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Thursday, August 18, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Pence Tells GOP To Stop Bashing FBI


Former Vice President Mike Pence called on Republicans yesterday to stop blasting the FBI over the search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home last week, and also said he, quote, "would consider" testifying before the House Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Speaking at a breakfast gathering for business leaders at New Hampshire's St. Anselm College, Pence said the Justice Department and Attorney General Merrick Garland should provide more information about what led to the search, and that he was troubled by what he claimed is the politicization of the FBI. But he also said to fellow Republicans, "The Republican Party is the party of law and order. . . . these attacks on the FBI must stop. Calls to defund the FBI are just as wrong as calls to defund the police."

Meanwhile, Pence also addressed the possibility of testifying before the House January 6th committee, saying, "If there was an invitation to participate, I would consider it," while also saying, "It would be unprecedented in history for a vice president to be summoned to testify on Capitol Hill."

➤GIULIANI APPEARS BEFORE ATLANTA GRAND JURY IN 2020 ELECTION PROBE: Rudy Giuliani appeared before a special grand jury in Atlanta yesterday for several hours that is investigating attempts by former President Donald Trump and allies to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia. The former New York City mayor and Trump attorney is a target of the probe. Although grand jury proceedings are secret, witnesses aren't banned from discussing it, but Giuliani said he didn't plan to talk about his testimony.

➤10 KILLED, INCLUDING PROMINENT CLERIC, IN MOSQUE BOMBING IN AFGHAN CAPITAL: At least 10 people were killed, including a prominent cleric, in a bombing at a mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Wednesday during evening prayers. At least 27 others were wounded. AP cited an eyewitness as saying a suicide bomber carried out the attack at the Siddiquiya Mosque. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State group's local affiliate has increased attacks targeting the Taliban and civilians since the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan last year as U.S. and NATO troops completed their withdrawal from the country.

➤RUSHDIE'S ALLEGED ATTACKER SAYS DIDN'T THINK AUTHOR WOULD SURVIVE: The 24-year-old New Jersey man who allegedly attacked Salman Rushdie in a stabbing last week told the New York Post in a jailhouse interview Wednesday that he didn't think the author would survive. Hadi Matar said, "When I heard he survived, I was surprised, I guess." Matar wouldn't say if he was inspired by late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issuing a 1989 fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death over his 1988 book, The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims consider blasphemous. He said, "I respect the ayatollah. I think he’s a great person. That’s as far as I will say about that." Matar also said he's only read "a couple pages" of the controversial novel. He said of Rushdie, "I don’t like the person. I don’t think he’s a very good person. . . . He’s someone who attacked Islam, he attacked their beliefs, the belief systems." Matar has pled not guilty fo attempted murder and assault charges. Rushdie suffered injuries to his liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, according to his agent.


Rochelle Walensky
➤CITING BOTCHED PANDEMIC RESPONSE, CDC DIRECTOR CALLS FOR RESET: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced an overhaul of the agency yesterday, citing missteps in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic and saying the organization need to be more nimble in response to health threats. Walensky told AP, "It’s not lost on me that we fell short in many ways" in responding to the coronavirus. The planned changes, which include internal staffing moves and steps to speed up data releases, are coming after an in-depth review of the CDC Walensky called for in April.

➤FIRST LADY FEELING 'A BIT BETTER,' CONTINUES TO ISOLATE WITH COVID: Jill Biden's communications director Elizabeth Alexander told CNN yesterday that the first lady was feeling, quote, "a bit better" as she continues to isolate after testing positive for Covid-19 on Monday. Alexander said Biden, who is fully vaccinated and double boosted and is taking the anti-viral drug Paxlovid, is still experiencing "cold-like symptoms." She is isolating at a South Carolina residence where she, President Biden and several family members had been vacationing since last week, and will remain there until she has two consecutive negative Covid tests. The president, who recently got over his own bout with Covid, is expected to remain at the family's home in Delaware for the next few days.


 ➤BIG PHARMACY CHAINS FORCED TO PAY FOR ROLE IN OPIOID CRISIS: Three big pharmacy chains have been ordered to pay $650.5 million to two Ohio counties for their role in feeding the opioid epidemic there. CVS, Walgreens and Walmart were ordered to pay Lake County and Trumbull County for ignoring clear signs that prescription painkillers were being abused. The ruling by a federal judge in Cleveland is the first to set a dollar number on the damage that some pharmacies caused by failing to monitor opioid prescriptions. A Walgreens attorney told Bloomberg News that the blame is being misplaced and the company will appeal.


➤WHAT’S NEXT FOR LIZ CHENEY? Liz Cheney lost the Republican primary for Wyoming’s sole House seat by a landslide, but she’s already moving on to position herself nationally as the Republican anti-Trump. Cheney said she hopes to build a bipartisan coalition dedicated to making sure that Donald Trump never holds office again. She told NBC News yesterday morning that she is considering running for president. She also set up a political action committee to raise funds for her future political activities.

 
➤GM RECALLS SUVS TO FIX SEAT BELTS: General Motors is recalling nearly half a million of its SUVs to correct a possible problem with the third-row seatbelts. The company said the seatbelts might not have been properly riveted, increasing the chance of injury to passengers in a crash. The recalled vehicles are 2021 and 2022 model Cadillac Escalades, Chevrolet Suburbans, Chevrolet Tahoes and GMC Yukons, all with a third row of seats.

🏀LEBRON AGREES TO TWO-YEAR, $97.1 MILLION EXTENSION WITH LAKERS: LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the L.A. Lakers, according to media reports yesterday. The 37-year-old James had been entering the final season of his contract, and the deal eliminates concern that he could enter free agency next summer. The extension makes the NBA superstar the highest-earning player in league history with $532 million in career guaranteed money, surpassing Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, according to ESPN.


🏈CHARGERS MAKES JAMES HIGHEST-PAID SAFETY WITH FOUR-YEAR EXTENSION: The Los Angeles Chargers signed Derwin James to a four-year, $76.5 million contract extension yesterday, making him the highest-paid safety in the NFL. James was the 17th overall pick in the 2018 draft.

⚾TOP METS PROSPECT BATY HITS HOMER IN FIRST MAJOR LEAGE AT-BAT: Top New York Mets prospect Brett Baty hit a home run in his first major league at-bat last night. The 22-year-old third baseman hit a two-run homer in the second inning against the Braves in Atlanta. Baty was called up to fill in for Eduardo Escobar, who went on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique. The Mets went on to win the game 9-7.

 
🏈BENGALS QB BURROW HAD RUPTURED APPENDIX: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow revealed Wednesday that his didn't have a routine appendectomy in late July, but that he had the surgery after his appendix ruptured, which is more serious. Burrow said in his first news conference since the surgery, "It wasn't normal appendicitis that you hear about. I didn't really feel much. Just getting checked out and had some discomfort so we thought we'd get it checked out. Turns out I had it. So we had to get it fixed." The plan is to get Burrow ready for the start of the regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 11th, and he said yesterday that he's not expecting to play in the preseason.

⚾LITTLE LEAGUE PLAYER AWAKE, TALKING AFTER SURGERY FOLLOWING HEAD INJURY: A 12-year-old Little League player whose team is playing in the Little League World Series was awake and talking yesterday after undergoing surgery for a severe head injury he suffered when he fell off the top bunk while sleeping at the LLWS dorm complex Monday. Easton Oliverson (left), who plays for the Snow Canyon team from Santa Clara, Utah, was no longer sedated as of yesterday and was communicating with his family and doctors. L.A. Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts sent Oliverson a video offering well wishes, which Oliverson was able to watch yesterday.






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