A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
Why I Oughta…!
Fox News host Tucker Carlson (a champion of the anti–elites) is reportedly Big Mad that an unnamed source told the Daily Beast that Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) hired Carlson’s son, Buckley Carlson, as one of his staffers because the Indiana congressman wanted to please the GOP establishment and therefore boost his chances of becoming House majority whip if Republicans take back the chamber.
- On Friday, Carlson called National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), who’s competing with Banks over the coveted leadership slot, and demanded that he find out which staff member made that comment, according to Axios.
- The quote about Banks that reportedly infuriated Carlson: “Deep down, he dies to be liked by the Establishment. He hires Tucker Carlson’s son, a 24-year-old kid, to be his communications director.”
- Holding a metaphorical flashlight under his face, Carlson reportedly threatened to blame Emmer himself for the quote if the congressman didn’t tattle on the staffer.
- The Fox News star reportedly still made it clear he now had beef with Emmer during the call even though the Republican tried to distance himself from the remark.
- The Daily Beast didn’t say the source was a staffer, only a “GOP strategist.”
Graham Turns To SCOTUS For Rescue
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) filed a motion on Friday asking the Supreme Court to block the Fulton County district attorney’s subpoena for his testimony in her Trump election interference probe.
- This was his next move after a panel of judges on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered him to testify the day before.
- Graham’s running out of options to avoid testifying on his damning alleged conversation with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) about throwing out ballots in the 2020 election.
Trump Org Criminal Trial Kicks Off Today
Today is the first day of the trial in the New York district attorney’s criminal case against the Trump Organization for tax fraud and other charges.
- The case focuses on the Trump Organization’s years-long tax evasion scheme in which employees would be paid in “perks,” like luxury cars and apartment rent, instead of actual salaries that would require the company to pay payroll taxes.
- Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s chief financial officer, has agreed to testify after pleading guilty to participating in the scheme.
- Trump himself hasn’t been indicted in the case.
Biden Admin Presses On With Student Debt Forgiveness Plan In Face Of Court Order
The Biden administration is urging eligible borrowers to keep applying for student loan forgiveness after an appeals court temporarily blocked the program in six GOP states’ joint lawsuit against it on Friday (you can apply for forgiveness here).
- The court’s ruling only prevents the administration from erasing the debt; it doesn’t halt the application process.
- The Education Department is “moving full speed ahead with preparations for the lawful implementation” of the plan, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona declared in a USA Today op-ed on Saturday.
Alex Jones Wants Do-Over Trial After $1B Verdict
Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones requested a new trial in Connecticut on Friday to scrub the eye-popping damages ($965 million, to be specific) he was ordered to pay out to the Sandy Hook families in their defamation lawsuit against him.
- Jones’ lawyers complained in the filing that their client’s trial was unfair and that the damages he has to pay “exceeds any rational relationship to the evidence offered at trial.”
- His lawyers described the proceedings as a “memorial service, not a trial.” During that so-called “memorial,” Jones ranted that he was “done saying I’m sorry” about repeatedly lying about the Sandy Hook massacre.
Boris Johnson Drops PM Comeback Attempt
Disgraced ex-U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that he won’t try to win back his old job after Liz Truss’ resignation.
- Johnson’s decision gives ex-treasury chief Rishi Sunak a major boost over the only other candidate, Penny Mordaunt.
- The Tories aim to install a new prime minister within the week. That’s three prime ministers this year.
Five States With Slavery On The Ballot
Alabama, Louisiana, Vermont, Oregon and Tennessee will vote in November to remove language in their state constitutions that allows those convicted of a crime to be punished with slavery and indentured servitude.
- Colorado, Nebraska and Utah have already passed similar laws scrubbing slavery from the books–a trend that didn’t start until 2018.
- Keep in mind that the removals won’t abolish the forced labor system in U.S. prisons in which prisoners are required to work for just 52 cents per hour on average nationally (and in some states, nothing at all).
Must Read
“Right-wing roadshow promotes Christian nationalism before midterms” – The Washington Post
Gazing Into The Abyss
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Who’s a good mine sniffing dog? 236 mines found.
Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones requested a new trial in Connecticut on Friday to scrub the eye-popping damages ($965 million, to be specific) he was ordered to pay out to the Sandy Hook families in their defamation lawsuit against him.
If only…
OT, but recently I have been musing about the ‘Axis of misogyny’. The Chinese Communist Party surprised observers by appointing no women to the Politburo (The only female member retired…). Most of America’s autocratic geopolitical opponents are ruled by countries with no women in positions of power: China, Russia, Iran, (Saudi Arabia?). If I am correct, North Korea actually has 2 women in postions of power: Kim Jong Un’s sister and a member of the foreign service.
How a conviction in Trump Org’s upcoming trial could bar Trump from federal contracts, even for Secret Service (msn.com)
Conviction could prompt the government to bar the Trump Organization from doing business as a federal contractor, including cutting off the spigot of Trump’s lucrative — and critics say exorbitant — billing of Secret Service agents who stay at his properties while protecting the former president and his family.
Maybe this is a good thing, but I found myself reading the MM and, when I got to the end, I realized I didn’t care about any of the stories reported. Not sure if I felt them inconsequential, more of the same or just not relevant. Maybe that’s a good thing - the world is still spinning.