Update at 6:15 pm: We are back to 4x matching now, with the external match and an angel for each state. ***** Opportunity knocks! We have a new Balloon Juice Angel who is willing to add his angel match of $500 so we can complete BOTH of the current angel matches. Thank goodness for impatient …
Open Threads
Four Directions AZ and NV Matches at 4x –
Accidentally Like a Raver
by $8 blue check mistermix| 102 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
I’ve been writing about my trip to rural America to see the eclipse. We did see it, by driving at the last minute to a town on the edge of totality, and barely avoiding clouds. (As you can see, the rightmost picture is almost totally obscured by clouds.) I’ve been to other eclipses, most recently …
Hey Lurkers!
This post is in: Open Threads
It’s way past time for another thread for all the lurkers out there. I don’t think we’ve had one for months! You guys may already know this, but when you post your first comment, it goes into moderation, and sometimes it takes a while for one of us to see it and free your comment …
Things We Wish the Media Would Cover
This post is in: Open Threads, Politics
I had a thought as I was reading the morning thread. What if we make a list of stories the mainstream media should be covering? For instance, I really want to cover Project 2025, but I have not found the time yet to get started. Every week I move Project 2025 to the next week …
War for Ukraine Day 780: The World Burns
by Adam L Silverman| 83 Comments
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Iran, Israel, Military, Open Threads, Russia, Silverman on Security, War, War in Ukraine
As I start tonight’s post, 6:17 PM EDT, only Kharkiv is under air raid alert and it has been under attack for the past two hours. And Israel, Israel is under air raid alert too. I’m going to keep the focus tonight on Ukraine, because, while Iran is not blameless in its own and its …
War for Ukraine Day 780: The World BurnsPost + Comments (83)
Germany Will Provide Us With Another Patriot System, And We Are Working on an Additional IRIS-T System — Address of the President of Ukraine
13 April 2024 – 20:47
I wish you good health, dear Ukrainians!
Today we have a very good result of our international work: Germany will provide us with an additional Patriot system — Chancellor Scholz and I agreed on this today. We are also working with Germany on an additional IRIS-T system, which is also a strong air defence system, and on missiles for our existing air defence systems. Germany’s leadership is truly felt, and thanks to this leadership, we will be able to save thousands of lives and give Ukraine more protection from Russian terror.
Of course, today we also talked with the Chancellor about our joint international events — we are preparing for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will soon be held in Germany. And together we will do everything to make the Global Peace Summit – the first, inaugural summit to be held in June – a real success. This also requires the leadership of partners, and I am grateful to everyone who helps. Olaf, Mr. Chancellor, thank you again for the air defence!
We will continue to work with all partners who can also help. This week alone, I have already had conversations and meetings with the presidents of Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, and Latvia. A new bilateral security agreement was signed with Latvia. I also spoke with the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Greece, Portugal, and Ireland. Today I had a conversation with the Chancellor of Germany. We will do everything to ensure the results in the coming weeks as well. In every conversation, at every meeting, air defence and the frontline are the main subjects. We are doing everything to have more capabilities for our Defence Forces and the defence-industrial complex.
Each week also brings new contracts for joint production of weapons. We are also working to finance more of our production right here in Ukraine. Ukraine’s potential to produce weapons, in particular, FPVs, is quite high. And we agree with our partners on joint steps to finance this work for the sake of our common strength — the whole of Europe, and all those who are threatened by Russian terror.
Today it is important to honour all our people who work for the sake of Ukrainian strength. This day is a professional holiday for the Ukrainian defence industry. Today I granted state awards to people who are actively developing this industry of ours. Most of them cannot be talked about openly now, and the reasons are clear. But this does not diminish our gratitude to them.
I am proud of every enterprise that produces weapons for Ukraine. We are all rightly proud of every result of Ukrainian weapons — our drones, which can reach more and more distant targets — and we are proud of the results of our missiles. All the production of shells and artillery is fundamentally important for Ukraine. Some production facilities that we haven’t had since independence are already yielding results. And despite all the difficulties, five hundred companies are currently operating in our defence industry, most of them are private initiatives. Ukrainian character, our entrepreneurs show themselves from the best side. I am grateful to everyone. I am grateful to all of our 300,000 people who create Ukrainian weapons! Thanks to everyone who helps!
