“The Guardian has identified an Alaska assistant attorney general as a supporter of the Mormon-derived extremist group the Deseret nationalists who has posted a series of racist, antisemitic and homophobic messages on social media. The Guardian’s investigation has triggered a review in the Alaska department of law, where the lawyer works. Matthias Cicotte, whose job means he works as the chief corrections counsel for Alaska’s attorney general, has acted for the department of law in a number of civil rights cases. But evidence from his Twitter output allowed Cicotte to be identified by anti-fascist researchers, whose evidence was confirmed by a Guardian investigation.”

“Online, Cicotte, under the moniker J Reuben Clark and the Twitter handle @JReubenCIark, has expressed extreme positions on race, criminal justice and religion. Since-deleted tweets archived by anti-fascists reveal that he advocated various extreme positions including the summary imprisonment of Black Lives Matter protesters; vigilante violence against leftwing groups; and a punishment of execution for acts including performing gender reassignment surgery. The JReubenCIark account was also one of the earliest and most prominent accounts to promote Deseret nationalism on Twitter using hashtags like #DeseretNationalism and #DezNat. Deseret nationalists or DezNats are a loose association of rightwing Mormons. Previously they have been noted for harassing perceived enemies online, such as progressive Mormons, LGBTQ Mormons, former Mormons and political progressives” The Guardian reports.

Cicotte’s scumbaggery is the latest in a series of black eyes for the Alaska Department of Law, with two state’s attorneys general in a row resigning over sexual misconduct in the past year – the first in August 2020 over thousands of dirty texts sent from then-AG Kevin Clarkson to a subordinate, the second in January 2021 when it was revealed then-acting AG Ed Sniffen had committed borderline statutory rape decades ago. Then there’s also the Republican attorneys general of Oklahoma and South Dakota, who resigned over an affair and was charged with running a guy over while distracted from reading RealClearPolitics on his phone and kept driving, respectively.

And don’t get us started on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. We could be here a while.

The members of five Olympic soccer teams started their matches by taking a knee to protest racism worldwide and the sixth team, from Australia, linked arms and posed with a flag of indigenous peoples, initiating a string of political messages contrary to the rules of the Olympic games, the Associated Press reports.

At the beginning of the England vs. Chile women’s soccer match, the referee blew her whistle to start the game, but the players on the pitch from both teams dropped to one knee for about ten seconds.  The same happened at the US-Sweden women’s match that started an hour later.

In the third game, the women on the Australian team linked arms and held up the flag of the Australian Aboriginal peoples, while their opponents from New Zealand took a knee. 

The average life expectancy of Americans dropped by 18 months in 2020, its largest one-year drop since in World War II, primarily due to fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic and the rising toll of the opioid epidemic, NBC News reports, with the drop impacting Black and Hispanic Americans disproportionately.

While Donald Trump publicly declared that the coronavirus was no more deadly than a typical flu and his son-in-law Jared Kushner and then White House adviser Kellyanne Conway were in charge of responding to the opioid epidemic, their incompetence in dealing with those respective issues reflected directly on the lives of Americans.

According to the study, 75% of the drop was due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the remainder largely due to the opioid pandemic.  More than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2020, a 27% increase over the previous year.  Other factors included increased fatalities due to diabetes and homicides, accounting for 5.5% of the decrease. 

“The GOP Doctors Caucus along with House Republican Whip Steve Scalise and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik will host a press conference to discuss the implications of the Delta Variant of COVID-19 at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 22 at the House Triangle on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol Building. WHAT: Press conference to discuss the need for individuals to get vaccinated, uncover the origins of the pandemic, and keep schools and businesses open.”

“Participants: House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La), House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Members of the GOP Doctors Caucus, including: Rep Brad Wenstrup, DPM, (R-Ohio), Rep Andy Harris, MD, (R-Md), Rep Michael Burgess, MD, (R-Texas), Rep Greg Murphy, MD, (R-NC), Rep Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD, (R-Iowa), Rep Mark Green, MD, (R-Tenn), Rep Neal Dunn, MD, (R-Fla), Rep John Joyce, MD, (R-Penn), Sen Roger Marshall, MD, (R-Kan)” says the presser announcement from the House Republican Conference leadership.

