White House Dossier's

Former high-ranking FBI official Charles McGonigal pleaded guilty . . . Tuesday in federal court to conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions and to laundering money by secretly working on behalf of a Russian oligarch he had been tasked with investigating. Sign up for Fact Checker, our weekly review of what's true, false or in-between in politics. The former chief of counterintelligence in the FBI’s New York City office, who was charged in January, settled his New York case with federal prosecutors by pleading guilty to one count in a superseding document used to override or avoid a criminal indictment and streamline plea agreements. He faces up to five years in prison and is to be sentenced Dec. 14. McGonigal, 55, still has pending federal charges in Washington for allegedly taking $225,000 in bribes while working for the bureau on sensitive investigations. Washington Post

VIDEO: Biden is AWOL on Maui . . . You would think given the scale and horror of the disaster from the fires in Maui that President Biden would be out front talking about our relief efforts, expressing our grief for our fellow Americans, and holding scoundrels accountable.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says the main culprit is global warming. Well, will see. But who is going to investigate? Green is a Democrat. So no one, not the politicians, not the press. Passing the buck to Mother Nature. Hopefully, House Republicans will take a look. Meantime, here is Biden commenting on the calamity. White House Dossier

Trump refusal to sign loyalty pledge puts RNC in bind . . . Former President Trump’s refusal to sign the Republican National Committee’s loyalty pledge is putting the organization in a bind as next week’s GOP primary debate approaches. Trump said he wouldn’t sign the pledge last week and is expected to announce in the coming days whether or not he will attend the event. RNC chair Ronna McDaniel must now navigate the thorny situation of appeasing Trump — both a ratings draw and the clear frontrunner in the primary — while maintaining her control as head of the party. The Hill

VIDEO: Did Donald Trump do anything Stacey Abrams didn’t do?

Will Michelle Obama take Biden's place in 2024 thanks to Hunter's scandals? . . . If Joe Biden is not the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024, will former first lady Michelle Obama take his place? Some are betting that if the president is driven out of the race next year by corruption allegations, increasing signs of mental impairment and terrible approval ratings, only the former first lady has the name recognition and popularity to step in as a last-minute replacement. Mrs. Obama, one of the most admired people in the nation, would have an excellent chance of winning. Fox News

Trump faces packed schedule of court dates for 6 potential trials before Election Day 2024 . . . Former President Donald Trump could face six trials — four criminal and two civil — before Election Day in November 2024, putting the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in a situation unlike any before faced by a major-party candidate in modern times. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, said Monday that she’s seeking “a trial date within the next six months” — putting potential trial dates smack in the middle of Trump’s likely rematch against Biden. Here are all of the legal troubles Trump will face as he heads toward the 2024 election. New York Post

VIDEO: Georgia charges present serious peril for Trump . . . 
Could he go to jail? Would the country completely fall apart if he is actually handcuffed and brought to prison? Does Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis, who cites as criminal acts the preparation by Donald Trump of a victory speech and an Election Day claim that he won, even care? Of course she doesn’t. She has thrown a lot of crap at the wall and is hoping something sticks. How ignorant of what she could be doing to the country. For the crimes she is charging, Trump can’t pardon himself, and Georgia Republicans can’t pardon him either.

Legal analyst Jonathan Turley explains. White House Dossier

Up for debate: Trump, DeSantis, and 2024 GOP hopefuls' stance on tax policy . . . The first Republican presidential debate is fast approaching on Aug. 23, when candidates will hope to close the gap on former President Donald Trump and separate from the rest of the pack. A key issue that any prospective presidential administration will face is how to handle tax policy, and taxes will undoubtedly be discussed during the first debate of the GOP primary season. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was the biggest revamp of the federal tax code in years and the biggest fiscal policy change during former President Donald Trump’s time in office. Many of the provisions in the law are scheduled to sunset shortly after the 2024 elections and some already have. Extending those tax changes will likely be one of the first legislative challenges should a Republican oust President Joe Biden next year. Washington Examiner

Feinstein family feud gets uglier . . . A legal brawl over Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s finances just took an explosive new turn. Elder abuse, breached fiduciary duties, failure to communicate: A lawsuit filed by Feinstein’s daughter, Katherine Feinstein, on the senator’s behalf alleges widespread wrongdoing by the managers of the trust left behind by Feinstein’s late husband Richard Blum. The senator is asking the courts to suspend and penalize the trustees. The lawsuit escalates a standoff that has divided the Feinstein-Blum clan, with Blum’s surviving relatives feuding over who gets what. Politico

hint

Water doesn't have to be boring

Historic Camp David summit portends closer ties between South Korea, Japan, and the US . . . When President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David Friday, it will mark the first stand-alone summit ever between the three countries. Japan and South Korea have had testy relations for years, tracing back to Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. But threats from China, North Korea, and even Russia have prompted the leaders of the two Asian countries to strengthen their marriage of convenience. The three countries will announce plans for deeper military cooperation on ballistic missile defenses and technology development. Washington Examiner

