DL Open Thread: Friday, August 5, 2022

The Kavanaugh FBI Investigation That Wasn’t.   The FBI just forwarded all the tips to–the Trump White House:

WHITEHOUSE: As you know, we are entering the fourth year of a frustrating saga […] regarding the Kavanaugh supplemental background investigation, and I’d like to get that matter wrapped up. First, is it true that after Kavanaugh-related tips were separated from other tips, that they were forwarded to White House counsel without investigation?
WRAY: … When it comes to the tip line, we wanted to make sure the White House had all the information we had, so when the hundreds of calls started coming it, we gathered those up, reviewed them and provided them to the White House—
WHITEHOUSE: Without investigation?
WRAY: We reviewed them and then provided them to the White House.
WHITEHOUSE: You reviewed them for the purposes of separating from tip line traffic but did not further investigate the ones that related to Kavanaugh, correct?
WRAY: Correct.
WHITEHOUSE: Is it also true that in that supplemental BI [background investigation], the FBI took direction from the White House as to whom the FBI would question and even what questions the FBI could ask?
WRAY: So it is true … as to the who. I am not sure as I sit here whether it is true as to the what questions.

Rethug response in 3-2-1:  ‘B-b-b-ut Hunter Biden.’

Speaking Of Out-Of-Control Police Agencies…:  Border Patrol agents confiscate turbans from Sikhs b/c they can:

U.S. authorities are investigating complaints that the religious rights of dozens of Sikh asylum seekers were violated recently when their turbans were confiscated by Border Patrol agents in the Yuma, Ariz., area, officials said Wednesday.

The ACLU letter to Magnus, reported Tuesday by the Intercept, said the confiscation of the turbans was part of a “more universal, well-documented, and recurring practice by agents in the Yuma Border Patrol Sector of forcing apprehended migrants to discard nearly all of their personal property in advance of processing.”

What Sinema Got In Exchange For Her Vote:

To win Ms. Sinema’s support, Democratic leaders agreed to drop a $14 billion tax increase on some wealthy hedge fund managers and private equity executives that she had opposed, change the structure of a 15 percent minimum tax on corporations, and include drought money to benefit Arizona.

And Here’s What Manchin Got.  A litigation-free natural gas pipeline for WV:

The White House and congressional leaders have agreed to step in and ensure final approval of all permits that the Mountain Valley Pipeline needs, according to a summary released by Manchin’s office Monday evening. The agreement, which would require separate legislation, would also strip jurisdiction over any further legal challenges to those permits from a federal appeals court that has repeatedly ruled that the project violated the law.

The provisions, according to the summary, will “require the relevant agencies to take all necessary actions to permit the construction and operation of the Mountain Valley Pipeline” and would shift jurisdiction “over any further litigation” to a different court, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In essence, the Democratic leadership accepted a 303-mile, two-state pipeline fostering continued use of fossil fuels in exchange for cleaner energy and reduced greenhouse emissions nationwide. Manchin has been pushing publicly for the pipeline to be completed, arguing it would move much needed energy supplies to market, promote the growth of West Virginia’s natural gas industry and create well-paid construction jobs.

I can’t even…

Pity The Poor RNC Members Ensnared In Trump’s Web Of Corruption.  Sad.  Which reminds me–betcha he doesn’t announce ‘too early’:

The RNC has paid almost $2 million in legal fees for the former president as he faces different investigations into his financial dealings and conduct during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, a committee official told ABC News. However, those payments will end soon after Trump announces a reelection bid because of the RNC’s policies on maintaining neutrality in elections — meaning if the former president announces a bid too soon, the RNC could stop contributing to his legal costs.

Meta Lowers Safeguards On Election Misinformation. Guess all those Russian rubles are needed to counterbalance their revenue shortfalls:

It’s a sharp departure from the social media giant’s multibillion-dollar efforts to enhance the accuracy of posts about U.S. elections and regain trust from lawmakers and the public after their outrage over learning the company had exploited people’s data and allowed falsehoods to overrun its site during the 2016 campaign.

The pivot is raising alarm about Meta’s priorities and about how some might exploit the world’s most popular social media platforms to spread misleading claims, launch fake accounts and rile up partisan extremists.

Since last year, Meta has shut down an examination into how falsehoods are amplified in political ads on Facebook by indefinitely banishing the researchers from the site.

There’s a lot more. This article is well worth reading.

What do you want to talk about?