07/16/25

Good morning! It’s Wednesday, July 16th

National Corn Fritters Day

Well I’ll be!

It’s also Guinea Pig Appreciation Day and here’s a fun Kim fact for you – I’ve had three guinea pigs in my life. Johnny, Mo, and Midnight.

And now, the news.

Epstein Fallout Continues

-via CBS News, House.gov, The Guardian, Vox, BBC, and Axios

Somehow, the top story is the continued fallout from the Department of Justice’s surprise lack of information over the Epstein files. The same files that, for years, Trump and many within his own administration, including AG Pam Bondi herself, talked nonstop about how important these files were. How they were implicate the Clintons, the Obama, Bill Gates, you probably, literally everyone! Except, obviously, Donald Trump – the guy who has actually footage hanging out with him. Yuckin’ it up!

Those dudes were buds.

Before I get into this, I want to be clear.

In 2017, Epstein spoke with author Michael Wolfe for an upcoming book. Epstein called Trump his closest friend. “I was Donald’s closest friend for 10 years.”

He also said, in that same interview, that Trump loved sleeping with his best friend’s wives.

Neat. Neat guy.

In addition to the twenty-four women who have come out with sexual misconduct allegations against Trump between the 80s and 2013, including E. Jean Carroll, against whom he was found liable for sexual assault, Donald Trump was also accused of raping a 13-year-old.

The charges were dropped, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. It doesn’t mean it did either! It’s not proof on either side, but we can’t look at his history of sexual misconduct, his close friendship with a known pedophile, and the odds of a sexual assault allegation being false, and think it’s more likely that it didn’t happen. Because what could also be the case is that this person didn’t want to have their name put out there.

Didn’t want one of the most powerful people in the world, whose supporters are known to be rabid and threatening, to know who they are.

But okay, sure, taken all together – I’m sure these files won’t have his name on them.

Anyway, so last week Pam Bondi dropped the files and was just so shocked to find that there was no client list! Which is crazy! Because she… said the client list was on her desk a few months ago.

No no no – I don’t even have a desk. No client list. No desk. None of it.

Well, now it also turns out that last week, Pam Bondi fired the senior ethics attorney at the Department of Justice.

Makes sense, when you really think about it. Don’t even have to think about it that hard.

So he’s out.

Meanwhile, Trump is trying to provide cover to Bondi by saying he thinks she should release, "whatever she thinks is credible.”

I think she did. I think she released whatever she and Trump have decided is credible.

This does seem to be a sticking point with the MAGA base. And the Democrats are using it to their advantage – twice now, they’ve worked in the House to try and get the DOJ to release the Epstein files online within the next 30 days.

And you’ll be shocked to hear that House Republicans have voted it down both times.

The first time they tried to tie it to a crypto bill, so Republicans voted against adding it, saying it muddled the bill (adding unrelated things to bills is very common.

On Tuesday, they tried again, and again they said no.

Both votes were along party lines. Which means Marjorie Taylor Greene voted against it. Even though she is one of the loudest advocates for releasing these files.

I love how wildly absurd and two-faced they are.

I mean, I hate it but – you know what I mean.

The absolute worst of the worst.

Interestingly, to the extent that anything about her is interesting so… you know.. vaguely, I guess…

This is not the first time Marj has broken with Trump this week. She loves this dude too. Remember that. She’s a big fan, huge.

She’s also upset about the arms deal with Nato, that will send weapons to Ukraine. Because even though the deal notes that Nato will pay us for the arms, she believes somehow ,"without a shadow of a doubt, our tax dollars are being used."

Trump Tells Texas to Redraw Lines

-via AP News

Moving to Texas, where Trump… I don’t know… we’re already in the middle of fascism. He’s already doing fascism so what am I supposed to say here but on Tuesday Trump told Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional maps to favor House republicans in the midterms.

Which was already their plan but… the president saying it?

And he wants to do it all around the country.

And people are going to brush it off. And I’m gonna lose my mind.

Texas is already gerrymandered. The cards are already stacked against voters. And now he wants to pick up five seats in Texas. That’s what he said – five seats in Texas.

I don’t know what to say here. I mean, I do but I sure don’t want any of them to be recorded. I’m not a dummy.

It’s our job not to let them make this sound normal. It’s our job to talk about this. It’ll go to court, and I’ll keep you updated.

And no matter what – it’s job to fight for every single seat. We have to win in the midterms.

Update: Los Angeles

-via NY Times

And over to Los Angeles – our hostile government takeover just got a little, less, full. 2,000 of the more than 4,000 National Guard troops that were sent to Los Angeles to… I don’t know… guard a building? I guess? Anyway… 2,000 of those troops have been released! I’m sure they’re as relieved as we are.

About 2,000 troops remain here, as do about 700 Marines – again, no reason at all. I’m sure this is not what they meant when they signed up to serve their country. Hopefully the rest of the troops will be following soon.

And finally…

Emmy nominations came out on Tuesday and Kristen Bell was nominated for Nobody Wants This. The show was nominated as well.

Other people probably too.

So congratulations to Kristen Bell!

And the other people as well.

And that’s it. That’s the news.

I’m proud of Kristen Bell!

Also guinea pigs.

Big adorable.

But more than guinea pigs, because you are also a big fan of oats… I’m proud of you.