Apparently CBS was right, and CNN and Fox were wrong: Now they're saying there has been no arrest in the bombing case.

Though, take this as you will, I hear (for what that's worth) the distinction is between "in custody" and "arrested."

Supposedly the Boston Federal Courthouse has been "evacuated," but this could just be a clearing of a crowd out of the building. That is, everyone showed up there to chase the story and see the perp, and the master of the property (whoever that is) ordered it cleared.

I also saw reports it was a "Code Red" due to a "bomb threat." Honestly I have no idea; I'm not sure anyone does.

I'm told there's something going on at the MIT campus but I don't know what it is. Let me know if you know.

CBS: "WHITE MALE:" I'm starting to think they're just looking for anyone on videotape seen carrying a bag, and really do not have a firm idea of the actual bomber, despite previous reports.

“@CBSNews: JUST IN: Man sought as possible suspect is WHITE MALE, wearing white baseball cap on backwards, gray hoodie and black jacket.”

Is This the Newest Suspect? Dan Riehl again, with another picture. This picture tracks with the CBS suspect description -- white (?-- possibly), white cap on backwards, black jacket. On second look, I don't see a grey hoodie though. I see what seems to be an olive-colored shirt under the jacket.

Dan also links this large-size picture of the site of the bomb's placement, before detonation.

I think perhaps this is a bit of a Rosetta Stone in the investigation -- I think investigators are looking for anyone seen with a backpack in this picture.

Posted by: Ace at 11:22 AM | Comments (630)
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You will be excused for not knowing who this is. I didn't know who he is.

Apparently he's a left-wing radio host who styles himself the most petite bad-boy you'll ever know. He says words like "motherf***er" 'n stuff, because that's just how he rolls.

So yesterday he wrote an article in which he hoped and prayed the Boston Bomber would be a white man, and then wrote a long article about White Privilege. Incidentally, as you can see, he himself is paler than Anderson Cooper, but his name ends in a vowel so I guess he thinks he's a minority. (I don't know how else he would justify using his own White Privilege to gain a job and a platform, at the expense of a minority.)

I'm not going to link the article. Here's the gist:

As we now move into the official Political Aftermath period of the Boston bombing — the period that will determine the long-term legislative fallout of the atrocity — the dynamics of privilege will undoubtedly influence the nation’s collective reaction to the attacks. That’s because privilege tends to determine: 1) which groups are — and are not — collectively denigrated or targeted for the unlawful actions of individuals; and 2) how big and politically game-changing the overall reaction ends up being.

This has been most obvious in the context of recent mass shootings. In those awful episodes, a religious or ethnic minority group lacking such privilege would likely be collectively slandered and/or targeted with surveillance or profiling (or worse) if some of its individuals comprised most of the mass shooters. However, white male privilege means white men are not collectively denigrated/targeted for those shootings — even though most come at the hands of white dudes.

Most? Whatev's.

I wouldn't link this -- he's a non-entity who says stupid things; dog bites man -- except there's a humor angle.

First of all, sometimes David Sirota looks like this:

This is his Thoughtful, Just Chillin' Pose, you know, just layin' on his elbow, just hangin' out, just thinkin' about life 'n stuff pose.

Sometimes he likes Pointing.

Coehagen... I'm coming after you.

Oft-times he wears Spiffy Shirts.

He really does like Pointing. That's why I call him Mr. Pointy.

You, Sir, have been served.

But sometimes, when he's not Pointing, he looks like this: Bam!

The overbite on the lip gives the punch 125% Ultra Power. What, you guys never took Kara-Te? You're always supposed to do the overbite-lip thing. That's how you center your ki.

Anyway, @cuffymeh was noticing this dummy yesterday, and specifically enjoyed his Bam! pose, vowing, I think, to use it as punctuation for any well-made point.

This suggested a meme, in which the goal was to photograph oneself throwing a punch as if one had never before thrown an actual punch and if Punching was something that was sorta scary.

Some people joined in.

Why, I'll rap you with my old-timey mic-er-o-phone, I tells ya...
Bam!

Whoops: It was @cuffymeh who noticed the Bam! pose, though he called it the Boom! pose. @exjon then suggested the idea of #sirotaing pictures.

I have changed it to Bam! on the advice of my attorneys.

Posted by: Ace at 10:46 AM | Comments (482)
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I assume for arraignment. I added that part.

I'll start using this thread for updates.