Today, as always, I was also in touch with the military officials, with the Minister of Defence. The situation at the frontline, in some directions, is quite difficult. And everyone who is now showing their resilience, everyone who defends our positions is doing a tremendous job. I am grateful to every soldier and commander!
We are working with partners, particularly in the United States, to strengthen our actions. Glory to everyone who prevents Russian terrorists from achieving their goals. Glory to all who really protect life.
Glory to Ukraine!
+1 Patriot air defense system to Ukraine from Germany, as well as additional air defense missiles for existing systems.
We are grateful to our German partners for an important decision to strengthen Ukraine's air defense.
Modern air defense systems in Ukraine=saved lives of…— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 13, 2024
+1 Patriot air defense system to Ukraine from Germany, as well as additional air defense missiles for existing systems.
We are grateful to our German partners for an important decision to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.
Modern air defense systems in Ukraine=saved lives of Ukrainians.
🇺🇦🤝🇩🇪
@BMVg_Bundeswehr
European countries would face millions of new Ukrainian refugees next winter if russia is allowed now to destroy our energy grid fully and make our cities unlivable. Would that be cheaper than sending us now air defenses which they don't use? https://t.co/6RhZhPVaAC
— Olena Halushka (@OlenaHalushka) April 13, 2024
The reason:
A Ukrainian Defender was passing by his native area. His 90 year old grandma cannot see but she recognized her grandson by his beard.
📹: volod_kr/TikTok pic.twitter.com/AwcxRz417N
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 13, 2024
This is cool:
Creativity wins wars.
📹: @United24media pic.twitter.com/fQ8a1fywoi
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 13, 2024
General Syrskyi's update on the eastern front: The situation on the Eastern Front has significantly worsened in recent days. This is primarily due to the significant intensification of the enemy's offensive actions after the presidential elections in the Russian Federation.
The… pic.twitter.com/0QKsRksSMf
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) April 13, 2024
General Syrskyi’s update on the eastern front: The situation on the Eastern Front has significantly worsened in recent days. This is primarily due to the significant intensification of the enemy’s offensive actions after the presidential elections in the Russian Federation.
The enemy is actively attacking our positions in the Lyman, Bakhmut directions with assault groups with the support of armored vehicles. In the Pokrovsk direction, he is trying to break through our defenses using dozens of tanks and BMPs.
This is facilitated by warm, dry weather, which has made most of the open areas of the terrain accessible to tanks. Despite significant losses, the enemy is increasing its efforts by using new units on armored vehicles, due to which he periodically achieves tactical success.
Therefore, the first day of my work in the area of the operation is dedicated to this direction and to taking all the necessary measures to stabilize the situation, increase the effectiveness of our troops’ actions, and inflict maximum losses on enemy units.
Based on conclusions regarding the nature of the enemy’s actions, decisions were made aimed at strengthening the most problematic areas of the defense by means of EW and air defense. Also, stocks of drones of all types, anti-tank missiles were replenished, additional reserves of forces and means were moved.
The question of achieving technical superiority over the enemy in high-tech weapons arose again.
Only this will give us the opportunity to defeat the larger enemy and create conditions for overtaking the strategic initiative.
The second serious problem is to improve the quality of training of military personnel, primarily infantry units, so that they can make maximum use of all the capabilities of military equipment and Western weapons.First of all, the solution of this task depends on the command of the Ground Forces, which has returned in full from the area of hostilities.
The results of my work will be taken into account in the training plans of the troops and governing bodies.
Of course, I honored the best warriors with awards and valuable gifts.
In personal communication with our servicemen, they discussed the current situation, as well as ways to solve all problematic issues. We are aware of the real scale and degree of threat from the enemy and are ready to take adequate and effective actions.https://t.me/osirskiy/650
The Financial Times has more details:
Ukraine’s top commander warned that his outmanned and outgunned army is struggling to halt a multipronged and intensifying Russian offensive, as Kyiv pleads with western partners for more air defences and a critical military aid package remains stalled in the US Congress.
“The situation on the eastern front has significantly worsened in recent days,” Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky wrote on Telegram during a visit to the eastern Donetsk region on Saturday.
