Donald Trump (image public domain/White House) Take a listen to this audio recording of Donald Trump rambling in an interview with reporters Carol Leonnig and Phil Rucker – the two authors of the new book, I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year. Anderson Cooper played a full uninterrupted five minutes of the recording on his CNN show. At one point, Leonig asked ‘the former guy’ what it was he expected when he urged his followers to march up to the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 which became an unruly, violent riot. From Alternet:
“We want to understand what did you want when you said ‘go up there’?” Leonnig says in the recording, referring to Trump saying that he was going to march with the crowd to the Capitol.
“I would have said that you will show — not to go in, although they were ushered in by the police. I mean, in all fairness, the Capitol Police were ushering people in. The Capitol Police were very friendly, hugging and kissing — you don’t see that, but there’s plenty of tape on that too, the Capitol Police, that’s the way it is. I wanted — personally, what I wanted is what they wanted. They showed up. Just to show support. Because I happen to believe the election was rigged. At a level like nothing has ever been rigged before. There’s tremendous proof. There’s tremendous proof. Statistically, it wasn’t even possible that he won. I mean, things such as in Ohio, Iowa, there’s never been a loss.”
“Did you need better lawyers because they took it to court—?” asked Rucker.
“I needed better judges. The Supreme Court was afraid to take it, don’t forget,” said Trump.
Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: The Department of Labor and the Department of Treasury have released new guidance that mandates almost all insurance companies within the U.S. must make PrEP, the HIV prevention pill otherwise known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, free with no cost-sharing. • The Advocate: A federal judge in West Virginia issued an injunction Wednesday against the state’s law barring transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams for their gender identity. “At this point, I have been provided with scant evidence that this law addresses any problem at all, let alone an important problem,” the judge wrote. • YouTube: Texas real estate agent Kelci Cashman and her children were removed from a plane in Orlando heading to Dallas when she went on a homophobic rant and refused to wear her mask. The crowd cheered when she finally left the plane.
• Reuters: Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban stepped up a culture war with the European Union today by announcing a referendum on legislation that bans the use of materials seen as promoting homosexuality and gender change at schools. • PBS: COVID-19 cases tripled in the U.S. over two weeks amid an onslaught of vaccine misinformation that is straining hospitals, exhausting doctors and pushing clergy into the fray. The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 cases rose over the past two weeks to more than 37,000 on Tuesday, up from less than 13,700 on July 6. • NPR: A couple whose gender reveal ceremony sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter last year were charged with involuntary manslaughter on Monday. The charges included one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, along with other felony and misdemeanor counts related to the fire.
A couple whose gender reveal party sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter were charged with involuntary manslaughter. The blaze injured 13, forced hundreds of evacuations and blackened nearly 36 square miles of land.https://t.co/ZmFVg5R69n
(screen capture via YouTube) House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced his five Republican choices to participate in the select committee investigating the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol building today. And Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi promptly vetoed two of McCarthy’s picks saying Democrats in her caucus had raised specific objections to “the impact their appointments may have on the integrity of the investigation.” Via Politico:
Pelosi rejected Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who was tapped to serve as ranking member, and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), both of whom voted to challenge certification of President Joe Biden’s electoral wins earlier this year. Her decision sent shock waves through the House and is likely to galvanize House Republicans against any participation in the investigation.
Another Republican, freshman Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), also voted not to certify Biden’s win, but Pelosi said she is “prepared to appoint” Nehls as well as Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), both of whom voted to certify the election.
McCarthy issued a scorching reply that made clear he would yank his other three picks if the speaker didn’t walk back her veto of Banks and Jordan, a move she’s highly unlikely to make.
You may recall Pelosi originally wanted to create an independent, bipartisan panel similar to the 9/11 commission. That measure was co-authored by Rep. John Katko (r-NY), and passed the House with the support of 35 GOP lawmakers. Republicans in the Senate, however, blocked that effort, which led to House Democrats creating the select committee in June. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who Pelosi has already chosen to be part of the committee, told reporters she agreed with Pelosi’s decision.
After Kevin McCoward pulls out of the 1/6 Select Committee, Liz Cheney crushes him: “At every opportunity, the minority leader has attempted to prevent the American people from understanding what happened. To block this investigation.” pic.twitter.com/Kg5BNxt9rF
Rep. Cheney addresses media after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejects Reps. Jim Banks and Jim Jordan for the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. https://t.co/rQixCI1ormpic.twitter.com/9cINnUPf67
A high ranking official for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) resigned his position after the conference was approached by a Catholic media outlet purporting to have cellphone data indicating he regularly used Grindr, the gay dating app.
The Pillar, an online newsletter that reports on the Catholic Church, published its claims about Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill and the alleged Grindr use on Tuesday. The post also contends that Burrill “engaged in serial sexual misconduct” as well as frequented “gay bars and private residences.”
Burrill, a priest from the La Crosse, Wisconsin, diocese resigned from his position as general secretary from USCCB on the same day. As general secretary of the USCCB, Burrill was responsible for coordinating administrative work and planning for the conference, which is the country’s network for Catholic bishops.
