PEDO BUN 30 June 21

Chicago Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Sharing Child Pornography

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/chicago-man-sentenced-more-15-years-sharing-child-pornography

McHenry Man Sentenced to Over Eleven Years in Prison for Transporting Child Pornography

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/pr/mchenry-man-sentenced-over-eleven-years-prison-transporting-child-pornography

Belle Plaine Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Accessing Child Pornography

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndia/pr/belle-plaine-man-sentenced-ten-years-federal-prison-accessing-child-pornography

Bridgeport Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/bridgeport-man-charged-child-exploitation-offenses-0

Judge sentences man studying abroad from China for possessing child pornography

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmo/pr/judge-sentences-man-studying-abroad-china-possessing-child-pornography

Obama: Worrisome that Majority of Republicans ‘Actually Believed’ Misinformation Trump Won in 2020

Former President Barack Obama said Wednesday in a video played on CNN’s “Early Start with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett” that it is worrisome that a strong majority of Republicans “actually believed” the misinformation that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election.

The video was of a Tuesday interview with the former president by moderator Lonnie Bunch, former secretary of the Smithsonian, for The American Library Association Annual Conference’s closing session.

Obama said, “To see not only a riot in the Capitol around what historically had been a routine process of certifying an election, but to know that one of our two major political parties, a strong majority of people in this party, actually believed in a falsehood about those election results, the degree to which misinformation is now disseminated at warp speed in coordinated ways that we haven’t seen before, and that the guardrails I thought were in place around many of our democratic institutions really depend on the two parties agreeing to those ground rules and that one of them right now doesn’t seem as committed to them as in previous generations, that worries me.”

He added, “And I think we should all be worried.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2021/06/30/obama-worrisome-that-majority-of-republicans-actually-believed-misinformation-trump-won-in-2020/

NYC Mayor De Blasio “Urgently” Calls on Residents to “Immediately” Reduce Electric Use to Avoid Blackouts Amid Heatwave

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio “urgently” called on New Yorkers to reduce electric use to avoid blackouts amid a sweltering heat wave.

“Our electric system is dealing with real strain right now because of the severity of heat we are experiencing today, after four days in a roll of intense heat,” de Blasio said. “LaGuardia temp 98 degrees has set a record, we have a real challenge on our hands, immediately, immediately reduce the use of electricity in your home or business, this is very serious stuff, we need to assure our electric supply is protected and avoid any disruption.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/06/nyc-mayor-de-blasio-urgently-calls-residents-immediately-reduce-electric-use-avoid-blackouts-amid-heatwave/

2 House Republicans Vote With Democrats to Create Select Committee to Investigate Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the creation of a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol incident in a vote that fell mainly along partisan lines.

Two Republicans joined all Democrats in creating the commission. They were Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), both frequent critics of former President Donald Trump.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), for months, has pushed for the creation of the commission, while House Republicans have rejected previous attempts to create such an investigative body and argued that Democrats are acting in a partisan manner.

“We cannot wait,” Pelosi said Wednesday on the floor. “We believe that Congress must in the spirit of bipartisanship and patriotism establish this commission. And it will be conducted with dignity with patriotism with respect for the American people, so that they can know the truth.”

Last month, Senate Republicans voted to block the creation of an outside commission that Pelosi had touted as bipartisan in nature.

Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), who voted to impeach Trump in January, helped broker the deal to create the previous commission but voted against the commission on Wednesday. Several other GOP representatives who backed Katko’s proposal earlier this year also voted against the select committee.

“Speaker Pelosi’s proposal to create a partisan committee of politicians to investigate the events of January 6th will not be viewed as credible by at least half of Americans, nor will it honestly look at her own failures in securing the U.S. Capitol on that day,” Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) said in a statement after the vote. “It’s not good enough, it won’t do the job and I am committed to exploring the truth. It’s what Southwest Washington deserves. I will oppose this partisan select committee and will not serve on it if asked.”

Cheney read a statement ahead of the vote and said Congress is obligated to investigate the incident, while again criticizing Trump. Several weeks ago, the Wyoming Republican lost her House leadership position and was replaced by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for the No. 3 Republican spot in the lower chamber.

