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Here’s what we’re talking about:
Exclusive documents show which Pence aides are still getting government paychecks
LA County is reimposing an indoor mask mandate
Matt Gaetz campaign paid $25K to a lawyer who represented Jeffrey Epstein
Former Vice President Mike Pence.
Megan Varner/Getty Images
1. LIFE AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE: Mike Pence’s staffers have continued to earn federal salaries after leaving the White House. My colleagues obtained documents detailing how taxpayer money is supporting the former vice president after he left office.
They illustrate how Pence’s team is using the allowed $520,000 in federal cash for everything from silver Sharpies to supporting as many as 11 staffers.
What else they found:
Who’s in Pence’s inner circle ahead of a possible 2024 run: Two of the officials, his former chief of staff Marc Short and former director of strategic initiatives Paul Teller, have also joined Pence’s new political advocacy group. Teller appears to have been the top-paid Pence transition aide, with an annual salary of $120,000 a year. (The funds will dry up July 21.)
It’s a much leaner operation than Trump’s: The former president has access to $2.1 million in federal funds. Trump aides have been getting paid more, too. Trump’s office expenditures included items like an almost-$35,000 stationery package for both Donald Trump and Melania Trump.
about how Pence is spending the taxpayer money here.
2. Los Angeles County brings in an indoor mask mandate: The nation’s most populous county will reimpose its mandate just weeks after it and the rest of California celebrated reopening. The move follows a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the Delta variant. The decision puts the county at odds with state and federal health officials.
3. Rep. Matt Gaetz’s campaign paid $25K to a lawyer who represented Jeffrey Epstein: Gaetz’s latest filing shows that he paid the sum to attorney Marc Fernich. Among “notable clients” he highlights are the accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, and convicted crime family boss John “Junior” Gotti. See what else the embattled Florida congressman is spending money on.
These are the 9 people to watch in Gaetz’s legal drama: Florida political circles are buzzing about the scandal, and “Matt is viewed like a swamp monster now,” said one source who knows Gaetz.
A village in Germany is largely destroyed and flooded after a massive rainfall and flooding.
Boris Roessler/Picture Alliance/Getty Images
4. More than 100 dead as flood waters surge in Europe: Severe flooding has swept Germany and Belgium as recent storms pushed rivers and reservoirs past their breaking points.
As of 5 a.m. ET, there were 90 confirmed deaths in Germany (per Deutsche Welle) and 12 in Belgium (per Belgian public broadcaster VRT). The toll is likely to increase given the many people still missing.
5. Top Senate Democrat plays infrastructure hardball: Senate Majority …read more
Source:: Business Insider
Stock Market: Suez Canal Update! Floating!
The Suicide Squad | Official IMAX® Red Band Trailer
From the horribly beautiful mind of James Gunn and filmed in IMAX. Experience