Archives

StephCast M 10-3-22

“They cheat like hell, these people”: Trump airs 2020 grievances in Michigan, weeks before midterm elections

For the first seven minutes of his Michigan rally Saturday, former President Donald Trump stuck to two familiar issues Republicans are running on this November: inflation and the rising cost of living under President Biden, and immigration and the southern border.  Then, he turned to a topic that’s been occupying him since November 2020: that […]

Sen. Rick Scott says there are ‘arguments to do’ abortion restrictions ‘at the federal level’

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., the chairman of Senate Republicans’ campaign fundraising arm, said Sunday that he supports “reasonable” abortion restrictions and that “there’s arguments to do it at the federal level.” Scott was asked on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” to weigh in on Sen. Lindsey Graham’s bill to ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks […]

Historic search-and-rescue operation underway as Ian’s death toll reaches 87

As federal emergency management officials launched their largest ever search-and-rescue effort, the number of fatalities in Hurricane Ian’s wake climbed to 87 Sunday. That number, tallied by NBC News, was expected to continue to climb as additional deaths were investigated for possible ties to last week’s storm. The fatalities so far have included 83 in […]

National Archives says some records from Trump White House are still missing

The National Archives and Records Administration has informed the House Oversight and Reform Committee that some records from the Trump White House have not been turned over in compliance with the Presidential Records Act. In a letter Friday to the panel’s chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., acting Archivist Debra Steidel Wall said the National Archives […]

The Rude Pundit: On Mental Health, Like on Everything Else, Republicans Are Always Liars

In June, during the debate over two Democratic-sponsored bills with mild new rules for purchase and ownership of firearms in the wake of the horrific school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, Republicans predictably lost their collective shit over “muh 2nd ‘Mendment.” Putting aside the fact that without the guns, people in all kinds of mental states […]

SMHH Videocast 9-30-22 Elie Mystal & Frangela

StephCast 9-30-22

Ginni Thomas Denies Discussing Election Subversion Efforts With Her Husband

WASHINGTON — Virginia Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas and a conservative activist who pushed to overturn the 2020 election, told the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol that she never discussed those efforts with her husband, during a closed-door interview in which she continued to perpetuate the false claim […]

Stephcast 9-29-22

StephCast 9-28-22

Jan. 6 committee postpones planned hearing as Hurricane Ian advances

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol is postponing its highly anticipated hearing because of Hurricane Ian, which is expected to barrel into the western coast of Florida on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the decision. It’s unclear when the daytime hearing, which seeks to recapture […]

StephCast 9-27-22

How a QAnon splinter group became a feature of Trump rallies

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Julie McDaniel can’t say for sure who started it. It might even have been her. McDaniel was in the front section at a Trump rally earlier this month in Youngstown, Ohio, when the former president started wrapping up his speech by playing an instrumental score embraced by followers of the QAnon online […]

Jan. 6 committee hearing will use clips from Roger Stone documentary

The Danish filmmakers, who previously were hesitant to cooperate with the investigation, said this week they decided to comply with a subpoena issued by the committee Dalton Bennett The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob intends to show at its hearing this week video […]

Kevin McCarthy Tripped Over His Clown Shoes Rolling Out His Pitch to Be Speaker

We had a little sport with Kevin McCarthy’s “Commitment To America” plan of inaction earlier this week. I believe the concept of rake-stepping was discussed at some length. Well, the agenda had its rollout on Friday, complete with an explanatory video. And, well…WHAP! From HuffPost: The GOP’s video, “The Preamble to the Commitment to America,” opens with a narrator highlighting […]

The Gnawing Anxiety That Trump Will Get Away With All of It

I can’t get past something when it comes to the multiple crimes of Donald Trump, who really was president (something I still can’t fucking believe happened – I mean, I know it happened. I’m not denying the existence of facts, like Trump and his braindead legions do. I’m just always gonna be like “Fuck us […]

StephCast 9-26-22

Career prosecutors recommend no charges for Gaetz in sex-trafficking probe

Investigators see credibility challenges for two of the main witnesses in the probe of the congressman’s past dealings with a 17-year-old

Exclusive: Trump’s secret court fight to stop grand jury from getting information from his inner circle

Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys are fighting a secret court battle to block a federal grand jury from gathering information from an expanding circle of close Trump aides about his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, people briefed on the matter told CNN. The high-stakes legal dispute – which included the appearance of three attorneys […]

Bombshell: J6 staffer told 60 Minutes White House switchboard called rioter on Jan. 6

On Friday, 60 Minutes revealed that Denver Riggleman, a key staffer for the House Select Committee on January 6, discovered the White House switchboard patched through to the phone of a Capitol rioter — while the attack was in progress.

Tish James Got the Goods on the Trump Family Grift—Now What?

While it’s nice to learn more about the crimes Trump & Co. committed, what many of us really want is to know when he’ll be held accountable. By Elie MystalTwitter September 22, 2022 On Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James unveiled a 222-page civil complaint against Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, Don Jr., Ivanka, […]

SMHH VideoCast with Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) & Jill Wine-Banks

StephCast F 9-23-22

House Passes Symbolic Police Funding And Reform Bills

House Democrats approved legislation Thursday that would provide millions of dollars to local law enforcement while aiming to enhance police training and technology. The four bills, which are unlikely to clear the Senate and become law, are designed to send a message: that Democrats support small police departments, but also improvements to police practices. Democrats […]

‘A Lot of Panic’: Russian Men, Fearing Ukraine Draft, Seek Refuge Abroad

A little more than 12 hours after he heard that Russian civilians could be pressed into military service in the Ukraine war, the tour guide said he bought a plane ticket and a laptop, changed money, wrapped up his business, kissed his crying mother goodbye and boarded a plane out of his country, with no […]

In angry outburst, Infowars host Alex Jones says ‘he’s done being sorry’ during second defamation trial

In an angry outburst, conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones said “he’s done being sorry” as he took the stand Thursday during his second defamation trial for saying the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.  “Is this a struggle session? Are we in China?” he exclaimed during his testimony after being reminded of […]

Special master in Mar-a-Lago case asks Trump to back up his allegation that FBI ‘planted’ evidence

The special master appointed to review documents federal agents seized at Donald Trump’s Florida estate has given the former president until Friday of next week to back up his allegation that the FBI planted evidence in the search on Aug. 8. After the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Trump and his lawyers have […]

StephCast Th 9-22-22

Appeals court lifts hold that prevented Justice Department from using classified documents in Mar-a-Lago probe

A federal appeals court said Wednesday that the Justice Departmentcan resume using classified documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate in its criminal investigation. The Justice Department had appealed a ruling this month by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, that temporarily barred it from reviewing and using the seized materials […]

1,300 arrested for protesting Putin’s mobilization as others scramble for flights out of Russia

The Kremlin has for months fought to maintain a sense of domestic normalcy while pursuing its faltering war in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin’s declaration of a “partial mobilization”has, for some Russians at least, shattered that illusion.  By the time Putin’s recorded announcement was done playing on TV on Wednesday, Russians were scrambling to buy the […]

Ginni Thomas to meet with House committee investigating Jan. 6 riot

The House Jan. 6 committee has reached an agreement with Ginni Thomas to be interviewed in the coming weeks, a source close to the House panel said Wednesday. Emails, records and reporting indicate that Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, was involved in some aspects of a scheme […]

New York AG sues Trump, 3 of his children and their company, charging large-scale business fraud

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a sweeping lawsuit Wednesday against former President Donald Trump, his three eldest children and the Trump Organization in connection with her yearslong civil investigation into the company’s business practices. In the suit, which runs more than 200 pages, James’ office detailswhat it says are Trump’s efforts to inflate […]

StephCast W 9-21-22

Putin orders partial mobilization of Russian reservists and hints using nuclear weapons still possible

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reservists in Russia, in a measure that appeared to be an admission that Moscow’s war against Ukraine isn’t going according to plan after nearly seven months of fighting and amid recent battlefield losses for the Kremlin’s forces. The Russian leader, in a televised address to the […]

Fed expected to raise interest rates, escalate fight against inflation

Wall Street will watch closely on Wednesday as the Federal Reserve is expected to escalate its fightagainst inflation with a dramatic interest rate hike. The move would come a little more than a week after a higher-than-expected inflation report revealed that prices rose slightly in August, worsening the cost woes for U.S. households and sending […]

Members of far-right group America First charged in connection with Jan. 6 riot

Five people who federal investigators say are associated with the far-right group America First have been arrested in connection with last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol. In addition to numerous criminal charges, they are accused of entering House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s conference room, according to a court filing. The Justice Department said in the […]

Special master in Mar-a-Lago case appears skeptical of Trump ‘declassification’ claims

The special master appointed to review documents federal agents seized at former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate appeared doubtful Tuesday about Trump’s contention that he had declassified the various top secret and other highly sensitive documents found there. The special master, Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Dearie of New York, had asked Trump’s attorneys […]

StephCast T 9-20-22

Trump ally Mike Lindell must face defamation suit over election-rigging claims

MyPillow Inc. Chief Executive Mike Lindell must face a defamation lawsuit brought by a voting machine company that the Trump ally falsely accused of rigging the 2020 U.S. election, a Minnesota federal judge ruled on Monday. Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright denied Lindell and MyPillow’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit by Smartmatic USA Corp., finding ample […]

Trump attorneys don’t want to disclose which Mar-a-Lago documents he claims to have declassified

Donald Trump’s attorneys said in a filing Monday night that they don’t want to disclose to a court-appointed special master which Mar-a-Lago documents they assert the former president may or may not have declassified. In a four-page letter to the special master, Trump’s attorneys pushed back against Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie’s apparent proposal […]

Texas sheriff opens criminal investigation into Martha’s Vineyard migrant trips

A Texas sheriff said Monday that his office has opened a criminal investigation into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ unprecedented move to send nearly 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, last week. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the inquiry was in its early stages, and he declined to name possible suspects. But in […]

