“Records concerning how the audit was planned and conducted, the identity of third-parties subsidizing the audit, and the source and specifics of the audit procedures are matters of public record subject to disclosure under the [Public Records Law]. It is difficult to conceive of a case with a more compelling public interest demanding public disclosure and public scrutiny. The Motion to Dismiss is denied” – Judge Michael Kemp’s ruling in American Oversight v Karen Fann, et al.

In a rare fact check of a press corps colleague, NBC’s Peter Alexander steps up to correct misinformation from Fox News White House stooge Peter Doocy, who claimed the Surgeon General had a secret list of twelve people who were responsible for spreading coronavirus and vaccine disinformation on social media.

“So these twelve people you have on a list,” Doocy starts, “twelve individuals, do they know that somebody at the Surgeon General’s office is going through their profile?”

Short of wearing a ball-gag and a leather harness on his broadcasts, Peter Doocy can do little else to humiliate himself more than asking White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki questions.

Picking up on his debunked line of inquiry from yesterday’s press briefing, Doocy basically asked a version of the “How long have you been beating your wife” question:  “For how long has the administration been spying on people Facebook profiles looking for vaccine misinformation?”

“Despite what is being reported in one of the many fake books that are coming onto the market, Bill Barr never once told me he thought I was going to lose the election. In fact, it was quite the opposite, he told me that I should win. In retrospect, had the election not been Rigged and Stolen, I would have won easily, and our Country would not be in the horrible position it is now with open Borders, Inflation, massive jumps in Crime, and cities that have no chance of ever recovering under Democrat leadership” – Statement from the Holy Orange God Emperor.

Republican Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks’ campaign spent more than $25,000 for two events at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in April and June, accounting for all of the money spent on events by the campaign over that time period, Forbes reports.

Mar-a-Lago is not in Alabama.

According to Federal Election Commission filings, Brooks’ campaign spent $19,000 to Mar-a-Lago in April and another $6,500 in June for facility rentals and catering.  His Republican primary opponent, former U.S. ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard, spent nearly $14,000 at the club in March.

Trump publicly endorsed Brooks in his reelection effort on April 7th.  Brooks has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s Big Lie.

For the first time since January, the number of COVID cases in each of the 50 states is increasing as the Delta variant of coronavirus sweeps across the country as the number of vaccinated Americans plateaus and localities lift public health restrictions, CNN reports.

“This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during Friday’s White House Covid-19 briefing.  “We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk.” Meantime, “communities that are fully vaccinated are generally faring well.”

Analysis of data from The Johns Hopkins University by CNN shows that 38 states have experienced a 50% or greater jump in coronavirus cases within the last week.  The average number of new cases went up 10% in all 50 states and Washington, DC.

The Republicans assigned to the J6 committee should be the toughest fighters that will stand up to Pelosi’s witch-hunt 2.0 and defend Pres Trump, Republicans who objected, & political abuse against J6 protestors.

The people know who the fighters are.

I’ve asked to be assigned.

— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) July 16, 2021

NASA announced that the Hubble Space Telescope is powering back up after ground control was able to initiate protocols to engage a back-up computer system to bypass a failing Power Control Unit, Space.com reports.

The orbital telescope shut down June 13th as the science instruments signaled a glitch, which engineers think was caused by the PCU.  Ground controllers spent the last month computer and relaying programming to the telescope to reroute the PCU’s function to other hardware.

“So far so good – just so proud of the @NASAHubble team as I received the updates all day. Assuming continued progress, Hubble will be in science mode later this weekend! Looking forward to that first “after” picture,” Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator for the science mission directorate at NASA tweeted. 

AP: “A local prosecutor on Friday filed a total of 63 felony criminal charges against three employees over a July 2018 tourist boat accident on a Missouri lake that killed 17 people. The charges were filed in Stone County against the captain, the general manager and the manager on duty during the accident for the Ride the Ducks attraction on Table Rock Lake near the tourist mecca of Branson.”