Biden Admin Raised Concerns Palestinian Aid Would Boost Hamas. It Went Ahead With Aid Anyway . . . The Biden administration pushed through plans to distribute hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer aid to the Palestinians despite internal assessments that those plans could boost the Iran-backed terrorist group Hamas. State Department officials in 2021 outlined the concerns in private communications, asking the Treasury Department to exempt them from laws that bar the U.S. government from injecting taxpayer aid into territories controlled by Palestinian terror groups. The Biden administration needed this authorization in order to move forward with its plans to unfreeze more than $360 million in U.S. funds for the Palestinian Authority that were cut off during the Trump administration due to the authority's support for terrorists. Washington Free Beacon

Why Russian Missiles Are Becoming Harder To Intercept . . . Russian forces are switching up their tactics when targeting Ukraine with waves of missile strikes, Ukraine said on Tuesday, after bearing the brunt of a fresh bombardment overnight. Moscow's troops are programming the flight paths of their missiles to "bypass our air defenses as efficiently as possible, using weak spots, using intelligence data," according to Ukraine's air force spokesperson, Colonel Yuriy Ignat. "The missiles are constantly changing route," Some missile types have an increased ability to maneuver during flight, which makes it more difficult for air defenses to shoot them down as they repeatedly switch direction. Moscow's forces fired four Kh-22 missiles and 20 Kh-101 and Kh-555 missiles from aircraft, and four Kalibr cruise missiles from a Russian frigate based in the Black Sea, Ukraine's air force said in a statement. Newsweek

US asks Iran to stop selling drones to Russia . . . The US is pushing Iran to stop selling armed drones to Russia as part of discussions on a broader “unwritten understanding” between Washington and Tehran to de-escalate tensions and contain a long-simmering nuclear crisis. The Biden administration has raised the issue with the Islamic regime at indirect talks in Qatar and Oman this year, according to people briefed on the matter. According to an Iranian official and another person briefed on the talks, the US wants Iran to stop supplying drones to Russia, which Moscow is using in the war in Ukraine, as well as spare parts for the unmanned aircraft. Financial Times

So naive.

Finland Must Prepare To Defend NATO’s Longest Border With Russia . . . Finland’s entry into NATO significantly alters the security environment in Europe. Now that it and Sweden (provisionally) are members of the alliance, the Baltic Sea has been turned into a NATO lake. In addition, NATO proximity to Russia’s Kola Peninsula and Artic naval bases is much improved. But that also means the alliance has suddenly acquired a 1,300 km border with Russia. Recognizing that it has become a frontline state and seeing the importance of military preparedness underscored by the war in Ukraine, Finland is seeking to rapidly enhance its military capabilities. Its already capable military is adding U.S.-produced fighter aircraft, air and missile defenses, and long-range fires. Real Clear Politics

Russia’s Central Bank Can’t Stop Ruble Trouble . . . Russia’s currency crisis might not follow the classic emerging-market template: Rather than a sharp depreciation stemmed by painful interest-rate rises, we are more likely to see a slow but inexorable decline. The Bank of Russia raised borrowing costs from 8.5% to 12% Tuesday in an attempt to stop a slide in the ruble. A day earlier, $1 briefly bought as much as 102 rubles, prompting rate setters to call an emergency meeting. The exchange rate depreciated again Tuesday after the expectation of an interest-rate increase triggered only a fleeting recovery. Wall Street Journal

Money

Walmart, Exxon Mobil team up for gasoline deal . . . Walmart is boosting the discount it and Exxon Mobile offer to those belonging to the retailer’s paid membership program on gasoline for a month.

