Weekend Report: What's happening?

Joe Biden has a reckless--and not very bright--primary challenger. More extreme views from Mike Johnson, now and in his past. Trump's trial is going badly, and now Ivanka must testify.

Most people had not heard of Dean Phillips before yesterday, nor will many likely hear much even now about the Minnesota House Democrat. The launch of his presidential campaign, challenging President Biden in the Democratic primary race, has gotten off to a bad start. Why is he running? Who’s given him money? He actually says he’s “not running against Joe Biden” but running “for the future.” What?

There’s a plethora of videos, statements, and other reports from the past of Mike Johnson, the new Christian nationalist House speaker, including the fact that his wife Kelly—with whom he’s promoted divorce restrictions via covenant marriage laws—runs a counseling service that compares being gay to bestiality and incest. This is in line with Johnson’s worldview, which he told Sean Hannity is explained if you just “pick up a bible.” These people are truly vile and dangerous.

Donald Trump’s New York fraud trial is two weeks in, and it’s only going from bad to worse. He was admonished by the judge, who called him to the stand unexpectedly and called him a liar. He pounded his fist on the table when the judge wouldn’t agree, once again, to dismiss the case. The judge decided with the state that Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, must testify over the strenuous objections of Trump’s lawyers. And Trump himself will testify on November 6th. What could go wrong?