Anti-climax: Trump signs bill to release Epstein Files
But now what?
Trump signs bill to release Justice Department's Epstein files
Remember: We barely know what the "Epstein Files" even are. MAGA has long though there was a "client list" related to sexual trafficking; it seems clear (so far) that there isn't. What information is there to release? What will DOJ redact? How will the redactions be politicized? Who will released information be about? What innocent people will be harmed?
Far more questions than answers...
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Jason Crow takes heat for video
Martha MacCallum obliterated Rep Crow for pandering to the uninformed and, with his Democrat colleagues, making grandiose pronouncements about hypothetical future "illegal orders". I was surprised to hear Crow say that their video was not about blowing up boats but rather about offhand comments Trump has made in the past. Very weak argument by Jason. Rather disgusting effort by those Dems, actually, given what Crow is claiming. I think they might have had a thin reed on which to base their claim if they were talking about blowing up boats, but talking about comments Trump has made which were then NOT followed up by orders?!? Wow.
First is the video in question and second is the interview in which Martha crushes Rep Crow.
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Just One Thing: Imagine (what journalism could be again)
I probably won't talk about this on the show but I hope you'll read it and think both, "Wow, wouldn't it be great if journalism could be that way again?" and "How the heck did we get so far away from free speech in the places that should protect it most?"
Washington Post's Adam O'Neal on free speech and libertarianism
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One More Thing: But Canadians are so nice!
Ex-Olympian Ryan Wedding Indicted On Murder Charges, DOJ Offers $15M Reward
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Today's Guests
Chris Barnewolt is an attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation. He's representing an actress whose one-woman show was canceled because she’s white and some of the historical characters she portrayed – NOT with blackface – are black.
Info about the lawsuit: Annette Hubbell v. Acosta
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Dr Rebecca Richey is co-founder of Solstice Psychology. We'll talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder, a common ailment that causes low mood/depression in the winter due to the lack of sunlight.
Dr. Rebecca Richey | Holistic Mental Health Expertise
SAD: Shorter days could impact your mood
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Jeff Lenard is VP for Media and Strategic Communications for the Nat’l Assoc of Convenience Stores. We'll talk about the end of pennies, and why his organization was fine with that goal but not the way it was done.
Supermarket to host 'Double Exchange Day' for pennies
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Other Stuff
I think the Supreme Court might overturn this court...but it's a close call: Meet the Trump-appointed judge who could cost Republicans the House - POLITICO. I think it depends on whether SCOTUS agrees with the lower court's ruling that the maps are designed based on race (at least if you call "Hispanic" a race). The Texas case is tricky because the DOJ wrote a letter to Texas (as part of the Trump administration's effort to spur the additional gerrymandering) that referenced current racially-oriented maps and said that drawing maps based on race is unconstitutional but in that indirect sense made the DOJ's own argument about race. Texas redistricting ruling raises nationwide questions
Similarly, it's also possible that a federal court will overturn California's new maps, not least because people involved in the process are on the record saying their goal was to create one (or more) Hispanic district(s) which probably gives a hook for SCOTUS to throw out the map as impermissibly race-based. The Trump administration has already sued: Office of Public Affairs | Justice Department Sues Governor Gavin Newsom for California’s Race-Based Redistricting Plan | United States Department of Justice
If one of these gets overturned but the other doesn't, that could be something of a political earthquake.
Meanwhile, this whole move to gerrymander states so that their congressional representation isn't even close to the party affiliation balance within the state is terrible for the country, and for Trump to have pushed Texas to start this horrendous arms race was stupid and corrupt.
Now Trump got the Indiana Governor Mike Braun to threaten Republicans in that state who don't go along with this idiocy. The country needs far more competitive districts, not fewer.
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I appreciate Trump when he does smart things and pushes back on his base: ‘My poll numbers just went down’: Trump defends skilled immigration, breaking with MAGA base - POLITICO
BUT that doesn't mean the H-1B system isn't abused. It absolutely is and is in need of reform: Trump Was Right the First Time on H-1B | National Review
I don't think most people know what a massive percentage of H-1B visa holders are from India. Indians have close to 3/4 of all H-1Bs, believe it or not: H1B visa: Trump on why US needs Indian foreign workers - India Today
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This makes me wonder two things: How clean are food trucks, and do you ever actually think about that? (If so, do you think about it more or less than you wonder that same thing about restaurants?) Denver officials: Pouring bleach on unlicensed taco vendor's food was 'necessary' | FOX31 Denver
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This is gonna be a tough sell to both sides but that doesn't mean it isn't the most likely type of plan to try to end the war soon: Trump plan asks Ukraine to cede Donbas for security guarantees
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I get it, but I’d make sure patrons know that this is intentional and not the servers doing a bad job: Aurora encourages restaurants not to serve water unless requested
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Is this awesome or creepy or both?
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How many people could this kill? 15 indicted in 'largest meth seizure in Colorado history'
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The next thing about the Epstein saga that will be politicized, but this time it might be bipartisan. This vote opened a huge smelly can of worms even though I understand it. US Justice Dept. to release Epstein files within 30 days | The Jerusalem Post
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When Larry Summers said he planned to step back from "public commitments" but to continue his teaching at Harvard, I mentioned that I thought there was very little chance Harvard would allow him to keep teaching: Summers Will Not Finish Semester of Teaching as Harvard Investigates Epstein Ties | News | The Harvard Crimson
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Will the software company stay in business? Colorado reaches settlement with landlord giant Greystar in price-fixing lawsuit
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Looks like an interesting and useful plan. And it's interesting how much of it is NOT being paid for by the city: Littleton breaks ground on 'quadrant road' along Santa Fe Drive
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Have you felt this way about a celebrity? Parasocial, how you may have felt after Taylor Swift's engagement, is Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year - CBS News
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Particularly interesting going into the biggest travel week of the year: Trump administration scraps airline payout plan before holiday travel surge
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Trump's obvious use of the DOJ to commit lawfare is a problem but the incompetence of the real estate attorney whom Trump installed to go get the indictment is likely to sink the indictment: Trump's words loom over Comey case as judge weighs tossing indictment - ABC News
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Hamas specifically and Islamic terrorism generally is not even close to defeated (and probably never will be): Mossad unveils Hamas ops. across Europe | The Jerusalem Post
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Today's Videos
William Shatner is a gem. Just his existence should eliminate anti-Semitism. This conversation is so nerdy and fun