January 1, Trump’s Sister: “He Has No Principles”, “Can’t Trust Him”

This Day in History | 1989 

Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose accepts a settlement that includes a lifetime ban from the game as punishment for betting on Major League Baseball.  

Good Morning Middle Americans, 

How do you feel about people who secretly record their family members? The Washington Post is out with a story today that includes an audio recording of Maryanne Trump Barry, the president’s sister who is also a retired federal circuit court judge. The recording was captured by Trump’s niece Mary Trump, the one who wrote a tell-all book bashing the Trump family. What is said on the audio recording is bad, but how bad? We shall see. Usually we have to wait until the president responds with a few tweets before we know. 

Also today, A New Jersey judge invalidated a city council election and ordered a new one after allegations of voter fraud, according to a ruling issued Wednesday. Former CIA Director John Brennan was interviewed for eight hours on Friday by U.S. Attorney John Durham as part of Durham’s ongoing review of the origins of the investigation launched into Russia’s 2016 election interference, according to a statement released by Brennan’s spokesperson.  It’s likely that Marco and Laura will make rare back-to-back landfalls in the mainland United States over the next few days. A massive wildfire in Northern California has grown to become the second-largest in state history as it and hundreds of other blazes have now scorched nearly one million acres.

Read all about it. 

-Fraser Dixon

Trump’s Sister on Tape: “He Has No Principles”, “Can’t Trust Him”

(Washington Post) – Maryanne Trump Barry was serving as a federal judge when she heard her brother, President Trump, suggest on Fox News, “maybe I’ll have to put her at the border” amid a wave of refugees entering the United States. At the time, children were being separated from their parents and put in cramped quarters while court hearings dragged on.

“All he wants to do is appeal to his base,” Barry said in a conversation secretly recorded by her niece, Mary L. Trump. “He has no principles. None. None. And his base, I mean my God, if you were a religious person, you want to help people. Not do this.”

Barry, 83, was aghast at how her 74-year-old brother operated as president. “His goddamned tweet and lying, oh my God,” she said. “I’m talking too freely, but you know. The change of stories. The lack of preparation. The lying. Holy shit.”

Here the audio

Judge Invalidates NJ Election After Allegations of Mail-in Voter Fraud

(CNN) – A New Jersey judge invalidated a city council election and ordered a new one after allegations of voter fraud, according to a ruling issued Wednesday.

The May 12 election for Paterson’s Third Ward city council was “rife with mail in vote procedural violations,” Judge Ernest Caposela said in his ruling, though he left the decision on whether there was voter fraud to the criminal courts.

President Donald Trump’s campaign and Republicans have grasped onto the election problems in Paterson as they argue against a plan from New Jersey’s Democratic governor to have universal vote-by-mail. They say the fraud in the city race forebodes fraud in November.

Paterson’s mayor heralded the ruling. 

Read more here

Former CIA Director John Brennan Interviewed for 8 Hours in Durham Probe

(CBS News) – Former CIA Director John Brennan was interviewed for eight hours on Friday by U.S. Attorney John Durham as part of Durham’s ongoing review of the origins of the investigation launched into Russia’s 2016 election interference, according to a statement released by Brennan’s spokesperson.  

During the interview, which took place at CIA headquarters, Brennan was informed by Durham that he was “not a subject or a target” of a criminal investigation, and was being questioned as a “witness to events that are under review,” Nick Shapiro, who previously served as Brennan’s senior adviser, said.   

“Brennan welcomed the opportunity to answer Mr. Durham’s questions related to a wide range of intelligence-related activities undertaken by CIA before the November 2016 presidential election as well as the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) published in early January 2017,” Shapiro said. “Brennan provided details on the efforts made by the Intelligence Community to understand and disrupt the actions taken by Russia to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.” 

Find out more here

Double Trouble: Tropical Storms Laura and Marc Head Towards US

(Weather Channel) – It’s likely that Marco and Laura will make rare back-to-back landfalls in the mainland United States over the next few days. There will be a lot to keep track of, so bookmark this landing page as your go-to for important information and maps on both tropical systems.

Tropical Storm Marco will be the first part of the one-two punch for the Gulf Coast. This system is likely to make landfall along the Louisiana Gulf Coast on Monday as a strong tropical storm or hurricane.

For the full forecast, click here.

Tropical Storm Laura is forecast to reach the Gulf of Mexico early this week, where significant intensification into a hurricane is expected. The area with the highest chance of seeing a hurricane strike from Laura by midweek is along parts of the northern and western Gulf Coast, but this forecast is still uncertain.

For the full forecast, click here. 

Read more here

California Wildfire Now 2nd-Largest Ever

(NBC News) – A massive wildfire in Northern California has grown to become the second-largest in state history as it and hundreds of other blazes have now scorched nearly one million acres.

The LNU Lightning Complex Fire that is burning across five counties — Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Yolo and Stanislaus — has spread to more than 325,000 acres, officials said Saturday. It was 15 percent contained.

“This entire LNU Complex is now the second-largest wildland fire in state history,” said Sean Kavanaugh, incident commander with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The largest wildfire was the Mendocino Complex that burned more than 459,000 acres in 2018.

The LNU Complex blaze, named for Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, has destroyed 845 structures and damaged 231 more.

Get the latest here