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HERE’S THE BLAST!

Reading Time: 8 minutes 25 seconds

The man who masters himself is delivered from the force that binds all creatures.

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

THE CONSERVATIVE CALENDAR

Forecast from the KIVA Weather Station: Scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon. High 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Today is Wednesday, July 14th, the 195th day of 2021. There are 170 days left in the year. It is Bastille Day, Pandemonium Day, National Macaroni and Cheese Day, National Tape Measure Day, and Shark Awareness Day.

This Day in History

In 1798, the Sedition Act became law, making it a federal crime to write, publish, or utter false or malicious statements about the United States government.

In 1865, the first ascent of the Matterhorn was completed by Edward Whymper and his party, four of whom died on the descent.

In 1881, Billy the Kid was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett.

In 1911, Harry Atwood, an exhibition pilot for the Wright brothers, was greeted by President Taft after he landed his airplane on the South Lawn of the White House, having flown from Boston.

In 1957, Rawya Ateya took her seat in the National Assembly of Egypt, becoming the first female parliamentarian in the Arab world.

In 2015, NASA’s New Horizons probe performed the first flyby of Pluto.

This Day in Music History

In 1962, Bobby Vinton’s “Roses Are Red (My Love)” hit No. 1 for the first of four weeks.

In 1969, the movie Easy Rider, which opens with the heavy-metal thunder of “Born To Be Wild,” opened in theaters.

In 1973, The Everly Brothers broke up in very public fashion, fracturing in the middle of a concert at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.

In 1979, Donna Summer’s “Bad Girls” reached No. 1.

In 1980, the combustible couple Glen Campbell and Tanya Tucker opened the Republican National Convention in Detroit with a duet of the national anthem. Campbell later admitted that they were “higher than the notes we were singing.”

In 1988, at the height of “Elvis Is Alive” mania, Nashville radio station WYHY offered a million dollars to anyone who showed up at the studio with The King.

In 1992, Aretha Franklin opened the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York by singing the national anthem.

Today’s Birthdays

Actor Vincent Pastore is 75. Actress Jane Lynch is 61. Actor Jackie Earle Haley is 60. Actor Matthew Fox is 55. Actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge is 36.

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TOP 10 LINKS: NEWS, COMMENTARY, RESEARCH, AUDIO, AND VIDEO

MAINSTREAM LOCAL/STATE NEWS BRIEFING

New Mexico eyes higher plant limit for marijuana producers

SANTA FE — A New Mexico regulatory agency hopes to avoid a possible marijuana shortage by raising the number of plants that licensed producers could produce. The state Regulation and Licensing Department last week raised the previously planned per-grower limit of 4,500 plants to 8,000, and the Santa Fe New Mexican reports that producers also would be able to apply for incremental increases of 500 with a total cap of 10,000. The change responds to concerns that the 4,500-plant limit would lead to a supply shortage. New Mexico’s legalization of possession, use and growth of small amounts of recreational marijuana took effect June 29.

Surgeon General thanks health care workers in New Mexico

SANTA FE — U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has met with New Mexico officials and spoke at an awards ceremony honoring health care workers. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued proclamations during the event at the New Mexico History Museum honoring nurses, doctors, and a laboratory manager for their work fighting the pandemic. Murthy thanked the workers and warned them that with vaccine hesitancy in pockets of the state their work is not yet finished. New Mexico’s adult vaccine rate is above the national average at around 65%. But in some counties, it’s half that.

MAINSTREAM U.S. NEWS BRIEFING

(Bolded for your attention / analyses)

Appeals court: Dealers can sell handguns to 18-year-olds

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — An appeals court has ruled that a federal law banning licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to adults between age 18 and 21 is unconstitutional. In a 2-1 opinion Tuesday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond overturned a lower court ruling upholding the law, which has been in place since 1968. Judge Julius Richardson, a Donald Trump appointee, wrote that the law relegates both the right to bear arms and young adults under age 21 to second-class status. The Biden administration has the option to appeal the ruling.

Political donor on trial for deadly drugs-for-sex fetish

LOS ANGELES — A wealthy donor to Democrats is on trial in Los Angeles on charges he injected gay men with methamphetamine in drugs-for-sex fetish that led to two deaths and other overdoses. Ed Buck faces nine felony counts in federal court that could lead to a life sentence if convicted at the trial that began Tuesday with jury selection. Prosecutors say Buck paid men and provided drugs in return for sex acts. The 66-year-old Buck has pleaded not guilty. Defense lawyers say neither fatal overdose victim died from meth, and many of the alleged victims were drug addicts.

California pension fund agrees to $2.7 billion lawsuit deal

LOS ANGELES — America’s largest public pension fund has agreed to pay up to $2.7 billion to refund policyholders hit with huge hikes in their premiums. The deal announced Tuesday involves the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, or CalPERS. It still needs court approval. The agreement would settle a suit filed in 2013 over 85% fee hikes that were imposed on nearly 80,000 people who had insurance policies covering long-term nursing care. CalPERS said it needed the hikes to keep the expensive plans solvent.