Top Jan. 6 committee members propose reforms to 1887 Electoral Count Act

Two senior members of the Jan. 6 select committee have introduced a bipartisan bill to reform the counting of presidential electoral votes to prevent another riot at the Capitol over disputed results. The Presidential Election Reform Act from Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., targets some of the perceived nuances in 135-year-old Electoral […]

Charlie Pierce: The Republicans Built a Time Machine, Powered by Racism

The good people who manage the vast archives at the John F. Kennedy Library down by the bay in Boston are not people known to miss a trick. There is so much history stored there because, as we oldsters will tell you, the 1960s were a pretty target-rich environment, history-wise. Of course, JFK’s time in […]

StephCast M 9-19-22

The Rude Pundit: Graham and DeSantis Tried to Own But Got Owned

You know what’s darkly hilarious or perhaps hilariously dark or maybe not hilarious at all and just plain dark? I’d bet that Lindsey Graham and Ron DeSantis thought what they did this week was fucking awesome and that they’d show those no-good liberals what fucking hypocrites they are. Except that reality ended up punching them […]

All of Puerto Rico without power as Hurricane Fiona slams island

Hurricane Fiona battered Puerto Rico on Sunday, cutting power to the entire island while bringing destructive winds and life-threatening flash flooding. Conditions rapidly deteriorated even before the Category 1 storm made landfall Sunday afternoon, and the situation was not expected to improve much going into Monday. As the wind and rain escalated Sunday, all 3.2 […]

World watches Britain lay its longest-reigning monarch to rest

An elaborate state funeral is Britain’s final tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, featuring a service at the 13th century Westminster Abbey, where her coronation took place almost 70 years ago, and a procession led by King Charles III through the crowd-lined streets of central London. Almost 2,000 guests are attending — among them more than […]

NY Mayor Eric Adams calls for ‘coordination’ with GOP governors, WH on bused migrants

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday called for more “coordination” with the federal government and Govs. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, and Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., who are busing and flying newly arrived migrants to blue states across the country. “I traveled to Washington last week, spoke with Sen. [Chuck] Schumer, Sen. [Kirsten] Gillibrand and other […]

‘The pandemic is over,’ Biden says in ’60 Minutes’ Interview

After more than 1 million deaths in the U.S. and almost three years of lockdowns and economic disruption, President Joe Biden declared the coronavirus pandemic is over in an interview that aired Sunday. Biden said on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that “we still have a problem with Covid,” adding: “We’re still doing a lot of work […]

SMHH VideoCast with Ali Velshi & Carlos Alazraqui – 9-16-22

StephCast F 9-16-22

Biden Approval Rises Sharply Ahead Of Midterms: Poll

President Joe Biden’s popularity improved substantially from his lowest point this summer, but concerns about his handling of the economy persist, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Support for Biden recovered from a low of 36% in July to 45%, driven in large part by a rebound in […]

Trump Says Americans Won’t ‘Stand’ For Charges Against Him, Warns Of Trouble

Donald Trump said Thursday that Americans will not “stand” for indictments against him regarding top secret documents he took from the White House — and ominously warned that criminal charges could trigger “big problems” never before seen. Trump also declared that he issued a standing order to declassify everything he took from the White House. […]

Jeffrey Clark, whom Trump considered for AG, had phone seized in obstruction probe

Federal agents who seized former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark‘s phone in June were looking for evidence of crimes of making false statements, criminal conspiracy and obstruction of justice, according to a new filing. Clark, whom former President Donald Trump considered naming attorney general as part of his effort to overturn the results of the […]

Federal judge appoints special master to review documents seized at Mar-a-Lago

A federal judge appointed a special master to review documents the FBI seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate while denying the Justice Department continued access to roughly 100 classified documents for use in its criminal investigation. In an order Thursday, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon named Raymond J. Dearie, a senior U.S. district […]

StephCast Th 9-15-22

CNN Reports Mark Meadows Complied With Department of Justice Subpoena as DOJ Goes ‘Gun Blazing’ on Jan. 6 Investigation

Mark Meadows has complied with a subpoena served to him by the Department of Justice, CNN reported Wednesday night. Meadows served as former President Donald Trump’s last chief of staff. In the waning days of Trump’s presidency on Jan. 6, 2021, a mob stormed the Capitol to stop certification of the 2020 election Trump falsely […]

‘You’re gonna die tonight’: Trump fan admits dragging cop down Capitol steps

A man who wore a “Trump 2020” hat as he beat one officer and dragged another down the steps of the Capitol on Jan. 6 has pleaded guilty, admitting telling officers “you’re gonna die tonight” and repeatedly assaulting law enforcement. Jack Wade Whitton, 32, from Georgia, bragged in a message obtained by the government that […]

DeSantis flies two planes of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday flew two planes of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, escalating a tactic by Republican governors to draw attention to what they consider to be the Biden administration’s failed border policies. Flights to the upscale island enclave in Massachusetts were part of an effort to “transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary destinations,” […]

StephCast W 9-14-22

Graham’s proposed near-total national abortion ban quickly meets GOP resistance

Less than two months before the midterm elections, Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday introduced a bill that would impose a nationwide ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The measure, the first GOP effort to ban abortion at the national level since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, contains exceptions […]

Kenneth Starr, independent counsel behind Bill Clinton’s impeachment, dies at 76

Kenneth Starr, whose investigation as independent counsel led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, has died, his former employer Baylor University said Tuesday. He was 76. Starr died at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston of complications from surgery, the school said. Starr ended his legal and scholarly career as president and chancellor […]

‘Irreparable harm’: Justice Department warns against further delay in Trump documents probe

The Justice Department on Tuesday blasted efforts by former President Donald Trump’s lawyers to delay its investigation of classified documents seized at his Florida resort, while a magistrate judge unsealed some previously redacted information relating to the FBI’s search of Trump’s club. “Plaintiff [Trump] has characterized the government’s criminal investigation as a ‘document storage dispute’ […]

Judge Unseals Additional Portions Of Mar-A-Lago Affidavit

A federal judge Tuesday unsealed additional portions of an FBIaffidavit laying out the basis for a search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida home, showing that agents earlier obtained a hard drive after issuing a subpoena for surveillance footage recorded inside Mar-a-Lago. A heavily redacted version of the affidavit was made public last month, but […]

StephCast T 9-13-22

Charlie Pierce: Herschel Walker Is the Reductio ad Absurdum of Every “Not a Politician” Campaign

Sen. Raphael Warnock is a brilliant, eloquent advocate for the issues that he supports on behalf of his constituents. His opponent in the upcoming senatorial election in Georgia is…incredibly none of those things. Last week, for example, the opponent said this: “Warnock, I remember hearing him say, ‘America need to apologize for it whiteness.’ That’s not […]

DOJ Agrees to Accept Trump’s Candidate for Special Master

The Department of Justice has agreed to accept one of former President Donald Trump’s nominees for a special master to review documents sized from his home by the FBI last month. The former president and the DOJ had each submitted two candidates for a third-party to review documents Trump claims are protected by attorney-client privilege. U.S. […]

Biden touts next steps on ‘Cancer Moonshot’ in speech at JFK library

President Joe Biden announced new steps to expand on his administration’s “Cancer Moonshot” initiative to prevent deaths from cancer by trying to speed the discovery of new treatments and improve prevention, detection and treatment to those suffering from the disease. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate between red or blue, it doesn’t care if you’re a Republican or […]

Justice Department has issued dozens of subpoenas in the last week related to Trump and the Capitol riot

The Justice Department has issued about 40 subpoenas in the last week related to the actions of former President Donald Trump, his allies and efforts to overturn the 2020 election, according to sources familiar with the matter. It also seized two telephones, the sources said. The subpoenas and phone seizures, first reported by The New […]

StephCast M 9-12-22

The Rude Pundit: Abortion Rights and the Lie of “Reaching Across the Aisle”

Democrats make ads all the time about how they are willing to work across the aisle with the opposing party. (I know some Republicans do, too, but it’s not as prominent a thing on the right.) The notion is worn like a badge of honor, as if Democrats need to show how not Democratic they […]

Ex-Trump Aide Stephen Miller Subpoenaed In DOJ’s Jan. 6 Probe: Report

The Department of Justice has reportedly subpoenaed former President Donald Trump’s senior White House advisor Stephen Miller in a probe looking at a super PAC from the former president, The New York Times reported. Miller, along with ex-White House political director Brian Jack, is reportedly among a group of more than a dozen people linked […]

Kamala Harris warns domestic threats to democracy are harming America at home and abroad

Vice President Kamala Harris said anti-democratic forces that have emerged in the mainstream of American politics have made the nation weaker at home and undermined our legitimacy overseas, joining President Joe Biden in describing it as a major threat. Asked in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” whether the threats […]

Biden honors 9/11 victims, vows commitment to thwart terrorism

President Joe Biden marked the 21st anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, laying a wreath at the Pentagon in a somber commemoration held under a steady rain and paying tribute to “extraordinary Americans” who gave their lives on one of the nation’s darkest days. Sunday’s ceremony occurred a little more than a year after Biden ended the […]

Ukrainian forces made “significant gains” against Russian positions in the past 24 hours.

