The Inflation Reduction Act passed the Senate AND Mar-A-Lago received a house call from the FBI (a great day all-around).

Monday, August 7, 2022
BY JULIA CLAIRE & CROOKED MEDIA
- Disgraced former president Trump ([link removed]) to two of his generals, and yes he did mean those Germans

We did it, Joe.

* The Inflation Reduction Act passed the Senate ([link removed]) Sunday along party lines, and Vice President Harris broke the 50-50 tie. With just three months til the November midterms, this looming legislative accomplishment could not have come at a better time. The package now moves to the House, where representatives will vote as early as Friday.

* Have I mentioned lately how badly we need an Arizona progressive to primary Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)? Not only did she kill a provision narrowing the carried-interest loophole last week, she also demanded that a provision be added to the 15 percent minimum tax on corporations whose profits total $1 billion or more to exempt companies purchased by private-equity firms ([link removed]) . You know, the little guys! Sinema’s office claimed that it would “hurt small businesses” owned by private equity, a claim analysts flatly dismiss. A tax expert at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy said, “The idea that billion-dollar private equity funds must be protected to save small businesses is absolutely absurd.” Of course, Republicans loved this idea, and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) worked with Sinema to write the amendment. The Senate later voted 51-50 to make up the lost revenue by limiting “pass-through”
companies—which can include private-equity firms—from claiming more than $250,000 in annual tax deductions.

* Another not-so-stellar change to the bill was that Republicans forced a $35 cap on out-of-pocket spending on insulin for patients with private insurance ([link removed]) to be stripped from the bill. A $35 cap on insulin for Medicare beneficiaries survived, which will be a huge help to the one-in-three Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, and a solid start. But the Senate parliamentarian advised that extending the cap to the private market was not compliant with the rules of the budget-reconciliation process, allowing Republicans to yeet it all the way into a K Street bonfire. The Senate can waive these objections (and has in the past) but under current rules, that requires 60 votes. Senate Dems and seven Republicans voted to keep the provisions, leaving them just shy of 60. Reminder: abolish the filibuster and all these dumb rules become moot.

So, what now?

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has ([link removed]) promised to “move swiftly to send this bill to the President’s desk.” If the bill goes to Biden’s desk unchanged, it could slash domestic greenhouse-gas emissions, and finally boost U.S. credibility ([link removed]) on climate action, and would be simultaneously the most significant piece of climate legislation ever passed in the U.S. as well as the biggest change to the health-care system since the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

* There’s no arguing that the year-plus long process it took to get this bill viable and passed wasn’t demoralizing, but that shouldn’t sour us on the ultimate outcome. For all of the compromises progressive Democrats had to make, all of the handwriting from Sens. Sinema and Joe Manchin (D-WV), and their demands on behalf of the private equity and fossil fuel industries ([link removed]) , respectively, this is a monumental climate and health-care spending bill, financed with tax increases on corporations and the wealthy and better funding for the IRS, and has zero Republican support. There is no confusing the two parties here. As we reported last week, where Republicans have power, they abuse it to literally penalize businesses trying to decarbonize.

This bill features some provisions many of us on the left oppose, but it’s still a huge win and firm ground upon which to build. It’s not the end of this conversation, it’s just the beginning. It’s (finally) a massive paradigm shift in federal climate action and healthcare costs, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Join Jon Lovett at the Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles for Lovett or Leave It Live this fall, as the sweaters come out, the leaves start crunching, and the news keeps coming! He’ll be taking a deep dive into all of the biggest headlines, and of course you’ll be laughing as he’s joined by his many hilarious and genius friends. What else do you have going on?!

Tickets are on sale right now, so get yours at CROOKED.COM/EVENTS ([link removed])
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Indiana has become the first state in the country since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade to ban abortion in nearly all instances ([link removed]) . Many states had old trigger laws on the books that snapped back into effect after the decision came down, but Indiana is the first state to pass new legislation of this kind since the Dobbs ruling. The state House and Senate chambers passed the bill, then sent it to Gov. Eric Holcomb (R-IN) all on the same day. The ban takes effect September 15, and stipulates that abortions can only be performed at hospitals or outpatient centers, which will nullify the licenses of all Indiana abortion clinics. The ban includes exceptions for rape, incest, lethal fetal anomaly, and if the fetus endangers the life of the mother. Some Republican legislators opposed the ban for these exceptions, arguing it doesn’t go far enough. State Rep. John Jacob (R-IN) is one such opponent, definitely saying
on the state house floor, “The body inside of the mom’s body is not her body. Not her body, not her choice.” Jacob wanted the exception for rape removed, what a guy. This horrific ban replaces Indiana’s current law allowing abortions up to 20 weeks.

The FBI executed a federal search warrant at Mar-A-Lago ([link removed]) and I just wish we had a confetti gun for the occasion. If you aren’t thrilled enough already, read this not-at-all-mad statement ([link removed]) Trump issued in a big fucking hurry, and remember: The FBI can’t execute a search warrant unless a federal judge agrees that investigators are likely to find evidence of criminal conduct.


