1. The Durham Report
After years of anticipation and speculation, the Durham report has finally been unveiled. The four-year investigation has been a thorn in the side of our bureaucratic machinery, and the report itself further exposes untrustworthiness in our institutions.
The Special Counsel’s report, a 300-page censure of the FBI's handling of its Trump-Russia investigation, lays bare the unsettling truth that we long suspected - there was a blatant failure to uphold the integrity of the bureau's "important mission."
And we see now, it was more than just a failure of oversight. It was a pervasive disregard for due process and a startling lack of professionalism.
Even CNN had to admit that the newly released report exonerated former President Trump and was “devastating” for the FBI. Part of the report says,
"senior FBI personnel displayed a serious lack of analytical rigor towards the information that they received, especially information received from politically-affiliated persons and entities … In particular, there was significant reliance on investigative leads provided or funded (directly or indirectly) by Trump's political opponents."
This is about more than partisanship. It's about the sanctity of the democratic process, about ensuring that our institutions function as intended, without bias, without prejudice. The sanctity of our elections, the foundation of our democracy, was at stake in this investigation, and the FBI, as Durham's report suggests, fell short of its "important mission".
This is also a good time to remember the media’s breathless reporting on the Trump-Russia collusion story. They gave themselves Pulitzers for the rampant disinformation they spewed at the time. If you want a refresher, the New York Post editorial board published a list of media lies around this story in 2021 … it’s only gotten longer since.
It's a call to accountability, a call for the restoration of faith in the process, at the same time we see the judicial process going after Trump in what looks to many – and me – as full-throated partisan politics.
Learn More:
You can read the full Durham Report here
The National Review: FBI Lacked ‘Any Actual Evidence of Collusion’ between Trump Campaign, Russia When Crossfire Hurricane Launched, Durham Finds
Gregg Jarrett at Fox: Bombshell Durham report confirms FBI, Justice Department had these radical motives
2. Roger Ailes’ widow remembers
Elizabeth Ailes posted a tweet yesterday, remembering her former husband on his birthday, and bemoaning Murdoch's stewardship of Fox News:
“Happy Heavenly Birthday Roger Ailes. It took you 20 years to build Fox News into the powerhouse that it was and only 6 years for the Murdochs to wreak havoc. Rupert thought he could do your job. What a joke. He has the checkbook but could never come close to your genius. RIP.”
3. CBS touts eating bugs
Oh, the things you miss if you’ve tuned out the establishment press. CBS Saturday Morning featured a segment suggesting adding insects into your diet could provide benefits for a growing world affected by climate change.
To counter meat, the segment described efforts by climate experts (of course) to explore saving the planet by farming bugs. Host Dana Jacobson: “Climate researchers say bugs could be a game changer in the fight to protect the planet in ways you may not have imagined."
4. Ex-Marine's defense fund strikes a chord
A legal defense fundraiser for Daniel Penny — the 24-year-old former Marine charged with manslaughter in the death of an erratic homeless man on a NYC subway — has passed $2.2 million.
It’s hosted on GiveSendGo, which I’ve written about before. It’s a Christian-oriented crowdfunding site that has been a great alternative to GoFundMe, a site that routinely cancels fundraisers deemed offensive by easily offendable people.
I say Purge the whole Intel community
All involved should be prosecuted
NO exceptions
Reform FBI
Change Mgmt
No Reruns of this ever
So basically the Durham Report confirms what half the country already knew, but recommends not holding anybody accountable. Gratifying on one level and deeply disappointing on another. With no consequences for their perfidy, why will anything change? The other half of the country will still insist it is Trump who lies, and his presidency will bear those scars and continued persecutions. So there is really no purpose in this report except costing a lot of money and as usual the media will ignore it after a day. Durham could have released his report under a different administration had he been a little more timely. Trump, whatever your propagandized opinion of him, has been gravely wounded by The Establishment and its institutions. Somebody should have to pay. Imo. 😳