The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Judge weighs unsealing Trump search affidavit

Cate Martel
·6 min read
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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

TALK OF THE MORNING

Shall we take a gander?:

The federal magistrate judge who approved the search of former President Trump’s residence held a hearing on Thursday to determine what should be unsealed from the search.

How did it go?: The judge said he is considering unsealing parts of the affidavit used to justify the search warrant, even though the Justice Department argues it will harm the ongoing investigation. So, as a compromise, the judge ordered DOJ officials to suggest redactions to the document.

Who wants the documents to be unsealed?: A number of news organizations have requested to view the affidavit.

The full back and forth on whether to unseal the documents 

‘THE 4 MAJOR CRIMINAL PROBES INTO DONALD TRUMP, EXPLAINED’:
From Vox’s Ian Millhiser

Happy August Friday! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.

📌 In Ukraine

What’s it like in Ukraine these days?: 

The Hill’s Laura Kelly is reporting on the ground in Ukraine, delving into the conflict six months after Russia invaded its neighbor.

The feeling in Odessa, Ukraine: “The signs of war are everywhere in Odesa, but it feels like there’s little fear of death or destruction from Russian attacks. Air raid sirens ring out almost daily, but rocket and missile strikes largely appear to fall far from the city center — a far different reality from neighboring cities such as Mykoliav to the northeast, which suffers daily, devastating bombardment.”

A reason for the feeling of calm in Odessa: “Odesa’s relative feeling of peace is a credit to the Ukrainian forces holding the front line outside these cities and Voznesens’k, north of Mykolaiv, said Odesa’s mayor, Gennadiy Trukhanov.”

Read Kelly’s full report from Ukraine 

THE LATEST WITH THE CONFLICT — ‘WHY THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE HAVE GONE POORLY FOR RUSSIA.’: 
An explanation from The New York Times’s David Leonhardt and Claire Moses

🗞 News this morning

Those redactions weren’t correct: 

Via The Hill’s John Kruzel, “The Department of Justice (DOJ) improperly shielded portions of a memo to Attorney General William Barr that concerned whether former President Trump obstructed a special counsel probe into his campaign’s dealings with Russia during the 2016 presidential election, a federal appeals court in Washington ruled on Friday.”

The ruling: It was unanimous by three judges.

The full story

🐉 Happening on Sunday

*Starts humming the ‘Game of Thrones’ theme song*:

The highly-anticipated ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel — ‘House of the Dragon’ — will premiere on Sunday.

When and where will it air?: Sunday, Aug. 21 at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max

No spoilers here!: There are plenty of reviews for the first episode, but I am not including any spoilers!

^ If you do want to read reviews: Here are a few reviews from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone

📖 Getting traction

Inside the world of Jared Kushner: 

Former President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner wrote the latest memoir chronicling his time and experiences working in the White House.

When the book will be released: On Tuesday

TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BOOK:

1. “Kushner claims violence on Jan. 6 was unexpected.”

2. “Kushner says he sealed door connecting his office and Bannon’s.”

3. “Trump on Trillion Trees initiative: ‘What is this … bullshit?’”

4. “Trump holding up Bible at church was ‘improvised.’”

5. “Book paints flattering picture of Saudi crown prince.”

Explanations for each, via The Hill’s Brett Samuels 

A RELATABLE NUGGET — BUT A FILET-O-FISH? REALLY?: 
When former President Trump had COVID-19, former senior adviser Jared Kushner said he knew his father-in-law was feeling better once he wanted to eat McDonald’s again.

Excerpt: “I knew he was feeling better when he requested one of his favorite meals: a McDonald’s Big Mac, Filet-o-Fish, fries and a vanilla shake.”

📺 In the media world

Wow, CNN canceled ‘Reliable Sources’: 

CNN is canceling its weekly media show “Reliable Sources” and its host, Brian Stelter, is leaving the network.

When is the last edition of ‘Reliable Sources?’: On Sunday

Some context from The Hill’s Dominick Mastrangelo: “Stelter was among other hosts on a list reported by Axios this year that [CNN President Chris Licht] was evaluating as the network’s president looks to refocus its editorial strategy. The media company suffered a major blow after investing in its now-defunct streaming service CNN+. Stelter was slated to host a daily streaming show on CNN+ before it was shuttered.” What we know 

MEDIA TIDBIT — MORE PEOPLE WATCH STREAMING THAN CABLE: 
“For the first time ever, Americans are watching more streaming TV than cable, according to a report from Nielsen. The milestone has long been expected as viewers change their viewing habits and ditch their pricey cable bundles for cheaper alternatives.” The full story from CNN Business’s Jordan Valinsky

🗳 On the campaign trail

Don’t take this personally, GOP senate candidates:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tamped down expectations for Republicans winning control of the Senate, blaming “candidate quality.”

McConnell said during an event, according to NBC News: “I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome.”

The full story from NBC’s Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V 

‘DESANTIS TRIES TO THREAD THE NEEDLE ON TRUMP AND 2024’:
Read Niall Stanage’s column in The Hill

🦠 Latest with COVID

➤ THE COVID-19 NUMBERS 

Cases to date: 93.1 million

Death toll: 1,034,118

Current hospitalizations: 34,643

Shots administered: 607 million

Fully vaccinated: 67.4 percent of Americans

CDC data here.

🔭 Notable tweets

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — space is the COOLEST:

Photographer Andrew McCarthy tweeted, “I had to drive to California to get this one. My clearest image of Saturn, at [its] closest to Earth. Captured from the roof of a parking garage after driving all day.” Photo of Saturn — it has more than 155k likes so far

⏱On tap

The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Delaware. Vice President Harris is in Hawaii.

All times Eastern.

📺What to watch

  • Sunday morning: Rep. Sean Maloney (D-N.Y.) appears on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

🍦 In lighter news

Today is National Soft Serve Ice Cream Day!

And to kickstart your weekend, here’s a bird moving and grooving to its favorite song.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.