Dear Everybody:
The big news today is how Trump’s Trumpapalooza is not turning out quite the way he wanted:
–Over 70 Republicans have announced they’re not attending.
–Melania won’t be there.
–Neither will John Cornyn, Tom Barrett, Zach Nunn, Nick LaLota, or Colorado’s Jeff Hurd.
–GOP Tom Barrett: “I can’t control what the President’s going to say at the convention, but I can control where I’m at, what I’m doing.”
–One House Republican who wanted to remain anonymous called it “a waste of time.”
–They rented an arena that holds 20,000, but since the tickets cost $25,000 apiece, including for candidates, they are not selling in the numbers they need to.
–For two weeks, anyone who went to the website for the Trumpapalooza was redirected to the Epstein files.
–Matt Pero: “It wasn’t a hack, someone just made a fake website pretending to be the RNC that ranked higher on Google search results because the real RNC website wasn’t built to drive search engine traffic to it with SEO so it ranked below the fake site.”
–J5: “What I see is it’s not a Republican convention. It’s just another Trump grift.”
–The Republican National Committee issued a warning: “If members are choosing to keep an arm’s length from the President, they risk alienating their base (and) they risk 25 to 20 percent of their key Republican voters not turning out because they don’t feel like they’re a good supporter of the President’s policies.”
–James Talarico announced a “Love Thy Neighbor” food drive to collect food for people having trouble paying for groceries to take place during Trump’s Trumpapalooza. Talarico: “Next week, billionaire donors and their puppet politicians will gather at a convention in Dallas to toast their own corruption. In the shadow of this Billionaire Ball, we’ll be collecting food to help Texans struggling with rising grocery prices.”
Meanwhile, Trump is still sitting on his super Pac’s money, all $400 million dollars of it:
–Yesterday he announced, “This is my money…I can spend it for what I want to spend it for.” –Today the White House announced that he intends to cough up $10 million dollars for Ken Paxton’s struggling campaign in Texas, half of which will go to messages opposing Talarico and the other half promoting Paxton, and that Elon Musk is donating $250,000 to Paxton’s campaign.
–A Republican campaign official on Trump’s plan for the midterms; “We have no choice. We’re stuck with the government with him whether we like it or not.” (Now THERE’S a vote of confidence.)
In midterms news:
–GOP candidates Andy Barr and Ralph Alvarado have both removed any mention of Trump from their campaign websites.
–Charlie Cook told Republicans to brace themselves for the midterms. Cook: “The three most plausible outcomes are that it will be bad, really bad, or truly horrible.”
–North Carolina has already started to send out mail-in ballots.
–Governor Newsom: “Donald Trump is on the ropes, and he recognizes his presidency is over as we know it this November.”
In voting suppression news:
–In Texas, the Tarrant County Republicans voted 3-2 to close 92 of 316 polling locations two months before the midterms. (Kamala Harris won the county by 26 points.)
–Brian Tyler Cohen: “Now they’re just straight up removing polling places because they know they’re going to lose. They’ve dropped the whole ‘voter fraud’ lie and are just doing what they wanted to do all along: removing polling places from poor communities.”
In Iran War news:
–Trump: In response to a question by ABC’s Rachel Scott, Trump said, “A lot of people don’t call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing.” Scott asked how could he call it small potatoes when there were 18 dead soldiers and record long deployments, and Trump lost it, shouting at her about Vietnam. “How long were we in Vietnam?” He said we had only been in Iran for 5 months. (Actually, it’s 7.)
–(Note: 18 troops killed, 750 wounded, $11 billion in taxpayer funds spent, 15 bases badly damaged or destroyed, and gas prices through the roof.)
–Trump: “For the treasonous SCUM that refuses to accurately report on our Military Operation in Iran, we have virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition, far more than we could ever use for this, or for any other War (which is highly unlikely!) that could improbably take place.”
–Reporter: “Will this war be over by the midterm elections?” JD Vance: “I wouldn’t call it a war.”
–JD Vance: “America has fought a lot of wars since I’ve been alive. 42 years. And we have won almost none of them until Donal J. Trump became the president.”
In Iran War news:
–Bradley P. Moss: “What war did Trump win?”
In Destroying Washington, DC news:
–The Washington Post reports that Trump officials say work will start on the triumphal arch within two weeks. The planned 250-foot-tall structure near Arlington National Cemetery (which will block views of both it and the Lincoln Memorial) is one of the president’s top construction priorities.
–Jim Acosta: “These are not vanity projects. That’s being too nice. These are insanity projects. It’s insane that he’s building these gaudy monsters, and it’s insane that this country’s GOP leaders don’t have the spine to stop him from defacing our nation’s capital. Stop the insanity!”
