Jim Acosta: Trump advisers are trying to talk ‘insane’ Trump ‘off the ledge’

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On Thursday’s edition of CNN’s “OutFront,” correspondent Jim Acosta gave new details about former President Donald Trump’s delusion that he could be “reinstated” as president later in the year.

“How seriously is Trump believing this insane theory?” asked anchor Erin Burnett.

“It’s insane and very disturbing, Erin, but he believes it,” said Acosta. “He thinks that there is some chance that he could somehow be reinstated as president, somehow this year. And what he’s been doing over the last several weeks is reaching out to advisers and allies, and they basically have been trying to talk him off the ledge, Erin, but Trump has been asking, I’m told by one source, what do you think of this theory? And what this one adviser told me is that he’s been told it’s not true.” Continue reading.

Here’s What We Know (And Don’t Know) About Long COVID

While most individuals sickened by COVID-19 will recover, other ‘long-haulers’ may still suffer from symptoms months after their infection.

Even as more people get vaccinated and the U.S. inches back toward normalcy, long COVID isn’t going away anytime soon. The post-COVID condition, recognized by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is defined by a wide-range of symptoms of illness weeks or months after an initial coronavirus infection. In the past year, research has grown in this area and patients with long COVID have formed support groups and lobbied on Capitol Hill for answers and funding for more research.

Here’s what to know:

What is long COVID? 

Long COVID is a condition that occurs when individuals sickened by COVID-19 don’t recover fully after a few weeks or manage to recover, only to have symptoms reappear weeks or months later. It can affect anyone who has had COVID, even if they had mild or no symptoms. Continue reading.

Pence: Trump and I may never ‘see eye to eye’ on events of Jan. 6

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Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday offered his most extensive comments to date on the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, calling it a “dark” and “tragic” day in history, but accused Democrats of using the events that day to divide the country.

Pence, in a speech in Hillsborough County, N.H., acknowledged he and former President Trump may never agree on what transpired that day, a nod to Trump’s defense of the rioters at the Capitol.

But Pence called for the nation to move on from the attack on the Capitol that left multiple people dead as protesters halted the certification of President Biden‘s electoral victory. Continue reading.

‘Sick and twisted excuse for a human being’: Wisconsin paper slams Ron Johnson for defending Jan. 6 insurrectionists

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Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin not only voted against a bill calling for a commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection — he has also downplayed the violence that occurred that day, insisting that the insurrectionists did not frighten him and claiming that the riot was mostly a “peaceful protest.” The Cap Times, based in Wisconsin’s state capitol of Madison, slams the far-right GOP senator in a blistering editorial published on June 2 — describing his actions as those of a “sick and twisted excuse for a human being.”

Gladys Sicknick, mother of Brian Sicknick — a Capitol Police Officer who died following the violence of January 6 — tried to convince Johnson and other Senate Republicans that a January 6 commission was badly needed. But Johnson was unmoved.

“Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson met last week with the mother of fallen U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died on the day that former President Trump incited an insurrectionist mob to attack the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election,” the Cap Times’ editorial board explains. “She did so despite the fact that Johnson has declared that he was not frightened by the attack on the Capitol because the seditionists were people who ‘truly respect law enforcement.’ Gladys Sicknick wanted to explain to Johnson that what happened on the day her son died was not, as the senator continues to claim, a ‘peaceful protest.'” Continue reading.

‘Bad news for Matt Gaetz’: Former prosecutor says obstruction probe could bring pro-Trump congressman down

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On CNN Thursday, former federal prosecutor Elie Honig explained the significance of the new obstruction of justice investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who is facing allegations he worked with an indicted former tax official in Seminole County to transport a minor over state lines for sex.

“It’s a big deal if there was obstruction here, because they can use that to show a consciousness of guilt, right?” asked anchor Poppy Harlow.

