Thursday, June 13, 2024

6/13 WAKE-UP CALL: DOJ's Garland In Contempt


House lawmakers voted to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt. Republican leaders advanced two resolutions against Garland for declining to comply with a subpoena demanding recordings of President Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur over his handling of classified documents. The vote was 216 to 207, largely along party lines. GOP leaders say the tapes are important to their impeachment investigation into the Biden family’s finances, which has lost steam in recent months, while some Democrats say Republicans only want the audio for election campaign ads. Garland released a transcript of Biden’s interview with Hur, but he said sharing the audio would chill witness cooperation in future investigations. At Garland’s request, Biden last month asserted executive privilege over the records, further blocking their release. 


The House vote is largely symbolic, as it would refer the matter to the Justice Department, which would most likely decline to prosecute its own leader.

➤HAMAS TOUGHENS POSITION: Hamas has toughened its position on a U.S.-backed Gaza cease-fire proposal with Israel. The group’s leaders have told Arab mediators that they want Israeli forces to withdraw from territory alongside Egypt by the end of the first week after a deal is signed, and to completely withdraw from Gaza and announce a permanent cease-fire before the group releases additional hostages in a second phase. Hamas added those demands after the Israeli military rescued four hostages in an operation on Saturday that resulted in scores of Palestinian casualties. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the U.S. is now consulting with other proponents of the peace plan over what to do about the new demands.

➤HAMAS LEADER..CIVILIAN DEATHS ARE 'SACRIFICES': In dozens of messages that Yahya Sinwar has transmitted to cease-fire negotiators, Hamas compatriots outside Gaza and others, he’s shown a cold disregard for human life and made clear he believes Israel has more to lose from the war than Hamas. In one message to Hamas leaders in Doha, Sinwar cited civilian losses in national-liberation conflicts in places such as Algeria, where hundreds of thousands of people died fighting for independence from France, saying, “these are necessary sacrifices.” His ultimate goal appears to be to win a permanent cease-fire that allows Hamas to declare a historic victory by outlasting Israel and claim leadership of the Palestinian national cause. 

➤HUNTER EXPECTED TO USE 2A DURING APPEAL: Hunter Biden’s conviction on federal gun charges Tuesday ignited a feverish debate, including among conservatives, over the constitutionality of the law he was found guilty of violating. Thanks to a 2022 Supreme Court ruling, courts are taking a new look at the federal government’s main gun control law that bars felons, illegal immigrants, dishonorably discharged veterans, fugitives and unlawful drug users, among others, from possessing a firearm. Hunter Biden’s attorneys raised the issue to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before the trial and were told they would have to wait for a final judgment from the trial court. 


➤ANTI-WOKENESS TIED TO DEFENSE BILL: House Republicans tee up anti-woke amendments to defense bill.  The Republican amendments getting votes include one from Rep. Beth Van Duyne of Texas to repeal a 2022 Pentagon memorandum that authorized paid leave and reimbursement of travel costs for service members seeking abortions. Another, from Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, would ban military health plans from covering hormone treatments for transgender individuals or sex reassignment surgeries. Other Republican amendments granted votes would ban drag shows, “radical gender ideology or pornographic material,” and promotion of critical race theory.

➤BIDEN SEEKS TO BAN MEDICAL DEBT FROM CREDIT REPORTS: In a sweeping change that could improve millions of Americans' ability to own a home or buy a car, the Biden administration on Tuesday proposed a rule to ban medical debt from credit reports. The rule, announced by Vice President Kamala Harris and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra, comes as President Joe Biden beefs up his efforts to persuade Americans his administration is lowering costs, a chief concern for voters in the upcoming election.

➤MUSK ACCUSED:  Multiple women at SpaceX allege Elon Musk engaged in inappropriate behavior and relationships. Several female employees have told friends, family or the company itself that Musk showed them an unusual amount of attention or pursued them. The billionaire founder had sex with an employee and a former intern, allegedly exposed himself to a SpaceX flight attendant, and asked a woman at his company to have his babies. Former executives and employees say a high-level group around Musk fails to apply his company’s own rules to the CEO, contributing to a culture of sexism and harassment. Musk didn’t reply to requests for comment. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, said the WSJ’s reporting doesn’t reflect the company’s culture and disputed the “untruths, mischaracterizations, and revisionist history” in the article.

