Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

The Wendy Davis abortion filibuster was 10 years ago. Troopers were in the gallery even back then. 

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•  Everything's fine.
  
  
  
•  While looking at the Wise County Jail inmate list this morning, the entry below got my attention. I can't figure out if the arrest was because of an outstanding warrant out of some other county or if Wise County has a new murder case. He was booked in late yesterday afternoon, but a bond has already been set at $300,000. 
  
  
  
• We learned in May that the Justice Department had the recording, and the recent federal indictment actually quoted from it. Now we have the audio. "But that wasn't a document — Bret, there was no document," he told Fox News last week when confronted with the transcript. But the audio makes it clear there was definitely a classified document he was waving around at Bedminster in 2021.  And he knew it.
  
  
  
• There was nothing in the Watergate tapes even remotely damning as this. Trump is in big trouble. 
• Trump must have just woke up and saw the news. Anyone remember when he first said the documents were "planted"?
  
  
  
• But Trump had a win yesterday in court. And I support his lawyer in this regard. The concept of "sealed" anything in a criminal trial is wrong.  But the judge is giving the government a chance to try again to keep its witness list a secret.
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
• That's a catchy headline, but the law they are referring to, which amends the Texas murder statute to include death by fentanyl, doesn't go effect until September 1st. You can't retroactively apply a new law to conduct in the past. (And the story actually finally says this, but why ruin a perfectly good headline?)
  
  
  
• Legal nerdy stuff: Here's the amendment to Texas Penal Code 19.02, the murder statute:
  
  
  
• There is no one who wouldn't believe this to be true.  
  
  
  
• It's no surprise that the state will seek the death penalty in the Idaho murder case of four college students. Side note:  It's been bugging me who he reminds me of, and I've decided it is Timothy McVeigh. Absolutely the same vibes. 
  
  
  
• Speaking of, I'm halfway through this book and it fantastic.  Toobin has always been a great writer. 
  
  
  
• Video. Story.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• With the All-Star break quickly approaching, Decatur's Bryce Elder is now the leader in the National League in ERA and third in all of baseball. Incredible.  He's 24, and this is his second season after being called up. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• A decade after it ended, I've finally started Mad Men.  Big, big thumbs up.