“Yeah, Poppy, this is bad news for Matt Gaetz on two levels, really,” said Honig. “First of all, it’s a federal crime, and a serious one, to obstruct justice. People get charged with obstruction of justice all the time and go to jail for obstruction of justice. Obstruction enables prosecutors to argue to a jury what we call ‘consciousness of guilt,’ meaning the really simple logical idea that you don’t obstruct justice unless you have a reason. You don’t try to get people to change or alter their testimony unless there’s something that you’re trying to hide. That can be a really powerful argument.” Continue reading.

Rep. Patty Acomb (HD44B) Update: June 3, 2021

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Dear Neighbors, 

I hope the beginning of summer is treating you well and that you’ve had a chance to enjoy some of the great activities our community has to offer. I was able to stop by a pie sale and concert at Plymouth at the Hilde this afternoon!  

Rep. Acomb at Plymouth at the Hilde
Continue reading “Rep. Patty Acomb (HD44B) Update: June 3, 2021”

Utah reporter says politics are driving Mormons now — not their faith

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For many Christians, service is a key tenet of their faith. Acts of good works and service to the church are ways for some to embody the teachings of Jesus Christ. But one Utah reporter thinks that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has turned toward politics instead of toward God.

Writing for The Salt Lake City Tribune Thursday, Robert Gehrke explained that members of the church are near the top, with 46 percent nationwide who believe the right-wing conspiracy theories behind the “Big Lie.” 

“In Utah, it turns out, the numbers are almost exactly the same, according to a recent Y2 Analytics poll that found 46.5 percent of LDS voters in Utah believe that the election was rife with fraud and the outcome is illegitimate, compared to about a third of non-members,” wrote Gehrke. “And while it might be tempting to assume there is some correlation between religion and doubting the election outcome, it takes a back seat to partisan identity when it comes to buying into what has been dubbed Trump’s ‘Big Lie.'” Continue reading.

FBI investigating Postmaster General DeJoy over campaign fundraising activity

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The FBI is investigating Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over campaign fundraising activity involving his former business, a spokesman for DeJoy confirmed to the Washington Post.

Why it matters: DeJoy, a major donor to former President Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee, has seen his tenure plagued by controversy since his appointment in May 2020. 

The state of play: Prosecutors have subpoenaed DeJoy for information regarding political contributions and his company’s activities, the Post reports. Continue reading.

Publicly, she organizes MAGA truck caravans in California — but her wedding photo is on a Nazi Telegram channel

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Since June 2020, the Placer County For Trump Facebook group has organized truck caravans to support Donald Trump in the Sierra Nevada foothills northeast of Sacramento, and the demonstrations have continued beyond the failed Jan. 6 insurrection and Jan. 20 inauguration of President Biden.

The truck caravans and other events, including a March 21 “MAGA Wedding,” have provided a welcoming community for Trump loyalists to rub shoulders with Proud Boys — the nationalist street gang whose members face conspiracy charges in the Capitol siege — while also nurturing relationships between the party base and leadership. The private Facebook group for Placer County For Trump has attracted a robust 4,600 members, drawing energy from a steady run of events, most recently a Memorial Weekend parade from Rocklin, in Placer County, to the state capitol.

Chelsea Knight, one of seven admins for the Placer County For Trump Facebook group and one of the group’s most ardent promoters, is also linked to a channel on the social-media platform Telegram that aggressively pushes Nazi propaganda. The “Mr. and Mrs. Knight” channel on Telegram uses a profile photo of Chelsea Knight and her husband, Victor, that is modified so that both have laser eyes while substituting a backdrop with a full moon and barren mountain-scape. The “Info” field for the channel includes the text “14 things and 88 more,” utilizing two numbers that are significant in the Nazi belief system. “14” references the “Fourteen Words,” a distillation of white supremacist ideology that was coined by the late David Lane while he was serving a prison system for his role in the murder of Jewish talk radio host Alan Berg. “88” is a numerical code for “Heil Hitler,” substituting “88” for “HH” as the eighth letter of the alphabet. “Victorious Knight” and “Mrs. Knight” are the admins of the “Mr. and Mrs. Knight” channel. Beyond the similarities between “Victorious” and “Victor,” the username for “Mrs. Knight” is @Chelsea_Jo_Knight, matching the name of the Placer County For Trump organizer. Continue reading.