“Since January 6th, the courage of my party’s leaders has faded. But the threat to our Republic has not. On an almost daily basis, Donald Trump repeats the same statements that provoked violence before,” Cheney said. “His attacks on our Constitution are accelerating. Our responsibility is to confront these threats, not appease and deflect.”

Trump has frequently denied he incited a group of people to breach the Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress was certifying the 2020 election results.

https://www.ntd.com/2-house-republicans-vote-with-democrats-to-create-select-committee-to-investigate-jan-6-capitol-breach_635592.html

Sheriff Briefs Trump on 300 Percent Increase in Migrant Deaths in One Texas County

A sheriff in South Texas told former President Donald Trump his county saw a 300 percent increase in the number of migrant deaths this month over last year. The Brooks County Sheriff told the former president that his deputies recovered 16 deceased migrants in June.

“We are 70 miles north of the river and have one of the busiest checkpoints there are in the southwest corridor,” Brooks County Sheriff Benny Martinez told President Trump during a briefing Weslaco, Texas, with Governor Greg Abbott. “In June 2020, we had four body recoveries. In June 2021, we had 16 bodies recovered — a 300 percent increase.”

Brooks County is located about 70 miles north of the Texas border with Mexico. There is a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint located on U.S. Highway 281 — right in the middle of Brooks County. Human smugglers drop off migrants south of the Falfurrias Checkpoint and try to march them around the checkpoint to other smugglers waiting north of the checkpoint.

When migrants cannot keep up, get injured, or suffer heat exhaustion or dehydration, the smugglers simply leave the migrants behind to die, Sheriff Martinez previously told Breitbart Texas.

Over four days, Brooks County deputies worked with Border Patrol agents to recover the bodies of seven bodies, Martinez told the former president.

“Brooks County has seen a 185 percent increase in operations,” the sheriff said regarding interactions with lost migrants and other human smuggling-related activities. He said they experienced a 110 percent increase in “gotaways” in the county and a 250 percent increase in smuggling cases. Finally, he reported a 238 percent increase in sexual assaults of migrants being smuggled.

“That’s another issue that we deal with sexual assault, rape cases that occur within the brush,” Sheriff Martinez said. The sheriff also reported significant property damage to ranches in Brooks County where smugglers cut down fences and destroy property as they move through the area. The damaged fences frequently lead to the release of cattle creating a danger to the public on the roadways in the county.

Martinez also said they are still seeing a lot of migrants that test positive for COVID-19 when apprehended in his county.

“COVID is still out there, very much alive,” Martinez told President Trump. “Okay, so all these getaways, all these other people are coming in that being tested. We don’t know which direction to go in going into the states. it’s going to harm the United States. It’s going to harm our country so we need to be careful.”

So are this year, Brooks County Deputies and Falfurrias Station Border Patrol agents recovered the bodies or skeletal remains of nearly 50 migrants. This compares to 34 deaths for the entire year of 2020.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2021/06/30/sheriff-briefs-trump-on-300-percent-increase-in-migrant-deaths-in-one-texas-county/

DHS Warns of White Supremacist-Connected Terrorism During Fourth of July Weekend – Admits There is No Specific Plot

A new Department of Homeland Security bulletin is warning that “violent extremists might seek to exploit easing COVID-19 restrictions, increased access to mass gatherings, and possible changes in levels of violence during the summer months to conduct attacks against a range of potential targets with little or no warning.”

The bulletin, obtained by ABC News, says there is no specific terrorist plot for the 4th of July, but noted that feds are seeing evidence of planning by radical white supremacists after monitoring online chatter

ABC News reported:

Federal authorities are deeply concerned about the possibility of domestic terror and violence, including mass shootings, as the Fourth of July holiday approaches and the summer season gets fully underway.

“In recent weeks, domestic violent extremists (DVEs) motivated by various violent ideologies have continued to advocate violence and plan attacks,” the bulletin said. “As of 16 June, racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist-white supremacists (RMVE-WSs) were sharing downloadable links to a publication discussing targeting mass gatherings, critical infrastructure, and law enforcement officers.”