Ukraine’s armed forces have recaptured large swaths of territory and are making “significant gains” against Russia’s occupation of the northwest region of Kharkiv, the U.K.’s defense ministry said in an intelligence briefing Sunday. Russian forces have likely “withdrawn units from the area,” but fighting continues around the strategically important cities of Kupiansk and Izyum, it […]

StephCast F 9-9-22

King Charles III to address a nation in mourning after queen’s death

Britain’s new monarch, King Charles III, will address the nation Friday as it mourns the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. On his first full day of duties, the king is expected to return to London for a meeting with the U.K.’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, herself new to the job after being […]

DOJ to appeal special master ruling, arguing classified documents aren’t Trump’s ‘personal records’

The hundreds of pages of classified government records seized from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate last month aren’t the former president’s “personal records,” and he has no right to possess them, the Justice Department said in a court filing Thursday as it said the government would appeal a judge’s ruling on the matter. The Justice Department […]

Steve Bannon charged with money laundering, conspiracy in ‘We Build the Wall’ fundraising fraud case

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was charged Thursday in New York with defrauding donors who were giving money to build a wall at the southern U.S. border. Bannon, 68, was indicted on charges including money laundering, scheming to defraud, and conspiracy in what prosecutors described as a yearlong scheme. He pleaded not guilty in a […]

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest serving monarch, has died

Queen Elizabeth II, whose 70-year reign spanned wars, a pandemic, 14 U.S. presidents and the winding down of Britain’s vast empire, has died. Her eldest son, Charles, is now king.  “The queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the royal family said in a statement. “The king and the queen consort will remain at Balmoral this […]

StephCast Th 9-8-22

Trump Told Advisers He Needed to Save ‘Russiagate’ Docs so Biden Wouldn’t ‘Shred’ Them: Report

Former President Donald Trump reportedly told those close to him he intended to preserve documents related to the Russian collusion investigation, as he feared his White House successor would destroy them. The investigation dated back to 2016 and centered on allegations people in Trump’s orbit worked with Russians to help him win the election. According […]

Judge nixes Oath Keepers leader’s bid to delay Jan. 6 trial

The high-profile seditious conspiracy trial for the leader of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group will begin this month after a judge on Wednesday rejected a last-minute bid by Stewart Rhodes to replace his lawyers and delay his Capitol riot case. Rhodes said in court papers this week there had been a “breakdown” in communication […]

Trump aide subpoenaed, FBI seeks interview related to Jan. 6 investigations: Sources

The FBI sought to interview a current top adviser to former President Donald Trump who has also been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury, both in relation to investigations into the events leading up to and on Jan. 6, 2021, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. William Russell wasn’t home when the two […]

Obamas return to the White House for the unveiling of their official portraits

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama returned to the White House on Wednesday for the unveiling of their official portraits, reviving the bipartisan tradition that stalled under the Trump administration. “Barack and Michelle, welcome home,” President Joe Biden said at a ceremony in the East Room celebrating the former first couple. […]

StephCast W 9-7-22

California Independent System Operator issues emergency alert as record heat wave puts strain on state’s electrical grid

A record-setting heat wave made life miserable in much of the West on Tuesday, with California stretching into its second week of excessive heat that taxed the state’s power supply and threatened power shortages that could prompt blackouts while people were desperately trying to stay cool. The California Independent System Operator (ISO), the entity that […]

Covid vaccines will likely become annual like flu shots, White House officials say

Covid vaccinations will likely become an annual affair, White House officials said Tuesday, with a schedule resembling that of flu shots. “In the absence of a dramatically different variants, we likely are moving towards a path with a vaccination cadence similar to that of the annual influenza vaccine, with annual updated Covid-19 shots matched to […]

Surveillance video shows Georgia ‘fake elector’ escorting operatives into elections office before alleged data breach

Newly obtained video shows the former head of Coffee County Republicans escorting members of a forensics firm hired by a Trump-allied lawyer into a Georgia elections office shortly before an alleged data breach in January 2021. The video, which was obtained by NBC News, shows Cathy Latham, the chairwoman of the Coffee County GOP at […]

Steve Bannon expected to surrender to New York prosecutors Thursday: Sources

Steve Bannon, former adviser to former President Donald Trump, is expected to surrender to prosecutors in New York on Thursday, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News. The details of the charges are unclear, however, the sources confirmed to ABC News that the charges brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office stem from […]

StephCast T 9-6-22

Trump calls Biden ‘enemy of the state’ during 1st rally since Mar-a-Lago search

In his first rally since the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago home last month, former President Donald Trump took the stage in Pennsylvania for nearly two hours during which he responded to the raid on his home last month and President Joe Biden’s remarks earlier this week. “The shameful raid and break-in of my home Mar-a-Lago […]

California braces for possible power outages as temperatures again break triple digits in relentless heat wave

California is facing worsening grid challenges and bracing for possible power outages as temperatures again surged into the triple digits Monday. The California Independent System Operator, or CAISO, which oversees more than three-quarters of the state’s electrical power flow, called for residents in a news release “to lower electricity use in the afternoons and evenings […]

Biden takes his case to two swing states for Labor Day in midterms push

President Joe Biden kicked off a Labor Day tour of two battleground states with rousing speeches in Milwaukee and Pittsburgh, where he touted his recent wins in Washington, denounced Republican supporters of former President Donald Trump and took specific aim at Sen. Ron Johnson. “This guy never stops,” Biden said of Johnson, R-Wis., referring to […]

Judge grants Trump’s special master request, delays parts of criminal probe

In a major blow for the government, a federal judge approved former President Donald Trump’s request for a special master to oversee all the evidence the FBI seized last month from his Mar-a-Lago estate and temporarily blocked parts of the Justice Department’s investigation. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon — a Trump appointee — said in […]

Charlie Pierce: Empty Folders at Mar-a-Lago Marked ‘Classified’? I’m Sure It’s Fine

We seem to be getting closer faster to the moment where we see classified photos of U.S. nuclear weapons labs framed and on the wall of the royal palace in Riyadh. From the AP (via madison.com): FBI agents who searched former President Donald Trump’s Florida home last month found empty folders marked with classified banners, according to a […]

The Rude Pundit: Dark Brandon Ascending… Random Observations on a Patriotic Speech

1. There are a few criticisms to be made about President Joe Biden’s speech in Philadelphia last night. For instance, when he said, “Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans.  Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology,” he’s really talking the difference between someone who comes to your house and murders everyone […]

SMHH VideoCast with Jaime Harrison & Frank Figliuzzi

StephCast F 9-2-22

McCarthy calls on Biden to apologize after ‘semi-fascism’ remark

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday called on President Joe Biden to apologize for invoking fascism to describe the ideology of former President Donald Trump and his supporters. McCarthy made the remarks during a prebuttal speech ahead of the President’s prime-time address later in the evening. The speech from the House GOP leader marks […]

Federal judge puts off ruling on Trump’s request for a special master as Trump lawyer calls refusal to turn over documents ‘an overdue-library-book scenario’

US District Judge Aileen Cannon heard arguments Thursday related to former President Donald Trump’s request that a special master be appointed to sift through and filter out any materials seized in the Mar-a-Lago search that could be privileged. After the nearly two-hour hearing, in which an attorney for Trump downplayed the former president’s communications with […]

Jan. 6 panel seeks testimony from Newt Gingrich about 2020 election claims

The Jan. 6 committee is requesting testimony from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, an ally of former President Donald Trump, over his involvement in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including on the day of the riot. In a letter sent Thursday, the committee specifically said it wants to ask Gingrich, R-Ga., about emails […]

Biden attacks Trump, MAGA Republicans as a threat to democracy in blistering speech

President Joe Biden accused former President Donald Trump and his supporters of promoting an extreme ideology that threatens democracy in rare prime-time remarks Thursday as he stepped up attacks on conservatives ahead of the midterm elections.  “Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent […]

StephCast Th 9-1-22

John Eastman, Key Figure In Fake Elector Plot, Appears Before Atlanta Grand Jury

John Eastman, a key figure in the effort to block the certification of the 2020 Electoral College results, appeared before an Atlanta grand jury on Wednesday, his lawyers said. Eastman’s attorneys, Harvey Silverglate and Charles Burnham, said they advised him to assert attorney-client privilege and invoke his Fifth Amendment rights. The pair would not disclose […]

Serena Williams upsets No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit to advance to third round of U.S. Open

Serena Williams can call it “evolving” or “retiring” or whatever she wants. And she can be coy about whether or not this U.S. Open will actually mark the end of her playing days. Those 23 Grand Slam titles earned that right. If she keeps playing like this, who knows how long this farewell will last? […]

Democrat Mary Peltola defeats Sarah Palin in special election for Alaska’s House seat

Democrat Mary Peltola is projected to win the Alaska special general election for the state’s sole House seat, ABC News reports. Peltola defeated two Republicans — former Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Nick Begich — and will be the first Democrat to represent the state in the House in nearly half a century, succeeding […]

Trump’s legal team responds to DOJ in dispute over review of seized records; Court hearing today

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump on Wednesday responded to the Justice Department in the dispute over Trump’s request for a “special master” to review materials the FBI seized at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump’s lawyers have argued to a federal judge in Florida that the review is needed to deal with matters they argue could […]

StephCast W 8-31-22

Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leader who helped end the Cold War, has died

Mikhail Gorbachev, the final leader of the Soviet Union and a reformer who helped end the Cold War and lead his country from communism to capitalism, died Tuesday at 91, according to the Gorbachev Foundation. “Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev died this evening after a serious and long illness,” the Central Clinical Hospital reported, according to the […]

Graham faces backlash after claiming violence could break out if Trump prosecuted

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is facing backlash after claiming political violence will break out if former President Donald Trump is indicted for mishandling presidential records. President Joe Biden on Tuesday, while not mentioning Graham by name, appeared to call him out at a political rally in Pennsylvania, saying, “the idea you turn […]

Biden calls out ‘MAGA Republicans’ on Jan. 6, attacking FBI over Mar-a-Lago search

President Joe Biden continued his sharpened attacks on the Republican Party as he visited Pennsylvania on Tuesday, criticizing “MAGA Republicans” for their response to the Mar-a-Lago search and Jan. 6 as he highlighted his administration’s policing and crime prevention efforts. “A safer America requires all of us to uphold the rule of law, not the […]

DOJ alleges ‘obstructive conduct’ by Trump’s legal team in efforts to retrieve classified records

The Justice Department on Tuesday responded to former President Donald Trump’s call for a “special master” to review materials the FBI seized at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump’s lawyers have said the review is needed to deal with matters they argue may be covered by executive privilege. In their 36-page filing, top department officials laid out […]

StephCast T 8-30-22

Charlie Pierce: What Happens When an Entire Party Reorients Around a Central Delusion? We’re Gonna Find Out!

