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
Andrew Lloyd Webber announced today that his latest stage musical, Cinderella, will not open due to a cast member testing positive for COVID-19. This past weekend, the production was forced to cancel both performances set to take place on July 17, 2021, due to “Covid related precautionary measures.” In his statement released today, Andrew Lloyd Webber shared, “Today, on this ‘Freedom Day’, I have been forced to take the heart-breaking decision not to open my Cinderella.” After mentioning rigorous testing utilized with the cast and crew, he (rather tastelessly) mentions that on Saturday “a member of our cast who has a cameo role” tested positive. Imagine how that makes that cast member feel – “It’s your fault and you don’t even have a big part!” The statement continued, “My sadness for our cast and crew, our loyal audience and the industry I have been fighting for is impossible to put into words.” On the show’s future, a spokesperson to BroadwayWorld: “It’s hard to see a route forward under the current rules, but we will do everything we can to come back.” Thinking best thoughts for the entire cast, crew, and creative team.
(image via Provincetown Bears) After seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases among vaccinated and unvaccinated people, officials in the gay summer vacation mecca Provincetown have issued a new mask-wearing advisory. From the Boston Globe:
The town is advising people to wear masks indoors, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, “where social distancing cannot be achieved.” The advisory also urges businesses to require customers show proof of vaccination when social distancing is not possible.
As of July 16, the town has reported 132 confirmed positive cases to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the advisory said. Of those cases, 89 are Massachusetts residents, 39 of whom live in Barnstable County.
The advisory was approved Monday morning during an emergency meeting with the town’s select board and board of health that was convened to discuss the rise in cases.
Many of the 132 cases were linked to events surrounding the 4th of July. Now that Bear Week just concluded, we might see another spike in the next 7-12 days. Town Manager Alex Morse told the Globe that the town has among the highest vaccination rates in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country. As of Monday, 83.4 percent of adults in the state have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Luke Prokop (screen capture via ESPN)Luke Prokop, a prospect for the Nashville Predators, came out as gay on Monday becoming the first active player under a National Hockey League contract to do so. “I am no longer scared to hide who I am,” the 19-year-old wrote on Instagram. “Today I am proud to publicly tell everyone that I am gay.” “It has been quite the journey to get to this point in my life, but I could not be happier with my decision to come out,” Prokop continued. “From a young age I have dreamed of being an NHL player, and believe that living my authentic life will allow me to bring my whole self to the rink and improve my chances of fulfilling my dreams.” The six-foot-four defenseman went on to say that while he is “new to the community,” he is “eager to learn about the strong and resilient people who came before me and paved the way so I could be more comfortable today.” Prior to Prokop, there has never been an NHL player, active or retired, who has publicly come out. https://www.instagram.com/p/CRgq7vCDgDq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Originally from Alberta, Canada, Prokop played for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League last season, acting as an alternate captain. He was selected by the Predators in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft. In December, he signed a three-year contract with the team. https://www.instagram.com/p/CIlU0jFD8fo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Prokop told ESPN that personal struggles during his tenure with the Hitmen led him to the realization he needed to come out. “I was lying in bed one night, had just deleted a dating app for the fourth or fifth time, and I was extremely frustrated because I couldn’t be my true authentic self,” Prokop said. “In that moment I said, ‘Enough is enough. I’m accepting who I am. I want to live the way I want to, and I want to accept myself as a gay man.’”
Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop became the first active player under NHL contract to come out as gay. Prokop told @emilymkaplan that he wanted to come out publicly because he believed it would allow him to play his best hockey. https://t.co/v78SmOMQtupic.twitter.com/2jcF3SRdIQ
Prokop shares that the first team exec he spoke to about coming out was Operations/General Manager Brian Poile. “He, in that moment, showed me a lot of support and told me the Predators are behind me 1,000 percent and want what’s best for me and that they’re proud of me during this,” Prokop told ESPN. “I remember getting off that phone call and tears just started coming from my eyes, I was so excited.” “And in that moment, I thought, this is what it’s going to feel like for the rest of my life. For them to show that support that they did in that moment, it felt like I can rule the world.” Prokop’s announcement follows that of Las Vegas Raiders player Carl Nassib, who became the first out active NFL player last month when he shared with the world that he is gay. Prokop told ESPN that, while Nassib’s recent news didn’t prompt his own coming out, he did find the NFL player’s words, and the reaction of the NFL, inspiring. The Predators’ Twitter account quickly posted messages of support for Prokop as well as the National Hockey League and the official accounts for other teams.
“The Nashville Predators organization is proud of Luke for the courage he is displaying in coming out today,” Henry wrote. “And we will support him unequivocally in the days, weeks, and years to come as he continues to develop as a prospect.” Henry added that, “A long-stated goal in our organization is equality for all, including the LGBTQ community, and it is important that Luke feels comfortable and part of an inclusive environment as he moves forward in his career.” “Our message as a team [is that] we’re obviously very supportive of him,” Predators team captain Roman Josi told NHL.com. “We just reached out and told him [we’ll help with] whatever he needs and that we’re proud of him. It’s a big step for him and we fully support him.”
