Tracker

Trump Supporters' Threats To Judge Spur Democracy Concerns U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart has faced a storm of death threats since his signature cleared the way for the FBI to search former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of federal judges face the same task every day: review an affidavit submitted by federal agents and approve requests for a search warrant. But for U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, the fallout from his decision to approve a search warrant has been far from routine. He has faced a storm of death threats since his signature earlier this month cleared the way for the FBI to search former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate as part of a probe into whether he inappropriately removed sensitive materials from the White House. Reinhart’s home address was posted on right-wing sites, along with antisemitic slurs. The South Florida synagogue he attends canceled its Friday night Shabbat services in the wake of the uproar. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-supporters-threats-to-judge-spur-democracy-concerns_n_62fdb5cfe4b0f48a02040941

How Liz Cheney was defeated by the very extremism she once promoted: journalist In a GOP congressional primary election held in Wyoming on Tuesday, August 16, Rep. Liz Cheney suffered a landslide defeat when Harriet Hagemen — who was backed by former President Donald Trump — won by around 38 percent. The election results didn’t come as a major surprise, as MAGA Republicans vehemently resented Cheney for pushing for Trump’s second impeachment and playing a prominent role on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s January 6 select committee. Cheney has drawn a great deal of praise, even from many liberals and progressives, for pushing back against the Big Lie and blaming Trump for the violence that rocked the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. But journalist Tim Murphy, in an article published by Mother Jones after Cheney lost that primary, argues that the congresswoman was defeated in Wyoming by the type of extremism that she spent much of her political career encouraging. “In the run-up to the 2016 election, Liz Cheney issued a dire warning,” Murphy recalls. “The future of American democracy, and the nation’s place as a symbol of freedom to the world, was on the ballot. If voters chose poorly, she told Rush Limbaugh, the next president ‘would be the most corrupt individual ever to sit in the Oval Office.’ She was referring, of course, to Hillary Clinton.” Murphy emphasizes that Cheney was far from a Never Trumper back in 2016. “She was a Bush Administration veteran who was willing to go to the mat for President Donald Trump, no matter what the naysayers said,” Murphy remembers. “They both had a use for each other. By the start of her second term, she was chair of the House Republican Conference. When Trump ran for reelection, she offered her endorsement. But on Tuesday, Cheney’s career in Congress came to an abrupt end, when she lost her Republican primary to conservative challenger Harriet Hageman.” https://www.alternet.org/2022/08/liz-cheney-defeated-by-extremism/

Former US attorney calls for 'full investigation' after report Secret Service failed to share Pelosi threat A former U.S. Attorney is calling for a full investigation into the U.S. Secret Service’s failure to share intelligence it had detailing a violent threat against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats. “This is deeply disturbing,” says Joyce Vance, who is now a law professor and MSNBC/NBC News legal analyst. She says it “requires a full investigation.” “The Capitol Police are responsible for protecting the Speaker,” Vance continues. “If true” that the U.S. Secret Service “failed to pass on intelligence about threats, that’s very alarming.” Vance points to a new report from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) that finds the Secret Service discovered a violent social media based threat on January 4, 2021, two days before the insurrection, but did not share that intelligence with the Capitol Police until nearly 6 PM ET on January 6. The U.S. Secret Service is an agency under the Dept. of Homeland Security. The DHS Inspector General, Joseph Cuffari, is under investigation by two powerful House Committee chairs who on Tuesday accused him of “obstruction.” In a separate report CREW reveals that “days before the January 6 attack on the Capitol, documents exchanged between the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies outlined ‘threats of violence’ on the 6th, coming ‘predominantly from right wing groups’ with ‘plans to bring weapons into the District,’ according to documents obtained by CREW. The Secret Service knew that Trump’s supporters would be demonstrating around Freedom Plaza and the Capitol with the intent to cause violence, but the agency does not appear to have taken the threat seriously.” “While the Secret Service downplayed threats posed by right-wing extremist groups and Trump’s supporters leading up to January 6, the newly obtained documents reveal just how grave and explicit the threats had actually been,” CREW alleges.