It’s going to take decades of excavation to dig out the crazy in our politics. If it weren’t so entrenched in conservative politics already, the previous president* wouldn’t have found it so easy to anchor himself in the past, present and especially the future of the Republican Party. And it’s clear that expressing the (unfactual) […]

Brian Kemp must testify in Trump election interference probe, Georgia judge rules

A Georgia judge on Monday denied Gov. Brian Kemp’s bid to avoid testifying before the grand jury hearing evidence in an investigation of possible 2020 election interference by then-President Donald Trump and others but said he doesn’t have to testify until after the November election. “The governor is in the midst of a re-election campaign and this criminal […]

DOJ tells judge it has completed review of possible attorney-client privileged materials seized from Mar-a-Lago

The Justice Department on Monday said its team tasked with identifying potential attorney-client privileged materials that were seized in the search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate earlier this month has already completed its review and is in the process of addressing possible privilege disputes. In a filing acknowledging receipt of District Judge Aileen […]

Biden to deliver prime-time speech on ‘battle’ for democracy

President Joe Biden will deliver a prime-time address “on the continued battle for the soul of the nation” Thursday outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the White House announced Monday. Billed as a major address just over two months before the midterm elections, Biden, the White House said, will discuss how the nation’s standing in the […]

Here are the signs Republicans’ hopes for a ‘red wave’ are receding ahead of the 2022 elections

Last fall, Republicans held high hopes of a “red wave” in the 2022 elections after they stormed to power in blue-leaning Virginia and nearly won the governor’s race in New Jersey. While Democrats were demotivated, the GOP base was on fire. But in recent weeks, numerous data points have indicated Republican prospects of a smashing […]

StephCast M 8-29-22

Trump’s Inner Circle is Freaking Out Over Their ‘Comically Inept and Inexperienced’ Legal Team

Any public bluster from former President Donald Trump and his team in the wake of the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago is just posturing, says one top correspondent. Appearing on ABC’s This Week Sunday, Jonathan Karl reported that Trump’s inner circle is freaking out over the former president’s inability to retain adequate legal counsel. “Publicly, what […]

Intelligence officials assessing national security risk from documents found at Mar-a-Lago

Intelligence officials are assessing the potential risk to national security after classified documents were found at former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines sent a letter Friday to top lawmakers in Congress confirming the assessment is underway, a spokesperson for the agency told ABC News. The letter, addressed to the […]

Judge signals support for special master to review some Trump records FBI seized

A Florida federal judge Saturday indicated she was inclined to appoint a special master to review some of the documents the FBI seized earlier this month from former President Donald Trump’s Florida home as part of a national-security-related criminal investigation. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, did not issue a blanket order for […]

StephCast F 8-26-22

Biden hits the campaign trail to tout a string of political wins

President Joe Biden hit the campaign trail on Thursday to highlight a series of policy wins as Democrats look to keep their narrow majorities in Congress during this fall’s elections. “I just want to be crystal clear on what’s on the ballot this year,” he said at a Democratic National Committee rally in front of […]

White House shines light on Republicans who are criticizing student debt cancelation after getting their PPP loans forgiven

The White House hit back at Republicans in an uncharacteristic manner Thursday by using its Twitter account to go after GOP lawmakers who are bashing President Joe Biden’s move to cancel some student debt after they personally benefited from having Paycheck Protection Program loans forgiven during the Covid pandemic. In a series of tweets, the […]

Judge orders a redacted version of the Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit be made public Friday

A redacted version of the affidavit used to secure the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is set to be unsealed Friday under a judge’s order. The Justice Department submitted its proposed redactions to the document on Thursday, prompting the judge to agree to unseal the document on Friday by noon. The […]

StephCast Th 8-25-22

Archives asked for records in 2021 after Trump lawyer agreed they should be returned, email says

About two dozen boxes of presidential records stored in then-President Donald Trump’s White House residence were not returned to the National Archives and Records Administration in the final days of his term even after Archives officials were told by a Trump lawyer that the documents should be given back, according to an email from the […]

DOJ releases unredacted memo to Barr on Trump, obstruction in Mueller probe

The Justice Department on Wednesday released the unredacted version of a 2019 memo that made the case to then-Attorney General William Barr that President Donald Trump should not be charged with obstruction of justice in the Russia investigation. The nine-page memo, from March 24, 2019, was written by Steven Engel, then the assistant attorney general […]

Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo fired over botched response to shooting that killed 19 students and 2 teachers

Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo was fired Wednesday by the Texas city’s school board. The board voted unanimously to oust the embattled chief after a recommendation from the school district superintendent. Arredondo’s removal caps three months of outrage over the botched law enforcement response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School, which killed 19 […]

Biden to cancel up to $10K in federal student loan debt for certain borrowers and up to $20K for Pell Grant recipients

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he will cancel $10,000 in federal student loans for millions of borrowers, following through on a campaign promise to address the burden of student debt. Borrowers who earn less than $125,000 a year, or $250,000 for couples who file taxes jointly, will be eligible for debt cancellation. Pell Grant recipients, […]

StephCast Th 8-24-22

After Delay, Biden Readies Student Loan Help, Payment Pause

President Joe Biden on Wednesday is set to announce his long-delayed move to forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loans for many Americans and extend a pause on payments to January, according to three people familiar with the plan. Biden has faced pressure from liberals to provide broader relief to hard-hit borrowers, and from […]

Dr. Oz’s campaign jabs at John Fetterman for stroke, suggesting he brought it on himself

The Pennsylvania Senate race took a heated — and personal — turn on Tuesday as an aide to Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Republican nominee and former cardiothoracic surgeon who for years offered medical advice as a popular TV host, was quoted derisively blaming Democratic opponent John Fetterman for his own stroke. “If John Fetterman had […]

Democrats gain momentum: 5 takeaways from the last big primary night of 2022

A New York special election seen as the last, best test of the electorate’s midterm leanings confirmed what Democrats hoped and Republicans feared: Predictions of a red wave may be overblown. To be sure, Donald Trump had a winning night. But so did Ron DeSantis, who demonstrated Trump isn’t the only Republican in Florida with […]

StephCast T 8-23-22

Fauci plans to step down in December after half a century in government

Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s preeminent infectious-disease expert who achieved unprecedented fame while enduring withering political attacks as the face of the coronavirus pandemic response under two presidents, plans to step down in December after more than a half-century of public service, he announced Monday. Fauci, 81, has led the National Institute of Allergy and […]

Justice Department investigating Arkansas officers’ use of force in arrest caught on video

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday that the U.S. attorney general’s office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will investigate a viral video that shows law enforcement officers holding down and beating a man Sunday morning outside a convenience store in Mulberry, Arkansas. The three officers were suspended Sunday following widespread outrage over the […]

Donald Trump asks judge to review ‘shockingly aggressive’ Mar-a-Lago search

Former President Donald Trump asked a judge Monday to order the appointment of a special master to oversee the handling of the documents seized in the search of his Mar-a-Lago estate two weeks ago. The court filing also asks the judge to require the Justice Department to return materials not covered by the scope of […]

Trump Had More Than 300 Classified Documents at Mar-a-Lago

The initial batch of documents retrieved by the National Archives from former President Donald J. Trump in January included more than 150 marked as classified, a number that ignited intense concern at the Justice Department and helped trigger the criminal investigation that led F.B.I. agents to swoop into Mar-a-Lago this month seeking to recover more, […]

Charlie Pierce: The Press’s Fealty to Both-Sidesism Means It Can’t Stop Falling for Trump’s B.S.

On Thursday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart—who has spent a couple weeks in hiding because he signed off on the search warrant on the Tacky Palace that produced the Pool Shed Papers—produced a temporizing decision on whether to release the affidavit on which the warrant was based. From NPR: U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart ruled the […]

Rude Pundit: Ron DeSantis Is Not Your New Trump, But He Is a…

Cunt. He’s a cunt. If I put that in the title, someone would report it somewhere, but we’re all presumably adult(ish) here, so I’ll say it clearly: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is a total, irredeemable cunt and every word out of his cunty mouth is filled with cuntishness. Sure, sure, you can have a delicate […]

StephCast M 8-22-22

NBC News poll: 57% of voters say investigations into Trump should continue

A clear majority of American voters believe that the various investigations into alleged wrongdoing by former President Donald Trump should continue, according to a national NBC News poll conducted after the FBI searched Trump’s Florida home and recovered  documents marked as “top secret” earlier this month.  The poll also shows a dissatisfied public, with three-quarters of voters saying […]

Democratic Senate campaign fundraising outpaces GOP for fourth straight month

The committee tasked with electing more Democrats to the Senate is reporting a $10 million haul in July, outpacing its Republican counterpart for the fourth month in a row, according to numbers first released to NBC News.  With less than three months until the November elections, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee appears to be in […]

Sen. Lindsey Graham wins temporary reprieve from testifying in Georgia probe of Trump

An appeals court put on hold Sen. Lindsey Graham’s scheduled testimony for Tuesday before a grand jury in Georgia probing efforts by Donald Trump to overturn the former president’s 2020 election defeat, with the case returning to a lower court for another look. A federal judge on Monday had rejected Graham’s challenge to the subpoena […]

SMHH VideoCast with Ben Gleib 8-19-22

StephCast F 8-19-22

Trump appeals ruling backing IRS release of tax returns to House to full DC Circuit

