Democratic Florida Congresswoman Val Demings has officially entered the 2022 Senate race, hoping to grab the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Marco Rubio in the November election, Politico reports.

The former chief of police of Orlando, Demings is arguably the most high-profile Democrat in the state, due in large part to national coverage of her serving as one of the House managers during Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.  Demings released a three-minute campaign ad on Twitter announcing she was entering the race.  (Available after the fold.)

With her campaign for Senate, she will be be unable to campaign for reelection to her House seat, as Florida allow you to run for only one state or federal office at a time.  This may pose a problem for Democrats seeking to maintain a majority in the House because Demings’ Florida 10th Congressional District was held by a Republican for more than 30 years before she won election in 2016.

Lightning, a natural phenomenon caused by static electricity discharging from clouds has reportedly killed zero Americans so far in 2021, the Washington Post reports. According to the National Weather Service – which keeps statistics on weather-related fatalities – usually there are at least 3 or 4 Americans dead of lightning strikes by mid-June, so we can conclude this probably – actually definitely – means the Biden Administration Department of Commerce (of which the NWS is a part) and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo are covering something up.

Most likely that something is testing of secret Rothschild-funded, 5G-enabled HAARP weather control technology that went awry, killing hundreds of scientists, government contractors, soldiers, replicants (genetically engineered worker drones used in construction), and innocent civilians with raging maelstroms of purple lighting bolts emanating from the control towers and Raimondo ordered NWS eggheads to cover it up by recording zero deaths.

But we’re on to them. We know that the Biden Administration plans on deploying this weather control technology on the day of the 2022 midterms to reduce turnout in rural red states and congressional districts. The only real question is: did the MAGA freaks who occasionally read National Zero get this far before they realized we’re just fucking with them again?

CNBC: “The family of Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt is suing to force Washington, D.C., to hand over records revealing the identity of the police officer who fatally shot her during the Jan. 6 invasion. The family is also demanding access to video footage of the shooting, witness statements and documents gathered during the Metropolitan Police Department’s investigation of the incident, according to the lawsuit. The litigation is separate from a forthcoming lawsuit in which Babbitt’s family plans to demand ‘well above $10 million’ from the U.S. Capitol Police, a lawyer for the family told CNBC. The civil suit, filed last week in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, comes more than a month after the Department of Justice announced it would not pursue criminal charges against the Capitol police officer who fatally shot Babbitt.”

“Days after that mid-April decision was unveiled, Babbitt’s husband Aaron Babbitt filed a request for records from the MPD under the Freedom of Information Act, according to the lawsuit. But the police department has ‘failed to comply’ with the FOIA request, the lawsuit says, by missing a May 12 deadline to either provide the materials to Aaron Babbitt or notify him that he would not be given access to them. A spokesman for the MPD declined CNBC’s request for a statement, saying that the department does not comment on pending litigation.”

“Did you feel it? A small earthquake was reported Wednesday morning in Ocean County, New Jersey. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a magnitude 2.4 was reported 3 kilometers south of Tuckerton at about 7:52 a.m. The depth of the quake was relatively shallow at 5 kilometers. There is no word on any injuries or damage” reports ABC 6 meteorologist and traffic reporter Karen Rogers, because the weather/traffic-ologist is closest they have to a geology expert on their team.

“White House drops Trump’s attempted bans of TikTok, other China-owned apps; Biden team to conduct its own review of apps” reports AP justice correspondent Mike Balsamo.

“After planning to keep the Acosta Bridge lit up in rainbow colors throughout the week for Pride Month, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority on Tuesday said it was told by the Florida Department of Transportation that its color scheme was ‘out of compliance’ with its existing permit. A statement from JTA’s spokesperson reads: ‘This afternoon, the FDOT informed the JTA that our scheduled color scheme for the Acosta Bridge is out of compliance with our existing permit. The JTA will comply accordingly.’ News4Jax requested the permit for lighting on the Acosta Bridge from FDOT. On Tuesday night, the bridge returned to its usual blue color. A statement from FDOT reads: ‘Aesthetic lighting on the Acosta Bridge is owned and operated by JTA. Questions about their lighting system, function and permit should be referred to JTA.'”

“News4Jax spoke with a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said the governor’s office had nothing to do with the decision on the lighting. The spokesperson said it’s a local issue that’s under investigation” reports Jacksonville, Florida NBC affiliate News4Jax.

