NATIONAL VEGGIE BURGER DAY UPDATES
Whether You Like Black Bean, Lentil, or Faux Meat Substitutes - ENJOY!
-With the debt ceiling crisis concluded, pundits and reports are now pivoting to DC, where the grand jury investigating Ex-President Trump's 'handling' of classified documents reconvenes after a hiatus. Legal reporters note that, aside from more testimony, this might finally signal a readiness to issue indictments - particularly as other reports claim lawyers representing Trump may be meeting with lawyers from Special Counsel Jack Smith's office, which would be another sign that the investigation is coming to a head. Given last week's report of a recording in which Trump speaks about a classified document revealing potential military action against Iran is now in Smith's hands (raising the potential of an espionage charge), the reports all point towards decisions finally are about to be made on prosecution for the documents in a matter of weeks if not days ... although we've all been here before ...
-Meanwhile, January 6 insurrection investigation watchers went into semi-high alert after a report that Fulton County DA Fani Wills has expanded her investigation beyond Trump's infamous phone call demanding 11,780 votes for Trump to win GA (which he lost to Biden in 2020) into investigations into and involving several other states where the Trump team was known to try to create an alternate set of Electoral College electors and/or vote counts, including AZ and MI - a sign that the GA charges could involve use of RICO laws and an intrastate conspiracy. Wills has already asked for extra security and scheduling in early August for any potential indictment decisions in that case.
-And in NY, an attempt by Trump to throw out the felony case involving payments to former lover Stormy Daniels failed, continuing that case's calendar for a March, 2024 trial.
-All this comes amidst OTHER reports of massive infighting among those attorneys still working for Trump, as a tale is emerging of mistrust and charges of leaking to various reporters when attorneys are not leaving and finding attorneys for themselves because of revelations of potential criminal exposure and/or conflicts of interest among at least three former Trump attorneys.
-Through it all, Trump continues to do what he does - post increasingly nutty posts on his personal social media site and run videos that act as his 2024 Presidential campaign (which, it must be said, he still is the front runner for - be proud, GOP!). One particular video furrowed many brows, in which he promised that as President, he would create a massive celebration for the U.S. in 2026 - the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence - with what sounded to most people like your typical State Fair, with exhibits and parades and concerts and fireworks, and even promised to stage this event in Iowa! Why, there would be no reason for Trump to pander to the state of Iowa right now, would there be?!
-Tickets are not yet available for this event.
-Reports out of Russia that they have successfully repelled what it describes as the start of the Ukrainian counter-offensive have yet to be corroborated by any major news service or social media traffic worldwide. The closest to a confirmation is a Guardian report that there may be a "not insiginficant" "probe" in parts of Eastern Ukraine to try to find vulnerabilities in the Russian defense lines in anticipation of the actual invasion.
-Ukraine, for its part, has denied all such reports out of Russia. That said, over the weekend Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said the counteroffensive was coming, and a viral video commercial produced by the Ukrainian military featuring well-armed soldiers putting their fingers to their lips to say "ssh!" and quoting Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" ("Words are very/Unnecessary/They can only do harm") was seen on televisions in occupied Crimea yesterday. So SOMEthing's happening ...
-SLAVA UKRAINI!
-We end the update with a self-own of one of our faves, CO Rep. Lauren Boebert. Having missed the House vote on the debt ceiling she was all over social media decrying, the Boebs created a video post that said the missed vote was deliberate, a protest of what a "crap sandwich" she thought the bill was. That seemed to be the end of it - until a second video from CNN reporter Morgan Rimmer showed Boebert frantically running up the steps of the Capitol on Thursday. Rimmer is heard telling Boebert "They just closed (the vote)," to which Boebert replied "They closed it?" and being told "yeah." Boebert continued to run up the stairs and has not commented on being exposed for the missed vote.
-Raise your hand if any of this is surprising ... thought so. Onward!
-On this date in 1947, General George Marshall first proposed a plan to rebuild Europe after World War II that ultimately bore his name. On this date in 1967, Israel started a war that ended six days later with the seizure of the Gaza Strip and the old city of Jerusalem. On this date in 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was shot after declaring victory in the California Democratic Presidential primary - he would die the following day. And on this date in 1981, the first report of AIDS was reported in five men with pneumonia in Los Angeles.
-Happy Birthday to Pancho Villa, John Maynard Keynes, Federico Garcia Lorca, Salvatore Ferragamo, Richard Scarry, Marion Motley, Art Donovan, Bill Moyers, Spalding Gray, John Carlos, David Hare, Laurie Anderson, Ken Follett, Ellen Foley, Suze Orman, Kathleen Kennedy, Kenny G, Richard Butler, Jeff Garlin, Rick Riordan, Bob Probert, Ron Livingston, Mark Wahlberg, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Pete Wentz, and Breonna Taylor.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Stephen Crane, O. Henry, Bill Tilden, Conway Twitty, Alfred Kazin, Mel Torme, Dee Dee Ramone, Ray Bradbury, Kate Spade, Kurt Thomas, and Alec John Such.
-Feed the Worms: Hideous MS Gov. Tate Reeves entered Earth on this date. Ronald Reagan and Saddam Hussein advisor Tariq Aziz passed away on this date.
-New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was born on this date. You decide if he gets a Happy Birthday or if he Feeds the Worms.