Sun - There Must Be 50 Ways to Scam a MAGA

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Today's Worst Joke in the World

Cosmetology student skips school.  Forced to make up makeup test.
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees

Welcome to Missouri, The Police State

In Missouri, a bill introduced in December, and modeled on S.B. 8, the Texas “bounty” law, would allow prosecution not only for a person who aids another to obtain an abortion in Missouri, but also who aids another to travel to a state in which abortion is legal. The proposed law has dubious criminal law underpinning — it posits that a criminal conspiracy can be based on behavior that is legal in the state where it occurs, and not in the state where the traveler resides, stretching the idea of long-arm jurisdiction.

There Must Be 50 Ways to Scam a MAGA

The “sovereign citizen” movement—comprising scam artists and their gullible followers who claim that, by filling reams of documents full of pseudo-legal babble, ordinary citizens can declare themselves free of government rule at any level, thus becoming the law unto themselves—seems to have figured out how, after a couple of decades of mostly lurking on the fringes of the extreme right, to expand its reach and revive (if not entirely rebrand) itself: Go full QAnon.

Last weekend, onetime Pennsylvania Republican candidate Bobby Lawrence boasted that he and his “American State Nationals” operation filled a room in Keene, Texas, with 650 people who paid $120 each to take their special “training”—which teaches that birth certificates are satanic documents that enslave people by subsuming them under a corporation, but they can free themselves by filing their prescribed “redemption” documents. They also ardently promote Qanon conspiracy theories, including the claim that John F. Kennedy Jr. was secretly Trump’s real vice president.

Lawrence teaches sovereignty with a QAnon bent, urging his followers to become “American State Nationals” before Trump is reinstated as president. “American State National” is one of many terms that sovereign citizens use to distinguish themselves from citizens under the jurisdiction of the illegitimate, de facto government. “Trump is working on the ‘Fall of the Cabal’ which will allow our Constitutional Republic to Rise again, however the newly partially restored Constitutional Republic will need We The People of restored status via ‘The Great Awakening’ to fill and function in the newly partially restored Constitutional Republic,” Lawrence posted to Telegram in October 2021. “This will only be accomplished via We The People reclaiming our Birthright by becoming American State Nationals... As the number of American State Nationals and one of the People increases, so will the Function of the [sic] our Constitutional Republic. It will start at the absolute local level (you and your neighbors) and then grow and grow and grow.”
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You just tell them some lies, guys
Makeup a steal, Neil
Scare them about Blacks, Jack
Tell them their not free

Say you're a genius, Gus
You don't need to explain much

Just make a good pitch, Mitch
And get yourself rich
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Today's Best Person in the World Nominees

From the Managing Partner at Gibson Dunn (Where My Daughter Works) 

Distribution: All Firm Personnel

Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and holding that the U.S. Constitution does not protect the right to an abortion. Understandably, many members of the Gibson Dunn community, myself included, are deeply concerned about the implications of today’s opinion.

In light of this, I want to take the opportunity to highlight several ways in which attorneys at the Firm have worked, and continue actively working, to ensure that women have access to safe and legal abortions – and invite you to join in our ongoing efforts, if you are so inclined:

• The Firm filed two amicus curiae briefs supporting abortion rights in the Dobbs case: Orin Snyder, Josh Lipshutz, and Katie Marquart filed a brief on behalf of more than a dozen constitutional scholars, and Theane Evangelis and Lauren Blas filed a brief on behalf of the California Women’s Law Center.

• The Firm has joined a group of other law firms with Bay Area offices called the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights, as well as a similar group in New York called the NYAG’s Pro Bono Task Force for Reproductive Health. These groups are volunteer efforts by law firms that intend to provide free legal services to those who will be affected by Dobbs. They will connect pregnant women and abortion providers facing civil suits and criminal charges related to seeking or providing abortions with member law firms who will represent them on a pro bono basis.