The deal, which Walmart announced Tuesday, means Walmart+ members will get 20 cents off every gallon of gas bought at participating Exxon and Mobil stations across the U.S. The promotion will run for a month, ending Sept. 15, and apply to roughly 12,000 Exxon Mobil stations, according to the retailer. Since April of last year, the retailer has knocked 10 cents off a gallon of gas at Exxon and Mobil for customers with Walmart+ subscriptions. The month-long 20-cent discount doubles that deal.  Fox Business

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Culture

Ex-transgender influencer Oli London warns US needs to 'wake up' to this child danger: 'It's not right' . . . Speaking out against the radical tactics used by pro-transgender activists, one detransitioning media personality cautioned against gender ideologies being taught to young children. "It's affecting millions of young people," Oli London said on "The Bottom Line" Monday night. "And it's not right that we're doing this to kids, that hormones, puberty blockers and surgeries are being pushed on kids that have no concept of what this will do to their later life." "They really push this cancel culture," he added of radicals, "and I think we need to fight against that. That's why it's so important we have women, detransitions and every single person across America should be speaking up on these issues." Fox News

Target Sales Are Punished by Pride Month Backlash . . . Target said shopper backlash over its Pride Month collection, as well as cautious consumers, pushed sales sharply lower in the most recent quarter. The retailer said it expected sales to decline again in the current quarter and lowered its profit goal for the full year. Executives said they would still mark Pride Month next year but with a more focused assortment of merchandise. Shares jumped 8% in premarket trading Wednesday as the quarterly earnings were better than Wall Street feared. “As we navigate an ever-changing operating and social environment, we are applying what we learned,” Brian Cornell, Target’s longtime chief executive, said on a call with reporters. Fox News

Russia Has Shown Scant Interest in Prisoner Swaps for Dozens Held in U.S. Prisons . . . Setbacks securing the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and other Americans held in Russia through a trade for high-profile Russians locked up in other countries have forced U.S. officials to refocus on a deal involving Russian prisoners in U.S. custody. One problem: it’s unclear that Russia wants any of them. Hopes that Russia might trade for an accused spy in Brazilian custody were dealt a blow last month when Brazil’s government denied a U.S. request to extradite him. U.S. officials have identified several other allied countries that have detained Russians who have ties to Russian intelligence services or are otherwise valuable, but the Brazilian example underscores the complications for the U.S. when a third country is involved. For example, Russia has made clear its interest in Vadim Krasikov, a Russian serving a life sentence in Germany for the murder of a former Chechen rebel leader. Wall Street Journal

KJP’s Twitter Account Apparently Posts Tweet Meant For Joe Biden . . . White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s Twitter account apparently posted a tweet Tuesday that was meant to come from President Joe Biden. The press secretary’s account reportedly posted a tweet about “investing in all of America” and referred to running for president, according to screenshots posted by several accounts. The tweet has since been deleted. “Investing in America means investing in ALL of America,” Jean-Pierre’s now-deleted tweet read. “When I ran for President, I made a promise that I would leave no part of the country behind.” Daily Caller

Google Tests an A.I. Assistant That Offers Life Advice . . . Earlier this year, Google, locked in an accelerating competition with rivals like Microsoft and OpenAI to develop A.I. technology, was looking for ways to put a charge into its artificial intelligence research. So in April, Google merged DeepMind, a research lab it had acquired in London, with Brain, an artificial intelligence team it started in Silicon Valley. Four months later, the combined groups are testing ambitious new tools that could turn generative A.I. — the technology behind chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s own Bard — into a personal life coach. Google DeepMind has been working with generative A.I. to perform at least 21 different types of personal and professional tasks, including tools to give users life advice, ideas, planning instructions and tutoring tips. The project was indicative of the urgency of Google’s effort to propel itself to the front of the A.I. pack and signaled its increasing willingness to trust A.I. systems. The New York Times

Debunking Jack Smith’s Latest Indictment Against President Trump . . . When the Supreme Court denied the State of Texas’s lawsuit in December of 2020 to challenge the integrity of that year’s general election for lack of Article III standing, there already existed an overwhelming trove of evidence of procedural abnormalities and statistical anomalies that pointed to fundamental questions about the legitimacy of the election. Well over 155 million votes were allegedly cast in that year’s cycle—the most of any vote total in presidential history, surpassing 2016’s previous record-setting high by a whopping 28 million votes. Moreover, the 2020 election not only saw the highest percentage of votes cast either by mail or absentee ballot in modern American history, but it was the first time in which election day voting represented a minority of all methods of casting ballots: fewer than one third of voters who cast their ballots in the 2020 general election did so in person on election day. American Mind

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen admits to eating 'hallucinogenic' mushrooms during China visit: 'Delicious' . . . Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ate hallucinogenic mushrooms during her recent visit to China, she announced Monday. Yellen ate the mushrooms as part of a meal at popular Chinese restaurant chain Yi Zuo Yi Wang (In and Out). She said she was not aware at the time that the dish included psychedelic mushrooms, but it soon became clear. "So I went with this large group of people and the person who had arranged our dinner did the ordering," Yellen told CNN. "There was this delicious mushroom dish. I was not aware that these mushrooms had hallucinogenic properties." "I learned that later," she added. Fox Business

Not satire.