While no specific plot has been identified for Independence Day, the intelligence brief ominously notes that federal officials are seeing evidence of planning by radicals — particularly white supremacists and violence-prone people.

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is focused on the nexus between violence, and extremist ideologies,” the DHS said in a statement to ABC News. “DHS is enhancing its ability to prevent acts of domestic terrorism inspired by disinformation, conspiracy theories, and false narratives spread through social media and other online platforms. DHS is committed to sharing information with our partners to ensure the safety and security of all communities across the country. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to local and state law enforcement, and the FBI.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/06/dhs-warns-white-supremacist-connected-terrorism-fourth-july-weekend-admits-no-specific-plot/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/06/dhs-warns-white-supremacist-connected-terrorism-fourth-july-weekend-admits-no-specific-plot/

Soros Hires Former Smartmatic Prez as CEO and Former Podesta CEO as Head of US Operations – Podesta Hires Former Soros Chief as President of Center for American Progress

In late December far-left billionaire globalist George Soros announced new leadership at his Open Society Foundation.

Former Obama official Patrick Gaspard was stepping down as president of the Open Society Foundation.

Lord Mark Malloch Brown, the former UN deputy secretary‐general and UK minister and president of Smartmatic voting systems, replaced Patrick Gaspard at the helm.

I applaud Patrick Gaspard’s leadership of the Open Society Foundations in a world beset by illiberalism. Mark Malloch-Brown will be Open Society’s new president. He is deeply familiar with its work and shares my vision of philanthropy. https://t.co/DdJk1z3Cq2

— George Soros (@georgesoros) December 4, 2020

Brown was formerly the vice-chairman of Soros’s Investment Funds and even the deputy secretary-general of the United Nations when he worked as chief of staff to Kofi Annan.

The Smartmatic owners, were denounced in June 2004 by the press for having received a US $200,000 equity investment from a Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (BRV) joint venture fund called FONCREI which was a Chavez organization. A Chavez campaign adviser was also placed on the board as well.

Smartmatic has links with Dominion Voting Systems, the scandalous company used to steal the election for Joe Biden this year.

Tom Perriello is currently executive director of Open Society-U.S. and is the former CEO of John Podesta’s Center for American Progress.

And now Patrick Gaspard, a far-left operative linked to Barack Obama, will take the reins at Center for American Progress after leaving the Open Society in December.

Democratic operative Patrick Gaspard will take the reins of a top Democratic think tank, stepping into the shoes of liberal firebrand Neera Tanden.

Center for American Progress founder and board member John Podesta, a longtime Clintonworld staple, announced Gaspard’s appointment to the post Tuesday.

A former Obama administration official, Gaspard led the George Soros-run Open Society Foundations for three years before stepping down at the end of 2020.

It appears these two globalist, anti-American think tanks are intrinsically connected at this point.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/06/soros-hires-former-smartmatic-prez-ceo-former-podesta-ceo-head-us-operations-podesta-hires-former-soros-chief-president-center-american-progress/

14 Missing Children, 17 Missing Adults Found In Kansas and Missouri, Officials Say

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A recent operation resulted in the rescue of 31 victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. Of the total, 14 were missing children with the youngest child being four years old and 17 were adults.

The operation took place June 17 -26, 2021 in Wichita, Kansas, Independence, Missouri and Kansas City, Missouri.

The enforcement operation resulted in the arrest of 82 people who will be charged with crimes related to soliciting prostitution, commercial sex trafficking, sodomy, narcotics violations, felony assault on a police officer, sex offender registry violations and outstanding warrants.

HSI Kansas City along with, HSI Wichita, Wichita Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Highway Patrol, Health and Human Services, United States Marshal’s Service, Platte County Sheriff’s Office, Independence Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hutchinson Police Department conducted the operation.

No further details were disclosed.

https://breaking911.com/breaking-14-missing-children-17-missing-adults-found-in-kansas-and-missouri-officials-say/

10 Women And Girls Rescued From The Sex Trade In California

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Fresno Police Department Vice Unit, and Fresno County District Attorney’s Investigators conducted a multi-day operation to combat child exploitation and human trafficking in the Fresno area, June 23. During the operation, 10 women and girls were rescued from the sex trade while 21 arrests were made for multiple child exploitation related charges including: contacting a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense, aiding prostitution, arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes and solicitation of acts of prostitution.

