NIH launches long-COVID treatment trials: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02472-1 . The NIH announcement: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-launches-long-covid-clinical-trials-through-recover-initiative-opening-enrollment . More: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2023-07-31/us-nih-launches-long-covid-trials-of-pfizers-paxlovid-other-therapies .
Pfizer considers cost-cutting as COVID products underperform: https://money.usnews.com/investing/news/articles/2023-08-01/pfizer-misses-quarterly-revenue-estimates-as-covid-product-sales-decline . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-misses-expectations-but-bets-on-new-drug-launches-to-ease-shortfall-f1d3f3c8 .
Chinese medical company in rural California had mice engineered to catch and retain COVID: https://www.aol.com/fairly-shocking-secret-medical-lab-021812290.html . The lab did not have a business license and was apparently operating at night.
Family of Henrietta Lacks reaches settlement with Thermo Fisher Scientific: https://www.npr.org/2023/08/01/1191283359/henrietta-lacks-descendants-settlement-stolen-cells . The HeLa line of cells taken from Mrs. Lacks’ body without her knowledge or consent is the most famous line of cells in medical research, and is still widely used today. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/henrietta-lacks-family-hela-cells-thermo-fisher-settlement-d93e60e5 .
CVS cuts 2% of its workforce: https://www.aol.com/cvs-layoffs-healthcare-giant-cutting-133739079.html .
Fitch downgrades US credit rating from AAA to AA+: https://apnews.com/article/credit-rating-downgrade-deficit-68fb6c578190d8361b6639e603714e5a . WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fitch-downgrades-u-s-credit-rating-56c73b89 .
WSJ: Another senior Chinese official pushed aside: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-replaces-missile-commander-days-after-removing-foreign-minister-86b0af9b . This certainly looks like a loyalty purge. It is a warning to everyone else in the hierarchy.
Small gains for Ukraine: https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2023-07-31/ukraine-gains-momentum-as-new-russian-threats-loom . A three-front approach is generally not successful. My sense is that the Ukrainians are trying to achieve a breakthrough of Russian lines in one of these three locations, and then pour their troops into that breakthrough. My money is on the southward thrust toward the Sea of Azoz, but plans will change rapidly if that is not the first breakthrough.
WSJ: Ukraine continues drone attacks on Moscow: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-intensifies-drone-attacks-on-russia-moscow-says-f0ff7026 .
Orange Julius indicted for attempt to overturn 2020 presidential election: https://www.npr.org/2023/08/01/1190459957/trump-indictment-jan-6-2020-election . There are 4 charges: conspiracy to defraud the United States; witness tampering; conspiracy against the rights of citizens; and obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding. We’ve all seen the tapes of January 6 – he is guilty of the first and fourth counts. Witness tampering charges always mean the prosecutor has direct evidence that the defendant did improperly attempt to influence a witness – OJ is guilty of the second count.
The third count is unusual, and dates to legislation passed after the Civil War to halt KKK violence against Black citizens. In short, OJ’s actions represent an attempt to deprive some citizens of the right to have their votes counted. Legal experts believe this particular statute was chosen because it has proof requirements which neatly fit the evidence the special prosecutor has collected.
The indictment also describes 6 unnamed co-conspirators. Media reporting so far has identified 5: https://www.businessinsider.com/who-are-trump-co-conspirators-january-6-indictment-2023-8 . They include 4 of OJ’s attorneys [Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Sidney Powell, and the less well-known Kenneth Chesebro (implicated in the fake elector scheme)]. The fifth is former DOJ Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark, who OJ tried to make acting attorney general. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-indictment-jack-smith-2020-election-4b351abf .
No consensus has emerged on the sixth co-conspirator, identified as “a political consultant” involved in the fake elector scheme. One possibility is Clarence Thomas’ wife, Ginni Thomas: https://people.com/donald-trump-co-conspirators-jan-6-election-interference-7568572 . That this is even a possibility (which it most certainly is) is completely appalling. One point I haven’t seen mentioned is that if it is Ginni Thomas, if any of this case makes it to the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas must recuse himself. Indeed, if she is indicted, he should resign (we will see, but if he does not, the Court’s claim to integrity is pretty much finished. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/articles/six-co-conspirators-described-in-trumps-2020-election-indictment-1475445d .
WSJ: January 6 timeline: https://www.wsj.com/articles/jan-6-key-moments-leading-up-to-the-attack-on-the-capitol-11654796246 . The indictment is about much more than January 6. But at least this article reminds Journal readers of the facts leading up to January 6.