Former President Donald Trump asked the full bench of the DC US Circuit Court of Appeals to review a recent appellate panel ruling okaying the Internal Revenue Service’s release of Trump’s tax returns to a House committee. The DC Circuit panel made “made several errors” in its ruling in favor of the House, Trump said […]

Judge partially blocks DeSantis’ anti-‘woke’ law

A federal judge in Florida on Thursday ruled that a law pushed by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis restricting conversations around race in schools and the workplace is unconstitutional. In a 44-page ruling blocking enforcement of parts of the law, US District Judge Mark Walker said that Florida’s Individual Freedom Act (IFA), better known as […]

2022 ELECTION McConnell says Republicans may not win Senate control, citing ‘candidate quality’

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday downplayed expectations of Republicans capturing control of the Senate in the fall elections, describing “candidate quality” as an important factor. “I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do […]

Judge says he’s inclined to unseal parts of Mar-a-Lago search affidavit, orders government to submit redactions

A federal judge on Thursday said he is inclined to unseal at least some of the probable cause affidavit used to secure a search of former President Donald Trump‘s Florida estate and ordered the government to submit proposed redactions. “On my initial careful review … there are portions of it that can be unsealed,” Magistrate Judge […]

StephCast Th 8-18-22

Pence says he would consider testifying before the Jan. 6 committee

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday that he would consider testifying before the House Jan. 6 committee if invited to appear, but he suggested he would need to sort out thorny constitutional questions before committing. “If ever any formal invitation were rendered to us, we’d give it due consideration,” he said, in reply to […]

Today’s hearing on unsealing the Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit to put DOJ arguments on display

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled a hearing Thursday on whether to unseal the affidavit that federal investigators used to justify a search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home — a major point of contention between the government and the former president, his supporters and the news media. The Department of Justice […]

CDC director Rochelle Walensky announces shake-up of the organization, citing COVID mistakes

The head of the nation’s top public health agency on Wednesday announced a shake-up of the organization, saying it fell short responding to COVID-19 and needs to become more nimble. The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders call it a “reset”— come amid criticism of the agency’s response […]

Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg could be called to testify against company after pleading guilty in fraud case

Former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg is expected to plead guilty Thursday to 15 counts of fraud and tax evasion, acknowledging that he was part of a scheme to receive more than $1.7 million in off-the-books perks and compensation. Weisselberg was charged alongside two Trump Organization companies that prosecutors claim took part in […]

StephCast W 8-17-22

Updated COVID boosters could be available in 3 weeks, White House predicts

Newly updated COVID-19 boosters tailored to target a dominant strain of the virus will be available in the next three weeks or so, assuming the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention work through their processes for authorization as expected. That was White House COVID coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha’s prediction Tuesday […]

Sarah Palin advances to November’s general election for Alaska’s House seat

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has clinched one of four spots in November’s ranked-choice general election for the state’s at-large congressional seat, NBC News projects, keeping alive her hopes for a political comeback.  She will be joined on the fall ballot by Republican Nick Begich, the namesake grandson of a former Democratic representative who held […]

Rep. Liz Cheney loses her primary in Wyoming to Trump-backed challenger

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., a onetime House GOP leader and a daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, was ousted in a Republican primary Tuesday night, NBC News projects. Former President Donald Trump’s name wasn’t on the ballot, but his shadow eclipsed the contest as he sought revenge for Cheney’s vote last year to impeach […]

Biden signs major climate, health care and tax bill into law

President Joe Biden signed into law Tuesday a major Democratic spending bill that seeks to fight climate change, raise taxes on corporations and expand health care coverage. The bill, dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act, is a major legislative achievement for Democrats ahead of the midterm elections. It passed the House and the Senate last week […]

StephCast T 8-16-22

Charlie Pierce: There Is No Darkness Republicans Won’t Follow Trump Into Now

Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston with his wife but no longer his three children.   It is an article of faith around the shebeen that the classification system employed by the United States […]

Liz Cheney tries to hold on in today’s Wyoming primary reshaped by Trump

Six years ago, when Rep. Liz Cheney first ran for Wyoming’s lone House seat, Nicholas Houfek said he saw the long-time Virginia resident, who had purchased a home in Jackson Hole four years earlier, as a “carpetbagger.” Now, Houfek, a registered Republican who works in real estate, is staunchly behind Cheney in Tuesday’s primary against […]

Rudy Giuliani informed he’s a target of probe into Trump’s alleged election interference in Georgia

Rudy Giuliani is a “target” of the criminal investigation into possible 2020 election interference in Georgia by former President Donald Trump and others, his attorney told NBC News. The lawyer, Robert Costello, said that as part of their efforts to compel Giuliani’s testimony, Georgia prosecutors initially told New York courts that Giuliani was a material witness. Then, Costello said, […]

Ex-Trump Org. official Allen Weisselberg expected to plead guilty in tax case

Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges tied to his indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in an investigation of former President Donald Trump’s businesses, according to two people familiar with the matter and a public court filing. Weisselberg’s plea could come as soon as 9 a.m. […]

Justice Department asks judge to keep Trump’s search warrant affidavit sealed, citing investigation

Justice Department lawyers on Monday asked the judge who approved the search warrant for former President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago resort to keep the accompanying affidavit under seal, citing a need to protect witnesses and the ongoing investigation. Federal prosecutors responded to inquiries from numerous news organizations, including NBC News, to make the affidavit public by […]

StephCast M 8-15-22

Sen. Rand Paul Aims To Repeal Espionage Act To Save Trump

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has called for the Espionage Act to be repealed just days after the Justice Department revealed that Donald Trump is under investigation for possibly violating the law. “The Espionage Act was abused from the beginning to jail dissenters of WWI. It is long past time to repeal this egregious affront to […]

‘Great Simmering Anger!’ Trump Doubles Down on DOJ and FBI Attacks After Mar-a-Lago Raid

Six days after the raid at Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump is continuing to rage on his platform Truth Social, adding to the increasing criticism of the FBI and Justice Department since Monday. The search warrant and inventory list from the former president’s estate were revealed to the public on Friday, showing that Trump could […]

House Democratic chairs request federal intelligence damage assessment after classified docs seized at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

The Democratic chairs of the House Intelligence and Oversight Committees have asked federal intelligence leadership for a congressional briefing and damage assessment after the FBI seized 11 sets of classified documents at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home earlier this week. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney requested that […]

FBI and DHS warn threats to federal law enforcement have spiked since Mar-a-Lago search

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have issued a joint intelligence bulletin warning of a spike in threats to federal law enforcement officials since the search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News. “The FBI and DHS have observed an increase in threats […]

The Rude Pundit: Note on Democratic Groups Helping Trump Republicans Win Primaries… So?

In one of the great “tut-tut” pieces in a while, the Editorial Board of the New York Times(motto: “We’re partly responsible for the Iraq War and Trump’s election, but you’ll still subscribe”) wrote that it was appalled by the idea that “Democratic Party groups have been elevating Big Lie proponents over their moderate Republican opponents all year.” They […]

SMHH VideoCast 8-12-22 with Jill Wine-Banks and Joyce White Vance

StephCast F 8-12-22

Man who fired nail gun at Cincinnati FBI building called for violence on Truth Social in days after Mar-a-Lago search

A man identified by two law enforcement sources as Ricky Shiffer, who died in a confrontation with police after he fired a nail gun at a Cincinnati FBI building, appeared to post online in recent days about his desire to kill FBI agents shortly after former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence was searched. Two law […]

House Democrats are poised to send a sweeping climate and health care bill to Biden’s desk Friday

The House is expected to pass a sweeping Democratic bill to combat climate change and extend health care coverage Friday, sending it to President Joe Biden for his signature. Passing the Inflation Reduction Act would deliver a major victory for the Democratic Party less than three months before the November midterm elections and cap nearly […]

Anne Heche not expected to survive fiery crash into home, her family says

Actor Anne Heche suffered an “anoxic” brain injury and is not expected to survive, her spokesperson said Thursday, nearly a week after she crashed her car into a home in Los Angeles. “It has long been her choice to donate her organs and she is being kept on life support to determine if any are […]

Trump says he won’t oppose move to unseal Mar-a-Lago search warrant

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that he “personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant” for former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and that the Justice Department filed a motion earlier in the day to make the warrant public. Trump said late Thursday that he would not oppose the move. Speaking about his […]

StephCast Th 8-11-22

FBI Director Denounces ‘Deplorable’ Threats After Mar-A-Lago Raid

The director of the FBI had strong words Wednesday for supporters of former President Donald Trump who have been using violent rhetoric in the wake of his agency’s search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. Christopher Wray, who was appointed as the agency’s director in 2017 by Trump, called threats circulating online against federal agents and the […]

Gas prices fall below $4 a gallon, the lowest point since March

The national average for a gallon of gas has fallen below $4 for the first time since early March, a key psychological threshold for cash-strapped Americans even as inflation remains elevated. The U.S. average dropped 2 cents overnight to $3.99, AAA reported Thursday, a 20 percent pullback from its June peak above $5. The run-up […]

Biden signs bill to expand benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits

President Joe Biden signed legislation on Wednesday expanding health care benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. The bipartisan bill, known as the PACT Act, is the most significant expansion of veterans’ health care and benefits in more than 30 years, a White House official said. Speaking at a White House ceremony, Biden said […]

Trump invokes Fifth Amendment nearly 450 times in N.Y. AG’s civil probe of his business practices

Former President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination Wednesday during a deposition before lawyers from New York Attorney General Letitia James‘ office in its probe into the Trump Organization’s business practices. The deposition lasted four hours, and the only question the former president answered was about his name, Trump attorney Ron Fischetti […]

StephCast W 8-10-22

2022 midterm primary results: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Vermont and Connecticut

