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Mo News: What We Learned From The Big Jan 6 Hearing

Author

Mosheh Oinounou
June 10, 2022

Hi friends,

We made it to Friday! Hope everyone's doing well. Here's today's rundown:

  • The January 6th hearings went prime-time. We start with the biggest takeaways and new videos from last night's hearings and what's next.

  • This weekend there are hundreds of March for Our Lives gun-safety protests planned for around the country. We look at where things stand when it comes to gun legislation.

  • Gas prices: Why are they so high and when might we get some relief?

  • What we know about the man who is charged with attempting to murder Justice Brett Kavanaugh

  • The White House is making plans to roll out Covid vaccines for kids under 5-years-old by June 20th. But will parents vaccinate their toddlers?

  • Are Americans losing their taste for whiskey in favor of... mezcal and tequila?

  • And as always, what we're watching, reading and eating this weekend.

🎙 Also, we are so excited to announce a new limited-edition Mo News podcast! Each week, on Mondays and Thursdays, yours truly will be breaking down the biggest news stories and why they matter. First edition is out Monday!

~ Mosh & Jill

⚖️ Shock Video: January 6th Begins Presentation

A committee of US House investigators (7 Democrats and 2 Republicans) began their case on primetime TV in a special presentation Thursday night to explain how the violent insurrection took place and its connection to the White House and former President Trump. All major networks and cable news channels carried the hearings except Fox News.

  • In a series of made-for-TV hearings in the coming weeks and months, the committee is trying to tell the story of how it happened, and how to prevent it from ever happening again. The committee has conducted more than 1,000 interviews with people connected to the siege and collected more than 140,000 documents over the last year.

  • One of the most powerful pieces of evidence was a 10-minute produced, chronological video, that included previously unseen footage from inside the Capitol and from rioters that day. The montage featured Trump tweets being read by the crowd and some responding with calls for violence against VP Mike Pence. ~AP News

🎥 The Full Video:

The panel’s vice chairwoman, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), laid out what she called Trump's “sophisticated seven-part plan" to remain in office.

  • It included spreading misinformation, replacing his attorney general, pressuring VP Pence to overturn results, pushing state officials to change results, creating alternate slates of electors, summoning the mob to DC and then ignoring pleas for help on January 6.

  • Cheney is one of only a couple Republicans who broke with the party to impeach Trump and take part in this committee. She has faced the wrath of the former president and other leaders for it and may lose her congressional seat over her stance.

  • As part of her presentation, Cheney released new clips of the former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr testifying that he told the president that the stolen election theory was "bullshit" and "crazy." Cheney also released a clip of Ivanka Trump stating in her testimony: "I respected Attorney General Barr. I accepted what he was saying.”

  • What Republican Leaders Are Saying: Many House Republicans are calling the hearings Democratic partisan politics and a "show trial." Flashback: There was legislation in 2021 to put together a bipartisan commission from both sides to investigate Jan 6. Republican leaders rejected it. Instead, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is now looking at putting together his own investigation committee where he hopes to pin blame for the insurrection and security failures on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. ~Insider

  • What's Next: Upcoming hearings are tentatively scheduled for the daytime on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. They are set to each focus on themes like Trumps’ false claims of voter fraud undermining US elections, and how he tried to use fake electors to deceive Congress into returning him to office. ~GuardianThe panel likely to reserve its most explosive revelations for the final hearing in prime time in the fall--where the committee is expected to run through Trump’s actions and inactions as the January 6 attack unfolded.

🚨 Gun Laws in America

Tomorrow: 'March for Our Lives' is planning more than 400 gun safety marches across the country and around the world, the largest of which is expected in Washington D.C. Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg founded the group, and says "this time will be different," in part because there's momentum to do more to prevent gun violence in the wake of the massacre at an Uvalde, TX elementary school. ~ Axios