He said a “significant intensification of the enemy’s offensive actions” along the 1,000km southeastern frontline was a direct result of Russian President Vladimir Putin becoming emboldened following his recent re-election.
Ukrainian and western officials have told the Financial Times that Russia may be gearing up for a large-scale attack in late spring or summer in hopes of capturing more of the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. The Kremlin partly occupies these areas, which Putin illegally claimed to have annexed in September 2022.
Officials in Kyiv are also concerned that Moscow might be planning an assault on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city in the north-east. It is mobilising hundreds of thousands of forces and pummelling the city with rockets in preparation.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week warned of his country’s diminishing air defence capabilities after massive Russian missile and drones strikes hit Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian officials have asked western partners for more Patriot and SAMP/T air defence systems and munitions but were rebuffed.
“The enemy is actively attacking our positions in the Lyman [and] Bakhmut directions with assault groups and the support of armoured vehicles,” Syrsky said, referring to strategically important areas of eastern Ukraine. “In the Pokrovsk direction, it is trying to break through our defences using dozens of tanks and [infantry fighting vehicles].”
Syrsky said the “warm, dry weather, which has made most of the open areas of the terrain accessible to tanks” has aided Russia’s advance.
Russia’s main effort is focused around the mining city of Chasiv Yar, which sits atop a hill just 15km west of Bakhmut, the city destroyed and occupied by Russian soldiers and Wagner mercenaries nearly a year ago after a grinding 11-month fight.
Videos shared on Telegram by Russian military bloggers showed “glide bombs” and heavy artillery pounding Ukrainian positions and flattening apartment buildings in Chasiv Yar.
“This will likely be an important battle. Chasiv Yar is located on defensible high ground,” said Rob Lee, a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia programme. “If Russia takes the city, they could potentially increase the rate of advance deeper into Donetsk [region] as part of an expected summer offensive.”
Yuriy Fedorenko, commander of the “Achilles” drone battalion, told the Financial Times last week that Ukrainian troops were outgunned by at least five artillery shells to one but had no choice except to fight.
Speaking near Chasiv Yar, he said losing the town would allow Russian troops “fire control” of the nearby strategic cities of Kostyantynivka, Druzhkivka and Kramatorsk and give them a foothold from which they could launch attacks.
Deep State, a Ukrainian analytical group that monitors the battlefield, said on Saturday that Russian troops had reached a canal that separates Chasiv Yar’s eastern and western districts but had not yet crossed it.
The group suggested that a fierce battle for the city loomed, writing that “the coming weeks will bring a lot of unpleasant and difficult news”.
“The enemy is gathering reserves for the Battle of Chasiv Yar,” said Deep State, which is close to Ukraine’s defence ministry.
Lee said that “immediate increased deliveries of ammunition could prove critical” for Ukrainian forces.
Syrsky said he was taking “all the necessary measures” to stabilise the situation and to “increase the effectiveness of our troops’ actions, and inflict maximum losses on enemy units”.
“Despite significant losses the enemy is increasing its efforts by using new units on armoured vehicles, thanks to which it periodically achieves tactical success,” he said.
Syrsky said he had ordered “the most problematic areas of the defence” to be strengthened with air defence and electronic warfare systems.
“Also, stocks of drones of all types, anti-tank missiles were replenished, additional reserves of forces and means were moved,” he said.
The only way to defeat Russia’s larger and more powerful army and create conditions for seizing the strategic initiative on the battlefield is to achieve technical superiority with “high-tech weapons”, Syrsky said. Those, he suggested, should come from western partners.
Even then, he admitted, Ukraine will still face the challenges of mobilising enough troops for the fight and providing them with sufficient training.
“The second serious problem is to improve the quality of training of military personnel, primarily infantry units, so that they can make maximum use of all the capabilities of military equipment and western weapons,” Syrsky said.
There is a Hebrew phrase that emerged in the Yishuv, the Jewish settlement in mandatory Palestine, during the fight for what would become Israeli independence: Zchor Babi Yar, which translates as remember Babin Yar. There was even a chapter of the Jewish fraternal youth group, AZA, named Zchor Babi Yar. I expect we will eventually, unfortunately, get a Ukrainian phrase that translates to remember Chasiv Yar.