⚭FEW BIDEN SUPPORTERS THINK MARRIAGE IS GOOD: Only 19% of Biden voters say society benefits from marriage, having children . . . Very few supporters of President Joe Biden believe prioritizing marriage and having children is beneficial for society, polling from the Pew Research Center found. Only 19 percent of Biden voters say that “society is better off if people make marriage and having children a priority,” compared to 59 percent of former President Donald Trump supporters and 39 percent of registered voters overall. The results come amid a singleness and loneliness epidemic among young people and as the United States continues to experience the lowest birth rate in a century. 

🚨MOST POLITICALLY INCORRECT SHERIFF CALLS INMATES 'SCUM': Brevard County, FL Sheriff Wayne Ivey said he was at a national law enforcement conference when he was instructed to call people who are locked up "clients" instead of "inmates" to be more sensitive. "I looked at him like he had two heads because they are inmates, they're dirtbags, they're criminals. They're in jail for a reason," he said. "If you're a criminal, you're an idiot. That's just the best way I can put it. Nobody twisted your arm and told you to go break the law. You made that decision. You made that choice. So I don't have remorse for you."

➤ACCIDENT...FETTERMAN AT FAULT:  Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was speeding and "at fault" for the car accident that landed him, his wife and another driver in the hospital Sunday, according to a police report. What happened? Fetterman, driving a Chevrolet Traverse, passed a witness on I-70 in northwest Maryland "at a high rate of speed, well over the posted speed limit" before rear-ending a Chevrolet Impala around 7:45 a.m., the report said. The speed limit was 70 mph. Neither Fetterman nor the other driver was tested for alcohol or substance use, and no citations were given. The accident is being investigated, according to Maryland State Police.


⚾YANKEES..4 STRAIGHT:  Jose Trevino, Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres each homered as the visiting New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals 11-5 on Wednesday for their fourth straight win. The Yankees quickly loaded the bases against Royals opener Dan Altavilla with two singles and a walk. With one out, Alex Verdugo smacked a single past first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, scoring two. Anthony Rizzo hit a sacrifice fly and Trevino followed with a three-run homer into the left field bullpen as New York took a 6-0 lead before the Royals came to bat.

⚾RED SOX STORM BACK:  Enmanuel Valdez and David Hamilton each drove in two runs as the Boston Red Sox stormed back for an 8-6 win over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday in the second game of a three-game series. 

The Red Sox totaled 13 hits and climbed out from a 4-0 deficit by scoring in each of the three middle innings, highlighted by a five-run fifth. Jarren Duran went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run, while Rafael Devers (triple), Hamilton (home run) and Ceddanne Rafaela each added two hits to help Boston even the series.

Mariners Have Won 13 of last 17 Games
⚾MLB SCORES:

  • Yankees 11 Royals 5
  • Red Sox 8 Phillies 6
  • Cubs 4 Rays 3
  • Rangers 3 Dodgers 2
  • Mariners 2 White Sox 1
  • Angels 8 D-Backs 3
  • Cardinals 4 Pirates 2
  • Reds 4 Guardians 2
  • Mets 10 Marlins 4
  • Nationals 7 Tigers 5
  • Orioles 4 Braves 2
  • Padres 5 Athletics 4
  • Giants 5 Astros 3
  • Brewers 5 Blue Jays 4
  • Twins 17 Rockies 9

🏀NBA SCORES:

  • Celtics 106 Mavericks 99

🠊The Celtics took control of the Finals Wednesday with a 106-99 victory for a 3-0 series lead. They are one victory from their first championship since 2008 and their 18th overall, which would break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for most titles in NBA history. Game 4 is Friday in Dallas (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

☔FLORIDA SOAKED: The National Weather Service warned "life-threatening flooding" was drenching South Florida Wednesday evening as the onslaught shut down a swath of critical I-95 by Fort Lauderdale.  "High water vehicles are deployed strategically around the city and ready to respond as needed," Fort Lauderdale officials said in a post on X. "Avoid driving if possible. Never drive through high water." 

The deluge has caused hundreds of flights bound to and from South Florida airports to be grounded.153 flights leaving Miami International were canceled, according to FlightAware, a plane tracking website; 149 flights headed for Fort Lauderdale International were canceled, equivalent to 34% of arrivals; and hundreds of flights were delayed out of the two airports.

➤THURSDAY'S WEATHER:





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