Episode Details

It's Emptywheel Friday on the day before the 4th, and Marcy Wheeler and I have plenty to dig into. Top of the list: Trump's "Freedom 250" — the private, secretive operation that hijacked America's real 250th birthday commission and turned it into a money-laundering vehicle for his cronies, according to a new House Natural Resources Committee report. We also cover the record heat descending on the whole country and especially DC this weekend, Trump's nearly $2 billion in stock trading profits while in office, Jeanine Pirro's ridiculous prosecution of an Olympic canoeist, the ongoing fight over the Epstein files, and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's striking speech on American exceptionalism. Plus, Arizona AG Kris Mayes gets a well-deserved shoutout, and I leave you with a 4th of July reminder about fireworks and dogs.