Trump Makes His Most Dangerous Demand Yet: ‘Release the Affidavit!’s up in the middle of the night again, and that is entirely understandable. If federal agents just searched your house and found top secret and special clearance documents pertaining to nuclear weapons, you too would be up at night. But the man who asked Merrick Garland how he could “reduce the heat” around the country made his most dangerous demand yet. He wants the affidavit in support of the warrant released “in the interests of transparency.” He wants it unredacted. His demand would require the release of the identity of the informant. Trump wrote: There is no way to justify the unannounced RAID of Mar-a-Lago, the home of the 45th President of the United States (who got more votes, by far, than any sitting President in the history of our Country!), by a very large number of gun toting FBI Agents, and the Department of “Justice” but, in the interest of TRANSPARENCY, I call for the immediate release of the completely Unredacted Affidavit pertaining to this horrible and shocking BREAK-IN. Also, the Judge on this case should recuse! Parts of the statement are almost giggle-worthy, Trump having to remind people it’s the “home of the 45th President of the United States.” But then he implies that he is being the selfless one here, and he will allow the court and DOJ to release the affidavit in support of the search, “unredacted.” Obviously, the unredacted release would – again, name the informant, which would put that person’s life in grave danger from the MAGAs and – if one wants to contemplate the conspiratorial – possible danger from some of Trump’s darker alleged allies from Eastern Europe. The informant is in enough danger knowing that a trial may be necessary or a leak might spring. Ironically, the affidavit itself would contain information that would likely be absolutely devastating to Trump. It almost surely sets out the dangerous materials Trump is holding, the numerous attempts to retrieve those materials, and even perhaps evidence regarding what the FBI believes Trump might do with the materials, all or some of which would surely cause some of Trump’s reluctant supporters in Congress to turn on him. The affidavit would set out behavior that is simply indefensible. Trump knows that if the affidavit were released, it would hurt him deeply, but he knows they will not release it, especially unredacted. https://www.politicususa.com/2022/08/16/trump-makes-his-most-dangerous-demand-yet-release-the-affidavit.html

As Many As 6 Current Employees Could Be Informing To The FBI On Trump The New York Times: Mr. Philbin is among eight people who currently or used to work for Mr. Trump who have been contacted by the F.B.I. since a grand jury was formed this year. Investigators also interviewed Derek Lyons, a former White House staff secretary. Mr. Lyons’s last day at the White House was Dec. 18, 2020, meaning he did not know how the last boxes were packed as Mr. Trump prepared to leave. But he had information about paper flow in the White House and how the former president handled material. The F.B.I. has reached out to about a half-dozen people who currently work for Mr. Trump and who might know what documents he may still have in his possession. Trump and Republicans are desperate to find out who informed on Trump to the FBI, but there may be more than one informant, and people who work for Donald Trump still appear to be talking to law enforcement. Donald Trump is worried about informants, phones being bugged, and people wearing wires, but the downside of making his post-presidential home at a golf club is that there are lots of people around all of the time. Given the size of Mar-a-Lago, and Trump’s recklessness with classified info, there are potentially a large number of witnesses for the FBI to speak to. The fact that law enforcement continues to be concerned that Trump might still be in possession of classified information is an important development, but instead of looking for one informant, there may be as many as half a dozen.

A single swallow does not mean it is spring. And yes, I am referring to a bird.

And Harris was injured in a fairly routine tackle- not all that violent. Had he remained the feature back with the Bombers, it was pretty much inevitable he would have sustained a similar injury here. It was a tough decision for Walters and Co. but the correct one.

Canadian mayor profanely taunts QAnon 'imbeciles' who tried to perform citizens arrests on her police. A group of QAnon believers over the weekend tried to conduct citizens arrests of police officers in the city of Peterborough, Ontario -- and then promptly got thrown into the slammer themselves. As Vice News reports, the QAnon faithful were in the city at the behest of Romana Didulo, the so-called "QAnon Queen" who earlier this year declared herself to be the "Leader of the World" during an event at a campground parking lot. Didulo instructed her supporters to arrest the Peterborough officers for enforcing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions such as mask requirements. As Vice News recounts, Didulo's plan resulted in one follower being "charged with two counts of assaulting police" another follower being slapped with "charges of mischief and resisting arrest" and a third being "arrested and charged with a myriad of charges, including assaulting a peace officer with a weapon." Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien took to Twitter on Tuesday to profanely mock the QAnon believers who thought they could get away with arresting her city's police officers. "People have been asking me to comment on the events of the past weekend," she wrote. "I hate giving airtime/spotlight to these imbeciles. Here is my comment: f*ck off, you f*ckwads." https://www.alternet.org/2022/08/canadian-mayor-profanely-qanon-imbeciles/

Putin World Declares ‘Our Agent Trump’ Is Irreversibly Screwed ‘THEY FOUND EVERYTHING’ Concerns are swirling within the Kremlin and splashing onto the screens of Russia’s tightly controlled state media. Moscow’s grueling invasion of Ukraine and Washington’s potential designation of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism are at the top of the list—but the upcoming U.S. elections are likewise causing some heart palpitations. Having recovered from their initial shock over the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s Florida estate, Russian experts and pundits started to dismiss it as much ado about nothing, albeit a convenient tale they could use to smear American democracy. Now they’re singing a different tune. In the most recent broadcast of the state TV show Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov, host Vladimir Solovyov remarked, “I’m very worried for our agent Trump. They found everything at Mar-a-Lago, they got packages of documents. In all seriousness, they say he should be executed as a person that was ready to hand off nuclear secrets to Russia.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-state-media-declares-our-agent-donald-trump-is-irreversibly-screwed?ref=home