“The charges were announced by County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Selby and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. The charges against captain Kenneth Scott McKee, general manager Curtis Lanham, and manager on duty Charles Baltzell, came seven months after a federal judge dismissed charges filed by federal prosecutors, concluding that they did not have jurisdiction. McKee faces 29 charges, including 17 charges of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. An affidavit from a Missouri Highway Patrol sergeant accuses him of failing to exercise his duties as a licensed captain by taking his amphibious vehicle onto the lake during a thunderstorm. Baltzell and Lanham face 17 charges each of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. They are accused of failing communicate weather conditions and failing to cease operations during a severe thunderstorm warning.”

The Freedom Phone is a highly capable smartphone focused on privacy and free speech. The Uncensorable App Store allows you to access all your favorite apps — even the apps banned by Big Tech.

Sign up today and save $50 with promo code JUSTTHENEWS: https://t.co/mBvox66iWo

— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) July 16, 2021

A Florida man was arrested after he tried to throw an alligator he had stolen from a miniature golf course onto the roof of a beachside cocktail lounge because, he said, he wanted to “teach it a lesson,” the Associated Press reports.

Daytona Beach Shores police officers driving down Highway A1A spotted the man early Thursday morning hitting the alligator on the awning of the lounge patio and stomping on the alligator’s head before attempting, and failing, to throw the gator by its tail onto the lounge’s roof.

The unnamed 32-year-old man from Homestead said he had stolen the alligator from an enclosure at a nearby miniature golf course and that he was “teaching it a lesson.”  (There was no information about why a putt-putt course kept at least one alligator caged, nor what lesson the man thought the alligator would learn on the roof of a bar.)  He was charged with possession and injury of an alligator, unarmed burglary of an occupied dwelling, theft and criminal mischief.

“So much for Donald Trump’s quest for ‘perfect’ hair. President Joe Biden’s administration is reversing a Trump-era rule approved after the former president complained he wasn’t getting wet enough because of limits on water flow from showerheads. Now, with a new president in office, the Energy Department is going back to a standard adopted in 2013, saying it provides plenty of water for a good soak and a thorough clean. The rule change will have little practical effect, since nearly all commercially made showerheads comply with the 2013 rule.

The department said the action clarifies what’s been happening in the marketplace. Showers that provide the extra supply of water desired by Trump are not easily found, it said. Since 1992, federal law has dictated that new showerheads should not pour more than 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) of water per minute. As newer shower fixtures came out with multiple nozzles, the Obama administration defined the showerhead restrictions applied to the total. So if there are four nozzles, no more than 2.5 gallons total should come out among all four. The Trump-era rule, finalized in December, allows each nozzle to spray as much as 2.5 gallons, not just the overall showerhead” – AP.

Candace Owens is referring to her new $500 MAGA-branded “Freedom Phone” and the Daily Beast’s reporting on how it’s just a garbage $120 Android model by a Chinese manufacturer that comes with “free speech” apps like Parler and Telegram pre-loaded. Yes the tweet was deleted.

CBS 13: “Two Northern California men in federal court were charged with conspiring to attack the Democratic headquarters in Sacramento, the U.S. Department of Justice Northern District of California said on Thursday. Ian Benjamin Rogers, 45, of Napa, and Jarrod Copeland, 37, of Vallejo, began plotting an attack on targets they associated with Democrats after the 2020 Presidential election and attempted to gain support from an anti-government militia group, the DOJ said. Both men allegedly planned to use explosive devices in their attacks and hoped their actions would spark a movement to overthrow the government. Rogers has been in custody since his arrest on January 15. On that day, law enforcement officials searched his home and business and found a cache of weapons including 45 to 50 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and five pipe bombs, officials said. Video from earlier this year shows the Bay Area business where police say Rogers was stashing guns and explosives. Copeland was taken into custody on Wednesday.”

