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WTF Just Happened Today? is a sane, once-a-day newsletter helping normal people make sense of the news. Curated daily and delivered to 200,000+ people every afternoon around 3 pm Pacific.
Day 576: "Brain fog."
Today in one sentence: A federal judge ordered the Justice Department to redact the probable cause affidavit used to justify the FBI search of Trump's Florida estate; the Justice Department subpoenaed the National Archives in May for all the documents that were given to the Jan. 6 committee; the Trump Organization's former chief financial officer pleaded guilty to 15 tax fraud charges; new coronavirus cases reported globally dropped 24% in the last week; people who've had Covid-19 face an increased risk of psychotic disorders like "brain fog," psychosis, seizures, and dementia for at least two years; and 54% of Americans – including 76% of Republicans – think there's an "invasion" at the southern border.
1/ A federal judge ordered the Justice Department to redact the probable cause affidavit used to justify the FBI search of Trump’s Florida estate. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart said it’s “very important” that the public have as “much information” about the search of Mar-a-Lago and that he was “inclined” to unseal some of the affidavit. The Justice Department argued that unsealing the document could jeopardize the investigation and put witnesses at risk because the investigation into Trump’s handling of classified records is still “in its early stages” and “would provide a roadmap and suggest next investigative steps we are about to take.” A coalition of news organizations argued that the affidavit should be made public given the “historically significant, unprecedented execution of a search warrant in the residence of a former president.” Reinhart said he would give the Justice Department seven days to redact the document in a way that would not undermine its ongoing investigation before making a determination about whether to unseal the affidavit. (New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / Politico / Wall Street Journal / CNN)
2/ The Justice Department subpoenaed the National Archives in May for all the documents that were given to the Jan. 6 committee. The subpoena asked for “all materials, in whatever form,” including the more than 770 pages of documents that Trump unsuccessfully tried to claim executive privilege over. The subpoena is not related to the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. (New York Times)
3/ The Trump Organization’s former chief financial officer pleaded guilty to 15 tax fraud charges. Allen Weisselberg’s plea bargain requires him to testify truthfully as a prosecution witness when the Trump Organization goes on trial in October on related charges, as well as admit his role in conspiring with the company to carry out the scheme to evade taxes. Trump himself is not charged in the case and Weisselberg’s plea deal doesn’t require him to cooperate in the district attorney’s broader criminal investigation against Trump. (NBC News / New York Times / Politico / Associated Press / Washington Post)
4/ New coronavirus cases reported globally dropped 24% in the last week, according to the WHO. While global Covid-19 deaths fell 6% last week, they rose in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia by 31% and 12% respectively. The Biden administration, meanwhile, is planning to end the underwriting for Covid-19 shots and treatments, shifting more control of pricing and coverage to the healthcare industry. (Associated Press / Wall Street Journal)
5/ People who’ve had Covid-19 face an increased risk of psychotic disorders like “brain fog,” psychosis, seizures, and dementia for at least two years, according to a large-scale University of Oxford study. The findings, based on the records of more than 1.25 million patients, show increased rates of neurological and psychological problems higher than after other types of respiratory infections. Last year, researchers reported that 1 in 3 patients experienced mood disorders, strokes, or dementia six months after Covid-19 infection. (Politico / Axios / STAT News / Bloomberg)
6/ The Biden administration will make an additional 1.8 million doses of the monkeypox vaccine available, allowing states and localities to start ordering more vaccine doses sooner than originally planned. The Department of Health and Human Services is also preparing an additional 50,000 doses of the antiviral treatment to help those who have already tested positive for monkeypox. More than 13,500 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the U.S. (CNN / Axios / USA Today)
7/ A Florida appeals court upheld a ruling that denied a 16-year-old an abortion because she was not “sufficiently mature” enough. Jane Doe 22-B is parentless and a ward of the state until she turns 18. Under Florida law, an abortion cannot be performed on a minor without the consent of a parent or guardian. (NBC News / Washington Post)
poll/ 54% of Americans – including 76% of Republicans – think there’s an “invasion” at the southern border. 56% of Americans believe immigrants are an important part of our American identity – down from 75% in January 2018. Border Patrol has apprehended migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border more than 1.8 million times since October – a record. (NPR / Ipsos)
A political newsletter for normal people
WTF Just Happened Today? is a sane, once-a-day newsletter helping normal people make sense of the news. Curated daily and delivered to 200,000+ people every afternoon around 3 pm Pacific.
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