• Theodore B. Olson and Amir Tayrani are advising clients who have committed to provide their employees with enhanced abortion-related benefits in response to the Dobbs opinion, including reimbursing the costs of the procedure, the expense of traveling to another state to obtain a legal abortion, and legal-defense costs.

In addition, the Firm is committed to providing its employees with assistance in accessing safe and legal abortions. To that end, the Management Committee has approved the reimbursement of abortion-related travel and, if necessary, legal-defense expenses for all employees, regardless of their state of residence. The Benefits Department will be providing additional information about this policy.

We also want to acknowledge that others may agree with today’s decision, and it is important to respect their views. I am proud to be a partner at a firm where the freedom to express different points of view on contentious issues is respected and valued. We will continue to monitor the implications of today’s opinion and support efforts to protect the rights of our Firm’s employees and their family members.

Barbara

Barbara L. Becker (she/her/hers)
Chair & Managing Partner

Without Farmworkers, We Don't Eat

After working in high temperatures outdoors, many feel exhausted and have regular stomach aches and dizziness. These are common symptoms of heat stress, which also include dehydration, nausea, and heat stroke, the leading cause of work-related death in farmworkers. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 815 workers died from heat exposure between 1992 and 2017. For farmworkers, heat can negatively impact their cognitive performance and behavior and threaten their overall well-being. Many agricultural workers also experience respiratory issues caused by exposure to pesticides, dust, and fungi.

A paper published in the Environmental Research Letters revealed the global number of agricultural workers has decreased due to rising temperatures. “Heat stress among farmworkers is becoming more prevalent as temperatures continue to rise,” said Alexis Guild, the director of health policy and programs at Farmworker Justice, an organization created to protect agricultural workers’ rights. “Farmworkers generally are not provided adequate protection.”

Only Washington, California, and Oregon have implemented safety heat and wildfire protections for agricultural workers. Employers in these states are lawfully required to check their Air Quality Index and provide respirators and training about the hazards of wildfire smoke. Farmworker Justice aims to expand heat and wildfire smoke legislation standards to other states, in addition to appealing to Congress for improved protections for farmworkers.

According to United Farm Workers, 73% of all farmworkers are immigrants, and up to 36% are undocumented, making them more likely to not have access to health care if they get sick on the job. The estimated number of unsafe working days will increase twofold in three decades. In states like Florida that already suffer extreme heat and humidity it will be even more dangerous to work outdoors. Farmworkers have lost 10 to 90 times the number of work hours compared to their peers in clerical services and manufacturing work. This loss will decrease the amount of available produce across the nation.

As summer approaches and heat waves make their way across the country, environmental researchers have proposed a list of possible solutions to keep farmworkers safe. These solutions include changing work shifts to cooler hours, providing farmworkers with more rest breaks and water, and training people on how to cope with heat stress. However, these issues may not be within reach for agricultural workers who do not have access to health care, cannot take breaks, and do not have a choice to pick their days or hours of work. Farmworkers are forced to work through heat when they are on a deadline.

Without Servers, You Don't Eat (or Drink) Out

Inflation is causing more people to skimp on tips, hitting service workers hard

They Want Their Clinic

An abortion clinic based in North Dakota has raised more than $550,000 to fund its move in the two days since the Supreme Court's decision to roll back Roe v. Wade.

The Red River Women's Clinic of Fargo, North Dakota, set up a GoFundMe to assist with a planned move to Moorhead, Minnesota. North Dakota is one of the at least 13 states that has a "trigger" law, which immediately bans abortions following the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
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Invasions Have Consequences

Day 123

Fighting

Explosions have been heard in the Shevchenkivskiy district of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app, as Russian forces hit a residential complex in the first attacks on the Ukrainian capital in weeks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 45 Russian missiles hit wide areas on Saturday, including the northern, southern and western parts of the country.INTERACTIVE - WHO CONTROLS 

Diplomacy

Indonesian President Joko Widodo says he will urge his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts to open dialogue during a peace-building mission and ask Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to order an immediate ceasefire.