Hi friends, We made it to Friday! Hope everyone's doing well. Here's today's rundown: The January 6th hearings went prime-time. We start with the biggest takeaways and new videos from last night's hearings and what's next. This weekend there are hundreds of March for Our Lives gun-safety protests planned for around the country. We look at where things stand when it comes to gun legislation. Gas prices: Why are they so high and when might we get some relief? What we know about the man who is charged with attempting to murder Justice Brett Kavanaugh The White House is making plans to roll out Covid vaccines for kids under 5-years-old by June 20th. But will parents vaccinate their toddlers? Are Americans losing their taste for whiskey in favor of... mezcal and tequila? And as always, what we're watching, reading and eating this weekend. 🎙 Also, we are so excited to announce a new limited-edition Mo News podcast! Each week, on Mondays and Thursdays, yours truly will be breaking down the biggest news stories and why they matter. First edition is out Monday! ~ Mosh & Jill ⚖️ Shock Video: January 6th Begins Presentation A committee of US House investigators (7 Democrats and 2 Republicans) began their case on primetime TV in a special presentation Thursday night to explain how the violent insurrection took place and its connection to the White House and former President Trump. All major networks and cable news channels carried the hearings except Fox News. In a series of made-for-TV hearings in the coming weeks and months, the committee is trying to tell the story of how it happened, and how to prevent it from ever happening again. The committee has conducted more than 1,000 interviews with people connected to the siege and collected more than 140,000 documents over the last year. One of the most powerful pieces of evidence was a 10-minute produced, chronological video, that included previously unseen footage from inside the Capitol and from rioters that day. The montage featured Trump tweets being read by the crowd and some responding with calls for violence against VP Mike Pence. ~AP News 🎥 The Full Video: The panel’s vice chairwoman, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), laid out what she called Trump's “sophisticated seven-part plan" to remain in office. It included spreading misinformation, replacing his attorney general, pressuring VP Pence to overturn results, pushing state officials to change results, creating alternate slates of electors, summoning the mob to DC and then ignoring pleas for help on January 6. Cheney is one of only a couple Republicans who broke with the party to impeach Trump and take part in this committee. She has faced the wrath of the former president and other leaders for it and may lose her congressional seat over her stance. As part of her presentation, Cheney released new clips of the former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr testifying that he told the president that the stolen election theory was "bullshit" and "crazy." Cheney also released a clip of Ivanka Trump stating in her testimony: "I respected Attorney General Barr. I accepted what he was saying.” What Republican Leaders Are Saying: Many House Republicans are calling the hearings Democratic partisan politics and a "show trial." Flashback: There was legislation in 2021 to put together a bipartisan commission from both sides to investigate Jan 6. Republican leaders rejected it. Instead, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is now looking at putting together his own investigation committee where he hopes to pin blame for the insurrection and security failures on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. ~Insider What's Next: Upcoming hearings are tentatively scheduled for the daytime on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. They are set to each focus on themes like Trumps’ false claims of voter fraud undermining US elections, and how he tried to use fake electors to deceive Congress into returning him to office. ~Guardian The panel likely to reserve its most explosive revelations for the final hearing in prime time in the fall--where the committee is expected to run through Trump’s actions and inactions as the January 6 attack unfolded. 🚨 Gun Laws in America Tomorrow: 'March for Our Lives' is planning more than 400 gun safety marches across the country and around the world, the largest of which is expected in Washington D.C. Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg founded the group, and says "this time will be different," in part because there's momentum to do more to prevent gun violence in the wake of the massacre at an Uvalde, TX elementary school. ~ Axios Gun Legislation Update: House: On Wednesday, the Democrat-controlled House passed the Protecting Our Kids Act by a vote of 223-204 (mostly along party lines). The legislation includes a bill that would raise the legal age to buy certain semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21 years old. There is pretty much no chance that it will pass in the Senate, which is split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. ~ CNN We should note, five House Republicans voted for the bill: Reps. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Chris Jacobs of New York. Two Democrats voted against it: Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Kurt Schrader of Oregon. The vote came after emotional testimony from family members of victims of the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings. An 11-year-old girl who survived the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas described how she covered herself with a dead classmate’s blood to avoid being shot and “just stayed quiet.” Gun Legislation Update: Senate: A bipartisan group of senators is continuing to negotiate on "a slim set of proposals" that would mostly address school safety, set standards for safe gun storage, support mental health programs, and provide incentives for states to create so-called red flag laws to remove guns from potentially dangerous owners. ~ NPR State Update There are now seven states that ban the sale of