In addition to a fear of Putin, I think Trump was worried about going to prison for the cases being investigated in NY--once he no longer had presidential protection. Also, he had gotten a taste of what the unobstructed power of the presidency afforded him and didn't want to let that go.

I don't think Trump wanted Pence killed merely as an act of revenge. I think he wanted him killed--and Nancy too--so he could declare martial law and from there figure out a way to retain the presidency.

We need more people with guns to protect us from people with guns!

Uh-oh:

MFA:

Over the course of his new six episode HBO documentary, Into The Storm, filmmaker Cullen Hoback exhaustively details the intrigue and shadowy players involved in the QAnon conspiracy theory. As CNN's Brian Lowry explains, "Hoback appears determined not to leave any stones unturned."

The documentary is comprehensive and does flip a lot of stones. Hoback leverages sustained access to key players in the QAnon movement to tell a story about one of the most consequential disinformation operations of the Trump era. He does, however, pass on overturning one rather large stone: chief Q-enabler Jim Watkins' history of running an internet company that has profited off child porn themes. The omission deprives HBO's audience of key information on Watkins' past, especially given his prominent role in movement seeking vengeance against a supposed cabal of elite liberal pedophiles.

"Matt Gaetz to keynote Women for America First' event at Trump Doral on Friday"

If Gaetz actually shows up, that ought be one for the history books.

Peter Strzok @petestrzok

DOD IG "has uncovered evidence that Michael Flynn accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from foreign interests and governments, despite repeated warnings by the DoD and the justice department that his conduct might be illegal."

Read this thread yesterday. Not sure what to make of it:

2000: Rs block manual recount after memory card is found to have inexplicably deleted 16k votes from Gore's total on a Diebold machine in Volusia county; no other races were impacted. Bush declared victorious by 537 votes. History forever altered. 1/

"Gaetz was on that trip with a marijuana entrepreneur and hand surgeon named Jason Pirozzolo, who allegedly paid for the travel expenses, accommodations, and female escorts, the sources said."

Hmmmm, again:

A new development occurred Thursday when an old video was unearthed of then-President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump meeting Pirozzolo as they landed in Orlando in June 2019, months after the now-infamous Bahamas trip. Trump was there to launch his 2020 presidential campaign with a large rally.

He, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Casey DeSantis were the only three guests waiting on the tarmac in Orlando that day. It's unknown who helped Pirozzolo score the unique opportunity to greet the president.

Hmmmm:

Sean Hannity has hosted Matt Gaetz 127 times since August 2017. He hasn't mentioned the congressman's burgeoning scandals -- not on his Fox show, radio show, website, or Twitter.

Follow the money:

Gaetz Paid Accused Sex Trafficker, Who Then Venmo'd Teen

In two late-night Venmo transactions in May 2018, Rep. Matt Gaetz sent his friend, the accused sex trafficker Joel Greenberg, $900. The next morning, over the course of eight minutes, Greenberg used the same app to send three young women varying sums of money. In total, the transactions amounted to $900.

The memo field for the first of Gaetz's transactions to Greenberg was titled "Test." In the second, the Florida GOP congressman wrote "hit up ___." But instead of a blank, Gaetz wrote a nickname for one of the recipients. (The Daily Beast is not sharing that nickname because the teenager had only turned 18 less than six months before.) When Greenberg then made his Venmo payments to these three young women, he described the money as being for "Tuition," "School," and "School."

The Daily Beast examined these records as a scandal, rooted in a criminal case against Greenberg, engulfs Gaetz.

We can only hope:

Rick Wilson @TheRickWilson
My phone is burning up. So much Florida dirt being shoveled over the graves of so many ambitious bros.
7:44 PM Apr 7, 2021

"Concussions have consequences
(RIP Junior Seau)"

Concussions have consequences
(RIP Jack Lambert)

Yes, on child porn charges. It was squeezed into the title but got taken out.

MFA: "Gaetz was on that trip with a marijuana entrepreneur and hand surgeon named Jason Pirozzolo, who allegedly paid for the travel expenses, accommodations, and female escorts, the sources said."

To connect the dots:

Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Multiple sources close to @HalseyBeshears, fmr Sec'y of @FloridaDBPR under @GovRonDeSantis, tell @Fla_Pol that he is third Florida Republican' embroiled in the @MattGaetz & Joel Greenberg scandal.

Sources say he recently received a "target letter" from federal investigators.

Remember re: Jason Pirozzolo: As a co-chair of @GovRonDeSantis' transition, @MattGaetz wanted Pirozzolo to serve as Surgeon General, who oversees @HealthyFla, which helps 'regulate' medical marijuana, which was/is the family business of
@HalseyBeshears

It's all connected!

Because sure, why not?:

Boca Raton GOP Club Will Feature Proud Boys Leader Tarrio As Dinner Speaker

"Looks like Laura and her keen eye for detail fished you out correctly."

When I asked FV who he was previously, he said he was Jacque_Strap. I remembered the name but nothing about the poster. I speculated Laura would remember though, and she did.

Douglas A. Blackmon @douglasblackmon (former WSJ reporter)

So you're asking if I actually can explain how the new Georgia voting law discourages voting, especially in minority & lower income communities and sets up ways for the legislature and exec branch to tamper with elections the way President Trump tried? Okay, if you insist.

"which would open the doors to a myriad of other helpful programs and services for these folks? Because they don't really care about helping these people get services or to the polls"

REAL ID requirements don't apply to:

Voting or registering to vote

Applying for or receiving federal benefits

Being licensed by a state to drive or to rent a car

Entering federal facilities that do not require identification (including a defendant's access to court proceedings, National Parks, and Social Security offices)

Accessing health- or life-preserving services (including hospitals and health clinics)

Participating in law enforcement proceedings or investigation

Ability to purchase alcohol, cash checks, or gamble

You can also continue to use your standard driver's license or ID card for other U.S. travel like driving in and across state lines or riding a train.

In NY state you can get a real ID or a standard one. As I understand it, you will only need a real ID for traveling on domestic flights or outside of the country, and if you don't have a real ID but just a standard one, you will need to have a passport.

"Now tell me, why haven't the liberals taken steps to help these millions of potentially disenfranchised people get an ID card,"

Probably because people have been more concerned with helping folks survive the pandemic:

Real ID Deadline Delayed Until Late 2021 Because of Coronavirus

The original enforcement date was set for Oct. 1, 2020, but the federal, state and local response to the pandemic warranted a delay, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The Department of Homeland Security has extended the deadline for Real ID enforcement by 12 months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, postponing an already delayed government requirement for enhanced identification to board domestic flights.

"VERY ILL""many players of the NHL Vancouver @Canucks are "very ill" with #COVID19, some confirmed to have the aggressive Brazil Flag of Brazil #P1 variant.

Twice a week rapid testing is a way to identify new cases quickly and contain them. Sounds like a good plan considering the toll long term covid is taking on healthcare workers in the UK:

Strain on NHS as tens of thousands of staff suffer long Covid

Intense pressures on the already overstretched NHS are being exacerbated by the tens of thousands of health staff who are sick with long Covid, doctors and hospital bosses say.

At least 122,000 NHS personnel have the condition, the Office for National Statistics disclosed in a detailed report that showed 1.1 million people in the UK were affected by the condition. That is more than any other occupational group and ahead of teachers, of whom 114,000 have it.