The US Marshals service on Monday assigned additional officers to guard DC Circuit Judge Tanya S Chutkan as she prepares to oversee the apocalyptic case against disgraced former President Trump for his efforts to remain in power after his humiliating defeat in the 2020 election, CNN reports.

“Ensuring that judges can rule independently and free from harm or intimidation is paramount to the rule of law, and a fundamental mission of the USMS,” spokesman Drew Wade told CNN. “While we do not discuss our specific security measures, we continuously review the measures in place and take appropriate steps to ensure the integrity of the federal judicial process.” The Marshals did not cite to CNN any specific threats, but doing more to keep Chutkan safe as she prepares to oversee the case against the most dangerous terrorist leader in US history seems like a no-brainer.

It’s already been made clear the leader of the failed Maricopa County, Arizona “audit” and subsequently failed company “Cyber Ninjas” Doug Logan really doesn’t want people reading his correspondences with other “Stop the Steal” figures from the post-2020 election period as he’s been fighting in court for nearly two years to keep the private. What’s already been made public just makes him look like an asshole who had no idea what he was doing, like when he told an associate “It’s on my list to read through the Arizona election laws. I guess I should move that up on the list,” literally just days before he was officially hired by the Arizona state Senate to Maricopa “audit.”

Pretty embarrassing, but probably pretty short of criminal activity unless it somehow contradicted sworn testimony. His texts in January 2021 concerning the breach of a county clerk’s office in rural Georgia on the other hand are probably a little more on the “Oh shit I could end up in prison” side.

So we can get why Logan wants to continue fighting a public records lawsuit brought by the Arizona Republic for access to his texts. Maybe it’s the embarrassment factor as, per the Republic, Logan’s already been informed he won’t face charges in connection to the recent indictments brought against three (or more) of the MAGA assholes who possessed and tampered with a Dominion vote tabulator absconded from a town clerk’s office in the Great Lakes state, which happened around the same time he exchanged 2,400 texts with conspiracy freak defendant Stefanie Lambert – reportedly more than any other person – before, during, and after the Maricopa shitshow.

It’s not clear what Logan’s level of involvement was in the Michigan plot, but we would hazard the evidence fell short of getting caught on tape walking into a clerk’s office like he was during the January 2021 Coffee County, Georgia heist. So the texts with Lambert are likely at minimum embarrassing to Logan’s non-existent professional reputation. But if they’re not incriminating in Michigan then they might be interest to prosecutors in Georgia or even Arizona.

Surpassing 40,000 donors, Mike Pence reached the threshold needed to participate in the upcoming first Republican presidential debate, scheduled for August 23rd in Milwaukee, hosted by the Fox cable propaganda network.  Pence had already reached the other criterion:  having a pulse in the polls.

The other Republicans who have reached the requirements set by the RNC:  indicted felon Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis; South Carolina Senator not named Lindsey Graham Tim Scott; former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley; former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and political dilettante Vivek Ramaswamy.

Trump has not committed to participating, and given his multiple court proceedings, it’s possible he could have other plans, as dictated by a judge.  However, should he attend, it might be the first time Trump and Pence have been in the same venue at the same time since their last days in the White House.

An elite North Korean cyberwarfare team hacked into the computer systems of a Russian missile designer, gaining access to key plans for about five months, and apparently lifting design specs that helped boost its own missile program, Reuters reports.

Dubbed ScarCruft and Lazarus by cybersecurity experts, the North Korean teams were able to infiltrate the NPO Mashinostroyeniya defense technology company.  Months later, North Korea announced it has itself developed technologies for its missile systems similar to what NPO Mashinostroyeniya had.

The situation gets a little sticky when you consider Russia and North Korea are actively seeking ways to increase trade between the two countries.  North Korea needs food; Russia needs ammunition.  And they’ve already held high-level talks about increasing their trade.

“We will continue to follow the information wherever it takes us and provide it to the American public,” Speaker pro tem Kevin McCarthy tells Trump advisor Sean Hannity.  “The difference here is, we don’t do it for political purposes.  We follow the Constitution.  That’s exactly what was played out during the Nixon administration and Congress.  They voted to have an impeachment inquiry and I raised it on this show not long ga-go, that because of the actions of the Biden Administration withholding information that that would rise to the level w-we would need impeachment inquiry to give the strength of the Congress to get the information that we need to give to the American public and follow through on our Constitutional authority.  That is exactly what we’re doing and that is exactly what we’ll continue to do.”