semi-automatic rifles to anyone under the age of 21. New York passed the law a few days ago, joining Florida (which changed its laws after Parkland), California, Hawaii, Illinois, Vermont and Washington. ~ NPR ⛽ All gas, no breaks The price for a gallon of gas continues to climb, with the national average now a record $4.97 a gallon, according to AAA. In thirteen states and Washington, DC, drivers are already paying an average of $5 or higher. The Why: Not only is there tons of demand as China gets back online after Covid shutdowns, but supply is still short thanks to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Plus, there are refinery issues. When might prices come down? Unfortunately, prices will likely keep going higher for quite some time. Goldman Sachs predicts the price for a barrel of crude oil-- which makes up the largest percentage of the retail price of gas-- will surge to a record $140 a barrel. The bank didn't say at what point gas prices will hit their ceiling, but expects that prices will increase until drivers start significantly pulling back. Moody's Analytics economist Mark Zandi says if prices go much higher than that, it would be very bad news for the US economy: "If oil prices go to $150, we are going into recession. There is no way out." ~ CNN 🗞 THE SPEED READ At least 3 dead, 3 injured in mass shooting at Maryland manufacturing facility, authorities say (USA Today) At least three people were killed and three others injured –including the suspected shooter and a Maryland State Police trooper – in a mass shooting Thursday at a manufacturing facility north of Smithsburg, authorities said. "The state police responded, pursued the suspect, suspect fired and shot state trooper in the shoulder who then returned fire and shot him back," Gov. Larry Hogan said. Armed Man Traveled to Justice Kavanaugh’s Home to Kill Him, Officials Say (NY Times) A man armed with a pistol, a knife and other weapons was arrested near the Maryland home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh early Wednesday after he said he traveled from California to kill the Supreme Court justice, federal officials said. Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, Calif., was charged with attempted murder after two U.S. deputy marshals saw him step out of a taxicab in front of the justice’s house in Chevy Chase, Md., early Wednesday morning. Roske told the police that he was upset about the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and about a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion suggesting that the justices were poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. White House Unveils Covid Vaccination Plan For Children Under 5, Orders 10 Million Doses (Forbes) The Biden administration outlined its Covid-19 vaccination plan for children under the age of five, which includes ordering 10 million additional vaccine doses ahead of the FDA and CDC's decision to approve the shots to immunize the youngest Americans. The White House said it is ready to begin rolling out vaccinations to children under the age of 5 by June 20 if the FDA and CDC issue their approval next week. But Will Parents Vaccinate Their Toddlers? Only 18% of parents say they are eager to vaccinate their child under the age of five immediately, according to a poll conducted in April by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). 38% of parents say they want to “wait a while to see how the vaccine is working for others.” A sizeable 27% of parents do not plan on getting their young kids vaccinated, while 11% only plan to do so if it is mandated. Moderna says 'bivalent' Covid booster provides stronger protection against omicron (NBC News) A redesigned version of Moderna's Covid-19 booster shot appears to provide stronger protection against the omicron variant than its current vaccine. Early trial results found the bivalent vaccine — which is designed to target both the omicron variant and the original coronavirus strain in a single shot — led to an eightfold increase in neutralizing antibody levels, according to the company. Americans Will Spend More on Mezcal and Tequila This Year Than Whiskey (Bloomberg) This year, Americans for the first time will spend more money on mezcal and tequila, both alcohols made from agave plants, than they will on US-made whiskeys. By 2023, the category also will have supplanted vodka, making it the US’s most-purchased spirit by value, at around $13.3 billion, versus $12.5 billion for vodka and $12.3 billion for US whiskey, according to research released this week by IWSR. Why LIV Golf is the most controversial tournament in sport right now (Sky News) Some of the game's biggest names will compete in the inaugural LIV Golf event in Hertfordshire despite facing lifetime bans from the PGA Tour. The breakaway series is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) - the owners of Newcastle United - and involves huge sums of money for the competitors. It has led to players facing criticism for taking part in the Saudi-backed event due to the kingdom's dismal human rights record. 🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN' WEEKEND 📺 What We're Watching: For All Mankind, Season 3 (Apple TV), The Janes (HBO Max) 📖 What We're Reading: The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats – and Our Response – Will Change the World by Ian Bremmer. ICYMI: We spoke to Bremmer for our Wednesday Premium Edition this week. 🍿 What We're Eating: Movie theater popcorn with a lot of butter, as we go back to the movie theater for the first time to see Top Gun: Maverick ⭐️ Premium Content: Enjoying Mo News? Want access to newsmaker interviews, extra editions every week, additional content in an exclusive Facebook group and an opportunity to ask me questions directly? Sign Up for our premium newsletter subscription. It will help us grow the newsletter and continue to expand to multiple platforms. Special Deal: 15% off to become an annual member. 📰 Miss a day? Check out past newsletters here 📧 Any questions or feedback about this newsletter? Email Us 📱 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and TikTok