While these are mostly House members, there is one Senator participating, Roger Marshall of Kansas, which makes Rand Paul’s absence noteworthy. We know why Rand’s not joining but it just again throws into relief what a shitty doctor he is. If he can’t even grudgingly admit that the Coronavirus vaccines save lives then he should have his medical license revoked. Same goes for any healthcare practitioner in Congress who won’t grab their balls and do the right thing.

Maybe this in and of itself doesn’t mean anything, but a cursory scan of Trump spokesminion Liz Harrington’s Twitter feed shows no new statements from the Donald since the arrest of his friend and advisor Tom Barrack was first reported shortly before 3:00 pm on Tuesday afternoon.

Admittedly we at National Zero kind of left it alone. Sure, we reported the news when it broke, and beat those dickheads at the other site to boot, but we may have under-appreciated the significance at the time, in part due to a focus on certain other projects, though probably mostly because it’s not 2018 anymore and we’re no longer religiously Palmer Report-reading walking encyclopedias of the miasma of corruption that surrounded the MAGA Reich. What probably would’ve thrilled us three years ago was mostly a meh. Maybe we’re numb to disappointment of the promise of justice being delivered being continually broken that we don’t recognize progress when we see it, or maybe it’s the complex nature of the charges, but it’s still not quite lighting our hair on fire.

That said, apparently it’s pretty bad and Barrack is fucked. And he’s not just a “coffee boy” or a Lindsey Graham-type ass-kisser, but a close friend and advisor he has a genuine relationship with. Federal charges laying out at a conspiracy to influence US foreign policy is a hell of a lot worse than being indicted for simple tax fraud. Maybe Trump will put out a raging statement soon like he did regarding the New York State charges against his company and CFO. Or maybe his silence on the matter means nothing. But it’s also quite possible that Barrack’s arrest represents a serious threat to Trump and his lawyers told him to keep his mouth shut lest he box himself in this early.

Louisville Courier-Journal: “Kentucky’s House Education Committee chairwoman is under fire after appearing to compare efforts to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations to the Jonestown massacre. Rep. Regina Huff, R-Williamsburg, tweeted photos of cult leader Jim Jones and top White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci Tuesday morning. Jones’ photo includes a textbox saying, ‘I persuaded over 900 people to drink my Koolaid’ – a reference to the hundreds of people in Jones’ cult who drank poisoned Kool-aid and died in a mass murder-suicide in 1978. Next to it, Fauci’s image simply reads, ‘Amateur.’ ‘Some will cavil, they will not be able to help themselves,’ Huff tweeted alongside the image. Huff quickly deleted the post. A Courier Journal reporter obtained a screenshot of the post and tweeted it. ‘I did indeed delete the tweet because of the vulgarity within the comments,’ Huff said in a separate tweet that was also later deleted. ”

Reliable sources tell me that Bezos says this is “Just the Tip” of private space exploration pic.twitter.com/ZLpGeJQjIc

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 21, 2021

“There are many reasons young adults may not be getting vaccinated against COVID-19 – but among the road blocks is living with parents who believe in conspiracy theories surrounding the shot, like the belief that it causes you to shed viral particles, contains a microchip, alters your DNA, or otherwise harms you. More young adults have been living with their parents than at any other time in recent history, and some of them have reported having to outright lie about getting the vaccine. Others have delayed getting the shot, or have held off entirely because of the damage they fear it would do their parental relationships”

“For Jordan, age 24 in Montréal, Quebec, it was his parents’ belief in QAnon and the fact that he’d already had COVID that made him hesitant to get vaccinated. While trying to make up his mind, he found a Reddit forum, r/qanoncasualites, dedicated to helping people who had family members who subscribe to QAnon theories. ‘It was very good for me to see the vaccine reasoning from other QAnon casualties. I saw the courage some people had to defy their family or significant other and to do their duty,’ he said. One reason why Jordan did not want to take the vaccine is because he did not want to engage in that discussion with his parents or lie to them. ‘I felt like I had some support.’ Jordan ended up getting the vaccine and telling his parents. They cried when they found out, but they are still in touch” – Slate.