According to a new filing in the case, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan has ordered the special counsel and Donald Trump’s lawyer to meet for a hearing in court sometime before the close of business on Friday, August 11th to determine the details of the protection order the government has asked for.

The Special Counsel’s office responded to Donald Trump’s attorneys’ response to its motion for a protective order covering information prosecutors will turn over to Trump’s team, stopping Trump from using it to intimidate witnesses, potential jurors, and court officers.  “On Sunday, August 6, defense counsel appeared on five television programs and discussed this case in detail, publicly commenting on topics including the parties’ disagreement over the protective order, the defense’s planned legal arguments, the defendant’s actions and statements during the charged conspiracies, and expected testimony of a prospective witness. For instance, regarding the protective order, defense counsel stated:”… and then listed five times when John Lauro stated he advocated to disclose information the Special Counsel’s office would release to Team Trump.

The defendant’s proposed order would lead to the public dissemination of discovery material. Indeed, that is the defendant’s stated goal; the defendant seeks to use the discovery material to litigate this case in the media. But that is contrary to the purpose of criminal discovery, which is to afford defendants the ability to prepare for and mount a defense in court—not to wage a media campaign. The Court should instead enter the Government’s proposed order. …

This District’s rules prohibit defense counsel from doing precisely what he has stated he intends to do with discovery if permitted: publicize, outside of court, details of this case, including the testimony of anticipated witnesses. Local Criminal Rule 57.7(b) provides that it is the duty of attorneys in criminal cases not to publicly disseminate “information or opinion” regarding, among other things, “[t]he existence or contents of any . . . statement given by the accused” or “[t]he identity, testimony, or credibility of prospective witnesses.” This is because such statements risk tainting the jury pool with inadmissible evidence or otherwise harming the integrity of these proceedings.

Frank Artiles, a one-time Republican Florida state senator, will go to trial next February for his scheme to run a sham third-party candidate to sway a state senate race after a judge wrapped up three years of the defendant’s delaying tactics, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

After Republican Ileana Garcia claimed a 32-vote victory upset against incumbent Democrat José Javier Rodríguez, Artiles said she won because he got the name of Alex Rodríguez, an auto parts salesman friend of Artiles who shares a last name with the incumbent and has the same name as a popular baseball player, on the ballot as an independent candidate to confuse voters.  It worked:  Alex Rodríguez took 6,200 votes even though he didn’t campaign or print a single yard sign.

A one-time dermatologist from California who donated enough money to the GOP that he hit the “Ambassador to Iceland” loyalty level during the last months of the Trump Administration is now making a play to take the Republican nomination for the Nevada Senate seat, the Washington Post reports.

Jeffrey Gunter announced he’ll challenge Party-anointed candidate Sam Brown, an Army veteran, and election denialist Jim Marchant for the GOP nomination to take on Democrat Jacky Rosen for the seat in 2024.

Ruling in an issue separate from tossing out Donald Trump’s defamation suit against E. Jean Carroll, whom he raped (per the court), Federal judge for the Southern District of New York Lewis Kaplan ruled that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office can receive a copy of videotaped and transcribed interviews from the original Carroll defamation and assault case she won against Trump, per Kyle Griffin of MSNBC.

While the information may not seem to directly impact the 34 financial fraud charges Alvin Bragg has leveled against Trump, Trump may have said things under oath that contradict information Bragg’s office has, particularly when it comes to how Trump handled his business operations.

Donald Trump’s lawyers have filed their 29-page response to the Special Counsel’s Office seeking a protective order against Trump to protect information, witnesses and evidence Trump may learn about through the discovery process.

Instead of hewing to this narrow framework, the government requests the Court restrict all documents produced by the government, regardless of sensitivity, contrary to established law and President Trump’s First Amendment rights. To resolve this issue, President Trump respectfully requests the Court adopt the attached redline which narrows the Proposed Order to shield only genuinely sensitive materials from public view. This more measured approach is consistent with other protective orders entered by this Court in cases concerning the events of January 6, 2021, and appropriately balances the government’s claimed desire to “protect [] highly sensitive categories of material” and “expedite the flow of discovery,” with the rights of President Trump and the public to free speech and an open proceeding.