USCCB spokeswoman Chieko Noguchi told the WashingtonPost it was Burrill’s decision to resign after being notified of The Pillar’s allegations of “improper behavior.”
The Pillar says an independent firm had authenticated “commercially available records” based on data Grindr collects from its users.
“A mobile device correlated to Burrill emitted app data signals from the location-based hookup app Grindr on a near-daily basis during parts of 2018, 2019, and 2020 — at both his USCCB office and his USCCB-owned residence, as well as during USCCB meetings and events in other cities,” reported The Pillar.
The “commercially available” signal data doesn’t include users’ names but instead correlates a specific numerical identifier assigned to each mobile device. Privacy experts say it’s possible to identify a specific cellphone by checking locations an individual may frequent like their home or workplace.
So, it would appear, someone searched through the “obtained and analyzed data” looking at Burrill’s residence and office space and noted the identifier.
The report went on to conflate homosexuality with pedophilia in an extremely heavy-handed manner even though there doesn’t appear to be any evidence Burrill was in contact with minors through his use of Grindr.
The Washington Post reports experts “have long raised concerns about ‘anonymized’ data collected by apps (like Grindr) and sold to or shared with aggregators and marketing companies.”
A spokesperson for Grindr described the report by The Pillar as “homophobic” and told the Post the data described in the story couldn’t be publicly accessed.
“The alleged activities listed in that unattributed blog post are infeasible from a technical standpoint and incredibly unlikely to occur,” said the representative in a statement. “There is absolutely no evidence supporting the allegations of improper data collection or usage related to the Grindr app as purported.”
Adding more for those who didn't read through:
Right-wing Catholic zealots obtained tracking data from Burrill's cell phone, Grindr location data, etc., & then used it to force him to resign — then wrote it up, & grotesquely connected gay to child predation. Nasty stuff.
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) July 21, 2021
International superstar Dolly Parton (via Twitter) Some news items you might have missed: • NBC News: The federal government has announced that almost all health insurers must cover the HIV prevention pill, known as PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, with no cost sharing — including for the drug itself and, crucially, for clinic visits and lab tests. • Twitter: For the record, Dolly Parton is every kind of treasure we could want. Check out her little video about her birthday present for her husband.
• Atlanta Blackstar: A Black woman has filed a lawsuit against the Delaware Division of state police after she was blockaded, had her back window bashed in, and held at gunpoint by plainclothes officers last month until they realized she was not the suspect they were looking for. • CNBC: White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and Sen. Rand Paul got in a heated exchange at a Senate hearing Tuesday. “Sen. Paul, you do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly, and I would like to say that officially. You do not know what you are talking about.”
🔥🔥🔥🔥”Senator Paul, you do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly, and I want to say that officially. You do not know what you are talking about.” pic.twitter.com/ZDuapw2uM8
— Republicans against Trumpism (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 20, 2021
• Washington Post: Fascinating read interviewing Capitol rioters and what they ‘thought’ they were doing on January 6. • Outsider: It was 30 years ago this week that Mark Wahlberg, then ‘Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch,’ dropped that iconic music video, “Good Vibrations.” And Calvin Klein underwear was never the same…
(stock image via Depositphotos) A man who phoned in a threat to assassinate a federal judge overseeing the criminal case of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. to leaving a threatening voicemail promising to put a “hot piece of lead” in the judge’s head. Law & Crime reports Frank Caporusso pleaded guilty this past April to leaving a threatening message in a voicemail with chambers for U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan on May 14, 2020. That was shortly after Judge Sullivan allowed legal experts and outside parties to oppose the Justice Department’s plan to dismiss Flynn’s case. The prosecutor read a transcript of the chilling message in court:
“We are professionals. We are trained military people. We will be on rooftops. You will not be safe. A hot piece of lead will cut through your skull. You bastard. You will be killed, and I don’t give a fuck who you are. Back out of this bullshit before it’s too late, or we’ll start cutting down your staff. This is not a threat. This is a promise.”
A tearful Caporusso reportedly told the courtroom on Tuesday: “I am not a man that would harm anyone. I asked myself, ‘How could I have done such a thing?’” And yet…he did. The one-and-a-half year sentence is the term recommended by the government.
Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy (screen capture via CNN) In an op-ed posted on his network’s website, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy offered praise for the Biden administration’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines and urged Americans to get their shot. He wrote, in part:
Six months into his administration, President Joe Biden should be applauded for making a huge dent in the COVID pandemic.
He inherited an effective vaccine from President Donald Trump, took it into his arms, and ran with it.
The success of this approach has been obvious. Serious deaths and hospitalizations (the most important COVID data) have collapsed.
[snip]
The bottom line: The vaccines are safe and effective. More than 3.6 billion shots have been given worldwide, and some 338 million here in the U.S. alone.
Meanwhile, deaths caused by the coronavirus have fallen to record lows, with almost negligible side effects to those vaccinated.
At Newsmax, we have strongly advocated for the public to be vaccinated. The many medical experts who have appeared on our network have been near unanimous in support of the vaccine.