“HSI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to safeguard our local communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Tatum King, who oversees HSI operations in Northern California. “By working together, we will continue to identify these dangerous offenders and bring them to justice. Our combined efforts are vital to protecting young people from these heinous individuals.”

Operation Stolen Hearts focused on arresting human traffickers and the child predators seeking to pay for sex with minors. Undercover agents and detectives employed a variety of methods commonly used by human traffickers to contact individuals seeking to arrange sex with a minor. In support of the victims, agents and detectives coordinated with a local rescue group working with local, state, and federal law-enforcement agencies to provide hope, healing, and restoration to the survivors of human trafficking.

Two of the men arrested for arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes were found to be in possession of illegal firearms. In addition to state charges, the Eastern District of California United States Attorney’s Office may seek to file federal charges.

https://breaking911.com/breaking-10-women-and-girls-rescued-from-the-sex-trade-in-california/

Top Pentagon Official Placed on Leave Over Suspected Disclosure of Classified Information

US government officials have yet to provide a fuller picture surrounding the alleged disclosure of classified information, citing an ongoing investigation into the matter. It’s unclear how long it may take for details to be publicly released.

A high-ranking official in the US Department of Defense who has been overseeing the agency’s new cybersecurity efforts was recently placed on leave over allegations that the individual was involved in the disclosure of classified information, reports detailed on Tuesday.

Citing an obtained memorandum, Bloomberg News identified the official at the center of the suspected information leak as Katie Arrington, who served as the chief information security officer for the Pentagon’s acquisition and sustainment office.

The Bloomberg report details that Arrington was placed on administrative leave on May 11 after being informed of the security breach.

A memo from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment that was “made available” to the publication states that Arrington’s security clearance was being suspended as “a result of a reported Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified Information and subsequent removal of access by the National Security Agency.”

“If this preliminary decision becomes final, you will not be eligible for access to classified information … [or] … assignments to duties that have been designated national security sensitive,” the memo, which provides no details on the alleged information leak, reads.

Mark Zaid, Arrington’s legal representative, relayed to the outlet that his client will remain on leave for the duration of the department’s routine preliminary investigation into such claims. “She has neither been fired nor had her security clearance revoked,” he underscored.

However, in comments to The Hill, Zaid explained that the investigation “has been dragging on for weeks with little movement,” as the US intelligence agency has delayed providing Arrington with an explanation for “no reason”.

Zaid further acknowledged that the current circumstance is “causing harm” to his client, and is “denying her due process.” The lawyer described the agency’s behavior as “inexcusable.”

The biography listed by the Defense Department states that Arrington has over 15 years of cyber experience, and that her time at companies Booz Allen Hamilton, Centuria Corporation and Dispersive Networks granted her a “unique experience” in working alongside the US government at varying scales.

Prior to joining the Pentagon workforce in early 2019, Arrington took to the political field by serving in the South Carolina Legislature as a two-term Republican state representative. Arrington later lost her 2018 congressional seat when placed against former state Rep. Joe Cunningham.

https://sputniknews.com/military/202106301083278364-top-pentagon-official-placed-on-leave-over-suspected-disclosure-of-classified-information/

https://sputniknews.com/military/202106301083278364-top-pentagon-official-placed-on-leave-over-suspected-disclosure-of-classified-information/

U.S. passport applicants can now ‘self-select their gender’ without medical certification even if gender doesn’t match other documents

Applicants to U.S. passports will now be able to self-select their gender as “M” or “F” without medical certification, even if their gender doesn’t match other identity or citizenship documents.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the updated procedures for the issuance of U.S. Passports, as well as Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, would begin “most immediately.”