Additionally, the Proposed Redline addresses several important definitional and procedural issues. The parties have reached agreement on a small number of these revisions, as indicated in the Proposed Redline. We discuss certain additional revisions in Section B, below.

Finally, to the extent the Court overrules President Trump’s objection to restricting the use of non-sensitive documents produced by the government, we attach an alternative redline that removes edits directed to that issue, while retaining all other proposed revisions

Mike DiNapoli, appointed by Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to be executive director of the Florida Housing Finance Corp., the state agency responsible for doling out more than $700 million in aid, was ordered to step down–in other words, suspended–from his position by the organization’s Board of Directors, the Palm Beach Post reports.

DiNapoli was barred from entering the FHFC offices or campus, and he was blocked from accessing his official email after reports surfaced of mismanagement and a hostile workplace at the 130-person organization.  DiNapoli’s six-month tenure at FHFC has been marked by significant staff turnover:  Not only did DiNapoli’s predecessor resign after a six-month term of his own, but Hugh Brown, the organization’s general counsel and chief ethics officer, left in April and his successor, Betty Zachem, resigned Thursday.

Florida’s real estate market is in shambles with sky-high rents and purchasing costs making housing unaffordable for some.  Additionally, insurers are pulling out of Florida’s dreadful market, where homes are destroyed regularly by phenomena such as hurricanes, sinkholes or soil erosion.  DeSantis, busy traveling the country as he runs for higher office, did not comment on the latest scandal to hit his administration.  A spokesperson said he “is aware” of the situation at FHFC.

Because he simply isn’t ridiculous enough, Donald John Trump–age 7-7, former president, indicted felon and court-declared rapist–had a petty, childish defamation lawsuit he filed against his rape victim, E. Jean Carroll, thrown out of court, Reuters reports.

U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York Lewis Kaplan ruled that Carroll did not defame Trump when she claimed Trump raped her in a CNN interview after a jury awarded her $5 million in her own defamation claim against Trump.  The jury in that civil suit did not find Trump inserted his mushroom into her–the act that narrowly defined rape in that accusation–because Carroll herself expressed uncertainty on the stand, saying she could tell if she was penetrated by a penis or one of Trump’s stubby thumbs.  The jury ruled, however, that Trump sexually assaulted her.

After Carroll’s appearance on CNN, Trump filed a lawsuit claiming Carroll defamed him.  Kaplan previously ruled that even if there were specific questions unanswered, the jury did effectively determine Trump raped Carroll.  Based on that and the finding that Carroll did not make her statements with malice, Kaplan tossed Trump’s lawsuit against Carroll.

One of Donald Trump’s disgraced lawyers, Rudy Giuliani, has put his 3-bedroom, 3-bath Manhattan apartment up for sale, according to a listing on Sotheby Real Estate’s website, with an asking price of $6.5 million.  Co-conspirator 1’s abode was reportedly listed starting at the end of July.

In May, Giuliani claimed he could not afford to conduct searches of material to turn over relevant information in the civil lawsuit brought by Georgia election workers Shae Moss and Ruby Freeman.  Unlike his former client, Giuliani has been unable to bilk Trump supporters out of cash to cover his legal bills and to support his exorbitant lifestyle, even though he has boasted that he’s getting $20,000 per day for his services; FEC records do not reflect him getting paid that amount.

“Accessed by a semi-private elevator landing, the welcoming, square Gallery opens into the Living Room, which benefits from pleasing proportions and three very large west-facing windows. Adjacent, a handsome wood-paneled corner Library with a wood-burning fireplace offers open views up Madison Avenue and to the west,” the listing reads, helpfully noting that 50% of the selling price may be financed.  “Nearby, a stately, well-proportioned Dining Room is oak-paneled and boasts a carved plaster ceiling and very tall leaded glass windows. The Dining Room is further distinguished by its Conservatory. With impressive leaded glass eastern and northern-facing windows, it is marvelously light-filled and ideal for a tranquil breakfast or cozy dinner.  Beyond, the cheerful eat-in-Kitchen with northern and eastern exposures and open outlooks is supported by a proper Butler’s Pantry, a Laundry Room, and a Staff Room with an ensuite bath.”