I myself have gotten the Pfizer vaccine. There’s no question in my mind, countless lives would have been saved if the vaccine was available earlier.
As I wrote earlier today about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Fox News host Sean Hannity, it seems the dive the stock market took yesterday really jolted these wealthy Republicans to get serious about the vaccination effort.
Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy published a remarkable op-ed applauding President Joe Biden’s rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, saying the president did a “good job” and the “right thing.” Yes, you read that correctly. https://t.co/FskgB6ncCO
Donald Trump (screen capture) The former daughter-in-law of Allen Weisselberg, indicted CFO of the Trump Organization, has reportedly handed prosecutors in his case some rather explosive evidence that allegedly connects Donald Trump to the charges against his company. From Vanity Fair:
According to reporter Jose Pagliery, during a Zoom call with investigators on June 25, Jennifer Weisselberg, who was previously married to Allen’s son Barry Weisselberg, told investigators that she was in Trump’s office at Trump Tower during a January 2012 meeting in which the real estate developer discussed compensation with Allen and Barry, explaining that while the latter would not be getting a raise, his children’s private school tuition, which clocked in at more than $50,000 a year per child, would be paid for.
According to Jennifer Weisselberg, Trump turned to her and allegedly said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.” While that might sound like an instance of the ex-president being an uncharacteristically generous guy, prosecutors have claimed that Allen Weisselberg was awarded numerous fringe benefits over the years—like a free apartment, cars, and, yes, private school tuition—for the express purpose of avoiding paying taxes. Which, according to the indictment against him, he did, to the tune of $900,000.
Prosecutors are also pulling information from previous sworn statements for their investigation. In his 2018 divorce deposition, Barry Weisselberg said that “his salary had remained flat for years, while his father ensured other aspects of his lifestyle were covered, including an apartment on Central Park South and later one on the Upper East Side.” Read more at Vanity Fair.
Report: Prosecutors Have Obtained Damning Information Allegedly Implicating Trump in His Company’s Crimes https://t.co/5Ghmg32HVd via @VanityFair
(screen capture via YouTube) Paul Hodgkins, 38, is now the first insurrectionist convicted of a felony to be sentenced. After pleading guilty last month to obstructing congressional proceedings on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol building, the Florida man was sentenced to 8 months in prison. That falls well below the recommended sentencing guidelines of one to two years. Prosecutors had asked for 1.5 years. But District Judge Randolph Moss chose to ignore that recommendation. Moss noted that, while Hodgkins contributed to a grave offense against democracy, he deserved some leniency because he pleaded guilty “exceptionally early,” wasn’t involved in violence and issued a “sincere” apology. According to CNN, almost 550 rioters have been charged, and the Department of Justice says at least 230 of them have been charged with the same obstruction-of-Congress crime to which Hodgkins pleaded guilty. Read more at CNN.
!! ALERT: Judge has just sentenced Jan 6 defendant Paul Hodgkins to 8 months in prison
LESS than the 18 months prosecutors were seeking…
Judge cites lack of criminal record, lack of any leadership of mob on Jan 6, says Hodgkins statement to court as "sincere" pic.twitter.com/7Adgh3NoZM
Ben Shapiro (screen capture) Some news items you might have missed: • NPR: Far-right pundit Ben Shapiro (above) is apparently mad that NPR did a deep dive into how he and his website, The Daily Wire, have found success in stoking outrage and political division via conservative clickbait. His site often generates more Facebook engagement on its articles than The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NBC News combined. But, but, but “cancel culture…” • The Advocate: Authorities have charged three adults for their part in shaving a 12-year-old boy’s head to read “gay” then posting a video of the verbal and physical assault on social media.
Authorities have charged three adults for their part in shaving a 12-year-old boy’s head to read “gay,” and then posting a video to social media. https://t.co/RkSL4D1fzg
• The Hill: A new OH Predictive Insights poll shows 62% of Arizona Republicans believe the ongoing partisan election audit will eventually find Donald Trump won the state’s 11 Electoral College votes instead of President Biden. No evidence has emerged to suggest widespread voter fraud. Biden won the state by more than 10,000 votes in 2020. • Justice Dept: Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the leader of the white supremacist group Proud Boys, pleaded guilty today to charges in two cases, including one involving the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner stolen from a downtown Washington church. Each offense carries a maximum sentence of 180 days’ imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine.
“Police said four Washington, D.C., churches were vandalized the night of Dec. 12 as the Proud Boys and other groups marched through downtown” https://t.co/mq8ff6Xr0K
• New York Times: Wall Street saw its biggest daily decline in months today in a broad sell-off reflecting a range of concerns about economic growth and the potential for rising Covid-19 infections leading to the return of restrictions on travel and tourism. • Axios: With historically low inventory of preowned vehicles, the value of used cars is continuing to climb – even for vehicles with more than 100,000 miles. Car-shopping website Edmunds.com reports the average selling price for a used car with between 100,000 and 110,000 miles on it was $16,489 in June, up from $12,626 a year ago. • Instagram: Model Layna Bloom becomes the first transgender model to cover the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. https://www.instagram.com/p/CRgnPViH21z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
