NATIONAL SIMPLICITY DAY UPDATES
Must I Say More? I Would Hope Not.
-There has been a whirlwind of legal action in the last few days on a number of fronts for the Twice-Indicted (so far) Ex-President (TIsfEP) Trump, so let's check them off one by one ...
-IN GA, two Grand Juries have been empaneled and is hearing evidence from Fulton County DA Fani Wills involving the Trump campaign's attempt to force the state to "find" 11,780 votes to "win" GA in the 2020 election (those votes did not exist, and Joe Biden beat Trump in the state). The timing of the new grand juries synchronize with Wills' request several weeks ago to have increased security between July 31 and August 14 (appx.), the window in which indictments can be voted on and announced by these grand juries.
-In DC, reports that several prosecutors working for Special Counsel Jack Smith have been seen entering a building where grand juries are seated to hear federal cases, prompting speculation that indictments might be being voted on in connection with any one of a number of January 6 investigations, ranging from the scheme to seat fraudulent Trump jurors to the financing of the schemes, with specific focus on a December 20 meeting featuring a number of Team Trump attorneys allegedly pushing for something like what happened on January 6.
-In NY, the Department of Justice announced they are no longer going to represent Trump in the civil lawsuit in which a jury ruled he did sexually assault E. Jean Carroll and must pay her at least $5M in damages. Trump has countersued Carroll by essentially claiming he was "defamed" by the charge that he sexually assaulted her and in fact "raped" Carroll (this is his essential argument when translated from the legalese, per attorneys who know how to speak legal).
-And in FL, Trump attorneys have filed a motion with Trump-appointed (and allegedly Trump-sympathetic) Judge Eileen Carroll to postpone a trial on taking highly-classified documents until after the 2024 election, because of Trump's Presidential candidacy and (at least according to the filing) the politically-motivated prosecution of him. While that latter charge is utter nonsense and delay has been Trump's legal strategy going back decades (not to mention that, even allowing for Trump attorneys to get classified clearances that could take until the end of the year, it is estimated that the actual criminal trial would not take more than three weeks to present), the fact that Carroll has previously gave rulings that were later ruled to be egregiously and incorrectly pro-Trump, any other such ruling could result in Smith and his team try to get a new judge or opt for superseding indictments in a different state (in this case NJ, where many of the meetings in the FL case took place).
-And as if all of that wasn't bad enough for Team Trump and his UltraMAGAts, news is even worse regarding their favorite binky, The Most Evilest Person Who Ever Existed And Why (According to Trump) Has He Not Been EXECUTED Yet - HUNTER BIDEN (DUUUUMMM-DUUUMMMM-DUUUUUHHHHMMMM!!!!!). First, an analysis of the data and metadata of Hunter's "laptop computer" from a former Republican House member who helped analyze data for the January 6 Commission, Denver Riggleman, shows that the data attributed to the "laptop" has been so compromised and passed through so many hands that the ability to use any of it in a hearing or trial should be rightfully forbidden.
-Second, and more embarrassingly, the "surprise witness" touted by Rep. James Comer (HunteR!, KY) to have first procured "Hunter's" "data" at the behest of China who Comer admitted "could not be found" - a man named Gal Luft - has sort of been found. You see, Luft can't be found because ... he's on the run ... from Federal authorities ... who in an indictment that was unsealed on Monday ... is accused of being an unregistered lobbyist ... for the country of ... you KNOW it ... CHY-NAH!!!!!! You can't write this stuff ...
-And speaking of writing, as Hollywood actors enter arbitration in contract negotiations with producers with the expectation that they will likely strike anyway, a report from Deadline shows the battle Hollywood writers who have been on strike since May 2 have on their hands. In the article, a representative from the producers admitted that producers have no intent to bring writers back to the table to discuss redistribution of profits that (primarily thanks to the shift to streaming) have went overwhelmingly to producers at the expense of writers - and that the producers' strategy is to wait until at least "late October", by which time the hope by producers is to see writers "start losing their apartments and losing their houses," adding that the strategy is "a cruel but necessary evil." Evil it is.
-SOLIDARITY to writers and (likely) actors.
-Ending on good notes, President Biden continues to roll up. In Europe, NATO has expanded to allow Finland and Sweden to join this year, with an assurance that Ukraine will be given an invitation to join once fighting with Russia ends (which is not sitting well with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy) (SLAVA UKRAINI!). In the U.S., the inflation rate has lowered to 3% annually - the 12th month in a row inflation has reduced, prompting speculation that interest rates may only see one more increase in July, as America is by the far the most successful Western country to bring its economy back to pre-COVID levels.
-Not bad for a supposedly too-old-for-the-job guy ...
-On this date in 1862, the U.S. Army created the Medal of Honor for battlefield bravery. On this date in 1962, the Rollin' Stones performed their first public gig in London (they tweaked the name). On this date in 1979, the Chicago White Sox were forced to forfeit the second game of a doubleheader to the Detroit Tigers after a riot broke out on the field - and the field was damaged - as part of radio DJ Steve Dahl's Disco Demolition Night promotion. And on this date in 1984, Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman to be named on a major party presidential ticket by being nominated to be Walter Mondale's running mate.
-Happy Birthday to Henry David Thoreau, George Eastman, George Washington Carver, Louis B. Mayer, Oscar Hammerstein II, R. Buckminster Fuller, Pablo Neruda, Milton Berle, "Curly" Joe DeRita, Andrew Wyeth, Barbara Cowsill, Van Cliburn, Christine McVie, Paul Silas, Jay Thomas, Richard Simmons, Rick Hendrick, Brian Grazer, Cheryl Ladd, Kristi Yamaguchi, Brock Lesnar, Bob Cesca, Topher Grace, Rachel Brosnahan, and Malala Yousafzai.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Erasmus, Richard Cromwell, Alexander Hamilton, Dolley Madison, Alexander Cartwright, Charles Rolls, Lon Chaney Jr., Ted Mack, Minnie Ripperton, John Chancellor, Bobby Murcer, Tony Snow, Harvey Pekar, Sherwood Schwartz, Kelly Preston, Paul Orndorff, and this morning, Milan Kundera.
-Feed the Worms: Sexual predator extraordinaire Bill Cosby, Iran-Contra co-conspirator Robert McFarlane, and turncoat political grifter Kyrsten Sinema (The "I" in "Independent", AZ) entered Earth on this date.