This is a lesson in the importance of quick and decisive military support.
If Ukraine had been given everything it needed to defeat the russians early on, then Iran would have calculated that supporting russia with drones and missiles was pointless.
Instead, western inaction…
— Saint Javelin (@saintjavelin) April 13, 2024
This is a lesson in the importance of quick and decisive military support.
If Ukraine had been given everything it needed to defeat the russians early on, then Iran would have calculated that supporting russia with drones and missiles was pointless.
Instead, western inaction empowered the iranians, the chinese, the russians and others.
Now this is spiraling out of control because of these stupid redlines.
Easy solution.
Peace Through Superior Firepower.
Kharkiv:
Shahed drones reportedly detected in the suburbs of Kharkiv! Kharkiv needs more weapons to defend its skies against rusiian missiles and drones!
— Iryna Voichuk (@IrynaVoichuk) April 13, 2024
Simultaneously, Kharkiv Oblast is under russian missile attack!
— Iryna Voichuk (@IrynaVoichuk) April 13, 2024
Russian occupied Luhansk Oblast:
Serebeyansky Forest, the front line of Luhansk Oblast in the sunrise.
The Ardennes of the 21st century.
📸 By Ukraine’s National Guards officer
Denys Zeleny. pic.twitter.com/V0zHY7HPG8— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) April 13, 2024
Major fire, emergency services involved after a successful missile strike in Luhansk by Ukrainian defence forces. pic.twitter.com/Qy1NPHLGgs
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) April 13, 2024
/2. Additional videos of Luhansk strikes pic.twitter.com/3i9X4DRvAM
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) April 13, 2024
/4. Videos of the moment of the strike where missiles are visible. Based on the shape of the missile the strike was most likely carried out by Storm Shadow/SCALP. pic.twitter.com/TaqbMWHWwL
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) April 13, 2024
Russian occupied Donetsk Oblast:
Ukrainian steel birds are heading to a new combat mission in Donetsk region.
📹: Army Aviation pic.twitter.com/4S8115UjRV
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) April 13, 2024
Lord, guard and guide the ones who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky.
Be with them always in the air,
In darkening storms or sunlight fair.
/2. BUK was destroyed 26km from the frontline. (47.511632, 37.083317) https://t.co/irp1tJ5tvK pic.twitter.com/UiVJoxJr8O
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) April 13, 2024
Ochretyne, Avdiivka front:
Ochretyne, a town not far away from Avdiivka.
Russians have destroyed a residential building with a gliding bomb. pic.twitter.com/CMd4VMie6W— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) April 13, 2024
Chernihiv Oblast:
Russians shot a civilian car in Chernihiv region, the National Police reported.
This morning, the car of a resident of Novhorod-Severskyi came under attack by Russians. The car burst into flames and the man born in 1990 was mortally wounded.
According to the head of the… pic.twitter.com/mYkGPd5vl9
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 13, 2024
Russians shot a civilian car in Chernihiv region, the National Police reported.
This morning, the car of a resident of Novhorod-Severskyi came under attack by Russians. The car burst into flames and the man born in 1990 was mortally wounded.
According to the head of the regional military administration, Viacheslav Chaus, the man was carrying food to local residents.
That’s enough for tonight.
I may be back later with an Israel-Iran war update depending on how things go.
Your daily Patron!
There are no new Patron tweets or videos tonight, so here’s some adjacent material.
I love you I hate you I love you pic.twitter.com/fifM2on3Ji
— Eugene Kibets (@eugenehmg) April 3, 2024
Open thread!
Saturday Evening Open Thread: Arizona, Trying to Become the Site of Our Next Civil War
This post is in: Excellent Links, Healthcare, Open Threads, Republican Venality, Women's Rights Are Human Rights
(Jack Ohman via GoComics.com) Sen. @CaptMarkKelly: This is a disaster for women. This is all because of Donald Trump. Doctors could be thrown in jail for just doing their job. It's clear why this happened and Trump spiked the ball on this on Monday. He's claiming responsibility and he is responsible pic.twitter.com/dQiCrLEQGW — Julia Hamelburg …
The clinic expanded shortly before the demise of Roe — when the patient queue at times stretched around the building, some women arriving hours before dawn, from as far as Dallas. The number of patients has only continued to increase, and the seven doctors on staff now do about 4,000 abortions a year. That’s roughly a third of the state’s total.