–Benzo Ferrari: “I will vote for the first candidate who pledges to blow it up real good.”
–In 1941, construction for the Schwer Belastungs Korper began for the purpose of testing the load-bearing capacity of the ground on the planned site of Hitler’s Triumphal Arch. The Triumphal Arch was to be Hitler’s focal point of Germania, therefore the Schwer Belastungs Korper was a vital and necessary piece of construction. The Schwer Belastungs Korper was constructed by the French prisoners of war in forced labor camps.
–If it were to sink less than 6 cm., the soil would be deemed sound enough for further construction without additional stabilization. An analysis of the meticulous measurements only took place in 1948, revealing that the cylinder had sunk some 19 cm after two and a half years. The arch as conceived by Speer could only have been built after considerable prior stabilization of the ground.
In Epstein news:
–Speaker of the House Mike Johnson sent the House home till after the midterms, and everyone is saying it’s because Dem Robert Garcia is about to introduce a discharge petition on a new Epstein Files Transparency Act which would demand the release of all the files NOW. So the only way to avoid dealing with it is to send the House home.
–Dominic Michael Tripi: “EXCLUSIVE: “House GOP ‘scrambling’ for messaging guidance and controversy over cancelling remaining congressional sessions to avoid vote on additional Epstein files release.”
–Under the proposed legislation, the US Attorney General would be forced to cooperate with state attorneys general who want to prosecute potential Epstein-conspirators. Additionally, the bill would prohibit the DOJ from citing privilege exceptions as grounds to withhold Epstein-related files, a tactic the department has repeatedly employed.
–MuellerSheWrote: “BLANCHE: ‘Trust me. The withheld Epstein files are all duplicates and the redactions are all victims. Of course, we redefined ‘duplicate’ and let people self-identify as victims without checking. But trust me.’ That’s why I’m suing for the redaction training videos.”
In Trump Dementia/madness news:
–Aaron Rupar: “Trump looked like an absolute wreck during his speech on Wednesday.” His face was very red and completely covered in sweat.
–Trump’s mouth is starting to droop again.
–Today his hair appeared to be dark brown instead of blonde. Earlier this week, he had declared, “I don’t wear a wig.”
–His hand also looked really bad today, with blackish bruising covering the entire back of the hand, even though it was thickly covered with makeup.
–While Trump was giving his speech to NASA last week, he made a strange movement that people are calling a symptom of a concerning neurological disorder. It started in one arm, which jerked spasmodically, then moved to his other arm, which also jerked.
–The spasms could be a sign of neurodegenerative disease–Alzheimers, Lewy body dementia, or Parkinson’s disease. Or it could be a sign that Trump had a stroke. The spasms are a common post-stroke symptom.
–Evvie: “He’s a psychopath with dementia. There appears to be a rapid acceleration in whatever is going on with him lately, and the decline in his speech and appearance, along with increasing involuntary spasms is noticeable.”
–Trump not only continued to doze off in meetings, but at times appeared completely unresponsive. Dr. John Garrison: “As RFK is trying to say, ‘you’re the greatest ever, nobody could have done this but you, President Trump isn’t reacting at all. Typically, he’s gonna smile, he’s gonna nod, he’s gonna let people know, ‘I love people talking about me’–usually there’s a reaction to that. This really does show how out of it he is right now.”
–British columnist James Ball: “Trump has always been a little chaotic, with at best a loose relationship with the truth. But based on his remarks in an extended interview with GB news, the US President is only getting worse. In the space of minutes, he managed what amounted to little more than a concentrated stream of nonsense about the UK, Iran, and even the Falkland Islands…it was a display of an increasingly elderly and incoherent man, ranting only semi-coherently about world affairs. Trump used to be a man who wanted to look in control at all times. Now, though, he just looks like he’s lost it.”
In Ukraine news:
–Ukraine blew up a major Russian missile manufacturing plant in Perm.
–A Russian Air Force general considered responsible for the bombing of a Ukrainian children’s hospital, Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, was shot and critically wounded (shot in the head and abdomen) near his home by an assassin who drove up on a motorcycle.
–Norway has seized a Russian ship at Svalbard. This is the second ship they’ve seized there. Russia is targeting Norway’s Svalbard in an Arctic power grab, pushing to invade and rename the island. (Sound familiar?)
–Foreign airlines have been canceling flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg after Zelenskyy warned that Russia’s air space was about to get more dangerous. One Turkish airline directed three flights that were already en route to Russia to turn around and return to Turkey.
