This Week’s Rundown:

Indiana Stories

• Chaos at Indianapolis City/County Council Meeting Following Hogsett Allegations

  • Multiple women accused former Hogsett top aide Thomas Cook of sexual harassment

  • A recent report from law firm Fisher Philips cleared Hogsett of legal wrongdoing, but suggested a toxic workplace culture.

    • Report failed to mention questionable late-night messages from Hogsett himself

    • Two Democratic council members have now called for the mayor’s resignation

  • Accuser Lauren Roberts was forcibly removed by sheriff’s deputies upon instruction from Council President Vop Osili for going over the time limit and speaking off topic.

  • Two more women have come forward with allegations of harassment in city government this week, joining three previous accusers

  • Osili issued an apology Wednesday

• Indiana Townships Vulnerable to Misuse of Funds

  • State Board of Accounts recently discovered Columbus Twp (BartCo) Ben Jackson had amassed more than $1.12M in personal expenses on twp credit card over 8 years.

    • Personal trips, retail, kids’ tuition, utilities, etc.

    • At least 5 trustees in Bart Co alone have come under investigation for misuse of funds, 3 charged with felonies, another investigated for forgery

    • Fmr Clay Twp Trustee Christa Acton overpaid self and fraudulently overpaid husband’s mowing business

    • Her Deputee Trustee, was convicted of 4 felonies in 2014

    • Fmr Wayne Twp Trustee Clint Madden accused of misappropriating more than $100K

• I Didn’t Think the Leopards Would Eat My Face

  • Clean Energy Tax Credits On Chopping Block, Have Been Spurring Red State Investment

    • Credits were enacted under Biden IRA

    • Have bolstered production of batteries and solar components

    • Nine of top ten states receiving this investment voted Trump in ‘24 (Indiana is #5)

    • AMP Credits resulted in almost 6X increase in investment post-IRA

      • Industry has slowed since tariff announcements and mix messaging on policy

    • Indiana #9 overall for clean energy jobs, #10 for clean energy job growth

  • Broadband Overhaul Hurts Rural Customers, Helps Musk

    • BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program) to take “technology-neutral” approach over fiber, opening door for Starlink to receive billions in federal money.

    • Groups applying for BEAD funding also will no longer be required to offer a low-cost service option for internet users in locations they are serving. Some states had proposed services as low as $30 a month.

National Stories

• FASCISM WATCH

  • CONTINUED ICE PROTESTS in LA

    • One square mile near federal building in Downtown LA affected

    • Trump has mobilized 4K CA National Guard and 700 Marines

    • Freeways Blocked Multiple Times; Vandalism; Cars Set Afire; Downtown Under Curfew

    • Just for information - I moved to downtown LA on the north side of the USC campus in 1998. Many buildings around the perimeter of campus were new due to the 1992 riots. Of course most of our department was working there in ‘92. I was still there in 2000 when the lakers beat the pacers in for the nba championship. I went to their celebration. It was an absolutley overwhelming mass of humanity.

  • More Protests Pop Up Nationwide

    • Austin, Dallas, Boston, Seattle, Washington, San Francisco, New York, Chicago

  • ICE to Deploy to More Major Cities - Seattle, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, NoVA

  • No Kings Day of Protest / Military Parade Saturday

    • Military Parade a Dud

    • Over 11 million protest nationwide at 2000+ sites

  • Elected Democrats Targeted

    • Rep. McIver Indicted After May NJ ICE Protest

      • Charged on May 19 following scuffle at Newark ICE Facility

      • Charged with “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.”

      • Carry up to 17 years max sentences in total.

    • Padilla forcibly removed from Noem presser

      • Dragged to ground and handcuffed

      • Clearly announced himself first

    • ASSASSINATIONS IN MINNESOTA

      • House Dem Leader Melissa Hortman & Husband murdered in their suburban home

      • Dem Senator John Hoffman and wife also shot multiple times at their home

      • Suspect was dressed like a police officer and is still on the loose - 57yo Vance Boelter twice served on Governor’s Workforce Development Council

      • Authorities found a “hit list” in suspect’s vehicle that included other elected Dems, abortion providers, and pro-choice activists

• ISRAEL STRIKES IRAN

  • Israel’s “pre-emptive strike” on nuclear sites, generals and scientists killed 78 people and wounded more than 320 on Friday, Iran’s ambassador told the U.N. Security Council,

    • Israel says Iran was nearing threshold for enriching weapons-grade uranium

  • Iran responds with two volleys of missiles at Israel

• RFK Sacks Entire Vaccine Committee

  • 17 members removed from Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

  • Blames “conflicts of interest,” stating the “problem isn't necessarily that ACIP members are corrupt. The problem is their immersion in a system of industry-aligned incentives and paradigms that enforce a narrow pro-industry orthodoxy,"

  • Breaks apparent promise to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) - a physician - during confirmation hearings

    • Cassidy on X: "Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion.”

• US, China Reach Trade Agreement

  • Consensus reached previously in Geneva last month

  • Details undisclosed, but apparently include

    • Mutual rollback of export controls on goods & technologies crucial to the other

    • China’s export restrictions of rare earth minerals and magnets to be resolved

    • US to loosen some restrictions on microchips, student visas

One Big Thing

• Father’s Day & Trump as an Abusive Father Figure

  • Conservatives Weird “Daddy” Fixation

  • Trump’s Biblical Sexism

  • Trump & the Abusive Father Archetype