In the first such action since 1981, the 4,500 municipal workers for the City of San Jose will strike from Tuesday through Thursday this week, KTVU Fox-2 in Oakland reports. Members of IFPTE Local 21 and MEF-AFSCME Local 101 voted by a 99% to 1% margin to authorize the strike.

Leaders of the unions say the city is facing a severe manpower shortage exacerbated by years of poor working conditions and low wages.  The unions say the city’s poor recruitment and retention programs have overburdened an already stretched workforce.

Various city workers including librarians, emergency dispatchers, planners, animal shelter technicians and veterinarians, engineers, airport staff, water maintenance staff, architects, and others will stay off the job Tuesday in the first significant work action by the city’s municipal union since 1981.  It will be the first time since the Oakland city workers walked out in 2017 that an entire city government operation has been the target of a strike that went beyond a school system or a utility union.

Co-conspirator 2 in Donald Trump’s federal indictment for trying to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 election, John Eastman, asked the California judge overseeing his disbarment hearing to temporarily pause the action until he resolves a potential indictment expected from Jack Smith’s special counsel’s office, Politico reports.  In other words:  “Don’t punish me for my professional malfeasance until we figure out if I’m going to jail.”

“Respondent John Charles Eastman hereby moves the Court for an order abating the above-captioned State Bar disciplinary proceeding pending resolution of the ongoing federal criminal investigation into an alleged conspiracy involving the efforts by former President Donald Trump and six unnamed co-conspirators to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.  Alternatively, Respondent seeks a stay of this proceeding for three months to allow for an updated assessment of the scope of the ongoing investigation, including the recent federal grand jury indictment against Trump, as well as the likelihood that formal charges will be brought against Respondent.”

Reported consumer fraud losses totaled more than $8.8 billion in 2022, a 30% increase from the previous year, although the amount may no include funds falsely raised to cover federal legal expenses for politicians’ trials, the Associated Press reports.

Cryptocurrency scams led the way, taking nearly half of the money:  $3.9 billion.  The report from the Federal Trade Commission found that people between the ages of 20-29 were more likely to fall prey to scams than those in their 70s, though the amount of money lost by septuagenarians greatly outweighed the amount lost by younger people.

“When approached with urgency, give it an extra three-second pause,” said Amanda Clayman, a financial therapist who works with digital payment network Zelle around issues of fraud, giving great advice to people who respond to the thousands of panicked emails and text messages sent by an indicted former president and his lackeys. “When someone is trying to get us to take action quickly, that’s usually a red flag indicating we should do the opposite.”

The last former Minneapolis Police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd in May 2020 has been sentenced to more than four years in state prison, the Associated Press reports.  Tou Thao was sentence to four years, nine months in prison for his role in Floyd’s death, for which he was found guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter; Thao had turned down a plea agreement.  Previously, he was found guilty of federal charges and sentenced to three-and-a-half-years in federal prison.

Thao described in his role in holding back the crowd as then-0fficer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s back and neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd repeated stated he couldn’t breathe.  During the sentencing hearing on “I did not commit these crimes,” Thao said. “My conscience is clear. I will not be a Judas nor join a mob in self-preservation or betray my God.”

The former head of counterintelligence for the FBI’s New York field office is expected to plead guilty to charges that he got paid to help try to the the US sanctions against Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska lifted, ABC News reports.  Lawyers for Charles McGonigal entered a notice Saturday that a court appearance scheduled for Monday should be reclassified as a “plea proceeding,” although specific details of the deal were not released.

Having retired from the FBI in 2018, McGonigal reportedly took money from Deripaska to try to get the sanctions against Deripaska lifted, and he used FBI resources to get information on Deripaska’s rivals, which he transmitted to the Russian billionaire.  McGonigal is also accused of accepting an undisclosed $225,000 payment from a former agent of the Albanian intelligence service who is now living in New Jersey.

Highlighting Donald Trump’s penchant for demeaning people and lying in social media posts, curvy couch resident Steve Doocy asks a common sense question:  does anyone review things Trump posts before he hits send?  Spokeslawyer Alina Habba doesn’t see Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric online for anyone but Trump’s opponents.  “Yeah, um, the [former] president obviously has access to his social media.  There’s a system in place meaning that we have a ton of communications people as we know, but in terms of what he does day-by-day, minute-by-minute, I can’t speak to that.  I wouldn’t speak to that.  That’s his personal business.”