The Guardian: “Congressman Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the new House select committee to scrutinize the Capitol attack, says he will investigate Donald Trump as part of his inquiry into the events of 6 January – a day he sees as the greatest test to the United States since the civil war. In an interview with the Guardian, Thompson said that he is also prepared to depose members of Congress and senior Trump administration officials who might have participated in the insurrection that left five dead and nearly 140 injured. ‘Absolutely,’ Thompson said of his intent to pursue a wide-ranging inquiry against the former president and some of his most prominent allies on Capitol Hill. ‘Nothing is off limits.’ The aggressive move to place Trump in the crosshairs of the select committee underscores Thompson’s determination to uncover the root causes of 6 January, even after Senate Republicans, fearing political damage, blocked the creation of a 9/11-style commission.”

“The move comes at the same time as many Republicans have been seeking to downplay the attack on the Capitol – in which five people died – or, in the case of Trump himself, cast its protagonists in a more positive light. But there is no doubt in Thompson’s mind of the seriousness of the event. Addressing some of the key questions at the heart of the select committee’s investigation into the attacl, Thompson characterized the inquiry as an undertaking to safeguard the peaceful transition of power and the future of American democracy. ‘The issues of January 6 are one of the most salient challenges we have as a nation, to make sure that this democracy does not fall prey to people who don’t really identify with democracy,’ Thompson said.”

If you go outside in most parts of the continental United States tonight, the moon will appear to have a slight orange hue to it.  You can thank that massive wildfires in the Western US for the light show.

According to ABC News, at least 40 million Americans–more than 12% of the country’s population–are experiencing poor air quality because of the ash getting into the jetstream that crosses the US.  The haze caused by the fires have been credited for the subdued sun shining over New York City this morning.

At least 80 wildfires are burning in 17 states, mostly in the West.  Oregon’s Bootleg Fire has consumed more than 388,000 acres–twice the area covered by New York City, about half the area of the state of Rhode Island–and it is just 30% contained.

The top administrator of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill, has resigned his post after a Catholic media site advised the USCCB that it had obtained data from the priest’s cell phone and it showed him frequenting gay bars and using Grindr, the queer hook-up app.

According to the Washington Post, The Pillar, an online newsletter that reports on the Catholic Church, got the data on Burrill’s phone from an undisclosed “data vendor.”  The site obtained data about Burrill’s use of Grindr, including location data, and had an independent firm verify the authenticity and accuracy of the data.

“A mobile device correlated to Burrill emitted app data signals from the location-based hookup app Grindr on a near-daily basis during parts of 2018, 2019, and 2020 — at both his USCCB office and his USCCB-owned residence, as well as during USCCB meetings and events in other cities,” the Pillar reported Tuesday in a story about Burrill’s resignation.

Upon returning to the hard ground of Earth, billionaire Jeff Bezos announced that he was granting $100 million each to CNN contributor Van Jones and chef José Andrés to use as they see fit to fulfill their social goals, CNN reports.

At the press conference following his successful flight to the edge of space, Bezos said the grants were part of a “surprise” philanthropic initiative he wanted to announce called the Courage and Civility Award.

Andrés, a celebrity chef, founded the World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that travels the world providing meals to areas hit by natural disasters.  He’s dedicated his efforts outside the kitchen to promoting food independence in impoverished nations and areas in the United States. 

Three Republican members of the House lost their appeal over a $500 fine each was assessed for refusing to wear a mask on the floor of the chamber during session, the Associated Press reports.

Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q-Georgia), Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) and Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina) must pay the fine for failing to adhere to House rules that were put in place in June 2020 to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Greene claimed that the rule was “arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, and otherwise not consistent with law or with principles of fairness.”  The rule applied to all House members and it was based on the recommendations of Dr. Brian Monahan, Congress’ attending physician.

“Israel’s prime minister vowed Tuesday to ‘act aggressively’ against the decision by Ben & Jerry’s to stop selling its ice cream in Israeli-occupied territories, as the country’s ambassador to the U.S. urged dozens of state governors to punish the company under anti-boycott laws. The strong reaction reflected concerns that the ice cream maker’s decision could lead other companies to follow suit. It also appeared to set the stage for a protracted public relations and legal battle.”

“Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office said he spoke with Alan Jope, chief executive of Ben & Jerry’s parent company, the food conglomerate Unilever, and raised concern about what he called a ‘clearly anti-Israel step.’ He said the move would have ‘serious consequences, legal and otherwise,’ and Israel ‘will act aggressively against all boycott actions directed against its citizens.’ In Washington, D.C., State Department spokesman Ned Price declined to comment directly on the company’s decision. But he said the U.S. rejects the boycott movement against Israel, saying it ‘unfairly singles out’ the country. In Monday’s announcement, Ben & Jerry’s said it would stop selling ice cream in the occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem. The company, long known for its social activism, said such sales were ‘inconsistent with our values'” – CBS News.

A class of drugs that prevents the spread of HIV, HIV testing and clinic visits must be provided cost-free to patients from most health insurance plans, a new federal regulation requires, NBC News reports.

So called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP medications, known by brand names Truvada or Descovy, reduce the transmission of the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS.  People who contract HIV and AIDS have drug, treatment and testing costs significantly higher than the cost of the PrEP drugs.  Taken daily, the PrEP drugs cut the risk of HIV infection by 99%.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, along with the Department of Labor and the Department of the Treasury, sent directions to health insurers Monday indicating that insurers have 60 days to comply with the mandate concerning their plan design and must have all people prescribed the drug covered by January 1, 2022.

President Biden used a personal email account during the Obama years to send information he was getting from the State Department as vice president to his globetrotting, foreign-deal-making son Hunter Biden | Just The News https://t.co/p7lztaRj1K

— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) July 20, 2021

A former student at a Connecticut high school has been charged with computer crimes after he hacked into the school’s system and changed to two students yearbook quotations, one to a a quote attributed to Adolf Hitler and the other to mention one of the Boston Marathon bombers.

The New York Times reports that 18-year-old Hollister Tryon was arrested last week and charged with two counts of third-degree computer crimes for hacking into the systems at Glastonbury High School in Connecticut, changing the quotes that were published in the yearbook in October.

Police allege Tryon changed one person’s quote to one frequently, though falsely, attributed to Hitler and cited its source as George Floyd, a Minneapolis man killed by police officers in May 2020.  He changed another to include a reference to drugs and a reference to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the two brothers responsible for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people.

AL.com: “The Alabama Democratic Party is calling on Tarrant City Councilman John ‘Tommy’ Bryant to resign after the lawmaker used the phrase ‘house n-word’ during a council meeting Monday night, leading to widespread condemnation. The councilman appeared to be gesturing toward a Black councilwoman in the video. Asked for his reaction to Bryant using the N-word, Tarrant Mayor Wayman Newton, the city’s first Black mayor, said: ‘The video speaks for itself.'”

“The Alabama Democratic Party went a step further, urging Bryant to resign and calling the lawmaker ‘a racist unfit to serve.’ ‘Alabama still has a long way to go when it comes to race, but cozying up to the KKK and using the N word should make you unfit to serve,’ Wade Perry, the party’s executive director, said in a statement. ‘These racists belong in the history books with Bull Connor and George Wallace, not on the taxpayer’s payroll.’ Perry called on Republican political leaders to also demand Bryant resign.”