Incidentally, CBS is claiming they've learned that there's been no arrest!

Posted by: Ace at 10:10 AM | Comments (480)
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New Headline: A suspect has been arrested.

Below, the old post, discussing the identification of the suspect through video.

....

Sources say they've "identified" a suspect based on a review of video from Boston TV and from the Lord & Taylor department store's CCTV.

I don't know if they mean they've identified the suspect visually, or if they've matched a name to the suspect.

CNN is being careful about offending people, but will allow the suspect is "dark skinned." Update: John King now specifies the bag they were looking for is specifically a black bag, which corresponds to the pictures below.

The 4chan guys have been looking at video and they think they've found someone who left one of the two bombs. The suspected package they're focusing on is a black backpack, which appears overstuffed. Their suspect appears to be Middle Eastern.

Now, the picture Dan Riehl highlighted showed a white/natural backpack or duffelbag (?) with an orange top-flap; this isn't that one. But then, two bombs were planted.

Here's one picture of one of 4chan's suspects, one who could be called "darker skinned," though not "dark skinned."

The picture compares him carrying a heavy backpack which seems to disappear at some point in the day-- although I should note the second picture may not indicate a missing bag, but just a bag being held in the hands in front of him, out of view of the camera.

But he's also is often looking the "wrong way," when you compare his sight-line to those of the other spectators. A

Here's a picture emphasizing that the bag is stuffed full. Someone's written on the picture with P-shop to indicate the shape inside the bag could be a pressure cooker.

Note that there is no mention by the media of these 4chan pictures -- I offer them as being possible pictures of the suspect. The suspect investigators have identified could be a completely different guy.

"Perhaps Dropping the Bag:" Bret Baier is now reporting that investigators think they have pictures of the suspect "perhaps dropping the bag."

A commenter had noted that in that "No Bag" picture, it's completely possible -- verging on likely -- that the suspect is holding the bag in front of him, low to the ground. I had written in the comments:

If you think about how someone would plant a bomb, he'd move it to his hands, keep it there for a moment, appearing to just be taking the weight off, act natural, then let it slip from his fingers, stay there for a while as it lays on the ground, and only then start to casually walk away as if it's not his bag at all and he never even heard of a "bag."

That "no bag" picture could be the perp in the second position of the bomb-laying process.

Arrest Imminent or Already Made? Via Twitter, supposedly WCVB in Boston says so.

Megyn Kelly... Now also reports an arrest is imminent, via a commenter.

Posted by: Ace at 09:19 AM | Comments (534)
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So Toomey-Manchin is dead.

Strangely, Harry Reid has now announced his support of an "assault weapons" ban, which, unless something has changed greatly in the past ten minutes, is a non-starter. Perhaps this is posturing for the base? Thwarted on a compromise that the base probably wouldn't have liked all that much anyway, the Blue State liberals announce they're going for the Brass Ring?

Here's part of Ayotte's statement:

“There are responsible steps that can be taken to stop criminals and others who are already prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law from obtaining them. With those principles as a guide, I am cosponsoring the Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act, which includes needed reforms to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, addresses mental health gaps in the criminal justice system, and criminalizes gun trafficking and straw purchases.

“To further address the need to improve the nation’s mental health system, I also am co-sponsoring the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act. This bipartisan measure includes provisions of legislation I helped introduce that seek to improve mental health first aid training and increase the effectiveness of mental health care across the nation.

“I believe that restricting the rights of law-abiding gun owners will not prevent a deranged individual or criminal from obtaining and misusing firearms to commit violence. While steps must be taken to improve the existing background check system, I will not support the Manchin-Toomey legislation, which I believe would place unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners and allow for potential overreach by the federal government into private gun sales.”

Ayotte's competing replacement bill was co-sponsored by... Ted Cruz?

The bill would also “limit the Justice Department’s ability to conduct gun trafficking stings like ‘Operation Fast and Furious.’” Among the sponsors, incidentally: Ted Cruz, Chuck Grassley, and … Kelly Ayotte, which may mean that she’s a no on Toomey/Manchin and already has a new card to play. If you’re annoyed that the GOP would offer its own bill on this subject, don’t be: Ninety percent of the motivation, I assume, is to dare Democrats to vote it down in retaliation for Republicans voting down Reid’s bills. Once it fails, the GOP can cite it as evidence that each party rejected the other’s attempts to keep guns away from crazies.

