ Mirror
Mayes asks Supreme Court to overturn ruling that halted her fake electors case
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is pushing forward with her case against 11 Arizona Republicans and top Trump aides who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss in the Grand Canyon State, filing an appeal to the state Supreme Court that aims to revive the case.
In a written statement announcing the appeal, Mayes emphasized her role as the state’s legal representative and vowed to hold those involved accountable for what she said was illegal election interference.
“As Arizona’s top law enforcement officer and top prosecutor, it’s my job to uphold the law and protect Arizonans,” she wrote. “We remain squarely focused on ensuring the defendants are held accountable because there is nothing more important than enforcing the rule of law.” ✂️
The case was brought to a halt earlier this year, when a trial judge ruled it should be sent back to the grand jury to reconsider whether there was probable cause for the indictment. The defendants argued that state prosecutors failed to provide a copy of the 1887 Electoral Count Act to jurors, which they claimed made their actions perfectly legal. The 138-year-old law clarifies how the electoral votes for president and vice president are counted and sets up a legal framework for Congress to resolve disputes, including when a state submits multiple slates of electors.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sam Myers ruled that allowing jurors to consider the law was critical for a “fair and impartial presentation.” ✂️
Go Kris Mayes! She’s awesome enough that she’s a state AG that I can name. There aren’t that many.
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This one only has national interest because it helps show what the current economy is like for agriculture. I have no proof that iDJT’s economic policies exacerbated existing issues, but I’m inclined to think so.
Nebraska Examiner
Nebraskans lament Tyson decision to close Lexington plant with 3,200 workers
LINCOLN — In a blow to the local economy of Lexington, Nebraska, Tyson Foods announced that it is closing the town’s longtime Tyson beef plant that employed about 3,200 people.
The Arkansas-based Tyson said in a statement that changes were designed to “right-size” its beef business and position it for long-term success.
The Lexington plant is to close on or around Jan. 20. The statement did not elaborate on why the plant in the town of about 11,500 people was targeted. ✂️
Over one in four of the residents of the town will lose their job. The local economy more widely will be devastated.
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Since we’re talking about agriculture, next door in Iowa…
Iowa Capital Dispatch
Iowa farmers have 120 days to file indemnity claims after Nebraska grain dealer announces bankruptcy
A Nebraska-based grain dealer with elevators in western Iowa has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said farmers have 120 days to file for indemnity if they had unpaid grain sold before Nov. 17 to Hansen-Mueller Co.
The Iowa Grain Indemnity Fund will pay farmers up to 90%, with a $400,000 maximum, for their sold grain in the event a state-licensed grain dealer goes broke before it can pay the farmer. ✂️
The farmers have to file for indemnity in order to get paid 90% for the grain they sold, but hadn’t been paid for. Again, I can’t directly point to current administration policy, but it sure doesn’t help farmers or our own food security.
According to Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings for Hansen-Mueller, none of its 20 largest unsecured claims were with Iowa companies. Some of the top claims include one for more than $4.6 million with Viterra Canada Inc., a more than $2.5 million claim with Cargill in Minnesota and just over $2 million to Beloit, Kansas-based Agmark LLC.
Hansen-Mueller had its grain dealer license revoked in Nebraska earlier this year, according to reporting from Nebraska Public Radio, when the company failed to make payments to producers.
The company later made the payments and its license was reinstated by the state licensing agency in early November. ✂️
Being charitable, the grain dealer has been in trouble for a while.
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Some good news at last. I’ve spent little time in Maine, but I’d like to spend more. It’s beautiful up there!
Maine Morning Star
New England kicks off $450M plan to supercharge heat pump adoption
New England winters can get wicked cold. This week, five of the region’s states launched a $450 million effort to warm more of the homes in the often-frigid region with energy-efficient, low-emission heat pumps instead by burning fossil fuels.
“It’s a big deal,” said Katie Dykes, commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “It’s unprecedented to see five states aligning together on a transformational approach to deploying more-affordable clean-heat options.”
The New England Heat Pump Accelerator is a collaboration between Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. The initiative is funded by the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which was created by President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The accelerator’s launch marks a rare milestone for a Biden-era climate initiative amid the Trump administration’s relentless attempts to scrap federal clean energy and environmental programs.
