Theme of the Week: Obstruction of Justice
Donald Trump Jr. had a meeting with a Russian attorney, Natalia Veselnitskaya, on June 9, 2016 at Trump Tower.
President Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, said the president knew about, and approved of, that meeting. Donald Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he couldn't remember whether he told his father about the meeting.
Initial statements made by Trump and his people about the meeting:
The first report was to discuss adoption on July 8, 2017.When first asked about the meeting, Donald Trump Jr. issued a statement saying the meeting was primarily about the adoption of Russian children.
On August 5, President Trump tweeted about the meeting, saying, “Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower. This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics - and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!”
Paul Manafort Trial: Gates Explains How Millions Were Funneled to Manafort
Paul Manafort, President Trump’s onetime campaign chairman, is on trial in federal court in Alexandria on bank and tax fraud charges. Prosecutors allege that he failed to pay taxes on millions he made from his work for a Russia-friendly Ukrainian political party, then lied to get loans when the cash stopped coming in. The case is being prosecuted by the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
In his testimony on Tuesday, Gates told jurors how he spent years disguising millions of dollars in foreign income as loans to lower the former Trump campaign chairman’s tax bill.
Gates, the government’s star witness, recounted how he and Manafort used offshore shell companies and bank accounts in Cyprus to funnel the money, all while concealing the accounts and the income from the IRS.
“In Cyprus, they were documented as loans. In reality, it was basically money moving between accounts,” Gates said during his second day of testimony in the financial fraud trial of his former boss.
Prosecutors summoned Gates, described by witnesses as Manafort’s “right-hand man,” to give jurors the first-hand account of a co-conspirator they say helped Manafort carry out an elaborate offshore tax-evasion and bank fraud scheme.
Rosie O'Donnell leads anti-Trump Broadway sing-along at the White House
Rosie O’Donnell and more than 55 Broadway stars from Hamilton, Wicked, Les Misérables and other Broadway shows led anti-Trump protestors in song in front of the White House on Monday night, in an area known as the “Kremlin Annex.”
The musicians and singers arrived in Washington, D.C., from New York at around 7:30 p.m., wearing matching shirts that read: “Now showing TRUTH.” Less than an hour after arriving, the Broadway artists packed up to drive five hours back to New York City.
Rosie O’Donnell started off the protest by giving a speech saying, “Let the president know in no uncertain terms that we are alive, awake and we are woke…We hope to give you a nice little show and remind you that your voice is important. Whether it’s here in Washington, D.C., or in the town where you live, let your voice be heard.”
After warming up their voices with “America the Beautiful,” the performers sang several show-tune favorites, such as “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from “Les Misérables,” “Let The Sun Shine In” from “Hair” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from “The Sound of Music.”
Tuesday marks the 23nd consecutive day of these protests. Per the Washington Post, people were inspired to take action outside Trump’s official residence after Philippe Reines, Hillary Clinton’s former press secretary, tweeted this message:
“If someone flew home from Helsinki they’d get back to DC around 9pm. Probably jet lagged. You know what I’d hate if I just got back & needed to sleep? A bunch of people outside my home with bullhorns & air horns. I’ve never started a protest. How does one do that @MoveOn?”
That evening, hundreds of protestors gathered to “welcome” Trump home with pots, pans, air horns and whistles. In the weeks since that first tweet, the protest has developed into a musical movement seeking to oust Trump from the White House.
Ohio Vote Tonight
On Tuesday, voters in Ohio’s 12th District will choose a replacement for Representative Pat Tiberi, a Republican who resigned to work for a business group.
The candidates are Troy Balderson, a Republican who is currently serving his second term in the Ohio Senate, representing the 20th District. Balderson has been endorsed by President Trump and is running again Danny O’Connor, a Democrat.
Danny O’Connor was born and raised in rural Ohio. O’Connor is running for Congress to “expand health care coverage, protect Medicare and Social Security benefits, create more economic opportunities for working families and small business owners, and help end the partisan dysfunction in Washington.”
Chicago Violence – Why don’t Celebrities Help?
In the past weekend, 74 people were shot in one of the most violent weekends of the year in Chicago. 12 people have been killed because of the shooting.
1,785 people have been shot this year. That is 480 fewer than 2017, and 318 homicides have been reported in Chicago up to this point.
Where are the celebrities and athletes who could help bring change to the city? Since Mayor Rahm Emanuel is incompetent, these professionals are needed to bring awareness to the situation in Chicago.
Iraqi immigrant accused of shooting Colorado cop has criminal history, yet avoided deportation
Iraqi illegal immigrant, Al Khammasi, age 31, allegedly shot Colorado police officer, Cem Duzel, in the head on Thursday. Duzel is in critical but stable condition as of Saturday.
Khammasi has been involved in a string of crimes for the past five years but has avoided being deported. Khammasi was free on bond and missed his Friday court appearance after he was hospitalized following the shootout with officers in Colorado Springs.
Khammasi appears to have lived in the Pikes Peak region for at least five years, and he had at least nine contacts with police in that time, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in 2014 to felony trespassing and was on an immigration hold, court records show.
Khammasi remains hospitalized, causing him to miss a court appearance Friday, his attorney, public defender Jennifer Chu, said at the hearing related to the stolen revolver. Fourth Judicial District Chief Judge William Bain revoked his bail, citing the new allegations, and appointed the Colorado Public Defender’s Office to represent him. He was ordered to return to court Aug. 8 on the weapons charge. Khammasi was charged with attempted first-degree murder, possession of a weapon by a previous offender and felony menacing on Friday. He is being held without bond.
Mail Time!
- Bill, you have stated many times that the National Guard should be sent to the streets of Chicago to control the violence in the poor black neighborhoods. This morning on Fox Business Varney was talking with Judge Napolitano about that topic. The Judge stated that the National Guard can only be sent to the city in case of rioting. Is that true? Could you please clear this up for us. Thank you
- Bill, I could not disagree more about Andrew Cuomo. He has no charisma, the far left will never accept him, and he does not interview or speak well. His record as Governor is not very good. I suspect it will be someone like Eric Holder or Jeh Johnson.
- Bill, you always say to check sources and facts. Besides referencing your podcast, how do I know which "fact checking" sites are trustworthy? What do you suggest as the smartest way to check all the information coming at us daily? Thank you for keeping us informed!
Word of the Day: Poltroon |