“The Department of State is committed to promoting the freedom, dignity, and equality of all people — including LGBTQI+ persons,” Blinken said in a news release, noting that Pres. Biden has taken a number of executive actions to protect LGBTQ rights in the U.S. and abroad since he took office earlier this year.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that the department will be taking further steps toward ensuring the fair treatment of LGBTQI+ U.S. citizens, regardless of their gender or sex, by beginning the process of updating our procedures for the issuance of U.S. Passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA),” he announced.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-passport-applicants-can-now-selfselect-their-gender-without-medical-certification-even-if-gender-doesnt-match-other-documents/ar-AALD3ep

Canadian First Nation Uncovers 182 Graves at Another Former Forced Assimilation School

The Lower Kootenay Band said on Wednesday that they have located the remains of 182 individuals at the site of a former Canadian forced assimilation school.

"In the ground search conducted by the community of Aqam, the findings revealed 182 human remains in unmarked graves", the Lower Kootenay Band said in a statement.

The remains were located at the site of the former St. Eugene’s Mission School in Cranbrook, British Columbia, which was operated by the Roman Catholic Church between 1912 and the 1970s, the statement said.

The discovery was made just a week after the Cowessess First Nation the Canadian province of Saskatchewan located 751 unmarked graves on the site of a former residential school. Prior to that, Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation announced that a deep scan of the Kamloops Indian Residential School site with ground-penetrating radar confirmed the discovery of 215 children’s remains, with some of the deceased being as young as three years old.

https://sputniknews.com/world/202106301083277211-canadian-first-nation-uncovers-182-graves-at-another-former-forced-assimilation-school/

Is he still president? CNN’s Jim Acosta BOOED after following Trump to Texas to ask about January 6

CNN’s former White House correspondent and anti-Trump resistance hero Jim Acosta took a break from his anchor duties to follow the ex-president to the US-Mexico border in a bid to trigger a testy exchange, but the stunt backfired.

Donald Trump visited the Rio Grande valley on Wednesday, at the invitation of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, touring the border wall he began building while in office – but which was halted by President Joe Biden immediately upon inauguration.

After Trump gave a speech at one point, Acosta shouted a question from the press area, asking Trump if he intended to “apologize” for the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. “Crowd of mostly GOP members and staff booed,” the CNN anchor later tweeted.

CNN's Jim Acosta asks Trump if he will apologize for the Jan 6 Capitol riot. The question is met with boos from the audience. pic.twitter.com/34afF5jhGB

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 30, 2021

The moment was a throwback to the Trump presidency, when Acosta made a habit of grandstanding at White House briefings and press conferences, then claimed he was being victimized by Trump and getting death threats from his supporters. He spun it all into a book about heroically defending journalism and democracy – that hasn’t sold very well – and getting a promotion to a news desk job.

So why was he even in Texas, the Twittersphere wondered as Acosta’s name trended on both sides of the political aisle. Was Trump still president? Or did he miss Trump that much?

This is hilarious. That weaselly dipshit Acosta is telling people on his TL that he "asked" the question when it's clear that he did his trademark stunt of shouting an accusatory, heckling troll from the peanut gallery.Face it, Jim, he's just not that into you. https://t.co/cQqZXf1OYs

— Cruadin (@cruadin) June 30, 2021

Trump is at the border and Jim Acosta is getting booed while asking him questions. What year is it? https://t.co/h6X3HJKB1Z

— Jason Russell (@JRussellMI) June 30, 2021

Why was Acosta even AT the border? It's not like Trump is still POTUS. Or is he? pic.twitter.com/75rs7hdV9m

— Plain Jane🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸Hold the Line (@plainjane5555) June 30, 2021

He misses Trump so much lol https://t.co/7m4W8TjYdd

— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) June 30, 2021

Others pointed out that Acosta’s ratings were so bad, CNN must have sent him back on the road to “harass” Trump. It was just like old times – except CNN had far fewer viewers now.

.@Acosta ‘s show is rating so poorly CNN sent him back on the road to harass President Trump…and as usual The Boss ignores him 😂 https://t.co/X8k17syAec

— CiceroConsultancy (@CiceroConsulta1) June 30, 2021

Jim Acosta got to yell a question at Trump today like old times… except CNN has 75% less viewers now and his career is hanging by threads.

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) June 30, 2021

https://www.rt.com/usa/528051-cnn-acosta-booed-trump/

McCarthy Calls For An Investigation Into Tucker Carlson’s Allegations Against The NSA

Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called on Congress to investigate Fox News Host and Daily Caller cofounder Tucker Carlson’s allegations that the National Security Agency (NSA) is spying on him.