“Everyone's saying no”: Trump hires Florida insurance lawyer as top attorneys refuse to work for him Former President Donald Trump and his team have spent days since the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago trying to assemble a "team of respected lawyers" but keep getting rejected, according to The Washington Post. "Everyone is saying no," a prominent Republican lawyer told the outlet. Trump is scrambling to find an experienced team of attorneys to defend him amid mounting legal crises. The Justice Department is investigating him under the Espionage Act after he took classified records, including some labeled "top secret," to his Mar-a-Lago residence. He also faces legal scrutiny in the DOJ's investigation into the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as well as a state civil probe in New York and a Fulton County, Ga., criminal investigation into his efforts to overturn his loss in the state. Jon Sale, a former Watergate prosecutor who is now a prominent Florida defense attorney, told the Post he turned Trump down last week. "You have to evaluate whether you want to take it," he said. "It's not like a DUI. It's representing the former president of the United States — and maybe the next one — in what's one of the highest-visibility cases ever." https://www.salon.com/2022/08/17/everyones-saying-no-hires-florida-insurance-lawyer-as-top-attorneys-refuse-to-work-for-him/

Florida Court Says Teen Not 'Mature' Enough For Abortion, So Must Bear Child A Florida appeals court decided Monday to uphold a lower court’s ruling that a pregnant 16-year-old had not shown she was “mature” enough to terminate her unwanted pregnancy, and must therefore give birth. The teen, described as “parentless” in court documents, has been petitioning the state court system to let her get an abortion without the written consent of a parent or guardian, which is required for minors under a law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) two years ago. She argued before Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz that she was not ready to be a parent and did not have a job. She was living with a relative while she worked toward earning her GED. But Frydrychowicz found that the teen did not establish “by clear and convincing evidence that she was sufficiently mature to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy,” court documents say. Florida’s First District Court of Appeals upheld the decision, with two judges on the panel concurring and one issuing a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/florida-court-says-teen-not-mature-enough-for-abortion-so-must-bear-child-instead_n_62fbf510e4b0a85a8196b41e

But let us not cheap out and neglect to have him (and Matt Nichols) re-sign for 24 hours and retire as Bombers at a half-time. Make it so.

The lust for money through lower taxes is a mantra for the cons that takes precedence over everything, including stated policies.

Scientology Church asks Supreme Court to force rape accusers into private arbitration Members of the controversial Church of Scientology are hoping that the U.S. Supreme Court will agree to hear a case that involves their policy of internal arbitration for current and former members. Mentioned in the case is actor Danny Masterson, a Church member who is facing sexual assault allegations from four different women — including former Scientology member Chrissie Carnell Bixler. According to Law & Crime reporter Aaron Keller, the case “questions whether religious groups can force their followers — and even their ex-followers — to submit to internal arbitration proceedings to settle disputes.” “The case is connected to and indeed names Daniel Masterson, the ‘That ‘70s Show’ actor who faces an upcoming rape trial in the California state court system,” Keller explains. “The respondents in the case allege that Masterson, who is described in Church legal filings as ‘another Church parishioner,’ sexually assaulted them between 2000 and 2003. The instant case involves not the instances of alleged assault, but rather, whether Church officials ‘improperly handled Respondents’ reporting of the alleged assaults.’” In California, where Masterson is based, an appellate court has already ruled in the case. But the Church of Scientology is hoping that the U.S. Supreme Court will be willing to take the case; that remains to be seen. https://www.alternet.org/2022/08/scientology-supreme-court-internal-arbitration/

The same parent company owns/owned Tim Horton's, Burger King, Popeyes and a couple of other food chains, but if memory serves, it wasn't happy with the performance of their ice cream franchises so they sold off the locations, with the proviso that they change the name.

Yes. Forgot they changed their name several years ago when Tim Hortons cut them loose.

With that combover, spastic "dance moves" and public displays of appalling ignorance (like asking if it would be helpful for people to drink bleach at a news conference), I would say his self-awareness is functionally zero.

All the available evidence indicates that Trump does not embarrass easily and would probably enjoy being given a platform to whine and rant.

It would be like taking an enemy's head after defeating him and putting it on a post. It would be an ongoing public humiliation of the American electoral system and a source of abrasive tweets and emails supporting Putin no matter what he does.

Does make wonder about the sex life of the dog owner.

She ought to have handed out Surstromming. https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj5zaDEhMz5AhWBkIkEHaKSDQsQwqsBegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FItsGoneViralOfficial%2Fvideos%2Fhilarious-surstr%C3%B6mming-challenge%2F257274119265360%2F&usg=AOvVaw1NwHctP0KVzJ7UXhBJvtnw This would be a very accurate depiction of voter reaction to these cretins.

If Justin is considering stepping down, the time to do that would be a year or less before the next election, so as to give the new leader time to present as a credible leader and less time for the opposition to smear him.

Putin might like Trump under his thumb as a trophy.

Reality is that Trump's money can get him out of the US any time he wants, but a) where would he go? Russia is nice this time of year but.... and b) he would leave behind most of his assets and whatever dignity he has left at that point.

Matt Gaetz And Jim Jordan Threaten Merrick Garland For Trump To Try To GetName Of FBI Informant Reps. Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, and 16 other House Republicans sent a threatening letter to the FBI demanding to know who informed on Trump. The letter had many implied threats that warned the Justice Department to keep all communications and made it clear that Republicans would launch an investigation if they won back the House