Good morning,
Trump
Donald Trump’s has been impeached twice, and now the impeachment evidence must be tried in the U.S. Senate for a conviction, which importantly would help prevent this man from running for President again in 2024. It’s a dangerous and defining moment for the Republic party and for America. Is there any doubt Trump denied the election results for 2 months, and then incited the crowd additionally that day before a march that led to the assault on the Capitol? Of course it’s clear to any sensible person who watched The U.S. election that Trump was trying to block V.P. Pence and The Senate from certifying the election results. And, that he further incited a crowd that day to go to the Capitol building and “fight like hell”. Trump is charged with incitement and insurrection. If you don’t believe he’s guilty of that, there is nothing that would convince you because the facts are clear.
So why won’t Republicans join with The Democrats and convict? This morning I listened to Sarah Palin who was a Republican nominee for V.P., saying the crowd “was stupid and violent” but Trump didn’t do this. Palin on ITV said there were “shenanigans” and still wouldn’t admit the election was fair and square. She was pressed repeatedly did Joe Biden win the election? She glazed over the question, saying evidently Biden won because he was sworn in, but she again questioned the election numbers and said “what about all the dead people who voted”. As host Piers Morgan noted “Sarah you sound totally bonkers” and she responded “you sound bonkers”. But there was indeed no evidence of wide spread fraud that would have changed the election result. But through Palin and many more Republicans, Trumps big election lie is still alive and unwell.
The Republican party has a chance in this trial to convict, to exorcise Trump and his cancerous shadow over American politics, but they are likely, (not 100% for sure) to support Trump because they won’t cut their electoral lifelines to that sick but robust corner of the party that sends them money and votes, like conspiracy nuts QAnon and white supremacists and paranoid militias. Let’s all watch and count how many Republicans stand with Trump and maybe later fall or thrive in elections ahead. American democracy will be defined, at least in the short term, by this impeachment trial.
Republican senators know their votes will be counted very publicly and conservative writer Bill Kristol wrote “All the Trump supporters saying the outcome’s pre-ordained and that the presentations, evidence and witnesses couldn’t make a difference, seems to be an attempt to make sure Republican senators pay no attention to the presentations, evidence, or witnesses. But what if they do?”
Covid19
Europe is about to be over run with new Covid variants as is America and these variants are vaccine resistant. That’s the bold and scary truth, that as we race to get people vaccinated the variants will outpace the vaccines.
For instance in Austria’s Tyrol, 293 cases of the South African variant has been found and the ski resort town should have been placed under quarantine. But because the province is fighting for tourist dollars, it has lobbied the National Government to remain open and it is.
https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-austria/austria-tries-to-contain-south-african-variant-outbreak-by-voluntary-means-idINKBN2A81Q6
In France President Macron is under growing pressure for another National lockdown because the UK variant and South African variant have been found and covid cases and hospitalizations are rising rapidly.
Mujtaba Rahman, from the geopolitical risk firm Eurasia Group, warned the move could backfire on Mr Macron. She tweeted: “Emmanuel Macron has taken a big gamble in refusing a third French lockdown.and “could yet come back to haunt and seriously damage him.
In the UK. where vaccines are going quickly, the problem remains variants will threaten that progress, so the Government has sensibly announced it will ask visitors from countries with variants to quarantine in hotels for 10 days if arriving from so called Red List countries like South Africa, Portugal and The UAE. But like the failure of track and trace here, and late lockdowns, the Gov now has to admit it has secured zero hotels to do this. So the borders are open and the variants will spread here too.
If there is a light at the end of the tunnel, you have to take drug companies at their word they will tweak the vaccines and be able to combat the new variants sometime this autumn, but if true, that means another vaccine rollout and that will be another winter of restrictions and disruptions.
WE ARE A LONG WAY FROM SOLVING THE PANDEMIC.
ISRAEL - NETANYAHU
Israeli P.M. Netanyahu’s corruption trial has resumed just as the general election is weeks away, so the Judge is leaning towards calling witnesses after the elections.
He is accused of granting political favors to businessmen in exchange for gifts worth several hundred thousand dollars, and influencing media coverage with regulatory favors promised to media owners.
If convicted, Mr. Netanyahu could face several years in prison, but justice has continually been delayed in Israel and this trial could take months or maybe more.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/netanyahu-formally-denies-corruption-charges-658276
Have a good day everyone.