The goal: Get more heat pumps into more homes through a combination of financial incentives, educational outreach, and workforce development. ✂️
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The embedded Xit is because it appeared in the original article.
Michigan Advance
Michigan State Police respond to bomb threat at Senator Slotkin’s home
A spokesperson for Michigan U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin took to social media on Friday night to report that the Michigan State Police responded to a bomb threat at her home.
Slotkin was reportedly not at home at the time of the incident. State Police searched her property in Holly and confirmed that no one was in danger.
The bomb threat comes after she and other Democratic lawmakers created a video calling on the various branches of the U.S. Armed Services to reject any illegal order that might come down from President Donald Trump or the newly renamed Department of War under Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Trump responded with vitriol calling the video “seditious behavior from traitors, punishable by death.”
Slotkin responded by saying that the video “really isn’t about those of us who made the video … this is about who we are as Americans and how we’re going to engage with people who we disagree with.” ✂️
With this one, I’m more than comfortable pointing fingers directly at iDJT.
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I’m guessing that the man in question was homeless, as it’s still pretty early in the season. It doesn’t diminish the fact that people do need heating supplements.
Maryland Matters
Lawmakers call for the release of LIHEAP funds as health officials announce first cold-related death
Maryland lawmakers have joined more than 100 members of Congress pushing for the release of federal home heating assistance funds, just days before state health officials announced the first cold-related death of the season.
The Maryland Department of Health reported Friday that a man between the ages of 30 and 40 was found dead outdoors in Frederick County of weather-related causes, the first cold-related illness death of the 2025-2026 winter weather season. Last year, the state recorded 75.such deaths over the winter, the most in five years, according to state data.
The health department is urging Marylanders in need of heat to reach out to their local health departments or call the 2-1-1 line to find the nearest warming center or overnight shelters.
The death comes as a bipartisan group of House members is urging the Trump administration to release federal energy assistance dollars that help low-income families afford their energy bills in the winter.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, was paused during the recent 43-day government shutdown, along with other federal assistance programs suspended during that time. But while other project funding began to flow after the shutdown ended, the administration has not released LIHEAP funding to states that administer the program. ✂️
It’s not iDJT’s money and it’s been appropriated, should be a no brainer, right? Somehow I doubt that iDJT will see it that way.
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Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon advocates say Trump’s changes to housing program will exclude them from funding
The Trump administration will require that homeless service providers force people to receive behavioral health treatment in order to access long-term, federally supported housing, a move that could mean organizations across Oregon would have to choose between receiving federal dollars or state dollars — but not both.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a major overhaul of the $3.9 billion federal Continuum of Care program, the largest homeless services initiative it oversees.
The changes slash the amount of funding available for permanent housing projects and upend federal support for the longstanding homeless services model known as “Housing First,” which aims to quickly connect people to housing by removing preconditions like stable employment or sobriety that can be barriers to entry. ✂️
The battle against the poor continues.
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x
Rob Rogers
Rob Rogers is an award-winning editorial cartoonist living in Pittsburgh, PA... rob_rogers_cartoons
Trump rudely yelled "quiet, piggy" at a reporter who asked him a simple question about the Epstein files. Meanwhile, he continues to ignore his promise to lower prices & enriches himself.
[image or embed]
— Zoli Aswad Osaze (@zaswadosaze.bsky.social) November 21, 2025 at 10:22 PM
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Louisiana Illuminator
Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana
Penelope Hull doesn’t care that the road in front of her elementary school leads to what will be the largest data center in the world. She just misses the playground in front of Holly Ridge Elementary School.
It’s shut down this year because it faces the roads where, every day, thousands of dump trucks and 18-wheelers thunder toward “Hyperion,” Meta’s $27 billion data center being built less than a mile away.
Holly Ridge is a town of fewer than 2,000 in Richland Parish, in the northeast corner of the state, where nearly a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. Before Meta broke ground last December, the town’s two-lane roads were quiet, scenic routes mostly used by locals.
Now, the noise from the trucks lined up outside the elementary school shakes the classrooms.
“You can’t pay attention,” Hull, a fourth grader, said. “And then you get off track and you lose what the teacher was telling you to do.”