That last bit is almost certainly complete bullshit. DeSantis is doing more MAGAsturbating ahead of a presidential run or joining the Trump 2024 ticket, just like he did on June 1st – the first day of Pride Month – when he signed a trans athlete ban that had been passed by the Florida legislature on April 29th, having waited over a month to sign a bill simply meant to harass trans women. Of course he fucking told them to turn the lights off. If he didn’t directly order it done in this instance then it was a standing order from his office. This is how that sick bastard operates.

https://youtu.be/PNUYhMh7bsU

In a virtual meeting of the House Natural Resources Committee with Jennifer Hayes, the Acting R&D Chief of Staff of the US Forest Service, Republican Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert made quite the massive request.  Saying that a former NASA administrator told him that the orbits of the moon and Earth were changing, Gohmert asked for a small alteration of mission for the Forest Service.

“Is there anything that the National Forest Service or [Bureau of Land Management] can do to, ah, change the course of the moon’s orbit or the Earth’s orbit around the Sun?” Gohmert asked sincerely.  “Obviously that would have profound effect on our climate.”

“Former President Trump could have been an important asset for the GOP, turning out voters as it seeks to regain control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections. But, out of office, he’s continuing his destructive behavior, endorsing weaker candidates in contested primaries, squelching the campaigns of erstwhile allies, and elevating not-ready-for-prime-time contenders in must-win Senate contests. His erratic behavior since losing the presidential election – exemplified by his conspiracy theorizing and suppression of the GOP vote in Georgia’s Senate runoffs in January, handing Democrats the majority – is only accelerating as the midterms draw closer. It’s leading to increasing Republican pessimism about their chances of retaking the Senate majority next year, even as the political environment is awfully favorable on paper to the party out of power.”

“When he was in office, Republicans were often able to redirect Trump’s worst political impulses into constructive behavior. There’s no doubt he was a one-man turnout machine, helping Republicans in redder states prevail despite his political vulnerabilities. He acted transactionally, backing vulnerable members in exchange for their loyal support, even endorsing a frequent critic like Sen. Ben Sasse, all but ensuring that the independent-minded Nebraskan wouldn’t speak out against him until he prevailed in a primary. But now that he lacks tangible political power, he’s showing little willingness to play ball with party leadership. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott made headlines in declaring that the party wouldn’t engage in competitive primaries, and he has said he hoped Trump would follow suit. But since then, Trump has picked his favorites with abandon, elevating a leading election denialist like Rep. Mo Brooks to front-runner status in Alabama, opposing party-backed Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska, and urging a political novice like former NFL star Herschel Walker to run in a must-win Georgia contest. ‘We can’t let this guy pick our candidates if we want to be in the Senate majority,’ said a senior Republican strategist involved in Senate races” – National Journal.

CNEWS: “Two men were arrested Tuesday, June 8, in the wake of the slap received by Emmanuel Macron during his trip to the Drôme. Searches were carried out at the homes of the two individuals – the slapper and a ‘friend’ who accompanied him. At the latter, the investigators would have found several firearms and a copy of Mein Kampf, revealed to CNEWS a source close to the file. It is not yet known whether the weapons are functional or disabled. At midday, however, it was not yet established whether this article was found in the alleged assailant or his friend. Moreover, this information should be taken with caution insofar as this discovery does not mean, at least at this stage, that the assault was premeditated” [Google translation lightly edited for clarity].

“The 1836 Project shall: Promote awareness among residents of this state of the following as they relate to the history of prosperity and democratic freedom in this state: Texas history, including the indigenous peoples of this state, the Spanish and Mexican heritage of this state, Tejanos, the African-American heritage of this state, the Texas War for Independence, Juneteenth, annexation of Texas by the United States, the Christian heritage of this state, and this state’s heritage of keeping and bearing firearms in defense of life and liberty and for use in hunting” – Actual intro text of the “1836 Project” bill, signed into law by Low Energy Greg on Tuesday.

When asked “How likely do you think it is that former President Donald Trump will be reinstated
as U.S. President this year, if at all?”, 17% of Republican voters polled chose “Very likely” with another 12% saying it is “Somewhat likely”. Read more here.

Washington Post: “The horde of Brood X cicadas that rose from the earth after 17 years underground have proved their determination to leave a mark before they die off in a few weeks. The shrill, winged insects have driven tourism, inspired new food trends, and even caused a car crash in Ohio. On Tuesday night, the busy bugs claimed another surprising accomplishment: Grounding the White House press corps as it headed to Europe for President Biden’s first overseas trip in office. ‘The White House press charter, flying from Dulles to Europe ahead of President Biden, has been delayed for hours – due to mechanical issues caused by cicadas,’ Jonathan Lemire, a reporter for the Associated Press, said in a tweet late Tuesday. ‘Yes. Cicadas.’ Reporters gathered at a Marriott Hotel near Dulles International Airport were told by a White House aide that the insects had flown into the engine, causing mechanical problems that required the airline to obtain a new plane and a new captain for the flight. The journalists ended up delayed more than five hours.”

