The Start of the Jan. 6 Insurrection Inquiry Shows Its Stakes—And Its Shortcoming

 https://time.com/6084466/jan-6-inquiry-begins-capitol-insurrection/

 The insurrection was an act of political violence that grew from the conspiracy theories and lies promoted by the Trump campaign about the election outcome. “It’s not a secret that it was political. They literally were there to ‘stop the steal,’” said Officer Dunn. “When people say it shouldn’t be political, it was, and it is. There’s no getting around that.”

Outside the room, the GOP was proving Dunn’s point. In a press conference organized by GOP House leadership, Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, who replaced Cheney in that role thanks to her embrace of Trump’s election fictions, promoted a bizarre claim “that Nancy Pelosi bears responsibility, as Speaker of the House, for the tragedy that occurred on January 6.” This is false: the Speaker does not control Capitol security, and it was Trump, not Pelosi, who exhorted the mob to march on the building.

 Other Republicans spun different delusions. As the officers testified in Congress, GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Louie Gohmert and Paul Gosar held a competing press conference outside the Justice Department, demanding updates on so-called “political prisoners” arrested in the aftermath of the Capitol siege.

Losing daughter or bashert through prayer

 תוספות מסכת סנהדרין דף כב עמוד א
ארבעים יום קודם יצירת הולד - ומ"מ מועיל תפלה בתוך מ' ימים להופכו או לזכר או לנקבה כדאמרינן בברכות (דף ס.) מ' יום קודם יצירת הולד אדם מתפלל על אשתו שתלד זכר אפילו זווג ראשון מתהפך בתפלה כדאיתא במועד קטן (דף יח:) אין נושאין נשים במועד אבל מארסין שמא יקדמנו אחר ברחמים.

New report shows vaccine effectiveness dropping over half a year

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/310845

A preliminary report on the Pfizer vaccine indicates that its effectiveness at preventing infections -96% at its highest, some two months after the second dose - can fall by more than ten percent by the six-month mark. The study found a decline of roughly six percent per month, meaning that it could be less than 50% effective within two years.

The report emphasizes that these findings are strictly regarding the levels of infection; serious symptoms and hospitalization are still reduced by over 90% even well after the vaccine.

According to MSN, the manufacturers claim that a third "booster" shot of the vaccine would provide significantly increased protection, including against the new and more virulent Delta strain; antibody levels in those 18 to 55 after a booster shot were found to be five times higher than those in a patient who had received only two vaccinations.

 

Watch Morning Joe Highlights: July 28th | MSNBC

Watch Morning Joe Highlights: July 29th | MSNBC

Ghana poised to vote on ‘worst anti-LGBTQ bill ever,’ advocates warn

 https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/ghana-poised-vote-worst-anti-lgbtq-bill-ever-advocates-warn-rcna1545

Draft legislation in Ghana would make identifying as gay or even an ally to the LGBTQ community a second-degree felony punishable by five years in prison — with advocating for LGBTQ rights punishable by up to 10 years.

Same-sex conduct is already a crime in the West African country, with violators facing a three-year sentence, but the new Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill seeks to criminalize identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, nonbinary, queer, an ally “or any other sexual or gender identity that is contrary to the binary categories of male and female,” according to a version of the bill leaked online.

Advocating for the rights of anyone in those categories — through speech, printed material, electronic media or other means — could result in an even steeper sentence of up to a decade in prison.

 

Justice Department allows lawsuit against Rep. Mo Brooks for January 6 remarks to proceed

 https://www.msnbc.com/hallie-jackson/watch/justice-department-allows-lawsuit-against-rep-mo-brooks-for-january-6-remarks-to-proceed-117517381597

The Department of Justice has decided that Rep. Mo Brooks was not acting in his official capacity as he delivered remarks at a rally with former President Trump on January 6. This means he is not shielded for a lawsuit brought against him by Rep. Eric Swalwell for allegedly inciting the Capitol riot. NBC's Pete Williams has details.

