News & Comment

Ghislaine Maxwell, who procured and abused young girls with Jeffrey Epstein, is arrested, but corporate media keeps coverage sharply limited…--media outlets, and Netflix documentary Filthy Rich avoid exposing Epstein’s sexual blackmail schemes, and ties to intelligence and powerful people like Bill Clinton and Donald Trump
--some of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers settle for $19 million
--MSM continue to hype RussiaBountyGate, as Dems and GOP align to prevent troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Germany:

Our correspondent Jonah Lehto reports on the early morning police action that broke up Seattle’s CHOP, leading to 32 arrests….--Lehto’s report is here CHOP Report.7.1.20
--The Guardian recaps recent officer shootings by the LA Sheriff’s department
--corporate media outlets go heavy on RussiaBountygate, as White House and intel officials say Trump had not been briefed on the allegations

Striking down pretextual Louisiana law that required admitting privileges for doctors, as pro-life justices restore death penalty hours later--overriding law that created CFPB, SCOTUS rules that president can fire its director at will
--late Friday, Court ruled that Texas can limit mail-in voting, as Trump continues to tweet and bleat about it
--9th Circuit appeals court rules Trump illegally diverted funds to build The Wall

As AG Bill Barr dodges allegations of abusing his office to help Trump, Senate Judiciary expands IG powers by huge majority…--after State Dept IG was fired for investigating arms sales to Suadi Arabia, White House moves to bypass Congressional approval process
--minutes before midnight deadline, Trump administration filed briefs at Supreme Court to dismantle Obamcare, with no alternative in sight

Hundreds of Muslim Americans are imprisoned for long terms from misguided FBI frame-ups that involve paid informants and concocted crimes…--read Nobihah Maqbool’s article here
--San Francisco school board pulls cops off school campuses
--Oakland approves shifts and cuts, reducing police budget by $14 million

Barr’s intervention Roger Stone sentencing is aired at House Judiciary, as Appeals Court jumps in to force court to dismiss Flynn charges…--Trump’s court packing pays off, as new appointee to DC Circuit projects its novel assertions on trial court
--Barr’s pressure on underlings to go easy on Stone is exposed by Aaron Zelinsky

As court deadline nears, GOP strategists worry that killing Obamacare during pandemic, with no replacement could kill them politically….--healthcare industry—including some Catholic hospitals—object to Trump effort to allow sex discrimination against gays and trans under Obamacare
--at State Dept. Pompeo panel will soon issue report extected to redefine human rights in a Christian way
--Missouri appeals court upholds verdict but cuts amount of damages against Johnson and Johnson for asbestos in baby powder

Tiny crowd in Tulsa embarrasses Trump campaign, but his bizarre, rambling performance shows his desperation to maintain grip on his base…--he departed from scripted attacks on Dems and media to whine about coverage of his West Point graduation speech a week ago
--teens on TikTok punked the organizers and had some impact on low turnout of MAGA’s
--Tom Petty’s family complains about Trump playing “I Won’t Back Down”
-AG Bill Barr bungles effort to oust NY fed prosecutor Geoffrey Berman, appearing to fulfill Trump pledge to Turkey’s Erdogan exposed by Bolton

Trump’s mob rally in Tulsa will follow reinvigorated Juneteenth celebration amid heightened racial tensions that could lead to violence, like 99 years ago…--Oklahoma Supreme Court reject legal efforts to stop the rally due to Covid risk
--video evidence surfaces of unprovoked Tulsa killing of unarmed black man by white former sheriff’s jailer at motel on June 6
--Trump tweets threats to “lowlifes” that might disrupt his hatefest
--LA sheriff deputies chased and shot to death an 18-year old security guard last night

Chief Justice pens opinion that Trump can cancel DACA, but the way he did it in 2017 was invalid, unreasonable….--the ruling doesn’t prevent Trump from trying again, so we still have 700,000 potential hostages
--always the victim, Trump asks his Twitter mob if the Court “doesn’t like me”
--new poll shows negative impact of Trump’s self-inflicted wounds, as insiders tell NY Times they’re worried about “self-sabotage”
--as ex-colleague is indicted on 11 counts, Atlanta cops get “blue flu” and Trump tweets support for the killer cop