Four states went the polls Tuesday night in matchups that included a race to take on a swing-state governor, a member of the progressive “Squad” with several primary challengers and an opportunity to elect a woman for the first time in Vermont’s at-large congressional district. Tuesday’s primaries take place a day after the FBI searched […]

Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), a top Trump ally, says FBI agents seized his cellphone

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said Tuesday night that the FBI seized his cellphone earlier in the day, less than 24 hours after federal agents searched former President Donald Trump‘s home in Florida. “This morning, while traveling with my family, 3 FBI agents visited me and seized my cell phone,” Perry said in a statement. Perry, […]

Federal court rules that House committee can access Trump’s tax records

A federal appeals panel unanimously ruled Tuesday that a House committee can access former President Donald Trump’s tax records after a yearslong legal battle. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., agreed that the House Ways and Means Committee has the authority to obtain Trump’s tax records from the […]

Trump’s legal team was in talks with DOJ this spring over records stored at Mar-a-Lago, attorney says

Donald Trump‘s legal team was in discussions with the Justice Department as recently as early June about records stored at the former president’s Mar-a-Largo home, which FBI agents searched Monday, one of his attorneys confirmed to NBC News. Trump attorney Christina Bobb said Tuesday that the FBI removed about a dozen boxes from a basement […]

StephCast T 8-9-22

Republican officials reacted with fury to news of the search at Mar-A-Lago

Top Republicans and prominent conservatives reacted with outrage on Monday night to the news that the F.B.I. had searched the private residence of former President Donald J. Trump, with some suggesting that federal agents should be arrested and others hinting that the court-approved law-enforcement action against Mr. Trump was pushing the country toward political chaos. […]

The House Jan. 6 panel is scheduled to interview Pompeo and Mastriano today

In the wake of the F.B.I. search of former President Donald J. Trump’s property in Florida, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol is gearing up to meet with two potentially key witnesses in its separate inquiry on Tuesday. The committee is expected to meet with Mike Pompeo, the former secretary […]

Olivia Newton-John, pop singer who found stardom with ‘Grease,’ dies at 73

Olivia Newton-John, a British Australian pop star who dominated the pop culture of an era, has died after repeated treatments for cancer, her family announced Monday. She was 73. “Dame Olivia Newton-John … passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends,” John Easterling, her husband, said in […]

FBI search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home tied to classified material, sources say

Former President Donald Trump said Monday that the FBI “raided” his home at Mar-a-Lago in Florida and even cracked his safe,with a source familiar with the matter telling NBC News that the search was tied to classified information Trump allegedly took with him from the White House to his Palm Beach resort in January 2021. […]

StephCast M 8-8-22

Liz Cheney ‘Would Find It Very Difficult’ to Support DeSantis for President: He’s ‘Lined Himself Up Almost Entirely’ with Trump and ‘That’s Very Dangerous’

Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-WY) criticisms of former President Donald Trump are no secret, with her impeachment vote and involvement in the House Select Committeeinvestigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and she holds similar concerns about Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), telling The New York Times she “would find it very difficult” to support the […]

Republicans block cap on insulin costs for millions of patients

Republican lawmakers on Sunday successfully stripped a $35 price cap on the cost of insulin for many patients from the ambitious legislative package Democrats are moving through Congress this weekend, invoking arcane Senate rules to jettison the measure. The insulin cap is a long-running ambition of Democrats, who want it to apply to patients on […]

Biden ends isolation in White House after negative Covid tests

President Joe Biden traveled to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Sunday after he ended isolation in the White House following two negative tests for Covid. “This morning, the president’s SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing was negative for a second consecutive day,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, wrote in a letter Sunday. “He will safely return to […]

Senate passes sweeping climate, health and tax package, putting Democrats on cusp of historic win

Senate Democrats narrowly passed a sweeping climate and economic package on Sunday, putting President Joe Biden and his party on the cusp of a big legislative victory just three months before the crucial November midterm elections. After a marathon overnight Senate session, the 51-50 vote was strictly along party lines, with all Republicans voting no […]

Stephanie Mencimer: Trump Merch, Rabid Fans, Disgraced Ex-Officials… Inside the Right-Wing Conference Circuit

In 2018, two years before YouTube de-platformed “Dark Web philosopher” and alt-right star Stefan Molyneux for violating its hate speech policies, he was one of the big names featured at the first American Priority Conference in DC. The event was marketed as a free speech extravaganza of Trump-supporting activists and influencers not welcome at more traditional Republican confabs […]

SMHH VideoCast 8-5-22 with Noel Casler and Corny Koehl

StephCast F 8-5-22

Trump lawyers in talks with Justice Department about January 6 criminal probe

Former President Donald Trump’s legal team is in direct communication with Justice Department officials, the first sign of talks between the two sides as the criminal probe intoJanuary 6, 2021, accelerates, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. The talks revolve around whether Trump would be able to shield conversations he had while he was […]

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema signs off on Democrats’ big agenda bill, paving the way for Senate passage

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema signed off on sweeping Democratic legislationThursday that would provide new spending to mitigate climate change and extend health care access while taxing corporations. The Arizona Democrat’s announcement likely unlocks the votes needed to pass the bill in the Senate. Sinema said her support came after Democratic leaders agreed to remove a provision […]

U.S. officials declare monkeypox a public health emergency

The Biden administration declared monkeypox a public health emergency on Thursday as cases topped 6,600 nationwide. The declaration could facilitate access to emergency funds, allow health agencies to collect more data about cases and vaccinations, accelerate vaccine distribution and make it easier for doctors to prescribe treatment. “We’re prepared to take our response to the […]

Alex Jones must pay at least $4.1 million to parents of a Sandy Hook school massacre victim in defamation case, jury rules

An Austin jury on Thursday decided Infowars host Alex Jones must pay at least $4.1 million to the family of a 6-year-old killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for the suffering he and his website and broadcast caused them by spreading lies about the 2012 massacre. Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, whose son […]

StephCast Th 8-4-22

Alex Jones Finds Out in Court His Lawyers Accidentally Sent All His Texts to the Opposition — Texts Proving He Lied

Alex Jones found himself shocked and playing catch up during his Wednesday testimony in the Sandy Hook defamation trial as he was informed while on the stand that his lawyers had accidentally sent two years’ worth of text messages to attorney Mark Bankston, who is representing families of Sandy Hook victims. “Did you know 12 […]

Trump ally Navarro sued for alleged unofficial email account

The Justice Department filed suit Wednesday against Peter Navarro, claiming the former adviser to Donald Trump used an unofficial email account while working in the White House and wrongfully retained presidential records. The lawsuit in federal court in Washington claims Navarro used at least one “non-official” email account — a ProtonMail account — to send […]

Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski and two staffers killed in car crash

Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., and two of her staffers were killed in a car crash on Wednesday, authorities said. Walorski was 58. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy first confirmed Walorski’s death in a tweet earlier Wednesday. McCarthy said he spoke to Walorski’s husband, Dean Swihart, who was informed of her death by the Elkhart County […]

StephCast W 8-3-22

Here are key takeaways so far from Tuesday’s primaries

Kansas voters handed abortion-rights advocates a massive victory Tuesday, surging to the polls to defeat a measure that would have allowed the GOP-led legislature to impose new restrictions. The vote in Kansas was one of the first tests of the potency of abortion rights at the ballot box since the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade and […]

Federal grand jury subpoenas ex-Trump WH counsel Cipollone in 2020 election probe, source says

Former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN, the latest sign that the Justice Department’s investigation is heating up. Cipollone and his attorneys are in discussions about an appearance before the grand jury, […]

Senate passes veterans health bill after Republicans cave to pressure

The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation expanding lifesaving health care benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. The 86-11 vote came after Republicans agreed to lift their blockade of the popular bill, caving to pressure from more than 60 veterans groups — and comedian Jon Stewart — who had railed […]

Kansans overwhelmingly vote to uphold abortion rights in their state

Kansas voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly struck down a proposed constitutional amendment that would remove language enshrining reproductive rights in their state, in a move widely seen as a victory for abortion rights activists. The proposed amendment was the first time anywhere in the U.S. that voters cast ballots on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned […]

StephCast T 8-2-22

Lindsey Graham adds Trump’s former White House counsel as he battles Georgia subpoena

Amid an ongoing legal battle over the 2020 election probe in Georgia, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has added former President Donald Trump’s first White House counsel, Donald McGahn, to his legal team. Graham continues to fight a subpoena ordering him to appear before a grand jury in Fulton County’s criminal investigation into efforts to overturn […]

Veterans have been camping out on the Capitol steps after GOP blocks burn pit bill

Jen Burch, 35, a retired staff sergeant in the Air Force, looks strong and healthy from the outside. She says that inside, however, she’s suffering from ailments that she believes are related to her service during the Afghanistan war more than a decade ago. While they were in Kandahar, Burch and her fellow service members […]

DHS watchdog asked the Secret Service for all Jan. 6 texts, then retracted the request in an email

The Department of Homeland Security’s watchdog agency, which in February 2021 requested all Secret Service text messages sent around Jan. 6, 2021, the day of the Capitol riot, withdrew the request five months later, according to an email obtained by the top Democrats on two House committees.  On July 27, 2021, DHS Deputy Inspector General […]

U.S. drone strike kills Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan

President Joe Biden announced Monday night that a U.S. counterterrorism operation over the weekend in Afghanistan killed top Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, one of the plotters behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. “Justice has been delivered. And this terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said in a rare evening address from the White House. […]

Charlie Pierce: Hey, That’s Weird… The Texts for Trump’s Top DHS Officials Are Also Gone