The school sits tucked in the corner where Highways 80 and 183 meet. At that intersection alone, there have been at least three big truck crashes this year.
“They wrecked into the gate, and then they had to build a whole new gate,” Hull said. “And that’s why they’re saying we shouldn’t go out there… because there’s too many wrecks and Meta trucks. And they could crash.” ✂️
I dislike the boom in data centers, not the data centers themselves. Their construction is driven by crypto mining, AI and NFTs.
Crypto has no legitimate purpose. With very few exceptions, it’s only used for illegal purposes. AI has uses, but the way it’s being deployed is stupid beyond belief. It has positive uses. Momma O has used it to diagnose Poppa O, and I believe she’s on the right path.
AI has brought advances in chemistry and in vaccine development and a plethora of other fields. It works best in fields where there are more rigorous parameters to the desired solution.
General purpose AI is not mature yet. I’m not sure it ever will be, given the subjective nature of the results.
I’m not sure NFTs even exist anymore.
I agree with Ghost that AI is a bubble and it’s going to cause a lot of financial pain to all of us.
I’m with the kitties who know that the best use for many of the data centers that are being built is for a warm place to sleep. No, this is not a particularly bold statement for this crowd, but this article highlighted another reason to be wary of data centers.
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Maryland Matters
More than 3,600 feds get notice their shutdown RIFs are rescinded
The end of the record-breaking government shutdown last week was good news for federal employees in general, but none more so than the thousands who were told they would lose their jobs entirely.
Language in the continuing budget resolution that ended the shutdown provided that any reduction in force that was imposed after the Oct. 1 start of the shutdown “shall have no force or effect” once government reopened. The short-term budget also guaranteed back pay to furloughed workers and prohibited federal agencies from trying to lay any workers off while the continuing resolution is in effect, through Jan. 20, 2026.
The Justice Department on Friday, in filings in federal district court in San Francisco where several unions had challenged the layoffs, indicated that each of the more than 3,000 federal workers who had received RIF notices during the shutdown have now been formally notified that those RIFs have been cancelled.
Those same RIFs were the subject of a union lawsuit that had already resulted in a preliminary injunction putting the layoffs on hold. But the Trump administration argues the continuing resolution means there’s no longer a need to litigate over whether the RIFs were legal in the first place.
“In light of these developments, defendants believe this case is moot,” attorneys wrote in a filing Friday.
I wonder how many people were lost because they found other work, and how much expertise at how to effectively do their jobs was lost. The whole thing makes me extremely angry.
And I’m happy that those that are still able have got their jobs back.
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Supporting our allies The left wing echo chamber
The Jukebox is here. anotherdemocrat is the host. The theme is Gratitude.
Bilbo’s latest CHC is here:
CHC Roundup: Sen. Ben Ray Luján (NM) - Lucky to Serve New Mexico
This Week in the War on Women will be here or here (the first queries by publishing group, the second by tag). If one doesn’t show you the new diary, try the other.
If anyone has a diary of theirs that they’d like promoted, please drop a comment (preferably with a link) in the previous night’s Shade. Hopefully the next Shade will include a promotional link for you.
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Today is…
Birthdays
Abigail Adams (1744-1818) - The 2nd First Lady of the U.S. (John Adams).
She doesn’t look a day over 200.
Wiley Post (1898-1935) - Pilot who discovered the jet stream and also helped develop one of the first pressure suits.
Via WineRev in this morning’s Good and Goofy comment
1910 Minneapolis, MN, the birth of Amy Elizabeth Thorpe, [wikipedia] daughter of a Marine Corps officer father, and a mother whose dad was a state senator. You’ve never heard of her (and neither had I) which is just how she wanted it, even needed it. Already in her teens she was well known in the Washington DC social scene, which she used as a smokescreen. In reality Thorpe, only ever referred to by British intelligence as ”Cynthia”, was one of the most successful spies of World War II, starting in Spain in the 1930s (so she was in her early 20s!) doing intelligence work on both sides of that war. Apparently had some connection with getting the Nazi Enigma machines and some of the Polish code-breaking work to England early on. She moved in Nazi Germany, Italy, Vichy France. Some of her reports from Vichy directly aided the Allied landings in North Africa. Quite the career and lived through it. Considered one of the most successful spies in history that you never knew..shhhh!
Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004) - Iconic comedian and actor.
Jerrie Mock (1925-2014) - First female pilot to fly around the world.
Guion Bluford (1942-Still Living) - The first Black astronaut to go into space.
Billie Jean King (1943-Still Living) - Considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
I recognize her name and I can’t remember the name of the washed up male tennis player that challenged her to a game (and lost) in the 1970’s. The reader is invited to look it up. Much later, off the top of my head, Bobby Riggs. He got his ass handed to him, as I recall. Maybe he just wanted to cash in his Andy Warhol 15 minutes.
Steven Van Zandt (1950-Still Living) - Guitar and mandolin player of the E Street Band (Bruce Springsteen).
Jamie Lee Curtis (1958-Still Living) - Actress known for her roles in Halloween, Freaky Friday, and Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Also the wife of Christopher Guest.
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Events
1842 - Mount St Helens (Washington) erupts.
Not the one Nanny remembers.
1919 - The Labor conference committee urges 8-hour work days.
1954 - The Humane Society is formed.
1963 - President Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.
Something Was Lost on That Awful Day in Dallas, Texas — We Have Never Fully Recovered From It
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There’s not a lot listed for National Days.
Love Your Freckles Day
Love Your Freckles Day, on November 22, is all about celebrating and flaunting freckles. Commonly found in redheads or those whose parents are respectively dark and fair, freckles are cute, sunkissed spots that make most of those blessed with them look wonderfully unique and natural! Synonymous with youth, and sported by beauties including model Adwoa Aboah, ‘Big Little Lies’ star Zoë Kravitz, and the actor Lily Newmark, the freckled face offers an idiosyncratic alternative to those flawless Instagram selfies where make-up is applied in thick, opaque layers. On this day, make sure to appreciate freckled faces all over the world.
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Humane Society Anniversary Day
Humane Society Anniversary Day, celebrated on November 22 every year, signifies the establishment of Humane Society International, the world’s largest animal protection organization. Did you know that every year, Humane Society International saves hundreds of animals from cruelty cases? Humane Society International strives to promote the human-animal bond, protect and rescue animals, and more across the world.
I appreciate the Humane Society and all that they do. At least up here, they are not a “no kill” shelter, though. Absolutely adopt from them, but do research, and if necessary, look for alternatives before placing an animal with them.
That being said, they really did break ground on the humane treatment of animals.
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National Adoption Day
National Adoption Day is a beacon of hope for countless children and a day to spotlight the importance of finding permanent, loving families for children in foster care.
Celebrated annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, this day unites policymakers, practitioners, and advocates across more than 400 cities in the U.S. to finalize thousands of adoptions and encourage more people to open their hearts and homes.
The date marks a joyous occasion, providing many children with the stability and love they’ve been waiting for, sometimes for years.
The roots of National Adoption Day date back to the efforts of a Los Angeles County judge who opened his court on Saturdays to finalize adoptions, reducing the backlog of cases and fast-tracking the process for many waiting children.
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Tomorrow is...
I have this dark image that each of the Shade diarists are plotting on the person that follows them the next evening with the very, very worst National Day they can find for the subsequent day. “It’s National Hug a Nazi Day!” Since we all seem to have adopted “Tomorrow is” and the subsequent diarist is more or less honor bound to highlight it*, down this road lies madness! Girasol can hit me twice a week, whereas I can only hit her once. I can also hit Nanny, etc.
*I think cranberries and rhubarb are pretty much “It’s really good when you add enough sweetener!” I’ve failed my mission to highlight it tonight. Cranberries suck.
In the spirit of de-escalation, tomorrow is!
Doctor Who Day
Normally I wouldn’t put in a link, but I love Doctor who and I’m hoping Shadesters will find clips of their favorite moments for tomorrow night’s Shade.
Ghost gets a favorite national day tomorrow, Fibonacci Day. Fibonacci was a towering figure in mathematics, whose legacy still has repercussions to today. Fibonacci numbers are in biology, chemistry, art and other disciplines. I’ll let Ghost explain it.
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(3:48)
The Shade is open. As always, the value is in the comments.
P.S. I was hoping that Girasol’s suggestion for stuffing recipes had been taken up. Sadly not. ☹️
