News Burst: June 04, 2017 (Patreon)

Hey!

I hope you’re all doing very well, and that you enjoyed your weekend.

Tomorrow’s video is locked-in and ready to go! It’s another “social commentary” video like this past Thursday’s. I hope you like it. (I’m intentionally staying away from one piece of news in this News Burst so as to not be redundant with the video's content, which could be a spoiler. =D.)

Next week, Erin and I are going to Vegas for a few days. We both love it there (a little gambling, a little pool, a lot of food, a lot of chain-smoking cigars, and a whole lot of drinking), and it’ll be the first time I’ve had a real break since before I launched CLS. (By my count, I've only not worked in some capacity for two days since March 13.) I’m really, really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, as a One Man Army, that means I have to get next week’s videos locked-and-loaded within the next week, as well as this Thursday’s video. In other words, it’s going to be a not-so-fun week, especially when you factor in that I want to get the Q&A video out, start on thank you videos, and begin mailing out postcards and signed Tweets. We’ll see how this all goes. *wipes brow*

What I've also been playing around with is, when should I go on real vacation? Like, not do any videos or anything? What I'm identifying right now is one week in July, and the last two weeks of the year. That leaves 49 weeks of content (or 98 videos a year). I'd be curious what you guys think of that, and if you have any input, so let me know.

I think that’s it. Let’s go!

Terror Attack in London: https://www.apnews.com/9486def2d8304595b17e40bafc508ad5/12-arrested-in-London's-night-of-terror;--IS-claims-attack

My Take: It seems like the bodies from the Manchester terrorist attack were just getting cold, and now, another terror attack has rocked the UK. This time, the attack strikes at the heart of Britain, in the capital city of London, and it was as brutal and disgusting as many other, similar attacks that have happened so often in Europe these past few years as to have become totally routine and run-of-the-mill. That’s such a scary and awful fact, when you think about it and let it sink in. None of this is a surprise anymore.

Anyway, this attack was done in two stages. A van ran over people, while men with knives slashed and dashed through civilians, killing seven. 48 people were injured in total; 21 of them remain in critical condition. When you read the details of the attack, and read some of the eyewitness reports, it really does get to you (or to me, at least) just how gruesome and disgusting this shit has become. I wouldn’t call myself a squeamish person by any stretch of the imagination, but the details are a little too much for me to stomach. (Just like a lot of the other terrible things ISIS does.)

Speaking of which, ISIS has (not surprisingly) taken credit for the attack. This one seems to be far more in line with their modus operandi, as opposed to the newest attack in the Philippines from a few days ago, in which ISIS claimed it, with the Filipino authorities saying it wasn’t them, and with the details of the crime not amounting to something ISIS would do. In anycase, this is terrible stuff. What else is there to say? Other than that there’s an election very, very soon in the UK, and I suspect this is going to help Theresa May and her coalition, who have been slipping mightily in the polls.

(Related Story | Trump, London Mayor Go At It: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-london-attack-tweets_us_593410e8e4b075bff0f461f7?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009)

(Related Story | Londoners at the Scene Fought Back: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-security-scene-idUSKBN18V0OW?il=0)

Ariana and Company Put on a Show in Manchester: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/arts/music/ariana-grande-one-love-manchester-benefit-concert.html

My Take: Typically, I’d just fold this into the Related Stories from the above terrorism attack, but I feel like this deserves its own post and its own spotlight, particularly because I think it’s a rare glimpse of sunlight in the increasingly dark stories surrounding Europe’s terror attack plague. The One Love Manchester concert was held for the benefit of the victims and the victims’ families who were affected by the Manchester terror attack just a couple of weeks ago, and, “defiantly” enough, was held in Manchester itself.

I’ve been fairly clear in the past (especially in the more recent past) that I think Europe has a big problem on its hands, and that it needs to stop burying its head in the sand and start wrapping its collective mind around what it’s going to do to make what’s been happening far less routine. I think what happened yesterday in London simply illustrates that important point further; this problem will not disappear, and it will probably only get worse, until someone is brave and smart enough to devise an actionable plan that can be executed on. (Because frankly, I don’t have a solution for you. All I know is there’s a problem. I think that’s obvious.)

But, I’ve been seeing this idea of “not being cowed” by the terror attacks, and while I think that it’s silly to pretend like there’s no issue, I think it’s vital and essential that people go about their daily lives, and to not live in fear. This brought it a step further: Not only were people living their lives, but they collected together again, in a scene very similar to the one near the explosion weeks prior, to celebrate music, the UK, unity, and to raise funds for a very good cause. I think Ariana Grande and her cohorts and planners deserve a lot of credit for doing something very selfless, perhaps just a little bit dangerous (Ariana!), and shoving something positive and uplifting out there in a sea of negativity.

James Comey is on Deck: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/04/comey-hearing-trump-fbi-russia-239113

My Take: The “Russia is Responsible For Everything” line of inquiry has taken a hiatus for a week or two, but it’s undoubtedly going to be back in full swing this week, with James Comey -- former FBI Director -- set to testify before Congress. More specifically, the Senate is set to question Comey on Thursday in regard to the FBI’s (likely ongoing) investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. This could be fireworks, or it could be nothing at all. We’re going to find out in the coming days what’s what.

What’s interesting about this story, to me, is that -- apart from a series of leaks -- no one really knows where James Comey’s head is at. He hasn’t said a single, solitary word since he was dismissed by Trump nearly one full month ago. Nothing he’s said has been on the record, and anonymous sources -- if they can be trusted (and they probably can be) -- can only take this story so far. Comey speaking could be the beginning of the end of Trump, or the beginning of the end of the inquiry into Trump’s administration’s relationship with Russia. It’s hard to really interpret it in any other way.

Since Comey has apparently shown an eagerness to testify -- likely to clear his own name -- it’s unlikely that he’ll be very cagey. Instead, I expect him to be the exact opposite: Open and ready to get down to business. The key with the Senate Intelligence Committee will be to ask the right questions to get him to open up, and I’m confident that both the majority and minority members of the committee are up to the task. This is a seminal moment for both sides; how it plays out can dictate the course of American politics for quite some time to come. I’m eager. Are you?

(Related Story | Five Things Lawmakers Want From Comey: http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/336182-five-things-lawmakers-want-to-know-from-comey)