Russia’s missile attack on Kyiv was intended to “intimidate Ukrainians” in the days leading up to a NATO summit, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Economy

Four G7 powers will ban Russian gold exports in a new bid to stop oligarchs from buying the precious metal to avoid the impact of sanctions against Moscow, Britain said on Sunday.

The G7 leaders are in Germany for a summit where they are expected to discuss ways to increase pressure on Putin while attempting to avoid sanctions that could stoke inflation and exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis at home.

It's Putin's Default

Russia is on the brink of its first debt default since 1998 as the Sunday deadline to make a $100m interest payment seems certain to be missed.

Russia has the money and is willing to pay, but sanctions make it impossible to get the payments to international creditors.

The Kremlin has been determined to avoid a first default since 1998, and a major blow to the nation's prestige.

The Russian finance minister branded the situation "a farce".

Russia has seemed on an inevitable path to default since sanctions were first imposed by the US and EU following the invasion of Ukraine.

Where is Sri Lanka?  It's in the Laccadive Sea.

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka has announced it will send ministers to Russia and Qatar to try and secure cheap oil a day after the government said it had all but run out of fuel.

Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said two ministers will travel to Russia on Monday to discuss getting more oil following last month’s purchase of 90,000 tonnes of Siberian crude.

That shipment was arranged through Coral Energy, a Dubai-based intermediary, but politicians have been urging the authorities to negotiate directly with President Vladimir Putin’s government.

Logistics

June 25, Svatove, Luhansk Oblast, 68 kms from front lines



June 23, Kadiivka, Luhansk Oblast, 40 kilometers from front lines




June 22, Kyselivka, Kherson Oblast, on the front lines



June 19, Voskresenka, Zaporizhia Oblast, 15 kilometers from the front



June 17, Nova Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast, 52 kilometers from front



June 16, Krasny Luch, Luhansk Oblast, 60 kilometers from the front



June 16, Khrustalnyi, Luhansk, Oblast, 50 kilometers from the front


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A Mammoth Discovery

A whole baby woolly mammoth has been found frozen in the permafrost of north-western Canada - the first such discovery in North America.



The mummified ice age mammoth is thought to be more than 30,000 years old. It was found by gold miners in Yukon's Klondike region on Tuesday.

The Yukon government compared it to Russia's discovery of a baby mammoth in the permafrost of Siberia in 2007.

It said it was "the most complete mummified mammoth found in North America", and only the second such find in the world.

The baby, thought to be female, has been named Nun cho ga, meaning "big baby animal" in the Han language spoken by Native Americans in the area.

"Nun cho ga is beautiful and one of the most incredible mummified ice age animals ever discovered in the world," said Yukon palaeontologist Grant Zazula.

It is about the same size as the Siberian baby Lyuba found in 2007, which was some 42,000 years old, the Yukon government said in a press release.\\
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This Helps Partway to Keep Employees Who Live in Red States.  But, I Would be Worried About Guns, Too.

Major companies including Disney, JP Morgan and Facebook owner Meta have told staff they will cover employee travel expenses for abortions, as millions of US women face restricted access.

It follows a landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court that overturned the constitutional right to abortion.

The judgement paves the way for individual states to ban the procedure.

Other firms, such as Amazon, had already announced similar moves.

But since the ruling a growing number of companies have confirmed they will cover travel costs through their health insurance plans for employees who leave their home state to get an abortion.

Disney said it had told employees it recognised the impact of the Supreme Court ruling and remained committed to giving them "comprehensive access" to affordable healthcare, including family planning and reproductive care, "no matter where they live".

Disney employs around 80,000 people at its resort in Florida, where the governor has already signed into law a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which is scheduled to take effect on 1 July.
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Who Won the Week?

Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, who auctioned his Nobel Peace Prize to raise money to help Ukrainian children displaced by Russia's genocide machine. Top bid: $103 million.