  • Gun Legislation Update: House: On Wednesday, the Democrat-controlled House passed the Protecting Our Kids Act by a vote of 223-204 (mostly along party lines). The legislation includes a bill that would raise the legal age to buy certain semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21 years old. There is pretty much no chance that it will pass in the Senate, which is split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. ~ CNNWe should note, five House Republicans voted for the bill: Reps. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Fred Upton of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Chris Jacobs of New York. Two Democrats voted against it: Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Kurt Schrader of Oregon.The vote came after emotional testimony from family members of victims of the Uvalde and Buffalo shootings. An 11-year-old girl who survived the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas described how she covered herself with a dead classmate’s blood to avoid being shot and “just stayed quiet.”

  • Gun Legislation Update: Senate: A bipartisan group of senators is continuing to negotiate on "a slim set of proposals" that would mostly address school safety, set standards for safe gun storage, support mental health programs, and provide incentives for states to create so-called red flag laws to remove guns from potentially dangerous owners. ~ NPR

  • State Update There are now seven states that ban the sale of semi-automatic rifles to anyone under the age of 21. New York passed the law a few days ago, joining Florida (which changed its laws after Parkland), California, Hawaii, Illinois, Vermont and Washington. ~ NPR

⛽ All gas, no breaks

The price for a gallon of gas continues to climb, with the national average now a record $4.97 a gallon, according to AAA. In thirteen states and Washington, DC, drivers are already paying an average of $5 or higher.

  • The Why: Not only is there tons of demand as China gets back online after Covid shutdowns, but supply is still short thanks to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Plus, there are refinery issues.

  • When might prices come down? Unfortunately, prices will likely keep going higher for quite some time. Goldman Sachs predicts the price for a barrel of crude oil-- which makes up the largest percentage of the retail price of gas-- will surge to a record $140 a barrel. The bank didn't say at what point gas prices will hit their ceiling, but expects that prices will increase until drivers start significantly pulling back.Moody's Analytics economist Mark Zandi says if prices go much higher than that, it would be very bad news for the US economy: "If oil prices go to $150, we are going into recession. There is no way out." ~ CNN

🗞 THE SPEED READ

At least three people were killed and three others injured –including the suspected shooter and a Maryland State Police trooper – in a mass shooting Thursday at a manufacturing facility north of Smithsburg, authorities said. "The state police responded, pursued the suspect, suspect fired and shot state trooper in the shoulder who then returned fire and shot him back," Gov. Larry Hogan said.

A man armed with a pistol, a knife and other weapons was arrested near the Maryland home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh early Wednesday after he said he traveled from California to kill the Supreme Court justice, federal officials said. Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, Calif., was charged with attempted murder after two U.S. deputy marshals saw him step out of a taxicab in front of the justice’s house in Chevy Chase, Md., early Wednesday morning.

  • Roske told the police that he was upset about the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and about a leaked draft of a Supreme Court opinion suggesting that the justices were poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The Biden administration outlined its Covid-19 vaccination plan for children under the age of five, which includes ordering 10 million additional vaccine doses ahead of the FDA and CDC's decision to approve the shots to immunize the youngest Americans. The White House said it is ready to begin rolling out vaccinations to children under the age of 5 by June 20 if the FDA and CDC issue their approval next week.

  • But Will Parents Vaccinate Their Toddlers? Only 18% of parents say they are eager to vaccinate their child under the age of five immediately, according to a poll conducted in April by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). 38% of parents say they want to “wait a while to see how the vaccine is working for others.” A sizeable 27% of parents do not plan on getting their young kids vaccinated, while 11% only plan to do so if it is mandated.

A redesigned version of Moderna's Covid-19 booster shot appears to provide stronger protection against the omicron variant than its current vaccine. Early trial results found the bivalent vaccine — which is designed to target both the omicron variant and the original coronavirus strain in a single shot — led to an eightfold increase in neutralizing antibody levels, according to the company.

This year, Americans for the first time will spend more money on mezcal and tequila, both alcohols made from agave plants, than they will on US-made whiskeys. By 2023, the category also will have supplanted vodka, making it the US’s most-purchased spirit by value, at around $13.3 billion, versus $12.5 billion for vodka and $12.3 billion for US whiskey, according to research released this week by IWSR.

Some of the game's biggest names will compete in the inaugural LIV Golf event in Hertfordshire despite facing lifetime bans from the PGA Tour. The breakaway series is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) - the owners of Newcastle United - and involves huge sums of money for the competitors. It has led to players facing criticism for taking part in the Saudi-backed event due to the kingdom's dismal human rights record.

🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN' WEEKEND

📺 What We're Watching: For All Mankind, Season 3 (Apple TV), The Janes (HBO Max)

ICYMI: We spoke to Bremmer for our Wednesday Premium Edition this week.

🍿 What We're Eating: Movie theater popcorn with a lot of butter, as we go back to the movie theater for the first time to see Top Gun: Maverick

⭐️ Premium Content: Enjoying Mo News? Want access to newsmaker interviews, extra editions every week, additional content in an exclusive Facebook group and an opportunity to ask me questions directly? Sign Up for our premium newsletter subscription. It will help us grow the newsletter and continue to expand to multiple platforms. Special Deal: 15% off to become an annual member.

📧 Any questions or feedback about this newsletter? Email Us