As it turns out, Rose Mary Woods, or somebody (cough-Nixon-cough), was something of a piker when it came to burying inconvenient electronic evidence of presidential misdeeds. From the Washington Post: This discovery of missing records for the senior-most homeland security officials [acting Secretary Chad Wolf and acting deputy secretary Ken Cuccinelli], which has not been previously reported, increases the […]

StephCast M 8-1-22 – Updated Show

House Democrats pass a ban on assault weapons

The House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill to ban assault-style weapons. The last-minute vote was announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Friday morning just hours before the chamber was set to break for a month-long recess. The legislation passed 217 to 213. Two Republican lawmakers — Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania […]

Biden ‘continues to feel well’ after testing positive for COVID-19 again: Doctor

President Joe Biden has tested positive again for COVID-19, according to a letter from White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who said on Sunday that Biden “continues to feel well” and that “unsurprisingly” his test results are still positive. O’Connor wrote in a memo released by the White House that Biden’s antigen test came back […]

As Manchin pushes for speedy passage of new deal, Sinema stays quiet

Senate Democrats are aiming to pass a major spending bill this week that includes funding for climate change, health care and tax increases on corporations. The deal was unexpectedly struck last week by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and a key centrist, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., giving Democrats optimism that they’ll have a robust […]

Speaker Pelosi Heads To Asia, But No Word On Potential Taiwan Visit

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Sunday she is leading a Congressional delegation to several Asian countries, but didn’t say if she planned to stop in Taiwan. Pelosi’s office said the speaker would visit Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan with several members of her caucus, including Reps. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), Mark Takano (Calif.), Suzan DelBene […]

SMHH VideoCast F 7-29-22 with Allison Gill & Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA)

StephCast F 7-29-22

Prosecutors prepare for court battle to force former White House officials to testify about Trump’s January 6 conversations

Justice Department prosecutors are preparing to fight in court to force former White House officials to testify about then-President Donald Trump’s conversations and actions around January 6, according to people briefed on the matter. At issue are claims of executive privilege that prosecutors expect the former president to make in order to shield some information […]

U.S. Economy Shows Another Decline, Fanning Recession Fears

A key measure of economic output fell for the second straight quarter, raising fears that the United States could be entering a recession — or perhaps that one had already begun. Gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, fell 0.2 percent in the second quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That drop followed a decline of […]

Blindsided veterans erupt in fury after Senate Republicans suddenly tank Burn Pit Act

Blindsided veterans erupted in anger and indignation Thursday after Senate Republicans suddenly tanked a widely supported bipartisan measure that would have expanded medical coverage for millions of combatants exposed to toxic burn pits during their service.  Supporters of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act — or PACT […]

Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s former acting chief of staff, testifies before Jan. 6 committee

Mick Mulvaney, who was the acting White House chief of staff for President Donald Trump, testified Thursday before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot. Mulvaney, the acting chief of staff in 2019 and early 2020, arrived for his closed-door deposition with the committee around 1:40 p.m. and departed 2½ hours later. As he […]

StephCast Th 7-28-22

Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson cooperating with DOJ’s Jan. 6 probe, say sources

Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top adviser to then-President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, has recently cooperated with the Department of Justice investigation into the events of Jan. 6, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Justice Department reached out to her following her testimony a month ago before the House committee investigating […]

DOJ is questioning witnesses about Trump’s conduct on Jan. 6

Federal prosecutors have been interviewing witnesses pertaining to former President Donald Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021 as part of a larger investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, a person familiar with the matter said. Prosecutors will also review attempts by Trump and his team to alter the election […]

U.S. seeking to swap Russian arms dealer for Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan

The U.S. government has proposed to Russia that it release detained Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan in exchange for imprisoned Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News. Griner, a WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist, has been held in Russia since February, and Whelan, a corporate […]

Manchin strikes major deal with Schumer on climate, taxes and health care

In an unexpected breakthrough, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., reversed his opposition to quickly moving a broad filibuster-proof bill Wednesday and announced he will support a package that includes major investments in drug pricing, as well as provisions to address climate change and taxes on the wealthy. Manchin announced the agreement in a joint statement with […]

StephCast W 7-27-22

Dr. Irwin Redlener: Dispatch From Ukraine

Last week in Lviv was particularly productive for Karen and me. Although warnings to Americans to stay out of Ukraine were becoming increasingly intense, we were getting mixed signals from our friends in-country. Their message was, in essence, that this decision should be entirely one of risk versus benefit. In other words, were the meetings we had […]

Georgia state bar investigating two lawyers who participated in fake elector plot

The State Bar of Georgia is investigating two Republican lawyers who signed on to the “fake electors” scheme to subvert the Electoral College in the 2020 presidential election. The lawyers, Brad Carver and Daryl Moody, were specifically referred to the State Disciplinary Board for investigation by the Office of General Counsel, the state bar told […]

Self-awareness in short supply as Trump calls for law and order in DC

America first, irony last. Donald Trump, the former US president accused of a coup attempt in which police were speared and sprayed, returned to Washington on Tuesday with a plea for law and order to give police “the respect that they deserve”. Trump spoke at a luxury hotel less than two miles from the US […]

Trump Defense Secretary Says He Never Received ‘Direction or Order’ to Deploy National Guard on Jan. 6

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol shot down a right-wing talking point on Tuesday by releasing a video deposition of former acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller saying there was no order to have military personal ready ahead of Jan. 6. “I was never given any direction or order […]

Justice Dept. investigating Trump’s actions in Jan. 6 criminal probe

The Justice Department is investigating President Donald Trump’s actions as part of its criminal probe of efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, according to four people familiar with the matter. Prosecutors who are questioning witnesses before a grand jury — including two top aides to Vice President Mike Pence — have asked in recent […]

StephCast T 7-26-22

GOP lawmaker attended gay son’s wedding 3 days after voting against same-sex marriage

A Republican lawmaker attended his gay son’s wedding just three days after joining the majority of his GOP colleagues in voting against a House bill that would codify federal protections for same-sex marriage. The gay son of Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., confirmed to NBC News on Monday that he “married the love of [his] life” […]

Top Pence Aides Testify to Grand Jury in Jan. 6 Investigation

Two top aides to former Vice President Mike Pence testified last week to a federal grand jury in Washington investigating the events surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the highest-ranking officials of the Trump administration so far known to have cooperated with the Justice Department’s widening inquiry into the events leading up to […]

Trump didn’t want to call for Jan. 6 rioters’ prosecution, new video shows

President Donald Trump didn’t want to disavow the rioters who had stormed the U.S. Capitol in his name on Jan. 6, 2021, and he removed lines from prepared remarks the following day calling for their prosecution, according to new evidence released by a member of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Rep. […]

Biden tears into Trump over violence against police hours before ex-president returns to D.C. for campaign-style speech

President Joe Biden slammed former President Donald Trump on Monday for lacking “the courage to act” as police defending the U.S. Capitol suffered through “medieval hell” on Jan. 6, 2021 — a rare and direct attack pre-empting Trump’s plan to deliver a law-and-order-themed speech Tuesday in the nation’s capital. The two men may be on […]

StephCast M 7-25-22

Biden’s Covid symptoms are improving ‘significantly,’ doctor says

President Joe Biden’s Covid symptoms “continue to improve significantly,” his doctor said in a letter Sunday. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician, said that the president completed his third full day of treatment with the antiviral drug Paxlovid on Saturday and that his “predominant symptom” is only a sore throat. Biden, who tested positive […]

Steve Bannon found guilty in Jan. 6 contempt of Congress trial

A jury on Friday found former Donald Trumpadviser Steve Bannon guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress for blowing off the House Jan. 6 committee. The jury returned the verdict after deliberating for less than three hours in what prosecutors presented as a straightforward case. “This case is not complicated, but it is important,” […]

Jan. 6 panel will weigh subpoenaing Ginni Thomas if needed, Cheney says

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots will weigh subpoenaing Virginia “Ginni” Thomas if she does not agree to a voluntary interview with the committee, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo, said Sunday. Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Cheney, vice chair of the panel, said the committee remained “engaged” with Thomas’ lawyer and hopes […]

SMHH VideoCast 7-22-22 with Jen Kirkman & Barb McQuade

StephCast F 7-22-22

Mike Pence’s Security Detail Feared For Their Lives During Jan. 6 Capitol Riot

Members of former Vice President Mike Pence’s security detail were so afraid for their lives during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot that they made calls over radio to say goodbye to their family members, according to testimony given to the House committee investigating the attack. “The members of the VP detail at this time […]

Senate Democrats Introduce Bill To Lift Federal Ban On Weed

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats in the chamber announced a long-awaited bill Thursday to lift the federal ban on cannabis products ― something that’s hugely popular with the American people but unlikely to succeed in Congress right now. The New York senator’s Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act has been in the works […]

President Joe Biden Tests Positive For COVID, Experiencing Mild Symptoms

President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House confirmed. Biden, who is fully vaccinated and twice boosted, tested positive Thursday morning and is experiencing “very mild symptoms,” the White House said. “Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties […]

Jan. 6 Hearing Focuses On Trump’s 187 Minutes Of Cheering His Mob During His Coup Attempt

The House committee investigating Donald Trump’s attempted coup to remain in power wrapped up its summer series of public hearings Thursday night, going through a minute-by-minute account of his refusal to tell the violent mob he had called to the U.S. Capitol to stand down. “Donald Trump’s conduct on Jan. 6 was a supreme violation […]

StephCast Th 7-21-22

Prime-time Jan. 6 hearing to focus on Trump’s riot response, with new testimony and evidence

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol will hold the eighth in its latest string of hearings on Thursday starting at 8 p.m. ET — in prime-time. Committee aides say the session will zero-in on then-President Donald Trump’s response to the insurrection by a pro-Trump mob, specifically the […]