The DOJ Won't Defend Rep. Mo Brooks In Court Against Claims He Incited The Jan. 6 Riot

 https://www.npr.org/2021/07/28/1021611663/the-doj-wont-defend-rep-mo-brooks-in-court-against-claims-he-incited-jan-6-riot

 The Justice Department says Brooks was engaged in campaign activity when he participated in the rally. That is not within the scope of his duties as a member of Congress, so he doesn't qualify for legal immunity for his actions, the department said.

"The Department has declined to issue a certification because it cannot conclude that Brooks was acting within the scope of his office or employment as a Member of Congress at the time of the incident out of which the claims in this case arose," the Justice Department explained in a court filing.

Trump Under Oath In 2021? New DOJ Ruling Rattles Trumpworld

Watch The Beat With Ari Melber Highlights: July 27th | MSNBC

Reassessing Rav Kook - Tzadik hador

 https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/reassessing-rav-kook/

While being an administrator was not his strong suit, Rav Kook was most generous in his rabbinic duties to help the needy. He spent a lot of time visiting the sick, regularly giving away his own household possessions. One of his disciples, Rabbi Ya’akov Moshe Charlap, a native Jerusalemite, regarded him as “Tzadik HaDor, the saint, who in Kabbalistic and Hasidic doctrine, takes upon himself the uplifting of his time, and whose soul challenges God’s energies into the world.”

Tzadikei hador are G-d's beis din

 ספר צדקת הצדיק - אות פז

פז) אין גזירה יוצאה מפי הקב"ה אלא בהסכמת צדיקי הדור [שהם בית דינו] כמו שמובא (אידרא רבא קמ"ב ע"ב) סוד ה' ליראיו ועד דלא אסכימו לא נחתין דינין לעלמא. ואיך יהיה זה והלא הם אדרבה מתפללים בעדם, רק שהוא בענין אחר הדומה לו כענין שהיה בדוד המלך ע"ה בכבשה [וירמיה היה בבני ענתות, וגלות עשרת שבטים היה ישעיה בשבנא, ואברהם אבינו בסדום הוא במה שהפריד לוט מקודם וכן הכל ואין כאן מקום להאריך]. ולכך צריך שמירה בזה שלא יצא לעולם דבר רע מפיו ולכך הצדיק נתפס ובהדי הוצא לקי כרבא ובודאי הכל במשפט רק שהוא כנזכר לעיל מפני שהסכים והוא גרם לפורענותם ולכך ממנו מתחיל כדאיתא בבבא קמא (צ"ב.) כענין מדה טובה שאמרו (שם) במתפלל על חבירו וכו' נענה תחילה. ולא היה צדיק שניצול מזה לגמרי רק משיח ואין כאן מקום להאריך עוד:

Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham mocked the harrowing police testimony about the Capitol riot with snickers and a 'best political performance' trophy

 https://news.yahoo.com/tucker-carlson-laura-ingraham-mocked-110027089.html

Carlson responded: "Actually, what happened on January 6, according to the video we do have, does not look a lot like Iraq. It's not Fallujah." He played footage of a relatively quiet segment of the Capitol invasion, with people milling peacefully about the rotunda.

Extensive footage of much more violent moments exists.

Fanone also excoriated the "indifference" shown to officers who defended the Capitol that day. "I've been left with the psychological trauma and the emotional anxiety of having survived such a horrific event," he said.

Carlson outright laughed at this:

 

Jared Kushner set to move away from politics and launch investment firm

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/28/jared-kushner-donald-trump-investment-firm-politics 

Jared Kushner, a top adviser to former Donald Trump, plans to launch an investment firm in coming months, a move that will take him away from politics for the foreseeable future, sources familiar with the plan said on Wednesday.

Kushner, the former chief executive of Kushner Companies, who served as the Republican president’s senior adviser in the White House, is in the final stages of launching an investment firm called Affinity Partners that will be headquartered in Miami.

Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, is also looking to open an office in Israel to pursue regional investments to connect Israel’s economy and India, North Africa and the Gulf, said two people briefed on the plan, who spoke on condition of anonymity.