It's Wednesday morning, what do we know?
Troubles for Trump
What do we know?
The New York Times has obtained a tranche of previously unknown email correspondence between outside advisers, Trump campaign officials and close associates that provide new insight into the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election and subvert democracy. The emails detail plans by various bad actors working at Trump’s behest to create slates of what the parties themselves describe as ‘fake’ electors. The scheme’s intent was to throw the counting of electors on January 6th into doubt by submitting alternate slates from several key battleground states. The emails make clear the parties involved in the scheme were aware their efforts were illegal and unconstitutional but they intended to go ahead with them anyway. The emails also make clear that the individuals involved had the combined IQ of a turnip. It might all be comical if it weren’t an effort to overthrow the government
The Washington Post has confirmed that the Department of Justice is engaged in a criminal investigation of Donald Trump related to January 6th. According to The Post, prosecutors have been questioning witnesses before the grand jury about Trump and his associates' efforts to send fake slates of electors to Congress and throw the counting of votes into chaos (see above). Though it was publicly known that the DoJ was looking into the actions of Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman and several other Trump associates, this is the first indication that the criminal investigation is focused on Donald Trump himself. According to the report, prosecutors have been asking detailed questions about Trump’s involvement since at least this past April, well before the January 6th Committee hearing this month
Contrary to claims made by Trump, Mark Meadows, Sean Hannity and others in the right-wing media-sphere, Donald Trump never ordered 10,000 National Guardsmen to be made available on January 6th. The false claim has been repeated so often on Fox and elsewhere that it is now accepted as fact in some circles. But all doubt was removed today when the January 6th Committee released recorded testimony from Donald Trump’s former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, who testified under oath that he was never given any direction or order to deploy National Guard troops to protect The Capitol prior to January 6th
U.S intelligence officials are expressing concern about increased tensions with China over the status of Taiwan. A series of events that include the Chinese government’s draconian and domestically unpopular Zero Covid policy, increasingly bellicose rhetoric from Chinese government officials towards the U.S., aggressive posturing by the Chinese military in the Taiwan Strait, the war in Ukraine, a potential visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the upcoming Communist Party Congress, where Xi Xinping is expected to be elected for an unprecedented third term, have created a combustible atmosphere that some officials worry will culminate in a Chinese invasion of the island of 23 million
In related news, the “The Chips and Science Bill” as it is now known, passed a significant legislative hurdle on Tuesday when the Senate voted 64-34 on a motion to proceed. The motion’s tally indicated the bill is all but assured final passage. Though the bill is being heralded publicly as a scientific investment, it’s intent is strategic. Taiwan is the only country in the world that produces highly advanced semiconductors. In the event China chose to invade, the U.S. and its allies would lose access to chips critical to military infrastructure, as well as medical technologies and consumer goods. The no facilities equivalent to Taiwan’s exist domestically is a major national defense vulnerability and a threat to Western economies. The bill would fund the construction and research and development necessary to manufacture the cutting edge technology in the U.S.
What do we know in Ukraine?
Russian strikes targeted the Black Sea cities of Odessa and Mykolaiv on Tuesday, hitting private buildings and port infrastructure. The attacks occurred despite language in the recent agreement on Ukrainian grain exports forbidding attacks on both locations
European Union nations agreed Tuesday to reduce consumption of natural gas this coming winter, in anticipation of further cuts or a complete disruption of natural gas supplies from Russia to its European customers. Officials agreed to a draft that would reduce consumption of natural gas by 15% from August until March of 2023
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved a measure allowing injured Ukrainian troops to be treated at a Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, a U.S. military facility
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Brilliant as usual. Thank you.