McCarthy released a statement Wednesday in which he expressed concern about the alleged spying from the National Security Agency on Carlson. “Now, there is a public report that NSA read the emails of Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Although NSA publicly denied targeting Carlson, I have serious questions regarding this matter that must be answered,” he stated.

https://dailycaller.com/2021/06/30/mccarthy-investigation-nsa-tucker-carlson/

Sacramento woman 'crashed her car into a tree while having sex with underage boy,' deputies allege

Olivehurst, California woman Kimberly Carnahan is in custody after sheriff’s officials say she crashed her car into a tree while having sex with a minor co-worker.

According to Fox affiliate KTXL in Sacramento, Kimberly Carnahan faces multiple charges in connection to the alleged minor sex car crash.

She was taken into custody last week.

Carnahan faces counts of having sexual intercourse with a minor, oral copulation with a minor under the age of 18 and oral copulation with the threat of retaliation, as well as sending harmful matter to a minor and threatening a witness.

An Olivehurst woman was arrested last Thursday after detectives learned her vehicle hit a tree while she was allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a minor.

https://knewz.com/kimberly-carnahan-minor-sex/?utm_source=nypost

Kamala Harris Staffers Are Leaking – And Her Office Is A 'Dysfunctional' Mess

Vice President Kamala Harris' office is a toxic, 'abusive' environment where "people are thrown under the bus from the very top,' according to 22 current and former staffers, administration officials and associates of Harris and President Biden.

In a Politico exposé reminiscent of a Feb. 2019 New York Times in which over fifty current and former staffers decried her dysfunctional campaign (h/t @mattdizwhitlock), Harris and her Chief of Staff, Tina Flournoy, are slammed for running an office with "low morale, porous lines of communication and diminished trust among aides and senior officials."

"It all starts at the top," said one administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity (as they all did).

"People are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and it’s an abusive environment," said another person with direct knowledge of Harris' office. "It’s not a healthy environment and people often feel mistreated. It’s not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like shit."

As Politico notes, "The dysfunction in the VP’s ranks threatens to complicate the White House’s carefully crafted image as a place staffed by a close-knit group of professionals working in concert to advance the president’s agenda. It’s pronounced enough that members of the president’s own team have taken notice and are concerned about the way Harris’ staffers are treated."

Harris spokeswoman Symone Sanders - a racist who mocked a white Trump supporter after he was beaten by a group of black men - and was passed over for Biden's press secretary, pushed back against the nearly two-dozen accounts of dysfunction, saying Flournoy has an "open door policy," and that "Black women like me would not have the opportunity to work in politics without Tina."

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/kamala-harris-staffers-are-leaking-and-her-office-dysfunctional-mess

Charges Filed Against Trump Org And CFO Alan Weisselberg

Update (1900ET): A Manhattan grand jury has filed the anticipated indictments against Trump Org and longtime CFO, Alan Weisselberg, who will reportedly turn himself in tomorrow, according to the Washington Post. The indictments containing the specific charges will be unsealed on Thursday afternoon, however people familiar with the case say the charges are related to allegations of unpaid taxes on benefits enjoyed by Trump Organization executives.

Not exactly money laundering for Russian mobsters, as the Rachel Maddows of the world have been hinting at for over four years.

According to the Post, dual investigations appear to have been set in motion by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who turned on the former President in 2018 after pleading guilty to making hush-money payments to two women who claimed to have had sex with Trump over a decade before the 2016 US election.

Vance’s office opened an investigation in 2018, responding to Cohen’s charges that Trump had directed the illegal payoffs. But Vance’s probe broadened beyond those allegations to encompass years of business transactions. Vance examined tax breaks Trump got on an estate in suburban New York, loans Trump took out on his Chicago tower, and statements Trump made to New York tax authorities about the value of his Manhattan towers, according to previous court filings.

