Crimes No Punishment. Tabs, Thurs., Oct. 22, 2026

Morning news roundup!

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Amy Acton/Vivek Ramaswamy fallout, day three! JD Vance defends Ramaswamy’s “controversial” ad “featuring his opponent’s mother”: “I have to admit I’m a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans who are whining more about that ad than they are about what the Democrats want to do.” This is easier to do when the reporters asking the question — or even Sherrod Brown excoriating it! — are too afraid it would be uncomfortable to say “his opponent’s mother, who sided with her husband after he raped Amy from the time she was 9 until she was 12 years old.” Instead it’s just like it’s “controversial” because someone mentioned yo mamma. They are not the same! (Joe. My. God.) There’s still some Republicans really disgusted by this. I’m curious as to whether (when) they’ll come slinking back. If he loses, they probably won’t! If he doesn’t, well. (Laura Bassett) Also, for and from the record, this is good to know: “In the video, Arthur claims her daughter lied about growing up homeless and living in a tent. Acton, pointing to the record, told WOSU that her mother was ‘eventually arrested, the court documents show, from the tent.’” Also, pumping-and-dumping a stock? Used to be, and may someday again be, a crime! (Status Kuo)

This is a crime: If the media runs paid ads showing the true fact that a grand jury did a report on Ron DeSantis and his wife stealing money for poor people and sending it to the Republican Party instead, the Republican Party says the media will be criminally charged. (Gift link Miami Herald)

This is not a crime: Alina Habba getting paid $50 million by a Venezuelan billionaire felon to fetch him a pardon while she was working at the Department of Justice. (Gift link New York Times) Presumably — I’m just wild guessing! — Ric Grenell leaked this story to the New York Times, the only crime in all the land. (Daily Beast)

Not a single shred of evidence, JD, that Trump miiiiiight somehow be on the take? That’s good enough for me! This rudey though continues to be rude with all his “facts” and “receipts.” (Chris Murphy should have had a blogger do it, he didn’t even touch on all the pay-to-pardons, Jared Kushner’s “business,” or the taxpayer funds going straight to his boys’ new “defense” companies.) (Chris Murphy)

Israel Kavanaugh-stopped Brad Lander for the crime of helping Palestinian harvest their olives (not a crime). (Haaretz)

Is it a crime if ICE chases down a citizen to hit him their car and then lies about it? Is it a lie or is the video showing they lied “raising questions”? (Gift link New York Times)

Our Liz on the criminal judge doing the crime of “mean to Trump” when he’s just trying to dump asbestos and lead from the East Wing all over some dumb golf course, what could be wrong with that? (I am actually quite curious about what happens if you go golfing on asbestos sand traps.) (Public Notice)

Hope everybody’s ready to rugged-individual their next hurricane! (Politico)

Sounds like a LIBERAL UNELECTED JUDGE IN A ROBE wants to just WILLY NILLY FIND PEOPLE INNOCENT and then TAKE OVER THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE. Lol :) (The indispensable Bolts mag)

I want to go to there. The Danes and the feeling of “tryg.” (Psyche) Is there crime there? I looked it up, and pretty much no! (Macrotrends)

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