Grand Rapids, Michigan, climate update for April 2017

Mean average temperature was 51.9 degrees F in April 2017 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The mean for April back to 1896 is 46.5.

The lowest minimum temperature was 27. The mean for April is 22.

The highest maximum temperature was 81. The mean for April is 79.

Precipitation was 6.27 inches. The mean for April is 3.3. Sixth wettest April on record.

April snowfall was 0.4 inches. The mean for April is 2.3.

Heating degree days came to 391. The mean for April is 553. The total through April from July 2016 comes to 5366 vs. mean to date of 6404.

The heating season to date has been about 16% warmer than normal.

Obama's SECDEF said nukes were an option against North Korea

From the story here:

Last month, former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said about an attack on North Korea, “We’ve always had all options on the table… I wouldn’t take any off.”  Were North Korea to commence a massive artillery barrage on Seoul, and especially if they used chemical or biological weapons, one potential U.S. response could be nuclear retaliation against Pyongyang and/or their artillery at the border. (Perhaps dialing down the “variable yield” of our B-61 nuclear bombs to reduce radioactive fallout and civilian casualties). As outlandish as this response may seem right now, some U.S. war planners do not think so; it could be considered “proportional” and therefore within the laws of armed conflict. If a nuclear bombing were ordered under Obama–who was widely perceived as thoughtful and hesitant to use force—the world may have been largely willing to listen to his logic. Unfortunately, because much of the international community views President Trump as reactive, even unstable, any such U.S.-initiated action would likely be met by ferocious global condemnation. This perception of our President may be a tactical consideration for our war planners led by the very talented head of Pacific Command, Adm. Harry Harris.

Just 18 Republicans in the US Senate voted against the $1.1 trillion spending bill

The roll call is here. So-called conservatives Rubio and Johnson notably voted for it.

Laugh of the Day: Mark Levin calls caller employed as an electrician without health insurance a parasite

Just now.

They don't call Levin "the great one" for nothing.

Noted cardiologist predicts Republican healthcare reform will fail and lead to single payer

Here.

On Hannity with Mark Simone, Stephen Moore just said we still have 94 million Americans "of working age" still out of work

There's a statement which is utterly false, and should end Steve Moore's credibility as an economist forever, but it won't.

The metric measures everyone aged 16 and older who is not in the labor force, the vast majority of which are not in the labor force for very good reasons.

For one example, young people in high school, college and graduate school are included in this number. In 2017 they number about 37 million people.

For another, in March 2017 another 45.7 million were over 65 and getting Social Security. In other words, retired.

Together that's nearly 88% of the current 94.4 million "not working".

That leaves 11.7 million "not working", some of whom are disabled receiving Social Security but some disabled are still working, trying to lead productive lives despite their handicaps.

Typically the rest are homemakers, who are trying to make sure their kids aren't rotten like yours.

George Mason University should take away Steve Moore's MA in economics, if you ask me.

And even if you don't.

Total employment lags 2008 by at least 2.4 million while Drudge plays Trump propagandist

In April 2008 total employed, not seasonally adjusted, hit 145.9 million, which was 48.1% of the US population of 303.38 million.

In April 2017 we're at 153.3 million, 47.4% of the US population of 323.58 million.

If we had employment at the 2008 rate, there would be at least 2.4 million more employed today than there are.

But no, Trump is making America great again, you see.

American Health Care Act of 2017 passes US House 217-213

The roll call is here.

20 Republicans and 193 Democrats (which is all of them) voted against it.

It's a Rube Goldberg fix to the Rube Goldberg machine known as Obamacare.

Remember all those Trump rallies where the crowds shouted "Repair 40 miles of fence!"?

Yeah, me neither.

[Spicer] said about a fifth of the funding allotted to the Department of Homeland Security in the spending bill moving through Congress this week will be used to erect a barrier 20 feet high to replace some 40 miles of the current 700-mile border fence along the 1,900-mile border. That 40-mile replacement alone will cost $341.2 million.

Republican $1.1 trillion spending bill includes $18 million to combat misogyny in the Marine Corps

Now Republicans take a whack at turning the Marine Corps into the Marine Corpse.

Story here.

France's Emmanuel Macron is with her

Frau Merkel is "more attractive than you think"

Marine Le Pen rocks the vote: France will be led by a woman, either me or Frau Merkel

Yeah baby.

See it all, here.

The vehicle for the obscene $1.1 trillion House omnibus spending bill was the HIRE Vets Act

They can't even tell the truth about the name of the bill.

The $1.1 trillion bill passed with support from both parties in a 309-118 vote. Fifteen Democrats and 103 Republicans voted against it. ... House Democrats have repeatedly been needed to help pass spending bills since Republicans took over the majority in 2011.

The roll call vote is here.

131 Republicans united with 178 Democrats to pass the bill, which once again defies regular order for appropriations.

Spineless Michigan Republicans Upton, Trott, Bergman, Walberg, Mike Bishop, Huizenga, Moolenaar and Mitchell all voted for the included Christmas tree of goodies for Democrats in order to get the increased defense spending in the bill.

Only Justin Amash of the Michigan Republican US House caucus voted against the damn thing.

Hillary: I was on the way to winning . . . until I came under sniper fire in Bosnia

The only three things Trump needs to do: Build The Wall, don't start a war, and golf

Hillary supporter Gersh Kuntzman says Hillary got what she deserved, and since she won't apologize she should just shut up and go home

Very entertaining.

Here.

Also entertaining is his litany of her lies, here. He voted for her anyway.

Just remember that when feeling blue about our boy Donald.

Over and over again, Donald Trump promised he would build a Big Beautiful Military

You just didn't hear him right.

Here's a compilation.

Ya'll misunderstood . . . He said he's going to build The Big Beautiful Military

The person destined for political oblivion now is Mike Pence

"Rush, let me be real clear. The number one priority of President Trump is to rebuild our military, to restore the arsenal of democracy."

Mark Levin lies again, says Obamacare was passed under reconciliation when it wasn't

As if it's germane anyway. Levin is just trying to appear to respect the tradition of the Senate.

Well, Harry Reid did away with that by going nuclear on appointments.

And Mitch McConnell went nuclear on Gorsuch.

Two blows to tradition right there.

Like tits, if you've seen one you might as well see the other.

So, Mitch just needs to keep going nuclear.

The Republican Senate should simply jettison the filibuster rule, and pass repeal with the clean Republican majority.

Trump's instincts on this are correct on spending, which means on Obamacare as well, and on every bill which might come the Senate's way.

Then we can focus our attention on Paul Ryan, who hides behind the Senate's filibuster rule like a little boy hides behind his mommy's skirts to restrain what he does in the House.