A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
Good Morning, Everyone!
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman confirmed her disgusting scoop on Trump’s tendency to flush documents down the toilet–a blatant violation of the Presidential Records Act–with photos she recently shared with Axios, which published the pics just this morning.
- The photos reportedly show two different toilets with Trump’s notes just chillin’ at the bottom of the bowl:
- Trump had denied Haberman’s toilet report when it came out earlier this year, insisting it was a “fake story” that was “simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book.”
- Trump’s destructive handling of classified White House docs (which, in addition to toilet-flushing, includes ripping them to pieces and improperly stashing them at his Mar-A-Lago resort) is being investigated by the Justice Department and the House Oversight Committee.
Senate Passes Historic Climate Bill
Senate Democrats successfully passed their sweeping reconciliation bill on climate investment, taxes and drug pricing, aka the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, on Sunday:
- Senate Republicans stripped a provision in the bill that would’ve put a $35 cap on insulin for private insurers. However, the $35 cap provision on insulin for people 65 and older on Medicare survived.
- The House will likely take up the bill on Friday, when the chamber is back in session.
Biden Tests Negative For COVID
White House physician Kevin O’Connor reported on Sunday that Biden had tested negative for COVID-19 for a second consecutive day earlier that morning, clearing him for travel and allowing him to resume his schedule.
Indiana Passes Near-Total Abortion Ban
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) late Friday signed the state GOP-controlled legislature’s ban on abortion that has only limited exceptions for rape, incest and the pregnant person’s health.
Secret Service Hands Over Agents’ Cell Numbers
The Secret Service has turned over agents’ personal cell phone numbers to investigators probing the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, ABC News and CNN report.
- The Secret Service gave the numbers specifically to the House Jan. 6 Committee, according to ABC News. CNN’s report is more vague about to whom exactly the agency handed over the numbers.
Fetterman To Return To Campaign Trail
On Friday, Democratic Pennsylvania Senate nominee John Fetterman will be holding his first campaign rally since suffering a stroke just a few days before his primary in May.
- The rally will be in Erie, which Fetterman described in his announcement as the state’s “most important bellwether county” in an election.
- Fetterman’s been crushing GOP rival and New Jersey celebrity Mehmet Oz in the polls despite his absence on the campaign trail: A July 28 Fox News poll put the Democrat at 11 points ahead of the Jerseyan (Fetterman’s also been thoroughly owning Oz online).
Mastriano Looking To Weasel Out Of Testifying In Front Of Jan. 6 Panel
Doug Mastriano, Pennsylvania’s hardcore MAGA gubernatorial nominee, sent a letter to the House Jan. 6 Committee via his lawyer on Friday threatening to pull out of his agreement to sit in for a deposition unless the lawyer can record the session. The committee’s really not likely to go for that.
Jury Rocks Alex Jones With $49.3 Million Verdict In Sandy Hook Case
The jury in the Texas defamation trial by the parents of a Sandy Hook victim against far-right conspiracy monger Alex Jones decided on Friday that Jones must pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents after repeatedly lying about their child’s death being a false flag operation.
- The jury had awarded the parents $4.1 million in compensatory damages on Thursday, bringing the total to $49.3 million.
- The trouble ain’t over yet for Jones: He still has two more defamation trials coming up in which juries will decide how much he’ll have to pay out to the Sandy Hook families he and his fans terrorized for years.
Pro-Impeachment GOPer Survives Primary
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the Jan. 6 attack, has won his primary.
- It’s too early to tell if Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), a fellow pro-impeachment Washington Republican, will make it through her primary.
- Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI), the other pro-impeachment Republican who had a primary on Tuesday, was defeated by election denier John Gibbs.
GOP Chooses Milwaukee To Host 2024 Convention
GOP chair Ronna McDaniel announced on Friday that the 2024 Republican National Convention will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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