Andy Borowitz: “In a public appeal for help, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has asked if ‘anyone has seen’ a briefcase he accidentally left at a bar late last week.”
Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 187
Bad Instincts
Trial Balloon · Ep. 187: Bad Instincts
A Few Thoughts for the End of the Week
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Trump Robocalls Against Raffensperger In Georgia
Donald Trump has a new and rambling robocall for Rep. Jody Hice (R) in the race for Georgia Secretary of State, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
The former president “goes on for more than a minute and a half, talking about himself, repeating disproven election conspiracies, and floating a new one.”
A sampling: “Hello, this is President Donald J. Trump, hopefully your all time favorite president of all time Georgia has one of the worst secretary of states in America, and I mean the worst, RINO Brad Raffensperger.”
Bolsonaro Lays the Groundwork to Challenge Election
“Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said that his political party will seek to audit the electronic voting system before the upcoming election amid concerns he is actively sowing distrust in its eventual results,” the AP reports.
Boris Johnson Admits ‘Tough Night’ for Tories
Boris Johnson has admitted the Tories suffered a “tough night in some parts of the country” at the local elections after the Conservative Party lost control of three key London councils, the Telegraph reports.
Giuliani Backs Out of Interview with Select Committee
Rudy Giuliani backed out of an interview slated for Friday with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot after being told he couldn’t record it, CNN reports.
Job Growth Accelerated Last Month
“The U.S. economy added slightly more jobs than expected in April amid an increasingly tight labor market and despite surging inflation and fears of a growth slowdown,” CNBC reports.
“The unemployment rate was 3.6%, slightly higher than the estimate for 3.5%.”
Democrats Press Pelosi on Vote to Fund the Police
“In an effort to address rising crime rates, 19 mostly moderate House Democrats are urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi to hold a vote soon on bipartisan legislation that would increase funding for police departments across the country,” NBC News reports.
“The letter is the latest sign that Democrats, fighting to preserve their fragile majority this fall, are concerned about rising crime and the ‘defund the police’ messaging from progressives that contributed to the party’s loss of 13 House seats in the 2020 election.”
Trump Stays Mostly Silent on Abortion
“Today, former president Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Pennsylvania with celebrity doctor and GOP Senate hopeful Mehmet Oz,” the Washington Post reports.
“Among the things we’ll be watching: What, if anything, Trump has to say about abortion. Trump, who appointed three of the conservative Supreme Court justices who appear on the verge of overturning Roe v. Wade, has been largely silent on the subject.”
Politico: “The former president, never one to shy away from taking credit for accomplishments, real or imagined, has yet to crow about the majority draft opinion. And when asked about it in interviews, he steered clear of anything resembling a victory lap. Instead, he expressed displeasure that the draft leaked and sidestepped weighing in on the issue of abortion rights.”
USA Today: Republicans spent years attacking Roe v. Wade. Now they want to avoid discussing abortion.
Pelosi Sets Minimum Pay for House Staffers
“Speaker Nancy Pelosi will announce this morning that she’s setting a minimum salary for House staffers, a gigantic boon for a workforce that historically has been underpaid and overworked,” Punchbowl News reports.
“The new minimum annual salary for staffers is $45,000. It goes into effect on Sept. 1.”
J.D. Vance Pulls the Plug on Book About Religion
A second book by Hillbilly Elegy author and U.S. Senate candidate JD Vance that had been under contract with Harper has been called off, the AP reports.
Leaking at CNN
Chris Licht, the new head of CNN, asked employees not to leak internal meetings, which was promptly leaked to the New York Times.
The ‘Worst Boss’ on Capitol Hill
“Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) topped a nonpartisan group’s ‘Worst Bosses’ list last year, winning the dubious title of most staff turnover in the House. Her retention record is only getting worse,” Politico reports.
“The frequent departures stem from an allegedly unhealthy work environment, according to interviews with eight people, including more than a half-dozen former staffers as well as Republicans familiar with her office dynamics who were granted anonymity to speak candidly. They described Spartz as an unpredictable boss whose temper can rocket from tepid to boiling.”
15 States Battle to Go First In 2024 Democratic Primary
“More than a dozen states and at least one territory are applying to be among the first to vote for Democrats’ next presidential nominee — with the biggest pile-up coming out of the Midwest, where states are jockeying to take Iowa’s long-held early spot,” Politico reports.
“Fifteen state parties and counting, plus Puerto Rico, have submitted letters of intent to the Democratic National Committee ahead of a Friday deadline to be considered as a 2024 early state.”
GOP Senators Want TV Rating for LGBTQ Characters
“A group of Republican senators want a new TV rating created so parents can block their children from watching shows with LGBTQ characters,” the New York Post reports.
From their letter: “In recent years, concerning topics of a sexual nature have become aggressively politicized and promoted in children’s programming, including irreversible and harmful experimental treatments for mental disorders like gender dysphoria.”
GOP Candidate Wins Primary from Jail
Andrew Wilhoite (R) won a Republican primary in Indiana on Tuesday night after being arrested and jailed in the murder of his wife, Nikki Wilhoite, who had just finished her last round of chemotherapy, the Kansas City Star reports.
Trump Adviser Wanted 250,000 Troops at the Border
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper told 60 Minutes that he personally killed a “ridiculous” plan from Trump White House adviser Stephen Miller to deploy 250,000 troops to the southern border as a migrant caravan approached.
Said Esper: “I was just flabbergasted.”
GOP Lawmaker Hired Man Who Lured Boy for Sex
Rep. Mary Miller’s (R-IL) campaign could not explain why a man convicted of luring a young boy for sex is so actively involved in her campaign to get re-elected, KSDK reports.
“Brad Graven enjoyed virtually unlimited access to Miller, served as her personal chauffeur at public events and raised money for her campaign. Miller trusted Graven with her family vehicle, which is adorned with campaign stickers and legislative license plates.”
