(Fauci, pictured ... scroll down for story)

PM UPDATE

Texts ‘unrecoverable?’ … The U.S. Secret Service delivered “thousands of pages of documents” but not the requested texts related to the January 6 Capitol insurrection to the House Select committee investigating the attack, The New York Times reports. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Gugliemi said the phone records are probably not recoverable.

•••

House marriage equality bill gets some GOP support … The House of Representatives passed the Respect for Marriage Act to protect LGBTQ+ rights by a 267-157 vote, with 47 Republicans voting with all the Democrats, The Hill reports. The bill is a reaction to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ warning that gay marriage rights are next, after the court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. 

Considering that relatively strong support by House Republicans, the question now is whether at least 10 Republicans help move the bill through the Senate without threat of filibuster – which would deflate Democrats ability to use the issue in the November midterms.

--T.L.

______________________________________

(MON 7/18/22)

Deleted text messages expected today … The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol insurrection expects to receive deleted January 5 and 6, 2021, text messages today from the U.S. Secret Service, according to committee member Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a committee member. The committee subpoenaed the texts last Friday after learning the messages had been deleted as part of a device-replacement program.

•••

Fauci retires … Hero of the pandemic maskers, foil of pro-MAGA media Anthony Fauci (above) announced he will “almost certainly” leave his job as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says The New York Times. Fauci, 81, the top medical advisor to presidents Joe Biden and Donald J. Trump says he has a time frame in mind for when to step down and it almost certainly will be prior to the end of Biden’s current term in January 2025.

•••

White House aides to testify … Matthew Pottinger, ex-President Trump’s deputy national security advisor and Sarah Matthews, a former press aide, will testify during Thursday in the House Select Committee’s eighth, and potentially final televised hearing into the January 6 Capitol attacks, the Associated Press reports, citing an anonymous source. The hearing scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern time Thursday will investigate Trump’s actions or lack thereof as he sat in the White House and watched his followers beat police officers and breach the Capitol to stop the Electoral College vote procedings. 

--Todd Lassa