Prosecution rests its case in Steve Bannon trial after calling 2 witnesses

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday rested what they argue is a pretty straightforward contempt of Congress case against former Trump adviser Steve Bannon after calling just two witnesses. Justice Department prosecutors told jurors in their opening statement Tuesday that Bannon thought he was “above the law.” Wednesday’s testimony from a senior staffer on the House Jan. […]

Judge orders Rudy Giuliani to testify before grand jury in Trump election probe

A New York judge has ordered Rudy Giuliani to testify before the Georgia special grand jury hearing evidence in an investigation into possible 2020 election interference by former President Donald Trump and others, court filings show. The order came after Giuliani, who was Trump’s personal attorney, failed to appear at a July 13 hearing before the judge to challenge […]

Senators Propose Changes To Electors Law After Capitol Riot

A bipartisan group of senators agreed Wednesday on proposed changes to the Electoral Count Act, the post-Civil War-era law for certifying presidential elections that came under intense scrutiny after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and Donald Trump‘s effort to overturn the 2020 election. Long in the making, the package introduced by the group […]

StephCast W 7-20-22

Georgia ‘fake electors’ hit with subpoenas in criminal probe

Nearly a dozen of Georgia’s “fake electors” revealed Tuesday they’ve been subpoenaed to appear before the Fulton County special grand jury hearing evidence in the criminal investigation into possible 2020 election interference by former President Donald Trump and his allies. The revelations came in a court filing where attorneys for 11 of the state’s 16 false presidential electors attempted […]

Secret Service Says Some Missing Jan. 6 Texts Are Unlikely to Be Recovered

The Secret Service said it may not be able to recover a batch of erased text messages from phones used by its agents around the time of the attack on the Capitol last year, a development that comes amid intensified scrutiny over lapses in the agency’s accounting of its actions during the riots. The Secret […]

Steve Bannon thought he was ‘above the law,’ prosecutors say in contempt trial

Former Donald Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon “decided he was above the law” when he blew off the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, a federal prosecutor told jurors Tuesday in opening statements of Bannon’s contempt of Congress trial. Bannon “chose to show his contempt for Congress’ authority and its processes” by refusing […]

House votes to protect same-sex marriage in case the Supreme Court rescinds it

The House passed the Respect For Marriage Act Tuesday to codify legal same-sex marriage nationwide, fearing that the conservative majority on the Supreme Court will rescind the right after it overturned Roe v. Wade last month. The vote was 267-157, with 47 Republicans joining a unanimous Democratic caucus in supporting the legislation. Among the GOP lawmakers who […]

StephCast T 7-19-22

Barbara McQuade: The case for charging Trump with manslaughter

The next Jan. 6 committee hearing — a prime-time finale after seven previous hearings — is expected to focus even more intently on what was happening inside the White House during the insurrection. I will be listening for evidence of a crime that has gone largely undiscussed: manslaughter. Five people died in the Jan. 6 attack. Officer Brian Sicknick sustained a fatal […]

Biden could declare climate emergency as soon as this week, sources say

President Biden is considering declaring a national climate emergency as soon as this week as he seeks to salvage his environmental agenda in the wake of stalled talks on Capitol Hill, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private deliberations. The potential move comes […]

Jury Selection Begins In Trial Of Ex-Trump Adviser Steve Bannon

Jury selection began Monday in the trial of Steve Bannon, a one-time top adviser to former President Donald Trump. He is facing criminal contempt of Congress charges after refusing for months to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Bannon is charged in Washington’s federal court with defying a subpoena […]

Angry and heartbroken Uvalde parents flood school board meeting with demands for new leadership

One by one, dozens of angry parents and residents lambasted the Uvalde school board, repeatedly calling for the superintendent to be fired and trustees to step down after more law enforcement failures were revealed in the response to the shooting that killed 19 childrenand two teachers at Robb Elementary School. “Shame on you!” a chorus […]

Two Trump White House officials expected to testify at prime-time Jan. 6 hearing Thursday

Former deputy White House press secretary Sarah Matthews and Matthew Pottinger, a member of the National Security Council during the Trump administration, are expected to testify at the Jan. 6 committee’s high-profile hearing on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the plans. Both Matthews and Pottinger were among a wave of Trump officials who […]

Charlie Pierce: Joe Manchin Has Sold Us All Out Again

Over the decade in which this shebeen has been open, I have gradually come to the sad conclusion that the climate crisis is far beyond the ability of our democratic republic to handle. Our institutions are too creaky, too money-sodden, and too fat with chokepoints to develop a consensus that the climate crisis is even […]

StephCast M 7-18-22

The Rude Pundit: An Observation on the Nature of Extremist F***nuts at the January 6 Committee Hearing

One thing that jumped out at me while watching Tuesday’s televised hearing from the January 6 Committee into the insurrection of fucking idiots, which came closer than we want to believe to actually working, is how the extremists coming to DC on that cold day didn’t emerge from a vacuum. No, in fact, it was […]

Jury selection set to begin in contempt trial of Trump ally Steve Bannon

Jury selection is set to begin Monday in the trial of former President Donald Trump’s ally Steve Bannon over his defiance of a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Bannon, who previously served as Trump’s White House chief strategist but departed in August of 2017, was […]

Jan. 6 panel expects to get Secret Service texts by Tuesday, says new witnesses will appear in next hearing

The House select committee investigating the Capitol riot expects to receive erased Secret Service text messages from Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, 2021, by Tuesday, and will present testimony from new witnesses during Thursday’s public hearing, its members said Sunday. Fanning out on Sunday programs, multiple members of the committee discussed the latest developments in […]

Four dead after a shooter uses a long gun to open fire at an Indianapolis-area mall

Four people were dead, including the suspected shooter, after a man with a long gun entered a mall south of Indianapolis and opened fire, police said. Two others were injured in the early evening attack at Greenwood Park Mall, Jim Ison, the police chief of Greenwood, Indiana, said at a Sunday night news conference. One […]

Blistering report finds ‘systemic failures’ by authorities in the wake of Uvalde school shooting

A scathing report released Sunday by a Texas House committee investigating the mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde faulted “systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making” by law enforcement and the school district. Also Sunday, Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin announced that Uvalde’s acting chief of police, Lt. Mariano Pargas, has […]

SMHH VideoCast with Malcolm Nance & Glenn Kirschner 7-15-22

StephCast F 7-15-22

Manchin rejects climate and energy provisions in reconciliation bill

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin has dealt a huge blow to President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, telling Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that he will only support a reconciliation bill that lowers prescription drug prices and extends subsidies for the nation’s health care law, the Affordable Care Act, according to a Democrat briefed on the […]

Texas AG sues Biden for telling doctors to perform abortions as needed in emergencies

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday filed the first legal challenge to President Joe Biden’s executive order on abortion — accusing the administration of turning emergency health care providers into “walk-in abortion clinics” and kicking off what is expected to be a protracted legal battle between the White House and red states. At issue […]

Ivana Trump, Donald Trump’s first wife, dead at 73

Ivana Trump, Donald Trump‘s first wife and the mother of his three oldest children, has died, the former president said Thursday. “I am very saddened to inform all of those that loved her, of which there are many, that Ivana Trump has passed away at her home in New York City,” the former president said […]

Secret Service erased text messages from Jan. 6 and the day before, the Homeland Security watchdog says

The Secret Service erased text messages from both Jan. 6 and the day before the attack on the Capitol after the Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog requested records of electronic communications tied to the insurrection, according to a letter sent to congressional committees that was obtained by NBC News. The details about the erased […]

StephCast Th 7-14-22

House Jan. 6 committee is having conversations with Justice Department

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has been having conversations with the Justice Department about the phony elector scheme put forward by former President Donald Trump’s allies, committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson said Wednesday.  Thompson confirmed a day earlier the committee had been having discussions with the Justice […]

Novavax Covid-19 vaccine wins FDA authorization

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday granted emergency use authorization to Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine, opening up another option for adults who have not received immunization against the virus. The vaccine, a two-dose series administered three weeks apart, is manufactured using a lab-made spike protein produced in insect cells and an adjuvant obtained from the […]

Biden meets with Israeli leaders amid unsettled political climate

President Joe Biden sought to reaffirm U.S. support for Israel and present a united front between the two nations on a range of issues from Iran to Russia’s war in Ukraine as he kicked off a day of meeting with Israeli leaders here on Thursday. Biden met Thursday with Israeli caretaker prime minister Yair Lapid, […]

Trump tried to call a White House support staff member who was in talks with the Jan. 6 panel, source says

Former President Donald Trump tried to call a member of the White House support staff who was talking to the House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection, a source familiar with the issue told NBC News on Wednesday. CNN first reported that the witness works at the White House. The committee’s vice chair, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., […]

StephCast W 7-13-22

Biden heads to Israel, kicking off first Middle East trip as president

President Joe Biden will arrive in Israel Wednesday for his first trip to the Middle East as president looking to show support for that nation amid low expectations that his visit will lead to any fundamental shift in the growing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. While most presidents have centered their visits to Israel around […]

Cheney says Trump called a Jan. 6 committee witness after its last hearing

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., revealed Tuesday during the Jan. 6 committee’s seventh hearing that former President Donald Trump called a witness in the probe after the previous hearing on June 28. “After our last hearing, President Trump tried to call a witness in our investigation — a witness you have not yet seen in these […]

Video from inside Uvalde school shows officer running from classroom where gunman killed 21

Security video published Tuesday by two Texas news outlets shows police officers retreating from the classroom where a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The video, which was recorded in a hallway and obtained and edited by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV of Austin, shows the officers […]

Takeaways from Day 7 of the Jan. 6 panel: Trump can’t be ‘willfully blind’ in defending assembling the mob

As it builds a case that Donald Trump plotted a coup, the House Jan. 6 committee is painstakingly seeking to undercut his argument that the 2020 election was stolen. No “rational or sane man” could possibly reach that conclusion given the dearth of evidence and the abundance of top White House advisers who believed that […]