The Predators Instagram account also shared interview clips of Prokop speaking to SportsNet’s podcast, ’31 Thoughts.’ https://www.instagram.com/p/CRg3PsKFh_D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CRg2SCtDelf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Philadelphia meteorologist Adam Joseph Philadelphia meteorologist Adam Joseph has shared with his social media followers that after a year of doing “everything right” in regard to COVID-19 protocols, including getting himself and his husband vaccinated, several people in his household have become infected with the Delta variant after they allowed a family member to visit even though they weren’t vaccinated. Now, Joseph, his husband, and two children (who aren’t eligible to be vaccinated), have tested positive for COVID and are quarantining at home. While the children are on the road to recovery, Adam took to social media to encourage people to wear masks if they’re not vaccinated, stay away from children if you are unvaccinated (as children under twelve are not able to be vaccinated yet) and most of all, expressed the importance of vaccinations in general. For information about the coronavirus or how to get vaccinated, click over to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CRege_rjl9V/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link In related news, my friends Joe and Jim, located in Nashville, Tennessee, also shared this weekend that they have become ‘breakthough cases’ as well. https://www.instagram.com/p/CRfl5jQhe_Y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
(screen capture via Baba_Bruno) Checking in with some of my favorite InstaHunks this week… First up, Bruno Baba took our breath away remembering one of his favorite songs: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRZktqJBoBt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Max Emerson played with his ball in The Woods: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRWaPdMlDJy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Garrett Magee enjoyed a summer shower in the pool: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRRuzxmJvkz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Doctor of Dental Medicine Curtis Fitzgerald found some magic at the bottom of a waterfall: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRanFa9giG-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Personal coach Carson Tueller shared some thoughts (and a selfie) on his relationship with his body: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRZxbGiJgAS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Fabrício Ternes began a new love story with his new beagle, Boris: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRXctE9sv8-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Ruben Rod and Alex Tikas sent greetings from a ‘naughty-cal’ themed party during Bear Week in Provincetown, Massachusetts. https://www.instagram.com/p/CRWeaVjNsVc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link HawaiiMuscleBear couldn’t resist his New York City hotel room mirror. Ace, Ace, baby… https://www.instagram.com/p/CRZR2ZwNHF_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Jason Carter tuned out the noise: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9FXN5JZn3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Fashion designer Daniel Sheehan tried on some new shirts: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRQDSR-BYFS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Colin O’Leary was COMMITTED to his “Vogue” tribute (catch that fan, Colin!) https://www.instagram.com/reel/CRZ9uxSBAeM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Wes Dupee got down and dirty encouraging young things to grow: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRcVZ57FObh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
(screen capture via Johns Hopkins University) Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 data tracking shows the United States had a massive spike of 79,310 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. On July 4, the number of new cases being reported had dropped to 3,491. From The Daily Beast:
The number is the highest in the world, exceeding recorded totals from Indonesia (54,000), the United Kingdom (51,949), and Brazil (45,591), and doubling that of India (38,079).
The spiking case number matches the level hit in October 2020, a record at the time, though it would not remain so for long.
Despite the effectiveness of multiple vaccines against the virus, vaccine hesitancy is fueling “a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
The vast majority of all patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated, according to the CDC.
NIKO releases his latest summer single, ‘Amore’ (photo: McCall Olsen) Romance on the Mediterranean shores was the inspiration for “Amore,” the latest release from out singer/songwriter NIKO. Tribal beats, infectious synths, and effortless vocals come together for an evocative musical journey. Switching seamlessly between Italian and English, NIKO serenades the listener about falling in love on a hot summer night. “The idea for the song came when I was reminiscing about Italian summers, and how intense a seasonal romance can feel,” says NIKO. “Summer loves are always fleeting, but you are tricked into thinking that it’s real love because the passion is super strong.” The collaboration, with producer Joakim Buddee, was truly an international affair with writing, recording and production taking place between Stockholm and Los Angeles. The duo was influenced by artists like Robyn and Britney Spears to create the captivating summer anthem. Born in Italy, NIKO grew up in a household where the radio was always on and his love for music was informed by icons such as Madonna, Britney Spears and George Michael. Fueled by his passion, NIKO formed a band and started performing in local venues in Milan. But it wasn’t until he experienced nightlife that he discovered a love for dance music. A new door opened, and he started working with DJs as a vocalist. After moving to the U.S., NIKO launched his career as an indie artist releasing his first EP RMNC 21in 2019, a collection of songs inspired by love and lust. He now resides in Los Angeles where he’s working on his upcoming releases, crafting an uplifting soundscape inspired by European pop, immersed in the California sunshine. You can find my previous coverage of NIKO and his music here. Follow him on Instagram here. (photo: McCall Olsen)
Thinking best thoughts for the entire cast, crew, and creative team.