The Trump-backed Republican nominee for Michigan attorney general Matthew DePerno (R-MI) is, you guessed it, being investigated for tampering with voting equipment in 2020 ([link removed]) as he was doing Trump’s bidding in the early days of the Big Lie.


President Biden and the First Lady arrived in Kentucky today to meet with families and view damage ([link removed]) from storms that have resulted in the worst flooding in Kentucky history.


The Washington, DC, area is facing an increasing problem of excess salt in water sources ([link removed]) , a growing issue nationwide that may cost water utilities several hundred million dollars in desalinization efforts.


Human remains have been found in Lake Mead for the fourth time since May as the reservoir continues to dry up due to the region’s severe drought ([link removed]) .


Four muslim men have been shot and killed in New Mexico in recent months, with three in the last two weeks ([link removed]) , prompting Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) to increase state-police presence and commission an investigation to determine if the murders are connected.


Paul Manafort, Trump’s 2016 campaign chairman, admitted to passing Trump campaign data and strategic plans to a suspected Russian asset ([link removed]) during the election.


Firefighters in Denver rescued multiple people from their cars last night ([link removed]) as the National Weather Service warned of “persistent threat of thunderstorms” in the region this week as well as monsoon showers and “debris flows.”


Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly Robin Vos reportedly paid former Wisconsin state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gabelman $11,000 per month in taxpayer dollars to conduct a sham investigation into voter fraud in the 2020 election, only for Vos to now lose Trump’s endorsement since he didn’t entertain the disgraced former president’s lunatic demands to decertify the result ([link removed]) .


A new report issued by the House Oversight Committee shows that gun manufacturers use “disturbing sales tactics” including appealing to white supremacist and patriarchal tendencies ([link removed]) to sell assault weapons to civilians. We could have told you that.


Cryptocurrency lender Celsius, which just last month declared bankruptcy, asked if they could pay their former CFO $93,000 per month as the company’s legal proceedings continue ([link removed]) . My guess is that CFO is not taking his earnings in crypto.


Travis McMichael, the White Georgia man who chased down and fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was jogging in his neighborhood, was sentenced to life in state prison today for committing a hate crime ([link removed]) .


After 40 years of Massachusetts Indigenous groups working to change the circa-1898 state seal, which features a rendering of a Native American, a special commission voted unanimously to change the state flag ([link removed]) , and the debate over how to change it has commenced.

On Friday, the Madison County school system in North Carolina announced plans to put AR-15 rifles in every school in the district ([link removed]) to “prevent” deaths in the event of a mass shooting. Sounds like a totally normal solution that will definitely work!

The GOP strategy of nominating Trump-endorsed celebrities for marquee races this coming midterm-election cycle is starting to backfire ([link removed]) , setting back their hopes of retaking the Senate. The Republican roster of unhinged, high-profile loonies like sociopathic former NFL star Herschel Walker in Georgia, Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, and my personal least-favorite: JD Vance in Ohio, are all trailing in recent polls despite an otherwise-favorable political environment for Republicans. Many feel this harks back to 2010 and 2012 when loose-cannon Tea Party candidates lost races Republicans should have won, allowing Democrats to hold the Senate for two cycles. Nevertheless, as we’ve seen [gestures wildly to 2016] “political outsiders” can do much better than many people expect. If the celebrity Republican charlatans lose, it’s partly a referendum on how the larger voting population sees Trump, and if they win, we’re
stuck with a Republican Senate majority made up of some truly scary characters.
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They won't stop here. Neither will we.

The Supreme Court issued a shameful ruling explicitly overturning Roe v. Wade – turning its back on 50 years of precedent.


Emboldened by this decision, anti-abortion extremists and their political allies won't stop here. Opponents of freedom are planning for a nationwide ban on abortion. And they're also attacking our right to use birth control, access gender-affirming care, marry who we love, and vote.


But the ACLU has been preparing for this moment. We're committed to using the full force of our organization to fight these assaults in the courts, in statehouses, in the streets, and at the ballot box. And we're ready to work as hard as it takes – for as long as it takes – to protect all our civil liberties.


The ACLU needs you now more than ever – not just for today – but for the long haul. Donate in this crucial moment to ensure we have the resources needed for the urgent work ahead to defend people's rights. ([link removed])


The ACLU will never back down and we know you won't either. Because, we, the people, always have the power to fight back. And, with your support, that's what we intend to do.


Thanks for taking action,

The ACLU Team

A ceasefire between Israeli and Palestinian forces, mediated by Egypt, began in Gaza yesterday ([link removed]) .


A new report shows that not only would a four-day work week be better for workers’ overall quality of life, it would greatly reduce carbon emissions ([link removed]) .


President Biden has tested negative for three days straight and is out of isolation ([link removed]) . He’s outside and the aviators are BACK ON.

Two years’ worth of Alex Jones’s text messages have been turned over to the January 6 committee ([link removed]) . Have fun, everybody!
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