“They were both charged with conspiracy to destroy by fire or explosive a building used or in affecting interstate commerce. Rogers faces additional weapons violations, including one count of possession of unregistered destructive devices, and three counts of possession of machine guns. Copeland faces an additional count of destruction of records, the DOJ said, which included records of the pair’s plans to attack. Rogers and Copeland allegedly used multiple messaging apps to discuss the attacks, with one conversation last December involving Copeland telling Rogers he reached out to the anti-government militia for support in the movement, the DOJ said. In January of this year, Rogers allegedly messaged Copeland saying, ‘I want to blow up a democrat building bad.’ According to the DOJ, last November, Rogers allegedly used an encrypted messaging app to tell Copeland that he would use Molotov cocktails and gasoline to attack Democratic targets, including the Governor’s Mansion and the Democratic Headquarters Building in Sacramento.”

“At least 110 people have died in devastating floods across parts of western Germany and Belgium, officials said Friday, as search and rescue operations continued for hundreds more still unaccounted for or in danger. Authorities in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate said 60 people had died there, including 12 residents of an assisted living facility for people with disabilities in the town of Sinzig who were surprised by a sudden rush of water from the nearby river Ahr. In neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia state officials put the death toll at 43, but warned that the figure could increase. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was ‘stunned’ by the devastation caused by the flooding and pledged support to the families of those killed and to cities and towns facing significant damage.”

“‘In the hour of need, our country stands together,’ Steinmeier said in a statement Friday afternoon. ‘It’s important that we show solidarity for those from whom the flood has taken everything.’ Rescuers rushed Friday to help people trapped in their homes in the town of Erftstadt, southwest of Cologne. Regional authorities said several people had died after their houses collapsed when the ground beneath them sank suddenly. Aerial photos showed what appeared to be a massive sinkhole. ‘We managed to get 50 people out of their houses last night,’ county administrator Frank Rock said. ‘We know of 15 people who still need to be rescued.’ Speaking to German broadcaster n-tv, Rock said that authorities had no precise number yet for how many had died. ‘One has to assume that under the circumstances some people didn’t manage to escape,’ he said. Authorities said late Thursday that about 1,300 people in Germany were listed as missing, but they cautioned that the high number could be due to duplicated reports and difficulties reaching people because of disrupted roads and phone service” – AP.

Looks like we'll be stuck in the 90's over the next 7 days.. 90 degrees that is 🌡️. Most locations over the next week will likely see at least 90 F, ushering in another heat wave. Think this will be a good time to not practice heat safety? Ugh, as if! #ndwx #mnwx pic.twitter.com/cLOVf5COM4

— NWS Grand Forks (@NWSGrandForks) July 16, 2021

Fox News: “Josh Duggar’s multiple scandals in the limelight, most recently his child pornography charges, have put an end to his true passion in life, so says a source close to the TV family. A family friend of Duggar’s speaking on anonymity to Fox News this week weighed in on the federal charges against the 33-year-old former TLC star. While his family has surrounded him with ‘support’ as he awaits a November trial, the insider said that his former dream of pursuing a political career is over. ‘Politics is his love. It’s been his love and his passion forever,’ the family friend said. ‘The car business was not.’ The family friend, who has had several interactions with the family since they became a household name from their first show ’19 Kids and Counting,’ said Duggar used to talk about his dreams of becoming a ‘political advisor or strategist.'”

“The disgraced former reality star was indicted on federal charges in Arkansas in April and has since pleaded not guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography… ‘Josh loved working on campaigns and being on that side of everything,’ the source said. Duggar’s friend recalled his ‘very conservative’ views. However, his dream has certainly ‘come to a halt,’ the insider pressed. ‘Even here in local politics he was involved. I know he loved it. That’s probably not a part of his life right now but still something he’s passionate about I’m sure'”

“The pro-Trump internet went wild on Wednesday for the Freedom Phone, a $500 smartphone that comes stocked with conservative apps and promises to liberate anyone else who buys it from Silicon Valley censorship. The American flag-branded phone was immediately promoted by a wide range of right-wing figures, including former Trump adviser Roger Stone, Jan. 6 rally organizer Ali Alexander, and pundit Dinesh D’Souza. ‘I’m holding a freaking phone that is not controlled by Apple or Google,’ conservative personality Candace Owens told her fans in an Instagram video. ‘We made the switch immediately.’ Despite being lauded by some of the right-wing media’s leading figures, though, the Freedom Phone’s buyers could be getting less than they expect for its $500 price tag. That’s because the Freedom Phone appears to be merely a more expensive rebranding of a budget Chinese phone available elsewhere for a fraction of the Freedom Phone’s price.”