At one point, to skirt new restrictions, Goodrick arranged for patients to have an ultrasound in Arizona, get a prescription for medication abortion through a California telehealth appointment with Zipkin, who is licensed there, then have the pills mailed to post office boxes where patients could pick them up just over the state line.
The Arizona Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday again ratcheted up emotions; the justices signaled the ban could take effect before the end of the month. The only exception would be an abortion to save the life of the pregnant woman. Patients started calling, confused, alarmed, even frantic…
The clinic had 28 abortions scheduled: 18 surgical and 10 medication. Plus, because Arizona requires patients’ consent 24 hours in advance, 29 additional patients were expected for that. Most of the women live in Arizona, but one had traveled from Texas because abortion is already banned there.
On a counter near the front desk was a copy of the petition for a constitutional amendment that, if passed, would establish a fundamental right to an abortion up to the point of fetal viability. Supporters are still collecting signatures to make sure it goes on the November ballot. About a dozen patients had signed since Monday, prompted by staff and signs in the lobby and exam rooms reminding everyone to vote…
A recent poll of Arizona voters showed that only 8 percent back the pending total ban — crafted by a man hired to establish law and order in a Wild West territory. Vice President Harris, visiting a Tucson community center on Friday to campaign alongside abortion patients and providers, excoriated the court ruling to allow it.
“Here in Arizona, they have turned the clock back to the 1800s to take away a woman’s most fundamental right — the right to make decisions about her own body,” she told the crowd. “The overturning of Roe was without any question a seismic event. And this ban in Arizona is one of the biggest aftershocks yet.”
At Camelback, doctors acknowledge that creative workarounds probably won’t succeed this time if the 1864 law is not successfully appealed or blocked by the legislature, as some lawmakers have pledged. The state’s newly elected attorney general, a Democrat, says she won’t prosecute abortion providers under the ban. She has informed several that they probably have 60 days before the ban kicks in, while the proposed ballot measure, should it pass, wouldn’t take effect until Nov. 25.
During that window, Goodrick isn’t sure the attorney general will be able to protect clinics from prosecution by conservative county attorneys…
Team Biden-Harris' Gov. @maura_healey:
Trump did this. He owns this. He packed the court, he promised they would overturn Roe, and he did. Look at what it has unleashed. My heart aches for women in AZ. It's so draconian and misguided – we must hold him accountable pic.twitter.com/hmr415Kowe
— Julia Hamelburg (@juliahamelburg) April 9, 2024
So weird how they keep doing the things everyone in the media claims they wouldn't do! https://t.co/hKTNVkgWAF
— The okayest poster there is (@ok_post_guy) April 10, 2024
Kari Lake: Banning abortion is the defining issue of our time. We have an opportunity right now with Roe v. Wade being brought down, thankfully. What I want to do is change the minds of people who think abortion is, what do they call it, ‘health care’? pic.twitter.com/afgrGUHDnj
— DNC War Room (@DNCWarRoom) April 10, 2024
Arizona voter:
Less than 300 votes were the difference between having Mayes in office and a MAGA freak. Ignore the accelerationists and dead-enders trying to convince you that voting doesn’t matter. It does. https://t.co/UuwCUG23HP pic.twitter.com/kqEQQXk343
— Jean-Michel Connard ??? (@torriangray) April 9, 2024
'She is lying': AZ Dem Senate candidate @RepRubenGallego torches Kari Lake on abortion ban https://t.co/sZCh3rLczo pic.twitter.com/VjL0GMe6SF
— The Last Word (@TheLastWord) April 10, 2024
Four Directions Native Vote – Arizona and Nevada (Open Thread)
by WaterGirl| 94 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads, Political Fundraising, Targeted Political Fundraising 2023-24
Hey guys, we are about halfway to meeting the external matches for Arizona and Nevada. Our external match hopes to get their funds to Four Directions somewhere around April 25, which is just under 2 weeks from now. Reminder: we have an external match and we have Balloon Juice Angels for both AZ and NV, …
Four Directions Native Vote – Arizona and Nevada (Open Thread)Post + Comments (94)
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