Indictment: OJ admitted he lost before January 6: https://news.yahoo.com/trump-told-top-military-advisor-232732121.html . You know all those people on both sides who’ve said OJ should keep his mouth shut? They were all right, each and every one. WSJ: Excerpts from the indictment: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-most-notable-passages-in-the-dojs-indictment-of-trump-9dd1688d .
OJ is attempting to argue that he was acting on the advice of lawyers. There are at least two fatal flaws in that argument. First, OJ pushed them to find a way for him to stay in power. Second, if an attorney advises you to commit a crime, and you do it, you’re still guilty (and the attorney is in trouble as well). WSJ: Less: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-charges-facing-donald-trump-and-how-he-might-defend-himself-53a2b45?mod=WTRN_pos1&cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_169&cx_artPos=0 . As the article almost admits, OJ has no real defenses. The Journal searches in vain for integrity or direct analysis.
The indictment is filed in the DC Circuit, where all of the judges have been dealing with the hundreds of January 6 defendants. Whoever is assigned to this case will be well-versed in much of the evidence. OJ is toast, and Judge Aileen “Loose” Cannon in South Florida needs to get her act together on the documents trial.
UPDATE: The judge assigned to the case is Tanya Chutkan, an Obama appointee who assumed office in June 2014: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanya_S._Chutkan . She is experienced and absolutely no-nonsense. Indeed, she has handed down January 6 sentences harsher than the prosecutors’ recommendations: https://www.aol.com/news/judge-assigned-trumps-jan-6-235813616.html . Orange toast for everyone!
More on OJ’s legal expenses: https://apnews.com/article/trump-legal-bills-pac-defense-fund-campaign-filing-2024-36fe10e4988a56de34f120cff38e1552 . So yesterday we noted reporting suggesting the previously disclosed $40 million appeared as $20 million in a campaign disclosure report. AP has dug into the matter further, and apparently gone back to one of the sources for the $40 million figure. The $25 million given in this article is consistent with the $20 million “disclosed” figure reported yesterday, as there were also over $3 million in “other” legal expenses reported previously. Still, the source insists that expenditures outside that reporting bring the total to over $40 million.
As this article notes, considerable funds were raised from donors around issues like “contesting the 2020 election”, but few funds were spent according to the fundraising pitch. In most circumstances, this sort of behavior would be fraud, but campaign finance works differently. More: https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/politics/donald-trump-campaign-legal-defense-2024/index.html . The grift continues, but it is to buy time for OJ, not to address actual legal issues. One hopes the federal and state prosecutions will at some point award OJ with considerable “time” for his more serious crimes.
WSJ: DeMentis has more money in the bank than OJ: https://www.wsj.com/articles/desantis-super-pac-has-97-million-trump-campaign-committee-burning-cash-on-legal-bills-307dbd95 . So what? Jeb Bush, guys …
Michigan special prosecutor charges two OJ allies with felonies over illegal access and tampering with voting machines: https://apnews.com/article/matthew-deperno-michigan-trump-voting-machines-a58c4a58de84d432815ec1be39c19b90 . Prepare for hard time, boys …
DeMentis “invites” Kamala Harris to Tallahassee to discuss Florida’s new “education” curriculum: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/desantis-invites-harris-florida-fight-black-history-standards-rcna97445 . This pathetic cheap shot reflects DeMentis’ attempts to salvage his unsalvageable campaign. The article appropriately notes that the majority of Black Republicans in Congress have criticized the new standards, including Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, who is supporting OJ.
UPDATE: Kamala permanently rejects DeMentis invite: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/harris-rejects-desantis-challenge-debate-slavery-florida-academic/story?id=101902861 . Ron did not see this coming? Total loser …
Meanwhile, another Black organization pulls its annual conference out of Florida: https://www.aol.com/desantis-rebuke-2-major-black-160040191.html . Many, many people are finding that Florida is on a path they wish to economically boycott.
WSJ: FTX’s draft attempt to reorganize: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ftx-says-legacy-customers-could-become-exchanges-new-owners-2d7b0d27 . This sounds like a complete loser. We’ll see what the customers say.
NASA regains contact with Voyager 2: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nasa-loses-communication-voyager-2-spacecraft-antenna-accident-earth/ . The spacecraft is 12.4 billion miles from Earth.
US women draw with Portugal: https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/01/sport/usa-portugal-womens-world-cup-reaction-spt-intl/index.html . Bottom line, the US team is underperforming even by the reduced expectations for this team. The injection of so many young and inexperienced players suggested problems. However, they are not playing as a unit, and that blame falls on the coach. Lindsay Horan’s header against The Netherlands is literally the only thing that has kept them in the tournament so far. Three games in, that is not good. WSJ: More: https://www.wsj.com/sports/soccer/us-women-world-cup-portugal-83ffb91e .