Posted by: Ace at 08:51 AM | Comments (202)
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One intercepted in White House mail facility, now reports of the same in the Hart Senate Office, Russell Senate Office buildings. Parts of them being cleared.

And I'm seeing a lot of this from people watching CNN right now:

Terrific.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 08:04 AM | Comments (383)
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• Looks Like Manchin-Toomey Amendment Is Going Down In Flames
  
• Photo Of Boston Marathon Bomb After Explosion
  
• Before And After Photo Of Explosion (Images Blurred)
  
• Case Being Crowd Sourced On The Internet
  
• Obama Admin Slashed Budget For Domestic Bombing Prevention
  
• Father Of Woman Killed At Marathon Told She Was Alive
  
• Only 4% Of Americans Think Gun Control Is An Important Problem
  
• Grand Funeral Underway For Iron Lady
  
• Photos From Thatcher's Funeral
  
• New York Post: Weiner's Poll Rising
  
• FBI Investigated Harry Reid In 2008
  
• The Anti-Gun People Are Losing If They're Resorting To Ads Like This
  
• Terrorist Enabler, Mark Potok, Shares His Wisdom On CNN
  
• WSJ Columnist Bret Stephens Wins A Pulitzer
  
• Man Resigns His Job Like A Boss
  
• The Banality Of Bias, Journalists Are Awfully Liberal, Arendt They?
  
• Boston Bomb Similar To Bill Ayers Nail Bomb
  
• New Zealand Becomes 13th Country In The World To Legalize Gay Marriage
  
• Fox Pulls Family Guy Episode In Which Main Character Killed People At The Boston Marathon
  
• College Professor Arrested Amid Profanity Laced Rant Against Pro-Life Students
  
• This Is Probably The Worst Idea You Will Read All Week
  

I don't know if I've told you this before, but I'm on twitter. You're welcome to follow me.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 05:07 AM | Comments (304)
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Looks like the Rubio Don't Call It Amnesty bill was filed. That should generate plenty of conversation today.

Posted by: andy at 03:14 AM | Comments (328)
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My bad. My bad.

Here's how the winners made their mark. Place, name, games picked right out of possible games, points and possible points.

1 Need Moar IBUs Nick 39 of 63 139 139
2 mesablue mesablue 40 of 63 138 138
3 bp Bill Pohlmeier 42 of 63 136 136
4 From Sixteen ThePoet 44 of 63 134 134
5 NJRob's Championship Bracket NJRob 43 of 63 127 127

I'm looking forward to meeting up with mesa, who encouraged me to keep my commitment on this. I hope he's wearing loose-fitting shorts.

Because he's earned some special recognition, and avocados are in season right now.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 06:06 AM | Comments (236)
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You know the deal by now. Just be cool and everyone comes out a winner. That means you too lurker-fawn-types. The Ewok doesn't like surprises, bad news, situations requiring eye contact, or people whining about missed contractual obligations. So let's all keep him nice and non-agitated.

Worthwhile Pressure Cooker Policy Announced

There was once a little man called Niggle, who had a long journey to make. He did not want to go, indeed the whole idea was distasteful to him; but he could not get out of it. He knew he would have to start some time, but he did not hurry with his preparations.

Niggle was a painter. Not a very successful one, partly because he had many other things to do.Most of these things he thought were a nuisance; but he did them fairly well, when he could not get out of them: which (in his opinion) was far too often. The laws in his country were rather strict.There were other hindrances, too. For one thing, he was sometimes just idle, and did nothing at all.For another, he was kind-hearted, in a way. You know the sort of kind heart: it made him uncomfortable more often than it made him do anything; and even when he did anything, it did not prevent him from grumbling, losing his temper, and swearing (mostly to himself). All the same, it did land him in a good many odd jobs for his neighbour, Mr. Parish, a man with a lame leg. Occasionally he even helped other people from further off, if they came and asked him to. Also, now and again, he remembered his journey, and began to pack a few things in an ineffectual way: at such times he did not paint very much.

He had a number of pictures on hand; most of them were too large and ambitious for his skill.He was the sort of painter who can paint leaves better than trees. He used to spend a long time on a single leaf, trying to catch its shape, and its sheen, and the glistening of dewdrops on its edges. Yet he wanted to paint a whole tree, with all of its leaves in the same style, and all of them different.

There was one picture in particular which bothered him.

Posted by: Maetenloch at 05:31 PM | Comments (944)
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