Trump World: A federal judge turned down the request by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham to avoid testifying next week before a special grand jury investigating attempts by former President Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election. 

  Unless he gets out of it, Graham, who is a Trump ally, will have to testify behind closed doors in the downtown Atlanta courthouse. Graham has already taken his case to the US Court of Appeals, which has the ability to postpone his appearance.

  U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May wrote in his opinion that, “In this context, the public interest is well-served when a lawful investigation aimed at uncovering the facts and circumstances of alleged attempts to disrupt or influence Georgia’s elections is allowed to proceed without unnecessary encumbrances.”

  Other Trump allies have already testified, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and John Eastman, the lawyer who stood by Trump applauding at the January 6^th rally shortly before the attack on the Capitol.

The War Zone: The US is sending another $775 million worth of military aid to Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion. Included are more of the highly accurate long distance HIMARS rockets that have been used to destroy Russian command posts and supply dumps.

  In an indication that Ukraine is contemplating a ground push, included in the new aid shipment will be 40 armored vehicles equipped with giant rollers to clear minefields. The shipment also includes 50 armored troop-carrying Humvees, 1,500 TOW guided missiles, and 1,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles.

  In the fighting, Russia and Ukraine are accusing each other of endangering the giant Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant that’s been occupied by the Russians since March. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of risking a “large scale catastrophe” by shelling the plant. 

  Russia has been using the plant compound as a base for shelling Ukrainian positions, likely with the hope that the Ukrainians will not shoot back. Of course, the Russians could solve the whole problem by just going home.

No Longer Reliable: The departure of CNN media critic Brian Stelter appears to be the first public execution as the regime looks to bring the staff and the network’s mission into line for a new look. The new regime says it wants less opinion broadcasting.

  Stelter has hosted his Sunday morning “Reliable Sources” for nine years while also appearing on other broadcasts. But CNN is now owned by the merged Discovery and Warner Media. 

  One of the company’s major players is the conservative media mogul John Malone, who told CNBC that he’d ‘like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing.’” Stelter had spoken on the air about Malone’s influence and has been critical of the change in Fox News from simple conservatism to fog horn for the right. 

  Tom Jones writes for Poynter.org that, “There’s no question that he has allowed his political leanings to infiltrate his show, commentary and writing at times. But Stelter’ show also highlighted important media topics that are otherwise under-covered on TV and many mainstream media outlets — such as journalists under attack domestically and internationally, journalists held captive or muted in other countries, and how major stories are covered.

  Dan Froomkin, editor of Media Watch, tweeted, “This is a terrible move by CNN. @brianstelter was the symbol of a media establishment willing to question itself. He was a flawed but essential voice in the national media. His firing is a win for all the wrong people.”

Cool Reception: While the big scandal in the US is the former president hoarding top secret documents, what’s got everyone talking in Finland is a video of their 36-year-old Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, dancing the night away with friends. The rather attractive Marin was wearing jeans and a black tank top having fun like any normal young person, but Finland is in an uproar.

  Finns have complained that her behavior at a private party was undignified. Members of the opposition party called for her to take a drug test, and she did.

  Marin was elected prime minister in 2019, becoming Finland’s youngest ever. She has led the country through the global pandemic, dealt with neighboring Russia invading Ukraine, and positioned Finland to join NATO. But her critics didn’t like seeing her dance.

The Spin Rack: A study published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry says there are increased risks of some brain disorders two years after infection with the coronavirus. The analysis by researchers at the University of Oxford found that some people are at risk for dementia, epilepsy, psychosis, and brain fog two years after having covid. — A Michigan judge has blocked enforcement of the state’s 1931 law that bans abortions in most cases. Judge Jacob Cunningham said the law appears to violate rights to due process and that Governor Gretchen Whitmer is likely to prevail in her claim that abortion rights in Michigan are protected by the state Constitution. — Two visitors from Australia were fined $1,500 each after using motorized surfboards to speed through the canals of Venice, Italy. The city’s mayor said, “Venice is NOT Disneyland.” 

The New Politics: Florida Republican Luis Miguel, who’s running against an incumbent in the state’s House District 20, was suspended from twitter after posting that  that Floridians should be able to shoot federal agents on sight.

“Under my plan, all Floridians will be able to shoot FBI, IRS, ATF, and all other federal troops on sight,” Miguel tweeted. “Let freedom ring.” 

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