The Australian Broadcasting Company details a deadly 2012 mission undertaken by Australian special forces at Sara Aw that some believe to be the deadliest war crime committed by Australians in Afghanistan.

According to the interviews and video reviewed by ABC, the mission left 13 unarmed Afghans dead.  The men and boys were harvesting onions in a field when two US military helicopters, carrying the Australian SAS, saw the group scatter from the approaching aircraft.

The two squads, designated Zulu 1 and Zulu 2, along with their Afghan allies, were following a tip that Taliban were operating in the area.  As Zulu 2 landed to clear a nearby village, Zulu 1 circled the field as the men and boys fled. 

https://youtu.be/_qo78C-9opc

Discussing the ongoing questions about the pants Donald Trump wore during his presentation (?) at the North Carolina Republican Convention–Were they on backwards?  Were they fancy sweat pants?  Did he wet his adult diaper?–Brian Williams of MSNBC rather nicely summed up the issue:

“Mostly, though, they were giant. It’s not body shaming as much as it is a straight up observation that those pants could easily accommodate a family of four.”

The New York Times accidentally published a provocative story this afternoon that police discovered fields of watermelons on Mars, reportedly to feed the rise of fruit aliens, Futurism reports.

Apparently, now, police are in charge of interplanetary vine fruit harvests, but that’s beside the point.  We need to know more about the fruit aliens.

The story, written under the byline of Joe Schmoe, stated that “The FBI declined to comment on reports of watermelons raining down, but confirmed that kiwis have been intercepted” before declaring “This story is terribly boring.”

The Times quickly removed the story, saying that it was published accidentally as a new system was being tested… to which we respond, “Suuuuuurrreeeee it was an accident, New York Times.  We know the alien overlords got to you first.”

Democratic Senators were unable to move the Paycheck Fairness Act forward after the Republican caucus invoked the filibuster and Democrats could only muster 50 votes, to the Republicans’ 49, to break the filibuster, falling short of the required 60 vote threshold, the New York Times reports.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would make it more difficult for employers to pay women and members of the LGBTQ community less for the same work done by a straight man.  It would require employers to provide justification for lower pay in legal cases or arbitration, as well as provide workers more avenues to pursue unfair pay claims, including class action lawsuits.

“There’s absolutely nothing controversial about making sure every worker gets paid fairly for their work,” Democratic Washington Senator Patty Murray said on Tuesday.

The PFA stood little chance of passing because key Republicans, at the urging of lobbying groups like the US Chamber of Commerce, would never have supported it.  That may have been the plan for Democrats to show the continuing futility caused by the filibuster.

Jack Ciattarelli, a former member of the state house, won the Republican primary for the nomination for New Jersey governor and will take on incumbent Democratic Governor Phil Murphy in a November election, CNN reports.

The mainstream GOP choice, Ciattarelli won the four-candidate race against engineer Hirsh Singh, pastor Phil Rizzo and former Franklin, New Jersey Mayor Brian Levine.  Ciattarelli ran for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2017, but finished second behind Kim Guadagno, who ultimately lost to Murphy.

Ciattarelli runs a medical publishing company.  He has served in various elected posts from town council to the state assembly.

https://youtu.be/6w1t5cq3YHw

Republican South Carolina Senator (and man always aware of where the nearest fainting couch is located) Lindsey Graham says that the unproven theory that the coronavirus escaped from a Chinese lab might have changed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

The so-called “delta” variant of the coronavirus, originally known as the Indian variant, is now accounting for about one in 15 new coronavirus cases in the United States, the Washington Post reports.

The delta variant is currently the predominant strain sweeping through the United Kingdom, and it could take precedent here in the United States because it is more likely to infect young people who aren’t vaccinated.  Data from the UK show that the delta variant is “peaking” among 12- to 20-year olds and now accounts for 60% of the new cases across the nation.

“It’s essentially taking over” in the United Kingdom, Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a briefing for reporters. “We cannot let that happen in the United States, which is such a powerful argument” for vaccination, he said.

https://youtu.be/zvdCbtFWITg

Prolific anti-vaxxer Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, a woman who says that COVID isn’t really all that dangerous and the coronavirus vaccine has led to 5,000 deaths, testified to the Ohio House Committee on Health that there is metal in the coronavirus vaccine that magnetizes people to the point that keys and flatware will cling to their heads.  “They put a key on their forehead and it sticks.  They can put spoons and forks all over them and they stick.”

“I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures all over the internet,” Tenpenny says as a woman nods in agreement behind her.

Tenpenny is a Doctor of Osteopathy “educated” at  Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri.  Scarily, she was the director of emergency medicine at Blanchard Valley Hospital in Findlay, Ohio from 1986 to 1998.