“The Freedom Phone was created by Erik Finman, the self-proclaimed ‘youngest bitcoin millionaire’ and one of Time Magazine’s ‘Most Influential Teens of 2014.’ In a video announcing the phone, Finman said he was inspired to create the phone after the tech giants’ crackdown on both Donald Trump and conservative social media app Parler in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot. ‘Imagine if Mark Zuckerberg censored MLK or Abraham Lincoln,’ Finman said in the video. Freedom Phone’s website is nearly totally devoid of technical information about the device. Finman declares in the promotional video that the Freedom Phone is ‘comparable to the best smartphones on the market’ and ‘truly is the best phone in the world.’ In fact, Freedom Phone appears to be a simple rebranding of a budget phone called the ‘Umidigi A9 Pro,’ made by the Chinese tech company Umidigi. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Finman confirmed that the Freedom Phone was manufactured by Umidigi, but couldn’t say immediately which model it was based on. The Freedom Phone’s $500 price tag would represent a substantial markup on the A9 Pro. That phone is available on Chinese retailer AliExpress for $120 – less than one quarter of the price of a Freedom Phone” – Daily Beast.

Politico: “Donald Trump is having trouble selling advance tickets for his upcoming speaking tour with conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly, according to interviews with ticketing officials for the venues. Early last month, Trump and O’Reilly, the one-time top Fox News host, announced a joint ‘History Tour’ featuring four stops in December. O’Reilly said his conversations with Trump ‘will not be boring,’ while the former president promised ‘fun, fun, fun for everyone who attends.’ Tickets went on sale June 14. While most seats are priced between $100 and $300, a ‘VIP Meet & Greet Package’ goes for more than $8,500 and includes getting pictures taken with Trump and O’Reilly and a pre-show, 45-minute reception. The events are not until the end of the year, Trump’s camp notes. But so far, the pace of sales has been slow compared to other acts, arena officials say.”

“In Orlando, where the duo is hosting an event at the 20,000-capacity Amway Center on Dec. 12, a box office employee for the arena said, ‘There’s still a lot of tickets open.’ The person, who like others for this story insisted on anonymity to share confidential sales data, added: ‘We have concerts that are doing a lot better than this.’ A Bad Bunny concert being held next March recently sold out within two days, for example, and the majority of seats for a Dec. 3 Kane Brown concert have been sold already. At the 20,000-seat American Airlines Center in Dallas, home to the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and NHL’s Dallas Stars, a large number of seats remain open for the Dec. 19 Trump-O’Reilly event, according to a stadium employee who works in ticket sales. For Trump’s Houston event with O’Reilly at the 19,000-seat Toyota Center, home to the NBA’s Houston Rockets, 60 to 65 percent of seats remain unsold, an employee with access to ticket sales information estimated. And in Sunrise, Florida, a box office employee at the BB&T Center said that they would have expected sales for the Trump-O’Reilly event there to have been ‘definitely higher’ by now.”

The town of Glacier View, Alaska honors the troops on Independence Day in a unique way:  by launching cars, limousines, trucks and even boats off a 300-foot high cliff to the delight of onlookers below.

Arnie’s 4th of July Glacier View Car Launch, named after organizer Arnie Hrncir, has been going on for more than a decade.  “It started in about 2005, and one thing led to another and then it’s like we’re always trying to improve every year. We haven’t really have a choice, everybody’s demanding to do this and it’s just another outing for Alaska,” he said.