–Illia Ponomarenko: “Putin now spends his every appearance before his state propaganda pool just gushing out imaginary offensives, triumphant advances, entire Ukrainian divisions being encircled, nonexistent ‘liberations’ of Ukrainian towns in Donbas (sometimes the same places several times over.”
In Gloria Steinem news:
–Tributes poured in for Gloria Steinem, many from women who not only looked up to her, but who viewed her as saving their lives.
–Gloria Steinem’s team: “Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others, to make others feel seen and heard. Her words, actions and example gave people permission to be their truest selves.”
–Steinem wrote the following dedication in her book, MY LIFE ON THE ROAD: “Dr. John Sharpe of London, who in 1957, a decade before physicians in England could legally perform an abortion for any reason other than the health of the woman, took the considerable risk of referring for an abortion a twenty-two-year-old American on her way to India. Knowing only that she had broken an engagement at home to seek an unknown fate, he said, ‘You must promise me two things. First, you will not tell anyone my name. Second, you will do what you want with your life.’ Dear Dr. Sharpe, I believe you, who knew the law was unjust, would not mind if I say this so long after your death: I’ve done the best I could with my life. This book is for you.”
–George Takei: “Gloria Steinem showed generations of us what a more equal world could look like. She built the road there, brick by brick, march by march, for over sixty years. My deepest condolences to everyone who loved her, and my deepest gratitude for everything she gave the rest of us.”
–kitty877: “An example for ALL women, especially now! Fight for your rights. Vote blue!”
In historical news:
–Today the first episode of The Muppet Show aired. It was supposed to be a sort of vaudeville/variety show (with Muppets), but it was like no other show that had ever been on television.
–It featured recurring sketches like “Pigs in Space,” “Veterinarian’s Hospital,” and the Great Gonzo trying to shoot himself out of a cannon, musical numbers, and running gags. It was described as a children’s show (because of Sesame Street, but it was a hit with everybody.
–The show featured Sam the (overly patriotic and stuffy eagle), the Swedish Chef, Statler and Waldorf, Bunsen Honeydew, Crazy Harry, Gonzo the Great, Rowlf the Dog, and Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, as well as Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, some rats, and assorted chickens (rubber and live.)
— It went on to film 120 episodes over the course of five seasons, with special guests that ranged from Julie Andrews, George Burns, and Twiggy to Raquel Welch, Vincent Price, Steve Martin, Madeleine Kahn, Elton John, and Ethel Merman.
–Quotes from the show have become part of the language, like Fozzie’s “Wocka wocka wocka,” Animal’s deranged “Woo-man!” the Swedish Chef’s “Bork, bork, bork, and Miss Piggy’s “Moi?” and, when she was crossed, her karate chop “HAI-YAH!”
In other news:
–As part of its determination to stop all wind projects, the Trump administration paid RWE, a German Energy Company, $1.2 billion dollars for it to relinquish its offshore leases in New York, California, and Louisiana and stop wind projects and instead purchase a stake in a liquefied gas project in Louisiana. The stake is owned by Australian billionaire Michael Dorell, who gave $1 million dollars to Trump/Vance’s Inaugural Committee. Dorell will now get $900 million dollars. Trump insists the deal is legal and above-board.
–Trump is giving disaster relief for wildfires exclusively to red states.
–Trump is now demanding that Congress “Save Hollywood.” He wants movies made there, and he wants Congress to immediately draft legislation to save the movies, TV, and the entertainment business in America.
In good news:
–The Missouri Supreme Court blocked Republican redistricting of the state.
–A federal judge blocked Trump’s latest attempt to ban birthright citizenship (which the Supreme Court already ruled against, but Trump didn’t let that stop him from trying again.)
–A new generic ballot poll has Democrats at 53, Republicans at 43.
Today is Michael Keaton’s birthday. Hard to believe he’s 75. He’s been in lots of stuff, starting with NIGHT SHIFT and including BEETLEJUICE and SPOTLIGHT. He played Dogberry in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, and was wonderful as the beleaguered editor in THE PAPER, and many people consider him to have been the best BATMAN, but my favorite movie of his is SPEECHLESS with Geena Davis, in which the two of them play speechwriters for competing political campaigns because it displays his brilliant gift for banter, which he’s better at than almost anybody. Happy birthday, Michael.
Best comment of the day, from Will Bunch: “I hope that everyone is prepared to do whatever it takes to vote in November. And if that means having to line up for hours, the country and last chance for any pivot away from Trump and MAGAdom are on the line. You thought 2024 was an all-hands-on-deck moment, well now, because the country fumbled that. This may be the last chance.”
Keep calm and carry on,
Connie Willis