The investigation became bogged down for much of Trump’s term, however, because of a long legal fight over his tax returns. Vance had sought them from Trump’s accountants in 2019, but Trump sued to stop him, saying that — as president — he was immune from investigation by any state-level prosecutor. -WaPo

And of course, timing is everything - as the lawsuit, which we suspect could have been filed months, or even years ago, will now play out right as Trump gears up to support Republicans through the 2022 midterms.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-org-and-cfo-weisselberg-expected-be-charged-thursday-tax-crimes

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-org-and-cfo-weisselberg-expected-be-charged-thursday-tax-crimes

Four Cali Residents Convicted Of Using $1.8 Million In PPP Funds For Luxury Homes, Gold Coins And Jewelry

While hundreds of billions of dollars in PPP money has (and will continue to go) unchecked as a result of arguably the government's most wasteful and poorly planned cash grab for citizens, the dragnet has managed to pull in a couple of offenders.

The latest of which were four California residents that were convicted by a Federal Jury on June 25 for "scheming to submit fraudulent loan applications seeking millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) COVID-19 relief funds," according to a DOJ press release.

Richard Ayvazyan, his wife Marietta Terabelian and brother Artur Ayvazyan, all based out of Encino, were each found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, the release says. Additionally, Vahe Dadyan of Glendale was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering.

As a result they must forfeit "bank accounts, jewelry, watches, gold coins, three residential properties, and approximately $450,000 in cash".

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/federal-jury-convicts-four-cali-residents-using-18-million-ppp-funds-luxury-homes-gold

Half Of Australia's Population Locked Down As Delta Hysteria Worsens

Nowhere is the paranoia and overreaction to the (imaginary) threat posed by COVID's "Delta" variant more intense than in Australia, where tiny clusters of mostly mild COVID cases (most of which have reportedly been identified as instances of the Delta variant) have prompted another wave of lockdowns, involving not just Sydney (the island nation's most populous city), but six other cities encompassing half of the Australian population (more than 12MM people).

The cities now under lockdown include: Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Townsville and the Gold Coast. And on Wednesday, the outback town of Alice Springs also entered a snap lockdown after cases emerged in South Australia.

Australian authorities now fear the Delta variant could now spread to nearby Aboriginal communities which are already vulnerable due to low vaccination rates. State leaders across the nation said they were "facing a pressure cooker situation" as more cases were discovered, triggering new lockdowns.

With only 5% of the population is fully vaccinated, many have urged the government to accelerate its vaccine rollout.

But messaging around the country's main vaccine, the AstraZeneca jab, has been contradictory. Already, PM Scott Morrison has moved to expand access, announcing Monday that anyone under 40 who wants the AstraZeneca jab could have it after talking to their general practitioner. His message was swiftly rejected by the Australian Medical Association's president, who said it took him by surprise and went against expert advice. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization recommends AstraZeneca only for patients in their 60s and older (because of the rare, but still deadly, cerebral blood clots seen in some patients with low blood-platelet counts).

Health officials have been alarmed by the fact that the Delta variant has been found in five of eight states and territories just 2 weeks after it was first isolated in Sydney.

As WSJ explained in a lengthy story tracing the spread of "Delta" across Australia, the outbreak began at a shopping mall in Sydney's Bondi Beach. Australian authorities even claimed to have caught the "transmission" of the variant on tape.

After the first cases were confirmed, Sydney was quickly locked down for the first time in a year. Still, the outbreak is "small" by global standards. If it weren't for all the "alarm" about the Delta variant, there likely wouldn't be a lockdown.

Australia has kept its COVID numbers enviably low by imposing tight restrictions on who is allowed to travel to the country. Except for certain emergency exceptions, almost no foreigners have been allowed in since the start of the outbreak. But countries can't keep everybody out forever. The lockdowns have become another political black eye for conservative PM Scott Morrison. As we reported yesterday, many Australians are growing increasingly frustrated with what they see as an overreaction. Unfortunately, when everybody looks back at this a year from now, will they be even more furious when the realize how badly public health authorities overreacted?

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/half-australias-population-locked-down-delta-hysteria-worsens

Bureau Of Prisons Correctional Officer Charged With Sexual Abuse Of A Ward

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/bureau-prisons-correctional-officer-charged-sexual-abuse-ward