Cross-Examination

• Biden pseudonyms: As Republicans on the House Oversight Committee continue digging into the Biden family’s corruption, they have unearthed emails that appear to reveal then-Vice President Joe Biden using a number of pseudonyms. One email in particular that was sent by John Flynn, who at the time was working for VP Biden, was a daily schedule addressed to “Robert L. Peters.” The email was reminding Biden of a scheduled prep time for a phone call with the then-president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko. Interestingly, Hunter Biden, who at the time just happened to be on the board of Ukraine energy company Burisma, was CC’d on that email. Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) on Thursday sent a records request to the National Archives and Records Administration seeking to get all unredacted records related to Biden’s official duties while serving as vice president over the time that corresponds with Hunter’s business in Ukraine. Was Biden’s use of pseudonyms an effort to cover up his corrupt business dealings with his son? It certainly appears that way.

• “Sound of Freedom” beats “Indiana Jones”: Despite all the Leftmedia smears and ludicrous reporting that a film depicting a true story shedding light on the problem of child sex trafficking was rather promoting a QAnon conspiracy, “Sound of Freedom” has raked in over $173 million at the domestic box office. That number bests the fifth Indiana Jones movie, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” whose domestic total comes in at $172,775,069 as of August 16. Disney, which owns the Indy films, spent nearly $300 million on “Dial of Destiny,” whereas “Sound of Freedom” was made on a $14.5 million budget. Making matters worse for Disney, the woke company at one point owned the rights to “Sound of Freedom” when it acquired 20th Century Fox, only to shelve it and eventually sell it off. Seeing its success, Disney may be regretting that decision.

• Bidenflation hits Bernie’s minimum wage: As a “solution” to mitigate Bidenflation making everything more costly, socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) and Democrat Senator Bobby Scott (VA) are proposing raising the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour. However, as is always the problem with leftist economics, the “solution” would only serve to make costs rise. For example, according to analysis from the Heritage Foundation’s Rachel Greszler, a $17 minimum wage would send child care costs jumping up 20% across the U.S. That 20% would add an extra $4,185 per year in child care cost for a family with two children. With American families on average $2,700 poorer now thanks to Bidenflation, raising the minimum wage would only serve to make everything even less affordable.

• Trump cancels Georgia “proof”: Following his fourth indictment, and arguably the most politically motivated as well as weakest of the litany of charges that have been raised against the former president, Trump posted on social media that he would soon present a “detailed but irrefutable” report on alleged election fraud in Georgia during the 2020 election. Trump boasted: “Based on the results of this CONCLUSIVE Report, all charges should be dropped against me & others – There will be a complete EXONERATION!” Trump scheduled a press conference for Monday, August 21, for the big reveal. Well, last night, Trump nixed the event on the advice of his lawyers, who warned that his report could lead to an obstruction charge over an effort to taint the jury pool.

• Illegal lab: The discovery of an illegal lab in Fresno County, California, made headlines recently after county public health inspectors reported finding a facility in a warehouse containing unauthorized biological agents, bodily fluid samples, infectious diseases including COVID, and some 1,000 mice. The lab in Reedley did not have permission or permits to operate, but Prestige Biotech and Universal Meditch Inc. back in 2018 had the necessary permits from the health department to use live mice for testing. However, over the next several years, it appears that the facility at the warehouse was illegally expanded into a lab that engaged in conducting biological testing. Fresno authorities are also seeking to correct misinformation that has been reported regarding the lab, noting specifically that there is no evidence of the lab being connected to a foreign government.

• KSM might avoid the death penalty: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the architect of the 9/11 attacks, is seeking to avoid the death penalty with a plea deal. He is currently being held at Guantanamo Bay. According to a letter from the Pentagon and FBI sent to the families of victims, “The Office of the Chief Prosecutor has been negotiating and is considering entering into pre-trial agreements.” The letter continues by noting that no deal has been finalized, “and may never be finalized[;] it is possible that a [pre-trial agreement] in this case would remove the possibility of the death penalty.”

Headlines

• Hurricane Hilary now powerful Category 4 hurricane, significant impacts expected in California, Southwest (Fox Weather)

• North Dakota police officer’s bodycam footage shows moment he was ambushed (Fox News)

• Delaware judge dismisses Hunter Biden tax charges, setting stage for additional charges from special counsel (National Review)

• Donald Trump releases video calling for other Republicans to drop out of the race and embrace unity (Not the Bee)

• Official who ignored request for water during Maui inferno: “Water requires conversations around equity” (RedState)

• Maui emergency management admin resigns day after questioned about sirens not sounding during Lahaina fires (Fox News)

• Apple restores all of Glenn Beck’s podcasts from iTunes (PM)

• Red Cross asks male blood donors if they are pregnant (National Review)

• Mortgage rates hit highest level in over 20 years in blow to homebuyers (NY Post)

• Humor: Prince immediately regrets waking Rachel Zegler with a kiss after she starts ranting about the patriarchy (Babylon Bee)

For more editors’ choice headlines, click here.