The war on Covid, as the CDC approves the use of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine on children as young as six months, to the relief of parents everywhere

Lynn Malerba, who will become the first Native American U.S. Treasurer, overseeing the U.S. Mint, Engraving & Printing, and the prestigious keys to Fort Knox

The Apple employees at a Baltimore-area store who voted to unionize, a first for the company’s 270 U.S. retail locations

DE Superior Court Judge Eric Davis, who ruled Fox News can be sued by Dominion because Rupert Murdoch may have slimed their role in the 2020 election with "actual malice"

Ukraine, for continuing to inflict heavy losses on Russia to the white-hot rage of Vladimir Putin and half the House GOP. And application to EU is accepted.

The Jan. 6 commission, for continuing to lay bare in public hearings the Trump conspiracy to steal the 2020 election…and announcing an expansion of their investigation

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, for signing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York to prevent voter suppression/dilution based on race or language preference

Attorney General Merrick Garland, for warning states that they cannot ban the FDA-approved abortion pill mifepristone, even with the repeal of Roe v. Wade

Karma, as the Feds raid the home of Trump lawyer stooge and Jan. 6 co-conspirator Jeffrey Clark
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Not All Live is Sacred to the QOP

Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) said the quiet part out loud Saturday when she thanked former President Donald Trump at an Illinois rally for his role in overturning Roe v. Wade by picking conservative justices.

“President Trump, on behalf of all the MAGA patriots in America, I want to thank you for the historic victory for white life in the Supreme Court,” she said, to cheers and applause.
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Unfortunately, The Audience Who Heard This Was in England

Olivia Rodrigo did not hold back during her Saturday set at England’s Glastonbury Festival, unleashing on the U.S. Supreme Court justices who joined in overturning Roe v. Wade this week.

“I’m devastated and terrified,” the “Driver’s License” singer told the crowd, which The Guardian reported contained thousands of people. “So many women and so many girls are going to die because of this.”

Rodrigo then introduced the next song: “Fuck You” by Lily Allen, who appeared onstage with her.

“I wanted to dedicate this next song to the five members of the Supreme Court who have showed us that at the end of the day, they truly don’t give a shit about freedom,” Rodrigo said to wild cheers. “The song goes out to the justices: Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh. We hate you.”

While Rodrigo spoke, Allen could be seen giving two middle fingers.

The two then launched into an energetic rendition of Allen’s 2009 hit, which includes the lyrics, “Fuck you, fuck you very, very much / ’Cause we hate what you do / And we hate your whole crew.”
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The New War Between the States

The Supreme Court decision to strike down Roe v. Wade is expected to trigger new battles between states over abortion access, as women and advocates try to get around newly enacted bans by seeking the procedure out of state and using hard-to-trace medications.

The fights promise to raise tensions between states in ways not seen since the era of slavery, experts say.

Multiple states, including Arizona, Arkansas and Texas, have sought to stem the flow of abortion-inducing pills by making their shipment through the mail illegal. Republican lawmakers in Missouri are considering a bill that would prohibit Missouri residents from getting an abortion out of state as well as penalize out-of-state medical professionals. Model legislation recently released by the antiabortion Right to Life organization would make it a felony offense to help a minor obtain an abortion across state lines.

These steps by emboldened conservatives are raising concerns that cross-border investigations targeting abortion will test traditional law-enforcement cooperation among states.

In response, liberal governors and legislatures are erecting legal countermeasures. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Friday signed a bill aimed at protecting patients and health-care providers from civil penalties sought by states that ban the practice. Another proposal would protect the California licenses of abortion providers who offer care via telehealth in jurisdictions where the service is illegal. The governors of Washington and Oregon joined Newsom in declaring a West Coast “commitment to reproductive freedom” citing the intention to pass more sweeping protections, including refusals to extradite people to states with abortion bans.

And hours after the Supreme Court ruling, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R), a moderate Republican, issued an executive order barring state officials from assisting investigations by other states of providers, advocates and patients who obtain abortion services.

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