NATIONAL GLUTEN-FREE DAY UPDATES
O Merrick, O Merrick ...
-The decision by Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint Robert Hur as a Special Prosecutor to oversee classified documents in the possession of President Biden has spurred debates about its potential (mostly) political impact (given that all current information shows no criminal intent whatsoever in the Biden case). Attorneys like Andrew Weissman believe the appointment actually gives space to DoJ as Ex-President Trump Special Prosecutor Jack Smith to continue investigating – and eventually prosecute – Trump for his documents (which are far more numerous, involve far more sensitive documents, and include a year and a half of what may ultimately prove to be obstruction to reattain the documents, many of which still are not accounted for). But other observers like Glenn Kirschner and Elie Mystal point to the speed with which Garland used to appoint Hur as opposed to how long it took to appoint Smith as proof that WHAAR MAARICK GAARLANN is still in force.
-That said, investigations into the January 6 insurrection continues, as the now-ended January 6 Commission turned over an estimated 30 GB of data that was not publicly released to Smith and his team. That trove of evidence reportedly incudes ancillary materials in support of witness statements and, tantalizingly, reports of texts sent by would-be revolutionary Steve Bannon on how Trump could still stay President AFTER January 6, 2021. In “retaliation,” Kevin McCarthy (SINO-R, CA) is “threatening” to release more security footage in “support” of the conspiracy theory that the Washington DC Police and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (GOAT-D, CA) were to blame for the insurrection (Uh … no). The investigations continue …
-There are conflicting reports about whether or not Russian forces have taken the Ukrainian town of Soledar, with Russia and their private mercenary force the Wagner Group claiming they have and Ukraine forces disputing it. Whether they have or not, it would signal Russia’s first military success in months despite what is reportedly a massive loss of manpower and firepower. British observers believe Russia has used 75% of its munitions thus far, and despite other reports that Russia is claiming it will soon have 2 million more conscripts, their continued lack of training and materials and naming of a third new Commander of the Armed Forces since the invasion began 11 months ago lay some doubts about that claim so long as NATO and the U.S. continue to supply Ukraine, which is likely to happen despite UltraMAGA support of Putin.
-Slava Ukraini!
-As occurred when Buffalo Bills DB Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after being hit on the field during an NFL game, the death of Lisa Marie Presley by cardiac arrest has brought out right-wing speculation that the reason their hearts were weakened were COVID vaccines. Fox Nation commentator Tomi Lahren and Charlie Kirk, the leader of Turning Point USA (whose co-founder, Bill Montgomery, died of COVID), led the charge with the utterly invalid and totally false and unproven claim. Deaths of celebrities have been followed in right-wing media by anti-COVID propaganda – even as another anti-COVID right wing commentator, Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway, died this week after contracting COVID at Thanksgiving (and her sister, Rochelle “Silk” Richardson, has threatened legal action against anyone who claims her sister died of COVID). All of this is occurring as another highly contagious COVID variant is becoming the dominant strain in the United States.
-A REMINDER: Masking in areas where you are not sure everyone in the crowd is vaccinated AND VACCINATIONS are the best way to limit your exposure to COVID and, should you contract it, to fight it relatively quickly and without serious complications. #COVIDIsNotOver
-You all may be waiting for a “George Santos” (“R”, “NY”) update, and you will get it – but the circumstances and information about whoever this guy is continues fast and furious and deserves its own space, so wait for a weekend update for that update!
-On this date in 1968, one of the most famous country and rock music concerts took place as Johnny Cash played to a crowd of prisoners at Folsom Prison in CA. On this date in 1990, Douglas Wilder was sworn in as the first black Governor in America – in VA, no less! And on this date in 2021, Ex-President Trump was rewarded for his actions that led to the January 6 insurrection by becoming the first President in American history to be impeached twice (Republicans refused to convict in the Senate each time in case you need the reminder).
-Happy Birthday to Sophie Tucker, Army Archerd, Robert Stack, Gwen Verdon, Frances Sternhagen, Charles Nelson Reilly, Rip Taylor, Richard Moll, Chris Thomas, Brandon Tartikoff, Trevor Rabin, Kevin Anderson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Suggs, Trace Adkins, Penelope Ann Miller, Patrick Dempsey, Shonda Rhimes, Orlando Bloom, William Hung, and Liam Hemsworth.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Stephen Foster, Wyatt Earp, James Joyce, Ernie Kovacs, Hubert Humphrey, former New York Yankees Manager Joe McCarthy (not the other one), Donny Hathaway, Carol Wayne, Ted Demme, Michael Brecker, Patrick McGoohan, Teddy Pendergrass, Ellen Stewart, Brian Bedford, Dick Gautier, Mel Stottlemyre, and Siegfried Fischbacher.