‘The Crown,’ ‘Mandalorian’ top Emmy nominations with 24 each

LOS ANGELES — The Crown tied with The Mandalorian for the most Emmy nominations Tuesday, 24 each, but the Marvel universe also got bragging rights with runner-up WandaVision. The nominations reinforced the rapid rise of streaming, with the top-nominated scripted shows on services that largely emerged in the past two years. In the top three categories — drama, comedy and limited series — only the NBC show This Is Us and ABC’s comedy black-ish snagged nominations. The nominees for best drama series are: The Boys; Bridgerton; The Crown; The Handmaid’s Tale; Lovecraft Country; The Mandalorian; Pose; This Is Us. CBS will air the Emmy Awards on Sept. 19.

MLB All-Star Game uniforms not drawing All-Star reviews

DENVER — Fashion forward? Maybe more like fashion faux pas. The fans on social media weren’t exactly raving about the new All-Star jerseys that were on display. No classic birds-on-a-bat design for the Cardinals at Coors Field, no sweet script for the Dodgers. No brown pinstripes on the shirts for the Padres, no recognizable “NY” logo prominently on the hat for the Yankees. Nowhere close. Bring back the rainbow of colors, many said, with players wearing their own team’s uniforms. The AL is wearing blue uniforms that remind some of jumpsuits. The NL has an all-white ensemble that has many commenting they look, well, bland. Major League Baseball has a billion-dollar contract with Nike, whose swoosh is displayed prominently on the right side of the uniform just below the collar.

MAINSTREAM GLOBAL NEWS BRIEFING

(Bolded for your attention / analyses)

Cuba confirms 1 man dead during antigovernment protests

HAVANA — Cuban officials say one person has died during demonstrations that have shaken the island in recent days by protesting over food shortages, high prices and other grievances against the government. The Interior Ministry said Tuesday that the man died Monday during a clash between protesters and police on the outskirts of Havana. It said an unspecified number of people were arrested. Havana still has a heavy police presence, with officers particularly guarding key points such as the Malecon coastal promenade and the Capitol. The demonstrations that erupted Sunday have seen thousands of Cubans in the streets voicing grievances against shortages of goods, rising prices and power cuts, and some protesters have called for a change of government.

Search ends in Chinese hotel collapse that killed 17 people

BEIJING — The death toll in the collapse of a hotel in eastern China has been raised to 17 as the search ended. The city of Suzhou said 23 people had been pulled from the rubble of the Siji Kaiyuan Hotel after its collapse Monday. One of those freed was uninjured and five others were sent to a hospital for treatment. Most of those killed were hotel guests. The city said investigators would look into the cause of the collapse and an unspecified number of people had been placed under “criminal control measures,” indicating they were under some form of detention or supervision.

Power vacuum rattles Haiti in wake of president’s killing

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Pressure is mounting on the man who claims to be Haiti’s leader in the aftermath of the president’s assassination. At least two other officials claim to be the legitimate head of government amid a race to fill the political power vacuum. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph is ruling Haiti with the backing of lean police and military forces. He has pledged to work with the opposition and allies of President Jovenel Moïse, who was killed Wednesday at his private residence. Joseph faces two rivals: One is Ariel Henry, whom Moïse designated as prime minister a day before he was killed. The other is Joseph Lambert, the head of Haiti’s dismantled Senate, who was recently chosen to be provisional president.

Guatemalan president bans most protests for 15 days

GUATEMALA CITY — The president of Guatemala has banned most protests for two weeks, arguing they have been spreading the coronavirus. President Alejandro Giammattei’s cabinet approved the decree Tuesday and it will go into effect Wednesday. Protesters have demanded Giammattei’s resignation in recent weeks, saying the government mismanaged the coronavirus pandemic and botched efforts to get vaccines. There have been delays in shipments of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine, even though Guatemala paid half up front. It is the latest of more than a dozen decrees Giammattei has issued to temporarily limit constitutional rights, and even Vice President Guillermo Castillo says enough is enough.

Sri Lanka economy in crisis as debt mounts, reserves dwindle

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka has cut back on imports of motorcycles, farm chemicals and even its staple spice turmeric as its foreign exchange reserves dwindle, hindering its ability to repay a mountain of debt. The South Asian island nation was in trouble before the pandemic hit, and now it’s struggling to find a way to meet foreign and domestic debt payments at a time when tourism, a key source of foreign exchange, is still in a state of paralysis. The ban on imports of chemical fertilizer and pesticides has farmers in a panic. Despite the threat of a full-blown financial crisis, Sri Lanka’s government is reluctant to seek help from the International Monetary Fund.

‘ROCK OF TALK’ QUESTIONS OF THE DAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY (PLEASE ANSWER IN COMMENTS)

How bad is inflation going to get?
Is Easy Rider a great film?
Would a “marijuana shortage” be a good or a bad thing for New Mexico?
Ever seen a shark in the wild?
Do you suffer from “vaccine hesitancy”?
Why was the French Revolution such a bloody mess, and the American Revolution the birth the greatest nation on Earth?
Does anyone still care about the Emmy Awards?
Do you enjoy macaroni and cheese?
Is Albuquerque a good place to live?
When was the last time you used a tape measure?

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