The good:
Judge Emmet Sullivan issues what one legal analyst described as a "powerful" order against Attorney General Todd Blanche that makes the release of the remaining Jeffrey Epstein files more likely.
Sullivan, the senior district judge in the District of Columbia, ruled last week that Blanche and the Department of Justice
failed to respond to a lawsuit filed by journalist Katie Phang
challenging the department's adherence to the Administrative Procedure
Act. Sullivan also set a deadline of Sept. 24 for Blanche to respond to
Phang's lawsuit, making it more likely that her other lawsuit seeking
the entirety of the Epstein files is "way closer" to a conclusion.
Phang argued on a new episode of "The Breakdown" with host Allison Gill that Sullivan effectively argued that he won't help Blanche "slow this roll" anymore.
"It's just another example of a nail in the coffin for Blanche when it comes to violating federal law," Phang said.
Sullivan also took aim at one of Blanche's more puzzling attempts to avoid releasing more Epstein files.
The
ruling concerned the DOJ's compliance with an order from the summer to
produce translated documents and other investigative materials related
to the Epstein files. Blanche claimed that Congress had amended the
Epstein Files Transparency Act in a way that prevented him from
releasing the files because the body did not respond to his assertion
that redacting the files was "too hard."
Sullivan ruled that Blanche's claims were "without merit," which is legalese for "that's dumb," according to Phang.
Phang
explained that Sullivan's order effectively forced Blanche to start
reviewing the documents and producing them, which he was supposed to
begin doing almost a year ago.
"You should be angry, as an American taxpayer, that they're spending money on this!" Phang said. (our emphasis)
We're angry about that and a whole lot more. But, we'll wait and see how this pans out. Never, ever underestimate the willingness of the Malignant Fascist's consigliere Blanche to frustrate justice in service to Epstein's bff.
The bad:
President Donald Trump is expect to tout the US peace efforts to
world leaders at the UN General Assembly next week, as the conflict with
Iran looms large in the backdrop.
Trump is expected to deliver remarks Tuesday and hold key meetings with leaders.
“We
expect the president will highlight how he has and his administration
have confronted complex problems head-on around the world,” U.S.
Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said.
(Ironic bullshit alert.)
Trump is expected to
highlight peace deals under his administration, issues “frankly
neglected by past administrations,” “the importance of ensuring that
Iran never has a nuclear weapon,” and U.S. accomplishments, according to
Waltz, “including in the Western Hemisphere, progress on the
president's 20-point peace plan in Gaza, and more.”
Iran is
expected to be a “key topic of conversation and diplomacy,” according to
senior U.S. officials, who note support form other countries in
condemning Iranian attacks against civilian infrastructure and shipping
and tout oil flows, economic pressure and the U.S.’ continued blockade.
It comes as Trump appears to consider his next moves in Iran, but
believes they want to amen a deal. Earlier in the week, Axios reported
Trump told the outlet he has a “big decision coming up. Do I want to go
in and annihilate them or do I not?”... (our emphasis)
The "peace President" is headed to the U.N. to boast about fantasy "accomplishments" and always-imminent "deals," generally parade around in his narcissistic bubble, and bring further humiliation upon our country, as he has done in the past. Joy.
The ugly:
U.S. President Donald Trump
is seeking to bring a major part of national funding for health
research under the control of his political appointees, Politico
reported on Saturday.
Trump
has directed his budget director, Russ Vought, to draft an executive
order to create a board that would decide which grants wou
The board would include NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and Vought, the
director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, and would
be required to reach unanimous decisions on grant awards, the report
said.ld be funded
by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the news outlet said, citing
two administration officials familiar with the meeting.
The proposed arrangement would give Vought a direct role in determining
how the health research agency distributes its
congressionally-appropriated money, the report added.
The Office of Management and
Budget, the White House and the Health and Human Services Department
that oversees the NIH did not immediately respond to a Reuters request
for comment outside regular business hours.
The
reported move comes amid mounting criticism of the US government’s
research funding cuts, undertaken last year to target federal spending
at major universities, resulting in the freezing or cancellation of
grants at numerous institutions.
The
Trump administration says these cuts are necessary to ensure the
government funds only solid science and to reverse years of misguided
priorities.
What could possibly go wrong with the MF's collection of crackpots, voodoo "scientists," and fascist axe-grinders deciding what NIH grants get funded or not? It's almost as if they want to Make America Sick Again.
